On the Path to the Great Dao

Chen Shi and the others crawled ashore, drenched and bedraggled. Blackie Pot shook his body vigorously, splashing water everywhere again.

Chen Shi wiped the water from his face, looking at the ship sailing far away.

The Great Ming Treasure Ship's speed was astonishing. At this rate, it wouldn't take long to reach the mouth of the De River, sailing into the vast darkness and entering unknown seas.

Could this ship really carry the True King's corpse across the boundless Dark Sea to find the ancestral Huaxia Divine Continent?

Could the warriors on board handle all the perils of the sea?

Did they even know the way home?

Yet Great Ming had lost contact with West Ox New Continent for over six thousand years.

What catastrophe had befallen Great Ming?

Did Great Ming even still exist?

Or had it, like the dynasties in the history books, decayed into oblivion? A myriad of thoughts swirled in Li Tianqing's mind. Lost in emotion, he murmured:

"I so want to cast everything aside, board that ship again, follow these Great Ming warriors back to the ancestral land, and behold its magnificent rivers and mountains.

When I set foot on that soil, I'll shout to its people that I am a son of Huaxia, hailing from West Ox New Continent! My forebears crossed vast oceans, forged paths through untamed wilds to claim new frontiers, battled evils and spirits, and carved out a home there!"

Chen Shi suddenly cut into his reverie.

"Tianqing, your Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle are still on that ship."

Li Tianqing's surging heroic fervor caught in his throat.

Not only were Li Xiaoti and Li Xiaozheng aboard, but experts from the other twelve great families as well.

They were on the ship at this very moment!

Why hadn't they gotten off?

"I get it—they harbor grand ambitions, doing what we dare not."

Li Tianqing brimmed with respect, his expression grave.

"They must have sensed the Treasure Ship's anomaly and resolved to follow it back to Huaxia Divine Continent, to the ancestral land.

The Dark Sea is perilously treacherous; their band could perish anytime to sea demons or storms.

Yet they embrace the risk! Little Ten, don't disciples of such families deserve your esteem?"

Chen Shi was skeptical.

"Never mind others—your Fourth Uncle Li Xiaozheng isn't the self-sacrificing sort.

He puts on a righteous front, but alone, his inner demons stir, more wicked than any evil or spirit."

Li Tianqing laughed.

"Little Ten, your bias against the great families runs too deep.

The thirteen families boast unfathomable depths, brimming with tragic heroes of boundless generosity.

Inspired by the True King's homeward yearning, Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle seek the ancestral land too, hoping to reconnect West Ox New Continent with Huaxia Divine Continent.

Even in failure, their steadfast hearts would illuminate eternity."

Chen Shi laughed.

"Like Li Duan's brand of boundless generosity?"

Li Tianqing recalled Li Duan and the others' brothel antics and flushed.

"Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle aren't like that."

Chen Shi roared with laughter.

"They used to be! Now they just disguise it better."

Li Tianqing had no comeback.

Back in Huangpo Village, the clothes Li Tianqing had washed earlier were dry. Chen Shi grabbed a set and tossed him one of his own.

They changed into dry attire. Li Tianqing washed the clothes again, scrubbing even Chen Shi's shoes.

"Way more diligent than that girl Ding Ding."

Chen Shi praised him.

He headed to Yuzhu's house.

"Yuzhu, tell Grandma we have guests today and plan to stir-fry green pepper duck eggs, but we're short on duck eggs. Mind lending some?"

"Aunt Wang, guests at our place—we want duck eggs with green peppers, short on peppers."

"Uncle Tian, guests over—need some oil, salt, soy, and vinegar."

"No need to stand on ceremony—we're all family."

"I'm off—no need to see me out!"

"Uncle Li, pork stewed tofu at our house today, short on pork. Uncle, what's the stick for? Spar with your nephew? Put it down—don't hurt yourself.

We're all neighbors..."

Chen Shi borrowed from east and west, soon assembling a full table's worth of dishes. Blackie Pot washed rice and lit the stove; Little Date helped with the fire.

This red bellyband doll, away from the Divine Shrine, always felt off—craving a shrine-like spot to perch.

Blackie Pot had it sit and mind the stove.

Seeing it about to snap branches from its sparse-haired head for kindling, Chen Shi hurriedly stopped it, pointing to Blackie Pot's chopped firewood instead.

Little Date's wits seemed a bit dim.

Chen Shi fretted over the red bellyband doll, fearing it'd tumble into the flames while stoking.

Luckily, Little Date had some smarts and didn't self-immolate.

Chen Shi eased up. With chores handled, idle Scholar Zhu pulled out the West King Jade Seal.

He scrutinized it. No change from before—the inscription "Heaven-Bestowed Treasure Seal, Eternally Suppressing the Western Wastes" seemed crisper, or so he imagined.

This Treasure Seal had absorbed the Tomb of the True King's maps of fifty states—how could it show no difference?

Chen Shi tried infusing true qi; nothing. Tried blood qi; still nada.

He pricked his finger, dripping heart's blood—the seal drank it up without stirring.

Fingertip blood was heart blood; ten fingers linked to the heart. Dripping it on treasures won recognition.

But the seal shrugged it off, leaving Scholar Zhu stumped.

Chen Shi huffed on the jade seal, musing where to stamp, when he spied Little Date, stove stuffed, idling. He laughed.

"Little Date! Little Date! Over here!"

The red bellyband doll shuffled up.

Li Tianqing, laundering, had noted floating firewood at the stove—invisible "person" confirmed.

Chen Shi's call validated it. He thought:

"No wonder Blackie Pot chats at air, ears toyed with by something.

Wait—Blackie Pot muttering to himself?"

Something nagged, unplaceable.

Little Date reached Chen Shi, craning up.

"Pucker that butt."

Chen Shi grinned.

Little Date spun, butt up.

Chen Shi huffed the seal anew, stamped its pale cheek, chuckling:

"Stamped—now you won't wander off!"

Little Date straightened, twisting to peer, spotting the gold seal—ecstatic, it bowed furiously, wee adult style.

Chen Shi puzzled.

"Why the bows? Tianqing! Tianqing! Stamped Little Date's butt—it's bowing nonstop. What's up?"

Li Tianqing said:

"Little Date who?"

"The mad godmother from Sanhe Village—a pint-sized one."

Chen Shi sketched the human-head date tree tale.

"A potent spirit phase. Feared it'd wreak havoc, so sheltered it, refining the evil qi."

Li Tianqing paused work, pondered, recalled Li family tomes, grinned.

"Stamped it—now it's petitioning for enfeoffment.

Ancient seals of authority stamped to confer fiefs.

It figures you'll grant territory for it to godmother."

A new fief?

Chen Shi gaped, laughed.

"Really?

Everyone dreams of emperordom."

Chen Shi dreamt it daily.

He dragged a chair, plopped throne-like, cradling the seal solemnly.

"Little Date, today I enfeoff you as—as..."

Little Date gazed eagerly. Chen Shi pondered: villages had godmothers; Qianyang Mountain wild ones, Mountain Lord, backups like Great Serpent Xuanshan, Zhuang Granny; towns their own.

Eyes flashing:

"I enfeoff you Black Mountain Lord, overseeing godmothers in Black Mountain's hundred-li radius, exorcising evils, shielding folk. Mount up at once!"

Little Date thrilled, kowtowed bangs to Chen Shi, dissolved to green smoke, gone.

"Little Date!"

Chen Shi vaulted up, yelling.

"Where to? Back! Date? Date? Disaster!"

Cold sweat poured:

"Just offhand—did the fool really report to Black Mountain? Bodiless now, spirits and godmothers'll kill it! Tianqing, Blackie Pot—save me lunch. To Black Mountain!"

"Woof!"

Blackie Pot barked.

Chen Shi bolted out, hit village edge—dozens of eerie figures dotted Huangpo Village corners, zhang-long ears fanned like palm-leaves toward him!

True God's Apostles—heavenly Listeners!

Heart jolted.

"So many! Spying me?"

Sank: then watch words with Tianqing.

Along Jade Belt River to De River, true qi treading waves.

'Round him, hundred-zhang span, Listeners' ears flapped winglike, lofting them.

Ears head-huge, bodies wee beneath—like big-eared kites with bean sprouts dangling.

Ear-flight nimble as ever, pens scratching midair.

Clingy pests! When suspicion lifts?

Chen Shi irked.

"Playing emperor, enfeoffing stray evil—treason in their logs?"

Itched for their notebooks.

Black Mountain.

Post Chen Shi's purge of Black Mountain Granny, temple razed, spawn slaughtered—even survivors toothless.

It once ruled hundred-li villages and towns; godmothers tributaried yearly incense. Her demise? Relief. Area spirits/evils breathed free.

Sudden: green smoke from temple ruins, bloomed ten-zhang date tree blanketing half-hill.

Onlookers marveled. Afar: hundreds fist-big red dates gleamed.

Near: human heads—bloodied red, garish faces, horrifying!

"Evil outbreak!"

Panic flight.

Incense alerts flew; hundred-li godmothers, rogue spirits converged, encircling tree.

Little Date throned brick-piled Divine Shrine, ringed by assorted godmothers/spirits young/old/odd, scowls fixed on runt.

"You incense-summoned us to bow to new Black Mountain Lord?"

Guangxia Village godmother, hot-tempered, advanced, barked:

"Prove it, brat! Outsider whelp lording? Beat us?"

Little Date rose from shrine. Spirits recoiled.

Fierce dragon crosses with prowess; long Granny's thralls, hollow now, trouble-shy.

Little Date pivoted, butt-bared gold seal, crowed:

"Behold!"

Spirits clustered, read—prostrated as one, heads ground:

"Hail Black Mountain Lord!"

Little Date resumed seat, smiled.

"Rise."

Godmothers/spirits stood, each wisped incense tribute—absorbed, fealty sworn.

Chen Shi afar, beamed paternal pride.

Grown, independent—no approach, homeward.

Mountains, fields, river: Listeners ear-winged after him.

West King Jade Seal—deifies truly?

En route, toying with it. Huangpo Village: detoured Huangtu Hill, lunch later.

Relayed seal oddity to Scholar Zhu. Tree-hung, long mute:

"Met True King?"

Chen Shi nodded faint.

"True King took seal from you; it floated, ingested fifty provinces' terrains.

You snatched it midair; True King left it?"

Chen Shi nodded.

Scholar Zhu teared, choked:

"Meant for Xiao Wangsun's unworthy line. Treasure it."

Wail crescendoed, unstoppable.

Chen Shi flummoxed—why mentor unraveled? Comfort clueless.

Huangtu Hill perimeter: Listeners scribbled wild. One collated: "Chen Shi gains West King Jade Seal—deific power." Crane-folded, huffed alive.

Flapped skyward, whitened immortal, rocketed to Xinxian Province seat.

Scarlet tongue lashed, snared crane—recoiled snap.

Tall handsome youth sauntered, jaws working, feather flecks lipside.

"Heavenly Listeners?"

Eyes on them, soft chuckle:

"Remind me of old flavor.

Ten years slipped—nostalgic indeed."