Chapter 213
Chapter 213
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 213
Chapter Title: Yudu's Number One Expert
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Yudu's morning was damp and misty.
Perhaps due to Chen Shi's storm-calling the night before, it had only been a localized thunderstorm around Mingfeng Pavilion last night, but by morning, a fine drizzle blanketed both inside and outside the city walls.
The rain wasn't heavy, but it had washed the bluestone streets spotless. A few children were braving the drizzle, splashing around in puddles at street corners, soaking their clothes.
Zheng Prince's Mansion's chief steward, Zhang Ji, braved the rain to reach Happy Grove and inspect Du Divine Hand's corpse. His face immediately darkened.
Not long after, he arrived beneath the city tower and watched as constables carried Manager Qiu's body down from Mingfeng Pavilion.
Red Matchmaker Society's Aunt Xue had also vanished—no corpse to be found.
Someone had heard sounds of fighting on the Grand Canal's surface last night, with intense surges of spell fluctuations.
But it had lasted only a breath or two before vanishing without a trace.
The county yamen's constables had checked the bridge and both canal banks—no traces left behind.
"Those fools except Zhuge Jian—they're all good-for-nothings!"
Chief Steward Zhang Ji's chest burned with rage. Zhuge Jian had resigned his post as registrar and disappeared, leaving the yamen filled with nothing but drunken incompetents—including even the magistrate!
He summoned a constable and ordered:
"Have the coroner perform a soul-summoning! And find a few corpse-fishers to drag the canal—maybe we'll find Aunt Xue's body!"
The constable hurried off to comply.
Chief Steward Zhang Ji's heart still couldn't calm. In just one night, the heads of the Young Master's three major forces under his command had been wiped out!
If you added Rouge Alley's matron, that made all four major forces' leaders eliminated!
Especially Rouge Alley—all its experts slaughtered, not a single one spared!
In such a short time, taking out so many experts silently without alarming many people—only discovered at dawn. The intruder's ruthlessness and decisiveness were plain to see.
With the Young Master away from the city, Yudu's affairs were left to him. How was he supposed to explain this to the Young Master?
If word got out, where would the Young Master's face be?
How could the Young Master not be furious?
He had to eliminate this scourge!
"First, contact the Young Master!"
He immediately returned to Zheng Prince's Mansion, found a secret chamber, and sealed it inside and out to prevent eavesdropping. Only then did he activate a Thousand-Li Sound Transmission Talisman and wait quietly.
The paper talisman burned. Moments later, the Young Master's voice came from the flames: "Zhang Ji, what is it?"
Chief Steward Zhang Ji bowed and recounted how Chen Shi had come to Yudu and all that had transpired before and after.
The Young Master fell silent, then after a moment said: "I've already heard about Chen Shi.
Use Zheng Prince's Mansion's manpower as you see fit. If you can't handle it, I'll deal with it personally."
"Understood."
Zhang Ji bowed deeply, then turned and left the chamber.
Outside the secret chamber, Lord Zheng Rui stood under the eaves with his back to him and said without turning:
"Zhang Ji, no matter what the Young Master told you, understand one thing.
You're not the Young Master's chief steward—you're Zheng Prince's Mansion's chief steward.
Don't overstep your bounds."
Chief Steward Zhang Ji's face remained expressionless as he bowed: "My Lord, when the Young Master was entrusted to Zheng Prince's Mansion all those years ago, you should have known that Zheng Prince's Mansion could never restrain him.
The Young Master aims for the world—and he must! Zheng Prince's Mansion is a birdcage; the Young Master will fly free one day.
My Lord, you can't interfere."
Lord Zheng's face was impassive. "Indeed, I can't interfere.
But Yudu's people are Zheng Prince's Mansion's subjects. I must answer for their lives."
Zhang Ji straightened. "The Young Master must answer for the world! Please don't stand in my way, my Lord.
Don't forget—your cultivation and strength are far inferior to mine."
Lord Zheng said flatly:
"Yes. After all, everyone outside says you're Yudu's number one expert."
"My Lord knows it well enough."
Zhang Ji walked out, summoning Zheng Prince's Mansion's experts.
Zheng Prince's Mansion was a prince's residence after all, with many retainer guests dependent on it. Plus, the Young Master treated people exceptionally well, drawing crowds of experts who pledged loyalty to him and flocked to answer the call.
Lord Zheng said gravely: "Everyone in Zheng Prince's Mansion—no one leaves the grounds! Anyone who dares leave can never return!"
Everyone's eyes fell on him, then shifted away—to Zhang Ji.
Zhang Ji said: "Follow me."
Without a word, they all followed him out of Zheng Prince's Mansion.
In the blink of an eye, the mansion felt empty, left only with some maids and servants.
Lord Zheng stood alone under the eaves.
Not a single one of Zheng Prince's Mansion's many retainers had chosen to follow him. He gave a wry smile.
Chen Shi was still in Yudu City; he was preparing to return to Xinduo.
The purpose of this trip had been to uproot the Young Master's forces in Yudu, lest the Young Master kept sending these shady types to Xinduo to bother him.
He wasn't one to take a beating without hitting back.
But since he'd come to Yudu City, there was one more thing he couldn't skip.
He brought Blackie Pot to Yudu's Zheng King Temple.
The temple enshrined the Three Treasures Eunuch.
Grateful for the Three Treasures Eunuch's contributions to the Western Cattle New Continent, people had built him a temple after his death, sculpted a golden statue, erected a spirit tablet, and kept the incense burning ceaselessly.
Even through the thousands of years since the True King Era's end, Zheng King Temple's incense never ceased.
Chen Shi entered the temple, crowded with worshippers—many having traveled far, even thousands of li, just to personally offer incense to the Three Treasures Eunuch's statue.
Chen Shi followed the crowd
slowly into the temple, took some incense, and paid respects to the Three Treasures Eunuch's statue.
The golden statue sat in the Divine Shrine, with murals behind depicting vast seas and fleets of Great Ming treasure ships sailing from the waves.
Chen Shi observed for a moment, then descended from one side, surveying the temple's layout.
The Three Treasures Eunuch's incense was prosperous, unbroken for over six thousand years. By rights, the extraordinary power from the incense should be immensely concentrated, yet for some reason, this temple's extraordinary power never gathered on the statue.
Though formed from incense qi, without an anchor in the temple, the extraordinary power gradually dispersed, absorbed by the temple's dragon pillars, plaques, murals, censers—even the turtles and carp released into the temple pond!
But the Three Treasures Eunuch's golden body absorbed none of it!
Chen Shi reached the pond's edge and saw turtles as big as pot lids—the largest as big as an Eight Immortals table—basking on stones in the water, breathing in extraordinary power. Their demonic might was formidable, divine power immense.
The carp in the release pond were entirely red, sprouting dragon whiskers, foreheads bulging.
Not one or two—but over a dozen!
These spirit beasts, if they learned cultivation, could swiftly condense extraordinary power, becoming fearsome demons—forming golden cores, even nascent souls or spirits!
"Strange—the Zheng King Temple's release pond has such terrifying extraordinary power, so why does Zheng King himself have none?"
Chen Shi pondered, then had an idea. "I hold the West King Jade Seal and enfeoff gods across the land. Since I'm in Yudu, why not simply enfeoff Zheng King as Yudu's deity and light up Yudu on the Mountains and Rivers Geography Map?"
He acted on the thought, returning to the main hall, taking out the West King Jade Seal, and summoning Yudu's map. He intoned silently: "Your junior Chen Shi, bearer of the West King Jade Seal, upholds the True King's will to enfeoff the fifty provinces' land gods of New Continent. Arriving in Yudu, I see Zheng King Temple has a statue but no divine position. Thus, I overstep to enfeoff: I now appoint Three Treasures Zheng King as Yudu's god, commanding Yudu's mountain, river, village, stronghold, township, town, and city spirits, sheltering the people for bountiful winds and rains, peaceful lives and labors."
He activated the West King Jade Seal. The imperial seal flew up, stamping the golden statue's robe corner.
Chen Shi was about to withdraw it when a voice said:
"Little brother, may I take a look at that treasure seal of yours?"
Chen Shi turned to see a scrawny old man of sixty or seventy. His clothes lacked flashy colors but used fine fabric, tailored impeccably—like a retired scholar who'd read deeply of poetry and classics.
Chen Shi held out the West King Jade Seal with a smile: "Elder, please have a look."
"Rash."
The scrawny old man muttered, drew a handkerchief from his sleeve, cushioned it in his palm, and carefully took the seal, scrutinizing it and the inscription. Moments later, he returned it to Chen Shi: "Forgive me."
Chen Shi, seeing his refined manners and speech, felt a spark of fondness for this learned man. He casually tucked the seal into his sleeve and smiled: "Elder from around here?"
The scrawny old man winced at the casual handling:
"Be careful with it—don't bump or chip it!"
Chen Shi blinked:
"Elder, you're something else. You care about this thing more than I do."
The scrawny old man wanted to offer a brocade box but realized he had none, so he said:
"Put this treasure away properly—find a jade box, pad it thick with silk gauze, wrap it tight.
Don't stuff it in your sleeve. If it gets nicked, you'll regret it forever!"
Chen Shi said: "I usually just toss it in the cart with my junk.
If I wasn't coming to pay respects to Lord Zheng, I wouldn't even bring it."
The scrawny old man ached for it: "Where'd you pick it up?"
Chen Shi laughed: "Pick it up? Scholar Zhu from my doorstep said it was his family heirloom, unwanted, so he gave it to me.
Elder recognizes it—must be something special."
The scrawny old man's eyes widened suspiciously, not revealing his own background:
"You stole it, didn't you? Better return it soon!"
Chen Shi laughed:
"Later I met the True King, and he stuffed the Mountains and Rivers Geography Map into this seal for me."
The scrawny old man grew more skeptical: "The True King died long ago—how could he give you even New Continent's Mountains and Rivers Geography Map?"
Chen Shi walked out, laughing: "Believe it or not, Elder."
The scrawny old man hurried after him: "The True King really gave it to you? What else did he say? What did you just stamp on Zheng King's golden body?"
Chen Shi stopped, exasperated: "Don't shout it out.
I'm in trouble—gotta leave fast! If you alert others, I can't escape.
Since you saw, no point hiding it.
Zheng King's golden body never formed a divine aspect, so I enfeoffed him as a god—Yudu's land deity.
From now on, he's the ruling spirit of Yudu."
The scrawny old man's eyes bulged wider. He grabbed Chen Shi's hand: "You enfeoffed Zheng King as Yudu's land god? You have that divine authority?"
Chen Shi yanked free: "Elder, you're in my way! Know this—I kill without blinking! Rouge Alley's bloodbath was me, Aunt Xue of Red Matchmaker Society, Happy Grove, Mingfeng Pavilion—all my doing! Shout again, and I'll send you to meet Lord Zheng!"
The scrawny old man released him, dazed, then suddenly remembered something and rushed back into the hall.
He burst in to see the temple's extraordinary power surging toward Lord Zheng's golden body!
The scrawny old man froze, trembling with excitement, tears welling.
Chen Shi called Blackie Pot and strode out of Zheng King Temple, heading out of the city.
Situ Wen's mechanician had long departed; the Luban Sect Master was now wholly focused on rushing to Gongzhou.
Chen Shi planned to return to Hu Village first, pick up Guotu, then head back to Xinduo together.
He exited Yudu City. Blackie Pot barked once, and Chen Shi's heart tightened—he'd noticed someone tailing him, watching his moves.
Chen Shi kept walking, but the numbers behind grew: men and women, old and young, tall and short, fat and thin—all sorts.
He even spotted an acquaintance: Scholar Pei!
"This scholar's cultivation isn't weak. I spared him once, warning that next time I'd send him on his way.
Chen Shi murmured, "I can't break my word.
If I said I'd send him on his way, I must follow through."
He passed a small river, stepped into the riverside woods to relieve himself, startling a chorus of frogs.
Chen Shi fastened his pants, went to the bank to wash his hands, and glanced back—dozens closing in, some already manifesting golden cores and nascent souls from afar.
Even a spirit appeared behind one, over ten feet tall!
Chen Shi's heart lurched. No time to dry his hands—he bolted, wind surging underfoot as he soared away on gales!
The pursuers chased, speeds varying.
When Scholar Pei reached the riverbank amid the crowd, a toad leaped from the water, transforming into a small ox-ear dagger that spun through his throat, then back, piercing his heart.
Scholar Pei froze, looking down, suddenly recalling Chen Shi's warning.
The ox-ear dagger pierced from the back of his head, exiting his brow.
Scholar Pei's corpse toppled.
The dagger flew off.
"Damn you!"
A muffled grunt came from afar, like rolling thunder in the sky, exploding the river waters!
Zheng Prince's Mansion's Chief Steward Zhang Ji stood with hands behind his back, riding the wind, his spirit growing grander—now thirty feet tall, standing in the void.
He had crossed Divine Descent Realm into Void Refining Realm—no wonder Yudu's top expert!
With a thought, the drizzling sky cleared to reveal blazing sun. He raised a hand—gales howled, canal clouds' rain gathering into a massive palm print to smash Chen Shi!
Suddenly, a scrawny figure appeared before him, aura flooding like heaven and earth, blocking the chief steward's path.
Zhang Ji clenched his fist, halting the strike, face impassive: "My Lord, what's this mean? Block me again, and I'll have to get rough with you."
The scrawny elder was none other than Lord Zheng Rui. He smiled faintly: "Zhang Ji, many say you're Yudu's top man. You believe it?"
Chief Steward Zhang Ji said flatly:
"Not many—it's the Young Master who says it."
Lord Zheng laughed: "Even the Young Master can misjudge."
Chief Steward Zhang Ji said: "You won't yield, my Lord?"
Lord Zheng smiled: "No."
"Offense taken!"
Chief Steward Zhang Ji let out a long whistle. His spirit seized heaven and earth's power, stepping forth to strike!
In the next instant, mountains and rivers changed color. Their spirits clashed, horrific mana and spell waves rippling out, whipping up hurricanes that scoured all directions—a li radius of trees snapped!
The river beneath them evaporated for a li, bed dried bare!
That li radius— not a blade of grass left.
Lord Zheng walked toward Yudu City, hands behind back, saying flatly:
"The Young Master called you Yudu's top, and you actually believed it."
Behind him, Chief Steward Zhang Ji spat blood, aura wilting as he collapsed.
His qi and blood roiled, spirit gravely wounded.
In that instant, whether mana, spirit, spells, or combat skill—he'd been utterly crushed!
Only now did he realize how terrifying this Zheng Lord was—this man who'd always nodded along obsequiously, seeming worthless!
"So my 'Yudu's number one' was this laughable before him—"