Chapter 251
Chapter 251
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 251
Chapter Title: New Year
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When the fifth watch of the night arrived, the Wan family's money still hadn't been spent. Guan Sheng Emperor spurred his horse forward, with mountains of gold and silver dancing behind him. Ingots of gold and chains of silver flew in the rainbow light trailing the horse, lighter than birds.
Guan Sheng Emperor rode his horse into the city. The city gate guards dared not stop him and he charged straight toward the Wan residence.
Upon arriving at the Wan residence, he cleaved through a few shortsighted Wan family cultivators before heading directly to the Chunshan Pavilion.
Chen Shi stood in front of Chunshan Pavilion, holding the Miniature Courtyard at the ready. He watched as a green dragon entered the Miniature Courtyard, the red horse charging into the underworld and vanishing from sight.
Li Tianqing landed in front of Chen Shi, with gold, silver, and treasures raining down behind him, soon piling up into a mountain.
Li Tianqing collapsed in a daze.
When he awoke, he found himself lying in bed, covered with a blanket that was incredibly soft and fragrant.
He sat up and lifted the blanket. His head still ached—a likely aftereffect of being possessed by Guan Sheng Emperor's will the night before.
Li Tianqing parted the white gauze curtain and, out of habit, hung it up before slipping on his shoes and stepping out of the room.
The sunlight outside was blinding.
He raised a hand to shield his eyes, adapting only after a moment.
He was still in the Wan residence's Chunshan Pavilion, facing a mountain of gold and silver interspersed with stacks of banknotes—even larger than the nearby rockery by several times.
He looked around. Everywhere was devastation: collapsed houses, ruined buildings, snapped trees, and in the distance, a wall half-smashed by a fallen tree.
He gradually recalled the events of the previous night. His emotions surging, he had stormed out of Chunshan Pavilion, determined to save Chen Shi at the cost of his life.
Then he had encountered Chen Shi, who was holding the Miniature Courtyard. After that, he had fallen asleep and, like a sleepwalker, wreaked havoc everywhere.
The dream had felt utterly real, yet profoundly unreal.
At that moment, he heard Chen Shi's voice, as if speaking to someone.
He walked forward, and Chen Shi's voice grew clearer:
"Return to Xinxian?
Not so fast. Things here need a few days to settle... Tianqing, you're awake?"
Chen Shi was sitting under a large tree. A stove had been set up beneath it, with Blackie Pot tied to an apron and wielding a ladle. Chen Shi sat in front of the stove, tending the fire:
Beside them were several treasure chests. Chen Shi was pulling out what looked like documents from inside and stuffing them under the stove.
The pot sizzled with scalding oil frying food. Li Tianqing smelled the aroma and felt his stomach rumble with hunger.
The Wan residence was now deserted, all the servants having fled:
The Wan family kitchen had also been destroyed in last night's battle, so they had no choice but to set up this makeshift stove here for cooking.
"What is this?" Li Tianqing glanced at the contents of the treasure chests and asked.
"It's the Wan family's land deeds."
Chen Shi patted the chests and smiled. "I killed all the Wan family members but spared the servants.
Without heirs, the Wan family won't make a comeback. Time to inherit the Wan lands."
Li Tianqing said:
"Why not distribute the land deeds? That way, villagers from every village and stronghold could each get a plot."
"You planning to rebel?"
Chen Shi rolled his eyes at him and laughed. "Distribute these land deeds to the tenant farmers, and you'd have to rebel. You'd have to become the provincial governor yourself and defy the court.
Is it you who can handle the Great Vehicle Realm, or me?"
Li Tianqing thought for a moment and said:
"Burning them is indeed best.
Once burned, all the land becomes ownerless, and with no Wan heirs left.
The villages and strongholds will reclaim and cultivate the fields themselves.
Of course, some might bully their way in and seize them by force during the process."
"That's their own affair.
Chen Shi continued feeding Qingzhou land deeds into the stove and smiled. "The opportunity is now given to all of Qingzhou's people. They have to seize it themselves.
They've been bullied by old man Wan for a generation, two generations, generation after generation, never daring to resist.
Now without old man Wan, they need to be braver, take the initiative to beat the next old man Wan to death."
Li Tianqing squatted beside him, grabbing a thick stack of land deeds—over a hundred sheets—and asked: "How much silver is this handful worth?"
Chen Shi estimated. "Over a hundred thousand taels, at least."
Li Tianqing was dumbfounded and laughed. "I've never seen so much money in my life! Never even touched so much."
With that, he shoved the land deeds under the stove.
The deeds burned.
"Over a hundred thousand taels of silver—burning it feels great!" Li Tianqing laughed.
The two finished burning one chest, then fetched land deeds from another chest and fed them into the stove as well.
Blackie Pot still needed to stew a big goose in the iron pot, with cornbread stuck around its rim. He wondered if the land deeds would suffice for fuel.
"Where'd the big goose come from?"
"From the swans raised in the Wan residence's fish pond. I knocked one out while you were sleeping."
The land deeds weren't enough. When they ran out, the goose still wasn't tender.
Chen Shi chopped some more firewood, finally completing the dish.
Outside the Wan residence, heavy troops stood guard. Provincial Governor Liu Dingchen had personally led Qingzhou's experts to blockade the area.
Liu Dingchen had been promoted by the Wan family—one of the few governors not from the Thirteen Families. Though on high alert, he made no move to storm the residence.
After all, old man Wan and his experts were dead. Charging in would just be sending heads to be harvested.
But he still had to put on the show.
He was a smart man, knowing what to do and what not to.
At midnight on the deep night, it was Chen Shi's turn to play the Red Hare Bandit. Riding the Red Hare from the underworld, wielding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, he charged into the governor's yamen, beheaded Governor Liu Dingchen with one stroke, and set the yamen ablaze—
Governor Liu was smart, but not smart enough.
Qingzhou's harsh laws had come from his hand. If old man Wan deserved death, how could he escape?
The Red Hare Bandit rode out with mountains of gold and silver, distributing them to Qingzhou's common folk and purging nearby evils.
Over the next few days, Chen Shi and Li Tianqing took turns as the Red Hare Bandit, beheading many corrupt officials—though even more evils fell to their blades. Finally, they scattered all the Wan family's accumulated wealth.
That day, the two sat in a wooden cart as it rolled out of Qingzhou City, gradually receding into the distance.
Li Tianqing looked back at the city and suddenly asked:
"Little Ten, do you think after we leave, there'll be another old man Wan?"
"There will be.
Chen Shi summoned his canopy and said, "After we leave, the court will send people to investigate. Someone will become governor, Salt Commissioner, Garrison Commander, old man Wan—still lording over everyone.
That's the way of the world."
Li Tianqing felt unwilling. "We went to such lengths to clean up Qingzhou. How can we bear letting it revert? Was everything we did useless? All in vain?"
His heart, full of hot blood, suddenly turned ice-cold.
Chen Shi laughed. "How could it be useless?
He lit incense at the Guan Sheng Emperor temple, bowed, and said: "At the very least, they'll be much more restrained. They'll fear going too far, lest a Red Hare Bandit bursts in with a blade, chopping them down like melons and vegetables.
They'll treat the people much better because... we've been here!
"We've been here...
Li Tianqing murmured, feeling much more at ease. He said softly, "As long as corruption and tyrants remain, the Red Hare Bandit will return.
Guan Sheng Emperor, that martial God of Wealth, will come charging on horseback, blade swinging to take heads."
Chen Shi glanced at him, then grinned broadly. "Tianqing, among us scattered folk, there's a little group called the Heavenly Court.
Want to join? ...We have no rebellious intent, really not rebelling.
The Heavenly Court's goal is to seek out those lost gods of ancient HuaXia."
After half a day of explanation, Li Tianqing finally confirmed that the Juyuan Lord truly had no rebellious intent.
The Heavenly Court's purpose was merely to find the gods from HuaXia's heavenly myths, rebuild their orthodoxies, and restore their incense worship.
Not to overthrow the court or the true gods.
Li Tianqing nodded in agreement. Due to his erudition, his code name in the Heavenly Court was Scholar.
Chen Shi took out his own Heavenly Court token and handed it to him.
Li Tianqing examined it and saw the token was quite crude. "I know artifact refining. I could make some proper Heavenly Court tokens."
Chen Shi was astonished. "Tianqing, you've read so many books, know pill refining, artifact refining—what else can you do?"
Li Tianqing said: "I know a bit of everything, really... Right! The spirit herbs in the spirit garden!"
He remembered the spirit herbs in the Wan family's spirit garden that had gained sentience—immense wealth!
He was about to jump off the cart to grab them when Chen Shi laughed. "Those spirit herbs
that could be taken, I've already taken."
Li Tianqing breathed a sigh of relief. "When did you do that?"
"While you were asleep."
Chen Shi lay back in the cart leisurely. "Not all those spirit herbs could be transplanted to the God of Wealth Temple or my little temple behind my head. Some had strict climate needs, so I left those.
The ones suitable for us number one hundred nine in total.
I planted fifty-four in the God of Wealth Temple, and fifty-five outside my little temple."
Li Tianqing laughed. "You're getting more meticulous."
Chen Shi said: "You hold onto the God of Wealth Temple. One, so you can cultivate inside. Two, with New Year approaching, you need to hurry back to Quanzhou, pick up your mother and Old Master Li Jindou.
If you encounter danger, Guan Sheng Emperor can protect you."
He paused, then said:
"What happened in Qingzhou won't escape the Thirteen Families' upper echelons... Take your mother and Old Master Li either to Qianyang Mountain or Gongzhou. Don't go to Xijing for the spring examinations."
Li Tianqing sobered and nodded silently.
"And you?"
"Me? Xijing, I'm definitely going!
Chen Shi gazed at the sky and laughed. "Not only will I go, I'll take the Huishi as Huiyuan and the Palace Exam as Zhuangyuan! Don't worry about me. I have ways to protect myself."
Li Tianqing fretted. "I heard from Thirteenth Uncle that the Zhuangyuan spot has already been fixed internally. I'm afraid you won't make it."
Chen Shi was stunned, then outraged. "That corrupt? Who's it fixed for? I'll take care of him!"
"No idea.
Li Tianqing stowed the Miniature Courtyard, jumped off the cart, and bowed. "Lord Chen, we part here.
In the future, we'll meet again at Qianyang Mountain. I'll await news of your triumph in Xijing!"
Chen Shi jumped down too, returning the courtesy. "Our talents are about equal.
Though you can't take the exam, if I become Zhuangyuan, it's as if you did."
Li Tianqing was moved and laughed:
"Pity we can't compete on the golden dais for who is Zhuangyuan and who is Bangyan."
"Hahaha, naturally I'm Zhuangyuan!" Chen Shi laughed.
"Not necessarily."
Li Tianqing waved and bid him farewell.
Chen Shi watched him go until his figure vanished, then boarded the cart and continued toward Xinxian and Qianyang Mountain.
The wooden cart sped up gradually. Chen Shi sat inside, gazing at Qingzhou's misty expanse, emotions surging.
Qingzhou, we've been here.
Guan Sheng Emperor has been here.
We leave you clear skies.
If dark clouds block the way, one slash of the blade reopens the blue heavens!
The cart rumbled along until it reached the dilapidated docks of Xianzhou River.
The docks were long neglected, without a single proper boat—just a solitary pleasure barge drifting on the water.
Chen Shi glanced at the barge. The wooden cart scraped the ground, then leaped forcefully into the water.
"Hey! Hey!"
The boat girl rushed out from the barge in a panic, shouting: "No fare! No fare, okay? Meals included on the way!"
Chen Shi hesitated, then jumped onto the barge.
Blackie Pot jumped up too. The wooden cart sprouted six arms, climbed aboard by clinging to the edge, propped up its four wheels, and parked on the deck to sun itself.
The boat girl sighed in relief, looking at Chen Shi like a merit that had returned to her pocket. She laughed:
"Juyuan Lord pulled off a huge case in Qingzhou. Heading back to Qianyang Mountain to lay low?"
Chen Shi shook his head. "I'm completely innocent. The cases were all Li Tianqing's doing—nothing to do with me.
I'm returning to Qianyang Mountain not to lay low, but for New Year."
The boat girl steered and asked:
"How old are you after New Year, Juyuan Lord?"
"Twelve.
But Grandpa says I was born early, in the first month, so maybe thirteen."
"Anyone else at home?"
"No one much, just me."
The boat girl advised gently: "No one in the阳间? Why not go to the underworld to keep Grandpa company, so he doesn't stay lonely.
I could find a few companions for you two. Prison days wouldn't be so hard then."
Chen Shi ignored her.
Two days later, they reached Xianzhou. Chen Shi parted from the boat girl, took the cart to Xinxian County, bought heaps of chicken, duck, fish, and meat at the market, along with a whole basket of firecrackers—piling the wooden cart full—and left the county toward Huangpo Village.
New Year neared. The city was festooned with lanterns and decorations; the countryside brimmed with joy, children setting off firecrackers everywhere.
Chen Shi returned to Huangpo Village beaming, distributing chicken, duck, fish, meat, and firecrackers house to house. He lavished the villagers generously, delighting Grandma Yuzhu and Old Lady Wuzhu so much their mouths wouldn't close, treating Old Master Chen with utmost respect.
On New Year's Eve night, firecrackers boomed everywhere. Chen Shi hauled the Red Yi cannon from his yard to the village entrance and fired three blasts—the noise so immense it nearly sent the village elders straight to the afterlife.
After the fireworks, Chen Shi went home smiling. The house was empty, only the dog wrapping dumplings.
Chen Shi checked the east room, the west wing, the hall—all empty.
Grandpa wasn't home.
New Year, and only he and Blackie Pot at home.
Firecrackers crackled outside; inside was eerily quiet.
The house felt a bit desolate, a bit cold.
Then came a knock—thump thump. Chen Shi went to open the door.
Yuzhu poked her head in and smiled. "Brother Little Ten, haven't had New Year's Eve dinner yet? Grandma says if there's nothing, don't cook. Ours is ready—come eat with us."
Chen Shi hesitated, then smiled. "That'd trouble you too much! Wait, Yuzhu, give me a sec to tidy up! Blackie Pot, stop cooking, wash your hands!"
He went to the well, secretly wiped tears from his face, splashed cool water to steady himself, and went out smiling.
For New Year's Eve dinner, he ate reunion meal at Yuzhu's house. Grandma Yuzhu was kindly.
Yuzhu's dad was honest and straightforward; Yuzhu's mom chatty; Yuzhu pretty too.
Under the warm lamplight, the family was blissfully reunited.
Back home, he lay in bed, staring wide-eyed at the dark ceiling.
In that moment, he especially missed his family.