Chapter 297
Chapter 297
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: [TBD]
Chapter Title: Schemes and the Immortal Bridge
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"Lord Chen, your son has quite the spirit."
Eunuch Feng watched Chen Shi discussing the Eight Trigrams Body Protection Art with Cheng Qi and Granny Sha, remarking in surprise.
Chen Tang sighed.
"The more spirit he has, the greater the pressure on me."
"Me too."
Eunuch Feng's face grew solemn.
"Our house fears some fellows might tear off their masks. Last night, we still crossed paths often enough to keep things civil. My two whelps didn't go for the kill against me either. But they've placed heavy bets on the Young Master."
In the Western Capital, far too many followed the Young Master, no small number of them among the city's elite.
It was hard to say no one would lose their heads in defeat.
"And does your son have a sure path to victory?"
Eunuch Feng voiced his worry.
"Lord Chen, I've staked my all on your son. If we lose, the Eastern Depot and my post as Seal-Holding Eunuch go down too. The court's last patch of pure ground falls to them."
He had the foresight for it. When the Thirteen Families threw their support behind the Young Master, he sensed the shift and secretly instructed Young Master Xiao to steal the Western King's Jade Seal before fleeing to distant lands.
Back then, as Seal-Holding Eunuch, the seal in his charge was none other than the Western King's Jade Seal. It was guarded by the Divine Mechanism Battalion, whose two commanders were fellow eunuchs reporting to the Seal-Holding Eunuch. Absent Eunuch Feng's indulgence, Young Master Xiao could never have made off with such a treasure.
In the Western Capital, the Seal-Holding Eunuch balanced the Cabinet. Many great matters ground to a halt without his stamp from the Jade Seal. Otherwise, with the Western King's Jade Seal in the Young Master's hands, he likely wouldn't have needed to borrow the top scholar title for prestige.
—Back then, Eunuch Feng harbored his own ambitions: to see Young Master Xiao claim the Western King's Jade Seal, ascend the throne as the new True King. But after returning from Qianyang Mountain, Young Master Xiao grew listless, showing no interest in restoring the Zhu house.
Chen Tang mulled it over before saying,
"With my Divine Transformation Realm, I can fight the boy to a draw."
Eunuch Feng's heart jolted. He probed,
"Early Divine Transformation Realm, or peak?"
He added,
"Sub-stages differ wildly—your strength could flip the heavens."
Early Divine Transformation Realm meant the primordial spirit had only just fused with the soul, transforming from nascent infant to true primordial spirit. At that point, it measured no more than a foot. This stage was called Soul Fusion.
In mid Divine Transformation Realm, the primordial spirit refined to match the body in size. This stage was called Equal Body.
In the Divine Transformation Realm's soul projection phase, the flesh could no longer contain the primordial spirit, requiring it to project outward. This stage was called Soul Projection.
At Divine Transformation Realm's peak, the primordial spirit far surpassed the flesh, reaching a limit of a six-zhang body.
This stage was called Six-Zhang Body.
The gaps in cultivation and strength between stages were vast.
Chen Tang hesitated before saying,
"I started with Soul Fusion strength. The instant he forced me from the main hall, I unleashed Equal Body strength to beat him back. By the time we reached a draw, I'd tapped Soul Projection strength."
Eunuch Feng pondered before shaking his head.
"The inheritance the Young Master gained is from the True King's line. He shows off boldly, but rarely deploys his true heritage. The Eastern Depot has records of every move he's made—all spells, divine abilities, talisman soldiers, talisman treasures, and magic treasures cataloged. He wields the best of a hundred schools, the signature arts of great families and even lone cultivators, all with ease. Never his core cultivation method."
Chen Tang stayed silent, listening closely.
For all his vast divine abilities, when it came to intelligence gathering, none matched Eunuch Feng's mastery of the Eastern Depot.
"In the True King era, many methods never spread. The True King's line scattered into the jianghu, hiding names, branching out. They retained fragments of royal methods."
Eunuch Feng continued,
"The True King's methods abound, but the Eight Gates Reversal of Life and Death Art and the Jade Emperor Fetal Breathing Scripture stand tallest. Both immortal arts, inherited from Emperor Jiajing. As the verse goes: 'Body honed to crane-like form, beneath a thousand pines lie two codices.' Those two codices are these arts."
He paused before adding,
"If Little Lord Chen can only match your Soul Projection strength, victory over the Young Master is slim. He must rival your Six-Zhang Body to have a shot."
Chen Tang's gaze flickered.
"The hall examination is still a month away. In a month, the boy will surely break through into Divine Transformation Realm."
Eunuch Feng replied coolly,
"But tomorrow is the martial trial's combat round. Soldier against soldier, general against general, rankings decided in direct fights. Little Lord Chen will face the Young Master eventually. Two paths to win. First: tonight, night raid Xiexiu Pavilion. Cripple the Young Master. You took a hit from Shui Xuan Zhi last night, but so did he. You go now—outcome uncertain, life or death a toss-up. But injure the Young Master, and opportunity opens."
Chen Tang's expression held steady.
"And the second path?"
Eunuch Feng said,
"Rig tomorrow's martial combat. Pit the Young Master against Zhang You. Zhang You is the Zhang family's pick for next head—deeply hidden strength, no weaker than the Young Master or Little Lord Chen. Let him wear down the Young Master first. Best if they both end crippled. Then Little Lord Chen sweeps in to take him."
He smiled.
"And Chief Minister Zhang Fu of the Auxiliary Upright Pavilion? He's one of ours. Zhang You is that very piece..."
Chen Tang shook his head.
"Chief Minister Zhang can't command Zhang You. He lacks the standing."
Eunuch Feng paused, looking up at him.
Chen Tang explained,
"The Thirteen Families' next-gen heads answer to no Cabinet. Rather, the Cabinet's Thirteen Ministers bow to the family heads."
Eunuch Feng said,
"Then strike tonight. No courtesy in receiving without returning the favor. Drop the gentleman act—I know you're no such thing!"
Chen Tang shook his head.
"I won't go. If I do cripple the Young Master, the boy won't be happy. If I were him, I'd want to crush the Young Master myself. That's surely how he feels too."
Eunuch Feng frowned and sighed.
"Then this provincial exam, Little Lord Chen likely loses the first bout. The hall exam in a month—do you see a chance?"
Chen Tang stated firmly,
"In a month, the Young Master falls without doubt!"
Eunuch Feng breathed easier, eyeing Chen Shi chatting and laughing.
"Then we wait for that battle in a month!"
Chen Tang nodded lightly.
Eunuch Feng added,
"Chen Wu's already left the Western Capital for Despair Slope. You've investigated long enough—you know how terrifying they are. No word of caution?"
Chen Tang replied,
"Can't sway him. And he's plenty terrifying himself."
Eunuch Feng said,
"The True King's gone. Those ascension saints of old? No match for them. An era ended. What's Chen Wu hope to gain chasing them?"
His face calm, he added,
"Chen Tang, I look around—nothing but despair."
Chen Tang fell silent.
Chen Shi, Cheng Qi, and Granny Sha's conversation wrapped up just then. Granny Sha laughed.
"Cheng Qi's talent is exceptional, deep insight into talismans. He'll achieve great things there. You should join the Independents! When we reach Red Mountain Hall, I'll get you an invite. Nine years from now, the next Gathering of Independents—you'll qualify then."
Their talk had mostly been Chen Shi and Granny Sha, with Cheng Qi listening in, chiming in rarely. Even those few words impressed Granny Sha, marking him as gifted. But when Chen Shi and Granny Sha delved into Ghost God Domains from talismans, it soared beyond him—like celestial ramblings.
Chen Tang called,
"Chen Shi, time to eat. Prep for the afternoon martial exam!"
Chen Shi ignored him, deep in talk with Granny Sha on evolving Ghost God Domains from the innate eight trigrams.
"With heaven-earth shift, there must be wind-thunder shift, mountain-lake shift, water-fire shift! Heaven-earth hardest, but these three easiest. No room to test here."
Granny Sha said,
"Out to the wilds! I refuse to believe our brains can't outdo Little Five the Creator!"
Chen Shi suggested,
"My home has a Small Multiverse refined by the Void Great Realm. Why not test there?"
Granny Sha shook her head.
"No good. The Void Great Realm isn't true heaven and earth. Demonstrating the Dao always has flaws."
Her cultivation wasn't top-tier, but her insights ran profound.
The pair headed outside the city. Not far off, Xiang Yunfei craned his neck toward the lords, only to see his admired woman leave with another. His heart sank in loss.
Outside the city, Chen Shi and Granny Sha found open ground and dove into the three shifts. They didn't start from the Eight Trigrams Body Protection Art but from basics, pondering the foundational talisman of Supreme Eight Trigrams Body Protection, seeking the Dao's root. They drilled until afternoon, when Chen Tang arrived to fetch him. Only then did Chen Shi realize the martial exam loomed.
"Sister Sha, wait for me! Back after the exam!"
He bid Granny Sha farewell and rushed to the Divine Mechanism Battalion's drill ground. The afternoon martial exam tested arts, with examiners judging proficiency.
Scholars displayed their most honed skill—drawing talismans, spells, flight arts, swordsmanship, and so on.
No challenge for Chen Shi. His mind fixed on wind-thunder, mountain-lake, water-fire shifts, he tossed off a routine spell and hurried away.
The Young Master, though, went all out with the Nine Heavens Dragon-Phoenix Descent spell, dazzling the entire exam grounds. Cheers for the Young Master filled the arena inside and out. Proud and satisfied, he scanned the crowd—only to find no trace of Chen Shi. Disappointment stirred in his heart.
The martial exam stirred another uproar: over a dozen juren broke through their old realms mid-exam, entering Divine Transformation Realm!
"Those mud-legged juren again!"
Western Capital officials marveled in shock.
This provincial exam was too bizarre. Past years, noble heirs led the show, shining bright amid cheers. Not this year.
Few noble heirs stood out this exam. Instead, fierce talents rose from peasant stock.
"Has the Thirteen Families no one left?"
An examiner frowned.
"There are. Staying at Qixia Temple—vanished somehow. Word is, the fairy at the White Jade Stairs' end ate them."
One examiner knew the tale.
"Others say the Dragon King from the well crawled out and devoured them. The Thirteen Families sent plenty of experts into Qixia Temple hunting them. Come night, that fairy emerged, beckoning. A Li family lord who'd slain his three corpses got charmed, walked over, and vanished."
A nearby examiner leaned in.
"I heard some entered Lock Dragon Well, thrashed half to death by the Dragon King inside—barely crawled out alive."
The crowd gasped.
"Those two evils, that strong?"
"Rumors say remnants from the True King era—even the True King couldn't slay them."
A Ministry of Rites examiner fretted.
"If this year it's all background-less mudlegs coming up, how do we report to the top?"
Silence fell.
Many lesser families sent heirs, armed with ancestral arts. But their arts paled against these peasants' methods—less power, spells weaker. Higher realms, maybe, but not by much. It wasn't just them; the Cabinet and high officials all agonized.
Beyond the core heirs vanished at Qixia Temple, plenty of noble heirs took this provincial exam. But they didn't shine—they'd arrived in the capital cocksure, then haunted pleasure quarters, playing refined patrons in brothels.
Little cultivation these days.
The mud-legged juren? Hustling as talisman masters at Red Mountain Hall's gatherings, battling evils daily, honing skills. Their cultivation soared. These peasants stole the show at the provincial exam, while noble heirs barely registered.
That night, Chen Shi and Granny Sha slaved over the eight trigrams' three Ghost God Domains, forgetting food and home.
Chen Tang himself came lantern in hand.
"No rush on research today. Tomorrow's the provincial exam's final day—can't miss it."
Chen Shi had no choice but to head home with Chen Tang.
Even at dinner, his mind wandered to the three Ghost God shifts. Midway through bites, he'd forget to chew—water and fire blooming around him, drifting midair in shifts. Thunder crackled, gales howled. Chen Manor felt haunted. The night passed safely amid terrified stares from maids and servants.
Third day: civil exam third round, policy questions.
First question: In elder days, sages succeeded one another in great unification over the realm, establishing principles and records, rites and music radiant. They should have ruled through non-action—why no peace? The young and strong mobilized fully, inner realms of Huaxia in turmoil, outer wastes garrisoned. Was this born of bloodlust?
Second question: Emperor-kings ruling the world require the Dao. What is the Dao of ruling the world?
Chen Shi had no taste for answering. He picked the briefest question, copied it down with name and origin, then let the clerk handle it. He sank into the eight trigrams' three Ghost God shifts, lost to the world.
The Young Master and Zhang You glanced his way often. Seeing Chen Shi adrift, each wondered—but both eased with relief. Afternoon brought the martial trial's third round: combat.
If Chen Shi stayed this way, he was no match!
Exam over, Chen Shi wandered dazed from the Ministry of Rites. Eunuch Feng spotted his state and frowned. The afternoon combat decided all— this haze, and defeat loomed easy!
Off in the distance, Auxiliary Upright Pavilion Chief Scribe Shui Xuan Zhi saw it all and exhaled long.
"Young Master has it locked."
At lunch, Chen Shi remained distracted, zoning out often.
Come afternoon, Five Armies Battalion soldiers raised great banners, parting the void to link yin and yang realms. A vast mirror appeared betwixt them—this was the Western Capital's combat arena, site of every provincial exam's fights. Legend held it a Void Great Realm left by a True King-era half-immortal, refined into blessed ground: Immortal Bridge Blessed Land, bridge spanning yin and yang.
Juren streamed in, guided by Five Armies soldiers into Immortal Bridge Blessed Land.
Chen Tang and the rest watched when Granny Sha rushed up, shouting,
"Got it! Little Ten, I cracked the water-fire shift! Little Ten, channel sun and moon, gather qi to mist. Cycle water-fire, myriad forms in body! The trick's in sun-moon and the cycle!"
Chen Tang shook his head.
"Sis, too late. He's already inside. First batch sent in."
Granny Sha froze.
"How then?"
Inside Immortal Bridge Blessed Land, the Young Master breathed out, smiling.
"Today, at last—I can unleash the family heritage."