Chapter 312
Chapter 312
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Listeners' Migration
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At this time, the underworld was no longer as lively as it had been in the past. Looking out from the underworld, one could still see some grand primordial spirits straddling both the yin and yang realms simultaneously, though their numbers were far fewer than before.
After the Top Scholar Competition, the patriarchs of families like the Li, Fei, and Ma had been gravely wounded. They were forced to leave West Capital and return to their respective clans for recovery. All the major family patriarchs in West Capital had departed completely.
Blackie Pot plunged into the underworld. Its body swelled to the size of a mountain range and plummeted downward at tremendous speed. It was as if it had fallen into an endless swarm of mosquitoes, surrounded on all sides by Heavenly Listeners flapping their enormous ears as they flew.
These Heavenly Listeners did everything in their power to evade this colossal, mountain-like hound, dodging the demonic flames while flying off in flocks toward the same direction.
Among every ten Heavenly Listeners, there was one Heavenly Listener Deacon whose body was far larger than the others.
They paid no heed to Chen Shi and Blackie Pot, flying straight past. Once Blackie Pot landed, Chen Shi tilted his head back to observe the Heavenly Listeners.
Among every hundred Heavenly Listeners, there was one Heavenly Listener Venerable of notable strength.
Heavenly Listener Venerables were even larger than the Deacons. Ghost God Domains shrouded them, allowing them to fly without relying on their ears.
Among every thousand Heavenly Listeners, there was one Heavenly Listener King who was even more powerful than the Venerables. These Heavenly Listener Kings sensed Chen Shi's gaze and immediately turned to look at him. The instant their eyes met, Chen Shi felt an itch in his ears. His qi and blood began to circulate uncontrollably, as if his ears were about to sprout.
He promptly unfurled his primordial spirit force field, expelling the Heavenly Listener King's influence.
The Ghost God Domains of the Heavenly Listener Kings were even larger, spanning a hundred zhang in radius. They soared through the air, each leading over a thousand Heavenly Listeners, more than a hundred Heavenly Listener Deacons, and over ten Heavenly Listener Venerables.
And there were more than ten such Kings!
Ahead of the Heavenly Listener Kings flew Venerable Lord Guangxiao, whom Chen Shi had encountered once before.
Venerable Lord Guangxiao ignored Chen Shi and Blackie Pot as well, continuing to lead the masses onward. The countless Heavenly Listeners swarmed overhead through the skies of the underworld like a plague of locusts.
Chen Shi was utterly astonished. He peered in the direction they were fleeing and spotted, far in the distance, that massive black iron pillar that pierced heaven and earth.
"What are these Heavenly Listeners heading there for?"
he wondered to himself.
At that moment, enormous faces suddenly thrust down from the skies above the underworld. These belonged to the Void Return Realm and Great Vehicle Realm powerhouses of West Capital, who had taken notice of the disturbance below. Their primordial spirits peered downward.
These primordial spirits were immensely vast, their faces blanketing the sky. Upon catching sight of the Heavenly Listeners, their expressions changed drastically, and they hastily withdrew.
Chen Shi also spotted Eunuch Feng's primordial spirit. Its features bore some resemblance to Eunuch Feng's, though it appeared far younger.
Eunuch Feng's primordial spirit took notice of Chen Shi and Blackie Pot, startling in surprise. It waved frantically at him, signaling for him not to approach.
Chen Shi glanced up at the sky. The Void Return and Great Vehicle Realm existences of West Capital had all either closed their eyes or averted their gazes, paying no further mind to the events unfolding in the underworld.
"What are they so afraid of?"
he wondered, thoroughly baffled.
Suddenly, a grand avenue of rosy glow unfurled before Chen Shi, stretching off into the distance. At its end lay a vast void realm, where Eunuch Feng's primordial spirit sat in command, beckoning him and Blackie Pot.
Chen Shi hesitated for a moment. Rather than pursuing the Heavenly Listeners, he directed Blackie Pot to follow the avenue of rosy glow into the void realm.
Once inside the realm, Blackie Pot's body reverted to its normal size.
Eunuch Feng's primordial spirit towered a thousand zhang tall, its bearing dignified and suffused with a heroic air. It bore no trace of its true form as a frail old eunuch confined to a wheelchair.
"Top Scholar, have you grown tired of living?"
Eunuch Feng's primordial spirit gazed down at him. Its voice boomed like thunder.
"With the Heavenly Listener Sovereign on the move, you still dare rush over for a look. I think you're simply missing your grandpa and itching to hurry down to the underworld to keep him company!"
Chen Shi smiled.
"I'm here looking for Zhuang Wujiu. I never expected to run into these Heavenly Listeners. It wasn't my intention to join the spectacle."
After the Top Scholar Competition, Eunuch Feng had achieved his heart's desire. He ousted his two adopted sons, Bai Sihai and Yan Shuangtian, reclaiming his seats as Seal-Holding Grand Eunuch and Eastern Depot Supervisor. This old eunuch had always kept a low profile, but during the competition, Chen Tang's remark—"Lord Feng, why haven't you made your move?"—had brought him boundless glory.
Had it not been for everyone's injuries and their fear of Chen Tang's talisman god heavenly mechanism, Eunuch Feng would have received a grand funeral that very night.
In the aftermath, the thirteen great families regarded him with newfound respect, deeming the old eunuch a man of backbone.
Upon resuming power, Eunuch Feng had busied himself mending ties with the thirteen great families. He hadn't visited father and son Chen Tang and Chen Shi in days. Little did he expect that, in the blink of an eye, Chen Shi would be stirring up yet more monumental trouble, setting his heart pounding.
"Top Scholar Chen, there's one thing you must remember while in West Ox New Continent."
Eunuch Feng spoke with utmost gravity.
"You may provoke the Eastern Depot, the imperial court, even the thirteen great families. But the Heavenly Listeners—those you must never provoke."
"Our Eastern Depot has spies aplenty, the court wields vast authority, and the thirteen great families have eyes everywhere. Yet there are always limits to our reach, leaving you some chance at survival. The Heavenly Listeners, however—provoke them at all costs! To do so invites endless torment, perhaps even certain death!"
Chen Shi smiled.
"Aren't you curious about where the Heavenly Listeners are headed, Lord Feng?"
"Not in the least! This servant is a eunuch. Once that thing and those two things were sliced away, all desire fled."
Eunuch Feng replied.
"This servant has danced around the thirteen great families for so long without being slain—not thanks to any great strength or vast connections, but because I never pry into matters beyond my station and never provoke those I cannot afford to cross. Knowing when to advance and when to yield, when to sidestep—that is the path to survival."
His intentions were sincere.
"Little Lord Chen, your father's survival to this day owes partly to Chen Yindu's lingering prestige, partly to his usefulness, and partly to his wisdom in knowing what he can and cannot do. Your own survival comes from the tireless efforts of your father, your uncle, and your grandfather—three scoundrels across two generations. You slew the Young Master and foiled their grand schemes, yet they spare you because the price of killing you outweighs the gain. Thus they tolerate your existence. But this world harbors behemoths even the thirteen great families dare not provoke. They care nothing for your father, your uncle, or your grandfather. Nor do they care how many perish in the demonic upheavals. Provoke them, and you will truly die!"
Chen Shi thanked him solemnly.
At that moment, Blackie Pot suddenly barked twice.
Eunuch Feng could not understand it, but Chen Shi's expression shifted slightly.
"Blackie Pot says there's been a change in the underworld. That iron pillar is radiating divine light that pierces heaven and earth! Supervisor, care to take a look..."
"I won't!"
Eunuch Feng sneered.
"This servant has survived this long..."
Chen Shi smiled.
"Just a peek couldn't hurt, right?"
Eunuch Feng hesitated, then relented.
"Very well, just a look. But we must agree—no intervening, no matter what."
His primordial spirit peered downward. The entire void realm transformed into a gleaming mirror, reflecting the events in the underworld.
By now, vast numbers of Heavenly Listeners encircled that heaven-piercing iron pillar. The bizarre, ancient patterns etched across its surface had begun to glow faintly at some unknown point. Divine light now emanated from its entirety, illuminating the underworld's lands, growing ever brighter!
"This remnant—its power seems to have been awakened!"
Eunuch Feng exclaimed in shock.
"I've held office for decades, and that iron pillar has never shown the slightest change! What anomaly is this today?"
Chen Shi inquired,
"Does the Supervisor know its origins?"
Eunuch Feng steadied himself.
"This is a prehistoric remnant, present long before the Great Ming's people set foot on West Ox New Continent. An ancient text in the Eastern Depot records that during the True King Era, when they first opened the underworld, they discovered it. It was far too immense—even the powerhouses of the True King Era could not budge it in the slightest, so they left it be. They explored what it might be and attempted to decipher the textual inscriptions upon it, but in the end, nothing came of it. Across the yin and yang realms, there are countless such incomprehensible artifacts. How could they possibly study them all?"
Suddenly, Chen Shi caught sight of Zhuang Wujiu amid the throng. The Heavenly Listeners ringed him protectively at their center.
Zhuang Wujiu slowly circled the iron pillar in flight.
Wherever he passed, the pillar's patterns ignited in succession, as if activated by his presence. A thought stirred in Chen Shi's mind:
"Zhuang Wujiu understands the inscriptions on the remnant!"
Eunuch Feng said,
"Zhuang Wujiu's background is no trifling matter. Best not to watch any further, Little Lord Chen. I'll send you back to the yang world."
Chen Shi's vision blurred. He and Blackie Pot found themselves in the Eastern Depot, with Eunuch Feng seated in his wheelchair and a young eunuch pushing from behind.
Chen Shi felt a pang of regret deep down. He had dearly wanted to witness how Zhuang Wujiu would unleash the prehistoric remnant's power. West Ox New Continent was littered with such prehistoric remnants—ancient, colossal, and utterly inscrutable—scattered across the yin and yang realms.
Yet those Heavenly Listeners were perilously dangerous, particularly the Heavenly Listener Kings and the Heavenly Listener Sovereign, whose might knew no bounds.
To approach rashly would be folly—even Eunuch Feng could not safeguard him!
"Supervisor Feng, you mentioned earlier that the Eastern Depot holds records of the True King Era. Might I view those?"
Chen Shi asked.
Eunuch Feng smiled.
"Naturally."
He waved a hand. The young eunuch withdrew, and the unmanned wheelchair glided forward on its own. The Eastern Depot was not vast—a few alleys housing quite a number of eunuchs. Upon seeing Eunuch Feng, they all hailed him as Dry Father.
Chen Shi was astonished. With the True Kings long gone, how were there still so many eunuchs?
"The Eastern Depot is the one place the thirteen great families have failed to fully infiltrate."
Eunuch Feng seemed to read his mind.
"Though they have agents among us, they cannot seize control."
"Ordinary folk can never rise high in West Capital. Even the most brilliant talents can only reach the level of your father at best. But get yourself castrated, and there's hope of becoming Seal-Holding Grand Eunuch! It's no official post, but its authority rivals that of the thirteen great families! Scholars find no work, disdain returning to the countryside, cannot wed or sire children—so plenty come to serve in our Eastern Depot. Should you grow unhappy in the Hanlin Academy..."
Chen Shi interjected hastily,
"I'm quite content there!"
Eunuch Feng sighed with regret.
"This servant holds great hopes for you. A few years honing yourself in the Eastern Depot, and you could succeed me as the next Supervisor! Alas, Chen Tang has only the one son—he'd never permit it."
He paused, then continued,
"The court assigned you to the Hanlin Academy, and I approved—not to leave you on a cold bench, but in hopes you'd pursue scholarship along the sages' path. The Hanlin Academy is the ideal place. With your Top Scholar talent, you could author works, gain fame across the realm. In time, you might even become Sage Chen."
Chen Shi sought guidance.
"What defines a sage?"
Eunuch Feng explained,
"To author books is to speak the sages' words. To walk the world in virtue is to tread the sages' deeds. With words and deeds alike, one may be called a sage. Then countless souls will raise temples in your name, erect shrines, craft golden statues, offer sacrifices and incense. Upon your death, you shall ascend as an incense deity at once. With your erudition and position in the Hanlin Academy..."
"I have no interest in becoming a sage."
Chen Shi cut him off. Eunuch Feng halted the wheelchair and gazed at him in puzzlement.
"I act not for grand righteousness, nor do I wish to be shackled by morality."
Chen Shi said.
"My grandpa warned me that placing oneself upon the pedestal of a sage is exceedingly perilous—and one must refuse any who would venerate one as such."
"Become a sage, and others will demand you live as one: in disaster, to empty your coffers for relief; in others' suffering, to redeem them; before gain, to forgo striving; before harm, to shoulder blame; against your kin, to execute them in the name of righteousness. Fail to do so, and you are a hypocrite. They will sabotage your interests and demand magnanimity, deeming you insincere otherwise."
Eunuch Feng's brow furrowed slightly.
Chen Shi continued,
"To be a sage is to mount oneself upon a pyre for others to roast. You must endure the agony without a word of pain. My grandpa said: Do not become the sage in others' hearts. Be a man of the world instead. Whoever seeks to foist those saintly morals upon you, to bind you—break their legs."
Eunuch Feng slapped his wheelchair in fury.
"This servant's legs were broken by your grandfather!"
Chen Shi laughed.
"I do intend to write books and expound the Master's teachings. But becoming a sage? I'll pass."
Eunuch Feng laughed.
"Once you've written them, you must send me a copy. I shall eagerly read the Top Scholar's works."
"Good!"
Chen Shi replied with a hearty laugh.
Eunuch Feng led him into the Eastern Depot's library. Rows of books stood neatly arrayed, with several eunuchs busily copying texts—likely transcribing worn volumes anew to preserve them from loss.
"When your grandfather served as Vice Minister of Rites, he visited this servant here and borrowed that very scroll."
Eunuch Feng rummaged briefly, then rose from his wheelchair. He withdrew a scroll from the shelf and handed it over.
"This servant had just been castrated then—our precious parts freshly severed, beard still half-grown. We were on quite good terms. Who could have foreseen that old scoundrel would snap both my legs!"
He slapped the wheelchair in outrage.
Chen Shi flipped through the first few pages. It was a handwritten copy, notes compiled by an Eunuch Liu during his studies of remnant inscriptions and talismanic marks.
Eunuch Liu had examined not only the colossal black iron pillar in the underworld but also numerous other remnants across West Ox New Continent. He had transcribed their textual inscriptions and attempted to unravel their secrets.
Chen Shi skimmed through roughly and noticed several pages of translation annotations in a handwriting distinct from Eunuch Liu's.
"It's Grandpa's handwriting!"
Chen Shi's heart stirred. He said,
"Supervisor, might I borrow this scroll for a few days to study?"
Eunuch Feng smiled.
"You may copy it, but it must be returned. It's the sole copy!"
Chen Shi expressed his profound gratitude repeatedly, bid farewell, and departed hastily with Blackie Pot.
Eunuch Feng watched him go and murmured softly,
"That scroll also bears Chen Yindu's deciphered runes—but they look like nothing more than ghost scrawls, utterly indecipherable. I hope you can make sense of them."
-----------------------------------------------------------------