Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: [Number]
Chapter Title: The Soul-Devouring Parasite
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The three of them all felt a twinge of unease in their hearts.
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Granny Sha and the other two had long known that Black Mountain Granny was coming to kill Chen Shi, and they had been closely monitoring the situation. After all, before Chen Yindu had descended to the underworld, he had entrusted Chen Shi to them, so they naturally had to protect him well.
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They knew Chen Shi was no match for Black Mountain Granny in a straight fight, but her true body was still back at Black Mountain. The one possessing Deer Tail Town was a newly crafted body. She couldn't come in person; she would only send an aspect of herself.
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As long as she deployed an aspect, they could interfere with it.
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Both the Bearded Man and Qingyang were evil spirits, and stronger ones than Black Mountain Granny at that. By clouding her judgment, they could lure her into a dream to kill Chen Shi, using her hand to probe the level of the evil spirit lurking inside him.
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But after Black Mountain Granny entered, she never came out.
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"Back when Old Man Chen mentioned that after Little Ten killed someone, the victim's soul vanished, I found it odd."
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Granny Sha said, "The cyan ghost hand is powerful, sure, but it wasn't the one that devoured the victim's soul. When we fought over Chen Shi's soul back then, separated by the boundary between yin and yang, the ghost hand's master never displayed any soul-devouring ability."
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The Bearded Man and Qingyang each nodded.
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If the ghost hand's master had unleashed such a power at the time, their own souls would likely have been devoured long ago.
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Granny Sha continued, "Since it wasn't the cyan ghost hand that devoured the soul, then something else did it. That means inside Chen Shi, besides the cyan ghost hand, there's something else hidden."
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The Bearded Man shook his head. "When we saved Chen Shi, we checked him thoroughly. There was nothing else in his soul. Where did this soul-devouring evil spirit come from? How did it enter his body? And when did it slip inside?"
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He was utterly baffled.
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When Chen Shi first showed the ability to devour souls, Grandpa Chen Yindu had still been by his side. No evil spirit could have gotten close to him then.
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Even stranger, it hadn't possessed him outright. Instead, it hid in his mental world, waiting to devour those Chen Shi killed—or any unlucky fool who stumbled into his dreams.
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Such behavior was peculiar.
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Normally, the first thing an evil spirit does upon possession is devour or destroy the original host's soul, take over the nest, and mimic the host's mannerisms and habits.
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It could mimic them so perfectly that even the host's closest wife or husband wouldn't notice.
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During that time, it would seek opportunities to devour those around it.
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But the evil spirit inside Chen Shi hadn't done that.
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Its actions were more like a parasite, living off the original host. It let the host do the killing to harvest the nutrition it needed, feeding itself.
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Qingyang suddenly spoke up. "Black Mountain Granny's strength is too great. The best way is for us to go in and scout ourselves."
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The Bearded Man sneered. "Rush in without knowing its level? Just hand it a meal on a platter?"
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Granny Sha said, "We have only two paths: force it out of Little Ten's body, or kill it in his dreams. Qingyang, don't be so hot-headed. We'll find an opportunity to drag it out eventually."
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Qingyang sneered. "You two are too timid. Who knows when we'll get it at this rate."
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He stormed off in a huff. "I'll keep playing my role as an evil spirit. Call me if you need something."
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The Bearded Man watched him go, then turned back. "Granny, Black Mountain Granny's done for, right?"
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Granny Sha had tried summoning Black Mountain Granny's soul and sensed something. She shook her head. "She's not fully dead yet. Sly as she is, she left her root back at the Black Mountain Granny temple. What entered Little Ten was just an aspect of her, but she's anchored several strands of extraordinary power in the temple. She won't die just like that."
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The Bearded Man said, "Then Little Ten's safety..."
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Granny Sha laughed. "After taking such a huge loss, she still dares come after Little Ten? If I were her, I'd flee at the sight of him and never show my face."
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The Bearded Man thought about it and chuckled too. "She's just a local tyrant, yet she dared provoke Little Ten. What nerve!"
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Granny Sha laughed as well. "Daring to invade his dreams and torment him there—no one, not even me, would risk that."
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Chen Shi woke up in the morning and went out to check on the village's godmother. He saw that where the girl's arms had been, two massive branch-like arms had now sprouted.
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Huangpo Village's divine tree had also turned completely bald, not a single branch left, with only a few scattered leaves remaining.
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However, he noticed new buds sprouting all over the ancient tree. It would soon grow fresh branches and leaves again, so it wouldn't die.
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The villagers were in a panic, offering incense and tributes to the ancient tree, fearing it would die and leave them without protection.
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Chen Shi waited in the village for a while, but Black Mountain Granny didn't come seeking revenge, which surprised him.
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By afternoon, she still hadn't shown up—not even a single rat in sight.
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"Black Mountain Granny must have forgotten about it, or decided it's not worth killing me over. She just sent some rats to scare me."
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Chen Shi relaxed. He'd only helped another village drive out evil by killing one man-eating rat, yet offended this granny. What an undeserved disaster.
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Rats bred quickly, so Black Mountain Granny probably didn't care about losing one "grandson."
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He waited two more days, but Black Mountain Granny still didn't come for revenge. Even the gray-clothed rats vanished from nearby villages and towns, leaving Chen Shi puzzled.
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Soon enough, though, he had no time to dwell on it. The spring examinations were approaching, and he needed to cram The Analects, The Book of Songs, The Book of Documents, and the other classics to prepare for the literary exam.
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He was confident about the martial exam.
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The literary one? Not so much.
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Though he'd studied hard under Scholar Zhu for two years, others had slaved away in private schools for five or six. They had far more study time under their belts. More critically, he'd taken the scholar exam ten years ago. Who knew if something would go wrong this time.
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Passing the scholar exam and becoming a juren was Chen Shi's obsession.
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Living in the countryside, he figured his options for making a living were becoming a talisman master or passing the exams to become a scholar, then a juren.
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A scholar title wasn't much use, but juren could call themselves "Lordship."
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As a lord, he could bully the locals and lord it over them with full legitimacy.
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Even if he couldn't land an official post, he could seek out Jin Hongying and join the Divine Mechanism Battalion.
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That was the future he envisioned.
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For an eleven-year-old boy to plan so far ahead was already remarkable.
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But Mr. Ye from Bridge Bay Town had died at the hands of the Zhao family, and his private school had collapsed. Getting Chen Shi a county exam slot was out of the question now.
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Chen Shi pondered his limited acquaintances. Shao Jing from the Gathering Immortals Tower in Weidu County was about the most prominent.
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"Why not head to the county seat and ask Shao Jing if he can get me a county exam slot!"
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Chen Shi acted on the thought immediately. He readied his wooden cart, called for Blackie Pot, and set off for the county seat.
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Before even reaching the city, he spotted people lining up outside for beheadings.
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A crowd watched from afar, while the execution ground had a sacrificial altar set up, inviting the True God to oversee the executions.
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Above the altar hung a Ten Thousand Souls Banner, likely the county yamen's magic treasure, used to collect the souls of the beheaded and refine them into the banner to boost its power.
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Chen Shi also saw bloodthirsty pearl cultivators in the crowd, raising their pearls to harvest human blood for refining.
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Some other cultivators were activating treasure gourds, though he wasn't sure what for.
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His master had told him Grandpa that those who deployed such treasures at executions usually had connections to the stewards. Ordinary folk had no such access.
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He pulled up to the crowd and stood on his cart to peer over.
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Too many people blocked the view.
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"What's this about? Why so many executions?"
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He asked someone nearby.
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"Don't you know? You from the sticks?"
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The man glanced at him, then kindly explained, "Beheadings! The whole family of the county lord. The new magistrate's overseeing it. The old one was Zhao Ji, Lord Zhao—from the provincial capital Zhao clan, they say."
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Someone nearby added excitedly, "Not long ago, the Zhao family patriarch died. He was Xinxian Province's governor but did some evil deeds. That demon transformation in your rural areas? Supposedly the Zhaos' doing. The capital in Xijing was furious and ordered the whole clan exterminated—down to the chickens and dogs. And here the new county lord is, carrying out the beheadings. Whoa... sharp blade!"
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His cheer sparked cheers from the crowd, all praising the executioner's skill.
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Chen Shi looked toward the altar. A figure stood tall and imposing there. In the Divine Shrine, the Divine Embryo gathered qi into a blade. The blade light fell, dazzlingly bright—not the traditional formless sword qi, but visible to the naked eye.
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"Seems... slower than my sword qi!"
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Chen Shi was surprised. "Why do they all say this guy's blade is fast?"
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Recently, to counter Black Mountain Granny, he'd practiced the Subduing Evil Sword at Noon and Midnight. His formless sword qi was at least twice as fast as this executioner's. He couldn't help but wonder.
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After the beheading, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner fluttered, drawing the departed soul in for refinement.
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Someone raised a treasure gourd to collect the spilled fresh blood. Another rolled a bloodthirsty pearl over the corpse, draining its blood.
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Chen Shi saw yamen runners dragging the dry corpses away to burn in a bonfire.
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They burned them to prevent moonlight from turning the bodies into corpse spirits.
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"Young fella, got the tuberculosis? I got steamed buns here!"
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The man beside him whispered.
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Chen Shi shook his head, didn't stick around to watch, and drove his cart into the county seat.
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The Zhao family was utterly finished!
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All their businesses in the city had changed hands, now shops under other names.
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Even the gambling dens and brothels had new owners.
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Worried Shao Jing might no longer be at the Gathering Immortals Tower, Chen Shi felt uneasy. Upon arrival, he parked and inquired. A shop assistant from the tower smiled. "Boss Shao's still here, of course. Please wait a moment, honored guest. I'll notify him."
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Chen Shi was quite surprised, thinking, "So Shao Jing's the manager of the Gathering Immortals Tower. And so young, yet he's built up a decent business."
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The Gathering Immortals Tower wasn't an inn—it sold all sorts of cultivation materials: rare herbs, spiritual preserves, treasure-refining ingredients, gemstones, pearls, rhino horns, and lamps, dazzling array that overwhelmed the eyes.
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Soon, Shao Jing hurried over, beaming. "If it isn't Brother Chen Shi! Long time no see, old pal. That bivalve shell you sold me fetched a nice profit. Hit my shop, and a Lingnan merchant snapped it up in days."
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Lingnan was full of merchants who roamed far and wide, worldly and sharp, speaking in thick Lingnan accents with keen business sense.
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Chen Shi smiled. "Congratulations, Brother Shao. To be honest, I came to the city this time with a request."
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He hesitated, then stated his purpose.
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Hearing Chen Shi wanted to take the county exam, Shao Jing laughed. "Easy enough. I'll have someone register you at a private school. Come back tomorrow, and I'll introduce you to the tutor."
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Chen Shi was deeply grateful and thanked him profusely.
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Shao Jing chuckled. "If you find more treasures, bring 'em to my Gathering Immortals Tower first—that's thanks enough!"
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Chen Shi took his leave from the tower, then remembered a small stone in his book collection, unsure what it was.
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He thought, "Whatever. I'll show it to him tomorrow."
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...
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"Benefactor! Benefactor, it's really you!"
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As Chen Shi strolled the streets, someone blocked his path. Looking closely, it was the husband of Cui'e, the pregnant woman he'd saved in Deer Tail Town.
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Cui'e's husband was thrilled and astonished, insisting on treating him to a meal. Chen Shi shook his head. "I took payment for saving your wife—no need for a meal. What brings you to the city?"
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"We fled here. Our town's godmother was killed by Black Mountain Granny. Black Mountain's forces took over the place. They said they'd protect us if we built her a palace. But early the day before yesterday, the rat people carried Black Mountain Granny away. Without the godmother's protection, evils will devour us at night. So everyone from town packed up and left."
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Chen Shi froze. "The little Daoist is dead?"
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Guilt surged in his heart.
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He'd seen gray-clothed rats eating people, so he'd told the little Daoist: Black Mountain Granny's stealing your turf, letting rats devour your people.
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The next day, the little Daoist went to confront Black Mountain Granny—and she came and beat him to death.
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Leading to Deer Tail Town's collapse.
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"If I hadn't stirred him up against Black Mountain Granny, maybe he wouldn't have died, and Deer Tail Town wouldn't have fallen apart."
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His heart grew heavy. Deer Tail Town's folk might seek refuge in other villages, or find a new godmother.
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Qianyang Mountain had many such ancient trees, ruins, and shrines. They could find a new home.
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But they might also end up as evil spirits' meals.
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"I heard Black Mountain Granny didn't fully take over our town because she was badly wounded too and had to return to her temple to recover."
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Cui'e's husband said.
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"Black Mountain Granny's evil deeds can't go unpunished. The Master said, 'To hear the Way in the morning is to die content in the evening!'"
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Rage boiled in Chen Shi's heart. "First, find out the way to Black Mountain Granny's temple. Then we'll go kill her. This grudge can't wait overnight—waiting would betray the little Daoist!"
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End of chapter.