Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: [Unknown]
Chapter Title: Bold Plan Against Li Xiaoding
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When Grandpa returned, Chen Shi was already asleep. Blackie Pot, having been thoroughly intimidated by Chen Shi, was unusually alert and hurriedly wagged its tail to greet him.
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"Already asleep?"
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Grandpa sat down by the campfire, added a few pieces of firewood, glanced at the soundly sleeping Chen Shi, and let his body relax.
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"Chen Yindu, you're indeed getting old, but you can still hold on!"
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He stared at the dancing flames, his icy body seemingly impervious to any warmth.
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"Chen Yindu, you can last until he grows up!"
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Grandpa exhaled a wisp of eerie chill, causing the flames to shrink noticeably.
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"If one day you can't hold on any longer, then you'll have no choice but to kill him with your own hands and take him with you to the underworld. You absolutely cannot leave him to wreak havoc on the world!"
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Lost in thought, he drifted off to sleep after a moment.
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In the early morning, exclamations of surprise from Chen Shi echoed from outside the temple. The small hillside where they had sheltered the night before had, overnight, grown into a towering mountain over a hundred zhang high!
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And the ruined temple was perched right on top of the mountain peak!
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"The oddities in West Ox New Continent are as common as cattle hairs. What's there to be surprised about?" Grandpa, cooking over a fire inside the temple, scorned the boy's outburst.
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Chen Shi offered insincere flattery. "Grandpa has seen and knows so much. Surely you know why this temple appeared here, why both the temple and the mountain were buried underground, who built this temple, who was buried here, where those people are now, and why the temple and mountain emerged from the ground at this moment. Is this related to the appearance of the Spirit? Is it connected to the sun setting an hour early?"
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Grandpa thought for a moment and said, "Double the medicine dosage tonight."
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Chen Shi obediently shut his mouth and returned to the temple to begin his morning cultivation.
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He circulated the Three Lights Righteous Qi Art when suddenly two unfamiliar streams of energy surged in, transforming into golden and silver specks of light in the air that flowed into his body!
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Chen Shi was utterly astonished. He felt these two energies: the golden one like blazing fire, carrying scorching heat that ignited his vital energy, making the tempering of his flesh far more efficient!
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The silver one, however, flowed like water, serene and cool, perfectly countering the fire's burn to prevent harm to his body.
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These two forces were more abundant than star power, and together, they made body refinement even faster than using star power alone!
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"Could this be the Sunlight Righteous Qi and Moonlight Righteous Qi from the Three Lights Righteous Qi?"
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Chen Shi was puzzled. In all his previous cultivation, he had never sensed Sunlight Righteous Qi or Moonlight Righteous Qi. Why could he absorb these two righteous energies today?
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Moreover, it was daytime now, when the Heavenly God outside the sky closed its vertical third eye. There was no moon—where was the moonlight coming from?
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A thought stirred in his mind, and he stepped outside the temple. The sun and moon righteous energies vanished instantly.
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Chen Shi returned to the temple, and golden and silver specks drifted in like snowflakes. He fully circulated the Three Lights Righteous Qi Art.
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"Why can I only absorb the essence of sun and moon inside this ruined temple?"
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Chen Shi grew even more perplexed. He glanced at Grandpa, who was still cooking, thought of the doubled medicine dosage, and held back from asking.
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He figured Grandpa probably didn't know anyway.
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"I've speculated before that the sun and moon of the True King era might not be the same as today's sun and moon. Back then, one could gather their essence to cultivate the Three Lights Righteous Qi. If my guess is correct..."
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Chen Shi's expression turned strange. He steadied himself and murmured, "If my guess is right, then the heaven and earth inside the temple are not the same as the heaven and earth outside!"
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He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky outside the temple.
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The sky was clear blue, dotted with white clouds.
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He stepped outside and looked at the sky: deep blue expanse, visible outer space, floating white clouds, nothing else.
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The sky visible from inside the temple was no different from the one outside.
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"Could I be wrong?"
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Chen Shi scratched his head, decided not to dwell on it, and returned to the temple to continue cultivating.
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Cultivating all three righteous qi together made his progress far faster than before. His bones, flesh, tendons, and membranes grew tougher, his qi and blood more vigorous, his five viscera stronger within.
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When Grandpa finished cooking and called out a few times, Chen Shi reluctantly stopped.
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"After the Moon Sacrifice Festival, I'll definitely come to this barren mountain ruined temple to cultivate often!" he thought to himself.
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After the meal, the grandfather and grandson did not return to Huangpo Village. Instead, they headed to the next village to sell more talismans during the Moon Sacrifice Festival and make some money.
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The Moon Sacrifice Festival lasted three days. On the afternoon of the third day, they arrived at Yandang Village. Yandang Village's Godmother was a stone statue over a zhang tall, with hands growing from its eyes and eyes from its hands—utterly bizarre.
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Yandang Village was built in concentric circles around this statue.
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Yandang Village was close to Water Buffalo County, only twenty-odd li away, but over two hundred li from Xinxiang County. Thus, locals often went to Water Buffalo County for markets, while the county's officials and nobles frequently visited Yandang Village area for outings and hunts—nothing more than leisure and sport.
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By afternoon, business had dwindled. Grandpa went to buy herbs, leaving Chen Shi bored behind the stall. Then a voice asked, "Do you have any Peach Talismans?"
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Chen Shi perked up and smiled. "Yes, we do!"
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The newcomer was an Embroidered Uniform Guard in a red horse-face skirt, young—around twenty—shrewd and capable, though with dark circles under his eyes from overindulgence in wine and women.
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"How many do you have?" the man asked.
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Chen Shi counted. "Three left."
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Peach Talismans sold the best. Young men and women bought them to win the hearts of the opposite sex, wearing them close to the body. They indeed greatly boosted success rates in romance, so few remained.
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"I'll take them all."
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The Embroidered Uniform Guard said, "But it's not enough. Are you a talisman master?"
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Chen Shi hesitated, then nodded. Though he lacked a Divine Embryo and couldn't store mana, he could draw talismans by circulating the Three Lights Righteous Qi Art.
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The Guard said, "Come with me. Draw more Peach Talismans on site!"
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Chen Shi was still hesitating when the Guard tossed over a large ingot of silver—horse-hoof silver, weighing about fifty taels by the heft.
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It was the biggest silver Chen Shi had ever seen. He immediately fetched brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, packed them in his book case, called Blackie Pot, and asked, "Where to draw?"
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The Guard glanced at Blackie Pot in surprise and said, "Follow me."
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Chen Shi shouldered the book case and followed him out of the village. The path led into the mountains. Chen Shi asked puzzledly, "Young master, where are we headed?"
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The Guard laughed. "Don't call me young master. I'm Li Guang, serving my family's young master. We're going into the mountains, of course. My young master is hunting and has set up camp. He needs Peach Talismans to win over a few young ladies."
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"I see."
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Chen Shi suddenly understood and asked, "May I know your young master's name? So I don't offend when we meet."
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Embroidered Uniform Guard Li Guang said, "My young master is surnamed Li, from a great family in Water Buffalo County."
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Chen Shi's eyelids twitched, his heart pounding wildly, his voice turning hoarse. "The Li family of Water Buffalo County? Could this young master Li be Li Xiaoding the juren?"
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His voice trembled slightly.
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Fortunately, Li Guang didn't notice and asked, "You've heard of my young master's reputation?"
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Chen Shi quickly steadied his mind and lowered his head. "Young Master Li took first place in the rural exams—who doesn't know, who doesn't admire?"
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Li Guang laughed heartily. "My young master did well enough on the exams, but his real ability... heh, it's all thanks to his family background."
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Chen Shi's heart still raced, blood rushing to his head with a buzz.
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Li Xiaoding of Water Buffalo County was the very Li young master the Purple-Clothed Woman, Second Miss Zhao, had mentioned—the one who stole his Divine Embryo, turning him into a cripple!
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He had originally placed first in the county exams with a bright future ahead, but Li family experts ambushed him, cracked open his skull, and seized his Divine Embryo!
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From then on, Li Xiaoding soared, while he became a cripple, drinking medicine and soaking in herbal baths daily, enduring the agony of ghostly hands clutching his heart from time to time. Even his father, Chen Tang, no longer acknowledged him as a son!
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He had even lost all prior memories, not even knowing who his mother was!
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These days, he had fantasized countless times about revenge, about tearing this Li young master to pieces. Now, the chance for vengeance had come! "But I'm still a cripple without true qi, unable to cast spells... Grandpa said my physique is strong enough to defeat Divine Embryo Realm constables—as long as I don't give them a chance to use spells, I might be able to kill Young Master Li!"
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A surge of murderous intent rose in Chen Shi, though unease lingered. "Can I really kill a Divine Embryo Realm cultivator?"
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He had been cultivating the Three Lights Righteous Qi Art these days but wasn't sure of his exact progress, truly uncertain if he could kill Li Xiaoding.
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Unknowingly, he had followed Li Guang deep into the mountains.
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Li Xiaoding and his group had chosen a campsite backed by a mountain and beside water, nestled between three peaks. A stream larger than a brook but not quite a river flowed from the valley.
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First to catch the eye were four yurts: three white, one yellow, and four fine horses.
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Three Embroidered Uniform Guards had stripped off their upper garments, leaving only sweat vests, as they dug trenches and set up barricades, clearly planning a small fortified camp to spend the night in the mountains.
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They used spells to fell trees, stripping branches. Chen Shi saw faint arc-shaped lights flash in the air, too fast to track, only sensing the air vibrate faintly before basin-thick trees crashed down. His heart chilled.
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"Grandpa was right—one spell from them, and I'm dead," he thought.
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Spells were too fast to dodge.
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Two other Embroidered Uniform Guards were setting up a barbecue rack with fruits nearby.
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Another arranged a weapon rack with short swords, long spears, bows, and crossbows.
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In front of the yellow yurt were several recliners shaded by silk umbrellas.
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On the central recliner lounged a young man with his chest bared—plump, over two hundred jin, in a blue silk robe half-undone, revealing a white undershirt also open, exposing pale flabby flesh.
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"That must be Li Xiaoding!"
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Chen Shi's eyelid twitched. The camp was small: the three Guards at the barricades were only three zhang from Li Xiaoding; the two at the barbecue about one-and-a-half zhang; the one by the weapons even closer, less than one zhang.
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Six Embroidered Uniform Guards, plus the guide—seven in total.
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Seven people who could kill him with one move!
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If any used spells, he was dead!
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"Young master, the talisman master is here." Li Guang bowed with a smile. "We had few Peach Talismans left, so I took the liberty of bringing him to camp to draw more on site."
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Chen Shi's heart pounded as he kept his head down, fearing Li Xiaoding might recognize him.
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After all, Li Xiaoding had dug out his own Divine Embryo.
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The pot-bellied Li Xiaoding lifted his head, surprised to see the talisman master was a boy of barely ten. His gaze fell on Blackie Pot behind Chen Shi, and he exclaimed in delight, "And a dog too! Here, boy! Here!"
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Blackie Pot approached Li Xiaoding with tail wagging low, head down, fawning shamelessly.
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Li Xiaoding tossed it a piece of meat. Blackie Pot pressed its head to the ground, grinning broadly, tail thumping eagerly in flattery.
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"Good dog!" Li Xiaoding burst into laughter, ignoring Chen Shi entirely.
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Chen Shi relaxed a bit but felt anger rise. Li Xiaoding didn't recognize him—clearly, he'd never even seen him.
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Children of such noble families had no need to know the pitiful worm whose Divine Embryo they stole. They just enjoyed the benefits; the dirty work was left to others.
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Li Guang led Chen Shi to a table nearby, about two zhang from Li Xiaoding. "Draw here—twenty sheets. Young master, are twenty enough?"
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Li Xiaoding grinned. "The more, the better! The young ladies from Ding and Zhao families of the neighboring county are camped nearby too. Winning their favor would boost my status in the Li family greatly. Plus, those Ding and Zhao girls are real vixens—got me itching all over. I have to take them all down."
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He sat up, petting Blackie Pot's head, and laughed. "You'll get some too. Extra Peach Talismans for you all—nab those Zhao and Ding maids if you can!"
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The Embroidered Uniform Guards laughed heartily, working even harder.
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Chen Shi set down his book case, laid out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, his mindset stabilizing.
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These seven Guards had unsteady steps and weak breathing—all hollowed out by wine and women. Though they wielded instant-kill spells, they had lost the vigilance of true guards!
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Chen Shi often roamed mountains and forests with Grandpa, encountering many ferocious beasts. Those beasts were calm, poised, relaxed yet ready to explode with lethal force at any moment!
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But these seven Guards were far too lax, lacking a beast's alertness.
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Chen Shi even felt he could take down any one of them at any time!
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"At this range, I could reach Li Xiaoding in two steps and kill him with one strike!"
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Chen Shi scanned around but dismissed the idea.
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After killing Li Xiaoding, he wouldn't escape the seven Guards' spells.
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Suddenly, a bold thought flashed in his mind: "Killing Li Xiaoding would get me struck down by the other seven—so what if I take out all seven Embroidered Uniform Guards instead?"