Chen Shi and the others climbed ashore, drenched and in disarray, the dog vigorously shook its body, scattering water everywhere.
Chen Shi wiped the water from his face, watching the departing ship.
The speed of the Great Ming Treasure Ship was astonishing; at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before it reached the mouth of the Dejiang River and sailed into the vast darkness, entering unknown waters.
Could this ship really carry the True King’s body across the boundless dark seas and find the ancestral Huaxia Divine Continent?
Could the soldiers on the ship handle the various dangers of the sea?
Did they know the way ho?
But, Great Ming had not had contact with the West Bull New Continent for over six thousand years.
What had happened to Great Ming?
Did it still exist?
Or had it, like other dynasties recorded in history, decayed and vanished into smoke?
Li Tianqing’s mind also wandered with diverse thoughts, and moved by emotion, he murmured, "I so wish to leave everything behind, return to that ship, and go back to the ancestral land with these Great Ming soldiers, to see the magnificent landscapes of the ancestral land. When I set foot on that land, I will loudly tell the people there, ’I am a descendant of China, from the West Bull New Continent! My ancestors crossed the vast oceans, developed new lands, fought against Evil Spirits, and established a new ho there!’"
Chen Shi suddenly interrupted his reflections, saying, "Tianqing, your uncle and your great-uncle, they are still on the ship."
Li Tianqing’s spirited heart was imdiately stifled.
Not only were Xiaozheng and Li Xiaoti on the ship, but other experts from the Twelve Families as well!
Why hadn’t they disembarked?
"I understand now, their aspirations are lofty, doing what we dare not do!"
Li Tianqing rose in admiration, his expression stern, "They must have sensed sothing unusual about the Great Ming Treasure Ship, so they made up their minds to follow the Treasure Ship back to the Huaxia Divine Continent, returning to the ancestral land. The dark seas are exceedingly perilous, and their journey could end at any mont in the sea, killed by demons or storms. Yet, they are willing to take the risk! Little Ten, aren’t these noble family youths worthy of your admiration?"
Chen Shi, skeptical, replied, "Not to ntion others, your uncle Xiaozheng is not that type of self-sacrificing person. Outwardly serious, but inwardly his mind is full of demons, perhaps more so than an Evil Spirit."
Li Tianqing laughed, "Little Ten, you are too biased against the noble families. The Thirteen Families have unfathomably deep foundations, filled with n of generosity and tragic spirit. Influenced by the True King’s belief in returning ho, they too seek the ancestral land, trying to restore contact between the West Bull New Continent and the Huaxia Divine Continent. Even if they do not succeed, their loyal hearts will shine through the ages."
Chen Shi laughed, "Like Li Juan’s style of generosity and tragedy?"
Li Tianqing, recalling how Li Juan and others indulged in lavish lantations in the brothels, blushed a bit and said, "My uncles are not like that."
Chen Shi laughed out loud, "They used to be like that! Now, they just disguise it better."
Li Tianqing could not refute.
Returning to Huangpo Village, Li Tianqing’s clothes, washed earlier, were already dry. Chen Shi picked up a set and tossed another set of his own clothes to him. After changing into dry clothes, Li Tianqing went to wash the clothes, brushing Chen Shi’s shoes as well.
"More diligent than that girl Dingding," Chen Shi praised.
He went to Yu Zhu’s house and said, "Yu Zhu, tell your grandma, we have guests at ho today, and I plan to stir-fry green peppers with duck eggs, but I’m short on duck eggs, may I borrow so?"
"To Aunt Wang, my ho has guests today, planning to stir-fry duck eggs with green peppers, but we’re short on green peppers."
"To Uncle Tian, we have guests at ho today, we’re short on soy sauce, oil, and vinegar. You don’t need to be polite, we’re all practically family. I’m off, no need to see out!"
"Uncle Li, today at my house we’re having pork stewed with tofu, still short on so pork... Uncle, what do you an by grabbing a stick? Are you planning to match martial arts skills with your nephew? Put it down, don’t hurt yourself. We’re all neighbors."
...
Chen Shi borrowed from east and west neighbors, quickly gathering enough for a full table of dishes, Black Pot went to rinse rice and start the fire, Little Date helping with the pot.
This red bellyband doll, having left the sanctuary, always felt sowhat uneasy, longing for a place resembling the sanctuary to sit.
Black Pot settled it down to fire the pot.
Chen Shi, seeing it was about to break the few branches it had on its head for firewood, quickly stopped it and gestured for it to use the firewood that Black Pot had chopped.
"Little Date’s mind, seems sowhat abnormal."
Chen Shi was quite concerned about the red bellyband doll, always worrying that while firing the pot, it might burn itself.
Fortunately, Little Date still had so sense and did not burn itself.
Chen Shi was sowhat relieved, with everything being done by others, Scholar Master had nothing to do, so he brought out the West King Jade Seal.
He examined it repeatedly; the West King Jade Seal looked no different from before, the words on the Jade Seal such as "Heavenly Treasure Seal forever stabilizes the western wilderness" had grown sowhat clearer, though he wasn’t sure if it was just an illusion.
"This treasure seal, clearly having included maps of the fifty states within the True King’s Tomb, how could there be no difference?"
Chen Shi tried to activate the treasure seal with his own True Qi, but the seal did not respond, then tried to inject Qi-Blood, still no response.
He bit his fingertip, dripping blood onto the treasure seal, but the seal did not move and instead absorbed his blood.
The blood from the fingertips was also known as the heart’s blood; it is said that the fingers are connected to the heart, and dripping heart’s blood on a treasure might gain the object’s recognition.
However, the treasure seal was impervious, leaving the Scholar Master sowhat at a loss.
Chen Shi breathed heavily onto the Jade Seal, planning to find a place to stamp a few seals, when he noticed the red bellyband doll had stuffed the pot full of firewood and was again idle. Thus, he smiled and called, "Little Date! Little Date! Co over here!"
User Comments
0 comments from readers