"Should I also stamp Sangyu’s butt?"
Under the Divine Tree, Chen Shi suddenly had a thought, "Sangyu is the godmother of Huangpo Village; the villagers revere her as their godmother. Whether I bestow it or not, she already has her natural territory."
He pondered thoughtfully.
Spirits like Sangyu, who had their natural territories, didn’t need his intervention; the commoners would naturally respect them and gather around them, forming villages or towns. If he were to intervene forcefully with the West King Jade Seal, he would instead destroy the natural balance between the villagers and their godmother.
"Control of the Jade Seal doesn’t an doing as one pleases; I must know when to act and when not to. Holding power and acting rashly, ddling in everything, could instead cause harm."
He gained so understanding of the responsibility of the one controlling the Jade Seal.
Wu Zhu, although leaning on a cane, walked briskly and soon returned to Huangpo Village. She headed straight for Chen Shi’s ho and saw him sitting under the tree cultivating. She chuckled, "Scholar, still sitting? Your father is back!"
Chen Shi nearly lost his composure by her words, feeling a bit panicked. He quickly got up and inquired, "Is Chen Tang back? Where is he?"
"Just now, he was at your grandfather’s grave. I hit him with my cane a few tis."
Wu Zhu ntioned this and turned her head, only to catch sight of a tall young man dressed in a Scholar Robe approaching them. She smiled, "Speak of Chen Tang, and here he cos. Here’s your father, you two have a good chat. I need to go ho for dinner."
Creation Little Five passed by her, growing more agitated, "Damn it, the old hag hit several tis with her cane; I need to kill her. But her flesh is too tough, not tasty."
Just as he thought this, Wu Zhu’s cane whipped his butt as she scolded, "Be nicer to your son; he’s had it the hardest!"
Creation Little Five received another beating and was infuriated, yet puzzled, "My son? Right, it’s Chen Tang’s son. Wu Zhu’s old and mistook for my brother Chen Tang. Fine then, since my father is dead, I’ll kill my brother’s son to avenge him! Then I will go kill Chen Tang!"
He stepped forward, glanced at Li Tianqing aside, then shifted his gaze to Chen Shi.
Chen Shi, though young, had grown to resemble Chen Yindou to so extent.
Creation Little Five appraised Chen Shi and saw Chen Yindou’s shadow in him, thinking, "This is Chen Shi? He’s grown a lot taller than before."
He had seen Chen Shi before.
Chen Yindou would return to Huangpo Village during festivals and sotis Creation Little Five would accompany him. One year, he saw Chen Tang proudly showing off a chubby baby as his son.
Back then, Creation Little Five had reford and no longer consud ordinary people, only devouring cultivators. However, he found Chen Shi very appetizing, wanting to pick him up with chopsticks and toss him straight into his mouth like a stead bun.
Chen Yindou was overjoyed, tears welling up in his eyes as he lifted the baby, playfully pricking the baby’s face with his stubbly beard. When the baby cried, he made funny faces to amuse him.
"His na will be Little Ten, just Little Ten!"
Chen Yindou was very domineering, telling Chen Tang, "One, five, one, ten; perfect!"
Chen Tang was furious, slamming dishes and bowls during dinner, "Father, I’m your real son, but all you care about is Xiao Wu! What one, five, one, ten? He can’t be nad Little Ten! It’s my son, I’ll na him!"
Creation Little Five pretended to comfort his brother, but was secretly delighted inside. After all, his father loved him more than his brother Chen Tang. Even though he had made many mistakes by then, the phrase "one, five, one, ten" proved he was more important to his father than Chen Tang.
For a ti, he resolved to reform and strive to be the good son in his father’s eyes, even though he couldn’t control his voracious appetite.
"Later, Chen Tang and father compromised and still nad him Chen Shi. Nickna, Little Ten. Just like my nickna, Xiao Wu."
Chen Shi also scrutinized Creation Little Five, with mixed emotions surging in his heart.
Angry? Perhaps.
After all, Chen Tang had never co back to see him or his grandfather and had not even attended his grandfather’s funeral in person.
Disappointed? Probably.
Chen Tang was his father, but he had never fulfilled a father’s responsibilities. In this "Chen Tang’s" eyes, Chen Shi felt no fatherly affection, only the look of a leopard observing its prey.
Perhaps, within Chen Shi’s feelings, there was also a longing for family?
Chen Shi yearned for family; after his grandfather’s departure, Black Pot briefly made him feel that he was not alone at ho. But every night, when lying in bed, once Black Pot’s influence faded, he knew he was utterly alone.
Chen Shi steadied the unusual emotions in his heart and studied Creation Little Five, wondering, "Chen Tang is this young?"
This man before him appeared to be only in his twenties, not soone in their forties or fifties.
If Chen Shi counted the eight years he had been dead, he would be just twenty.
Li Tianqing stood aside, glanced at Chen Shi, then at Creation Little Five, and thought, "They do look alike as father and son. Is this really Chen Tang? So young."
However, it was common for cultivators to practice techniques that preserved youthfulness; it wasn’t strange for them to appear young.
Chen Shi said indifferently, "Chen Tang, you’re here? Did you co to burn paper for grandfather? Have dinner before you leave?"
His tone was neither salty nor indifferent.
A father who had abandoned him for years suddenly returning often ant, according to village talk, that he hadn’t done well outside or was in debt; he ca back to ask for money. There had been a similar case in Huangpo Village; Wu Zhu’s son hadn’t co ho for years and returned one year. Wu Zhu was overjoyed and cried many tis, thinking her son had reford, only to later discover he had racked up huge debts outside.
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