The corpse-like woman stood there, her shoulders slightly raised as if panting heavily. When she slowly turned her head, Chen Yi noticed that the phosphorescence in her eyes had dimd significantly.
"City God... such a great kindness and favor, even if I were to be buried nine layers deep... I will always rember it."
Her voice, as if shining for a brief mont, was much smoother than before.
Chen Yi pondered for a mont and asked in a calm tone:
"Your parents are looking for you. Do you want to see them?"
Miss Shou's body shook, her shoulders trembled for a long ti, as if struggling with indecision. Then, she raised her hand, touched her cheek, and reflected in the water surface...
Ultimately, she shook her head.
"With this appearance... How could I bear to see my parents again?"
Chen Yi did not persuade her, rely nodding slightly, and then turned to leave.
Once the people had gone far, Miss Shou seed to co to her senses. She waved her hand, causing the oil lamp to tip over and ignite the elongated drapery. Those wine jars shattered, flas descended, and the wine burned...
Flas rose, slowly engulfing the three characters "Gathering Hall," stars flew in all directions, transforming into a raging sea of fire. Amidst the fierce crackling, wooden pillars split open, the whole building gradually bent, seeming to huddle together, about to collapse in a blaze.
She stayed quietly in the fire, smiled relievedly, shook her head, as two streams of clear tears silently slid down...
...
"Great tribulation provides rcy and salvation, the gates of the universe rain sweet dew."
"Transford in ten directions, ferry all living beings…"
...
Everything was not over yet.
"Are you saying a scholar surnad Su told you to deliver and even covered your food and lodging along the way?"
Sun Gao knelt on the ground, trembling with fear, not daring to glance at the man before him.
No way, two eyes and a nose like anyone else, but one can't ensure the man before him isn't a ghost.
"Yes…" Sun Gao bowed his head, having no choice but to explain everything. He recounted the journey details thoroughly, including how the scholar would occasionally look upwards, pulling out a compass, also how the scholar chose auspicious days, offering tributes to various Divine he had never heard of. Moreover, he described the scholar's silver coin, its specifics...
After listening, Chen Yi was ninety-nine percent certain this was soone from the Xia Shui Su Family.
Xia Shui Su Family, a rare wealthy clan spread across three provinces, initially comprised rely three or four households, yet within a century beca a region-dominating prestigious lineage family. Recently, in the last dozen years, they produced several scholars, managing ferry transport in one province. Without so capability, could they have established such an empire?
Think of this ability of the Su Family encompassing rituals to ghosts and gods. Even Yuan Qi, the River God from Qingyi Jiang, had received their incense, hence their grievance with Chen Yi.
All gods are worshipped, regardless of origin. Such deeds evoke thoughts of the White Lotus Sect, and certainly, the Su family seems intricately tied with the sect, whether as major offenders or minor accomplices, it's unknown.
Chen Yi thought deeply, after defeating the Ghost Lord Wang Jian, returned the dragon horn, declaring a temporary truce with River God Yuan Qi. Promising to punish ringleaders, sparing the other Su Family mbers, then it seed insignificant. Now on reflection, Chen Yi, a person solving everything by killing, found it awkward, his thoughts turbulent, Chen Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled.
I ntioned ringleader, but never specified which.
Sun Gao shivered inexplicably, slightly raised his head, before he could speak, heard a voice: "Hurry and leave."
"Yes!" He responded, afraid Chen Yi might change his mind, staggered away.
Chen Yi gradually descended the mountain, planning to head towards Wuchang City.
...
Spying Chen Qianhu's cold-looking portrait ant the city was close.
Every ti Yin Tingxue saw it she would secretly giggle, so each ti upon entering the city, Chen Yi would quietly glance at her, once even directly asked about it, but Yin Tingxue said the laughter wasn't mocking him but rather happiness.
"What's there to be happy about?"
"Everyone else thinks you're ugly, but I know you're not like that, and you have read many books, with high martial arts skills, and can cook—doesn't this make happy?"
Chen Yi was left speechless, seeing her serious tone, caring wholeheartedly, he got angry, berated her but eventually felt helpless, left her be.
Nowadays he was increasingly reasoning with the Little Fox, unable to settle accounts with her.
Then it's ti to settle scores with Great Yin.
Separated for a long ti, and so far from Taihua Mountain that it seems unreachable, now Chen Yi picked flaws everywhere, awaiting the next eting, when they'd be sweetly loving each other for a while, feigned politeness, waited for a chance to settle accounts, turn new accounts over old accounts, one account with a new posture... again Ying Yu made today, Chen Yi suddenly found himself lacking self-restraint.
Lose the world lightly, protect oneself with caution.
Chen Yi felt now everyone trusted him to be truly ugly like the portrait, relating largely to his lack of self-respect, like if a notorious libertine were reputed, ordinary minds would think of soone sleazy and hideously ugly.
As the sunset dyes the river orange-red, smoke from cooking rose atop Wuchang City. Fishmongers carrying fresh fish walked towards the Hanyang Gate, bamboo pole creaked as it moved, wall cracks embedded with half a copper coin from an unknown era.
In the city gate recess sat a few old craftsn repairing pottery jars, a charcoal stove simred beside them. Catfish mixing with tofu bubbled away. Porters wearing coarse linen clothes squatted by the wall, eyes fixed on the river where over a dozen transport boats were unloading cargo, sacks piled taller than mountains.
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