When the fifth watch arrived, the Wan Estate's money still hadn't been spent. Lord Guan, the Sage Emperor, galloped ahead on his steed, followed by mountains of gold and silver flying through the air. Clumps of gold and silver ingots danced in the rainbow light trailing the horse, lighter and more nimble than birds.
Lord Guan, the Sage Emperor, galloped into the city. The city gate guards dared not stop him. He charged straight ahead all the way to the Wan Estate.
Upon arriving at the Wan Estate, he chopped down a few foolhardy Wan Family cultivators who got in his way and headed directly for the Spring Gown Pavilion.
Chen Shi stood before the Spring Gown Pavilion, holding the miniature courtyard in his hands and waiting. He saw a green dragon enter the miniature courtyard, and a red horse charge into the underworld before disappearing.
Li Tianqing landed in front of Chen Shi, with gold, silver, and treasures raining down behind him, quickly piling up into a hill.
Li Tianqing toppled over in a daze.
When he woke up, he found himself lying in bed, covered by a quilt. The bedding was incredibly soft and fragrant.
He sat up, pushed the quilt aside. His head still ached, probably a side effect from the will of Lord Guan, the Sage Emperor, possessing him last night.
Li Tianqing parted the white gauze bed curtains and, out of habit, tied them up. He put on his shoes and walked out of the room.
The sunlight outside was blinding.
He raised a hand to shield his eyes, taking a mont to adjust.
He was still in the Spring Gown Pavilion of the Wan Estate. Before him stood a mountain of gold and silver, mixed with nurous Silver Notes, its scale several tis larger than the artificial hill not far away.
He looked around. The scene was one of utter devastation, with collapsed houses, destroyed buildings, and broken trees everywhere. In the distance, a wall had been half-crushed by a fallen large tree.
He gradually rembered the events of last night. Back then, his emotions were surging, and he had walked out of the Spring Gown Pavilion, determined to risk his life to save Chen Shi.
Then he encountered Chen Shi, holding the miniature courtyard, and then he fell asleep, as if sleepwalking, slaughtering his way through the chaos.
That dream felt incredibly real, yet also utterly unreal.
At that mont, he heard Chen Shi's voice, as if speaking to soone.
He walked forward, and Chen Shi's voice gradually beca clearer: "...Return to Xinxiang? Not that fast. The matters here need to be handled over a few days... Tianqing, you're awake?"
Chen Shi was currently sitting under a large tree. A makeshift stove was set up beneath it, with Black Pot wearing an apron and manning the wok. Chen Shi sat in front of the stove, feeding the fire.
Beside them were several treasure chests. The contents inside seed to be papers, which Chen Shi was pulling out and stuffing under the stove.
Sizzling sounds ca from the wok, where hot oil was frying food. Li Tianqing caught the aroma of the food and suddenly felt ravenously hungry.
There weren't many people left in the Wan Estate now; the servants had all fled.
Furthermore, the Wan Estate's kitchen had been destroyed in last night's battle, so they could only set up a stove here to cook.
"What is this?" Li Tianqing asked, looking at the contents of the treasure chest.
"These are the land deeds of the Wan Family."
Chen Shi patted the treasure chest and smiled. "I killed all the mbers of the Wan Family, only sparing the servants. With the Wan Family having no descendants, they won't be able to make a coback and inherit the Wan Estate's lands."
Li Tianqing said, "Why not distribute the land deeds? That way, villagers from every village and hamlet could each receive a plot of land."
"Are you planning a rebellion?"
Chen Shi shot him a look and laughed. "If you distribute these land deeds, give them to those tenant farrs, you'd have to rebel. You'd have to beco the Governor yourself and oppose the imperial court. Can you handle a Great Ascension Realm cultivator, or can I?"
Li Tianqing thought for a mont and said, "Burning them is indeed best. After they're burned, all the land becos ownerless, and the Wan Family has no descendants. With these fields ownerless, each village and hamlet will cultivate and plant them on their own. However, during this process, so might bully others based on their power, seizing land through trickery or force."
"That's their own affair."
Chen Shi continued using Qingzhou's land deeds to fuel the fire and smiled. "Now, the opportunity is given to all the people of Qingzhou. They have to seize it themselves. They've been oppressed by Master Wan for a lifeti, two lifetis, for generations, not daring to resist. Now that Master Wan is gone, they need to be braver and take the initiative to beat the next Master Wan to death."
Li Tianqing squatted beside him, grabbed a handful of land deeds—a thick stack of about a hundred sheets—and asked, "How much silver is this handful of land deeds worth?"
Chen Shi estimated, "Probably over a hundred thousand taels of silver."
Li Tianqing clicked his tongue in amazent and laughed. "I've never seen so much money! Nor have I ever touched so much money."
As he spoke, he stuffed the land deeds under the stove.
The land deeds burned.
"A hundred thousand taels of silver, burning feels so satisfying!" Li Tianqing laughed.
The two of them burned through one chest, then fetched land deeds from another treasure chest, feeding them into the fire under the wok.
"Black Pot still wants to make a stewed goose in the iron wok, with cornbread cakes stuck around the rim. I wonder if these land deeds will be enough to cook it."
"Where did the goose co from?"
"A swan raised in the Wan Estate's fish pond. While you were sleeping, I casually knocked one dead."
...
The land deeds weren't enough. When they were all burned, the goose still wasn't tender. Chen Shi chopped so more firewood before finally finishing the dish.
Outside the Wan Estate, troops had long been heavily stationed. Governor Liu Dingchen personally led Qingzhou's elite experts, guarding the periter. Liu Dingchen had been promoted by the Wan Family, one of the few Governors not belonging to the Thirteen Great Clans. Although he was prepared for battle, he did not storm into the Wan Estate.
After all, Master Wan and a host of experts were dead. Even if he charged in, he'd just be delivering himself to his death.
But he still had to put on a show.
He was a smart man who knew what should and shouldn't be done.
Late at night, at the hour of Zi, it was Chen Shi's turn to be the Red Horse Bandit. Riding the Red Hare Horse from hell and wielding the Green Dragon Crescent Moon Blade, he charged into the prefectural yan, cut down Governor Liu Dingchen with a single slash, and set the yan on fire.
—Although Governor Liu was a smart man, he still wasn't smart enough. Qingzhou's harsh laws originated from his hand. Since Master Wan deserved to die, how could he be spared?
The Red Horse Bandit set out with mountains of gold and silver, distributing them to the people of Qingzhou and clearing out the nearby evil spirits.
Over the next few days, Chen Shi and Li Tianqing took turns being the Red Horse Bandit. They chopped down many corrupt officials, but even more evil spirits, finally dispersing all the gold, silver, and treasures accumulated by the Wan Family.
On this day, the two sat in the Wooden Cart as it drove out of Qingzhou City, traveling farther and farther away.
Li Tianqing looked back at Qingzhou City and suddenly said, "Little Ten, do you think after we leave, there will be another Master Wan?"
"There will be."
Chen Shi summoned the Huagai and said, "After we leave, the imperial court will send people to investigate what happened here. Soone will beco the Governor, the Salt Commissioner, the Regional Commander, beco Master Wan, and still lord it over others. That's just the way of the world."
Li Tianqing felt sowhat unwilling. "We worked so hard to clean up Qingzhou. How can we bear to see it revert to its old ways? Was everything we did useless? All in vain?"
He felt as if his passionate fervor had been instantly doused with ice-cold water.
Chen Shi laughed. "How could it be useless?"
He lit a stick of incense for the Lord Guan temple, bowed, and said, "At the very least, they will be much more restrained. They will worry that if they go too far, a Red Horse Bandit will co charging in with a blade, chopping them down like lons and vegetables. They will treat the common people much better because... we were here!"
"We were here..."
Li Tianqing murmured, feeling much more at ease in his heart, and whispered, "As long as corrupt officials remain, as long as powerful bullies remain, the Red Horse Bandit will return. Lord Guan, the Sage Emperor, this Martial God of Wealth, will spur his horse and arrive, swinging his blade to take heads."
Chen Shi glanced at him, suddenly beaming with a wide smile. "Tianqing, among us freeholders, there's a small organization called the Celestial Court. Look, do you want to join... We have no rebellious intentions, we really aren't planning a rebellion. The goal of our Celestial Court is to search for those lost gods of China..."
Chen Shi explained for a good while before Li Tianqing confird that the provincial graduate truly had no rebellious intentions. The aning of the Celestial Court was actually to search for those deities from Chinese celestial mythology, to rebuild their doctrines and re-establish incense offerings for them.
Not to overthrow the imperial court or overthrow the True God.
Li Tianqing nodded in agreent. Due to his extensive knowledge, his code na within the Celestial Court was "Scholar."
Chen Shi took out a Celestial Court token he had made and handed it to him. Li Tianqing examined it. The Celestial Court token was rather crude. He said, "I know treasure forging. Perhaps I could manufacture so Celestial Court tokens."
Chen Shi said in surprise, "Tianqing, you've read so many books, you can also refine pills, forge treasures... what else can you do?"
Li Tianqing said, "I know a lot of things. Basically, I know a little bit of everything... Oh right! The spiritual herbs in the spiritual plot!"
He rembered those spiritual herbs in the Wan Family's spiritual plot that had gained sentience. Those herbs were definitely an imnse fortune!
He was about to jump off the cart to go seize those herbs when Chen Shi laughed and said, "Those spiritual herbs that could be taken, I've already taken them."
Li Tianqing breathed a sigh of relief. "When did you do that?"
"While you were sleeping."
Chen Shi lay down in the cart and said leisurely, "Not all of those spiritual herbs could be transplanted to the Temple of the God of Wealth or the small temple behind my head. So have higher climate requirents, so I didn't transplant them. Those suitable for you and totaled one hundred and nine plants. I planted fifty-four in the Temple of the God of Wealth and fifty-five outside my small temple."
Li Tianqing smiled. "You're getting more and more ticulous in your work."
Chen Shi said, "You take the Temple of the God of Wealth. First, you can cultivate inside it. Second, the New Year is approaching, and you need to return to Quanzhou quickly to fetch your mother and Old Master Li Jindou. If you encounter danger, Lord Guan, the Sage Emperor, can protect you."
He paused, then said, "What happened in Qingzhou definitely won't escape the notice of the higher-ups of the Thirteen Great Clans. After you take your mother and Old Master Li, either go to Qianyang Mountain or go to Gongzhou. Don't go to the Western Capital to participate in the Spring Examinations."
Li Tianqing beca solemn and nodded silently.
"What about you?"
"? The Western Capital—I will definitely go!"
Chen Shi looked up at the sky and smiled. "Not only will I go, but I will also pass the tropolitan examination as the top graduate and pass the palace examination as the top scholar! Don't worry about . I have ways to protect myself."
Li Tianqing said with concern, "I heard from Thirteenth Uncle that the top scholar position has already been predetermined. I'm afraid you won't be able to pass."
Chen Shi was stunned, then indignant. "So corrupt? Who's been predetermined? I'll go take care of him!"
"That, I don't know."
Li Tianqing put away the miniature courtyard, jumped off the cart, and bowed. "Master Chen, let us part ways here. In the future, we will et again at Qianyang Mountain. I will quietly await the good news of your success in the Western Capital!"
Chen Shi also jumped off the cart and returned the courtesy. "Your talent and learning are not far from mine. Although you cannot take the exam, if I beco the top scholar, it will be as if you beca the top scholar."
Li Tianqing was deeply moved and smiled. "It's a pity we cannot compete on the Golden Luan Palace hall to determine who is the top scholar and who is the second-place graduate."
"Hahaha, naturally, I am the top scholar!" Chen Shi laughed heartily.
"That's not necessarily so."
Li Tianqing waved his hand and bid him farewell.
Chen Shi watched him go into the distance until his figure disappeared. Then he got back on the cart and continued on toward Xinxiang and Qianyang Mountain.
The Wooden Cart gradually picked up speed. Chen Shi sat inside, looking at the misty, green expanse of Qingzhou, his heart surging with emotion.
Qingzhou, we were here.
Lord Guan, the Sage Emperor, was here.
Leaving you a clear blue sky.
If dark clouds block it, one slash will clear them, reopening the blue sky!
The Wooden Cart rumbled along until it reached the dilapidated dock on the Xianzhou River.
The dock was in disrepair from years of neglect. Not a single boat was there, only a single painted pleasure boat floating lonely on the water.
Chen Shi glanced at the painted pleasure boat. The Wooden Cart scraped the ground and then exerted force, leaping into the water.
"Hey! Hey!"
The boat girl hurriedly rushed out from the painted pleasure boat, shouting, "No charge! No charge, okay? I'll even provide als on the journey!"
Chen Shi hesitated for a mont, then jumped onto the painted pleasure boat.
Black Pot also jumped aboard. The Wooden Cart grew six arms, grabbed the edge of the boat, climbed up, propped up its four wheel hubs, and parked on the deck to air itself out.
The boat girl breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at Chen Shi was like seeing her rit points return to her pocket. She smiled and said, "Provincial Graduate Master, having committed a major case in Qingzhou, are you returning to Qianyang Mountain to lay low?"
Chen Shi shook his head. "I am completely innocent. The cases were all done by Li Tianqing; they have nothing to do with . I'm returning to Qianyang Mountain not to lay low, but to celebrate the New Year."
The boat girl took control of the steering and asked, "Provincial Graduate Master, how old will you be after this New Year?"
"Twelve years old. But my grandpa says I was born early, in the first month, so I should be thirteen."
"Who else is in your family?"
"Not many people, just ."
The boat girl said softly, persuasively, "Since there aren't many people in the mortal realm, why not go to the underworld to accompany your grandpa, so the old man isn't lonely and suffering. I can even find a few companions for you two. Life in the heavenly prison won't be so hard then."
Chen Shi ignored her.
After two days, they arrived in Xianzhou. Chen Shi parted ways with the boat girl, took the cart to Xinxiang County, went to the market and bought a great many chickens, ducks, fish, and at, and also bought a whole basket of firecrackers. Piled high, they filled the Wooden Cart. He left the county town and headed for Huangpo Village.
With the New Year approaching, the city was decorated with lanterns and strears everywhere. The countryside was also filled with joyous celebration, with children setting off firecrackers all over.
Chen Shi returned to Huangpo Village, all smiles. He went door-to-door, distributing chickens, ducks, fish, at, and firecrackers to the villagers of Huangpo Village, generously "treating" his fellow villagers. Grandma Yuzhu and Old Lady Wuzhu were so delighted they couldn't close their mouths, treating Master Chen with utmost respect.
On New Year's Eve, the sound of firecrackers was everywhere. Chen Shi moved the red cannon from his yard to the village entrance and fired it three tis in a row. The noise was so loud it nearly sent the village's old n and won on their way ahead of schedule.
After setting off the firecrackers, Chen Shi returned ho with a smile on his face. Arriving ho, the house was empty and quiet, with only the dog making dumplings.
Chen Shi walked to the east room, to the west wing, to the main hall—all were empty.
Grandpa wasn't ho.
It was New Year's, and at ho, there were only him and Black Pot.
Outside, firecrackers crackled and popped, but inside the house, it was unusually quiet.
The house felt a bit chilly, a bit cold.
Just then, a steady knocking sound ca from the door. Chen Shi went to open it.
Yuzhu poked her head in and smiled. "Brother Little Ten, haven't had your New Year's Eve dinner yet, right? My grandma says if you haven't, don't bother making it. My family has prepared it. Co sit and eat with us."
Chen Shi hesitated for a mont, then smiled. "That would trouble you too much! Yuzhu, wait for a mont, I'll tidy up! Black Pot, stop that, go wash your hands!"
He went to the well, secretly wiped the tears from his face, washed his face with cold water, steadied his emotions, and went out with a smile.
On New Year's Eve, he ate a reunion dinner at Yuzhu's house. Grandma Yuzhu was very kind, Yuzhu's father was simple and honest, Yuzhu's mother was talkative, and Yuzhu was also very pretty.
Chen Shi felt the lamplight was warm and cozy. Under the light, the family was happy and harmonious.
He returned ho, lay down on the bed, and stared with wide eyes at the dark ceiling.
At this mont, he missed his family dearly.
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