Outside the Western Capital, where the evening glow was rising, a white elephant ca into view.
The giant elephant was snow-white all over, as if carved from white jade, only its size was imnse, even taller than the city towers of the Western Capital. On its head grew upward-pointing fine hair, forming a fountain-like shape. Planks had been laid on the hair, covered with a golden carpet.
Several powerful warriors, each about seventeen feet tall and bare-chested, stood at the four corners, vigilantly surveying their surroundings.
On the elephant's back was a wooden pavilion, three stories high, with open balconies on all four sides. On each balcony stood people dressed in golden, gleaming armor, with Primordial Spirits several zhang tall standing behind them.
In the wooden pavilion on the third floor, several scholar-like figures stood by the windowsill, looking out and chatting with smiles.
"Which one is the Young Master?" Everyone craned their necks to look, soone shouting loudly.
At that mont, another giant elephant ca into view, walking toward the Western Capital.
On that elephant's head, there were also warriors standing guard. The Yellow Turban Warriors shone with golden light, possessing imnse strength. One of them suddenly roared, a sound comparable to a fierce tiger or dragon's cry, its volu overwhelming thunder.
On the elephant's back was a lotus throne, four to five zhang in diater. The most eye-catching figure was a monk with a Sixteen-Foot Golden Body, his head surrounded by Buddha Light, presenting a scene of a pure land.
This pure land was called the Western Paradise.
The monk stood on the lotus throne, looking down at the people lining the streets and atop buildings of the Western Capital, like a Buddha gazing upon all living beings.
"Is the Young Master a monk?"
Soone shook their head and said, "That's not the Young Master! That monk is the Saint of Great Bao Guo Temple, Wu Xiang."
On the lotus throne, there was also a woman, dignified and solemn in appearance, holding a pure vase in her hand, bearing the countenance of great compassion. She was Saintess Xuan of Bodhi Monastery, her secular na Ji Xuanxuan.
Another was also a young man, appearing elegant and refined, but Chen Shi heard the person beside him say that this man was a disciple of another great Buddhist holy land, Water Moon Holy Land, nad Fan Kongliu. He practiced while keeping his hair, but was notoriously promiscuous, having affairs with many won.
Chen Shi's gaze fell upon them, thinking to himself, "These people are all masters! But with Saintess Xuan among them, is she just making up the numbers?"
He scanned the crowd, feeling that although these people were also exceptionally outstanding, they probably weren't the Young Master.
The two white elephants entered the city one after another. They were too large to pass through the city gates, but on the four legs of these two elephants, various Talismans lit up. Each thick elephant leg had hundreds of Talismans, causing the giant elephants to tread on green clouds, rising gently, walking through the void above the city gates and entering the city.
Everyone looked up, feeling as if they were seeing two floating, moving white islands.
Suddenly, a giant spotted deer walked over, its head bearing branching antlers. On the forks of the antlers stood people, legs spread apart, carrying bows and arrows on their backs, vigilantly looking around.
The cultivation levels of these divine archers were not weak; behind them floated Primordial Spirits several tis larger than their bodies.
Their Primordial Spirits had three heads and six arms, each drawing a bow and arrow, poised to strike. They must have practiced so peculiar mystical art for their Primordial Spirits to manifest such anomalies.
On the spotted deer's back was a mass of auspicious clouds, with radiant light streaking through and auspicious auras flowing. On the auspicious clouds stood several young Daoists, each with an extraordinary appearance.
"The young Daoist holding a horsetail whisk, with a faint Ruyi scepter appearing behind him, his Daoist title is Yu Lingzi. He is the Daoist Son of the Daoist holy land, Tai Hua Qing Palace," a person beside Chen Shi said quite excitedly.
Chen Shi looked at Yu Lingzi and saw that his aura surged toward his Huagai, his blood and qi extrely vigorous. The faintly discernible jade Ruyi behind him concealed an extraordinary thod. The aura it emitted was still extrely powerful even through this crowd, even making Chen Shi feel pressure.
"Truly extraordinary!" Chen Shi praised.
"The sword-carrying Daoist Jin Lu is the Daoist Son from the Daoist holy land, Tai Shang Hao Yuan Palace!"
Chen Shi's gaze fell on Jin Lu but couldn't sense his aura, making him wary. "This man has real skill."
The third Daoist sat within the auspicious clouds, a white jade hairpin in his hair. Chen Shi looked at the person beside him, but that person remained silent, clearly not recognizing this Daoist.
"I thought he knew everyone," Chen Shi thought to himself.
After the spotted deer passed, three more deer ca. The passerby beside Chen Shi was still very excited, talking endlessly, introducing the outstanding disciples from various great clans on the deer's backs.
After the white elephants and spotted deer passed, the noise of the crowd reached a fever pitch, the atmosphere heating up to its peak. The people on the earlier white elephants and spotted deer seed like a prelude before the Young Master's arrival, and the main event was about to begin.
Even Chen Shi was infected by this atmosphere, craning his neck to look.
Outside the city, brilliant light surpassed the evening glow, rainbow light rose, transforming into Dao Fields of various sizes, approaching the Western Capital.
"They are experts from the Fu Zheng Pavilion!" Cheers ca from the crowd.
There were quite a few of those Primordial Spirit Dao Fields, each containing different mysteries of Dao techniques. From within the Dao Fields ca either Sanskrit Chants or the recitations of various gods, grand and mysterious.
Various strange beasts of different forms tread on radiant light as they walked over. On the beasts' backs, standing or sitting, were experts from the Fu Zheng Pavilion, dignified and solemn in appearance, with serious expressions.
Behind these Dao Fields was a dazzling Realm of Emptiness, boundless and limitless, with the sun and moon floating in the sky. Although evening glow had already risen and the bright moon had appeared, the sun and moon in the sky illuminated this stretch of heaven and earth, bright as day.
At that very mont, a fire qilin, treading on flas, walked out from the Realm of Emptiness.
"Young Master!" soone shouted.
"Young Master!" "Young Master!" "Young Master!"
Inside and outside the Western Capital, the atmosphere reached its most fervent peak. Everyone raised their arms and cheered, their expressions fanatical.
Suddenly, a voice filled with masculine magnetism ca, overwhelming the crowd's shouts, clearly reaching everyone's ears: "Du Wanshu, Judicial Commissioner of Zhenzhou, while serving as an official in Zhenzhou, you raised evil spirits, fed common people to them, refining longevity dicine in pursuit of immortality. I have been investigating your cris for a long ti, caught you red-handed, but you escaped. Now that you've reached the Western Capital, what escape route do you have left?"
The fire qilin's head was like a small hill, its crown burning with blazing flas, resembling upward-growing hair.
Within the flas appeared a young man, looking down from a high position, his face unclear, speaking clearly: "Today, even if soone in the court protects you, I will still take your life to seek justice for the people of Zhenzhou! Du Wanshu, please accept your death!"
As soon as his words fell, an old man with white hair shot up into the sky from within the Western Capital, fleeing toward the inner city, angrily shouting: "Young Master, what grudge or hatred do you have against this old man that you must take my life? I will appeal to the Emperor!"
"I have no personal grudge or hatred against you; I kill you for the people of Zhenzhou!"
From within the flas atop the fire qilin's head, the young man spoke with righteous indignation, leaping forward. In an instant, he caught up to the white-haired old man.
The white-haired old man should be Du Wanshu, Judicial Commissioner of Zhenzhou. Seeing that he couldn't escape, he imdiately turned, activated his Primordial Spirit, and fought desperately with the young man.
But in a single exchange, with a flash of sword light, Du Wanshu was Slashed. Instantly, blood rained down from the sky, splashing onto the heads and faces of the people below.
Du Wanshu's head and corpse fell from the sky.
The young man then transford into a beam of light and returned to the top of the fire qilin, still standing within the blazing flas, radiating myriad rays of light.
"Young Master—"
A hoarse shout suddenly ca from beside Chen Shi, startling him. That person's voice cracked with strain, carrying a tremble.
"Young Master! Young Master!"
The people around raised their arms and cheered, as if seeing a great savior. The roars were deafening, countless voices rging into a surging torrent, each wave of sound overwhelming the last.
Amid the cheers of the crowd, the Young Master stood atop the fire qilin's head. The fire qilin strode forward and entered the Western Capital.
Seeing this scene, Chen Shi let out a heavy breath.
He had heard the Young Master's voice before. In the Taiping Sect, after he killed Sect Master Peng Wanshan, he heard the Young Master's voice from the burning Thousand-li Communication Talisman.
At that mont, a voice ca from behind Chen Shi: "This man appears saintly on the outside but is greatly treacherous and wicked."
Chen Shi turned around; it was Chen Tang who had co to find him.
Chen Tang was holding a lantern, looking at the Young Master standing atop the fire qilin's head. Suddenly, he handed the lantern to Chen Shi and said, "Let's go ho. Ti to eat."
Chen Shi acknowledged.
The sun had already closed, moonlight sprinkling down.
But the moonlight couldn't compare to the brilliance of the sun and moon within the Realm of Emptiness of the Fu Zheng Pavilion's Chief Administrator. These two celestial bodies entered the city, illuminating half of the Western Capital as bright as day, completely eliminating the need for lanterns.
"Don't extinguish the lantern."
Chen Tang said, "I don't care to borrow his light."
Hearing this, Chen Shi didn't extinguish the lantern and looked at Chen Tang.
Father and son walked toward the inner city, gradually moving away from the clamor.
After a long silence, Chen Tang said, "The Young Master is building montum, his ambitions are great. Since you are at odds with him, be extra careful in your dealings from now on. I observe that he appears saintly on the outside but is ambitious on the inside; he is not an easy person to deal with."
Chen Shi asked doubtfully, "Why do you say that?"
Chen Tang said, "I know Du Wanshu. Three years ago, he ca to the capital to report on his duties; I t him. His surna is Du; he's not from the Thirteen Great Clans. He was very old. If he were using evil spirits to prolong his life, why would he have aged to such an extent? After reporting, he was to return to Zhenzhou but didn't have enough money. I even scraped together a few taels of silver for him."
Chen Shi asked, "Did Du Wanshu raise evil spirits to refine longevity dicine?"
Chen Tang said, "If raising evil spirits could refine longevity dicine and lead to immortality, then the first to refine it would definitely be the Thirteen Great Clans, not him. Du Wanshu must have died unjustly."
He paused, then said, "Du Wanshu had no power or background. The Young Master used his head to build montum for himself without offending any great clan. This man's scheming is extrely deep; he is definitely not a blessing for the world!"
Chen Shi looked deeply at Chen Tang, nearly blurting out, "Brother, do you want to join the Celestial Court?" but fortunately held back.
Chen Tang had always upheld the law impartially. If he said such a thing, Chen Tang might righteously turn against family and send him to the authorities.
Father and son returned ho, extinguished the lantern. During dinner, Chen Shi said, "I need to go out for a few days in the coming days; I might not return for three or four days."
Chen Tang asked, "Where to? To do what? Who will be with you? Explain clearly before you leave."
Chen Shi said indifferently, "I'm informing you, not asking for your approval."
Chen Tang clenched his fist.
Chen Shi put down his chopsticks.
The two looked at each other.
Chen Tang snorted, unclenched his fist, and continued eating, saying calmly, "Don't get too close to disreputable people; it's easy to break the law."
Chen Shi picked up his chopsticks and sneered, "My friends are disreputable? Chen Tang, you don't even have disreputable friends."
Veins throbbed on Chen Tang's forehead as he suppressed his anger. "If you continue acting recklessly, you'll end up on the Myriad Soul Banner sooner or later!"
Chen Shi bit the tip of his chopstick, grinding his teeth, and said, "It's not certain which of us will end up on the Myriad Soul Banner first!"
Black Pot sighed, picked up his bowl, scooped so food, and went outside to eat.
After a mont, Chen Shi's voice ca from the main hall: "The ones going with aren't disreputable people; they're Granny Sha, Uncle Blue Goat, and Uncle Hu. You don't need to worry."
Chen Tang's voice carried anger: "They are disreputable people! They corrupted your grandfather!"
"Chen Tang, have you ever considered that Grandpa was the one who corrupted them?"
"He is my father; don't you dare speak of him like that!"
They had a quarrel. Black Pot was glad he had foresight and ca out early.
The next day, Chen Shi took Black Pot and the Wooden Cart, along with four days' worth of food. After leaving the city, they t up with Granny Sha, Blue Goat, and Hu Xiaoliang who had arrived. The group headed toward Duxian County.
The Western Capital was surrounded by mountains on three sides, facing the sea—a dragon-rising land, extrely prosperous.
But once out of the Western Capital for a hundred li, the surroundings beca desolate, with villages, towns, and county towns appearing dilapidated and old.
When they passed through a town, many talisman masters were dealing with a tree spirit active during the day. The tree spirit had uprooted itself, its branches grasping swords and knives. Thousands of blades followed the branches as they flipped and flew, making the talisman masters sweat profusely.
Chen Shi observed and saw that these talisman masters were likely from the Red Mountain Hall. Although fighting this tree spirit was dangerous, they could still handle it, so he didn't help.
Moreover, there was a Nascent Soul realm talisman master overseeing from the side, probably to train these talisman masters' skills.
"The Red Mountain Hall has indeed grown much stronger than before," Chen Shi thought to himself.
The Wooden Cart was very fast. By evening, they reached Duxian County.
Duxian County was located deep within the Huangyan Mountain Range, with treacherous geography. Snakes, insects, evil spirits, and demons were everywhere, occupying mountains and declaring themselves kings.
Just outside Duxian County was the famously notorious Death Valley. It was said that a demonic transformation had once erupted there, lasting a full hundred days with no one able to resolve it, causing the demon to mature.
On the hundredth day, the Celestial True God concentrated his gaze and vaporized that mature demon along with everything within a hundred li radius, leaving only a huge pit.
The residual demonic energy in the pit was still very heavy, and evil spirits liked to run here, hence the na Death Valley.
Zhuge Jian quickly found them and greeted everyone, saying, "Fortunately, I have not failed in my mission. I have found a reincarnated underworld officer, but I dare not be certain if it is the underworld officer Zhong Kui. This person was born nineteen years ago; his parents are from Shennan Village. Shennan Village is in Death Valley, where evil spirits are everywhere. The Godmother is said to be a vine that grew from the uninhabited land after the demonic transformation, stained with demon blood, gaining sentience."
As they walked and talked, they headed toward Death Valley.
Zhuge Jian narrated smoothly: "On the night he was born, many evil spirits ca to Shennan Village, surrounding it and attacking. The Godmother of Shennan Village couldn't hold them off. Just as the evil spirits were about to break into the village, this person was born, crying loudly. It's said that those evil spirits exploded and died one after another. His parents thought he was sowhat supernatural and invited a Spirit dium to look at him. The Spirit dium said she saw this child eating ghosts, one mouthful each, so they gave him a na: Tie Chi. His family na is Tie."
Death Valley was desolate, with evil spirits appearing in the forested areas, more nurous than in other places.
The demonic energy here was heavy, deeply favored by evil spirits. However, even in such a dangerous place, there were still villages and market towns.
The villagers had cleared farmland, planted crops, and actually lived happily and harmoniously.
"The bailiffs of Duxian County don't dare enter Death Valley to collect taxes, so quite a few people live here. Apart from being a bit dangerous, life is more comfortable than outside," Zhuge Jian said with a smile.
They passed through the town. From within the town ca the clear sound of reading. Chen Shi followed the sound and saw inside a private school where the teacher was instructing so children seeking education.
That private school teacher had a naturally unusual appearance: a leopard's head, round eyes, an iron face, and curly sideburns, looking robust and powerful. Yet he held a book scroll, teaching the children to read and write.
Chen Shi withdrew his gaze. Zhuge Jian said, "This Tie Chi person was born with unusual features, with a burly physique, a high, prominent forehead as if about to grow horns. After his birth, rumors spread nearby that he transford into an ox-headed, human-bodied monster at night, eating evil spirits everywhere."
Chen Shi looked toward the private school teacher with the leopard head and round eyes and asked, "Could it be this person?"
Zhuge Jian shook his head. "Not this person. This teacher is from the town, nad Yong Nan. Although he looks old, he's not even twenty yet. I also suspected him and investigated, but his family background is clean, he reads well, he just didn't pass the imperial exams."
He walked toward the outskirts of the town, saying, "Once we leave the town and walk a few more li, it's Shennan Village. By the way, Yong Nan also has a younger sister, born a few hours after him, delicate and weak, very good-looking."
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