On the Path to the Great Dao Chapter 283: Choosing the Wrong Friends (50)

The three of them couldn't help but feel horrified. Fan Peng, the esteed Left Gentleman of the Interior of the Fu Zheng Pavilion, a peak Refining Spirit Realm existence only half a step away from the Return to Emptiness realm, had actually been the one to accommodate soone else!

Qin Su had asked Fan Peng to test Chen Tang precisely because Fan Peng's strength was sufficiently formidable and his cultivation realm sufficiently high!

Fan Peng hailed from a local great clan, had been called a child prodigy since childhood, and by middle age, he had cultivated to the Three Corpses realm and severed his Three Corpses.

Later, he was injured in the Primordial Spirit during a duel with soone, causing his cultivation realm to stagnate. Fortunately, he encountered the Young Master. Besides arranging for soone to treat him, the Young Master also ordered the Taiping Sect to sneak into the underworld to steal Soul-Returning Lotuses to refine Soul-Returning Pills for him, finally curing his old Primordial Spirit injury.

After his injuries fully healed, he broke through to the Refining Spirit Realm in just a few years. He is now only sixty years old, yet is already extrely close to the Return to Emptiness realm. He is a young expert with hopes of cultivating to the Great Ascension Realm!

—Compared to others at the sa realm, he is indeed young.

Yet, such an existence still failed to probe the depths of Chen Tang's true strength!

Chen Tang, what realm is he actually at?

Chen Tang is even younger than Fan Peng, and has always kept a low profile. Many people have overlooked him, thinking his cultivation and strength were rely average.

What is his purpose in hiding his strength?

"The Chen family's three generations, grandfather, father, and son, are all not to be underestimated!" Fan Peng said in a low voice.

Because he went to bed early, Chen Shi woke up very early. After finishing breakfast, he imdiately set off for the Guangji Treasury.

He had just stepped out the door when he saw Yu Lingzi sitting across from the Chen residence. His neck still had so greenish swelling, and his complexion wasn't great either. He likely hadn't fully recovered from yesterday's injuries.

Chen Shi hadn't struck too hard. He'd probably recover to his peak in a month or two of rest. Plus, with the spiritual dicines of Tai Hua Qing Palace, he might recover even faster.

He just might miss the tropolitan examination.

Seeing Chen Shi co out, Yu Lingzi imdiately stood up and said, "Chen Shi... Uncle-Master."

He finally yielded to his inner voice. After calling out "Uncle-Master," his heart felt much more at ease. Getting a beating from an elder was no big deal. After all, he often got scolded by his uncle-masters in Tai Hua Qing Palace too.

Chen Shi was sowhat puzzled. "Yu Lingzi, why are you calling Uncle-Master?"

Yu Lingzi's voice was still a bit hoarse, his injuries not yet healed. He explained the relationship between Blue Goat and Tai Hua Qing Palace.

"Uncle Blue Goat is the founding patriarch of your Tai Hua Qing Palace?" Chen Shi was greatly surprised.

He hadn't known Blue Goat's origins, thinking he was just a spirit from Qianyang Mountain. Now it seed Qianyang Mountain had already nurtured the great snake Xuan Shan. It probably didn't have a large enough territory to nurture a Blue Goat as well.

Yu Lingzi looked around and saw a Heaven's Listener crouching on a roof eave not far away, listening to their conversation while rapidly taking notes.

"After you left yesterday, I observed those Heaven's Listeners and found they were here to monitor you," Yu Lingzi said. "Heaven's Listeners appearing around you is not good news. Those deed worthy of deploying so many Heaven's Listeners are often rebels."

Chen Shi also looked at the Heaven's Listener on the roof and smiled. "I'm already used to it."

Yu Lingzi shook his head. "When Heaven's Listeners consider you a threat to them, they will take action to eliminate you. The Venerated Kings among the Heaven's Listeners are no less formidable than Return to Emptiness or Great Ascension Realm existences."

"What they hear us say has all been altered by Black Pot," Chen Shi said with a laugh.

Black Pot followed behind them, wagging his tail amiably at Yu Lingzi.

Yu Lingzi felt as if he saw a gentle and amiable elder brother. He heard the dog elder brother say a few words of encouragent to him, feeling only warmth. "So it's Senior Black Pot. When I was little, Senior Black Pot even held . I never thought I'd et Senior again here..."

As he spoke, his gaze grew puzzled, as if sothing felt off.

But he couldn't pinpoint what was off.

Chen Shi glared at Black Pot and slowly shook his head.

Only then did Black Pot rein it in a bit.

"Yu Lingzi, what is the origin of these Heaven's Listeners?" Chen Shi inquired.

He was quite curious about these Heaven's Listeners. They resembled cultivators, yet not entirely. They seed more like Yanshi constructs with a certain level of intelligence, following so strange rules.

The Daoist techniques they cultivated were also very peculiar. Their ears could grow at will, and they could even use their ears as wings, flapping them to fly.

They could also transform their own qi and blood into many arms. This thod was an extrely powerful combat technique, possessed only by so great clans or major sects with deep foundations. Yet, every Heaven's Listener could perform it.

They didn't use this thod for combat, but rather to record complex information.

What Chen Shi found most incredible was, the Heaven's Listeners recorded so many things every day. To whom did they deliver this information?

'Heaven's Listener' ant 'reaching the ears of heaven.'

Did the Celestial True God really peruse the information gathered by the Heaven's Listeners?

Or were there others above these Heaven's Listeners responsible for gathering information?

Yu Lingzi erged from his daze and said, "Heaven's Listeners gather things heaven doesn't know and report them upward to reach heaven's ears. Heaven's Listeners report the intelligence they gather layer by layer, all the way up to the Venerated Kings. As for what lies beyond the Venerated Kings, I'm not clear."

He looked up at the sky. The Celestial True God's eyes had turned into two suns, shining upon the earth, granting light to the world while also clearly observing the affairs of the mortal realm.

"Our Tai Hua Qing Palace is very secretive about the Heaven's Listeners, saying they, like the freeholders, are all madn. Where there are Heaven's Listeners, many people dare not speak, fearing they might violate taboos," Yu Lingzi said, withdrawing his gaze. "Even the Thirteen Great Clans and the various great holy lands turn a blind eye to the Heaven's Listeners, allowing them to eavesdrop. It's said this is a rule passed down from the True King's Era."

He paused, then said, "Uncle-Master Chen Shi, yesterday my three uncle-masters scolded severely. They insisted I co here to explain yesterday's events clearly to you, Uncle-Master Chen, to avoid any misunderstanding."

Chen Shi looked at him, puzzled. "What misunderstanding?"

Yu Lingzi said solemnly, "Yesterday, I truly ca to act as a lobbyist for the Young Master. That was my mistake. I apologize to you, Uncle-Master!"

He knelt and kowtowed to Chen Shi right on the street, banging his head several tis, drawing the attention of passersby.

Chen Shi quickly helped him up, smiling. "You acted as a lobbyist for the Young Master, and I've already beaten you up. Why go to such lengths?"

Yu Lingzi said, "My master taught that in life and actions, one must never leave flaws in the Dao Heart. If left, those flaws beco vulnerabilities in the Dao Heart. Therefore, I must co to apologize."

Chen Shi, still not understanding, asked, "Why did you agree to be the Young Master's lobbyist yesterday?"

Yu Lingzi replied, "You killed Shen Hongniang of the Matchmaker House, and many incense masters of the Matchmaker House died by your hand. We were drinking and discussing this matter, then talked about your actions in Gongzhou and Yudu. We all felt sowhat indignant, thinking you were overly aggressive. As the saying goes, 'After three cups, promises are made; even the Five Sacred Mountains seem light.' We got carried away drinking, and I said I would go find you, to stop you from competing with the Young Master for the top scholar position. Others might fear the demon within your body, Chen Shi, but I do not."

A flicker passed through Chen Shi's eyes. "We? Who is 'we'?"

Yu Lingzi said, "Brother Fan Kongliu from the Water Moon Holy Land, Daoist Jin Lu from Tai Shang Hao Yuan Palace, Young Master Jiang Fangshu, Young Master Li Tianqian, Ma Xueqing, and others. We were just having a small gathering at Qixia Taoist Temple and unintentionally brought this up."

Chen Shi smiled. "Are they still at Qixia Taoist Temple?"

Yu Lingzi said, "They are. We are also provincial graduates participating in the tropolitan examination, but our statuses are also extraordinary. It's inconvenient for us to stay at the various provincial guildhalls to avoid being disturbed by other graduates. So the court arranged for us to stay at Qixia Taoist Temple. The Young Master, due to his exceptional status, stays at Jiexiu Hall."

Actually, they all had their own places to stay in the city. For example, Yu Lingzi could stay at Tai Hua Qing Palace's Taoist temple in the Western Capital. The children of the Thirteen Great Clans could stay at the mansions of their respective high-ranking officials. The Water Moon Holy Land and Tai Shang Hao Yuan Palace also had their own residences.

However, staying separately ant fewer opportunities to gather and interact. Moreover, they were all the Young Master's people. Gathering together was more conducive to the Young Master's coordination.

As for Saintess Xuan, because she had doubts about the Young Master's actions, she did not stay at Qixia Taoist Temple.

"Can you take to Qixia Taoist Temple to have a look?" Chen Shi asked.

Yu Lingzi hesitated. "I'm worried the people there might speak disrespectfully to you because of the Young Master."

Chen Shi shook his head. "If I don't go, how can I resolve the misunderstanding with them?"

Yu Lingzi thought it over carefully. That was indeed true. He imdiately led the way, saying, "Uncle-Master, I find you to be a decent person. They say behind your back that you are ruthless and vicious, that you kill indiscriminately and innocents, that you are ambitious and utterly wicked. They have many misunderstandings about you. Speaking face-to-face will clear up those misunderstandings."

A muscle under Chen Shi's right eye twitched. "What else do they say about ?"

Yu Lingzi hesitated. "So of it is unpleasant. I'm not too comfortable repeating it."

Chen Shi said, "Go ahead and say it. Our old Chen family is famously broad-minded. My grandpa is like that, and Chen Tang is too."

"They say you're not human, that you're an evil spirit, born from a corpse... You said you wouldn't get angry."

A smile remained fixed on Chen Shi's face as he murmured, "I'm not angry. Continue."

Yu Lingzi said, "They also say the soul your grandpa summoned back from the underworld might not be yours; it could be a demon he summoned back. And then there's the matter of you killing imperial officials, bullying n and seizing won. They say you stole the Young Master's magic treasure, colluded with demonic creatures to cause the demonic transformation in Gongzhou."

At that mont, he heard the sound of Chen Shi's teeth grinding loudly. He quickly asked, "Uncle-Master, are you alright?"

"I'm fine!"

Chen Shi laughed heartily. "Why would I not be fine? Our old Chen family is so broad-minded. Yu Lingzi, then why did you want to avenge Shen Hongniang? Do you know who Shen Hongniang is?"

Yu Lingzi said, "Shen Hongniang was just a matchmaker who arranged marriages, very beloved in the capital."

"So you know nothing at all."

Chen Shi said, "Arranging marriages and proposing matches is the Matchmaker House's side business. Their main business is helping lonely, restless young masters, young ladies, noblewon, and officials connect, making it convenient for them to engage in illicit affairs."

Yu Lingzi was dumbfounded.

Chen Shi explained the Matchmaker House's actions, then said, "The Young Master used my hand to eliminate Shen Hongniang, removing a major thorn in his side. At the sa ti, he told others in the Western Capital, 'The dirty deeds you've done are known only to . You can rest assured.' Others returned the favor by helping the Young Master put in my place. If you didn't have any leverage held by the Young Master, why would you stick your neck out?"

Yu Lingzi shook his head. "The Young Master isn't that kind of person..."

But a voice inside him told him the Young Master probably was exactly that kind of person.

He was deeply distressed. "I was used as a pawn? Fan Kongliu and the others didn't know your true strength, so they didn't dare act rashly. That's why they egged on to test your depths."

He felt as if his heart had been stabbed a thousand tis. His nose grew sore. "I considered them friends."

Chen Shi smiled. "That's often the case with poor judgnt in choosing friends. But it's not too late now that you've seen their true colors. By the way, Yu Lingzi, the core disciples of the Thirteen Great Clans, like the Young Masters Jiang and Li you just ntioned, how do their strengths compare to yours?"

Yu Lingzi was still feeling down. After a mont, he said, "We've never really sparred. But our cultivation realms are roughly similar. Strength likely varies, so higher, so lower. Perhaps the great clans have more inherited techniques, so their strength might be a bit stronger."

"Only a bit stronger than you?"

Chen Shi sounded disappointed. "That's not very strong either..."

Yu Lingzi grunted, feeling stabbed again. He really wanted to refute this, but had no grounds to do so.

He was at the Spirit Transformation realm, challenging Chen Shi, a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. Yet he couldn't even execute a single move before being utterly defeated, nearly eting his end.

Chen Shi asked, puzzled, "Then why did Chen Tang say the strength of the great clans' core disciples is extrely formidable, and that I'm no match for them? If they're only about your level, they don't seem that impressive either."

Yu Lingzi grunted again. "Uncle-Master, you may not know. Core disciples of the great clans are divided into two types. Perhaps Master Chen Tang was referring to the second type."

Chen Shi asked, "What two types?"

"Core disciples of great clans are usually clansn who have obtained first-grade or second-grade Divine Embryos. Regardless of how the Divine Embryo was obtained—bestowed by a True God or transplanted from soone else—as long as they have a sufficiently good Divine Embryo and cultivate diligently, they can beco core disciples," Yu Lingzi explained. "These disciples often receive the true teachings of the clan, cultivating the clan's second-highest tier of cultivation techniques. The second type of core disciple is the one destined to inherit the position of the next clan leader or sect leader. For such a clan disciple, a family might produce one every few decades, or maybe two or three. Their Divine Embryo must be divinely bestowed, not seized from others, to qualify as the next sect leader. Perhaps Master Chen Tang was referring to them."

Chen Shi inquired, "Among those coming to participate in the tropolitan examination this ti, are there such people?"

Yu Lingzi shook his head. "I don't know either. Which person a great clan chooses as the next sect leader is not publicly announced, for fear of being targeted."

Unconsciously, the two of them arrived outside Qixia Taoist Temple.

Qixia Taoist Temple was built on a small hilltop. The hill was only about ten zhang high, covering an area of a few dozen mu, resembling a few large stones protruding from the ground.

Although there were many mountains outside the city, hills within the city were rare. Therefore, Qixia Taoist Temple's incense offerings were flourishing. From afar, Chen Shi saw that the deities enshrined within Qixia Taoist Temple had already ford Divine Manifestations, each a hundred zhang tall, standing left and right, clad in armor, with a third eye in the center of their brows.

"These two Godmothers are incredibly powerful!" Chen Shi couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Yu Lingzi stopped walking. "Uncle-Master, I won't go in."

"Why?" Chen Shi was puzzled.

Yu Lingzi was still feeling down, saying gloomily, "I considered them friends. They considered a fool. If I go in, they'll ridicule ."

Chen Shi shook his head. "You're not a fool. You treat people sincerely, willing to go through fire and water for a friend. If I had a friend like you, I would certainly treat you with sincerity as well. The only thing you did wrong was poor judgnt in choosing friends; you didn't make true friends."

Yu Lingzi was stunned. "I'm not stupid?"

Chen Shi said, "Good people shouldn't be treated as fools. After all, I am your uncle-master. How could I not help you seek justice? Co into the temple with . Let's go reason with them."

Yu Lingzi followed him, feeling uneasy. "Uncle-Master, please don't cause trouble because of ..."

Chen Shi walked into Qixia Taoist Temple, laughing heartily. "Our old Chen family is broad-minded. How could we cause trouble? Have you read Master's 'Analects'? Do you know the principles Master spoke of? We scholars who study Master's teachings are reasonable people."

He said to Black Pot, "Black Pot, have the receptionist close the gates. Today, Qixia Taoist Temple does not receive outside visitors."