Chen Shi went downstairs and saw that the children were about eight or nine years old, all boys, right at that mischievous and naughty age.
Creation Little Five looked to be only about eighteen or nineteen, acting as the leader among the children, playing happily with them.
"You all keep playing."
Seeing Chen Shi approach, he waved at the children.
"That kid over there is called Yuan Xiaoye. He taught how to fight."
Creation Little Five nudged his chin towards a child and said, "On this street, he's really good at fighting. Haven't eaten yet, right? Go wash up, I'll take you to drink soybean milk and eat stead buns."
Chen Shi was quite agitated, intending to ask him exactly who had cut out his Divine Embryo, but upon hearing this, he had no choice but to go wash up first.
Not long after, the two of them passed through a small alley and arrived at the soybean milk shop on Wuchang Street.
The two sat down and asked the waiter for four stears of buns and two bowls of soybean milk.
"If your fists can't beat others, the principles you talk about won't be listened to either. When I go to the Li residence this ti, the patriarchs of the Thirteen Great Clans will all be there, arrayed to welco . Waiter, another bowl!"
Creation Little Five downed a bowl of soybean milk in one go and handed the empty bowl to the waiter. Chen Shi was in the middle of eating a bun and, hearing this, quickly stopped chewing, afraid he might miss so piece of information.
Creation Little Five said, "Back then, when Child Prodigy received the True God's favor and was granted the Innate Dao Embryo, shocking the world, many people's first thought was to snatch it."
He ate his bun, the filling was shepherd's purse and egg, carrying the fragrance of wild vegetables, and spoke unhurriedly, "The Thirteen Great Clans and the minor clans of Xinxiang Province sward into action, sending many experts to Xinxiang County. For a ti, Xinxiang County beca a mix of dragons and snakes, and then your Divine Embryo was cut out. Later, your grandpa killed his way to the Western Capital, also because he had found traces pointing to the Thirteen Great Clans."
He paused, waiting for Chen Shi to finish the bun in his mouth, then continued, "Your grandpa went on a killing spree in the Western Capital, earning the glorious reputation of the Western Capital Butcher. He didn't eradicate the Thirteen Great Clans. Besides the fact that the patriarchs of the Thirteen Great Clans ca forward and they were genuinely too entrenched to uproot, another reason was that he discovered the person who cut out your Divine Embryo might not have been from these clans."
Chen Shi was slightly taken aback. Not soone from the Thirteen Great Clans?
The waiter brought over another bowl of soybean milk. Creation Little Five, while eating buns and drinking soybean milk, said, "Based on my investigation, back then, there was an extrely bloody battle of contention in Xinxiang. The target of the contention was your Innate Dao Embryo. The first batch of people to die were the examiner who sold your Divine Embryo, as well as the county magistrate, the Magistrate's Assistant, and others. The second batch to die were the minor clans of Xinxiang Province. After that ca the experts of the Thirteen Great Clans; a large group of them died. The Thirteen Great Clans fought over the Innate Dao Embryo, suffering heavy casualties. By the ti the Innate Dao Embryo disappeared, the Thirteen Great Clans beca suspicious of each other, wondering if the Innate Dao Embryo had fallen into the hands of a particular clan."
Chen Shi slowly drank his soybean milk and said, "The Thirteen Great Clans are extrely powerful. It's impossible for the Innate Dao Embryo to have fallen into anyone else's hands; it could only have been seized by one of their clans."
Creation Little Five said, "Therefore, they are also investigating, looking into the whereabouts of the Innate Dao Embryo. After your grandpa killed his way to the Western Capital, he alard these old monsters. The old monsters forced him back. They were also very curious about the whereabouts of the Innate Dao Embryo, so they investigated the internal affairs of the major clans but found no trace of the Dao Embryo. Therefore, they all have a guess."
Chen Shi's expression shifted slightly. "What guess?"
Creation Little Five changed the subject, saying, "Little Ten, do you know why the True King's Era declined? Why, after the True King died, did contact with the Divine Continent of China suddenly break? Why did the Dao arts suddenly experience a great decline, with many cultivation techniques becoming incomplete? Why can cultivators only live for a hundred years? Why does absorbing moonlight cause corruption? Why did hell undergo drastic changes? Why have the various gods of China fallen into obscurity? Your grandpa and I have been searching for the answer to this question. We joined the freeholders, wanting to gather more people to explore the secrets behind this."
When he talked about these things, he was particularly serious, very much like a normal person.
"We tried to reproduce the Luo Heaven Sacrificial Rite, the Grand Cosmic Sacrificial Rite, and the Universal Sacrificial Rite. We tried to rebuild the orthodox traditions of the various gods. But while we were investigating these matters, there was always a mysterious force trying to stop us, trying to erase the history of the True King's Era, to erase the traces of the existence of China's various gods."
Creation Little Five said, "We also discovered that beneath this land, a power is similarly hidden, waiting to revive.
"Perhaps it's a naless mountain peak appearing out of thin air, or an unknown ancient temple appearing sowhere, or a naless deity suddenly manifesting.
"If they attract the attention of the Celestial True God, a mysterious force will wipe out the deity, destroy the ancient temple, and level the mountain peak. Moreover, as our investigation deepened, we found that so forces are trying to eliminate us, which is why we've repeatedly encountered danger. This force can even mobilize the Heaven's Listeners."
Chen Shi was slightly stunned. The Heaven's Listeners can reach the heavens' ears; they are the strange people who listen to the world on behalf of the True God.
So, where would the force that can mobilize the Heaven's Listeners co from?
Creation Little Five said, "Your grandpa and I once investigated the source of this force, traced it to Despair Slope, and discovered so terrifying things, so we retreated knowing the difficulty. This ti, when I went to inquire with the Li family patriarch, the old fellows of the Thirteen Great Clans brought up the force behind the Heaven's Listeners again, as well as Despair Slope."
Chen Shi felt a chill in his heart and said decisively, "This is a trap, you must not fall for it! The patriarchs of the Thirteen Great Clans definitely have ill intentions; they probably want to borrow the power of Despair Slope to eliminate you!"
Creation Little Five revealed a smile and said, "You're concerned about ? Father rarely cares about . I'm just a tool he created. He likes , just like he likes a handy tool."
He paused and said, "Of course I know they have ill intentions. You and I are not related. I wouldn't risk my life to investigate the whereabouts of your Divine Embryo."
He laughed heartily and said, "When you were little, I almost used you as a snack!"
Chen Shi had no mory of this at all.
"You're not tasty anymore after you grew up."
Creation Little Five glanced at him and said, "Your at must be very sour now."
After the two finished breakfast, Creation Little Five stood to the side with his hands tucked into his sleeves. Chen Shi looked over, and Creation Little Five turned his sleeves inside out, saying, "I have no money. Look, my pockets are cleaner than my face. I haven't co to drink soybean milk for several days."
He looked quite aggrieved.
In order to investigate the Innate Dao Embryo, he had killed many high officials and nobles. However, these high officials and nobles rarely carried silver on them, aside from magic treasures, talisman-weapons, and other miscellaneous valuables. Later, he found out that the salaries of imperial officials were pitifully small. To maintain an image of integrity, high officials and nobles generally didn't carry silver.
They also had specific restaurants for als. They would go, eat, and leave without paying; naturally, soone would co to settle the bill.
Chen Shi paid, and the two of them returned together to Chang'an Street.
Creation Little Five said, "Chen Tang should have left court and returned ho by now. You go back once, co again tonight, and I'll teach you the Grand Cosmic Sacrificial Rite."
Chen Shi waved goodbye. Creation Little Five ignored him, went straight upstairs, then suddenly rembered sothing and said, "Co early tonight. Take to fence the goods."
Chen Shi acknowledged and, exiting the alley, walked towards the inner city.
Thinking back on the experiences of this day and night, he still felt a bit dazed.
Yesterday, he and Yu Lingzi killed twelve core disciples of the Thirteen Great Clans at Qixia Taoist Temple and even threw Fan Kongliu down a well to feed the dragon. Then, in the evening, he encountered Creation Little Five. He cultivated for a night in the minor heaven Little Five had refined, not only fully recovering his vitality but also greatly improving his cultivation.
Moreover, Creation Little Five had also found clues about his Innate Dao Embryo.
Chen Shi steadied his mind, rembering that Chen Tang had once warned him not to associate with unsavory characters, with Creation Little Five ranked first. He hurriedly quickened his pace and soon entered the inner city.
The outer city was bustling, with people coming and going, while the inner city was much quieter, like two different worlds.
Chen Shi slowed his steps. At that mont, he noticed a wheelchair parked by the roadside. Sitting in the wheelchair was a man with a pale face and no beard, dressed in black with red lapels and a white inner lining. He looked to be about forty or fifty years old, smiling as he looked at Chen Shi.
Behind him followed two young n in Embroidered Uniform Guards attire, also with pale faces and no beards, but expressionless.
Seeing Chen Shi approach, the wheelchair automatically moved towards Chen Shi, traveling parallel to him.
The clean-shaven man with a clear, sharp voice laughed and said, "Young Master Chen, please stop for a mont."
Chen Shi slowed his pace and said, puzzled, "Sir, forgive my poor eyesight, I don't recognize you."
The man smiled and said, "This humble one's surna is Feng, given na Tianhuan. Originally the Seal-Holding Eunuch, Director of the Eastern Depot, but later resigned from office."
Chen Shi looked at him and exclaid in surprise, "You're a eunuch!"
He then looked at the two young n behind Eunuch Feng. "You're both eunuchs!"
The two young n stepped forward and shouted, "How dare you!"
Eunuch Feng raised his hand to stop them, smiling, "This humble one is indeed a eunuch, no need to avoid the term. Young Master Chen, do you know the benefits of being a eunuch?"
The wheelchair slowed down. Eunuch Feng smiled and said, "In our great Ming court, we can do without a True King, without a Crown Prince, but we absolutely cannot do without eunuchs. Eunuchs are not like the Thirteen Great Clans. Eunuchs have no descendants, won't think about grabbing benefits for a clan, and don't want to be True King either. After all, without descendants, even if one goes through imnse hardship to ascend the throne, a hundred years later, it's just death. We eunuchs in the Western Capital are the people with the least entanglents and conflicts of interest."
He said aningfully, "Therefore, we eunuchs are actually the fairest people in the Western Capital."
His novel viewpoint piqued Chen Shi's interest. His steps slowed a bit more as he said, "Eunuchs have these benefits too?"
Eunuch Feng smiled and said, "Eunuchs have too many benefits! Look at your Chen family, three generations, each one outstanding. But even at the peak of being an official, it's only Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Why can't you go higher? They're worried that if you gain power, you'll beco a great clan and compete with them for power and profit. But eunuchs are much better. Eunuchs have no descendants, so naturally can't beco a great clan. So they won't guard against you. Instead, they'll value you, give you power, give you money, let you do as you please."
Chen Shi smiled and said, "Director Feng speaks so humorously. Sir, eting was certainly no coincidence. May I ask why Director Feng is looking for ?"
Eunuch Feng smiled and said, "Young Master Chen, we actually have a connection, no need to be so guarded. These legs of mine were broken by your grandpa."
Chen Shi felt a chill in his heart and secretly beca more guarded.
Eunuch Feng said, "Eleven years ago, your grandpa Chen Yindu killed his way to the Western Capital. No one could stop him, no one dared to face him in battle. This humble one didn't dare either, so I mustered all the Eastern Depot's experts, set up formations, and confronted him. The Eastern Depot suffered heavy casualties. I lost all sensation below my waist, all thanks to him."
Chen Shi grew even more tense.
Eunuch Feng changed his tone, smiling, "But that's all in the past now. Young Master Chen, many people don't think highly of your chances of becoming the top scholar, but this humble one thinks you are a talent. I support you in pushing the Young Master down and you becoming the top scholar."
Chen Shi was slightly stunned, looking at him in confusion.
Among the Thirteen Great Clans, apart from Chief Grand Secretary Zhang Fuzheng who had declared his support for Chen Tang, the other clans all openly or secretly supported the Young Master. For a high-ranking official like Eunuch Feng, supporting the Young Master would be the optimal choice.
Eunuch Feng smiled and said, "You are outstanding, more outstanding than the Young Master. If I support the Young Master, it's just adding flowers to brocade. But if I support you, it's sending charcoal in snowy weather. Moreover, I can't stand so of the Young Master's actions."
He said calmly, "The Young Master practices 'those who submit prosper, those who resist perish.' I can understand him suppressing dissidents, but it's not easy for the court to have a few officials who work diligently and honestly. If he wants to remove all of them and replace them with his own people, I cannot agree. Especially on the day he entered the city, using the head of Zhenzhou Judicial Commissioner Du Wanshu to boost his own reputation chilled my heart."
Chen Shi stopped walking, looking at him with confusion.
Eunuch Feng said, "If not forced by circumstances, who would willingly beco a eunuch? I also want to change the Ming Dynasty, but the Young Master is definitely not a wise ruler. If he becos the True King, the Ming Dynasty is truly finished."
He lifted his head and said, "The results of the tropolitan examination have already been decided internally. The Young Master will take the top graduate position; you are ranked second. After that cos the competition for the palace examination top scholar, which will be between you and the Young Master. At that ti, there will be people trying to injure you, to prevent you from competing with the Young Master. I will block so of the dangers for you."
Chen Shi was stunned and said, "Do eunuchs also have integrity?"
Eunuch Feng laughed heartily and said, "Because we lack that thing, we actually have a bit more backbone than those who have it. I'll accompany you to your doorstep to show my stance."
The wheelchair traveled parallel to Chen Shi, heading towards the Chen residence.
Eunuch Feng said eagerly, "Young Master Chen, you are exceptionally talented. If you don't mind, why not beco my godson?"
Chen Shi was startled and quickly refused, "Sir, why say such a thing? Please don't ntion this again."
Eunuch Feng looked quite regretful. "We eunuchs have no descendants, so we all like to adopt godchildren. These two behind are my godsons. Unfortunately, they are also eunuchs, so I wanted to adopt one who has that thing. You are outstanding; help have a grandson."
Chen Shi smiled and said, "Thank you for your great favor, sir. This student's parents are still alive; I dare not acknowledge another as a parent."
They arrived at the Chen residence. Eunuch Feng watched him enter the Chen residence before leaving.
"Godfather, why abandon the Young Master and value Chen Shi instead?" a eunuch behind Eunuch Feng asked.
Eunuch Feng sighed and said, "I've never thought much of the Young Master's actions. He appears wise, but it's actually small-scale trouble-making, and it even damages one's hidden virtue. He's not as upright as Chen Shi in his conduct. Anyone with a bit of integrity, who would willingly submit to him? Besides, the new Director of the Eastern Depot has already defected to the Young Master. If I defect to the Young Master and he ascends to the throne, would he let take charge of the Eastern Depot again?"
The eunuch said, "But if the Young Master wins, he ascends to the throne. If Chen Shi wins, he's just a top scholar; he can't bring us greater benefits."
Eunuch Feng said calmly, "There are always so eunuchs who think that by whitewashing their master, their old mothers can enter the palace to beco imperial consorts. I just can't stand these eunuchs who still have that thing defecting to the Young Master. I don't want benefits, but I also can't let a scoundrel like the Young Master beco the True King!"
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