The underworld was not as bustling as it used to be. From the underworld's perspective, one could still see so grand Primordial Spirits simultaneously existing in both the yin and yang realms, but their numbers were far fewer than before.
After the top scholar competition, the patriarchs of the great clans like the Li, Fei, and Ma families were severely injured and had no choice but to leave the Western Capital and return to their respective great clans to recuperate. The great clan patriarchs in the Western Capital had all left without exception.
Black Pot descended into the underworld, its body growing as massive as mountain ranges, plumting downward at high speed.
It was as if it had fallen into a boundless swarm of mosquitoes, with Heaven's Listeners flapping their large ears to fly all around.
These Heaven's Listeners did their utmost to avoid this mountain-sized giant dog, dodging the demonic fire, flying in swarms and groups towards the sa direction.
For every ten Heaven's Listeners, there was one Heaven's Listener officer, whose body was much larger than the other Heaven's Listeners.
They ignored Chen Shi and Black Pot, flying straight past them.
Black Pot landed, and Chen Shi looked up to observe these Heaven's Listeners.
For every hundred Heaven's Listeners, there was one Heaven's Listener exalted, whose strength was extraordinary.
The Heaven's Listener exalted were even larger than the Heaven's Listener officers, surrounded by a Ghost and God Domain, able to fly without relying on ears.
For every thousand Heaven's Listeners, there was one Heaven's Listener Venerated King, even more powerful than the Heaven's Listener exalted.
These Heaven's Listener Venerated Kings could sense Chen Shi's gaze and would imdiately look towards him. The mont Chen Shi's eyes t theirs, he felt his ears itch, his blood and energy involuntarily starting to circulate, his ears seemingly about to grow.
He imdiately spread out his Primordial Spirit force field, eliminating the influence of the Heaven's Listener Venerated King.
The Ghost and God Domain of the Heaven's Listener Venerated King was larger, covering an area of a hundred zhang, moving through the air, leading over a thousand Heaven's Listeners, over a hundred Heaven's Listener officers, and over ten Heaven's Listener exalted.
And there were over ten similar Venerated Kings!
In front of the Heaven's Listener Venerated Kings was Guangxiao, the Venerated Lord whom Chen Shi had t once before.
Venerated Lord Guangxiao also ignored Chen Shi and Black Pot, continuing to lead his followers forward. The nurous Heaven's Listeners flew over the underworld's sky like locusts.
Chen Shi was extrely surprised. Following the direction of their flight, he saw in the distance that towering, sky-piercing giant black iron pillar.
"What are these Heaven's Listeners going there for?" he wondered in his heart.
At that mont, huge faces suddenly descended from the underworld sky. Those were the Return to Emptiness and Great Ascension Realm existences from the Western Capital who had also noticed the commotion in the underworld and thus extended their Primordial Spirits to look down.
These Primordial Spirits were extrely massive, their faces covering the sky. Upon seeing those Heaven's Listeners, their expressions changed drastically, and they all withdrew their heads.
Chen Shi also saw Eunuch Feng's Primordial Spirit, which bore so resemblance to Eunuch Feng but looked much younger.
Eunuch Feng's Primordial Spirit also noticed Chen Shi and Black Pot, was startled, and repeatedly waved at him, signaling him not to go over.
Chen Shi looked towards the sky and saw that those Return to Emptiness and Great Ascension Realm existences from the Western Capital each closed their eyes or averted their gaze, not paying attention to what was happening in the underworld.
"What are they afraid of?" he was greatly puzzled.
Suddenly, a radiant light path appeared in front of Chen Shi, extending into the distance. At the end of the radiant light was a Realm of Emptiness, where Eunuch Feng's Primordial Spirit was stationed, guiding him and Black Pot.
Chen Shi hesitated for a mont, did not pursue those Heaven's Listeners, but instead had Black Pot follow the radiant light path into the Realm of Emptiness.
Once inside the realm, Black Pot's size returned to normal.
Eunuch Feng's Primordial Spirit was a thousand zhang tall, handso and dignified, even possessing a heroic air, completely unlike his true form of an old eunuch sitting in a wheelchair.
"Top scholar, are you trying to get yourself killed!"
Eunuch Feng's Primordial Spirit looked down, his voice rumbling, "The Heaven's Listener Venerated Lord is taking action, and you still dare to run over to watch? I think you miss your grandpa and can't wait to go to the underworld to accompany him sooner!"
Chen Shi smiled and said, "I ca to find Zhuang Wujiu. I didn't expect to encounter these Heaven's Listeners. I didn't intentionally go to join the excitent."
After the top scholar competition, Eunuch Feng got his wish, kicked his two adopted sons Bai Sihai and Yan Shuangtian out, and regained his seats as the Seal-Holding Eunuch and Director of the Eastern Depot.
This old eunuch never showed off, but during the top scholar competition, Chen Tang's one sentence, "Lord Feng, why aren't you acting yet?" made Eunuch Feng infinitely glorious.
If everyone hadn't been injured and fearful of Chen Tang's Talisman God Tianji, Eunuch Feng would have had a glorious funeral that very night.
Afterwards, the Thirteen Great Clans looked at him with newfound respect, thinking the old eunuch had guts.
After regaining power, Eunuch Feng was busy repairing relations with the Thirteen Great Clans. He hadn't visited the Chen Tang and Chen Shi father-son pair these past few days. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, Chen Shi wanted to stir up another big ss, making his heart race with fear.
"Top scholar Chen, you must rember one thing on the Western Ox New Continent. You can provoke the Eastern Depot, you can provoke the court, you can provoke the Thirteen Great Clans, but you absolutely must not provoke the Heaven's Listeners."
Eunuch Feng said earnestly, "Although our Eastern Depot has many spies, the court's influence is great, and the Thirteen Great Clans have extensive networks, there are always places beyond their reach, leaving you a chance to survive. But the Heaven's Listeners, you must never provoke them! Provoking them ans endless trouble, even bringing death upon yourself!"
Chen Shi smiled and asked, "Lord Feng, aren't you curious about the movents of these Heaven's Listeners?"
"Not curious! I am a eunuch. After cutting off that thing and those two things, I have no desires or wants."
Eunuch Feng said, "The reason I've been dealing with the Thirteen Great Clans for so long and haven't been beaten to death isn't because my strength is great or my connections are wide, but because I absolutely never ask about things that aren't my business, and I absolutely never provoke people I can't afford to offend. Knowing when to advance and retreat, understanding avoidance and yielding, that is the way to stay alive."
He spoke with heartfelt concern, "Young Lord Chen, the reason your father has survived until now is partly due to Chen Yindu's lingering prestige, partly because he is indeed useful, and another part is that he understands what can be done and what cannot. The reason you've survived until now is due to the efforts of your father, your uncle, and your grandpa, three scoundrels across two generations. You killed the Young Master, ruined their major plans. They didn't kill you because the cost of killing you was too high, not worth the gain, which is why they allow you to live. But in this world, there are behemoths that even the Thirteen Great Clans cannot afford to provoke. They don't care about your father, your uncle, your grandpa, nor do they care how many people will die in a demonic transformation. If you provoke them, you will truly die!"
Chen Shi expressed his sincere thanks.
At that mont, Black Pot suddenly barked twice.
Eunuch Feng didn't understand. Chen Shi's expression changed slightly, saying, "Black Pot says a change has occurred in the underworld. That iron pillar is emitting divine light that reaches the heavens and penetrates the earth! Director, look..."
"I won't look!"
Eunuch Feng sneered, "The reason I've survived until now..."
Chen Shi smiled and said, "It's okay to take a look, right?"
Eunuch Feng hesitated for a mont, then said, "Alright then, just one look. But we agree, we absolutely will not intervene."
His Primordial Spirit looked down, and the entire Realm of Emptiness beca like a Mirror of Clarity, reflecting the events in the underworld within the Realm of Emptiness.
At that mont, many Heaven's Listeners surrounded that sky-piercing iron pillar. The strange, ancient patterns on the surface of the iron pillar had, at so unknown ti, slowly begun to glow, emitting divine light throughout its body, illuminating the underworld earth. The light grew brighter and brighter!
"This remnant, it seems its power has been activated!"
Eunuch Feng was startled, "It's been decades since my castration, and this iron pillar has never undergone any change! Why would such a strange transformation happen today?"
Chen Shi inquired, "Does the Director know the origin of this object?"
Eunuch Feng collected himself and said, "This object is a prehistoric remnant. It existed before the Ming Dynasty's people landed on the Western Ox New Continent. According to an ancient book from the Eastern Depot, during the True King's Era, when they were opening up the underworld, they discovered this object. It was too big. Even the powerful figures of the True King's Era couldn't move it an inch, so they had no choice but to let it remain here. They also tried to explore what this thing was, attempting to study the text and markings on it, but ultimately gave up. In both the yin and yang realms, there are many similar incomprehensible things. How could they possibly study them all?"
Suddenly, Chen Shi saw Zhuang Wujiu's figure. Those Heaven's Listeners surrounded him, protecting him in the center.
Zhuang Wujiu slowly flew around this iron pillar.
Wherever he flew past, the patterns on the iron pillar continuously lit up, as if activated by him.
Chen Shi's heart stirred, "Zhuang Wujiu understands the text and markings on the remnants!"
Eunuch Feng said, "Zhuang Wujiu's origins are extraordinary. Let's not continue watching. Young Lord Chen, I'll send you back to the yang realm."
Chen Shi's vision blurred, and he and Black Pot appeared in the Eastern Depot. Eunuch Feng sat in his wheelchair, with a young eunuch pushing it from behind.
Chen Shi secretly felt regret. He really wanted to see how Zhuang Wujiu activated the power of the prehistoric remnant. There were many prehistoric remnants on the Western Ox New Continent. These things were distributed across the yin and yang realms, ancient, massive, and elusive.
However, those Heaven's Listeners were extrely dangerous, especially the Heaven's Listener Venerated Kings and Heaven's Listener Venerated Lords, whose strength was incomparably formidable.
Rashly approaching, I'm afraid even Eunuch Feng couldn't protect him!
"Director Feng, just now you said the Eastern Depot has records of so matters from the True King's Era. Could you let see these records?" Chen Shi inquired.
Eunuch Feng smiled and said, "Naturally, you can."
He waved his hand, and the young eunuch retreated. The wheelchair moved automatically, driving forward.
The Eastern Depot wasn't very large, just a few alleys, but there were quite a few eunuchs inside. Seeing Eunuch Feng arrive, they all called him godfather.
Chen Shi was surprised. The True King was long gone, so why were there still so many eunuchs?
"The Eastern Depot is the only place that hasn't been completely infiltrated by the Thirteen Great Clans. Although there are also people from the Thirteen Great Clans here, they cannot control the Eastern Depot."
Eunuch Feng seed to know what he was thinking and said, "Ordinary people simply cannot climb up in the Western Capital. The most talented individuals can only reach your father's level. But as long as one is castrated, there is hope of becoming the Seal-Holding Eunuch! Although it's not an official position, the power and influence are no less than that of the Thirteen Great Clans! Scholars have a hard ti finding good work, don't want to return to the countryside, can't marry, can't have children, so quite a few co to our Eastern Depot to work. If you're not happy working in the Hanlin Academy..."
Chen Shi quickly said, "I'm very happy with my work!"
Eunuch Feng sighed regretfully and said, "I think highly of you. I feel if you spent a few years gaining experience in the Eastern Depot, you could definitely succeed and beco the new Director of the Eastern Depot! However, Chen Tang only has you, one son. He definitely wouldn't allow it."
He paused, then said, "The court arranged for you to work in the Hanlin Academy, and I agreed. It wasn't intentionally giving you a cold seat, but hoping you would pursue scholarship, walk the path of a sage. The Hanlin Academy is the most suitable place. You have the talent of a top scholar. Write books and establish theories, beco famous throughout the world. Perhaps in a few years, you will be Sage Chen."
Chen Shi sought guidance, "What is a sage?"
Eunuch Feng said, "Writing books and establishing theories constitutes the words of a sage. Walking among n, with virtue as the actions of a sage. With words and actions, one can be called a sage. At that ti, countless people will build temples for you, establish living shrines, cast Golden Bodies, make offerings, and burn incense. When you die, you will imdiately beco a god through incense offerings. You have this learning, and you're in the Hanlin Academy..."
"I won't be a sage," Chen Shi interrupted him.
Eunuch Feng stopped the wheelchair, looking at him with confusion.
"What I do is not for great righteousness, nor do I want to be bound by morality. My grandpa told that placing oneself in the position of a sage is extrely dangerous. Being revered as a sage by others is sothing to be refused even more."
Chen Shi said, "If you beco a sage, others will demand that you act according to the standards of a sage. When disasters occur, they will demand you spend your wealth to provide relief; when seeing people suffering, they will demand you go to save them; when seeing benefits, they will demand you not compete; when seeing disadvantages, they will demand you take responsibility; when disliking your relatives and friends, they will demand you sacrifice them for righteousness. If you don't do it, you are hypocritical. They damage your interests and still demand you be magnanimous, otherwise you are insincere."
Eunuch Feng slightly frowned.
Chen Shi said, "Being a sage is putting yourself on a bonfire, letting others roast you. You have to endure the pain and can't even say it hurts. My grandpa said, don't be the sage in others' hearts. Be a common person. Whoever tries to impose those sage morals on you, binding you, break their legs."
Eunuch Feng slapped his wheelchair angrily and said, "My legs were broken by your grandpa!"
Chen Shi smiled and said, "I do want to write books, expounding on the Master's learning, but being a sage, I'll pass."
Eunuch Feng smiled and said, "After you write your book, you must send a copy. I will definitely read the top scholar's articles."
"Alright!" Chen Shi laughed heartily.
Eunuch Feng led him into the Eastern Depot's book repository. Rows of books were stacked neatly, and there were several eunuchs copying books, likely because so books were old and needed to be transcribed anew to prevent them from being lost.
"When your grandpa was the Vice Minister of Rites, he also ca to my place and borrowed this volu."
Eunuch Feng searched for a while, stood up from his wheelchair, pulled a volu from the shelf, and handed it to him, saying, "At that ti, I had just been castrated, my treasures cut off, my beard hadn't fully fallen out yet. I had a very good relationship with him. Who would have thought this old bastard would break both my legs!"
He angrily slapped the wheelchair.
Chen Shi flipped through a few pages and saw the book was a handwritten copy, materials left by a eunuch surnad Liu when studying the text and talisman markings of remnants.
Eunuch Liu not only studied that enormous black iron pillar in the underworld but also studied many remnants on the Western Ox New Continent, copying down the text and markings on them, attempting to decipher the mysteries of these text and markings.
Chen Shi skimd through it and saw several pages in the book with annotations and translations. The handwriting was different from Eunuch Liu's.
"It's grandpa's handwriting!"
Chen Shi's heart shook slightly, "Director, can I borrow this volu to read for a few days?"
Eunuch Feng smiled and said, "You can take it to copy, but you have to return it. This thing is a unique copy!"
Chen Shi thanked him repeatedly, took his leave, and hurriedly departed with Black Pot.
Eunuch Feng watched him leave, murmuring softly, "That volu also has the deciphered Talisman Script left by Chen Yindu, but it's like ghost scribbles, impossible to understand. I hope you can understand it."
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