When the villagers of Boxwood Village mentioned Iron Brush Elder, they were quite angry. He had asked for shelter at night, and worried that he might die outside, they kindly took him in. Unexpectedly, he used the lives of four village children to make oil for his life-extending lamp!
Seeing the commotion below, the bearded Imperial Guard behind Zhao Yue let out a small "hmm" using his Divine Fetus power, making the villagers' ears buzz and silencing their anger.
Zhao Yue glanced around, satisfied, and asked, "Who will explain?"
No one spoke up.
Chen Shi had saved Liu Fugui and avenged the village's three children. Though the villagers didn't understand the laws of the Great Ming, they knew gratitude and vengeance. Chen Shi had helped them, so how could they betray him?
"Not talking? Showing loyalty? You country folks are truly naive and adorable."
Zhao Yue couldn't help but chuckle, continuing leisurely, "You think he did you a favor, so you don't want to turn him in? Foolish. No favor is greater than the law. If you don't say who did it, you're all accomplices and will face severe punishment!"
His voice suddenly turned harsh, "In prison, you won't die, but you'll wish you had!"
Still, no one moved.
Zhao Yue slowly stood up, walked through the kneeling villagers, and stopped in front of Liu Fugui. He examined the child and smiled, "Little one, the marks on your lips, eyes, and nose look like they were made by hooks. You've suffered a lot, haven't you? Do you remember who saved you?"
Liu Fugui, kneeling and afraid to move, stubbornly said, "I won't tell!"
His mother quickly pulled him into her arms, glancing fearfully at Zhao Yue before looking away.
Zhao Yue understood immediately.
"Everyone, Iron Brush Elder using children for lamp oil is one matter. He committed a crime and will face the law. But you invited someone to kill him, which is another matter. By taking justice into your own hands, you've violated the Great Ming laws. My Zhao family avenging Iron Brush Elder and our steward is a third matter. You country folks don't understand these distinctions."
Standing among the crowd, Zhao Yue raised three fingers, "I'll count to three. If no one confesses, don't blame me for using force. One!"
He lowered one finger, and the Imperial Guards surrounded the villagers.
"Two!"
He lowered the second finger, but still, no one spoke up.
With a sigh, he lowered the third finger, "Three! Helian Zheng, punish these stubborn villagers!"
Helian Zheng, the bearded Imperial Guard, was about to give the order when a burly man named Sanwang stood up, blocking Zhao Yue.
Sanwang spread his arms and shouted, "Don't you dare! Are you being reasonable? Your Zhao family's Iron Brush Elder killed three of our village children for lamp oil. It's your Zhao family that's wrong! Since ancient times, murder demands justice..."
Helian Zheng swung his Three-Eyed Fire Gun, hitting Sanwang on the head, "Disrespecting an officer, you're asking for it!"
The iron gun, weighing over ten pounds, struck Sanwang's head, causing blood to flow, but he didn't fall.
The Imperial Guards were surprised, "Country folks have hard heads; he didn't die from that!"
Helian Zheng saw that his blow should have killed Sanwang, but the man remained standing, embarrassing him. He swung the gun again.
"Thud!"
Sanwang's skull shattered, and he fell to his knees, collapsing.
Zhao Yue stepped back to avoid the blood, keeping his clothes clean.
He stepped over Sanwang's body and walked out of the crowd, followed by the sound of whips and screams.
Without looking back, Zhao Yue's eyes turned cold as he gazed at the ruined temple in the center of Boxwood Village.
Representing the laws of the Great Ming, his authority was unquestionable. Even as he committed violence in the village, the village deity could only watch helplessly as its people were abused.
After a long time, Helian Zheng and a few Imperial Guards, covered in blood, approached Zhao Yue, bowing, "Sir, a woman couldn't withstand the punishment and confessed!"
Zhao Yue, hands behind his back, asked calmly, "Who did they hire?"
Helian Zheng replied, "A small talisman master named Chen Shi from Yellow Ridge Village. He lives with his grandfather, also a talisman master."
"A small talisman master?"
Zhao Yue was surprised, "Iron Brush Elder and Steward Zhao Ming were strong. How could this small talisman master kill them?"
That night, a ghostly figure, dripping with blood, floated outside Yellow Ridge Village, blocked by the village's guardian spirit, the Godmother.
"I want to see Talisman Master Chen! I must see him!" the ghost wailed, begging the Godmother to let him in, but she remained unmoved.
"Let him in," Grandfather said coldly, appearing in the moonlight.
The Godmother's gaze was icy, "If he harms anyone, who will take responsibility? I protect this village and won't allow any evil to enter!"
"If you don't let him in, I'll dig up your roots," Grandfather replied indifferently.
The Godmother snorted but stopped blocking the ghost.
A gust of wind carrying a strong scent of blood rushed into Chen Shi's courtyard, heading straight for his room.
Grandfather was surprised, thinking the ghost sought him, but it was looking for Chen Shi.
In his sleep, Chen Shi saw Sanwang from Boxwood Village, covered in blood, crying, "Benefactor, run! They're coming to kill you! I tried to stop them, but I couldn't. I'm here to warn you! Hurry and leave—"
Before he finished, a long tongue wrapped around Sanwang's neck, dragging him into the darkness.
Startled, Chen Shi woke up, puzzled by the vivid dream.
"It felt so real, like Sanwang was really here. Strange..."
He lay back down, unable to sleep, and thought of the long tongue around Sanwang's neck, laughing, "Dreams really have no logic."
Soon, he fell asleep again.
The next morning, Chen Shi woke up, washed, ate breakfast, and went to visit the Godmother. He then sought advice from Scholar Zhu on ancient texts before heading towards Hillock Village.
He planned to visit the Mountain Lord Temple. Though he had replaced his blood, his five organs were not fully refined, so he wasn't yet a Sacred Fetus. Training at the temple was faster than at home.
On the road, he saw two people wearing straw hats fishing by the roadside, focused on the water.
"There are no fish here," he kindly warned.
"Mind your own business," one of the fishermen snapped.
Chen Shi ignored them and continued, noticing someone catching cicadas in a tree, watched by another below, worried they might fall.
Suddenly, one fisherman exclaimed, "Got one!"
Chen Shi turned back, surprised, "Could there really be fish? I thought I caught them all."
He had been so hungry recently that he caught everything, even loaches.
Just as he turned, he felt a heavy weight pressing on him, like a mountain, making his bones creak!
"Got him!"
The cicada catcher laughed, and the one below echoed, "I got one too!"
Alarmed, Chen Shi saw golden light wrapping around him, like thick ropes with scales, binding him tightly.
Above, a golden mountain shadow pressed on his head, making his bones creak.
Behind him, a large turtle-shell shield of golden light blocked his mind, preventing him from using his power.
One fisherman had a burning talisman, releasing golden light like a dancing serpent.
The cicada catcher had a mountain-shaped talisman burning before him.
The one below had a shield-patterned talisman burning.
"Spirit Serpent Talisman! Mountain-Moving Talisman! Sealing Talisman!" Chen Shi recognized them.
He had learned these from his grandfather, but they were combat talismans, rarely used by his grandfather, who preferred protective talismans.
"Is this the kid who killed Iron Brush Elder and Steward Zhao?"
The other fisherman dropped his rod, approached Chen Shi, and examined him, puzzled, "I expected some three-headed, six-armed monster, but it's just a kid. How did Iron Brush Elder die at his hands?"
He shook his head, "The Third Young Master had us disguise and ambush him, but it seems excessive."
Chen Shi panicked, "They found out about my crime. They're officials, here to behead me... Wait, I have two Armored Horse Talismans! I can escape!"
Just as he thought this, the fisherman searched him, found the talismans, and pocketed them.
"Is this kid a talisman master?"
The fisherman was even more puzzled, "Talisman masters usually carry dozens, even hundreds of talismans. He only has two Armored Horse Talismans. Is he really the killer? Iron Brush Elder was strong, not weaker than me. How could he be killed?"
The other three were Zhao family's Imperial Guards, flattering, "Among talisman masters, Wanderer Fu Shan ranks above Iron Brush Elder. If he acts, success is certain."
Fu Shan enjoyed the praise, "I stand firm in Zhao Family's Dark Jade Manor because of my skills, not like Iron Brush Elder, who only knew flattery."
As he spoke, a rushing sound like a flood came from Chen Shi, as if a torrent surged within him.
Fu Shan's eyes widened as Chen Shi's small frame grew rapidly, stretching the golden serpent until it snapped, scales flying apart!
"Not good!"
Fu Shan's face changed, hearing a crack as the Spirit Serpent Talisman broke, turning to red cinnabar.
"He broke my Spirit Serpent Talisman! Such strength! Is this kid a human-shaped evil spirit?"
Fu Shan kept his cool, stepping back as a breeze lifted him, sliding him a yard away.
At the same time, protective talismans flew from his left sleeve, releasing power!
From his right sleeve, he drew a Strength Talisman.
His response was calm, using an Armored Horse Talisman underfoot, a Six Ding Six Jia Protective Talisman in his left sleeve, and a Strength Talisman in his right, ready for close combat!
As his talismans activated, Chen Shi stepped forward, turning, his foot landing heavily, only three feet from Fu Shan, swinging his right hand back.
The strike was swift as lightning, hitting Fu Shan's throat.
Fu Shan's throat shattered, Chen Shi's hand like a heavy blade, striking his fourth neck bone, dislodging it!
Fu Shan's neck bulged, losing control of his body, watching helplessly as Chen Shi stopped abruptly, then crashed backward.
One charge, one stop, retreating without inertia, incredibly fast.
"With a golden mountain on his head, he's still this quick?"
Fu Shan was horrified, falling, breathing his last, dying faster than Iron Brush Elder!