The golden mountain pressing down on Chen Shi's head wasn't a real mountain; it was a transformation of a talisman. Anyone hit by this talisman would feel a crushing weight of over a thousand pounds. Those with less strength would be crushed to death. Yet, Chen Shi not only withstood the heavy pressure of the Mountain-Moving Talisman but also moved incredibly fast, catching up to and killing Fu Shanke, who had activated the Armored Horse Talisman.
Poor Fu Shanke, despite his high skill in talismans and being one of the top talisman experts alongside the Iron Brush Elder at the Dark Jade Manor, couldn't even use a fraction of his abilities before being killed. If Chen Shi were the same as when he fought the Iron Brush Elder, Fu Shanke could have easily defeated him. But now, Chen Shi had refined his true blood, strengthening his internal organs, and easily shattered the Spirit Serpent Talisman, catching Fu Shanke off guard.
As Chen Shi charged backward, a member of the Imperial Guards under the tree activated his Divine Altar, and the Divine Fetus appeared. This person's technique was faster than anything Chen Shi had seen before, and his reaction speed was unmatched. As Chen Shi charged at him, he retreated while maneuvering the Divine Fetus. In front of the Divine Fetus, an almost invisible sword energy was forming—the Midnight Demon Slaying Sword from the Heavenly Heart True Qi Technique. Before the sword energy could fully form, Chen Shi's back collided with him.
The Imperial Guard's internal organs shook violently, blood trickled from his mouth, and he was sent flying backward. He crashed into a large tree where a cicada catcher was, spitting out blood. Despite his injuries, he gritted his teeth, his face twisted in determination, and pushed the sword energy from the Divine Altar. He knew that Chen Shi's collision had shattered his internal organs and destroyed his vitality, but he was a seasoned fighter. Even in death, he wanted to take Chen Shi down with him.
Chen Shi charged forward, but just as he saw the Divine Fetus behind the Imperial Guard's head point a finger, he instinctively retreated with a roar. Even with the weight of a thousand-pound golden mountain, his speed was still swift, like a galloping elephant, cracking the ground beneath him. However, the sense of danger intensified. Chen Shi couldn't see the sword energy of the Midnight Demon Slaying Sword, only the vibrating space ahead, blurring his vision.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Chen Shi's steps fell rapidly as he retreated dozens of steps, about twenty yards away, feeling the danger reach a deadly level. He fell backward, hearing a sharp sound as an invisible sword energy grazed his nose. Still shaken, he heard a dull thud behind him. Turning his head, he saw a large tree, two or three people could wrap their arms around, slowly tilting and falling. Although the Midnight Demon Slaying Sword from the Imperial Guard hadn't hit him, it had still flown three or four yards, cutting the tree in half.
"This power..." Chen Shi was secretly shocked. The person hadn't even unleashed the full power of the technique, yet the sword energy was so fierce. If it had hit him, he would have been decapitated without a doubt. "The Imperial Guards sent by the Zhao family are much stronger than those from the Li family!" He got back on his feet.
The cicada catcher in the tree and the fisherman by the ditch had also come onto the road. They quickly prepared, activating their Divine Altars and Divine Fetuses. They stomped heavily, activating the Armored Horse Talismans tied to their legs, and chased after him with incredible speed. As they ran, they formed sword gestures with their hands, and the Divine Fetuses in their Divine Altars mimicked the actions, forming invisible sword energies.
Chen Shi saw the air vibrating from a distance, his vision blurring again, knowing things were bad. He immediately dashed diagonally toward the ditch. With a leap, he jumped over the ditch, landing on the other side, his legs sinking deep into the soft mud. Quickly pulling his legs out, he heard two dull thuds from the road—two Midnight Demon Slaying Swords had missed, but the sword energy left deep marks on the hard road, kicking up a cloud of dirt.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Two more invisible sword energies flew toward him. Chen Shi, under the crushing weight of the Mountain-Moving Talisman, dashed into the cornfield. The corn, unique to the Western New Bull Continent, could grow as tall as one or two people, standing like a forest. Chen Shi charged through the cornfield, running wildly, while the sword energies from the two Imperial Guards behind him toppled the corn in waves.
The two Imperial Guards reached the ditch, leaping across but not as far as Chen Shi. As they were about to land in the water, a breeze lifted them, rippling the water's surface. With another step, they were on the other side. The cornfield ahead was flattened in patches, and they followed the fallen corn, continuously unleashing the Midnight Demon Slaying Sword.
The sword energies crisscrossed chaotically, sometimes colliding and shattering into smaller sword energies, shooting in all directions. These two were top experts among the Imperial Guards brought by Zhao Yue, possessing formidable strength and rich battle experience. They charged through the cornfield, following the golden mountain above Chen Shi's head, running for miles without reaching the end of the field.
Suddenly, the golden mountain guiding them dimmed and vanished. Their hearts sank—the Mountain-Moving Talisman's effect had worn off. The talisman only lasted for two periods of time, and once expired, it would disappear. Now, they had lost track of Chen Shi.
"Rustle, rustle!" The sound of rapid running came from the cornfield, the sound of a body brushing against corn leaves. They immediately stood back-to-back, warily scanning their surroundings. The rustling continued, circling them at high speed. They moved in sync, following the sound, forming sword gestures and sending sword energies toward the noise, but only managed to cut down large swathes of corn.
"Get out of the field!" one shouted. Before the shout finished, a small figure darted forward like lightning, crashing into one of them. It was like being hit by a bull, sending the Imperial Guard flying backward, blood spraying from his mouth. The other Imperial Guard, without thinking, swung his sword, but the small figure leaped up, dodging the sword energy, while the first Imperial Guard, unable to dodge, was cut in half, staining the cornfield with blood.
"Lin He!" The other Imperial Guard cried out in agony. The rustling sound returned, circling him rapidly. Knowing things were bad, he sprinted along the damaged cornfield, retracing his steps. In this tall cornfield, the opponent was a child, small and taking advantage of the terrain. The sound of the falling corn also revealed the direction of his technique, making it easy for the opponent to dodge. But once on the road, Chen Shi would lose this advantage.
The power of the Armored Horse Talisman on his leg was still active, allowing him to run swiftly, preparing his sword energy in secret. No matter where Chen Shi attacked from, he would deliver a fatal blow. At some point, the rustling ceased, leaving the cornfield eerily silent, except for his own running and breathing.
Ahead was the ditch, and across it was the road. Not thinking further, he dashed to the ditch, leaping mid-air, about to land in the water. He tapped the water with his foot, causing ripples as a breeze lifted him. Just as he was about to reach the other side, the water behind him exploded with a splash. Chen Shi emerged from the river, jumping to the same height as him.
"He's faster than me, ambushing me in the river!" The Imperial Guard was terrified, turning his head. Chen Shi channeled his blood and energy, his palms thickening like bear paws, growing larger, and slapped heavily on the Imperial Guard's ears. "Boom!" The Imperial Guard's brains turned to mush, and his body fell on the other side.
Chen Shi splashed into the water, lying on his back, gasping for air, his heart pounding wildly, unable to calm down. "Tonight, my illness might flare up again." His heart thumped violently, causing ripples on the river's surface. After a while, Chen Shi finally swam to the shore, his new clothes soaked and covered in scratches, torn to shreds by the corn leaves.
"Grandpa bought me these new clothes..." Chen Shi felt a pang of heartache. After catching his breath, he went to Fu Shanke's body, searching carefully and finding seventy or eighty talismans of various types. He picked out his two Armored Horse Talismans and put them in his sleeve pocket. He took off Fu Shanke's top, folded the remaining talismans neatly, and found a few ounces of silver in his pocket.
Hesitating for a moment, Chen Shi returned the silver to Fu Shanke. —Grandpa taught him not to take money from the dead, or the dead would come back at night to reclaim it. Chen Shi searched the other two bodies, finding a few more talismans and some silver. He only took the talismans, leaving the silver with the deceased.
"These talismans, I'll have Grandpa sell them to compensate for the damaged crops. After all, we're all neighbors, and ruining their cornfield shouldn't leave them without a harvest," Chen Shi thought. As for the Imperial Guard cut in half, he didn't search him, fearing nightmares from the gruesome scene.
"Last night, Sanwang appeared in my dream, saying someone was coming to kill me and I should run. Could that dream be real? How did Sanwang enter my dream?" Chen Shi straightened up, pondering the long tongue wrapped around Sanwang's neck in his dream, feeling uneasy. "Where did that long tongue take Sanwang?"
He recalled Grandpa mentioning that the dead could appear in dreams, saying that when someone died with unresolved feelings, they would visit close ones in dreams to express their regrets or say their final goodbyes. "Sanwang is from Boxwood Village. Could something have happened there?"
Chen Shi washed his face by the river, tidying his clothes, noticing the power of the sealing talisman on the back of his head had also faded. But his clothes were too torn to be presentable, so he headed back to the village. Heiguo looked up, surprised to see his young master returning with a fierce aura, his clothes in tatters. This was clearly his favorite outfit, bought by Grandpa yesterday. How did he end up looking like a beggar after just leaving the house?
Chen Shi went inside, changed into old clothes, and asked, "Heiguo, did Grandpa go out?" Heiguo nodded. Chen Shi walked out, saying, "I'm going to kill someone. You stay put, no need to get up." Heiguo lay on the ground, turning his head to watch his young master leave.
Soon, Chen Shi arrived outside Boxwood Village, watching the peaceful settlement from afar. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and once his breath was steady, he headed toward the village. "That talisman master, Fu Shanke, said I killed the Iron Brush Elder, and they were sent by the Third Young Master to capture me. This Third Young Master must be Zhao's Third Young Master."
Chen Shi's expression was calm as he thought to himself, "If Fu Shanke had assassinated me, I'd be dead by now. But they captured me, likely to take me to meet this Zhao Third Young Master." He activated the Three Lights True Qi Technique, letting his blood and energy flow, nourishing his internal organs and strengthening his body. "Then, Zhao Third Young Master should still be in Boxwood Village. The one who started this trouble shouldn't be left unpunished. I need to clean up my mess and finish the job!"
Outside Boxwood Village, there wasn't a soul in sight, only dead silence. Chen Shi didn't enter through the village entrance but climbed over the wall at the southwest corner. "I caused this mess, so I'll handle it myself. I won't drag Grandpa and the villagers into it!"