Inside the Mountain Lord Temple, Chen Shi moved forward swiftly, covering a distance of about fifteen feet in an instant. His body collided with the air, creating a thunderous sound that made the doors and windows of the temple rattle.
He threw a punch, and the force of it blew forward, reaching a distance of about ten feet, like a thunderclap on flat ground.
Chen Shi gathered his energy and threw another punch, this time with even more force. The wind from his punch created a deep rumbling sound, and as his fist moved, it was accompanied by a rolling thunder, which was quite intimidating.
He moved his feet, stepping in the pattern of the Big Dipper, moving swiftly like a ghost across the temple's floor, walls, and pillars, his fists and feet striking with the sound of distant thunder.
In just a moment, Chen Shi landed lightly on the ground, his surging energy calming instantly, and his clothes settling down.
He felt at ease, sensing the True Qi within him surging and not dissipating for a long time.
The True Qi flowed powerfully within him, forming a Divine Altar behind his head, shining brightly and dazzlingly.
His True Qi did not dissipate, and the Divine Altar showed no signs of weakening.
After some time, his True Qi began to show signs of fading, and the light of the Divine Altar gradually dimmed, but it still did not break.
"Even after forming a Sacred Fetus, I still can't fully preserve the Divine Altar. Without the Divine Altar, the True Qi won't last. The physical Sacred Fetus only slows down the dissipation of True Qi. To truly preserve it, I need a real Divine Fetus."
Chen Shi felt a bit regretful but was content. He bowed to the empty Divine Altar in the Mountain Lord Temple and walked out.
He closed the door and prepared to leave the mountain.
He didn't take a carriage.
For some reason, the coachman who usually obeyed him as if he were a ghost, ran off as soon as he saw him and quickly disappeared without a trace.
Chen Shi really liked Prince Xiao's carriage. He had been using it for the past few days, feeling quite majestic. He searched for it for a long time but couldn't find it outside Mirror Lake Manor, which was a shame.
After he left, the temple's unusual power began to gather towards the Divine Altar, faintly revealing a figure of a deity or demon.
Just as the figure was about to form, the unusual power suddenly lost its restraint, collapsing and dispersing throughout the temple again.
A soft sigh came from the Divine Altar.
"Still not working?"
Chen Shi walked away, not hearing the sigh.
Outside Yellow Slope Village, under the old willow tree, Chen Shi, as usual, offered incense to the stone tablet godmother.
Although the stone tablet godmother still did not respond, the blue light on the stone tablet lingered longer, seemingly holding some mystery.
Chen Shi tried to use the incense to connect with the godmother, but his consciousness only touched the vast emptiness, finding nothing else.
"Maybe the godmother is just an ordinary stone."
Chen Shi didn't think much of it and offered incense to Scholar Zhu, quietly waiting for him to absorb the fragrance.
"Scholar Zhu is my benefactor... no, my noble ghost!"
Chen Shi felt a mix of emotions. "I was unfortunate to have my Divine Fetus taken, becoming a cripple, but I was also very lucky to meet Scholar Zhu, who allowed me to study with him. Otherwise, I might not have passed the literary exam in the county test. This spring's county test, I will surely shine in the literary exam!"
As he was thinking, an old man and a young boy came down from Yellow Earth Slope. The old man was very aged, weak, and hunched over as he walked, but his eyes were bright.
The boy wore a blue and white outfit, with a blue hairband tied in a topknot and a red silk belt at his waist, with a white lotus jade pendant hanging from it. He wore a pair of Chen Bridge shoes, looking quite scholarly.
The boy seemed to be about eleven or twelve years old, following the old man closely. Although their clothes were simple, the material was good, indicating that while they were not extremely wealthy, they lived comfortably.
Chen Shi withdrew his gaze, took out The Analects, and asked Scholar Zhu, "The Master said: 'I have not seen a man who is as firm as a rock.' Someone replied: 'Shen Cheng is.' The Master said: 'Shen Cheng is full of desires, how can he be firm?' What does this mean?"
"This passage requires you to understand the Master's mindset. The Master was already invincible in the world, so he lamented, saying, 'I have never seen a person my fists couldn't break.'"
Scholar Zhu explained, "Someone beside him said, 'Shen Cheng is very strong, having cultivated an indestructible body.' The Master replied, 'Shen Cheng is not firm. I have fought him, and he is not firm at all. Little Shi, if you can understand the Master's mindset when he said this, you will be invincible."
Chen Shi pondered deeply.
At this moment, the voice of the young boy came from below Yellow Earth Slope, "Grandfather, stop! My seventh uncle, Li Kefa, should have died here."
Chen Shi snapped out of his contemplation and looked down, seeing the old man and the young boy stop, observing the geography and scenery around Yellow Earth Slope.
"Li Kefa? Isn't he the county magistrate of Water Buffalo County, the father of Li Xiaoding, the victim? How did he die?" Chen Shi was surprised.
The boy had just said that Li Kefa died near Yellow Earth Slope, which made Chen Shi a bit wary. Yellow Slope Village was named after this slope, meaning Li Kefa died near Yellow Slope Village!
"This boy calls Li Kefa his seventh uncle, so they must be from the Li family!" Chen Shi thought to himself, staying alert.
Below Yellow Earth Slope, the old man asked in confusion, "Tianqing, how do you know your seventh uncle died here? I don't see his spirit."
The old man glanced at Chen Shi, who felt as if a fire was shining on him. Only when the old man looked away did the burning sensation disappear.
"This old man is strong!"
Just as he thought this, he saw the old man's gaze fall on the scholar hanging from the tree, and his heart tightened, "He didn't use a Heavenly Eye Talisman, yet he can see Scholar Zhu! Ah, he must have trained to see spirits with his own Heavenly Eye!"
The young boy, Li Tianqing, pointed to a large tree by the river in the distance, "The northern crown of that tree is missing a corner, which is a mark left by my Li family's Six Yin Jade Wheel. In New Township Province, only my seventh uncle knows the Six Yin Jade Wheel."
The old man was surprised by the person and ghost on the slope, then withdrew his gaze and looked at the tree, praising, "Tianqing, it was right to bring you out this time. Your observation skills are amazing! So, your seventh uncle encountered an enemy nearby, used our Li family's Six Yin Jade Wheel, but was defeated and killed."
He exhaled a breath of stale air, "Li Kefa brought our Li family's elite from Water Buffalo County, but they were all buried in the countryside. Our Li family's influence in Water Buffalo County was uprooted. Such a move must be the work of another powerful family, aiming to take over Water Buffalo County!"
The young boy, Li Tianqing, examined Yellow Earth Slope, then suddenly exclaimed, quickly walked over, picked up a handful of soil, examined it carefully, and then licked it, saying, "It's kaolin!"
The old man widened his eyes, tasted it too, and spat it out, complaining, "It tastes terrible!"
Li Tianqing thought aloud, "Grandfather, kaolin is used for making porcelain and pottery, not for eating. There's such a large slope here..."
His eyes scanned the slope and then looked at the ancient tree in the center of Yellow Slope Village, his eyes lighting up, smiling, "There must be a kiln factory nearby! The True King's Tomb should also be nearby!"
The old man stroked his white hair, not understanding how he came to this conclusion.
On Yellow Earth Slope, Chen Shi was also very curious.
Li Tianqing explained, "For large tombs like this, a lot of pottery and porcelain are needed. Making them elsewhere and transporting them here would attract attention and risk damage during transport, so a kiln factory would be built nearby. The soil used for the kiln is this kaolin.
Once the pottery and porcelain are made, the kiln workers would be killed to prevent leaks. This village happens to be built where the kaolin was stored, and the trees in the village are old enough, likely planted by people from that time. Therefore, the True King's Tomb is definitely not far from here!"
Chen Shi was greatly impressed, thinking, "This boy is about my age and just as smart."
The old man was extremely excited, his voice hoarse, "If we can find the True King's Tomb, even if we can't find the real culprit who killed Li Kefa, it will be a great achievement when we return to Spring City!"
Li Tianqing shook his head, "Two great achievements."
The old man was puzzled.
Li Tianqing explained, "Seventh uncle's case is also easy to solve. Grandfather, look at that crooked willow tree. Such old willows are often chosen by scholars who are unhappy with life to hang themselves. This tree is so old, there must be one or a row of scholars hanging from it. They probably witnessed seventh uncle's death and know the real culprit. Just ask them, and the case can be solved."
The old man was dumbfounded, muttering, "There is indeed a scholar hanging from that willow tree... Tianqing, you're amazing!"
Li Tianqing was a bit embarrassed, "It's just common sense..."
"I'll go ask!"
The old man was about to climb the slope when suddenly the space in front of him shook violently. The small Yellow Earth Slope appeared extremely steep, like a yellow sky covering his head!
The old man's expression changed, and he immediately retreated.
Once he left the slope, everything returned to normal.
Li Tianqing was puzzled.
The old man steadied himself, looking at the slope, feeling as if it were a deep and unfathomable expert, making him afraid to approach.
"In the countryside, there are often strange things. When you come to the countryside, you must first pay respects to the local spirits to be safe!"
The old man turned away, no longer trying to climb the slope, saying, "Tianqing, you're smart, but some places require experience, not just intelligence. Let's pay respects to the godmother here and then gather information in the village!"
The two headed towards Yellow Slope Village.
Chen Shi watched them walk towards the village, puzzled, "Why did the old man seem scared when he tried to climb the slope? There's nothing scary up here."
"Tianqing, do you know who this True King is?"
Ahead, the conversation between the grandfather and grandson continued. Li Tianqing replied, "The True King is said to be a king appointed by the Great Ming Emperor, ruling over Western New Bull Continent, managing the land and its people. The fifty provinces of Western New Bull Continent, along with fifty maps of the land, are said to be held by the True King, who took them into his tomb."
"No wonder these people are so interested in the True King's Tomb."
The old man laughed, "Everyone talks about the Great Ming Dynasty, but who remembers the emperor's surname or which dynasty it is now? Yet the True King's treasure still captivates many."
"I know. The Great Ming Emperor's surname is Zhu. It's the year 6642 of the Jiajing era!"
"You know, but others don't."
...
As the grandfather and grandson walked away, Chen Shi quickly packed his books, smiling, "Scholar Zhu, you and the Great Ming Emperor have the same surname, Zhu! Could you be royalty?"
Scholar Zhu mumbled, "I'm just a hanging ghost, how could I be royalty..."
"I don't think so either!"
Chen Shi slung his book bag over his shoulder and cheerfully walked down Yellow Earth Slope towards Yellow Slope Village.
There were guests in the village, and they seemed interesting.
He reached the village entrance just as the grandfather and grandson arrived outside Yellow Slope Village. The old man lit an incense stick, stood outside the village, and respectfully said, "Travelers passing through, we humbly ask the godmother for a place to stay. We will be grateful and offer incense and gifts in the future to thank the godmother for her protection."
— The reason the old man also called the ancient tree the godmother is because the villagers' custom of worshiping the godmother dates back to when spirits first emerged. People discovered that everything had a spirit, and after long worship, it would gain spiritual power. Ordinary people couldn't tell if the spirit was male or female, so they called it the godmother.
The old man, coming to the countryside, naturally followed local customs.
The ancient tree in Yellow Slope Village gently swayed its branches, accepting his incense.
Only then did the grandfather and grandson enter the village. Li Tianqing followed the old man closely, and at this moment, he heard footsteps beside him. Turning his head, he saw a boy about his age, slightly sturdier, smiling at him.
"My name is Chen Shi, but everyone in the village calls me Little Honest!"
The boy smiled and asked, "What's your name?"
Li Tianqing was a bit shy, speaking softly, "My name is Li Tianqing..."
"You don't have a place to stay. Why not stay at my house tonight?" Chen Shi suggested before he could finish.
Li Tianqing had never encountered such enthusiasm before. He looked at the old man, who smiled, "Country folks are simple. We do need a place to stay, so let's accept the hospitality for one night."
Chen Shi was delighted and immediately led them to his house, calling out from afar, "Grandpa, Heiguo, we have guests at home!"