"Li Tianqing!"
A voice called out, and Chen Shi and Li Tianqing looked over to see seven or eight young people dressed like scholars. They looked sharp but not flashy, full of youthful energy, waving at Li Tianqing from afar.
Li Tianqing responded quietly, "Those are my family members from the Li family. The one calling me is Li Jun, my fourth uncle's second son. He's always been kind to me. They probably have something to discuss, so I'll go over."
Chen Shi nodded.
Li Tianqing ran over, and Li Jun smiled, "Tianqing, we brothers just arrived in New Township and aren't familiar with the place. It's a bit inconvenient. Do you know any fun places around here? You've been here before, so maybe you could show us around."
Li Tianqing hesitated, "The last time I was here, I went to the countryside, not the town."
Li Jun said, "We're just looking for a place to enjoy the scenery and have some tea. The person you were talking to earlier, is he a local? Maybe you could ask him."
Li Tianqing ran back to Chen Shi and explained the situation. Chen Shi said, "A few days ago, I walked through the night market and passed by the Clear Canal River. I saw painted boats on the river, probably a good spot for scenery and tea. But Tianqing, I noticed they don't treat you like a real brother, more like a servant."
Li Tianqing replied, "I'll talk to you about it later."
He quickly ran back to Li Jun and the others, telling them about the boats. Li Jun asked the others what they thought, and they all laughed, "We're just new here, wanting to enjoy the sights and find a quiet, elegant place. The painted boats sound good."
Li Jun nodded, "Thanks, Tianqing. Was that your friend earlier? Invite him too. Having a local guide will save us some trouble."
Li Tianqing agreed and went to get Chen Shi, leading the group towards the Clear Canal River.
Li Tianqing whispered, "In the Li family, I'm from a concubine's side, so I have no real status, even less than the favored maids. If it weren't for my contribution to the Great Ming Treasure Ship, they wouldn't even acknowledge me."
Chen Shi laughed, "Then why stay with the Li family? Come with me to Heavenly Yang Mountain. At least there, you can be a mountain lord, and no one will dare to say anything."
Li Tianqing sighed, "Being born into a noble family means I have no choice."
As they reached the river dock, they called for a painted boat. The river water was clean, and the boat had a Wind Talisman that could be activated to sail with the wind, making it very convenient.
The boatman was a father-daughter pair. The father steered while the daughter busily served tea, showing great hospitality.
Some of the Li family young men noticed the girl was pretty and made some jokes, but she was feisty and responded with sharp words, leaving them red-faced.
Everyone laughed as the boat sailed into the Clear Canal River.
"Where does the clear water come from? It flows from the source," Li Jun sighed, with a hint of helplessness in his voice. "This Great Ming land is picturesque, but the government is weak, and those in power are mostly useless. Corruption is rampant, allowing evil to spread, disappointing the people and this beautiful land. How can there be clear water without a clear canal? Without clear water, how can fish and dragons dance?"
His words resonated with everyone.
Chen Shi couldn't help but glance at him, thinking, "This Li Jun seems to understand the problems of the times."
Li Zhengqing, the fourth son of Li Xiaozheng, said, "Second brother is right. But with the world as it is, even if we want to change things, we have no power or influence. What can we do?"
They all sighed.
Li Jun recited, "Alas, the hair turns white with worry! I wish to kill the villains but lack the power to change the world! It's a pity, a pity! If I could enter the court, I would sweep away the corruption, restore ancient laws, and bring peace to the world!"
Everyone praised him, and Chen Shi also admired him, saying to Li Tianqing, "The Li family has many insightful people, much more impressive than the Zhao family."
He had killed many Zhao family members and knew well their character.
Li Tianqing smiled without saying a word.
On the boat, people were passionate and sang sad songs, lamenting the hardships of the common people and the heartlessness of the court, feeling powerless to change the situation.
Chen Shi admired Li Jun and the others even more. Just then, Li Jun asked the boat girl, "Is there a 'thin horse' in town?"
The boat girl was puzzled, "What's a 'thin horse'?"
Li Jun was slightly embarrassed and whispered, "It's a young prostitute."
The boat girl laughed, "Oh, so the gentlemen want to visit a brothel. I thought you weren't planning to play around, so I didn't take you to the brothels. Our boat goes directly to the brothels, but usually at night. Not many go during the day. Please wait while I turn the boat around. Dad, they're not serious scholars, turn to the brothel."
The boat turned towards the brothel.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and started chatting and laughing. Occasionally, they would mention the problems of the times, but the topic quickly shifted back to 'thin horses,' with some crude language.
Chen Shi found it strange and couldn't connect these people with the ones who were just singing passionately about the world's woes.
When they reached the brothel, the boat docked, and a group of brightly dressed girls opened the windows upstairs, looking down and waving handkerchiefs to invite the gentlemen up.
Everyone rushed ashore eagerly.
The boat girl quickly said, "You haven't paid for the boat yet!"
"Tianqing, you pay!" Li Jun shouted as he was the first to rush into the brothel.
Everyone entered the brothel, hugging beauties and drinking merrily. After a while, they somehow started criticizing the government again, worrying about the country and the people, while their hands wandered into the beauties' arms.
Not long after, they ran out of the brothel in a panic, chased by the madam and the brothel keeper, who shouted, "Why visit a brothel if you have no money? Go home and play by yourselves!"
They were embarrassed and angry, fleeing in shame.
Li Jun asked, "Tianqing, do you have any money?"
Li Tianqing shook his head, "I only get a few taels of silver a month, not enough to spend."
The Li family young men had no face to return to the boat and left dejectedly, with Chen Shi eventually paying for the boat.
Li Tianqing was about to go ashore, but Chen Shi shook his head and said, "Boatman, set sail."
The two stood at the bow, watching the bustling crowd on the shore. After a long time, Chen Shi suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard he bent over.
Li Tianqing was embarrassed but soon joined in the laughter.
"These are the so-called clear streams, good at talking but lacking real skills, often just showing off their words."
Li Tianqing laughed, "If you go to the provincial capital, you'll find many clear streams like this in all fifty provinces. When you said they were insightful, I knew you hadn't encountered them before, so I didn't respond."
Chen Shi laughed, "Now I've seen it. If the scholars of the world are mostly like this, then not only can I be a lord of Heavenly Yang Mountain, but I can also be the lord of the entire Western New Bull Continent!"
He felt a surge of ambition.
Being a bully in Yellow Slope Village was nothing.
If you have the ability, become the lord of the whole world!
Li Tianqing shook his head, "In noble families, there are many like this, but there are also those who endure hardships and strive for success. Becoming the lord of Western New Bull Continent is not so easily done."
Chen Shi glanced at him with a half-smile, "Are you one of those striving for success?"
Li Tianqing calmly said, "After returning home, I focused on cultivation and made great progress, recently achieving the Golden Core. With the Golden Core, no one in the Li family covets my Purple Jade Divine Fetus anymore. Now I can fly freely like a bird in the sky and swim like a fish in the sea."
Behind him, a Divine Altar shone brightly, with a Divine Fetus sitting in the center. As it opened its mouth slightly, a green Divine Pill flew out, its light reflecting off the surroundings, making the air shimmer like clear water, as if the painted boat was gliding through it.
Chen Shi, with the momentum of a tiger, stared at him and said, "Tianqing, you have ambition. I can hear it in your words."
Li Tianqing, though thin and weak, smiled, "As a man, I should have aspirations. Little Shi, though you are skilled in both literature and martial arts, and will surely pass the scholar exam, you don't have a Divine Fetus. Even if you get one, others will covet it. You can't escape this fate, but I can seize the opportunity and stay ahead of you."
Chen Shi smiled slightly, "Golden Core, huh? I may not have a Divine Fetus, but I've achieved it too."
His aura suddenly surged, and within his Elixir Essence Palace, a sea of fire rose, with the Golden Core like a sun, illuminating his organs, refining his veins, qi, blood, essence, bones, marrow, form, and spirit, undergoing seven refinements, eight transformations, and nine returns.
Li Tianqing looked at him as if watching a rising sun from the sea.
His Golden Core made the painted boat seem like it was traveling underwater, while Chen Shi was the rising sun!
Li Tianqing's body trembled slightly, showing disbelief, and exclaimed, "How did you achieve it?"
Chen Shi, full of pride, said, "You thought that by achieving the Golden Core, you could surpass me? I used my body as a Divine Fetus, refining a Sacred Fetus Body, finally breaking through, refining a Profound Pill with my qi and blood!"
Li Tianqing snorted, "A crooked path! I have one more Divine Fetus than you, which means one more realm!"
He stepped forward, landing on the water, moving swiftly, running on the waves!
"Little Shi, come, let me show you the true Golden Core!"
Having achieved the Golden Core, he was full of confidence and challenged Chen Shi, quickly running over ten zhang.
His Golden Core hovered above his head, its divine light reflecting, pressing the water surface slightly, sinking it, but lifting his body, allowing him to walk on the waves as if on flat ground!
Seeing this, Chen Shi couldn't help but admire, "As expected of a noble family, their Golden Core cultivation is indeed far superior to mine!"
Just as he was about to jump onto the river, the boat girl grabbed his sleeve, "You haven't paid yet!"
Chen Shi laughed heartily and tossed a tael of silver.
"Keep the change!"
He stepped out, landing on the river, his Golden Core circulating, qi and blood pouring into his legs. When he landed on the water, it exploded!
Chen Shi shot out like an arrow, his figure like a dart, the water surface exploding as he rushed towards Li Tianqing!
Li Tianqing ran on the water, suddenly flipping like a wild goose, six invisible jade wheels flew out from under him, attacking Chen Shi from all directions!
Chen Shi formed a sword gesture with his hand, slashing and thrusting, continuously changing, cutting the six jade wheels with invisible sword qi, while his other hand punched out, causing a storm on the river, waves crashing towards Li Tianqing!
Li Tianqing's Golden Core protected him as he passed through the waves, moving forward, surrounded by spinning jade wheels, meeting Chen Shi's punch.
Their qi and blood clashed, the river waves exploded, and amidst the spray, Chen Shi flipped onto a stone bridge, looking down to see the river flowing, with Li Tianqing standing on the water, drifting downstream.
Chen Shi urged his Golden Core, ready to chase him from the bridge, but saw small boats and painted boats in the Clear Canal River rocking and the boatmen and boat girls cursing loudly, so he dismissed the idea and whistled as he left.
Li Tianqing was ready to confront him but saw Chen Shi acting as if he didn't know him, walking away. Puzzled, he saw a small boat wobble past, and the old boatman shouted, "You blockhead, your ancestors fell into the water! Boom boom boom, big turtle!"
His words carried a local accent, and Li Tianqing didn't understand at first. When he realized, his face turned red, and he hurried ashore.
He wanted to find Chen Shi, but saw his fourth uncle, Li Xiaozheng, and others approaching, so he gave up the idea of settling the score with Chen Shi.
After the literary and martial exams, they had to wait for the results to be announced, which would take a few days. After the announcement, there would be a grand divine ceremony.
With nothing to do in the city, Chen Shi returned to Yellow Slope Village.
"Little Shi, back from the scholar exam? Did you pass?"
Old Lady Wuzhu stood by the roadside, seeing Chen Shi, and smiled ingratiatingly, "Come eat watermelon in the field, Little Shi."
Chen Shi laughed, "The results won't be out for a few days."
Old Lady Wuzhu kicked the watermelon back into the field, pretending not to see him.
Chen Shi returned to the village and went to Yellow Soil Hill to see Scholar Zhu, who eagerly asked about the exam questions. Chen Shi answered truthfully.
"I taught you that question!"
Scholar Zhu was excited, "You'll pass, you'll pass! Don't worry, it's in the bag!"
Chen Shi was also excited, "I think so too! I just offered incense to Grandpa, and smoke rose from his grave!"
He thought for a moment, then quickly took out incense to worship his godmother. After offering incense, he was about to speak to Scholar Zhu when suddenly, light flowed like water from the stone tablet, a stream of light shot out and entered the back of his head!
Chen Shi's vision went black, and he couldn't see anything.
He knew something was wrong and quickly opened his eyes, but everything was still pitch black, with only himself standing there alone.
The willow tree, godmother, Scholar Zhu, the dog, Yellow Slope Village, Heavenly Yang Mountain, all disappeared!
"Did I encounter an evil spirit?"
Chen Shi was puzzled, "Who would dare mess with me now?"
At that moment, a faint light appeared before his eyes.
He waited quietly, watching as the light spread like white ink in the darkness, gradually expanding, but the light had a grainy texture, as if the space before him was composed of white and black sand particles.
In this strange space stood a temple.
The temple was small, without a courtyard, a lone hall about one zhang and seven or eight tall, over two zhang wide, with three steps in front and two vermilion pillars, looking old and simple.
The roof was tiled with glazed tiles, layered, without any mythical creatures or dragon heads on the ridge.
Chen Shi approached and saw words on the pillars, written on both sides:
"Following Heaven's example, the celestial and earthly forms are my likeness.
My nature is self-sufficient; seeking gods and ghosts is not as good as seeking oneself."
End of Chapter