The bloodied figure was the spirit of Tian Huayi, expressing gratitude to his teacher. After revealing that he couldn't protect Shen Yusheng, his last wish was fulfilled. Although he was deeply reluctant, he was pulled by the power of the underworld, dragging him towards the realm of the dead.
"Huayi!" Fu Leisheng shouted, suddenly standing up and looking around. He saw no dark winds or the bloodied Tian Huayi, realizing he must have dozed off while reading.
After all, the books of Master Confucius were quite dull.
"Thoughts during the day turn into dreams at night. I'm always worried that Huayi, for the sake of high office and wealth, might betray Shen Yusheng."
He silently mocked himself. Back when Tian Huayi was his student, he was the most mischievous, causing him the most headaches. He wouldn't study properly and loved to play with the hair of the girl students in front, making them cry.
He called the parents and gave Tian Huayi a beating.
He wouldn't practice spells properly either, always half-heartedly.
But he was smart, learning things quickly and never forgetting them, able to draw inferences from one instance.
Later, Tian Huayi passed the scholar exam and received a divine fetus. Since it was a third-grade Dou Kui divine fetus, it was quite remarkable in the county. Fu Leisheng was worried someone would try to take it, so he guarded Tian Huayi day and night.
At that time, Chen Shi's divine fetus was stolen, causing a huge uproar. Fu Leisheng was also worried and indeed encountered several attempts to snatch the divine fetus.
He struggled to fend off the attackers and protect Tian Huayi, which strengthened their teacher-student bond, making them as close as father and son.
Later, Tian Huayi passed the provincial exam and went to another place, joining the military for many years. When he returned, he had transformed from a mischievous boy into a steady official.
The change was so great that Fu Leisheng couldn't help but marvel.
His biggest worry was that Tian Huayi would enter the corrupt officialdom and become unrecognizable. So when Shen Yusheng received the Wen Chang divine fetus, he repeatedly warned Tian Huayi, fearing he was no longer the righteous young man he once knew.
"I overthink things," he sighed.
At that moment, he saw Chen Shi shielding a lamp with his hand, and the black dog outside was barking, making him pause.
He clearly remembered Chen Shi dozing off while he was reading, so why was he the one asleep while Chen Shi was awake?
"Mr. Fu, you fell asleep just now."
Chen Shi's voice was low, hesitating before saying, "Brother Tian came in a dream to you. I saw him covered in blood, so I didn't stop him. Mr. Fu, something might have happened at the county office."
Fu Leisheng's mind went blank, his body trembling. He hurriedly held onto the lectern, trying to speak, but tears rolled down his cheeks before he could utter a word.
He wiped them away, but they kept coming.
He thought he was strong, having taught for so many years, his heart as firm as a rock. He believed he could hold back, but he couldn't.
The tears just wouldn't stop flowing.
"I..."
He choked, clenching his fists to support himself, but the tears wouldn't stop.
"Chen Shi, let me be alone for a while..." he said with difficulty.
Chen Shi quietly got up, walked out of the lecture hall, and turned back to see Fu Leisheng lying on the table, his body shaking.
"Huayi, if you can't win, run! Didn't I teach you that?"
He cried out loud, scolding Tian Huayi for not being flexible.
"Run away and leave Shen Yusheng! They only want Shen Yusheng, not your life. You're an official of the court, the chief examiner of New Township County. They wouldn't take your life unless absolutely necessary!"
"Run! Shen Yusheng is my student, and so are you! Why didn't you run? You're so stubborn!"
...
Chen Shi sat beside Heiguo, holding the big dog, looking at the night sky of the county.
The bright moon was high, illuminating everything clearly.
"Who says there are no evil spirits in the county, Heiguo? Evil spirits live in people's hearts," he murmured.
After some time, Fu Leisheng walked out of the lecture hall, his eyes red and swollen, holding an oil lamp. His voice was hoarse as he softly said, "Chen Shi, rest early. We have to announce the results tomorrow."
Chen Shi acknowledged, watching him without moving.
Fu Leisheng carried the lamp and walked outside. Passing through the bamboo grove, he broke off a bamboo stick to use as a cane and continued walking.
Chen Shi followed him, with Heiguo by his side.
Fu Leisheng stopped: "Chen Shi, go back. There's nothing for you here."
Chen Shi shook his head: "I'm worried someone will come for my divine fetus if I'm alone at the academy."
Fu Leisheng said nothing more and continued walking.
Chen Shi and Heiguo followed him, soon arriving at the county office.
The main gate was open, and it was dark inside. Fu Leisheng used the bamboo stick to lift the lamp and entered the county office.
It was silent inside.
Chen Shi suddenly felt something sticky underfoot. He lifted his foot to see blood.
He looked at the ground and saw a pool of blood.
He didn't speak because he had already seen Tian Huayi's body lying in the blood.
Fu Leisheng placed the lamp to the side, raising his trembling hand to touch his student's face.
Tian Huayi's face was pale, eyes wide open, pupils tilted to one side.
Fu Leisheng clenched his fists tightly, following his gaze to see Shen Yusheng sitting on a chair not far away, facing them, also with wide eyes filled with terror.
Fu Leisheng approached the youthful-looking boy, feeling no signs of life from this student.
He touched the back of Shen Yusheng's head, finding the skull already opened.
His hands were covered in blood.
Fu Leisheng's mouth moved, as if crying but not, forcibly holding back, changing to a clean hand to close Shen Yusheng's eyes.
He turned to examine the wounds on Tian Huayi's body.
The body couldn't speak, but it could leave many useful clues.
What kind of spell the opponent used, what level they were, what kind of golden core they had, even the primordial spirit, all left traces on the body.
Chen Shi was observing the Ten-Thousand Souls Banner enshrined in the county office.
The Ten-Thousand Souls Banner was a treasure, housing the souls of cultivators. Only those guilty of capital crimes had souls qualified to enter the banner.
This treasure was immensely powerful, capable of guarding a city, keeping evil spirits at bay, and even resisting strong enemies, allowing the county magistrate to contend with top experts!
The banner was still on the altar, without any power fluctuations.
It seemed Tian Huayi didn't have time to use the Ten-Thousand Souls Banner before dying at the opponent's hands.
Chen Shi frowned slightly. Tian Huayi's strength was definitely not weak. With years of military life and being in such a dangerous place as the border garrison, his combat experience must have been incredible. It was impossible for him to die without even using the banner!
Even if the opponent had a primordial spirit, he could have used the banner to fight!
"The Ten-Thousand Souls Banner was used once."
Fu Leisheng's voice came, "But the user wasn't Huayi."
Chen Shi was slightly taken aback, approaching Tian Huayi's body. The wounds weren't ordinary but bruised, with blood coagulated and cold to the touch, unlike a freshly dead person.
Chen Shi remembered the green ghost hand on his chest, feeling a stir: "These are wounds caused by vengeful spirits!"
"It's the Ten-Thousand Souls Banner that caused the wounds."
Fu Leisheng's gaze fell on the banner, saying, "The vengeful spirits within the banner were already strong, made even stronger through repeated rituals. But Huayi didn't have time to use this treasure; it was activated by the opponent."
Chen Shi was stunned, activated by the opponent?
Tian Huayi held the banner, so how could it be activated by someone else?
Fu Leisheng didn't answer, instead looking into the darkness outside, his voice hoarse: "The county office should always have guards, but the ones on duty aren't here, and despite a fight breaking out, no guards came to check."
The only ones who could mobilize the Ten-Thousand Souls Banner and keep the guards from acting were the county magistrate and the county deputy.
But the magistrate of New Township County was dead, and the deputy Zheng Shiyun's strength was far inferior to Tian Huayi's, making it impossible for him to kill Tian Huayi so decisively.
There were many experts in New Township County, possibly even those at the transformation stage, but Tian Huayi was the chief examiner of the county exam, a court official. The experts in the county wouldn't dare risk being exterminated by the court to kill him.
"So, it must be an outsider."
Chen Shi said, "Among the outsiders recently, the ones with power are probably the Li family from Quanzhou. Provincial Governor Li Xiaozheng passed through New Township County."
Fu Leisheng's eye twitched, lifting the lamp and turning to leave, saying, "Governor Li has already gone to the provincial capital for his appointment, not in New Township County. Chen Shi, you don't need to concern yourself with this matter."
Chen Shi said nothing, still following him.
Fu Leisheng knocked on the door of the coffin shop, entering and saying to the shopkeeper, "Two coffins, good quality."
The shopkeeper was surprised, quickly inviting him in, asking, "Mr. Fu, what happened?"
"Nothing."
Fu Leisheng didn't say much, adding, "Make it three coffins. How much?"
"Cypress wood, six taels of silver each."
Fu Leisheng didn't haggle, paid the money, and said, "Have some workers follow me to the county office, bring two coffins for the bodies there, and leave one here for now."
The shopkeeper was startled. Normally, Fu Leisheng would haggle over the price, even for a single copper coin, but today he didn't.
"Is the last coffin for yourself, Mr. Fu?" the shopkeeper pondered, quietly instructing the workers, "Go to the county office and help Mr. Fu with the bodies, just do your job and don't ask questions. Also, be careful these days. If you hear unfortunate news about Mr. Fu, inform me. We must honor our business commitments; if he dies, we'll use this coffin to bury him."
The workers agreed.
Chen Shi followed Fu Leisheng, watching as he busied himself with placing Tian Huayi and Shen Yusheng into coffins.
Unknowingly, dawn broke.
They hadn't slept all night, following the workers' cart to bring the coffins to the Scholars Academy for temporary storage.
Strangely, despite such a major incident at the county office, with them working there all night, no guards came to inquire.
"Chen Shi, today is the day the results are announced. Go with your classmates to see the list. I haven't slept all night and need to rest."
Fu Leisheng said, "As for my matters, you don't need to worry. When Shao Jing asked me to help you, he already paid me, and I also took money from you, so you don't owe the academy anything."
Chen Shi said, "If Mr. Fu needs anything, just let me know at the academy."
Fu Leisheng nodded lightly and left the academy, returning home.
His home, as Hu Feifei said, was quite luxurious, located by the Clear Canal River, with a dock right outside the door. The yard was over an acre, with east and west wings, a main building, and a small pond surrounded by rock gardens and plants like plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum.
Though not large, it was exquisitely arranged.
His wife was good at managing the household, keeping it tidy, and their two children were doing well, already settled, needing no worry from him.
His wife had prepared breakfast. Seeing him return, she asked, "Was there something last night?"
"Nothing."
Fu Leisheng sipped porridge, saying, "Xiurong, you've worked hard all these years with me."
His wife sat beside him, watching him eat, smiling, "What hard work? I just manage the household, while you're the one working hard outside."
Fu Leisheng said, "Mingzhi and Zhiyuan are married now. Though they haven't achieved much, they can support themselves. You haven't been back to your hometown in a while, why not visit, and burn some paper money for my parents and in-laws? I dreamed last night they said they had no money to spend down there."
His wife hesitated, "Did something happen?"
"No."
Fu Leisheng ate some salted meat, saying, "The countryside isn't peaceful. Take Mingzhi and Zhiyuan with you, along with their wives and children, just to visit home for a few days and relax."
"What about you?"
"I'm not going. I have things to do in the city."
His wife wept, "Did something happen? Do you have to stay?"
Fu Leisheng was silent for a moment, "I have to stay. You should go, pack up, and leave today, don't delay. I'm going to sleep, don't let Mingzhi and Zhiyuan bother me. After tomorrow, if I'm still alive, I'll come find you."
His wife wiped her tears and went to pack.
Fu Leisheng ate his fill and went to sleep.
The Scholars Academy was already bustling with students, exclaiming over the two coffins placed there, speculating about what had happened.
Hu Feifei asked Chen Shi, but he didn't say anything.
At noon, the county office announced the results. The students flocked to see the list.
"Brother Chen, you made it! First in New Township County!"
Hu Feifei was overjoyed, telling Chen Shi, "I didn't expect your literary talent to be so good, to actually rank so high! Huh, strange, why isn't Shen Yusheng's name there?"
She looked up and down the list but couldn't find Shen Yusheng's name. Logically, since Shen Yusheng received the divine fetus without the need for a grand ritual, he should be at the top, but she couldn't find him after several checks.
Not only was Shen Yusheng's name missing, but the news of Chief Examiner Tian Huayi's death hadn't spread either. The silence about the chief examiner's death was eerie.
Chen Shi thought to himself, "This noblewoman truly has great power, able to cover the sky in New Township County."
The day after the results were announced was the Grand Divine Descent Festival.
The festival, held every three years, was very lively, with the county people treating it as a holiday, decorating everywhere with lanterns and banners. Shops took the opportunity to advertise discounts, attracting customers.
Chen Shi, Hu Feifei, and several students from the Scholars Academy wore scholar's robes, with red scarves on their heads and green sashes around their waists.
Fu Leisheng, smiling, personally adjusted their attire and pinned a large red flower made of satin on Chen Shi's chest, sending them to the Confucian Temple.
The temple was already prepared, with the statues of Master Confucius and Wen Chang draped in red robes. The scholars hadn't arrived yet, but the incense smoke rose like blue clouds.
Some had already prepared chickens and ducks, leading cows, sheep, and pigs for live sacrifices, gifts for the True God. There were also baskets of fruits like melons, pears, and peaches, one basket after another.
Incense sticks lined the roadsides, some as thick as an arm and taller than a person, already lit. A few children were puffing their cheeks, blowing on the incense, lighting firecrackers with loud bangs.
Everywhere, drums and gongs were being played, a festive atmosphere. People constantly congratulated Fu Leisheng, and some reached out to touch the big red flower on Chen Shi's chest for good luck.
Chen Shi, being the top scorer in the New Township County exam, was naturally given special attention, leading the scholars.
Hu Feifei followed behind him, also feeling proud, whispering with a smile, "This time I've become a scholar, received a divine fetus, and after passing the provincial exam, I'll get to meet mature scholars. Our female foxes' wish will be fulfilled! Hehe..."
Chen Shi looked around, suddenly seeing Fu Leisheng turn away and squeeze through the crowd.
His heart skipped a beat, looking at the busy people on the altar, then up at the two suns in the sky. For two years, regaining the True God's recognition and receiving a divine fetus again was his obsession.
He hesitated. Now, being the top scorer in the New Township County exam, it was the perfect time to fulfill this obsession.
If he missed it, who knew when he'd have another chance!
Becoming a scholar, receiving a divine fetus, returning home to bring honor to his family, even Old Lady Wuzhu would look at him with respect.
If he committed a crime, he might become a bandit, and even Granny Yuzhu's ducks would spit at him as they passed!
Chen Shi gritted his teeth, suddenly taking off the big red flower from his chest, stuffing it into Hu Feifei's arms, and pushed through the crowd to leave.
Hu Feifei was stunned, quickly calling out, "Chen Shi, Chen Shi! Where are you going? You're New Township's top scorer, about to go on stage! Do you still want the divine fetus?"
Chen Shi disappeared into the crowd, his voice coming back, "You stay here, I'm going to kill!"
He seemed like a fierce tiger, eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
Standing tall and straight, with a heart set on killing and arson!
— Big chapter! Thanks to the alliance leader Huayan Hulu for the support, you're generous~
New book seeking monthly ticket support!
End of this chapter.