Fu Leisheng clutched this sheet of paper. The ink on it had just dried, and the words stirred his blood, awakening the long-buried ambitions of his youth.
He couldn't help recalling his own question to Chen Shi: "This is the way of the world! Can you change it?"
It was as if a surge of hot steam roiled within him, warming his chest until it burned hotter and hotter.
"Perhaps, he really is the one who can change the world?"
He murmured softly.
Ever since the bloody battle in Xinduo County where he killed Master Zeng, he had settled down as a private tutor in Bridge Bay Town. Perhaps feeling he had avenged Tian Huaiyi and Shen Yusheng, he had gradually grown content with his lot, never imagining that Chen Shi still harbored that blood feud in his heart.
He hadn't expected to receive Chen Shi's letter tonight of all tis.
The night was cool as water.
His heart blazed with fire.
It could not be extinguished.
Fu Leisheng couldn't sleep. Instead, he stepped out into the courtyard and picked up a long bamboo pole, using it as a spear to practice in the yard.
The bamboo whistled through the air with a howling wind.
The spear danced like a fish or dragon, mirroring the surging turmoil in his heart.
"Chen Shi is so bold!"
Provincial Administration Commissioner Li Yin, Deputy General Yan Wang, and Censor Xia Mingdong watched in fury as Yan Jingzhu and Xia Weiyin died at Chen Shi's hands, yet they made no move to seek revenge against him.
This man was a reckless desperado. On his very first day in the Xinduo provincial capital, instead of enjoying the luxuries of Gentle Wave Manor, he sharpened bamboo and killed!
Governor Xu Jian and the others arrived to find the two wives of the forr governor already dead, and all were shocked.
"Chen Shi is nothing but a lawless maniac!"
Governor Xu Jian's face darkened as he clenched his fist tightly and said coldly, "He commits such a grave cri on his first day in the capital! Gentlen, let us return to the prefectural yan and discuss this carefully!"
The group swallowed their rage and followed him back to the yan.
They had barely sat down when Censor Xia Mingdong, his face ashen, asked, "Governor Xu, do you know what Chen Shi's true background is? Why did the Western Capital insist on granting him the juren title? Why are the deaths of our recent governors all linked to him, yet he remains free?"
Thunderous anger surged within him too. Xia Weiyin hailed from the Xia family. Though married into the Li family, she was still Xia blood, an unbreakable tie.
Now that Chen Shi had killed Xia Weiyin, even Xia Mingdong's imnse self-control couldn't suppress his fury.
The others pricked up their ears at his words.
Before taking office, their families had briefed them on Chen Shi, warning that every governor's death was connected to him, as were the deaths of major officials like the Gongzhou governor. They were told to treat him courteously and win him over if possible.
But the specifics had not been explained.
Governor Xu said, "Chen Shi's grandfather, Chen Yindu, was the Western Capital Butcher. You all should know that."
"Right?"
The group nodded.
Li Yin gritted his teeth. "Just a pile of dry bones in the family grave now!"
"The Western Capital Butcher is dead. He can't protect him anymore!"
Governor Xu continued, "There were two demonic outbreaks in Gongzhou. The first was caused by the death of Monk Kuzhu. The culprit behind the second was Chen Shi himself.
Gongzhou's fourteen major officials all perished in his mouth. He ate them."
"Eat them?" The group's faces changed, thinking they had misheard.
"Eaten."
Governor Xu repeated, sighing with emotion. "When I first heard it from the clan elder, I was utterly shocked too, thinking I'd misheard.
But the clan elder confird it repeatedly. Chen Shi ate those fourteen major officials from Gongzhou."
He paused, then smiled faintly. "He devoured their nascent souls, one by one.
And he was picky about it too—didn't touch their physical bodies.
Even several imnsely powerful hermits t the sa fate in his mouth."
The room fell silent.
Though they were high-ranking mbers of the Thirteen Great Families, each with considerable cultivation and self-regard, they knew their strength was comparable to those in Gongzhou.
If those officials had been eaten by Chen Shi, they would suffer the sa end!
"I observe that Chen Shi is rely at the Golden Core Realm. How could he devour so many experts?"
Li Yin's anger faded, his expression calm as he spoke.
"There are demons inside him."
Governor Xu explained, "The demons possessed Chen Shi's body and used it to devour people.
To be frank, among the hermit experts, the Cold Wanderer Elders included my Xu clan's senior, Hermit Hanshan. He grew displeased with our Xu family's actions and resigned to beco a hermit.
He revealed all this to our Xu clan elders.
Hermit Hanshan couldn't bear to see our Xu family suffer heavy losses and warned the elders that Chen Shi harbored over a hundred such demons."
The group felt a slight tremor in their hearts. Over a hundred demons?!
How could such a terrifying thing exist?
Hermit Hanshan was a senior expert at the Great Vehicle Realm and a firsthand witness to the Gongzhou demonic outbreak—he wouldn't lie.
But over a hundred demons lurking in Chen Shi's body? It was absurd!
How had Chen Shi survived without being devoured by them?
By all rights, he should have been eaten long ago!
Governor Xu sighed. "The Western Capital is currently tied up with the sudden corpse clouds and can't spare manpower. Their directive is to appease Chen Shi as much as possible, lest
the demons inside him trigger another demonic outbreak."
The group exchanged glances and sighed.
Even if they wanted to deal with Chen Shi, they lacked the power.
The matter of the two ladies shouldn't be blown out of proportion unnecessarily.
Governor Xu said to Yan Wang, Xia Mingdong, and Li Yin, "The deaths of the two ladies are truly heartbreaking, but what's done is done—we're powerless.
As for revenge, there will be opportunities in the future.
Once the Western Capital frees up, he won't be allowed to rampage."
Tears welled in Li Yin's eyes. "Poor sisters-in-law, dead in vain.
In the future, I, Li, will personally avenge them!"
Xia Mingdong sneered coldly. "I'll handle it myself and avenge my elder sister!"
Yan Wang gritted his teeth. "Let him strut for a few days. When the ti for revenge cos, we'll roast him on a fire pillar properly!"
He hesitated, then asked, "So tomorrow... shall we still host the welco banquet for him?"
"Yes!"
Governor Xu said gravely, "Even with our deep grudges, bury them in your hearts. Laugh when you must laugh, and show not a hint of hatred."
The group nodded.
At that mont, a scout reported, "Governor, there's soone monitoring Old Master Chen outside his residence."
The group was stunned.
Could soone besides them be watching Chen Shi's every move?
Who were these watchers?
The next day at noon, Governor Xu set a banquet and sent n to invite Chen Shi, but the ssenger returned alone. "My lord, that Chen fellow is ungrateful. He told the maids he's in secluded cultivation and won't see guests for the ti being."
Governor Xu held his temper and said to the officials, "Since Chen Shi won't co, we'll eat and drink as planned."
On the third day, Governor Xu sent n again, but still no luck—Chen Shi remained in seclusion.
The fourth and fifth days were the sa.
Governor Xu grew angry. "Did that Chen co to the city just to seclude himself?"
Censor Xia remarked, "He hasn't gone out these days. Could he be playing with won?"
But the scouts confird Chen Shi was indeed in secluded cultivation, refining his Golden Core.
By the eighth day, with Chen Shi still secluded, Governor Xu and the others had lost interest. "Any movent from those watching Chen Shi?"
The scout replied, "That group has four n staying in the inn across from Chen Manor, each in their own room.
They've been there eight days with no activity.
There's also a woodcutter who sells firewood outside Chen Manor every day, and a peddler hawking goods nearby, drawing crowds of children.
My subordinate spotted a scholar who often drinks tea at the teahouse—a stranger, likely another watcher."
"What sort of people are they?" Governor Xu asked.
The scout shook his head. "Unknown.
By their accents, they seem from Yudu."
"Keep probing."
The scout left.
On the ninth day, he reported, "My lord, two of those watching Chen Shi are dead."
Governor Xu was startled. "How?"
The scout said, "Last night, two from the inn sent out their nascent souls, sneaking into Chen Manor. Suddenly, thunder struck, obliterating both souls.
This morning, the inn raised a fuss—two guests dead suddenly. The coroner examined them, ruled sudden death, and they're to be burned."
Governor Xu asked, "It was fine last night. Why the thunder?"
"The maids say Old Master Chen was drawing talismans in his study and accidentally ignited a Five Thunders Talisman, striking the intruders' nascent souls."
Governor Xu pondered. "Was it intentional or accidental?"
"No way to know."
Governor Xu sent him to probe further. The next day, the scout reported, "My lord, that woodcutter who's been around Chen Manor is dead."
Governor Xu exclaid, "Even the woodcutter's dead?"
The scout said, "He was hawking his load of firewood outside Chen Manor—over a hundred jin. He tripped, and a log pierced his heart. Dead."
Governor Xu was shaken and snapped, "What cultivation did he have? How does a log kill him?"
The scout replied, "The coroner said so.
As for cultivation... Coroner Bao checked, pressed his forehead—Nascent Soul Realm expert, heavenly gate open, skull softened for soul passage."
"A Nascent Soul expert killed by a log?"
Governor Xu said, "Do you believe it?"
"Your subordinate doesn't."
"Neither do I!"
Governor Xu laughed. "Those watching Chen Shi won't believe it either.
Chen Shi must have slipped a log infused with his mana into the bundle. When the woodcutter was off guard, he activated it and impaled him.
With his ability to turn weapons into birds, he could do it.
These watchers lose one or two a day— the rest must be cracking.
They'll either snap and attack Chen Shi or withdraw.
Keep watching and see what they do!"
He had lost interest in whether Chen Shi ca to dine, but he was intrigued by this battle between Chen Shi and the watchers. He wanted to know their next moves.
"The child prodigy scholar of ten years ago, top talent in fifty provinces, stunned the world.
Ten years later, Chen Shi seems like a ruthless old demon who kills without blinking."
Governor Xu chuckled. "I wonder how he'll make these watchers 'accidentally' die? They're watching him, but it's as if he's watching them—every move escapes his notice not."
At that mont, he heard crisp birdsong and his face paled slightly as he glanced at the birds in the trees outside the window.
Were the birds in the yan truly just birds?
Governor Xu had planted many spies in Chen Manor. Had Chen Shi not done the sa in the yan?
Perhaps Chen Shi had turned weapons into birds right now, hiding in the treetops and flowerbeds, secretly spying on him!
Governor Xu steadied himself. Such a divine ability was Hermit Hanshan's technique—the Xu family hadn't inherited it, yet Chen Shi had learned and innovated with it!
"My lord, another death at the inn."
A scout reported.
Governor Xu asked urgently, "How?"
"Unknown cause."
The scout hesitated, then said, "Your subordinate watched him send out his nascent soul. It had just left the inn when it vanished.
Then the man died in the inn.
Your subordinate spotted... in the alley under the inn, a stray bitch appeared out of nowhere. Right after the man died, she birthed a litter of pups.
One pup spoke human words, then was beaten to death as an evil spirit..."
"Impressive!"
Governor Xu drew a sharp breath and murmured, "Truly impressive! If those Yudu guests don't act soon, they'll die one by one to Chen Shi's sches! If it were , under that terrifying pressure, I'd snap and attack him!"
He smiled faintly. "I want to see if they snap."
He changed into plain clothes and went to the inn across from Chen Manor, sitting on the street-level floor. He ordered a few small dishes, ward a pot of wine, and sipped while watching the street.
Monts later, a red-clad woman in a joyful skirt descended, face frosty, heading straight to the street.
At the sa ti, though children sward the peddler's stall, he abandoned it without a glance and left.
In the teahouse, the scholar set down his book satchel, drained his tea, placed ten coppers on the table, rose, and nearly knocked over the waiter in his haste to flee.
"Guest, your book satchel!"
The waiter called out hurriedly.
"I'll get it later!"
The scholar didn't turn back.
He t the peddler and they walked this way, joining the red-clad woman. The three crossed the street and headed straight for Chen Shi's residence.
With a whoosh, they leaped over the wall and landed in the yard.
As they touched down, they saw Chen Shi seated in the courtyard. Talismans plastered the trees and walls around him.
No one else was in the yard.
"You are far too rude, barging in unannounced.
The Master said, without learning rites, one cannot stand."
Chen Shi gently stroked the sharpened green bamboos beside him, smiling leisurely. "Without proper courtesy to honor
before invading my ho, there's no need for you to stand in this world!!"
The scholar shook his head and intoned, "Chen Shi, you've misunderstood the Master! This ans that without learning rites, one cannot establish oneself."
Chen Shi chuckled mockingly. "You haven't grasped the Master's martial dao spirit—yours is re surface knowledge. My interpretation is the true words of the martial dao!"
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