Chapter 100: The Upright Official |
The road in front of the estate was not wide, less than two zhang, paved with bluestone slabs. On one side of the road was the estate, and on the other side was the Qingqu River. Trees, flowers, and plants were planted along the riverbank, their fragrance overwhelming.
The wealthy merchant from Lingnan was a particular man. The flowers, plants, and trees by the roadside were cultivated by the servants of the estate. Whenever a flower withered, the servants would dig it up, bury it, and then plant a fresh, blooming flower in its place.
Although it cost a considerable amount of money every day, the merchant''s family was wealthy.
Suddenly, a spray of blood splattered across the flowerbed, followed immediately by shattered sword energy flying chaotically in all directions, devastating the flowers beyond recognition.
Even several of the precious trees planted along the riverbank were chopped down.
Fu Leisheng used a mao bamboo as a spear, channeling his true energy into it as he strode forward. This road prevented his long spear from being wielded with wide, sweeping movements; the slightest carelessness would see it strike the houses or trees on either side.
Moreover, he had studied spear techniques since childhood, but after a lifetime of learning and practicing, he had rarely ever truly fought, let alone engaged in a life-or-death struggle.
Now, with the seventeen-foot mao bamboo in his hands, on this street, he only employed five of the most fundamental spear techniques: Thrust, Jab, Flick, Point, and Shake.
The seventeen-foot mao bamboo shook, deflecting one wave of formless sword energy after another. Though those energy blades were fast, when struck by the bamboo spear, they would either fly upwards into the sky, fly sideways to slash deep marks into walls, or sever countless flowers and plants before plunging into the Qingqu River.
"Shh!"
He thrust his spear forward, piercing straight through the heart of a Golden Core realm cultivator charging at Chen Shi.
The Golden Core realm cultivator gritted his teeth, his face contorted with ferocity, about to unleash a spell in a desperate, mutual-destruction move. Suddenly, Fu Leisheng exerted force from his waist, gave the long spear a shake, and the man''s entire skeletal structure shattered. His corpse flew out and fell into the river.
After the thrust, Fu Leisheng retracted his spear, advanced, turned sideways, and jabbed. Though the enemy was still two zhang away, the spear tip had already pierced the opponent''s lower abdomen by the time he completed his advance.
He released his grip, stepped back, turned, advanced, and flicked the spear upwards. The spearhead touched the ground and then whipped upwards fiercely, striking the charging man''s groin, shattering everything there.
That man lost all ability to resist, kneeling on the ground before toppling over.
Fu Leisheng charged forward, taking a stride of over one zhang, his large spear pointing at another opponent''s throat. That Li family retainer, without a second thought, activated a spell. Sword energy deflected the spearhead, only for the spear tip to dance away from his throat and flash past his eyes.
Both of the man''s eyes were punctured. He let out a great cry, disregarding his companions around him, and began releasing spells wildly, sword energy shooting in all directions.
Fu Leisheng shook his spear. The first strike smashed into the man''s shoulder, the second into his head, the third and fourth slashed through the joints of his limbs. Then, the long spear slapped against the man''s neck, knocking his corpse to the ground.
His techniques were extremely simple, yet they revealed profound skill. Holding his spear aloft and thrusting, he killed several men in succession.
Beside his ear, the sound of green bamboo piercing the air came in a series of whistles. In that brief moment, Chen Shi had advanced twenty zhang from the other end of this long street. The firewood knife in his hand had hacked down several men. The Embroidered Uniform Guards holding bird guns had just peeked out, not yet having time to fire, before being impaled through the body by green bamboo.
Fu Leisheng was already fighting with extreme ferocity, having killed several men in a row. The number of people he had killed in his entire life was less than in these short moments today.
He was seeing red with bloodlust.
Yet the ground was already littered with corpses, and more bodies kept falling from the sky, thudding at his feet. The slightest misstep would trip him up.
These were the Li family retainers and Embroidered Uniform Guards who had died by Chen Shi''s hand.
Anyone who could be called a retainer was an expert who had cultivated to the Golden Core realm, earning the qualification to serve as one.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards had another name within the Li family: household servants. This was because these men were often Xiucai graduates who, after cultivating to the Divine Embryo realm, found no further path for advancement and couldn''t pass the provincial exams to become provincial graduates, so they could only be considered servants.
Even with Fu Leisheng''s heart full of rage, his resolve to fight to the death, and his desperate wish to slaughter everyone immediately, seeing these corpses now made his heart pound with fear.
Too many had died by Chen Shi''s hand.
"If we were having a banquet, I''d probably only be able to sit at the same table as Black Pot," he thought to himself.
These people often died beneath the green bamboo.
When Chen Shi invoked the green bamboo, he used the Thrust form of the Ziwu Evil-Slaying Sword.
The Ziwu Evil-Slaying Sword was one of the most powerful spells a Divine Embryo realm cultivator could access. Although this sword technique was touted as the simplest, its variations were pitifully few, with significant drawbacks. It was easy for others to see through and avoid its energy blades.
Furthermore, upon reaching the Golden Core realm, another flaw of the Ziwu Evil-Slaying Sword would manifest: it had an upper limit to its power.
The power limit of this spell was that the sword energy could only fly thirty-six zhang. Beyond that distance, the energy would dissipate.
Chen Shi was already at the Golden Core realm, having achieved the first revolution of the Golden Core. Most cultivators at his level would abandon the Ziwu Evil-Slaying Sword and switch to other spells.
Yet, this simplest of spells erupted with unimaginable power in his hands. Infusing the green bamboo with his true energy and invoking it using the Thrust form of the Ziwu Evil-Slaying Sword resulted in tremendous force.
Even if the opponent was a Golden Core realm expert, they would be knocked off balance by the massive impact, staggering backwards.
And this often meant that person had already been pierced through by the green bamboo and was dying.
His green bamboo was usually aimed at the Li family retainers positioned high up, and the bird gun-wielding Embroidered Uniform Guards hiding behind walls.
Standing high up, releasing divine abilities from an elevated position, was disadvantageous for them, so they had to be eliminated first.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards held bird guns, whose power surpassed even that of three-eyed firelocks. If hit by a bird gun, even if one didn''t die, they''d lose half their life. So, they also had to be dealt with early.
Most of these Embroidered Uniform Guards were at the Divine Embryo realm, not yet having formed a Golden Core. They had just peeked out, raising their guns to shoot, when a flash of green light would streak past. Both the bird gun and their own heads would be pierced through by the green bamboo, meeting their end.
A Li family retainer stood on a treetop, his body swaying with the branch, preparing a spell. Seeing Chen Shi point a sword seal at him, followed by a flash of green light, he knew something was wrong. Immediately risking being struck dead by heavenly thunder, he summoned his Golden Core.
His Golden Core was of a fiery nature; its force field was scorchingly hot. The tree beneath his feet ignited within the Golden Core''s force field. The moment the green bamboo shot into the force field, it was incinerated to ashes.
The sword energy contained within the ashes still flashed past, piercing into his heart.
The retainer''s back exploded open. His chest had a hole the size of a finger, but his back had a hole as large as a bowl, a clear passage from front to back.
Simultaneously, a bolt of thunder descended from the sky, striking his Golden Core!
The retainer''s body burst into flames and tumbled down, landing with a thud at Fu Leisheng''s feet, nearly tripping him.
As this man''s corpse fell, Chen Shi was upside down in mid-air, stepping on the Seven Stars. The firewood knife in his hand was just slicing across the throat of another Li family retainer.
Fu Leisheng steadied himself, still intending to thrust with his spear, but that man had already lost his life.
Chen Shi''s movement technique was bizarre beyond compare. The starlight of the Big Dipper continuously exploded beneath his feet, flowing throughout his body, allowing him to move without fixed form on this riverside road. At times he walked on walls, at times hung upside down in the air. Front, back, up, down, left, right—all were places his steps could reach.
His stature was small, his speed astonishing. From starting to move to arriving before an opponent, it was often an instant. The Li family retainers and Embroidered Uniform Guards often hadn''t even finished preparing their spells before Chen Shi''s firewood knife was already at their faces. He cut through them like chopping melons and vegetables!
Fu Leisheng had to charge forward with almost all his strength just to pick off an enemy Chen Shi had missed.
"This kid came with skills already learned, no wonder he wrote such excellent seditious essays!"
Fu Leisheng''s long spear pointed out. Another Li family retainer''s body suddenly began swelling up section by section, radiant golden light shining all over him. He had clearly used a Yellow Turban Warrior Talisman, becoming like a golden-armored warrior. The tip of Fu Leisheng''s mao bamboo struck his throat, but it didn''t even break the skin.
Fu Leisheng shook his large spear, slamming the man face-down onto the ground. With nine revolutions of his Golden Core, he channeled all his strength into the bamboo, striking the top of the man''s head, his Heavenly Aperture. He struck several times in succession, smashing the man''s skull to pieces.
By this time, Chen Shi had already killed three more men and advanced three zhang.
"His speed is too fast!"
Fu Leisheng hurriedly gave chase. He had read Chen Shi''s policy essay of over two hundred characters—it was essentially a seditious document confessing to crimes, filled with all sorts of strange theories and twisted interpretations of the Master''s words.
He didn''t know where this little kid, at such a young age, had gotten all this heretical knowledge, yet he could argue it logically and make it sound self-consistent.
He originally thought Chen Shi was just studying strange things. He never expected this little fellow would actually put it into practice!
According to Chen Shi''s strange theories, to learn and frequently practice it; having learned a killing technique, one must use it often to not waste what was learned.
The Li family''s bird gun-wielding Embroidered Uniform Guards were already suppressed by Chen Shi, hiding behind the tops of walls, unable to even raise their heads. Those Li family retainers in the trees and on the eaves were, without exception, shot down. In these short moments, only three or four of the twenty or thirty green bamboo stalks in Chen Shi''s fish basket remained.
"A bunch of useless trash!"
Master Zeng snorted coldly. He took a step from beside his fine horse, leaping over the crowd of Li family retainers. A heavy, oppressive force rolled forward, crushing everything in its path.
"Nascent Soul realm!"
Fu Leisheng''s expression changed drastically. He charged forward with all his might, passing Chen Shi. Pouring all his strength into the mao bamboo in his hands, he thrust towards Master Zeng, shouting loudly, "Chen Shi, you go! You''ve done all you can, you don''t need to die here!"
His Golden Core Nine Revolutions had already been refined to a reddish-brown color. One more step would be to transform the core into an infant, called the Nascent Soul. Yet he couldn''t take that step no matter what. He felt his own vital energy and blood were insufficient, that he simply couldn''t accumulate enough to break through this mysterious barrier.
Because of this, he deeply understood the power of the Nascent Soul. So, upon seeing Master Zeng make his move, he charged forward recklessly, putting himself between Master Zeng and Chen Shi.
Master Zeng raised his hand. Before the mao bamboo could even reach his palm, it began to crackle and explode!
Fu Leisheng''s expression changed dramatically. The gap was too vast. But he still thrust forward relentlessly. The mao bamboo kept exploding, rapidly shortening until it reached the area of his palm!
At that moment, Chen Shi moved with ghostly steps, flashing to his side. He swung his firewood knife down towards Master Zeng''s wrist!
"Smack!"
The firewood knife exploded. Blood streamed from Chen Shi''s tiger''s mouth. Just as he was about to throw a punch, he suddenly felt a tight pull on his back. Fu Leisheng was dragging him backwards at high speed.
Fu Leisheng''s heart turned ice-cold. The gap between the Golden Core realm and the Nascent Soul realm was like the chasm between heaven and man.
Master Zeng was heaven, and they were mere mortals!
Before heaven, any ordinary mortal could be killed with a single move!
Although the Nine Yang Heavenly Thunder Summoning Talisman was in the sky above, preventing Master Zeng from using his Nascent Soul, the gap between the two realms was simply too great. There was no possibility of a fight.
"The master pays you a monthly wage, supports you all. Is this how you repay him?"
Master Zeng looked around, his expression stern and imposing. He glanced at those Li family retainers and said coldly, "You take money to do a job. Having taken the money, if you can''t even do the job properly, what use is the master keeping you? He lets you cultivate in peace usually. Where has all that cultivation gone?"
He berated those Li family retainers, not even glancing at Chen Shi and Fu Leisheng, as if the two were already fish on the chopping block, to be slaughtered at his will.
Master Zeng turned around, his back to Chen Shi and Fu Leisheng. He bowed towards the carriage and said, "First Mistress, Second Mistress, the two bandits have been subdued."
Chen Shi wanted to seize the chance to charge forward and strike the back of this man''s head, but Fu Leisheng held him back desperately, not letting him get close.
At that moment, a middle-aged man descended from another carriage. He passed through the layers of protective light formed by talismans, came to the side of the First and Second Mistresses'' carriage, and knocked on the window.
Inside the carriage, a maidservant opened the window. The First Mistress''s face appeared at the window.
The middle-aged man raised his hand and whispered a few words into the First Mistress''s ear.
First Mistress Xia Weiyin showed a look of surprise. Her eyes shifted, landing on Chen Shi''s face. She said to Second Mistress Yan Jingshu, "Sister, the matter of Tianxiu''s vengeance will likely have to be put aside for now. The master will not permit you to seek revenge."
Yan Jingshu was both shocked and furious, but she had also heard the middle-aged man''s words and understood the serious implications involved. She could only lower her head and say, "Everything is at elder sister''s discretion."
"The master will compensate you."
Xia Weiyin comforted her with one sentence, then said, "Master Zeng, you may step back. This Master Fu, are you perhaps a teacher from the Wencai Academy? Your disciple, is he the student who obtained a first-grade Divine Embryo during the Literary Test? I have heard of this matter."
Fu Leisheng''s hands were covered in blood, his eyes almost spewing fire as he glared fiercely at this noblewoman.
Xia Weiyin said, "However, you have targeted the wrong enemy. The one who seized your student''s Divine Embryo was not me, nor was it arranged by the Second Mistress. I can take responsibility for this matter and give you justice. Sister-in-law Gu, come out."
Sister-in-law Gu walked out and knelt on the ground.
Xia Weiyin''s voice was indifferent as she said, "Sister-in-law Gu, explain the entire sequence of events to Master Fu. Be truthful."
Sister-in-law Gu''s body trembled slightly. "Yes, Mistress."
She recounted everything in detail: how she had failed to bribe Tian Huaiyi, then bribed the Assistant Magistrate Zheng Shiyun instead; how she had sent Zheng Shiyun and the bailiffs away, broken into the county office at night, killed Tian Huaiyi, opened Shen Yusheng''s head, and taken the Divine Embryo.
Fu Leisheng clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his wounds. He said fiercely, "You are a noblewoman? I don''t believe it! Could you kill Huaiyi? Could you deal with the Myriad Soul Banner?"
Sister-in-law Gu said, "I have cultivated to the Nascent Soul realm. Why couldn''t I kill that chief examiner?"
She knelt on the ground, a miniature shrine manifesting behind her head, a Nascent Soul floating before the Divine Embryo.
"As for dealing with the Myriad Soul Banner, that''s even simpler. When the master took up his post as Xinxiang Governor, he brought the provincial land register of Xinxiang Province. The second page of the land register is used to control Xinxiang County''s Myriad Soul Banner. Originally, it was given to the Assistant Magistrate to use, to limit the county magistrate''s power."
Sister-in-law Gu lowered her head. "I just secretly detached the second page of the land register, and then I could easily suppress the Myriad Soul Banner and use it to kill that chief examiner..."
Fu Leisheng felt all hope vanish. He suddenly laughed loudly, tears falling as he said, "So it was you! You are that noblewoman! You are the noblewoman who holds sway over all of Xinxiang County! You are nothing but a servant of the Li family, a lackey! My Huaiyi, my Yusheng, were destroyed just like that by an old dog like you!"
He cursed incessantly.
After he had vented his fury, First Mistress Xia Weiyin said with a gentle expression, "Sister-in-law Gu has committed a grave mistake and must be punished. Sister-in-law Gu, in consideration of your service to my Li family, you shall take your own life today. Your family will not be mistreated by the Li family."
Sister-in-law Gu''s body trembled. She kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Mistress, for your great kindness and virtue!"
She kowtowed repeatedly until her forehead and face were covered in blood, saying, "This old servant''s family is entrusted to the Mistress!"
She stood up, turned to look at Fu Leisheng, and suddenly summoned her Nascent Soul.
The Nascent Soul flew out, but a bolt of thunder descended from the sky, instantly reducing it to ashes.
Sister-in-law Gu''s body swayed, then she fell forward onto the ground. Even her soul was shattered by the thunder, her breath gone.
Xia Weiyin sighed. "She brought this upon herself. Master Fu, is this judgment of mine fair?"
Seeing his enemy executed, Fu Leisheng couldn''t hold back his tears. He knelt on the ground, choking with sobs, and said, "Your Ladyship''s judgment is fair. Huaiyi, Yusheng, I have avenged you!"
Xia Weiyin looked at him deeply and said, "Master Fu, you have taken the law into your own hands and killed dozens of my Li family''s people. Although it was out of righteous indignation, to avenge your disciple, you have still broken the law—dozens of lives. I can decide to spare the life of this young brother beside you, but you must pay the price."
She paused, then continued, "Rest assured, after your death, this matter will be settled. Your family will also be safe and sound. Master Fu, I have already given you justice. Now you should give my Li family justice."
Fu Leisheng kowtowed towards the carriage, loudly proclaiming, "Your Ladyship is truly a righteous and incorruptible official! I have committed many evils and will now repay with my life!"
He raised his hand, about to smash his own skull, when suddenly his wrist was caught by Chen Shi.
"Chen Shi, what are you doing?"
Fu Leisheng was furious, lowering his voice. "If I die, you will be safe! Let go!"
Chen Shi held his hand tightly, staring at First Mistress Xia Weiyin, and said in a deep voice, "Don''t die yet. This judgment... is not right!"
