When Paths Cross, the Brave Prevail!

"You're from the Provincial City? Looking for the missing Zhao family daughter?"

Chen Shi recalled the young woman in purple he had tricked into the kiln factory, turning her into porcelain.

The Zhao family of Xinxiang Province had finally come looking.

It wasn't surprising, though. That young woman could travel with over a dozen Imperial Guards, indicating her high status in the Zhao family. She had been missing for over ten days, so it was natural for the Zhao family to send people to search for her.

Speaking of which, over two hundred people I tricked into the kiln factory before have died, more than half of them. Why haven't their families come looking? Chen Shi thought.

He suppressed these stray thoughts and continued, "The Talisman Master, the very old one, is staying at the Tian Family's abandoned house tonight?"

Sanwang shook his head. "He's sleeping in my Godmother's temple tonight."

Chen Shi's gaze fell upon the temple in the center of the village, a deep look in his eyes. He said in a low voice, "Staying at the temple..."

The offerings in the temple had dwindled. The large, fat divine manifestation had eaten more than half of the mountain of offerings, revealing its upper body like a mound of flesh.

Chen Shi withdrew his gaze, took out the few pieces of silver Sanwang had given him, and fiddled with them in his palm. He shaped a piece weighing a little over an ounce and handed it to Sanwang.

Sanwang looked at him, confused.

"Take this silver and bury those eight coffins. And those three children, buy some coffins for them too, so they can be buried properly."

Chen Shi looked toward the village entrance. "Move two more stools to the village entrance for me. I'm waiting for someone."

Sanwang didn't understand his intent but still went to fetch two stools as instructed.

Chen Shi arrived at the village entrance and sat quietly on one of the stools. He said to Black Pot beside him, "Fugui is my friend, my only living friend. He's so badly injured, I can't just abandon him. The Talisman Master who harmed him, I spilled his lamp oil and ruined his plans. He'll be furious and will definitely rush back to get revenge on me."

Black Pot wagged its tail in agreement.

Chen Shi continued, "This Talisman Master is very strong, probably stronger than Grandpa. Grandpa is old now, not as strong as he used to be, and might not be his opponent."

Black Pot hesitated, not wagging its tail.

If Chen Shi had seen Grandpa flying out at night, he probably wouldn't have said that.

Chen Shi went on, "Logically, I shouldn't be arrogant and wait for him here. I should leave immediately and run as far as I can. Right?"

Black Pot nodded solemnly.

That Talisman Master was too dangerous, manipulating talismans from afar to turn into Talisman Monsters and fighting Chen Shi, even suppressing him.

If Chen Shi hadn't set up the Five Sacred Mountains House-Suppressing Talisman early on, he might have perished in the Talisman Monster's maw!

Facing the Talisman Master head-on would undoubtedly be even more perilous.

Chen Shi continued, "He's coming in anger, so he must have made thorough preparations. His talismans are so bizarre, I'm definitely no match for him. Therefore, escaping is absolutely the wisest choice."

Black Pot nodded and wagged its tail.

"But, doing so is wrong!"

Chen Shi suddenly shouted, "Black Pot, doing this is wrong, isn't it? Killing four children just to refine some damn lamp oil, that's wrong, isn't it? Doesn't this world need justice anymore? I think it does! Someone needs to stand up and loudly say that doing this is wrong! So, I can't leave."

He looked at his hands and said in a low voice, "I can't leave. If I leave, that Talisman Master will still come back, and he'll still capture Fugui. I can't leave, I have to stay and wait for him. I'm definitely not his match, but... someone has to do something about this, someone has to pay a price for it!"

He was very agitated, a surge of anger within him unspent.

He really wanted to step forward and beat that Talisman Master severely, until he was beaten to death!

If you don't kill me, I'll kill you!

Black Pot hesitated, not trying to dissuade Chen Shi.

It knew Chen Shi's personality. While he appeared clever on the outside, his personality was actually very stubborn and unyielding.

He was born like a mule, once he set his mind on something, he wouldn't turn back.

Black Pot felt reassured. Chen Shi had already left a letter for Grandpa. When Grandpa returned home and saw the letter, he would rush to Huangyang Village.

By then, Grandpa would deal with the very old Talisman Master.

Meanwhile, dozens of miles away, in a camp at the western foot of Ganyang Mountain, a yurt was suddenly thrown open, and an old man with white hair stormed out. He fastened his Jia Ma Talisman to his feet and immediately left the camp.

"You damn brat, ruining my good deed!"

The old man with white hair was furious, gnashing his teeth. "It took me so much effort to refine the Life-Extending Lamp, and I was just one child away from success, but you ruined it. I will absolutely not let you off! You destroyed my lamp oil and smashed my small cauldron. If I don't refine you into lamp oil, then I've lived these seventy years in vain!"

He activated the Jia Ma Talisman, and a gust of wind blew under his feet, lifting his body three to four inches off the ground!

"Iron Brush Old Man, where are you going?"

Suddenly, a voice called out to him. The old man with white hair quickly turned around, not daring to be negligent. He smiled obsequiously at the newcomer, "Steward Zhao, you may not know, but I came to the countryside to investigate the disappearance of the Second Miss. I took the opportunity to refine something good for myself, intending to present it to the Master to gain a position and seek promotion. I didn't expect that today, a small rural Talisman Master ruined my plans, so I intend to go find him and settle the score."

The newcomer was a rather prosperous-looking middle-aged man, wearing a jade thumb ring and a jade pendant at his waist. He was Steward Zhao Ming of the Xuan Ying Mansion of the Xinxiang Province Zhao family.

Zhao Ming waved his fan and glanced at him, sneering, "The thing you intended to present to the Master, was it the Life-Extending Lamp? You're trying to harm people again. The Master values you for your mastery of various spells and your skill in drawing various talismans, not for your sycophantic efforts! This Life-Extending Lamp harms people's lives. If you managed to refine it, people outside would say ill of my Zhao family. How many people have you harmed?"

Iron Brush Old Man dared not conceal it and told the truth, "Only four."

Zhao Ming said angrily, "These four lives will not be blamed on you, but on my Zhao family! Forget it. You don't need to refine it anymore. We are here to find the Second Miss, not to refine the Life-Extending Lamp. Last time, you said you were refining a Soul-Searching Talisman. Where is it?"

Iron Brush Old Man quickly took out the Soul-Searching Talisman and said with a smile, "The Soul-Searching Talisman is ready. Steward Zhao, please take a look."

Zhao Ming unfolded the Soul-Searching Talisman, examining it as he said, "The Master greatly trusts your skills. The Master thought the Second Miss had died on Ganyang Mountain, but you were able to calculate that she was still alive. If you can lead me to find the Second Miss, why worry about not gaining a position?"

Iron Brush Old Man was overjoyed.

He could deduce that Second Miss Zhao was not dead, not because of his true divine calculation, but because he had tried to summon her soul and failed, leading him to boldly guess that Second Miss Zhao was still alive.

Zhao Ming returned the Soul-Searching Talisman to him and said, "Since the talisman has been refined, let's go find Second Miss. You can put aside the matter of seeking revenge for now."

Iron Brush Old Man agreed and said, "This brat, I remember his appearance, he can't escape. Your subordinate has already used the soul-searching method to find Second Miss's approximate location. Steward Zhao, should we call for others?"

Zhao Ming's eyes flickered, and he chuckled, "One more person means one more person to share the credit."

Iron Brush Old Man understood. He took out another set of Jia Ma Talismans, squatted down, and personally tied them to Zhao Ming's legs. The two of them stepped on the clear breeze, each stride covering over ten feet. They headed east along the foot of Ganyang Mountain.

Outside Huangyang Village, Chen Shi sat motionless at the village entrance. The sun was scorching, making him feel dizzy.

Fortunately, Sanwang's wife, fearing he would starve, made him a meal.

For the first time in two years, Chen Shi ate a meal seasoned just right. He was moved to tears and praised it endlessly, making Sanwang's wife blush with embarrassment.

"It's just country food, how can it be so delicious?" the honest woman said, repeatedly rubbing her apron and smiling.

Chen Shi ate everything clean, replenished his energy, and returned to the village entrance to wait.

He waited all afternoon. Black Pot barked twice, and only then did Chen Shi get up and shoulder his satchel.

He couldn't wait any longer.

If he waited any longer, it would get dark, and he wouldn't have time to return to Huangpo Village.

Black Pot's judgment of time was always very accurate, except for that one time when the sun set fifteen minutes early.

Chen Shi did not bid farewell to the people of Huangyang Village. He left the village on his own and hurried towards Huangpo Village.

"That Talisman Master didn't show up. He's probably worried about his reputation being ruined if people found out he used children to refine lamp oil. If he doesn't appear today, he won't appear again."

Chen Shi said to Black Pot, "I didn't expect this person to still have some sense of shame. It's just hateful that I didn't encounter him this time. Who knows when I'll meet him again."

Black Pot trotted along beside him, becoming increasingly relaxed.

Chen Shi wanted to fight that Talisman Master to vent his anger, but Black Pot did not.

If something happened to Chen Shi, would Grandpa be able to revive Chen Shi and then beat him up?

Grandpa would only blame it on Black Pot!

Chen Shi looked up at the sky. The scorching sun was still hot, showing no signs of setting.

With his speed, he could reach home before sunset.

"I wonder if Grandpa has returned home..."

Chen Shi and Black Pot had walked two or three miles when they suddenly heard the sound of clothes cutting through the air from behind. Chen Shi slowed down and looked back. He saw two people approaching, stepping on the clear breeze.

One of them was very old, with graying hair. The other was a middle-aged man, dressed quite luxuriously. As their feet landed, whirlwinds rose from the ground, lifting their bodies and allowing their feet to not touch the ground.

In this way, each step they took covered over ten feet, making their journey very effortless.

"The Jia Ma Talisman can be used like this?"

Chen Shi was surprised. He leaned by the roadside, waiting for the two to pass.

He had observed Grandpa drawing Jia Ma Talismans and had learned them long ago. However, Grandpa always drew the Jia Ma Talismans on wooden carts, making the wooden carts move on their own. Chen Shi had never seen Grandpa tie the Jia Ma Talismans to his legs.

"It's so late, and there's still a child by the roadside," the middle-aged man said, seeing Chen Shi from afar, with a hint of confusion.

The two approached rapidly. The elderly Talisman Master was Iron Brush Old Man. He chuckled, "He hasn't gone home yet at this hour. This child is probably not going to live, how pitiful. It's a shame we have to rush, or we could have used him for refining medicine..."

As he said this, he suddenly saw Chen Shi's face clearly and exclaimed in surprise, "It's you! The little imp who ruined my lamp oil!"

Chen Shi also heard his voice and found it very familiar. His eyes suddenly widened.

Black Pot also heard Iron Brush Old Man's voice. Its ears perked up sharply, its black fur stood on end, and its tail became as straight as a black iron rod!

Just as it was about to warn Chen Shi, Chen Shi, who was beside it, shot out like an arrow released from a bow, so fast it made Black Pot's eyes blur!

Chen Shi rushed towards Iron Brush Old Man!

Like a leopard that had been coiling for a long time, he sprang out, each stride covering over ten feet. As his foot landed, his Blood Essence surged into his sole. The sole of his foot hit the ground with a snap, and the straw sandals on his feet were stretched and fell off!

Chen Shi's foot had grown a full size larger. As he took his second step, his speed increased, his momentum grew stronger, and he reached his peak speed!

The whistling wind slapped against his face. The hair he had tied up was also blown loose by the oncoming wind, whipping straight backward!

At the same time, Iron Brush Old Man and the middle-aged man were also walking towards them. The speed of the Jia Ma Talisman was already fast, and with Chen Shi charging towards them, they met in the blink of an eye, with only about ten feet separating them.

Chen Shi threw a punch!

A punch that covered ten feet!

His fist whistled through the air, sharp, even possessing a magic that pierced the brain.

The speed was too fast. Iron Brush Old Man had just finished saying, "The little imp who ruined my lamp oil," when Chen Shi's fist was already in front of him!

Chen Shi firmly remembered one thing: his Grandpa's warning.

He had no magical power. Any cultivator could kill him with any spell. However, he had great strength, and he also had the ability to kill these cultivators!

When enemies meet on a narrow road, to win, one must not let the other strike first!

But Iron Brush Old Man's reaction speed was not slow. With his wide robes and sleeves, yellow paper fluttered out from his two sleeves – they were all pre-drawn talismans, flying outwards.

At the same time, the Divine Light behind his head rippled, and a shrine condensed and took shape within the Divine Light!

The shrine had already faintly revealed the trace of a Divine Embryo!

A vast surge of true qi spread from behind him in an instant. This true qi was stronger than anything Chen Shi had ever encountered, even making him feel a strong sense of pressure!

From the left sleeve of the Iron Brush Old Man, the first talisman flew out, meeting Chen Shi's fist. It was the Supreme Eight Trigrams Body Protection Talisman. At the same time, the second talisman began to emit golden light; it was the Golden Bell Talisman.

As long as any one of these talismans was activated, he would be in an invincible position!

However, the moment the Supreme Eight Trigrams Body Protection Talisman touched Chen Shi's fist, Chen Shi's right leg had already reached his crotch. His leg shot out like a released bowstring, whistling as it struck his groin!

The Iron Brush Old Man's strength seemed to drain away instantly. The momentum of the Jia Ma Talisman, which was charging forward, was abruptly halted by Chen Shi's kick. The old man's facial features contorted, his eyes widened, and he tilted his head in pain, as if questioning his existence.

Chen Shi's punch, pressing down on the Supreme Eight Trigrams Body Protection Talisman that was releasing its power, smashed fiercely into the old man's face, sending him flying backward, his body spinning like a top.

Steward Zhao Ming of the Zhao Family, who was beside the Iron Brush Old Man, also reacted. He immediately activated the shrine, channeled his true qi, and was about to unleash a spell. Chen Shi, having just sent the Iron Brush Old Man flying, glimpsed the divine light erupting beside him. Without hesitation, he sidestepped, turned, twisted his waist, and swung his left elbow backward. The tip of his elbow struck the junction of Zhao Ming's two ribs.

This blow nearly made Zhao Ming suffocate. He involuntarily bent over.

The man was tall. As he bent over, Chen Shi's right hand, swollen with Blood Essence and as heavy as a bear's paw, had already gripped his throat.

"Crack!"

The hand that could crush stone and break iron crushed his Adam's apple. Pressing down on his neck, he dragged the man's body forward, chasing after the Iron Brush Old Man who had not yet landed.

Zhao Ming's head slammed hard into the Iron Brush Old Man's head, producing a dull thud.

A large chunk of the Iron Brush Old Man's skull caved in. Yellow talismans flew out from his sleeves like yellow butterflies, followed by the Supreme Eight Trigrams Body Protection Talisman, the Golden Bell Talisman, the Star Gang Five Dipper Talisman, the Six Harms Divine Talisman, the Life-Preserving Talisman, the Canopy Talisman, and other divine talismans and sacred charms. Their powers were all fully unleashed!

Blood poured from the Iron Brush Old Man's crotch. His knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground, his head bowed, brain matter splattering.

Instantly, multicolored divine lights erupted. The lights formed various forms of Daoist magic. Some resembled Bagua runes, some looked like golden bells, some displayed six harms, and others showed canopies, divine ghosts, demons, and other strange things. They surged out together, piling up and protecting the Iron Brush Old Man in the center.

The Iron Brush Old Man was already dead.

----Monday, a chapter of over 4,000 characters. Seeking votes and recommendations. Thanks to Night Cat and Jin Buyi for their silver support. During the new book period, read-throughs are very important. Remember to check for updates around 11 AM and 6 PM every day.

The bonus chapter at the end of today's chapter is from Alpaca7, who drew Chen Shi. If you like it, remember to give it a like~