Chen Shi took this scene in, very envious. If I could pull this off, next time I lie inside a coffin, it'd be quite dashing and handsome.
Grandpa urged the compass, and the wooden cart drove outward.
"Grandpa, does this Prince Xiao also need to nourish his body in a corpse-nurturing ground?" Chen Shi asked, looking up.
Grandpa stared at the compass. "When we reach the manor, do not question others."
Hearing this, Chen Shi stopped asking, only turning back to look at this mysterious mountain manor, his heart full of curiosity.
This mountain manor was jointly built by Grandpa and a group of people with mysterious identities. Everyone who came to this place did not ask about origins or pasts, and everyone spontaneously abided by a certain peculiar rule.
It's rather like the demeanor of a criminal syndicate.
Chen Shi blinked his eyes, thinking, Grandpa certainly didn't do fewer bad things back then, and you could even say he committed countless misdeeds. But no matter how many bad things he does, he's still my grandfather.
The grandfather and grandson returned to Huangpo Village, and before long a shrill cry came from Chen Shi's chamber. "Where are my candied haws? Where are my sticky rice cakes? And my little sugar figurines! Who stole them? Which heaven-forsaken person stole my treasures?"
Grandpa was currently drawing talismans when he saw Chen Shi storm out from the room, murderous and full of Qi.
"It must be the other kids in the village who took advantage of my absence to steal my candied haws, sticky rice cakes, and little sugar figurines! I couldn't even bear to eat them myself, yet they stole and ate them! I have to catch them all!"
Chen Shi walked outward in a towering rage, his expression gloomy. "Bring out the torture instruments!"
Grandpa called out to stop him, saying, "No one stole them, I threw them away. You slept for seven days, they had long since gone bad."
Chen Shi's expression immediately soured, then he perked up his spirits and pleaded, "Grandpa, those delicious things you bought last time, I didn't dare eat them. I only ate a tiny bite a day, planning to make them last a few more days. Buy me some more..."
"No money."
The old man stopped his brush, raised his head and glanced at him. "When you went to Huangyang Village to eliminate evils, didn't you earn four taels of silver? Hand the silver over to Grandpa, and Grandpa will help you save it to buy a wife... Mn, to marry a wife, and also buy you delicious food."
Chen Shi was alert. "I helped Huangyang Village eliminate evils, I didn't collect money."
Grandpa lowered his head and continued drawing talismans, saying, "When I was washing your clothes, I felt around in your sleeve pocket and found four taels of silver. Since it turns out it wasn't yours, then it must be mine."
"Thud."
Chen Shi's expression turned pale, his knees went weak, and he knelt on the ground, his heart dying a thousand deaths, with the four characters life lacks all joy practically written across his face.
After a moment, Grandpa seemed to relent, put down his cinnabar brush, and tossed a small piece of broken silver to him, saying, "I'll give you one tael, get up quickly."
Chen Shi grabbed the lost-and-found piece of broken silver, wept tears of joy, and hurriedly got up. "Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you, Grandpa!"
Black Dog slept in the corner, rolled its eyes, and thought, The little master won't even think about whose life was used to earn that silver. Originally all four taels were yours, and now that he gives you one tael, you're still groveling in gratitude. The old man has manipulated you again.
"Chirp chirp, chirp chirp!"
Chen Shi had one hand behind his back and held a piece of exotic beast meat in the other, calling the dog over. Black Dog lazily got up and slowly walked to his side.
Chen Shi dropped all pretense, revealing the small knife hidden behind his back, and sinisterly grabbed Black Dog.
Black Dog bit into the meat with a resigned-to-fate expression.
Chen Shi concocted some black dog blood, hid in his room, and didn't know what he was puttering around with.
Black Dog wasn't curious about this at all, until Chen Shi took out a thick stack of talismans and then used grass rope to tie them to its four legs.
Black Dog got a fright and was about to bite the talismans off when it saw Chen Shi also tie two talismans to his own legs.
On top of these talismans was wind script, looking like the wind rolling up in curls, with the words "riding clouds" written within the wind. In the middle was Big Dipper script, and below the Big Dipper were the Six Ding Six Jia, while at the very bottom was a combination of wind script and Big Dipper script.
This was precisely the structure of the Jia Ma Talisman.
Chen Shi had crossed paths with Iron Brush Old Man and relied on his own fast speed to beat Iron Brush Old Man to death, but he had harbored great covetousness for the Jia Ma Talismans that Iron Brush Old Man and Zhao Ming used for traveling. Therefore, after his body fully recovered, he planned to test out the usage of the Jia Ma Talismans.
Chen Shi urged a wisp of soon-to-dissipate true Qi, activating the Jia Ma Talismans on Black Dog's four legs, while simultaneously activating the Jia Ma Talismans on his own legs.
"Black Dog, good things should be shared."
Chen Shi took a step forward and smiled, "This is a talisman refined using your blood, of course yours can't be left out!"
The moment he took this step, he felt a gush of fresh breeze spontaneously arise beneath his feet, and his pace actually seemed to slide outward, easily covering a distance of one zhang and six or seven!
And even more peculiarly, before his footsteps even hit the ground, another breeze arose from the soles of his feet, lifting his body. When he was three or four inches off the ground, it propelled his body forward, extremely saving of effort!
Chen Shi was both startled and delighted, taking advantage of the momentum to step out with his second stride.
This second step reached even further, approaching two zhang!
The soles of his feet walked upon the wind, actually seeming like walking on an ice surface, sliding forward without the slightest resistance. More crucially, this ice surface actually felt soft and yielding.
Added to the step he had already taken, a single stride could equal six or seven of his usual steps!
Black Dog was always steady, but seeing Chen Shi treading on the fresh breeze, sliding back and forth with astonishingly swift form, it couldn't help its playful nature flaring up either. Without another word, it opened up its four legs and charged forward.
"Whoosh—"
A streak of black light lunged forward, and a violent gale instantly rose, making a flapping and rustling sound as it blew the window lattices on both sides of Huangpo Village's street to and fro.
A thud came from afar. Chen Shi watched as Black Dog hit the earthen wall directly across the street over a hundred paces away like a cannonball.
Chen Shi got a fright and hurried forward to check, only to see the black dog desperately pulling its head out of the wall. That dog head had actually crashed a dog-head-sized hole right through the earthen wall.
The wall belonged to Old Man Zhou's family.
Old Man Zhou saw that it was the Chen family's dog that had smashed through his family's wall, but he dared to be angry without daring to speak.
Black Dog pulled out its head and shook it like a rattle-drum.
Just as Chen Shi was worrying whether it had gotten hurt, he suddenly saw the dog get excited, its four hooves kicking up wind as it roared away, treading on a wild gale.
"Woof woof woof!"
Dog barks came from afar, the sound rapidly receding.
Chen Shi hurriedly chased after it, only to see the dog stepping on the wind and running through it as if frolicking, swift as the wind and lightning. After all, it had four legs, and its speed was even faster than his!
"Whoosh!"
A sharp piercing sound came from beside Chen Shi—it was Black Dog running past. Before Chen Shi even had time to see clearly, there was another whoosh as Black Dog rushed into the village, circling round and round along Huangpo Village's ring-shaped path, startling chickens and flying dogs everywhere.
The next moment, the dog rushed out of Huangpo Village and ran into the mountain forest. Soon, the birds in the mountain all took flight, scattering in all directions, and tree after tree was swayed back and forth by the strong wind.
Worried that it might encounter danger, Chen Shi hurriedly followed after it, yet no matter what he couldn't catch up to Black Dog.
Having four legs really is faster than running on two!
Just as Chen Shi thought of this, a sudden gale blew into his face. By the time the strong wind dispersed, Black Dog had already appeared in front of him, panting with its tongue out, looking at him excitedly and frantically wagging its tail.
Before Chen Shi could figure out its intention, with another whoosh Black Dog vanished again. Suddenly, a violent gale arrived abruptly, and Black Dog appeared in front of Chen Shi once more, holding the small knife used for drawing black dog blood in its mouth. Then with another whoosh it disappeared, and when it appeared again, it was holding the inkstone in its mouth.
In just a short moment, over the course of several trips, Black Dog had carried and delivered all the items Chen Shi used for drawing talismans.
Chen Shi understood and said with a troubled expression, "Black Dog, you just had your blood drawn, and this morning Grandpa also took some when drawing talismans. Drawing too much blood in one day, your body can't handle it..."
"Woof woof!"
Black Dog excitedly yelped, jumping back and forth around him, urging Chen Shi to draw more Jia Ma Talismans. The power of the Jia Ma Talismans on its legs had already depreciated by more than half, and the effect wasn't as good as before.
Chen Shi had no choice but to comply with its wishes, drawing black dog blood, grinding cinnabar, and painting many more Jia Ma Talismans.
Black Dog went on a wild run, quickly disappearing from his field of vision. After a while, only the wailing sound of wind could be heard from far to near, at extreme speed. A fierce gale arrived abruptly, and the frolicking black dog barreled past in a frenzy.
After running wildly like this for who knows how long, Black Dog finally grew tired, yet although very exhausted, it was still high-spirited.
Chen Shi put away the remaining Jia Ma Talismans and suddenly had an idea.
Not long after, he arrived at Huangyang Village to visit his only living friend, Liu Fugui.
Liu Fugui had already recovered a lot, but for some reason this time, Liu Fugui was extremely respectful toward him, and even somewhat fearful, completely lacking the relaxed feeling of the past.
Chen Shi was disappointed and left dejectedly.
Fugui is afraid of me, he's no longer my friend. He even planned to kneel down and kowtow to me with a terrified look in his eyes; he's become just like the other kids.
Gangzi Village.
Granny Sha was a famous spirit medium in the vicinity. People in all the villages within a radius of ten li knew that Godmother could protect and bless the villagers, but Granny Sha was able to summon departed souls.
If one missed an old friend, they could come look for Granny Sha, begging her to summon the soul of the departed friend from the underworld.
There were also those whose elderly family members had died of sudden violent deaths, leaving no time to impart where their money was hidden; their families would also come looking, asking Granny Sha to summon the souls of the old folks.
There were those seeking revenge too, who still weren't pacified even after killing someone, coming to beg Granny Sha to summon the soul of their enemy for beatings, drowning, and burning, to vent the hatred in their hearts.
Today, Granny Sha was summoning souls for a woman. That woman's husband had died, and she had summoned her husband's departed soul. The woman was inquiring about remarrying matters, wanting to sell family property, marry into another village with her child, and discuss the matter of changing the child's surname with her deceased husband.
Of course, she was merely inquiring; even if the dead husband objected, he was powerless to do otherwise.
At this moment, a sliver of bright light suddenly pierced through the dark room, startling the dead husband's ghost and frightening the ghost into screaming.
Granny Sha looked over and saw a small head poking through the door crack—it was precisely Chen Shi.
Seeing Granny Sha, Chen Shi grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.
Granny Sha's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly dismissed the woman who wanted to remarry, saying, "Little Ten, why have you come? Where is your grandfather?"
She felt extremely apprehensive in her heart. Facing Chen Shi alone, she was actually somewhat afraid.
Chen Shi carried a basket, inside of which were placed some cyan duck eggs, and beneath the duck eggs were melons, fruits, peaches, and plums. He smiled and said, "Grandpa is at home, I came to bring Grandma a little local specialty from our village."
Granny Sha was immensely surprised, hurriedly taking it as she said, "Your grandfather actually cultivates and raises these things? It must have been hard on him."
"It wasn't planted or raised by Grandpa, kind neighbors gave it."
Chen Shi had a very sweet mouth, plucked a plum and offered it over, smiling as he said, "Grandma, try it, it's a bit sweet and sour!"
Granny Sha's fear of him lessened by a fraction, and she smiled. "Chen Yindu is a stubborn blockhead who never knows how to say nice things; how could he have a grandson who speaks and does things like you? It's really sweet!"
She took a bite of the plum and felt that the entry had not the slightest bit of sourness—of course the plum was still somewhat sour, but her heart was sweet.
Yet she still harbored some dread toward Chen Shi and urged him to hurry home so as to avoid the dark.
Chen Shi smiled and said, "Grandma needn't worry, I have Jia Ma Talismans tied to my legs, my speed can be very fast, I can run home in just a moment. Grandma, your water vat has no water left, I'll go fetch water for you." With that, he grabbed the water buckets and headed toward the village well.
In a short while, Chen Shi had filled Granny Sha's water vat to the brim, and furthermore helped her sweep the floor, scrub the pots and wash bowls, wash clothes, and dry clothes, being extremely attentive.
Granny Sha hurriedly called out to stop him. "Courtesy without a reason is either deceitful or stealing. Speak, what brings you to Grandma's place?"
Chen Shi wiped the water off his hands onto his buttocks, beaming with radiant joy and revealing a ingratiating expression. "Grandpa said Granny Sha cherishes and loves me the most. When I was little, you even held me, and when I was injured, you tried every possible means to summon my soul for me. This time it was also Grandma who saved me, so naturally I should be more attentive."
Granny Sha sneered. "Chen Yindu paid money, and that's why I saved you. It's a fair trade, you have no need to show me excessive attention. The way I do things, I never talk about human favors, only about trade. Speak, what on earth is the matter?"
Seeing this, Chen Shi had no choice but to state his true purpose, saying, "Grandma, near our Ganyang Mountain, are there any of those desolate mountain temples? I mean the kind that suddenly pop up from who knows where, abandoned, and with no one going to offer incense there. The older the better!"
Granny Sha's heart stirred slightly. She said, "What are you looking for a place like that for?"
----Thanks to butterfly pea flower and Pengmen Xiaoxian for the alliance leader tips, bosses are wise!
Brothers, On the Great Dao is still in its new book period, it needs everyone's further promotion and tickets, Zhai Zhu bows in gratitude~
Before you continue