Feet Swift as Horses, Palms Slay Elites

The golden mountain pressing down on Chen Shi's head wasn't a real mountain of gold, but rather a talisman transformed.

Anyone struck by this talisman would suffer over a thousand pounds of pressure. Those with slightly less strength would be crushed to death on the spot. Not only did Chen Shi withstand the immense pressure of the Mountain Moving Talisman, but his speed remained incredibly fast. He actually managed to catch up to Fu Shank, who had activated the Jia Ma Talisman, and kill him with a single blow.

Pity Fu Shank, with all his skills. His attainments in talismans were exceptionally high, and he was known as one of the two great talisman masters of Xuan Ying Prefecture, alongside the Iron Brush Old Man. Yet, he was killed before he could even unleash a tenth of his abilities!

If Chen Shi had been the same as when he fought the Iron Brush Old Man, Fu Shank could have easily crushed him. Chen Shi wouldn't even have been able to break through his Spirit Snake Talisman. But now, Chen Shi had refined true blood, and his internal organs grew stronger. He shattered the Spirit Snake Talisman and caught Fu Shank completely off guard.

As Chen Shi was sent flying backward, the Imperial Guard standing under the tree at that moment activated his shrine, and the Divine Embryo within the shrine also appeared.

The speed at which this person circulated his cultivation technique was the fastest Chen Shi had ever seen. His reaction speed was also the fastest Chen Shi had ever witnessed. Seeing Chen Shi hurtling towards him, he retreated while controlling the Divine Embryo.

In front of his Divine Embryo, a sword qi, almost invisible to the naked eye, was forming!

It was a magic spell from the Heavenly Heart Righteous Qi Art, the Zi Wu Zhan Xie Sword!

Before the sword qi could fully form, Chen Shi's back collided with him.

The Imperial Guard's internal organs vibrated violently, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he was sent flying backward uncontrollably.

"Bang!"

His body slammed into the large tree where the cicada catcher stood, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The Imperial Guard, his mouth full of blood, gritted his teeth, his face contorted in ferocity, and he urged the sword qi from his shrine forward.

He knew that after being hit by Chen Shi like this, his internal organs were shattered, and all his vitality was extinguished. But he was, after all, a seasoned warrior who had been through countless battles. Even in death, he would drag Chen Shi down with him!

Chen Shi charged forward like lightning, but as he approached, he saw the Divine Embryo in the shrine behind the Imperial Guard's head point its hand.

He immediately felt a sense of alarm and retreated with a roar without a second thought. Even carrying the thousand-pound golden mountain, his speed was still incredibly fast, like a charging elephant, cracking the ground beneath his feet.

However, the sense of danger intensified. Chen Shi couldn't see the sword qi of the Zi Wu Zhan Xie Sword, only the space in front of him vibrating rapidly, blurring his vision.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

Chen Shi's feet moved rapidly, retreating dozens of steps, about twenty to thirty yards. The sense of danger had escalated to a lethal level.

He fell backward, and a sharp whistling sound reached his ears. An invisible sword qi grazed the tip of his nose.

Still shaken, Chen Shi suddenly heard a dull thud from behind him. He turned his head to see a large tree, requiring two or three people to embrace, tilting and slowly falling by the roadside.

Although the Imperial Guard's Zi Wu Zhan Xie Sword had missed him, it had still flown three to four yards and severed the tree.

"This power..."

Chen Shi was inwardly shocked. This person hadn't even had time to unleash the full power of the magic spell, yet the sword qi was still so formidable when it flew out. If it had hit him, he would have been decapitated without a doubt.

"The Imperial Guards sent by the Zhao family to capture me are far more powerful than those from the Li family!"

He flipped over and stood up.

The cicada catcher in the tree and the fisherman by the ditch had also arrived on the road. Their reactions were extremely swift, and they were now prepared, with their shrines and Divine Embryos activated.

They stomped their feet heavily, activating the Jia Ma Talismans tied to their legs. They stepped on the wind and pursued him at extreme speed!

As they ran, they formed sword seals with their hands, and the Divine Embryos in their shrines mirrored their movements.

Chen Shi saw the air vibrating from a distance and his vision blurred again. Realizing the danger, he immediately veered sharply towards the ditch.

With a whoosh, he leaped across the ditch and landed on the other side, his legs sinking deep into the soft mud.

Chen Shi quickly pulled his legs out. Two dull thuds echoed from the road – the Zi Wu Zhan Xie Swords of the two had missed. The sword qi had gouged out marks nearly a foot deep in the incredibly hard road, kicking up clods of hard earth.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Two more invisible sword qi flew towards him. Chen Shi, enduring the thousand-pound pressure of the Mountain Moving Talisman, charged into the crops.

The field was planted with corn, a crop unique to the Western Ox Continent, which could grow as tall as one or two people, standing like a forest.

Chen Shi charged into the cornfield without hesitation, running at full speed. Large swathes of corn behind him fell flat, a result of the sword qi from the two Imperial Guards.

The two Imperial Guards also reached the ditch. As they charged, they repeatedly swung their sword seals forward. The Divine Embryos in their shrines also waved their hands repeatedly, sending streams of invisible sword qi spinning into the crop field, cutting down everything in their path!

Their feet didn't stop, and they leaped across the river. However, they didn't jump as far as Chen Shi and were about to fall into the water when a gust of wind rose beneath their feet, causing ripples on the river's surface.

They took another step forward and, without falling into the water, reached the other side.

Cornfields ahead lay flattened. They followed the fallen crops, continuing their charge, their hands still moving, unleashing the Zi Wu Zhan Xie Sword.

The sword qi from the front had not dissipated before the sword qi from behind arrived.

The sword qi crisscrossed chaotically, even colliding with each other, shattering into more fine sword qi that shot out in all directions!

They were both elite Imperial Guards brought by Zhao Yue, their strength far exceeding that of ordinary Imperial Guards, and their combat experience was extremely rich.

The two of them swept aside all opposition, chasing the golden mountain above Chen Shi's head. They continued their pursuit for several miles, yet this cornfield still hadn't ended.

Suddenly, the golden mountain that had been guiding them flickered and then disappeared.

Their hearts sank. The effect of the Mountain Moving Talisman had worn off.

The Mountain Moving Talisman could only last for two kèzhōng (a unit of time). Once the two kèzhōng were up, it would dissipate!

Now, they had lost Chen Shi's trace.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle!"

The sound of rapid running came from within the cornfield, the sound of human bodies colliding with corn leaves.

The two immediately backed to back, warily surveying their surroundings.

Rustling sounds came from all around them, as if something was running in circles, incredibly fast.

The two leaned against each other, shifting their feet, constantly turning with the sounds. They formed hand seals and continuously swung forward, sending streaks of sword energy towards the noises. However, aside from cutting down large swathes of corn, they achieved nothing.

"Get out of the cornfield!" one of them shouted.

Before the shout even finished, a figure suddenly lunged like lightning. It was short and incredibly fast. The next moment, it crashed into his chest. The Imperial Guard felt as if he'd been hit by a wild bull, involuntarily flying backward, spitting blood from his mouth.

Seeing this, the other Imperial Guard swung his sword without a second thought. However, the small, thin figure sprang up, dodging the sword energy. The Imperial Guard who had been knocked back couldn't dodge in time and was cut in half at the waist, his blood staining the cornfield.

"Lin He!"

The other Imperial Guard cried out in agony. At this moment, the rustling sounds returned from the cornfield, circling him at high speed.

The Imperial Guard knew things were bad and immediately bolted, following the path of destruction through the cornfield, heading back the way he came.

In this tall cornfield, the opponent was a child, short in stature, holding the advantage of terrain. Furthermore, the sounds of the collapsing corn revealed the direction of his magic spells, making them easy for the opponent to evade.

But once he reached the road, the culprit Chen Shi would no longer have such an advantage.

The power of the Jia Ma Talisman on his legs was still active, allowing him to move with incredible speed. He prepared his sword energy, guarding himself, ready to deliver a fatal blow no matter where Chen Shi attacked from.

At some point, the rustling sounds around him vanished, and the cornfield became eerily silent, with only the sounds of his running and his own ragged breaths remaining.

Ahead was a ditch, and across the ditch was the post road. The Imperial Guard didn't have time to think and rushed to the edge of the ditch, leaping across. Halfway through his jump, just as he was about to land in the water, he tapped the surface of the water with his foot. A gentle breeze rose, causing ripples on the river's surface.

Just as he was about to land on the other side, the river behind him erupted with a splash. Chen Shi's figure leaped out of the river, rising to the same height as him.

"He's faster than me, he got ahead of me and ambushed me in the river!"

The Imperial Guard was horrified. He turned, and Chen Shi channeled his Blood Essence. His palms instantly became as thick as bear paws, growing a size larger, and he slammed them heavily onto the Imperial Guard's ears.

"Bang!"

The Imperial Guard's brains turned to mush, and his corpse fell onto the opposite bank.

Chen Shi splashed into the water, lying on his back, gasping for air. His wildly beating heart refused to calm down.

"Tonight, I'm afraid my illness will act up again."

His heart in his chest pounded so hard it made the surface of the river tremble slightly.

After a moment, Chen Shi flipped over and swam ashore. His new clothes were soaked and covered in scratches, torn to shreds by the corn leaves.

"Grandpa bought me new clothes..."

Chen Shi was heartbroken. After catching his breath, he went to the Talisman Master Fu Shank's side and searched him carefully, finding seventy to eighty talismans of various types. Chen Shi picked out two of his own Jia Ma Talismans and put them in his sleeve.

He took off Fu Shank's upper garment, neatly folded the remaining talismans, and then took out a few taels of silver from his pocket.

Chen Shi hesitated for a moment, then returned the silver to Fu Shank.

--Grandpa had taught him not to take money from dead people casually, as the dead would rise to claim their money back at night.

Chen Shi then found the other two corpses and searched them. He found a few more talismans and some silver. He only took the talismans, leaving the silver on the bodies.

"Grandpa can sell these talismans to compensate for the damaged crops. After all, we're all neighbors. If I ruined their cornfield, I can't let them have no harvest," Chen Shi thought.

As for the Imperial Guard who had been cut in half, he didn't search him. The man had died too horribly, and he was afraid of having nightmares.

"Last night, Sanwang appeared in my dream, saying someone was coming to kill me and telling me to run. Was that dream real? How did Sanwang get into my dream?"

Chen Shi stood up straight. He thought of the long tongue that had wrapped around Sanwang's neck, and he was puzzled. "What was that long tongue in the dream? Where did it take Sanwang?"

He felt a vague sense of unease.

He remembered Grandpa telling him about the dead appearing in dreams.

He said that when people die, if they have an unresolved obsession, they would go to see their loved ones, enter their dreams, and express their reluctance to leave or say their final goodbyes and give final instructions.

"Sanwang is from Huangyang Village. Did something happen in Huangyang Village?"

Chen Shi went to the river to wash his face and tidy his clothes in the river's reflection. He noticed that the sealing talisman behind his head had also lost its power. However, his clothes were too tattered to be seen in public, so he had no choice but to return to the village.

Hei Guo tilted its head up, looking in surprise at its young master returning with murderous intent, his clothes in tatters.

These were clearly his young master's favorite clothes, bought by Grandpa just yesterday. How had he become a beggar the moment he left the house?

Chen Shi entered the house, changed into an old set of clothes, and asked, "Hei Guo, has Grandpa gone out?"

Hei Guo nodded.

Chen Shi walked outside and said, "I'm going to kill someone. Stay put, no need to get up."

Hei Guo lay on the ground, turning its head, watching its young master walk out the door.

A short while later, Chen Shi arrived outside Huangyang Village. He looked at the peaceful village from afar, taking a long breath in and a long breath out. Once his breathing was completely steady, he set off towards Huangyang Village.

"The Talisman Master Fu Shank just now said that I killed the Iron Brush Old Man, and they were ordered by Third Young Master to capture me. This Third Young Master should be the Third Young Master of the Zhao Family."

Chen Shi's face was calm as he murmured, "If Fu Shank had wanted to assassinate me, I would have been dead by now. But they captured me, probably intending to take me to see this Third Young Master Zhao."

He activated the Three Lights Righteous Qi Art, his Blood Essence flowing, nourishing his internal organs and strengthening his body.

"So, Third Young Master Zhao should still be in Huangyang Village. The one who initiated the use of burial figurines, may he have no descendants. I didn't finish the job and failed to cut the weeds by the roots. I need to fix this!"

Outside Huangyang Village, there was not a soul in sight; it was deathly silent.

Chen Shi did not enter directly from the village entrance. Instead, he went to the southwest corner of the village and climbed over the wall.

"I'll solve the problems I caused myself. I can't implicate Grandpa or the villagers!"