Above the Great Dao
Chapter 141 - 82 I Am But a Commoner_2

Chapter 141: Chapter 82 I Am But a Commoner_2

"Sir!"

From behind, a flurry of footsteps followed, prompting Chen Shi to halt and gaze back. He saw the private tutor leading a crowd, hastening down the mountain, some slipping and tumbling bloodily.

Despite their injuries, they did not stop, clutching their soiled clothes from getting further dirty and hurrying towards Chen Shi.

The private tutor, arriving a few paces in front of Chen Shi, stopped promptly and bowed deeply with folded hands, asking, "Sir, was it you who vanquished the evil spirit from Black Mountain?"

His demeanor was fervent; although astonished by Chen Shi’s young age, he still followed proper etiquette.

Chen Shi nodded, "Yes, it was I who killed it."

"Benefactor above, please accept our bow!"

The tutor knelt hastily and bowed solemnly out of respect, followed by all the cultivators and students behind him.

Chen Shi was taken aback and quickly set down the red beam he carried, reaching out to help them up, saying, "Please, get up fast! What is this for? I’m but a child, how can I accept your bowing? You’re overwhelming me!"

"Benefactor, our region of Black Mountain, with eighteen villages and one town, a population of four thousand six hundred, has suffered the tyranny and torment of Granny Black Mountain for far too long! The pain is unspoken,"

A senior cultivator said chokingly, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Years ago, we tried to rid ourselves of the evil, ascending Black Mountain to slay the spirit, but she killed so many. We also sought others to confront her, but they too were killed! The spirit mastered malicious sorcery, her head like a black hole, swallowing all. Anyone who disobeyed or dissatisfied her was either devoured or left half-dead to feed the rats. We’ve deeply suffered at her hands, unable to rebel, and the authorities disregarded us. Fortunately, you, Benefactor, nobly, eliminated this fiend!"

As they spoke, everyone’s indignation towards Granny Black Mountain’s atrocities swelled visibly.

Clearly, Granny Black Mountain had indeed acted so heinously to provoke fury among the heavens and hatred among the people.

The tutor said, "Benefactor, please leave your name, so we may extol your noble deed and erect a shrine for you to be worshipped day and night!"

Chen Shi’s expression shifted slightly.

Then, many villagers having heard the news, also came running to kneel, bowing their heads and begging, "Please, Benefactor, leave your name so that we may show our gratitude for your noble deeds day and night!"

Chen Shi’s expression changed drastically, and without explanation, he too knelt down, knocking his forehead to the ground several times, "Please don’t bow to me. I cannot bear it. I came to slay Granny Black Mountain, not out of nobility but because I misspoke and implicated a friend to his death. So, I came to seek vengeance on his behalf, to appease his spirit in heaven! What I did was not for you; it has nothing to do with you! For every bow you make, I shall return!"

He knocked his head to the ground with force.

Seeing this, everyone exchanged glances, not daring to bow any longer.

Chen Shi got to his feet and wiped the dirt from his forehead, "Nightfall approaches, please return home to avoid the evil spirit’s grasp. I, too, must go home as I have pressing matters tomorrow. Farewell!"

The tutor quickly said, "Benefactor, you’ve shown us great kindness; why refuse our offering?"

Chen Shi shook his head, "My grandfather told me not to be confined by morality. If I do good and others call me good, and I gladly accept it, then in the future, everyone will expect me to live up to a good person’s moral standards. They’ll expect me not to vie for my interest, to endanger myself and be unable to refuse. I’m a mundane person—occasionally doing good but not pretending to be virtuous. So when these situations arise, they must be made clear."

"Furthermore," my grandfather said, "let go of moral burdens and enjoy an immoral life; don’t put moral pressure on yourself."

Chen Shi earnestly said to the crowd, "I’m not a good person; I simply came for revenge—don’t regard me as good! Don’t build a shrine for me; don’t worship me! If I find out, I’ll smash your temple!"

Stunned, the private tutor watched him carry the red beam away with a dog trailing behind.

After a long while, he finally came to his senses.

"With such youth, to possess such bravery, to enter the mountain alone to kill Granny Black Mountain, truly his courage is unparalleled in the world."

The tutor sighed, saying, "It’s just a shame he’s so contrary, refusing our offerings and worship."

He had ascended the mountain earlier and seen the trail of carnage left by Chen Shi. Arriving at the temple of Granny Black Mountain and finding nothing but ruins and the shattered remains of the Black God Statue, he was understandably shocked.

He had doubted Chen Shi was the one to kill so many rats and conquer Granny Black Mountain. First thinking Chen Shi was merely a disciple of some great master upon encountering him on the road, but not meeting such a master on the mountaintop had confirmed Chen Shi was responsible for the sweeping victory.

He had hurried with the crowd to meet him, unprepared for Chen Shi’s refusal of their gratitude.

A student asked, "Teacher, he says he was avenging someone, not intending to rid us of the menace—should we still be grateful?"

"Of course, we should," he replied.

The private tutor said solemnly, "With the removal of Black Mountain Granny, is it to the benefit of the 4,600 people of our eighteen villages and one town?"

The student nodded.

The private tutor asked, "Does it allow us not to be oppressed by evil spirits, not to make offerings every month, not to sacrifice boys and girls to Black Mountain Granny every year? Does it free us from the oppression of lowly creatures?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The private tutor said, "As the saying goes, a gentleman is judged by his actions, not his heart. Though he lacks the heart of a gentleman, he follows the path of one. We need not concern ourselves with the reasons for his arrival, just whether his deeds are good or evil. To treat others in such a balanced way is the mean."

The crowd all affirmed his words.

Then the student asked, "Then, should we still build a temple for him during his lifetime?"

"There’s no need. Since he is our benefactor and does not wish us to build a temple in his honor, why should we insist on doing something that would displease our benefactor?"

The private tutor signaled for everyone to hurry back to the village, saying, "Since that is the case, let us remember his kindness. When the benefactor needs help, lend a hand and repay his kindness. Everyone, night is falling, let’s head back quickly!"

On the other side, Chen Shi arrived at the Mountain Lord Temple, placed down the vermillion beam, paid his respects to the Mountain Lord’s shrine, and immediately descended the mountain to return home.

As soon as he got home, he saw the sun closing its eyes in the sky, and the moon growing brighter.

Nowadays, seeing the moon during the day had become commonplace, and he gradually got used to it.

The moon was the same.

During the day, it seemed open but not quite so; come nighttime, it would stare wide and round.

Outside the village, a hundred evils roamed the night; recently, each evening had been as raucous as a festival.

With the wet nurse of Huangpo Village injured and the Divine Tree left bare, these evil spirits wanted to seize the opportunity to break into the village for a feast.

Despite the injury of Huangpo Village’s wet nurse, she was not to be taken lightly; after several disruptions, the evil spirits, having been beaten black and blue, were still loath to leave.

Chen Shi returned home to brew and stew his medicine.

The Black Pot told Chen Shi not to prepare dinner for it, as it had already had its fill of mice for the day.

Chen Shi dared not sleep all night, continually invoking the Three Lights Righteous Qi, stepping on the Big Dipper, diligently practicing and cultivating.

Today, he had killed so many grey-robed mice and elder mice, and had done away with Black Mountain Granny, so he feared he might fall ill at night.

Contrary to his expectations, the night passed peacefully. There was no unusual activity from the green ghost hand on his chest, and he safely made it through the night.

Chen Shi was bewildered.

Under the big tree at the entrance to the Chen family’s home, Granny Sha was similarly astonished.

There was also a green sheep under the tree, cocking its hoof as it looked towards Chen Shi’s room, and said with confusion, "Granny, didn’t you say he would fall ill after consuming souls? He has killed so many demon cultivators and evil spirits, devoured so many souls, why hasn’t he fallen ill?"

Granny Sha wore a worried expression, with wrinkles on her face almost forming a ’sorrow’ character, and said, "How should I know? Killing people and eating souls, one would fall ill that very night; that’s what Chen Yindou told me! Who would have thought it wasn’t accurate?"

The man with curly beard stroked his own beard, pondering, "The one who ate the souls was another evil spirit, while the one suffering from the illness was the green ghost hand. They are not one and the same. Could this be the reason?"

"Very likely!"

The green sheep suggested, "But I think it’s better to ask Chen Yindou directly, just to be sure. Granny, can you summon Chen Yindou?"

Granny Sha hesitated for a moment, then replied, "It’s worth a try! Wait here."

— Ending of a 4,000-character mega-Chapter, seeking your monthly ticket!

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