Above the Great Dao
Chapter 235 - 126 The Gentleman Does Not Overstep Bounds_2

Chapter 235: Chapter 126 The Gentleman Does Not Overstep Bounds_2

"When will Madam Hua attend the Independent gathering?" Chen Shi asked.

"I’ve healed from my injuries, I will leave today."

Madam Hua took a deep look at him, suppressing her desire to abduct Chen Shi, thinking to herself, "After all, he is the grandson of Chen Yindou. Chen Yindou in the underworld surely wouldn’t want me to cut his hard-saved grandson into pieces, would he? After all, we once had a romance..."

She glanced at the incense burning in front of the Stele of Stone Rock Lady, seeing that it was almost burnt out, she immediately stood up, pushed an envelope toward Chen Shi, and said, "This contains an invitation to the Independent gathering. There is a map on the invitation, and if you decide, you can reach the marked location on the map before June 7 to participate in the Independent gathering."

She handed the lute to Dingding, spoke faintly, "A decade ago, you were already a member of the Independents. This year, it’s your second time as an Independent and the first time for your rebirth. Be careful not to let Creation Little Five catch and eat you. Dingding, let’s go."

Dingding quickly packed the lute and was about to follow her down the earth slope when suddenly, tears welled up, she turned around, threw herself in front of Chen Shi, held the young man’s face, and pressed her lips hard against his, leaving Chen Shi gasping for breath.

Unable to break free, Chen Shi wondered whether he should punch her liver or twist her head to make her look at her own ass, but Dingding had already let go of him and turned around, running away like a little sparrow.

Chen Shi was dumbfounded.

He heard the girl, both shy and proud, wave at him from a distance, "Young master, I’ll wait for you to grow up! I’ll only wait until you’re of age!"

Chen Shi waved his hand in confusion, thinking, "Wait for me to be of age? How strange."

His cheeks flushed red, feeling some emotions stirring within him, as if tender green sprouts were about to burst through.

But then he thought of Creation Little Five, and his heart immediately toughened, and he crushed the budding sprouts.

"Where could grandpa have possibly hidden Creation Little Five?"

His eyes flickered, recalling the words of Xiaozheng of Xinxiang, who said they had entered the Stone Ship and found the talisman formation left by his grandfather before the Stone Rock Lady.

Many had died after they entered the formation!

Why had his grandfather left a talisman formation on the Stone Ship?

"There are two most dangerous places on Qianyang Mountain, one is the True King’s Tomb, and the other is the Stone Ship. The peril of the True King’s Tomb goes without saying, but even I did not know the Stone Ship existed."

Chen Shi murmured to himself, "Grandfather took me to the True King’s Tomb, the kiln, but never the Stone Ship as if he didn’t want me to know about the ship in the mountain. That said, Creation Little Five might indeed be suppressed on the Stone Ship. The experts from the Xia Family who entered the mountain just now are probably headed there..."

His expression fluctuated, thinking if Creation Little Five was indeed suppressed on the Stone Ship, then these people might break the seal and release Creation Little Five!

"Xiaozheng does not believe they can break through the talisman formation left by my grandpa, but if Creation Little Five is hidden beneath the talisman formations, and most of the formation’s power is used to suppress Little Five, their impact might very well free this Evil Spirit!"

Chen Shi set aside these distractions and continued to study the Creation Treasure Book left by his grandfather.

"Xiaozheng and I had a deal. I help him decipher the talisman formation, and he promised me an artifact from the ship. But, I only agreed to explore the Stone Ship with him, I never agreed to disrupt the talisman formation left by my grandfather! If the talisman formation is destroyed, then I will help repair it," he thought silently.

In the following days, several groups of people passed by Huangpo Village and went into the mountain, likely also experts headed for the Stone Ship.

Some, upon seeing the yellow earth slope and Chen Shi on top, tried to climb up the slope, but often, after taking a few steps, they couldn’t help but kneel down with a thump.

"The West Capital Butcher is impressive, indeed!"

An elder intervened, helped them back on their feet, and continued upward, hands behind his back, only to feel an incomparable pressure before even reaching the top.

"West Capital Butcher, truly admirable."

The elder, recognizing the difficulty, led his group to leave.

"Black Pot, climbing up the earth slope is like competing with my grandfather, isn’t it?"

Chen Shi speculated on his intentions, speaking to Black Pot, "But, this yellow earth slope has nothing to do with my grandfather. Who is he competing with?"

However, four or five groups of experts passed by Huangpo Village, all likely to be strong figures entering the mountain from other places!

Chen Shi couldn’t help but worry if the seal left by his grandfather would be broken, his heart in turmoil.

That day, Li Xiaozheng arrived at Huangpo Village, accompanied by a somewhat emaciated youth dressed in blue and white, his face slightly pale—it was Li Tianqing.

Li Xiaozheng stared at the loess slope in front of him, unlike other masters who would go up the slope to challenge, he stood at the bottom of the slope with a smile and said, "Chen Shi, it’s time for us to set off."

Chen Shi packed up his things, placed his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone in the book chest, shouldered the chest, and carried the desk downstairs, saying, "Give me a moment to prepare."

Li Xiaozheng nodded gently.

Chen Shi probed, "Lord Li, don’t you want to go up the slope to take a look?"

Li Xiaozheng slowly shook his head, "I don’t want to."

Carrying the desk, Chen Shi walked toward the village; Li Tianqing quickly followed him and said, "Fourth Uncle, let me help him pack up."

Li Xiaozheng watched the two youths walk away, then withdrew his gaze and looked at the slope in front of him.

He hesitated slightly, lifted his foot gently, as if he too wanted to test how far he could actually go.

"Tianqing, do you think your Fourth Uncle will go up the slope?" Chen Shi asked quietly as he walked.

Li Tianqing shook his head and said, "Fourth Uncle definitely won’t go up the slope. He is like a ruler; every step he takes is equally spaced, and he always wears the same color combinations, owning dozens of identical outfits and shoes. Look at his hairstyle; it is never changed. Such a person, with an immensely steadfast heart, will never overstep the rules he sets for himself!"

Chen Shi arrived under the village’s Divine Tree, set down the book chest and desk, offered incense to the tree, then climbed up the Divine Tree and chuckled, "Then let’s wait and see if he will overstep the rules!"

Li Tianqing, driven by a competitive spirit, also offered incense to the tree, climbed up, and chuckled, "What if he doesn’t break the rules? What will you lose to me?"

Chen Shi thought for a moment and said, "I’ll lose a silver to you."

Li Tianqing looked troubled and said, "I don’t get much allowance each month; I can’t bet that much. How about I wash your clothes for a month instead? My mother is a laundress at the Li Family, and I helped her wash clothes when I was young; I can wash them really clean."

Chen Shi scratched his head and smiled, "A month is too long; let it be five days."

Li Tianqing agreed.

The two peered in secret, only to see Li Xiaozheng standing at the base of the loess slope, hesitant to move.

After a moment, just as Li Tianqing was about to speak, Li Xiaozheng suddenly set foot on the slope and began walking upwards!

Li Tianqing was dumbfounded, not knowing what to make of it.

"Tianqing, five days of laundry!"

Chen Shi laughed and slid down from the tree, Li Tianqing hurriedly jumped down and quickly followed him, saying, "Don’t worry, I never go back on my word. But, why would such a disciplined person as Fourth Uncle go up the slope?"

He really didn’t understand.

Chen Shi chuckled, "My grandfather said, the more disciplined a person is, the greater the desires hidden in his heart. A true Cultivator can suppress those desires, but Lord Li doesn’t seem like a true Cultivator. When no one is around, that’s when his desires peak."

Li Tianqing found this very reasonable, helped him carry the desk indoors, then went to gather dirty clothes for washing.

Chen Shi opened the eastern wing, returned the Treasure Book to its place, packed a few days’ change of clothes into the book chest, and prepared some dry food and medicinal herbs.

He thought for a moment, took the West King Jade Seal, and hid the precious seal in his sleeve.

Suddenly, a rolling thunder sound came from afar, Chen Shi, carrying the book chest, left the room and looked up, only to see a rosy light arising in Qianyang Mountain, exactly in the direction of the Stone Ship!

"I hope Creation Little Five doesn’t come out."

They headed outside the village, where Li Xiaozheng was already waiting at the village gate, and the three of them, along with a dog, immediately entered the mountain, rushing towards the Great Ming Treasure Ship.