Above the Great Dao
Chapter 380 - 188 Chen Shi Achieves Success

Chapter 380: Chapter 188 Chen Shi Achieves Success

Above the Min River, the water shimmered with waves like white scales, layer upon layer, making the Min River resemble a great dragon, its waves akin to the dragon’s scales.

A painted boat floated on the river, moving quickly as the Wind Talisman stirred the breeze, rounding the sails.

The boat girl, cracking sunflower seeds, smiled at Chen Shi and Li Tianqing.

Chen Shi, smiling, asked, "Are the seeds tasty?"

"Try some!" the boat girl scooped up a handful and brought them to him.

Li Tianqing hurriedly tugged at Chen Shi’s sleeve.

They were two escapees from the underworld.

Could their sunflower seeds be edible?

Still, Chen Shi accepted the seeds, cracked one, and tasted its five-spice flavor, further enhanced by orange peel through stir-frying. It was crispy and fragrant with a refreshing hint of orange peel, soothing the throat unlike other seeds that could dry it out.

"Are they tasty?" the boat girl asked with a smile.

"Tasty," Chen Shi praised. "Why did you and your father flee the River of Forgetfulness?"

Li Tianqing’s heart leapt to his throat, cursing inwardly. Was this really a topic to bring up?

When they had reached the ferry dock on the Min River and seen the painted boat, Chen Shi insisted on boarding their boat. Reluctantly, Li Tianqing had complied but never expected Chen Shi to broach such a subject after boarding!

Several other scholars on the boat, also had failed their imperial examinations and were returning to Xinxiang. With many cultivators from the Cao Elder Association dead, including the Hall Master, and few boats on the River Min, they had no choice but to return to Xinxiang on this painted boat.

Laughing, the boat girl said, "What else could it be? We couldn’t survive there any longer. Someone caused havoc in the underworld again and again, not just once or twice, and even abducted someone’s soul. We, being responsible, would face a dead end staying in the underworld, so we had to flee."

Chen Shi blinked and asked, "Who would dare wreak havoc in the underworld? Also, has the abducted soul been found?"

"It has been found."

The boat girl continued to crack seeds, though there was only the husk left between her teeth, yet she still smiled at Chen Shi, "The underworld is currently unstable. Lord Qingtian has disappeared. Even if we find the soul, what good will it do? If we were to return, who would vindicate my father and me? So we just drag it out."

She looked at Chen Shi as if she loathed the shell of the sunflower seed, cracking it over and over.

Chen Shi casually chatted, curious, "Where has Lord Qingtian gone? Was he plotted against, usurped, or just lost?"

"I don’t know," she sighed, troubled. "Many are searching for him..."

The boatman coughed, and the boat girl abruptly stopped discussing the matter.

Chen Shi looked toward the shore, noticing many odd figures with large ears fluttering, flying while jotting down notes, seemingly recording events on the boat.

"Heaven Listeners!"

Chen Shi grew solemn, "Were these Heaven Listeners spying on me or the fugitive spirits?" freēNovelFire.com

Among these Heaven Listeners were some familiar faces who had appeared near the headquarter of Red Mountain Hall previously.

Their ears functioned like wings, their bodies hung down like small bean sprouts, yet were agile enough to fly over the river and even mountains.

They could even write or draw in their notebooks while flying.

These creatures were quite annoying, yet killing them would only attract more Heaven Listeners.

The boat girl turned her gaze back, chuckling, "At the mouth of Min River leading to the sea, a massive dismembered limb surfaced recently, two to three miles long and incredibly thick, with scales larger than our boat hanging from it, attracting many onlookers. We went too, and each scale imprisoned numerous souls of the dead."

Chen Shi pondered internally, "Could it be the sea whisperer injured by the goddess Mazu?"

He referred to the nauseous Sea Demon as the sea whisperer. Despite its immense power, it had been grievously wounded by Mazu and had to flee.

He had not expected Mazu’s strike to sever one of its limbs!

"Could you take us to see it at the river mouth leading to the sea?"

Chen Shi offered, "I’ll pay extra!"

The boat girl chuckled, "We know you have money, but unfortunately, you’re too late. A Taoist came by and took it away. You’d find nothing there."

Chen Shi internally sighed.

Such a formidable being, and owning even just a piece of its scale would have been incredibly valuable.

He cracked sunflower seeds, chatting idly with the boat girl. They peacefully reached the vicinity of Xinxiang where she docked the boat. After paying the fare, Chen Shi and the Xinxiang scholars disembarked, waving goodbye to the boat girl.

They boarded a wooden cart and headed toward Qianyang Mountain.

Li Tianqing remarked, "That father-daughter duo from the boat, they’re mostly targeting you. Little Ten, you better stay away from them!"

Chen Shi laughed, "Maybe they’re looking for someone else. Perhaps someone else’s soul was rescued long ago, and they just happened to be the underworld spirits guarding him."

Li Tianqing argued, "How could it be such a coincidence?"

Chen Shi guffawed and patted his shoulder, "What else? Can you fight them, or can I? If they wanted to harm me, they would have done so already, why would they wait to act on the boat?"

Li Tianqing admired him immensely and laughed, "You’re quite composed. You can’t participate in the imperial examinations this time. What are your plans after returning home?"

Chen Shi melancholically replied, "I’ll buy various herbs to supervise your alchemy. Then sell the Spirit Pills and become a landowner."

Li Tianqing’s face darkened.

The wooden cart entered Qianyang Mountain, and Chen Shi looked back, seeing Heaven Listeners fluttering their ears, following them and documenting whatever they discussed.

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