Above the Great Dao
Chapter 501 - 237: Fuzheng Pavilion, Merit Officer (Seeking Votes at the Beginning of the Month)

Chapter 501: Chapter 237: Fuzheng Pavilion, Merit Officer (Seeking Votes at the Beginning of the Month)

Saintess Xuan raised the Tathagata Treasure Seal to smash at the back of Bai Li Mu’s head, while Chen Shi aimed his spear at the front, flicking it into position, their coordination seamless and flawless, a spectacle of extraordinary finesse.

Chen Shi leaned on his pen-shaft spear, his heart pounding wildly. It took a moment for him to steady his breath.

Saintess Xuan’s heart was also racing, as she worked earnestly to calm her mind.

Chen Shi gradually evened out his breathing and looked at Saintess Xuan with a slight frown.

He had been prepared to risk his life battling Bai Li Mu’s Primordial Spirit when, unexpectedly, Saintess Xuan intervened on his behalf.

If it hadn’t been for the Tathagata Treasure Seal striking Bai Li Mu’s Primordial Spirit from behind, it would still be uncertain whose prey Bai Li Mu would have turned out to be. Chen Shi estimated that Bai Li Mu would have had the greater chance of victory, unless Bai Li Mu possessed him, only then would he stand a chance.

After all, the gap between them was too great.

Saintess Xuan noticed his gaze and defensively grabbed the Tathagata Treasure Seal.

She broke the silence first, "Chen Shi, my aid to you is not a betrayal of the young master, but self-preservation. I killed Bai Li Mu because if I didn’t, I would have died. Our opposition to each other remains unchanged."

Chen Shi nodded lightly, retrieved the Youquan Wandering Dragon Sword that had fallen to the ground, and stored it in the small temple behind his head along with the Dragon Whisker Pen.

Saintess Xuan thought he had shrunk these two treasures and stuffed them into his ears.

She had read a book called "Journey to the West," in which a monkey named Sun Wukong did just that.

"Grow," she whispered under her breath.

Chen Shi’s head did not explode with a pop as she anticipated, which left her slightly disappointed.

Chen Shi glanced at her, and considering she had saved his life, he suppressed the impulse to knee her in the abdomen and continued to search Bai Li Mu’s body for valuables.

However, Bai Li Mu was so shattered that only his head and legs remained intact; anything valuable on him had either been blasted apart or flung far away, nowhere to be found.

Unable to locate anything of value, Chen Shi gathered up the scattered fragments of the Mysterious Transformation Furnace.

"Grow," Saintess Xuan murmured again.

Chen Shi glanced at her, clenched his fist tightly, then after a moment, slowly unclenched it.

She had, after all, done him a favor. How could he deliver a killing blow?

He continued to sort through the fragments.

These pieces, imprinted with numerous talismans that had been branded over many years, were very valuable despite the damage; they couldn’t reform a complete Mysterious Transformation Furnace, but the remaining parts were worth a lot.

Taking them back to the Lu Ban Sect to study could prove useful. Even if useless, he could have Shao Jing sell them for plenty of silver.

Saintess Xuan observed him carefully and whispered again, "Grow..."

Damn the favor!

With a whoosh, Chen Shi charged in like the wind, raising his hefty thigh and sharpening his lower leg like a blade, ready to slash her neck.

Saintess Xuan, startled, stumbled and fell to the ground.

Chen Shi snorted, retracting his descending right leg, and returned to collecting the fragments.

Saintess Xuan watched him nervously, gripping the Tathagata Treasure Seal, ready to use it if he dared to approach.

Even if she couldn’t defeat Chen Shi, she’d use the seal to take her own life rather than face his humiliation.

Chen Shi had no intention of humiliating her; he focused solely on gathering all the treasures he could find and retrieved a small box about an inch square from his sleeve. Opening the box, he placed the Mysterious Transformation Furnace fragments inside.

Saintess Xuan’s eyes widened in astonishment; Chen Shi’s tiny box was only an inch square while the Mysterious Transformation Furnace was seven feet high and nine feet wide. Such a small box could contain the Mysterious Transformation Furnace!

"A single flower is a world, a single leaf is a Tathagata."

She couldn’t help but say, "The Dharma King moves freely, ever-changing, fitting Mount Sumeru into a mustard seed, hiding the sun and moon beneath the lotus. The Buddhist sect, too, has such Divine Skills. (Extracted from the Extensive Brightness Collection)"

"This has been passed down in my family," said Chen Shi.

Saintess Xuan blinked, family heirlooms that could compare with the powers of the Buddhist?

Chen Shi finished packing up, and Saintess Xuan couldn’t help but ask, "What are you collecting these for?"

Chen Shi sat on a stone to rest, stored away the small box, and said, "I was scared of being poor when I was a child, always wanting to earn more money. These can be sold for quite a sum."

Saintess Xuan saw that his tongue hadn’t flown out and asked in confusion, "Do you need money that badly?"

Chen Shi shook his head and said, "I used to. I’d wish I could split a copper coin in two to make it last. It was after I suppressed the Taiping Sect under the young master and struggled greatly before deciding to take their money that I began to have any."

His sincerity left Saintess Xuan somewhat unaccustomed.

"I have heard of this matter."

Saintess Xuan thought for a moment, then said, "People from the Fuzheng Pavilion mentioned it to me, saying you coveted the Taiping Sect’s wealth, killed all of its members, took the young master’s money, and even stole his Resurrection Lotus."

Chen Shi sat there, waiting quietly for the dawn, his eyes deep and profound.

"They deserved to be looted; the Taiping Sect deserved to be killed. The Taiping Sect bought many kidnapped boys and girls from the Tianlao Society, making them go to the underworld to steal the Resurrection Lotus. The Resurrection Lotus was nurtured by powerful figures of the underworld, guarded by ghostly spirits, and many little boys and girls died."

Chen Shi rubbed his fingertips as if they could wash away the bloodstains, "The oldest among them were about my age. Even if they hadn’t died in the underworld, the invasion of yin energy would not have let them live long. After I destroyed the Taiping Sect, I cured their diseases, gave them some money, and sent them home."

Saintess Xuan frowned slightly and said, "The young master may not know about this. When I go back, I will ask him to investigate."

Chen Shi replied, "It would be best for the young master to check the Tianlao Society. The Tianlao Society trafficking people was also part of the young master’s business."

Indignant, Saintess Xuan couldn’t help but snap, "You’re slandering!"

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