Above the Great Dao
Chapter 537 - 252: Visitors from the Western Capital

Chapter 537: Chapter 252: Visitors from the Western Capital

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, villagers visited each other to exchange New Year’s greetings, and Chen Shi also got up early to pay his respects to the elders in the village, offering a few auspicious words.

The young people in the village were also beaming with joy, greeting Chen Shi as "Master Jieyuan" in hopes of catching a whiff of the literary aura from the divine Wenquxing star.

— The old men and women in the village said that Chen Shi was the incarnation of the divine Wenquxing star from the heavens, which is why he was able to pass the imperial examination. There was also a rumor that on the day Chen Shi was born, his mother dreamt of an old lady chasing a group of rabbits, and one of the rabbits jumped into her belly, a clear sign of a celestial being descending to earth.

After making his rounds, Chen Shi went to light incense for his godmother and Zhu Scholar. He also invited Stone Rock Lady to offer three sticks of incense to his godmother, and incidentally, one to Zhu Scholar as well.

"This Scholar’s ghost will be bursting with the incense offerings I’ve given," remarked Stone Rock Lady.

However, after her offering, Zhu Scholar remained perfectly fine hanging on the crooked-neck tree, swaying with the wind, showing no signs of bursting.

Stone Rock Lady was surprised, "The Scholar’s ghost has some abilities."

Chen Shi then went to pay respects to his grandfather, expressing his longing.

On the second day, he brought fruits, vegetables, meat, and eggs to Granny Sha in Gangzi Village to wish her a happy new year. Granny Sha had become young and beautiful. Young men from various villages, as well as some matchmakers, crowded her doorway. Upon seeing Chen Shi, they teased, "A lad whose hair hasn’t even grown in fully wants to talk about marriage! Get out, get out!"

Chen Shi shouted sternly, and with a release of his breath, he pressed everyone to the ground before he could enter Granny Sha’s house.

Granny Sha had changed into a new set of clothes, wearing a pink cross-collared short jacket with white edges and a gold-woven horse-face skirt. She had butterfly and peach blossom hairpins in her hair and red ribbons with gold beads dangling at her temples, wrapping around her waist to make her appear slim.

Seeing this, Chen Shi thought to himself, "No wonder there are so many suitors."

Granny Sha was delighted to see him for New Year’s and chatted with him, insisting he stay for lunch. Chen Shi smiled, "Granny... Sister Sha, I still need to visit Granny Zhuang and Xuan Shan, so I won’t stay."

Granny Sha brightened up when he called her "Sister", responding with a laugh, "Good! Good! Oh, and do visit the green sheep, it’s been dead for many years, lonely and forlorn. It was always your grandfather who would go and chat with it during the New Year."

Chen Shi agreed.

Granny Sha added, "Take those people at the door with you, they’re really annoying me to death."

Chen Shi asked doubtfully, "Aren’t they here because Sister Sha lured them in? Look at the peach blossoms and butterflies in your hair, and the pink clothes you’re wearing..."

"I just want to dress up and look nice, I don’t want to be harassed with marriage proposals every single day!"

Chen Shi brought out his Nascent Soul, lifted the crowd and carried them several miles away, warning them, "That woman is transformed from a demon, and at midnight she eats humans, starting with toes, nibbling bit by bit. Am I, a Talisman Master, going to deceive you?"

The crowd scattered in panic.

Chen Shi then visited Granny Zhuang’s house. Granny Zhuang was overjoyed to have him visit for the New Year, laughing, "Little Ten, how about I stay a few days in your temple?"

Chen Shi was pleasantly surprised and quickly agreed.

Granny Zhuang packed some snacks, likely planning to eat at the small temple, and placed the incense burner in a prominent spot, expecting other villagers to come to pay her New Year’s visits, where she could receive incense offerings.

Granny Zhuang entered the temple and sat down on the shrine.

Chen Shi continued his journey to the mountaintop where Great Snake Xuan Shan resided, a mountain named after him, hence called Xuan Shan.

By now, many villagers and spirits from Qianyang Mountain had come to Xuan Shan to offer incense and kowtow in worship.

Many mountain spirits had also arrived. At the beginning of the New Year, it was a custom in Qianyang Mountain to pay respects to Xuan Shan.

In Qianyang Mountain, among humans, spiritual beasts, and mountain spirits, life and death took their course, but only Xuan Shan stood eternally unshaken. In the hearts of spiritual beings, Xuan Shan was divine, so they entrusted all their beautiful wishes to him and therefore came to worship.

Chen Shi made incense offerings to Great Snake Xuan Shan, and then Black Pot Xuan Shan descended from the top of his head, asking, "Little Ten, I heard you once captured Granny Zhuang and put her in your small temple to aid your cultivation. Is this true?"

Chen Shi’s heart raced, his mouth dry, and he stiffly admitted, "It’s true."

He inwardly lamented, for with Granny Zhuang inside his temple to assist with his cultivation, Xuan Shan had caught him red-handed!

Black Pot Xuan Shan remained silent.

Chen Shi felt uneasy but said nothing.

Black Pot Xuan Shan wondered, "Why hasn’t he caught me yet?"

After a moment, Chen Shi felt an overwhelming pressure that nearly left him breathless. Just as he was about to release Granny Zhuang, Black Pot Xuan Shan asked, "Why haven’t you captured me to enter the small temple for cultivation?"

Chen Shi was taken aback.

Black Pot Xuan Shan repeated the question.

Only then did Chen Shi fully understand and timidly replied, "I wouldn’t dare. Besides, the temple is already full..."

"Full?"

Black Pot Xuan Shan seemed surprised for a moment and then stepped into the small temple behind him. Granny Zhuang and Stone Rock Lady were sitting on the shrine, and another shrine was occupied by a black dog sitting cross-legged, solemnly engaged in some profound cultivation technique.

Black Pot Xuan Shan’s expression darkened, indeed it was full.

He could have driven Granny Zhuang and Black Pot off their shrines, but he could not budge Stone Rock Lady — but wouldn’t that be bullying the good and fearing the evil?

At that moment, Black Pot opened his eyes, jumped down from the shrine, and patted the shrine, signaling that Xuan Shan could sit there.

Black Pot Xuan Shan paused, watching the dog briskly leave the temple and enter an empty black sandy space outside, which spanned about an acre.

The dog leapt gracefully, disappearing from the small temple and reappearing outside.

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