A chill wind blew in, carrying a heavy scent of blood, and with a whoosh, it entered the Zhao family’s courtyard, heading straight for Chen Shi’s bedroom.
Grandfather uttered a soft sound of surprise, initially thinking the wronged soul had come for him, but it turned out to be for Chen Shi.
In his sleep, Chen Shi suddenly saw San Wang from Huangyang Village approaching him head-on, his hair disheveled and his face covered in blood, who cried out, "Noble sir, flee quickly, they are coming to kill you! I tried to stop them, but I couldn’t hold them back, I can only come and warn you! Hurry and go—"
Before he could finish, a long tongue suddenly shot out of the darkness, wrapped around San Wang’s neck with a whoosh, and dragged him into the abyss.
Chen Shi was startled and woke from his sleep, glancing around, full of confusion.
"This dream felt so real, as if San Wang truly visited. It’s truly bizarre..."
He lay back down, unable to sleep for a while, and thought of the slender tongue wrapped around San Wang’s neck, and couldn’t help but laugh, "Indeed, anything can happen in dreams; they don’t make sense."
It wasn’t long before he fell asleep again.
Chen Shi woke up early in the morning, washed up, had breakfast, went out to pay respect to his godmother, and then sought Zhu Xiucai’s guidance on ancient texts, before heading towards Gangzi Village.
He was bound for Mountain Lord Temple today; although he had already exchanged his true blood, he had yet to refine the Five Organs Truth into a Holy Embryo Body. Cultivating at Mountain Lord Temple was much faster than at home.
As Chen Shi walked on the road, he saw two people wearing bamboo hats fishing by the roadside, one on the left and one on the right, staring intently at the water surface.
"There are no fish in these waters," he kindly reminded them.
"What’s it to you?" One of the fishermen retorted rudely.
Chen Shi didn’t pay him any mind and continued walking, only to see a Cicada Catcher in the trees, standing on a high branch with a net in hand, while someone below watched anxiously, fearing the one above might fall.
Just then, one of the fishermen exclaimed excitedly, "I’ve got one!"
Chen Shi turned back to look, wondering, "Could there really be fish? Didn’t I empty this ditch of fish a while ago?"
Recently, being very hungry, he had searched everywhere for food, not leaving even a loach in the ditches.
Just as Chen Shi turned around, his body suddenly tightened violently, followed by what felt like the weight of mountains pressing upon him, making his bones creak!
The laughing voice of the Cicada Catcher came from above, and the man standing below also laughed, saying, "I’ve got one too!"
Chen Shi was startled and looked down at his body, only to see strands of golden light wrapped around him like cords as thick as fingers, covered with scales, coiling around him more than a dozen times, binding his hands and feet, preventing him from exerting any strength.
Looking up, he saw above his head the phantom of a golden mountain, glimmering and pressing down on the crown of his head, it was this mountain that caused his bones to creak!
Behind him was a large tortoiseshell shield, also composed of golden light, sealing off the back of his head, attempting to block his divine niche and prevent him from mobilizing his cultivation.
In front of one of the fishermen floated a burning piece of talisman paper, from which emerged a powerful burst of golden light, swirling and moving like a golden serpent.
In front of the Cicada Catcher on the tree was another burning talisman showing a mountainous shape.
In front of the person below floated a talisman inscribed with shield patterns, also burning.
"Spirit Snake Talisman! Moving Mountain Talisman! Sealing Talisman!" Chen Shi recognized the three talismans.
These three talisman papers he had learned from his grandfather, but belonged to the combat category, which his grandfather rarely drew. What they often sold were talismans to dispel evil spirits and avoid calamities.
"Is it this kid who killed Iron Pen Elder and Zhao the housekeeper?"
Another fisherman dropped his fishing rod, took off his bamboo hat, and came directly in front of Chen Shi, looked him up and down with doubt, and said, "I thought he’d have three heads and six arms, but it turns out he’s just a little brat. Iron Pen Elder was an old hand in the jianghu, how could he have been killed by him?"
He couldn’t help shaking his head, "The Third Young Master had us disguise ourselves and ambush him here; it really was too cautious."
Chen Shi panicked in his heart, "My crime has been discovered, they are from the official authorities, they’ll catch me and behead me... Wait a minute, I still have two Armored Horse Talismans! I can escape!"
Just as he had this thought, the fisherman in front of him frisked him, found the two Armored Horse Talismans, and tucked them into his chest.
"Could this kid be a Talisman Master?"
The fisherman grew even more puzzled, "Which Talisman Master doesn’t carry dozens or hundreds of talismans on them? Yet he only has two Armored Horse Talismans. Is he really the one who killed Iron Pen Elder? Iron Pen Elder’s strength was immense, not inferior to me. How could he have been killed by him?"
The other three, all Jin Yiwei of the Zhao family, flattered in succession, "Among the Talisman Masters, Fu Shanke ranks even above Iron Pen Elder. With Fu Shanke making a move, surely we will capture him with ease."
Hearing these words, Fu Shanke felt quite pleased with himself and laughed, "I’ve made my place in the Xuanying Mansion of the Zhao family through real ability, not like Iron Pen Elder and those of his kind who only know how to curry favor."
He had just finished speaking when suddenly, from Chen Shi’s body, a sound like a torrential flood crashed into his ears, as if rushing waters were surging inside Chen Shi’s body.
Fu Shanke’s eyes widened; the small-framed Chen Shi swiftly grew taller, stretching the golden Spirit Snake wrapped around him tighter and tighter, the space between each scale widening!
Fu Shanke’s complexion changed dramatically; with a loud pop, the Spirit Snake Talisman’s golden snake broke apart inch by inch, splattering red cinnabar in all directions.
"My Spirit Snake Talisman is destroyed! Such strength! Could this kid actually be a human-shaped evil spirit?"
Fu Shanke remained calm amidst the danger, stepping back with a breeze emerging under his feet, lifting his body and sliding back more than a yard away.
At the same time, a Protective Talisman flew out of his left sleeve, bursting with Divine Power.
Another talisman also flew from his right sleeve, which he clenched in his hand, namely a Warrior Talisman.
He reacted with composure, the Armored Horse Talisman under his feet, the Six Ding Six Jia Talisman from his left sleeve, along with the Warrior Talisman in his right hand, were enough to give him the power for a close-range fight for a short time!
Right when the Divine Power of his various talismans erupted, Chen Shi stepped forward, turned around, and heavily stamped his foot, closing in on Fu Shanke to a mere three feet away. As he turned, his right hand swung out in a chopping motion.
The strike was as swift as thunder, hacking upon Fu Shanke’s throat.
Fu Shanke’s throat bone shattered; Chen Shi’s palm-heel struck like a thick back of a blade, slamming into the fourth bone of his neck and forcing it to jut out from the spine!
Immediately, a large bulge appeared at the back of Fu Shanke’s neck, and he lost control over his body, watching as Chen Shi suddenly came to a halt, then hurtled backward.
A charge, a stop, retreating; it was as if there was no inertia at all, incredibly fast.
"Carrying a Golden Mountain on his back, yet his speed is still so fast?"
Fu Shanke was horrified, his body uncontrollably falling, exhaling more than inhaling, clearly beyond saving.
He died even quicker than Iron Pen Elder!