Chapter 134: Decree Of The High God
The attic was quiet and secluded, with moonlight like a ribbon.
Chen Shun’an sat cross-legged on the cushion, his expression calm and composed, slowly opening the sandalwood box in front of him.
Inside the box lay five Azure Dragon Galls quietly, their bodies dark green, shaped like rhomboids, each adorned with five white stripes.
Under the moonlight, those white stripes seemed to flow like water waves, faintly hiding a luster, with each white stripe representing ten years of medicinal age.
Without hesitation, Chen Shun’an plucked one and swallowed it whole.
Normally, Azure Dragon Gall was best decocted with dragon gall and coptis in water and held in the mouth before swallowing, for better absorption.
But that was for ordinary martial artists.
For Chen Shun’an, who had already slain the four thieves, his internal organs had greatly increased in vitality; even iron pellets or stones entering his stomach could be crushed and digested.
So a mere Azure Dragon Gall required no such fuss.
The Azure Dragon Gall was sweet upon entering the mouth, crunching ‘gaji gaji’ when chewed, with a decent texture.
If it weren’t so expensive, Chen Shun’an would even want to use it as a snack to replace smoking.
Chen Shun’an closed his mouth and tucked in his tongue, pressing it against the roof of his mouth. In an instant, he felt saliva surging wildly, his tongue orifice extremely sensitive, able even to capture subtle scents in the air like a snake.
In a certain sense, Azure Dragon Gall could also be considered Spirit Disrupting Great Medicine.
It dramatically increased the effects of Break Blood and Remove Stasis and Stimulate Saliva Production in a short time, indirectly affecting the Tongue Thief, like waves sifting sand, forcing it out.
Chen Shun’an focused his mind and visualized the True Cultivation Manual of Precious Saliva Embracing Liquid, his expression gradually becoming dazed.
Before his eyes, heaven and earth were in primordial chaos, with a bright moon and Golden Crow shining together above, Clear Wind High Mountain standing side by side below, while he himself was like A Drop in the Ocean, rolling and floating within.
He instinctively looked down and saw that he had long lost his limbs and body, seemingly becoming a drop of water—or rather, a mouthful of saliva.
First battered by rain from the east and blown by wind from the west, flowing through narrow ditches and paths, then gradually gathering and growing.
He saw grasses, trees, cattle, and sheep on both banks, green pines and misty haze, ultimately flowing into great rivers, heading east all the way to become part of the vast ocean.
In a certain instant, the Grass Talisman in his mind trembled and buzzed lightly, emitting Mysterious Light. Chen Shun’an awoke as from a dream.
It turned out there was no bright moon, Golden Crow, or Clear Wind High Mountain at all; those were merely his eyes, breathing, and Jade Tree.
And he himself was the Tongue Thief!
His intent had actually substituted into the Tongue Thief!
“Slay!”
The Heavenly Blade condensed into being, and Chen Shun’an slashed at himself!
“Hoo…”
A long while later, Chen Shun’an slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of Turbid Qi.
A trace of fatigue flashed in the depths of his eyes.
Although he had successfully slain the Tongue Thief with one strike, formally entering the Slay the Tongue Thief stage.
He was also silently shocked by the difficulty of slaying this thief.
That illusion of a water drop merging into the cycle of heaven and earth was extremely real and minuscule, making it hard to extricate oneself, impossible to detect.
And even if detected, finding the Tongue Thief in that vast ocean was no less than ascending to heaven.
Moreover, the direction was completely wrong!
The Tongue Thief was not external but internal—he himself was the Tongue Thief!
How were other martial artists supposed to handle this?
No wonder the Tongue Thief and Mind Thief were the two most difficult thieves to slay in the True Intent Realm, with only one or two in ten succeeding.
And if the Tongue Thief was already like this, how much more difficult would the Mind Thief be?
Thinking of this, Chen Shun’an’s gaze sharpened slightly.
That Lu Jing’s strength was probably far more profound and immeasurable than it appeared on the surface.
……
Chen Shun’an wore neat black tight-fitting clothes, stopping the water cart outside Li Mansion’s gate, stepping steadily. Just as he shouldered the water and ascended the steps, he heard Master Li’s hearty laughter.
“Brother Chen, your water delivery is still so punctual. Come on, stay for lunch here today—river and sea delicacies paired with Northern Plains huadiao wine.
If Brother Chen wants Lotus White Wine, that’s fine too; I still have a few jars of thirty-year-old brew in my wine cellar…”
Master Li personally came to the door to greet him. If Chen Shun’an hadn’t insisted multiple times that he had to deliver these two buckets himself, Master Li would even have snatched the shoulder pole.
Several days had passed. Master Li, who had been on the verge of death, his vitality exhausted, now had spirited eyes and qi and blood in his face. Though not yet dragon-like in vigor or tiger-like in ferocity, free of his chronic illness, he had already recovered some of his peak state.
He was worlds apart from how he was a few days ago!
The entire mansion, from top to bottom, was filled with joy, feeling as if a Deity had blessed them.
The Master had broken and then stood anew, living a second spring!
However, as Master Li gradually returned to the Peak and recovered his First-rate Realm strength, the first thing he did was expel some unfilial sons and unworthy grandsons from the family, severing ties, appearing extremely cold and ruthless.
He only kept two branches of relatively virtuous and filial descendants to continue the incense.
“Master Li is too polite…”
“What Master Li? If Brother Chen doesn’t mind, call me Brother Shicheng!”
Master Li feigned anger and pulled Chen Shun’an’s hand into the courtyard.
A Da and A Er at the gate had complex expressions, their gazes still fixed tightly on Chen Shun’an’s retreating figure.
They still remembered first seeing Chen Shun’an as merely a water carrier who had just recovered from a serious illness, a mere Third-rate Realm old hand.
How, in the blink of an eye, just a few months later, had he transformed into Wuqing County’s rising star in the Martial Path?
And moreover, on brotherly terms with their own Master.
However… the two vaguely knew some inside story.
They guessed that Master Li’s recovery had everything to do with Chen Shun’an.
So toward Chen Shun’an, they felt only immense gratitude.
“Little Zhao, quick, brew a pot of Sparrow Tongue tea to rinse the mouth. Brother Chen, you’ve delivered water for years and surely haven’t tasted this.”
“Yes, Master!” Steward Zhao smiled and hurried off.
In the Sacred Dynasty, Bai Shan Ren had practically turned eating, drinking, and entertainment into an art.
Even the water for brewing tea was exceedingly particular.
His Majesty the Emperor drank spring water from Jade Spring Mountain in western capital, where White Rock Bed produces silver-curtain water rolls, yielding only a few jin daily—clear and sweet, said to enable Flying Immortal by day and revive the dead with flesh and bone.
Of course, such water was beyond ordinary households, and even nobles and aristocrats had no right to enjoy it.
The Sparrow Tongue tea in Master Li’s mouth was brewed with a hundred-year-old Sweet Spring from Misty Cloud Mountain.
This water was delivered nonstop by lightness skill experts rushing over a hundred li to the mansion.
First placed in a porcelain bottle, sealed with pine wax, then chilled in the ice cellar—opened as needed for drinking. It couldn’t be boiled on any stove or kang; it required a small furnace with fruit wood charcoal on a slow fire!
Thanks to Master Li, Chen Shun’an had tried this Sparrow Tongue tea but tasted nothing special; it wasn’t as satisfying as his Gao Sui Tobacco.
All this pointless fuss!
What a waste of money!
After adding water.
Tea fragrance gradually rose in the courtyard.
Chen Shun’an spat out two tea leaves stuck between his teeth and said,
“No need to trouble with lunch, Brother Shicheng. Chen Mou came today with something to discuss.”
Master Li’s expression sharpened upon hearing this. He immediately dismissed Steward Zhao and the surrounding maidservants, leading Chen Shun’an into the study room.
He personally closed the carved wooden windows, secured the doors, and lit a stick of sandalwood.
Green Smoke rose curling, filling the room, making his face appear even more solemn.
He straightened his robes and solemnly bowed toward a certain unspeakable direction before lowering his voice and saying,
“Has the High God issued a decree?”
Chen Shun’an was equally serious, bowing before nodding and saying,
“Today I convey the High God’s decree: go to Rongyuan Orphanage to find the destined ones, adopt and teach them arts, enlighten them to literacy.”
Master Li nodded: “As decreed.”
He did not ask further, harboring no doubts.
Since it was the High God’s decree, he simply needed to do it.
His life had been granted by the High God, especially that vague connection to the High God, which made him glimpse an abyssal profundity—grand and mysterious—filling him with awe, not daring a hint of disloyalty.
The room fell silent for a moment, only the sandalwood fumes lingering.
Daylight leaked through window cracks, dim and indistinct.
At this moment, the two were like cultists making an underground handoff.
Ever since Chen Shun’an had used Ran Yi Calming Water that day to regulate Master Li’s Soul Chamber, calm his spirit, and aid sleep.
Chen Shun’an had claimed to be the attendant Zhuyou under that ‘Upper Abyss Water Origin’, also enlightened by a Deity, having learned the art of Talisman Water to exorcise evil and treat illness.
Thus, to Master Li, everything made sense!
In the Darkness, that High God had long since noticed him.
This was why Chen Zhuyou had been sent to his side.
“However, Brother Chen, how to judge the ‘destined’ ones?”
“Simple: those whose Eight Characters favor fire and strong earth are destined and can be taught martial arts. The other children in the orphanage can be taught basic martial arts and literacy… but we must not be ostentatious; focus efforts on cultivating some destined ones first.”
“Understood! Since the High God does not wish to draw attention… like this: I’ll form guards in the name of Li Mansion, with Brother Chen taking the lead to recruit from Rongyuan Orphanage!”
Master Li understood Chen Shun’an’s implication from just one sentence.
Although he vaguely felt this ‘Upper Abyss Water Origin’ seemed no proper Divine Being—he’d never even heard such a Divine Name.
But whether evil god or lewd worship, if it saved his life and aided his cultivation, it was a heavenly immortal truth, a million times stronger than those clay and grass idols in temples!
This was the Sacred Dynasty common folk’s vast and simple reason for worshiping gods.
If you benefit me, I revere you, offer to you, invite you.
If you harm me or bring no benefit, only lording above feasting on incense, then I’ll overturn heaven and earth to reset it, pierce the firmament and mend it, drag you from the temple, and expose you to the sun!
“Brother Shicheng speaks rightly… Right, if short on teachers, consider Scholar Ma from Silver Ingot Street—fair price, solid scholarship, fit for heavy responsibility.”
“No problem, I’ll handle it! But since we’re hiring teachers, just one might arouse suspicion. Law, writing, math, literature—hire one for each without issue.”
Working with smart people was effortless.
Chen Shun’an often just tossed out a lead, and Master Li could extrapolate, fill gaps, perfect and supplement for him.
Soon, the self-contained incense field in Chen Shun’an’s mind began taking shape.
Disciples raised in the orphanage could become trusted aides; when needed, they could be converted into a batch of devout believers.
Moreover, in the future as they branched out, these sparks heading to high temple halls or distant Martial World could echo Chen Shun’an from afar, mutually relying.
Vision must be long-term.
Chen Shun’an was already laying groundwork for years, even decades ahead.
“But Brother Chen, practicing martial arts and literacy both burn money fiercely. A few people are fine, but if many… even selling the family pots and iron, Li Mansion couldn’t sustain it.”
Master Li frowned, somewhat troubled, and said.
Fists mean power.
After Master Li recovered his strength and returned to First-rate Realm, many old friends and factions came flocking to show goodwill, even returning shops and warehouses previously ‘temporarily borrowed’.
But even so, Li Mansion alone could at most support a dozen-plus martial artists and scholars; more would be unbearable.
Chen Shun’an, however, was calm, as if having foreseen this, and said,
“Money, I’ll figure out first. As for firewood, rice, oil, and salt… we needn’t worry.”
“Oh?” Master Li was taken aback, puzzled. “Why?”
“Someone’s covering it for us.”
“Who?”
Chen Shun’an’s lip corner curved slightly, and he slowly said,
“Wanlong Pounding House.”
