Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: The Shi Family of Guangxi

Although Xu Changqing had already said that everything was under control, the old Taoist priest still nagged, "You know best! In recent days, the head of the Chen family has been sending people to check if you have emerged from seclusion. Just today, he sent over thirty people, and I'm almost driven mad by them!"

"Although the incident started with you, since I have taken responsibility for the consequences, you should not get involved anymore to avoid further complications," Xu Changqing said with a calm smile. He reached out and brushed the hair from the old Taoist's forehead, noticing that the corpse qi marks had disappeared. He then said, "Your corpse qi has been completely eliminated. Set out tonight! I have calculated for you that after leaving here, you should head southwest for seven days, then turn toward Xiangxi, and you will be safe and unobstructed."

"Thank you!" the old Taoist said gratefully. "If we can return to Xiangxi smoothly and master the Corpse God, the Zhong family of Xiangxi will surely repay you generously!"

"Cut the nonsense!" Xu Changqing's face remained unperturbed, and he raised an eyebrow. "No need for a generous reward! Just give me the agreed-upon payment!"

The old Taoist looked at Xu Changqing with difficulty, trying to sound pitiful. "You know that the secret art of earth遁 (earth penetration) is a closely guarded secret of our Zhong family. If I teach you the earth penetration technique, it would be a betrayal of my family, and I would be punished by the highest family rules, turning me into a mindless corpse soldier! With our good relationship, you wouldn't just watch me become a mindless corpse soldier, would you?"

The old Taoist's pitiful expression not only failed to have any effect but made Xu Changqing feel particularly disgusted, with an urge to hit him. He rolled up his sleeves, clenched his fists, and said coldly, "So, according to you, you're planning to welsh on the deal?"

Seeing Xu Changqing's gesture as if he was about to attack, the old Taoist quickly shook his head and explained, "Of course not! Even if I welshed on the debt to the King of Hell, I wouldn't dare welsh on your debt! Who doesn't know that the Nine Streams Idle People have always valued wealth above all else? Welching on your debt would be forcing you to fight to the death! What I mean is, can we use a secret technique from another school as a substitute?"

Xu Changqing still looked coldly at the old Taoist and said, "What secret technique? If it's too poor, I won't accept it!"

"Can you take a look first?" The old Taoist carefully took out a book wrapped in yellow silk from his Taoist robe and handed it to Xu Changqing.

Xu Changqing, intrigued by the old Taoist's mysterious demeanor, took the book and opened it carefully. His expression suddenly changed, as if he had touched a scalding hot potato, and he quickly threw the book back to the old Taoist, shouting, "Old Taoist, do the Nine Streams Idle People have a grudge against you? Giving me this thing, are you trying to make the Nine Streams Idle People extinct?"

"Don't... don't be hasty!" the old Taoist hurriedly explained. "This thing was given to me by the Shi family. They won't come after you!"

Xu Changqing was not deliberately making a big fuss. His lineage of the Nine Streams Idle People had few rivals among the Daoist side branches, and only the highest adepts of the orthodox Daoist and Buddhist schools were slightly superior to them. This had fostered their proud and aloof nature. One of Xu Changqing's ancestors had offended a high adept skilled in side-branch techniques while traveling, who was a direct descendant of the Guangxi Shen Da Shi family.

Shen Da is a unique technique that is neither Daoist nor shamanic. Those who master it can summon vast, unnamed divine powers with a wave of their hand, making their bodies impervious to blades and bullets, and their arms incredibly strong. At the highest level, they can move mountains and seas, and easily perform the martial arts or spells of the deities they summon, making it a powerful technique that can achieve physical immortality. However, the Shen Da technique is passed down only through direct lineage, which, while effectively preserving the deities summoned by the ancestors, also means that the technique is lost when the direct lineage is broken. Today, only the Shi family of Guangxi truly masters the Shen Da technique, while others only know the basics.

The high adept from the Shi family who offended Xu Changqing's ancestor was a direct descendant of the Guangxi Shen Da Shi family, practicing the Guan Sheng Dao, and had reached the second level, which few had achieved in a thousand years. He could summon the divine power of Guan Sheng without setting up an altar or a statue. Faced with this invincible Shen Da technique, Xu Changqing's ancestor had no way to counter it and could only fight and flee, eventually returning to Chen Family Village and using the power of the land to trap the adept, finally getting a breather. Although the adept was trapped and could not leave Chen Family Village, he did not let go of the Righteous Hall on Peach Blossom Mountain, nearly destroying the Nine Streams Idle People's century-old foundation. In the end, the current head of the Chen family deliberately befriended him, becoming sworn brothers, and mediated to resolve the issue.

When the adept left Chen Family Village, seeing that the head of the Chen family was weak, he gave him the basic solidification technique of the Shen Da. Later, Xu Changqing's ancestor obtained this technique and integrated it into the hundred-day foundation of the Shangqing Nine Transmutations Golden Elixir Great Technique, making it so that subsequent Righteous Hall masters no longer suffered from the weakness of their predecessors. This became the greatest embarrassment and resentment of the Nine Streams Idle People, and a new rule was added to the Righteous Hall's code of conduct: "Absolutely do not provoke the Shi family of Guangxi, and even if you see a member of the Shi family, you should avoid them at all costs!"

This was a disaster for the Righteous Hall master but a blessing for the Chen family. Later, the adept joined the Taiping Army and became a prince. Because of this connection, the Chen family's business was not severely affected during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's dominance in southern China. Unfortunately, the adept, while trying to advance the Shen Da technique to the highest third level, became obsessed and was controlled by his heart demon, ultimately losing his powers and dying in battle.

"Really?" Xu Changqing knew the old Taoist would not lie about this, and his expression softened, but he still had doubts. "When did the Shi family become so generous, giving you their family-secret Shen Da technique?"

"The one who gave me the technique was not a direct descendant but an elder from a side branch of the Shi family," the old Taoist sighed. "The direct descendants of the Shi family all died unexpectedly last month, and I personally performed the funeral rites for them. At the time, the side-branch elder considered the Shen Da technique to be an inauspicious object and planned to destroy it. When I learned of this, I asked the side-branch elder for it."

"That's impossible! Not to mention that the side branch has coveted this technique for years, but the direct descendants of the Shi family, protected by their true divine power, are impervious to all evil. How could they all die suddenly?" Xu Changqing looked disbelieving but soon became thoughtful. "When did the direct descendants of the Shi family die last month?"

"Last month on the third day," the old Taoist also found it suspicious that the direct descendants of the Shi family died simultaneously, and although the side branch had investigated for any evil magic, they found nothing.

"Last month on the third day?" Xu Changqing calculated with his fingers, his expression darkening. He sighed, "I didn't expect that the Shen Da lineage of the Shi family would be destroyed by a wandering fortune-teller!"

The old Taoist looked at Xu Changqing, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Last month on the third day was a rare celestial event where the stars' power would be released for the duration of an incense stick. Practitioners who cultivated during this time could achieve twice the results with half the effort, and even use the star power to break through to higher levels," Xu Changqing said with a dismissive smile. "However, anyone who knows the celestial phenomena knows that while star power can enhance cultivation, if one's mind is not strong enough, using star power can summon the three major malevolent stars—Greedy Wolf, Conqueror, and Seven Killers—causing heart demons and ultimately leading to a mental breakdown. I think the head of the Shi family must have listened to some wandering fortune-teller, hoping to use the star power to enhance the Shen Da technique and survive the great calamity. Unfortunately, he ended up breaking down and dying on the spot. The members of the Shen Da lineage are connected by fate and qi, so when one suffers, all suffer. The star power the head of the Shi family used must have also affected the others, leading to their deaths."

"I didn't expect that the great calamity is still a few years away, and the Shi family would become the first casualty in our cultivation world," the old Taoist sighed, feeling sorry.

"Old man, don't attribute everything to the great calamity. This is a human disaster, not a heavenly one," Xu Changqing said with a cold smile. "The Shi family is a major clan in Guangxi, wealthy and influential, even in Yunnan, Guizhou, and even Thailand. However, the financial resources are controlled by the direct descendants, while the side branches can only watch and live in poverty. The conflict between the direct and side branches has been a known secret in Guangxi."

The old Taoist's face darkened. "Are you saying this was orchestrated by the side branches?"

"I once read a book written by Western foreigners, and there's a line I agree with: 'Whoever benefits the most is the mastermind!'" Xu Changqing took the Shen Da technique from the old Taoist, glanced at it, and said, "The side branches of the Shi family benefited the most from this. Moreover, they didn't even want this coveted Shen Da technique, clearly to avoid suspicion. Giving it to you was just for show! I bet they already made a copy of the technique, and the original is no longer important to them!"

The old Taoist cursed, "Damn, I never thought that after walking the江湖 (jianghu) for so long, I would be used as a scapegoat just before retiring!"

"Every action has a consequence, and it is determined by heaven! If you hadn't been used, you would have had to give me your family's unique earth penetration technique. If the side branches of the Shi family didn't have the original Shen Da technique, they would have suffered the same fate by practicing the copied technique," Xu Changqing laughed, putting the Shen Da technique in his sleeve. "These days, my luck has been good. Not only did I get two supreme techniques, but I also heard about the extinction of the direct descendants of the Shi family, which is worth celebrating. I should set up a feast."

"The direct descendants of the Shi family are all dead, and you're so happy about it?" The old Taoist looked at Xu Changqing with displeasure. "Being so gleeful at their misfortune, be careful of retribution!"

"Retribution? Indeed, it is retribution." Xu Changqing's smile faded, and his face became extremely grim. "But the retribution fell on the direct descendants of the Shi family. If it weren't for that Shi who destroyed eighty percent of the Nine Streams Idle People's magical artifacts and treasures, I could have used the star power to form a golden elixir last month, avoiding the threat to my life. Knowing that it was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity, I could only watch as the star power dissipated, unable to use it. Can you imagine how I felt at the time?"

"Alas!" The old Taoist sighed, unable to comment on the grudge between the direct descendants of the Shi family and the Nine Streams Idle People. "When will the cycle of revenge end? As cultivators, we must have a broad mind to achieve higher realms. You are a wise person; why hold onto this grudge?"

"Having a broad mind is important, but don't forget that resolving karma is also crucial for us cultivators," Xu Changqing said, ignoring the old Taoist's advice. "With the extinction of the direct descendants of the Shi family, the karma and grudge between the Shi family and the Nine Streams Idle People are resolved, and I don't have to bear the resentment of the Shi family. Being free from such burdens, it seems my good luck is related to this. Don't be so unhappy. Since I have taken the Shen Da technique, I have also taken on the karma that should have been yours. When the opportunity arises, I will seek justice for the direct descendants of the Shi family, as repaying evil with kindness is also a great virtue."

"I hope you keep your word!" The old Taoist said no more, turned to his disciples, and signaled them to prepare to leave. He then reminded Xu Changqing, "Since you have decided to follow the flow of the calamity, be careful. If anything happens, come to the Zhong family's mountain gate."

"Don't worry, I will be careful," Xu Changqing replied with a smile.

The old Taoist nodded, took out a travel ticket from the Guangdong Chamber of Commerce, and gave it to Xu Changqing as payment for the ritual. He then took out a soul-capturing bell, walked to the front of the procession of zombies, and used red dust threads to encircle the zombies with his disciples. After Xu Changqing collected the copper coins, the old Taoist shook the soul-capturing bell and shouted, "Zhong family zombies, all evil be dispelled!"

With the old Taoist's shout, all the zombies jumped and automatically lined up. When the old Taoist stomped his foot, the ground opened like a large mouth, swallowing all sixty-seven figures, and then returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

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