Above the Great Dao

Wu Qingyu looked towards Yellow Earth Slope and saw Chen Shi, exhausted from cultivation, lying on the lap of the White-clothed Fairy. The fairy sat under a tree, helping him clean his ears.

"She's just a bit older."

Chen Tang said, "But not too much. It's just that she's too beautiful, and I worry she might disturb Little Ten's Dao Heart, causing him to lose his ambition."

Wu Qingyu said, "I think she's a good girl, serene and shy, clearly hit into a daze by some scoundrel. If she could recover her memory, she'd be quite a match."

Chen Tang said, "She's always with Little Ten, even crawling into his bed, which isn't a solution. One doesn't understand love, and the other has lost memory; if they keep muddling along, it's bound to cause trouble sooner or later."

Wu Qingyu laughed, "I think it's best to let things be and not intervene."

Chen Tang nodded.

At noon, County Magistrate Hu Feifei rushed over from the town, and Chen Shi took Nannan to accompany the magistrate on a scenic tour.

Wu Qingyu said, "County Magistrate is quite nice. Her ancestor was a friend of our father, so if they combined, it'd be kin on top of kinship."

Chen Tang disagreed, "Hu, the County Magistrate, is a fox spirit."

Wu Qingyu sneered, "You scholars haven't kept enough fox spirits yourselves?"

"Though I am a scholar, I have never kept one! Besides, fox spirits are good at seducing with beauty, making people indulge in lust and lose ambition."

"I think the County Magistrate is more like a steadfast man; staying with Little Ten for so long, and still hasn't succeeded."

"True enough. Let it be, then."

When Chen Shi and Hu Feifei returned to the village, they saw from afar a young boy in light green clothes standing by the roadside at the village entrance, waiting for them.

Though the boy seemed quite young, he was already tall, like a normal person, with delicate looks and the calm restraint of a family scion.

Floating behind his head was a small courtyard with a temple layout.

"Tianqing!"

Chen Shi, surprised and delighted, left Hu Feifei behind and rushed over, laughing, "Tianqing, you've finally returned, I was so worried! I looked for you after returning from the Western Capital, but you weren't there!"

The boy was indeed Li Tianqing. In half a year's time, he'd grown substantially taller, his complexion not as pale as before, more mature, and he smiled, "I also just returned from afar. I visited my grandfather and mother, and upon hearing you were here, I rushed over. Congratulations on becoming the top scorer!"

Chen Shi laughed, "If I can become the top scorer, so can you. It doesn't have much use; the Court didn't even grant an official position. I thought becoming the top scorer would make me a True King."

The two left Hu Feifei and the White-clothed Fairy aside, chatting excitedly. Chen Shi recounted his experiences during this time, the mutant beasts and attacks he faced on the journey to the capital, the Buddhist Hell, killing the Young Master, daring into Immortal City to save his mother, all thrilling events, which had Li Tianqing listening with wide eyes.

"I've been evading Li Family's pursuit with Emperor Guan during this time. First, setting up my grandfather and mother on Qianyang Mountain, then running about, battling with pursuers."

Li Tianqing also shared his experiences during this period. Chen Shi heard about his observations of each opponent's weaknesses and his formulation of victory techniques, which left him holding his breath.

The two had known each other for a long time and held a great friendship, talking tirelessly, transitioning from experiences to cultivation techniques, from cultivation to spells, sparring outside the village, with the rumble of spells being cast echoing from outside Huangpo Village.

"By the way, I've had body issues recently."

Chen Shi glanced around, quietly confiding in Li Tianqing about his morning's condition.

Li Tianqing, surprised, said, "You too? Truth to tell, I've had the same problem for half a year now, and only using a Calming Talisman can suppress it."

Chen Shi looked worried, "While out with the County Magistrate, I kept inadvertently glancing at her chest. I might be controlled by the Corpse God. My Lower Corpse God is terribly strong."

Li Tianqing said, "My Lower Corpse God must be very strong too. By the way, did you see Little Jin in the Western Capital?"

Chen Shi, a bit dejected, his face darkened, said, "I saw. But Little Jin was very close with Xiao Wangsun; I saw them sitting in the same carriage..."

Li Tianqing, upon hearing this, looked as though struck in the Primordial Spirit by a heavy Magical Treasure, his face pale, sorrowful.

"Little Ten, I suddenly want to drink."

"Me too."

The two boys ran to the town to drink. After taking the first sip, they both scrunched up their faces.

Li Tianqing stuck out his tongue and said, "Too spicy! Shopkeeper, add two liangs of water to the wine."

"Water my wine too," Chen Shi said.

The shopkeeper shook his head as he went to dilute the wine, muttering, "If you can't drink, don't drink; wasting the fine wine of the little shop..."

The two drank the diluted wine, which was indeed less spicy.

While drinking, the two boys recalled their past encounters with Jin Hongying, comforting each other not to be sad, believing that in the future, beautiful elder sisters like her would like them, not being seduced away by a pretty boy like Xiao Wangsun.

It wasn't until midnight that they returned to the village with arms around each other's shoulders, singing sad songs along the way. After arriving back in Huangpo Village, instead of sleeping, they lay on the green tiles of the roof, howling until dawn.

"It seems like they're heartbroken." Wu Qingyu, woken by their noise, said to Chen Tang.

Chen Tang frowned, "It seems so."

"Who is Little Jin?"

"Should be Jin Hongying, the Military Officer of Divine Mechanism Camp." Chen Tang hesitated.

Wu Qingyu couldn't help but say, "Does Lord Jin know about their heartbreak?"

Chen Tang shook his head, "I don't know... I mean, I don't know. But I reckon Lord Jin probably doesn't know either."

Chen Shi and Li Tianqing were sad for two or three days before recovering from the blow of their heartbreak.