Chapter 158: The Fall of the Old Gods, the Ascent of the New Gods, and the Merchant Vessel

Chen Yushu certainly knew the importance of the God-Sealing Token.

As Zuo Zongheng had said, it took Granny Jiang no more than a hundred years to transform from a common water ghost in the river into the terrifying entity she was today.

And she had only obtained the God-Sealing Token a little over seventy years ago.

To leap from the middle-late stage of a fierce ghost to the peak of the early dread-grade—nearly reaching the middle dread-grade—in such a short span of time was truly an unimaginably swift progression.

Yet, this artifact was of absolutely no use to him.

As for Xiaohong?

Being his bound ghost, she was destined to travel alongside him everywhere he went, making her entirely unsuited to become the localized deity of a single region.

Weighing all his options, it turned out that Zuo Zongheng was the most suitable candidate after all.

After all, the two of them shared an unusual connection because of Xiaohong. Having the other party become the Guardian River Deity of Jianghuan Town was at least far better than having some unfamiliar evil spirit take over and claim the god-hood.

As for the final ghost artifact, the Netherwind Fan, since Chen Yushu could not use it himself, he simply tossed it to Xiaohong.

As for the rest of the spoils of war, such as ghost soldiers and ghost generals, they were naturally left for Xiaohong to tidy up.

And she was more than happy to do so.

Bouncing along happily, she wandered back and forth across the battlefield, picking up soul pearls and nether bone jades one by one, continuously stuffing them into her little bib-pocket.

Finally, Chen Yushu cast his gaze upon the Hanged Ghost.

At this moment, the entity had also recovered a fraction of its strength, standing in place with a ghost-face full of bewilderment and shock.

Granny Jiang was truly dead?

She had perished at the hands of this seemingly ordinary spirit-walker standing right before them.

To the Hanged Ghost, this was genuinely hard to believe.

It also filled the depths of its soul with boundless awe and reverence toward Chen Yushu.

Yet shortly after, a wave of panic gripped its heart, not knowing where its future lay, nor how this formidable cultivator would deal with it.

"You may leave."

Chen Yushu walked up to the Hanged Ghost and spoke in a calm tone.

Hearing this, the Hanged Ghost froze, raising its head in astonishment before lowering it just as quickly. Its heart was filled with the elation of having survived a catastrophe, and it babbled incessantly, "Thank you, Exalted Immortal! This humble one will leave right now..."

As it spoke, it bowed respectfully while retreating with hasty steps.

"Wait!"

However, Chen Yushu called out to it once more.

The Hanged Ghost’s body stiffened as it slowly turned its head back. If it still possessed a physical heartbeat, it imagined it would be pounding furiously against its ribs right now.

"Before you go, clean up the battlefield.

Especially that corpse—make sure you take it with you as well."

Chen Yushu then issued his next command.

Only then did the Hanged Ghost heave a massive sigh of relief.

As for the task he had assigned, it naturally agreed without a moment's hesitation.

Cleaning up the battlefield was hardly a problem for it.

While bloodstains might be difficult to wash away, when it came to a mere corpse, it only needed to employ a possession technique to easily carry it off to anywhere it desired...

Only then did Chen Yushu turn around and walk back into his own courtyard.

As for the prying eyes of the neighbors who had heard the commotion outside... Chen Yushu paid them no mind whatsoever.

He was leaving immediately anyway, and whether they chose to gossip or spread rumors about it was not within his consideration.

Some matters, even if true, were exceedingly difficult for outsiders to believe. Amidst the blur of truth and falsehood, remaining silent and offering no explanation was always the best approach.

Just like last time when Temple Guardian He Jiang had visited; there had been no shortage of peeping neighbors back then either, yet in the end, it had not caused much of a stir.

Especially given Granny Jiang's dream-weaving antics from earlier—since she had failed to fully mention his name, it made obscuring the truth and confusing the public all the easier.

Connecting the rumors to his true identity would now be virtually impossible.

...

"This battle was undeniably perilous.

Fortunately, we had the Zuo family ancestor presiding as the spirit-anchor for the ritual altar; otherwise, the outcome would truly have been unpredictable."

Inside his room, Chen Yushu sat in quiet contemplation, carefully reviewing the gains and losses of this confrontation.

"Even though we won this time.

Incidents where I have to face evil entities head-on should still be kept to a minimum.

After all, I won't always have a dread-grade ghost spirit conveniently willing to act as a spirit-anchor by my side.

Not to mention, while the ritual altar method possesses formidable might, setting it up is far from easy.

It requires a sufficient amount of time.

Yet when encountering evil entities out in the wilderness, where on earth would I find the luxury of such preparation time?"

Chen Yushu was abundantly clear on the pros and cons of setting up the ritual altar.

Its advantages were glaringly obvious: it could dramatically boost his combat prowess, allowing him to effortlessly obliterate malevolent spirits at the spirit-level, and even put up a fight against dread-grade entities.

If, as he had this time, he had a dread-grade spirit-anchor, his combat power would soar even higher, enabling him to confront vastly more powerful evils.

Yet the disadvantages were equally stark.

Once suddenly ambushed by enemies, it was inevitably a scramble, making it difficult to set up the altar in time.

When that happened, he would have nothing to rely on but his own raw strength.

Even this time, the preparation had not been nearly as thorough as it was at Beijiao Village; he hadn't even had time to prepare the three sacrificial bloods and three sacrificial beasts. Otherwise, the spirit-anchor's power would have manifested even more strongly, and the battle would naturally have concluded much faster.

...

"As for the harvest."

With a flick of Chen Yushu's hand, an oval-shaped, pitch-black bead appeared in his palm.

A Dread-grade Soul Pearl!

This was a treasure of a much higher tier than a malevolent spirit's essence core.

A malevolent spirit's essence core could assist a cultivator in absorption to enhance their strength.

Of course, the hidden backlash was equally clear: once a cultivator failed to endure the burden, they would be corrupted by resentment, leading to a drastic shift in personality, a loss of their original intent, and a transformation into a demonic fiend driven solely by slaughter.

The same applied to a dread-grade soul pearl, though its resentment was deeper and heavier, making the consequences of corruption far more severe.

Even if left untouched, the mere aura radiating from it could cause evil impulses within a person's heart to continuously breed and magnify, driving them to commit acts of monstrous depravity.

Beyond that, of course, it was also a top-tier material for artifact crafting and alchemy.

However, very few people possessed the capability to properly utilize and handle it.

"Still, this has little impact on me."
Chen Yushu was not worried about this in the slightest.

Having attained the state of 'constant stillness' in his meditative practice, this level of emotional disturbance simply could not shake him.

He could naturally absorb it directly without suffering the slightest adverse effect.

"Just in time, my previous stock of spirit essence cores has been completely exhausted. This dread-grade soul pearl fills the gap perfectly."

As for using it for artifact crafting or alchemy?

He knew nothing of crafting artifacts, let alone alchemy, so such options were naturally out of the question.

...

The Dragon River was a massive river that practically traversed the entirety of the Wu Kingdom, winding up and down for thousands of li. Navigating this grand waterway allowed one to travel to most of the commanderies and prefectures within the Wu Kingdom.

Aboard a towering merchant vessel, a tall and straight figure stood quietly at the bow, gazing into the distance as a moderately prosperous small town gradually shrank until it became a hazy, indistinct silhouette.

This figure was, naturally, Chen Yushu.

After simply packing up his belongings and terminating his lease, Chen Yushu had headed straight for the Jianghuan Town dock and boarded this merchant ship bound for Qinghe County.

It was worth mentioning.

Because the dock was located close to Granny Jiang's temple, he had naturally noticed that the temple was exceptionally bustling at that moment.

Without even needing to deliberately make inquiries, stray fragments of conversation drifted into his ears.

The statue of Granny Jiang inside Granny Jiang's temple had shattered.

Coupled with the 'god-slaying' rumors that many people had heard in their dreams the previous night, almost everyone had guessed that Granny Jiang was dead.

And she had perished at the hands of a 'female cultivator' named Chen Yun.

Of course, most of the people in Beijiao Village weren't panicking too much, because in the latter half of the night, another dream-whisper had reached them.

'A newly ascended deity is about to take residence.'

The key figures—village elders, gentry, and wealthy merchants—were even aware of the newly ascended deity's title, and had already begun organizing matters regarding the dismantling of Granny Jiang's temple and the casting of a new one.

All of this was, naturally, Zuo Zongheng's doing.

Once it refined the God-Sealing Token, it could utilize it to initiate dream-weaving arts.

To achieve deity status as quickly as possible and gain official recognition, it naturally had to make preparations and employ various methods.

According to what Chen Yushu had learned from the entity, barring any unexpected accidents, it would take roughly ten days or so for it to officially take up residence in the new temple.

As for the imperial decree conferring the deity status, it would arrive even faster, likely taking five or six days for it to secure the official government seal.

After all, the Zuo family had been a prominent clan within Jianghuan Town just a few years prior, boasting intricate and tangled connections. Combined with the guidance it spread through dreams, achieving this was naturally not difficult.

The only thing that could be considered genuinely challenging was perhaps gaining the recognition of higher-ranking divine generals.

Yet communication among peers turned out to be simpler.

As long as the bribes and offerings were sufficient, everything would proceed smoothly.

Aboard the merchant ship, cargo predominated, though there were also merchants who traveled back and forth between the two regions year-round, as well as commoners heading out to find work and make a living.

Conversely, those who practiced martial arts were relatively few.

Aside from the crew members, a few of whom clearly carried martial arts foundations, there were only a handful of others.

Among them, one person caught Chen Yushu's eye for a little longer than the rest.

The individual clearly looked like a scholar, accompanied by several young literati. They all stood on the deck, engaged in loud and spirited discussions.

Perhaps his gaze drew their attention, as one of them suddenly let out a startled cry, walked over, and spoke, "This brother here looks rather familiar.

Ah, I remember now! Aren't you that regular visitor at the Wenchang Library..."

"He's a student of our academy too?

Though I don't recall seeing him much before?"

Immediately following that, another person chimed in, asking with a puzzled expression.

"You gentlemen must all be students of Ningjing Academy, right?

I am actually not a student of the academy; I simply enjoy reading, so I would frequently spend some time there, reading and browsing books."

Chen Yushu offered a polite bow and replied with a smile.

"Could it be that you are the avid scholar whom both our instructors and the academy head praise so highly?

I recall our instructor mentioning that your erudition was quite profound, and he even specifically went looking for you at the Wenchang Pavilion for a period of time. But for some reason, you stopped showing up altogether, and I never expected to cross paths with you here."

At that moment, the final young man who had remained silent—and who clearly carried martial arts training—his eyes lit up as he looked at him with curiosity.

In truth, their instructor's repeated praises had provoked the competitive spirit of these students, who had wanted to challenge him to a debate.

As it happened, that coincided with the moment Chen Yushu maxed out his reading experience and stopped visiting the academy, causing them to miss him with a lingering sense of regret and deepening their impression of him.

"Profound erudition is hardly the word; I merely happened to answer a few questions in a way that happened to suit your instructor's inclinations."

Chen Yushu waved his hand dismissively and said.

"By the way, I haven't asked for your esteemed name. I am Hong Qiuquan, and these are Liu Qing, Zhao Kunpeng, and this one here is Li Qingzhi.

The few of us are heading to Qinghe County this time to take the county scholar examinations.

I wonder what brings you to Qinghe County, Brother Chen?"

At that moment, the leading young scholar hurriedly stepped forward to ask.

"My name is Chen Yushu.

My destination on this trip is not Qinghe County, but the Tianling Prefecture direction south of Qinghe County."

Chen Yushu explained casually.

"Tianling Prefecture? Huangshan Tianling Prefecture?"

Li Qingzhi let out a startled exclamation, asking, "Could you be going to attend the Huangshan Patriarch's..."

"Hm?"

Chen Yushu's gaze flickered, and he couldn't resist employing his Qi-Observing Technique.

Previously, he had only deduced from the young man's physique and aura that he practiced martial arts, but viewed through this lens, it was evident the other party was far from being a mere martial artist.

One incense-stick of cultivation.

Instantly, Chen Yushu understood.

An insider of the esoteric paths.

No wonder he knew about the Huangshan Patriarch's legacy left behind on the Huangshan Inheritance Cliff.

Though his cultivation was slightly low, given his age, possessing one incense-stick of cultivation was entirely normal.

People like himself and Liu Qiao'er, who had reached three incense-sticks and entered the Dao-entry realm at such a tender age, were the abnormal ones.

After all, not just anyone could elevate their meditative stillness to the level of great stillness, let alone constant stillness.

This fellow had achieved minor stillness at best.

Yet even minor stillness was already quite remarkable.

Whether in scholarly pursuits or martial arts cultivation, it afforded him twice the result with half the effort.

No wonder this person was not only a student at Ningjing Academy, already a child-scholar preparing for the provincial examinations, but also bore clear traces of martial arts training.

In a small place like Jianghuan Town, he could genuinely be considered a master of both pen and sword.

"Brother Chen is indeed a person of the esoteric path as well."

Noticing the peculiar expression on Chen Yushu's face, Li Qingzhi broke into a smile, instantly appearing much closer as he hurried to say, "Is Brother Chen also going to join in the excitement after hearing about the Huangshan Patriarch's legacy?"

"In that case, why don't we travel together?

The scholar examinations happen to be in April, and with over two months left, there's plenty of time.

We can just head over there to take in the scenery and clear our minds."

"Take in the scenery?

Huangshan is hardly a peaceful place."

Hearing this, Chen Yushu raised an eyebrow, then glanced at the other three youths, asking, "What kind of people do you think populate the esoteric paths? And what sort of things do they deal with?

Ghosts!

If you aren't afraid of ghosts, by all means, go take a run up Huangshan mountain.

As for whether you'll make it back alive, heaven only knows."

Chen Yushu wasn't trying to be a condescending mentor; it was simply that these youths were students of Ningjing Academy and shared a certain connection with him. Considering the old man at the academy who had treated him quite kindly, he offered this word of warning out of pure goodwill.

As for whether they would heed his advice, Chen Yushu couldn't care less.

"Ah?"

Hearing this, Hong Qiuquan's expression shifted drastically.

Ghosts!

Which ordinary person wasn't afraid of ghosts?

They had only heard there was a lively event going on and wanted to go check it out.

Now, upon hearing this, they were thoroughly frightened, and some hesitation crept into their hearts.

"Then aren't you planning to go, Brother Chen?"

Li Qingzhi asked with a hint of defiance.

"Me? I am different from you."

Chen Yushu smiled, offering no further explanation, and simply said, "Go if you wish; who could possibly stop you?"

With that, he turned and headed down into the lower cabin, retiring to his private room.

At present, he was carrying a decent amount of silver, and naturally had no intention of skimping on his accommodations.

Fortunately, Jianghuan Town was not particularly far from Qinghe County. As midday approached, the merchant vessel successfully docked at Qinghe County.

However, Chen Yushu merely glanced briefly at the bustling sights of Qinghe County—which were obviously much grander than Jianghuan Town—from the harbor side, before swiftly boarding another, much larger merchant vessel.

This time, the destination was Tianling Prefecture.

The water route led straight to Tianling Prefecture, but upon arrival, reaching Huangshan would still require a two-day journey by land, leaving their schedule quite tight.