Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1471: 796: Broken Pen
Previously on Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension...
Zhao Sheng flipped open the volume and kept murmuring praises while flipping through the tales inside.
With a grin on his face, Old Shopkeeper Chen observed silently without uttering a word.
A short time passed before Zhao Sheng snapped the book shut, filled with eager curiosity, and inquired, “Could you tell me, Mr. Chen, who penned this book?”
A shadow crossed Old Shopkeeper Chen’s features as he let out a heavy sigh. “This ‘Rebirth Record’ came from the hand of my late companion Li Zhi. Sadly, fate proved cruel, and he left this world three years back. In his final moments, my friend handed over this manuscript along with a few treasured possessions to my care.”
Hearing this news, Zhao Sheng showed a touch of regret. “Indeed, the heavens begrudge brilliance! Might I learn the spot where Mr. Li rests? I’d like to offer my respects at his tomb.”
Old Shopkeeper Chen was taken aback by the request, yet he dismissed any deeper suspicions and shared the grave’s whereabouts.
Having secured what he sought, Zhao Sheng lingered only briefly for some idle talk before seizing the chance to depart.
Sensing no foul play, Old Shopkeeper Chen rose promptly and escorted him to the exit.
Soon enough, Zhao Sheng, guided by a servant from the Chen household, strode swiftly out through the grand entrance of the Chen Mansion.
No sooner had he stepped down a couple of stone stairs than a recognizable silhouette emerged abruptly from around the bend, hurrying toward the Chen Mansion’s direction.
Zhao Sheng’s eyes fixed on the approaching figure, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward just a bit.
The individual turned out to be none other than the tardy Lin Heng.
Lin Heng quickly reached the Chen Mansion’s front, crossing paths with Zhao Sheng right then.
As they brushed past one another, a sudden notion sparked in his mind. He glanced up at the composed Zhao Sheng, halting his stride with a pensive look.
Noticing Zhao Sheng on the verge of leaving, Lin Heng bowed deeply all at once and called out clearly, “Kindly pause for a moment, fellow cultivator!”
Zhao Sheng pivoted back, questioning coolly, “What matter brings Your Excellency to address me?”
Lin Heng picked up on the icy tone from the other man, and an odd tightness gripped his chest. Forcing a smile, he replied, “Your bearing strikes me as remarkable and out of the ordinary. Thus, I’d like to get to know you. My name is Lin Heng, courtesy name Zhongzhi. Might I have the honor of your name?”
“Our paths cross only fleetingly, with no future encounters likely. No point in swapping names. Goodbye!” Zhao Sheng shook his head and prepared to turn away after his words.
At that sight, a peculiar glint flickered in Lin Heng’s gaze, and he quietly etched the man’s features into his recollection.
Were the setting not so unsuitable that day, he might have probed this fellow to check if he counted as a “fellow Daoist.”
Yet he remained unaware that his restraint that day spared him from doom.
Zhao Sheng had no desire to end Lin Heng’s life, particularly given the “valuable aid” the man had provided earlier.
Besides, he wasn’t one to delight in bloodshed, allowing Lin Heng to dodge a deadly ordeal.
…
Beyond Mingxi Town by a few miles, among rugged hills and overgrown fields, clusters of burial mounds dotted the landscape.
The next day, Zhao Sheng made his way back to the familiar spot.
To his surprise, Li Zhi’s burial site sat mere yards from the wreckage of an unmarked tomb. Even as a fresh grave, weeds had already overrun the heap.
Positioned before the headstone, Zhao Sheng offered three respectful bows with clasped hands, then drew forth a bundle of yellow talisman paper, flicking it gently. Flames caught on the sheets amid the breeze, drifting softly to settle on the earth.
Next, he produced an assortment of fruits and treats, arranging them beneath the marker as tributes.
With these rites finished, Zhao Sheng issued an order, prompting Chen San to pull a sour expression, grab an iron spade, and start excavating the mound.
While shoveling away, Chen San muttered under his breath, “Young Master, unearthing a grave invites heavenly wrath. Should the Master find out, he’ll snap my legs for sure, and even the Young Master won’t get off lightly—”
“Upon our return, I’ll double your monthly pay!” Zhao Sheng responded evenly.
“Oh, Young Master, keep your distance to avoid the dust, lest it curse you with misfortune!” Energized by the promise, Chen San wielded the spade with blurring speed, creating illusions of multiple tools in motion.
Within a single hour, the entire mound lay excavated, exposing a deep rectangular hole. Down in its base rested a massive crimson casket, sturdy and radiating an icy chill.
“Pry it open!” Zhao Sheng eyed the coffin below and directed steadily.
Chen San bobbed his head nervously, mopped the perspiration from his brow, swallowed hard, then clenched his jaw to jam the spade into the lid’s edge, forcing it ajar with effort.
After strenuous labor, the cover finally gave way. It slid aside gradually, unveiling the contents within.
Hmm?
Zhao Sheng’s stare grew keen in an instant, tinged with astonishment and uncertainty.
No corpse! No grave goods!
The coffin stood barren—utterly devoid of anything!
“Young Master, it’s empty in there.” Chen San stared in bewilderment, blurting half a shout before spitting repeatedly to ward off ill fortune.
Zhao Sheng’s eyes tightened a fraction, and he offhandedly told Chen San to seal the coffin anew.
Chen San jumped to the task without delay, throwing himself into the work.
As noon’s sun blazed high, the dark-hulled vessel ferried the pair back toward Mingxi Town.
The craft pulled ashore, and they stepped off. Zhao Sheng then devised a reason to send Chen San ahead to the estate.
Once Chen San vanished from sight, Zhao Sheng strolled leisurely beside the river, lost in contemplation as he moved.
Unwittingly, he arrived at the base of a stone-arched bridge.
Right then, a robust fellow was coming down from the span, and their gazes met, both freezing for a beat.
Surprise washed over Su Heihu. From what he remembered, the Zhao family’s Young Master had always shrunk from him like a rodent from a predator, yet now he seemed transformed into another soul.
He showed no fear whatsoever; instead, his eyes held an unnervingly steady calm, as though appraising—a dead man!
The realization hit Su Heihu like a chill, his frame quaking as he sensed peril.
But prior to mustering any guard, Zhao Sheng lunged forth abruptly, his form blurring as he closed to within arm’s reach in a flash.
Bam!
Despite Su Heihu’s reflexive muscle flexing and full deployment of his rigid techniques, the blow still landed square on his Tan Zhong acupoint at the chest.
The strike looked effortless and offhand, yet it packed pinpoint power that pierced straight through his vital organs.