Chapter 596: Weathering the Storm Together

Outside Feng'an Commandery, King Li suddenly shivered, and Master Ge's body trembled as well. Both of their expressions turned somewhat unpleasant.

King Li turned to leave, laughing, "Haha, Fellow Daoist Ge, I just remembered there are matters in the West Heaven Expanse that require my attention. I must return to handle them. Farewell..."

Master Ge grabbed his sleeve with one hand while keeping the other firmly on the exquisite golden pagoda, laughing, "Fellow Daoist, don't leave just yet. If you must go, then leave the pagoda behind! You dug this pit, you can't just bury me in it alone!"

King Li laughed, "What pit? I don't see any pit! Don't talk nonsense, Fellow Daoist. Let go of me, and when I return to the Celestial Court, I'll put in a good word for you with the Great Celestial Venerable and have you transferred out of the Thunderclap Mystic Province."

"Distant water can't quench a nearby fire!"

Master Ge refused to let go, his face full of smiles, "I'm an immortal, and I'm already being ostracized in the Thunderclap Mystic Province. If this death-sentence errand falls on my head again, there'd be no justice in the world!"

King Li couldn't break free and had no choice but to stay, saying, "Then let us weather the storm together."

Master Ge still didn't dare release the exquisite golden pagoda, saying, "Weather the storm together!"

The two of them stared anxiously at that little Earth God temple, their expressions shifting unpredictably. Master Ge whispered, "This is the divine power of the Empress of Earth, isn't it?"

King Li nodded, "It is indeed Her Ladyship's divine power. All earth spirits in the world are governed by Her Ladyship. The Earth God is an earth spirit, and even if he shattered and perished, as long as divine power remains and incense offerings persist, Her Ladyship can still revive him."

Master Ge's face turned pale, "Who could mobilize the power of Her Ladyship and be a great demon? Heavenly King, could your investigation have gone in the wrong direction?"

King Li let out a muffled grunt.

The reason he had dispatched the Fire Battalion to investigate the great Dao pollution case in the Thunderclap Mystic Province was because of a single statement from the Heavenly Official Great Emperor. Of course, Chen Shi was also extremely suspicious — a Celestial Immortal Realm cultivator who had refined a great Dao anomaly. The Heavenly Official Great Emperor's suspicions weren't without reason.

But if Chen Shi was one of the Empress of Earth's people, then none of his actions warranted suspicion!

At the very least, he didn't dare suspect him.

"A favored figure before Houtu Huangdiqi."

Master Ge said pitifully, "He absolutely cannot die on my watch! I can't bear that burden."

King Li let out another muffled grunt. Houtu Huangdiqi was one of the Four Sovereigns, and he couldn't bear that burden either. He lamented to himself, "I shouldn't have listened to the Heavenly Official Great Emperor! Besides having the Empress of Earth as his patron, Chen Shi also has a powerful backer in the palace! I should have realized — someone favored by that figure in the palace could hardly be a great demon."

Master Ge's expression changed drastically, and he blurted out, "Chen Shi has connections to the palace as well? The Eastern Palace or the Western Palace?"

"I don't know whether it's the Eastern or Western Palace, but when he committed his crime and was thrown into the Heavenly Prison to await death, it was an existence in the palace who spoke up and had him released."

Upon hearing this, Master Ge's expression shifted unpredictably. Suddenly he turned to leave, saying, "I never should have waded into this muddy water. I was in seclusion... that's right, I was in seclusion!"

King Li quickly grabbed his hand and lowered his voice, "Elder Immortal, stay! Didn't we agree earlier? Weather the storm together! How can you go back on your word?"

"I'm going back on my word, so what!"

"Elder Immortal, my three sons are formidable fighters, especially the third one. He abhors evil and specializes in killing those who betray their promises."

...

Master Ge reluctantly stayed, saying, "This matter isn't without a turning point. As long as Chen Shi doesn't die and accomplishes a great deed, not only will we be blameless, we'll have contributed as well. The Empress of Earth will look good, and that figure in the palace will be pleased, knowing we understand how things work."

King Li nodded repeatedly and probed, "Then should we intervene now?"

Master Ge shook his head, "If we intervene now, we'll leave traces. This matter should have Chen Shi taking the lead, with us merely supporting from the sidelines. If Chen Shi is happy, we'll have earned our credit."

The two settled on their plan and each resumed watching, far more attentively than before.

Inside the small temple, the Earth God of Feng'an Commandery looked around blankly, dazed.

Chen Shi greeted him with a bow, "Fellow Daoist, greetings. May I ask, now that you've been resurrected from death, what are your thoughts?"

The Earth God of Feng'an was startled awake by his voice and hurriedly stepped out of the small temple. But because the wind outside blew against him, nearly scattering his body, he stopped short and returned the greeting, saying, "This old one offers his respects."

He saw the incense offering as thick as a water bucket in front of the temple, then looked at his own body. He immediately understood that Chen Shi had saved his life. He quickly knelt and bowed, "Earth God of Feng'an, this humble one thanks you for saving my life! Your great kindness and virtue shall never be forgotten!"

"Rise and speak."

Chen Shi said solemnly, "I merely borrowed the power of my godmother to revive you. I don't possess such means myself. Earth God, let me inform you — my godmother resides in the Hall of Great Virtue and Brightness, Houtu Huangdiqi, the Empress of Earth."

The Earth God of Feng'an was deeply shaken and knelt again, "So you are His Highness! What virtues have I, this old one, to deserve His Highness taking action on my behalf?"

Chen Shi stopped him and asked, "Fellow Daoist, how did you die? Was it corruption and abuse of power, or was someone seeking revenge against you?"

The Earth God of Feng'an felt somewhat uneasy, as if he couldn't feel right unless he kowtowed to Chen Shi a couple of times.

"To answer Your Highness, I govern the lands of Feng'an Commandery, with ten thousand avatars spread across the region. I only handle trivial matters and hold not a shred of divine authority. Where would I have the opportunity to corrupt myself?"

The Earth God of Feng'an said, "In daily life, feng shui masters seek me out to adjust the local geomantic balance, and that earns me a basket of fruit and two sticks of incense. Helping people find their lost children gets the same payment. When villagers lose needles, thread, shovels, or hoes, they kowtow to me without even offering incense, and I still help them. How could I possibly have enemies? How could I be so morally bankrupt?"

Chen Shi's heart stirred slightly. "Then, at whose hands did you die?"

The Earth God of Feng'an said, "This old one was beaten to death for violating the heavenly laws."

Chen Shi frowned slightly. "Violating the heavenly laws?"

"Gods have divine authority. Acting beyond one's authority without permission is violating the heavenly laws, and that is a capital crime. My divine authority is the land of Feng'an Commandery — whatever the people of Feng'an Commandery request, I do my best to fulfill. But ever since the Bodhisattva from the Western Paradise came, the wealthy merchants and landlords of the commandery donated large tracts of land to the Bodhisattva's Mahāsthāma Monastery. As time went on, they donated more and more, and the places where I could exercise my divine authority grew fewer and fewer."

The Earth God of Feng'an said, "One day, a woman came to me, lamenting that monks had forcibly purchased her daughter to serve as a consort in the temple. She begged me to get her daughter back. So I went to the Mahāsthāma Monastery, intending to sneak her daughter out. The moment I entered the temple, I was captured. They said I had violated the heavenly laws by trespassing onto Western Paradise territory."

His expression darkened as he said, "And so those monks beat me to death."

Beside them, Black Pot let out a puzzled bark, "Woof?"

Chen Shi nodded slightly in agreement and asked, "So, was the consort truly bought by force?"

The Earth God of Feng'an shook his head, "The woman and the consort both came as well, saying her daughter had willingly joined the Mahāsthāma Monastery and that there had been no forced transaction. They claimed I had coveted her daughter's beauty and come to steal her away."

Black Pot couldn't help but bark several times in a row.

Chen Shi said, "Black Pot is asking — could it be that the woman and the consort were both part of a trap set by the Mahāsthāma Monastery, designed to make you overstep your authority, violate the heavenly laws, and thus give them an excuse to eliminate you? Otherwise, why would you have been seized the moment you entered the Mahāsthāma Monastery?"

The Earth God of Feng'an was silent for a moment, then said, "That woman cried so earnestly and sincerely. It didn't seem fake."

Chen Shi said, "They lured you into overstepping your authority, then caught you red-handed. After you died, there was no deity left in Feng'an Commandery to compete with him for incense offerings. The entire commandery became his incense ground."

The Earth God of Feng'an shook his head, "This is merely your speculation. There's no hard evidence."

Chen Shi was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, "Indeed, there's no hard evidence. Perhaps I could cultivate for a lifetime and never find proof to confirm this speculation."

The Earth God of Feng'an's expression dimmed as he said, "I went onto someone else's territory to exercise divine authority. That was me violating the heavenly laws. That place was Western Paradise territory. They were fully justified in beating me to death."

Chen Shi nodded.

Heavenly laws were heavenly laws. Violating the heavenly laws meant execution.

"But then, who exactly was it that brought the clouds and rain?" He was still somewhat puzzled inside.

The Earth God of Feng'an sighed and sat on the threshold of the small temple, his brow furrowed in worry. "Even if I've been brought back to life, I still violated the heavenly laws."

Chen Shi laughed, "Come with me. I'll take you to see your disciple, Chu Xiangxiu."

The Earth God of Feng'an's spirits lifted, and he said joyfully, "Xiangxiu is back?"

Chen Shi laughed, "You violated the heavenly laws, but your disciple committed an even greater violation. He's far better at stirring up trouble than you are."

The Earth God of Feng'an felt a jolt of alarm and hurriedly followed him.

The Clay Bodhisattva of Great Strength watched with some surprise as Chen Shi led the Earth God toward him. He hadn't expected that this heavenly soldier would actually manage to bring the Earth God of Feng'an Commandery back to life!

Was this really something a heavenly soldier could accomplish?

Chen Shi greeted the Bodhisattva with a bow and recounted the whole story from beginning to end. "Bodhisattva, the monks of your Mahāsthāma Monastery beat the Earth God of Feng'an Commandery to death. That's what led Chu Xiangxiu to seek revenge against you, offer incense to you, and produce the great Dao pollution case. The evidence is now conclusive. Bodhisattva, the monks of your temple abused their authority to execute a righteous deity of the Celestial Court. What crime does this constitute?"

The Clay Bodhisattva said, "Is that so? I was unaware. However, the Mahāsthāma Monastery's territory belongs to the Western Paradise. He trespassed into Western Paradise territory and attempted to abduct a consort, violating the heavenly laws. He deserved execution. My temple's monks committed no wrongdoing."

Chen Shi laughed, "The monks of your temple deliberately set a trap, lured the Earth God into violating the heavenly laws, and used that as an excuse to execute him. Plotting the murder of a righteous deity of the Celestial Court is also a violation of the heavenly laws, and they too deserve execution. Was this done on your orders, Bodhisattva?"

The Clay Bodhisattva slowly shook his head, "This was the doing of those monks. I knew nothing of it. Had I known, I would certainly have shown leniency and pardoned the Earth God of Feng'an."

He shifted his tone and said flatly, "Heavenly Soldier Chen, you claim my temple's monks plotted to frame him. Do you have any hard evidence? If you have no hard evidence, it would be best not to speak recklessly."

Chen Shi wore a smile on his face as he said, "And then there's Chu Xiangxiu. He has violated the heavenly laws, and I must escort him to the Celestial Court for trial. Please hand over Chu Xiangxiu, Bodhisattva."

The Clay Bodhisattva shook his head, "Chu Xiangxiu has committed countless evils, caused the deaths of countless people, and brutally slaughtered the monks of my Mahāsthāma Monastery. He ought to be escorted to the Western Paradise for trial."

Chen Shi's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and Black Pot emerged from behind him. The two of them flanked the Clay Bodhisattva, one on each side.

The Clay Bodhisattva felt a chill run down his spine. He had suffered losses at the hands of Chen Shi and Black Pot before.

Chen Shi summoned the Purple Heaven Gourd, and two sword energies flew out, sharper than ever before. He said coldly, "Bodhisattva, please do me the courtesy."

The Clay Bodhisattva hesitated for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and withdrew the Eighteen Right Mindfulness prayer beads. Chu Xiangxiu had already been refined into a dazed, stumbling state by the paradise of ultimate bliss within the beads. The Earth God of Feng'an hurried forward to steady him.

At that moment, Zhang Xian and Zhong Lin arrived with the warriors of the Fire Battalion. Chen Shi waved his hand, signaling for everyone to apprehend Chu Xiangxiu.

They swarmed forward, activating the Immortal-Binding Rope and Immortal-Binding Lock, and bound Chu Xiangxiu tightly.

"Take the Earth God of Feng'an into custody as well!" Chen Shi ordered.

Everyone bound the Earth God of Feng'an securely.

Black Pot took a mouthful of water and sprayed it onto Chu Xiangxiu's face. Only then did Chu Xiangxiu gradually regain his senses. When he saw the Earth God of Feng'an, he was overjoyed and shocked at once: "Master, you're still alive!"

The Earth God of Feng'an said, "Xiangxiu, you unleashed great Dao pollution and turned everyone into clay figures? These people are all fellow villagers, with no grudges against you. Let them go."

Chu Xiangxiu choked back tears, acknowledged the order, and withdrew his Dao techniques.

The Clay Bodhisattva gripped the Eighteen Right Mindfulness prayer beads, keeping one eye on Chen Shi while looking down at his own hands. He saw his hands rapidly restoring themselves, his Golden Body returning. He let out a breath of relief.

With his Golden Body restored, his power surged tremendously. He no longer feared the combined might of Chen Shi and Black Pot.

Yet for some reason, he did not strike.

This transformation spread outward in all directions. Wherever it passed, clay figure after clay figure returned to flesh and blood, and all manner of clay livestock, poultry, birds, and beasts were restored to their original forms as well. However, some clay figures with missing limbs — while in their clay state they had been in no mortal danger — now that they had returned to flesh and blood, their injuries immediately erupted, and they died on the spot.

There were also some people who weren't injured, but whose limbs, faces, or heads had been deformed and never molded back to their original shapes, leaving them with bizarre appearances and bodies.

Zhang Xian no longer activated the Evil-Repelling Banner, and the banner whooshed as it burst into countless shreds of cloth, its power expended.

Once Chu Xiangxiu withdrew his external Dao, his body also gradually returned to normal, becoming flesh and blood once more.

He was a tall, thin young man, hunched over, somewhat shy.

The Bodhisattva of Great Strength's Golden Body was fully restored. He took a deep look at Chen Shi and said solemnly, "Donor Chen, you certainly have skill. I admit defeat. I will take not a single coin from the incense offerings of Feng'an Commandery. I will move the Mahāsthāma Monastery away immediately. From this day forth, there will be no Dao Field of the Western Paradise in the Thunderclap Mystic Province."

Chen Shi looked at him in surprise and said, "Bodhisattva, I was merely carrying out my orders in handling this case. I have no intention of driving you away. Why must you insist on relocating?"

The Bodhisattva of Great Strength looked up at the sky and said, "A loss is a loss. There's no meaning in staying here. You haven't yet discovered who exactly cast the spell to bring the rain, have you?"

Chen Shi nodded.

The Bodhisattva of Great Strength gazed at the sky, his eyes flickering. "I haven't discovered it either. But I suspect that someone wants to use this opportunity to make me fight a great battle with the Thunder Ministry, provoking conflict between the Western Paradise and the Celestial Court — and is willing to slaughter hundreds of thousands of lives to do so. I came here to spread the faith, for incense offerings, and for the legacy of the Buddhist Sect. Not to offend the Thunder Ministry, and certainly not to become a knife in someone else's hands."

Chen Shi looked up at the sky, lost in thought, and said to himself, "It was an immortal's doing. This immortal wants to spark a war between the Western Paradise and the Celestial Court, weakening both sides. And he's still in Feng'an Commandery."