Chapter 98: Beating Up the Children, Chen Changsheng Some Burdens Must Be Carried
Chapter 98 Beating Up the Children, Chen Changsheng Some Burdens Must Be Carried
A lifeless wooden puppet, manipulated by invisible soul-threads, executed a flawless barrage of fist techniques against Mei Yongsi. It moved with an uncanny, lethal grace, entirely devoid of vitality.
The wooden construct not only channeled the exact same martial forms as Ye Hensheng, but even the sequence of its strikes mirrored him perfectly.
Yet, facing this identical onslaught, Mei Yongsi was entirely powerless to parry.
No matter the myriad of secret arts you manifest, I need only throw a single punch.
The fist descends!
The Dao is shattered!
The power behind Ye Hensheng’s strike and the one dictated by Chen Changsheng’s sovereign Will were worlds apart.
Watching Mei Yongsi being ruthlessly battered backward, Ye Hensheng stared with wide, disbelieving eyes.
This nameless fist technique was an absolute secret, known only to his Master, the Invincible Daoist, within the entire Shangqing Temple. He had passed it down to Ye Hensheng alone.
Seeing Chen Changsheng perfectly unleash this profound art, the wild speculation in Ye Hensheng’s heart solidified into absolute certainty.
Guiding the silken spiritual threads to beat Mei Yongsi into a pathetic retreat, Chen Changsheng’s face remained as still as a frozen pond.
To speak plainly, this ancient monster lacked the slightest interest in bullying these “children.”
The prodigies of the Kunlun Holy Land did not lack a profound cultivation realm, but they had yet to truly meld their myriad techniques into a cohesive Dao.
Given their mere decades of life, they had to agonizingly temper their Qi while simultaneously mastering an ocean of slaughtering methods.
Thrust into the current shifting era, they were also forced to conceptualize entirely new paths of cultivation.
Weighed down by endless mundane squabbles, their time was simply stretched too thin.
Thus, against a weary Old Monster like Chen Changsheng—a man who had survived countless epochs, meticulously dissecting the Dao and hoarding the supreme arts of a hundred shattered sects—crushing these fledglings required no effort at all.
Even ignoring his absolute superiority in realm, had he been a full stage weaker, he still possessed a thousand ways to beat them until they were choking on their own shattered teeth.
“Bang!”
The rigid wooden fist smashed squarely into Mei Yongsi’s mouth, sending two pristine white teeth flying amidst a spray of crimson.
Having thoroughly humiliated Mei Yongsi, Chen Changsheng retracted his soul-tethered manipulation, pulling the puppet back to his sleeve.
Had this little scholar not dared to sow discord directly before his eyes, he wouldn’t have bothered dirtying his hands to impart such a painful lesson.
Wiping the blood from his mangled lips, Mei Yongsi slowly picked himself up from the dirt and cupped his hands in a stiff salute.
“Thank you, Brother Chen, for the guidance!”
“Guidance is a heavy word; consider it a friendly spar.”
“Next time, keep your tongue leashed, or the price will be far steeper than two mere teeth.”
Swallowing Chen Changsheng’s icy threat, Mei Yongsi spun on his heel and departed with a frostbitten expression.
Inferior martial prowess left no room for excuses; Chen Changsheng withholding a killing blow was already an act of profound mercy.
Rather than spewing hollow threats, it was wiser to conserve his Spiritual Essence and scheme on how to dismantle this enigma known as Chen Changsheng.
Today’s humiliation would not go unanswered.
Staring at Mei Yongsi’s retreating back, Chen Changsheng clicked his tongue and drawled.
“The show is over, and my bones are weary. Go play amongst yourselves.”
With those parting words, Chen Changsheng turned and strolled back into the Eastern Wasteland courtyard, leaving behind three prodigies drowning in their own turbulent thoughts.
……
“Knock, knock, knock!”
A rhythmic rapping echoed from the wooden door. Chen Changsheng, leisurely savoring a cup of spiritual tea, cast a sidelong glance and spoke placidly.
“Enter.”
“Creak~”
The door swung open, and Ye Hensheng stepped over the threshold.
“Did I not tell you to come at nightfall?”
Hearing this, Ye Hensheng offered a faint smile. “Brother Chen instructed me to visit at night, undoubtedly to evade prying eyes.”
“Miss Gongsun has left the premises, and Brother Su is deep in secluded meditation to heal his injuries. Right now is far more opportune than the dead of night.”
“A fair point. Sit.”
Observing Chen Changsheng’s undisturbed demeanor, Ye Hensheng slowly approached a wooden stool.
“Thud!”
Midway across the room, his knees abruptly struck the floorboards.
“The forty-sixth generation true disciple of the Shangqing Temple pays his utmost respects to Senior Uncle Changsheng!”
Confronted with the kneeling Ye Hensheng, Chen Changsheng remained silent, his gaze lowered as he quietly blew the steam from his teacup.
After a long, heavy silence, Chen Changsheng finally spoke. “How did you see through the veil?”
Keeping his head bowed reverently, Ye Hensheng answered, “During his idle hours, my Master always instructed me to pore over the ancient texts.”
“Consequently, I gleaned a fraction of the buried history.”
“Within the deepest archives, I discovered that the Shangqing Temple once reigned over a truly glorious epoch.”
“In those days, our Shangqing Temple was rooted in a sovereign state known as the Daqian Dynasty.”
“My Master was birthed during that primordial age. Furthermore, according to the secret records, the Shangqing Temple possessed exactly ten true disciples.”
“The first eight Senior Uncles perished in an apocalyptic war.”
“However, regarding the final true disciple, the entire sect retains barely a whisper of information.”
“Driven by curiosity, I scoured every rotting bamboo slip and jade slip within the sect, ultimately unearthing a single line:”
“‘The tenth true disciple of the Shangqing Temple suffered Qi Deviation during a secluded breakthrough and died a sudden, violent death.’”
“I have forever harbored intense doubts concerning that passage. It was not until the convening of this Heavenly Talent Assembly that the fog finally cleared.”
Hearing these words, the dust-covered memories buried deep within Chen Changsheng’s ancient heart were ruthlessly stirred.
The Daqian Dynasty… what an achingly familiar name!
In those ephemeral days, the Shangqing Temple and the Night Moon Country had been sworn enemies locked in a bitter blood feud.
Pulling himself from the ruinous past, Chen Changsheng smiled faintly. “Interesting. And how exactly did this Heavenly Talent Assembly untangle your doubts?”
Ye Hensheng replied with the utmost reverence, “Before I departed, my First Master ordered me to visit a specific coordinate and beseech a Senior known as ‘The Undertaker’ to emerge from seclusion.”
“When my Second Master caught wind of this mandate, he personally sought me out.”
“He declared that for this Heavenly Talent Assembly, I would be watched over by an invincible Dao Protector, and thus, he would not need to escort me.”
“I was completely lost in the fog, so I pressed him for answers.”
“But Second Master refused to elaborate. He merely stated with an utterly calm voice, ‘His fist techniques are superior to mine.’”
“After witnessing your heaven-shaking punch just now, my wild theories forged into ironclad certainty. You are that ‘vanished’ true disciple.”
“Hahaha!”
Realizing his disguise had been thoroughly pierced, Chen Changsheng let out a boisterous laugh. “Your Master still hasn’t cured that fatal flaw of his—always far too soft-hearted.”
“If he hadn’t accidentally leaked the heavens’ secrets, I had every intention of stringing you brats along for a bit more amusement.”
“While your Second Master certainly did you a favor, he completely sabotaged your First Master’s grand Dao-array.”
“Knowing Wan Yan Yue’s fiery temper, your Second Master is doomed to suffer a savage beating for this indiscretion.”
Hearing Chen Changsheng freely admit his identity, Ye Hensheng’s eyes reddened with emotion. “Senior Uncle, why… why haven’t you returned to the sect after all these centuries?”
“First Master and Second Master constantly stand at the absolute summit of our mountain, gazing out into the Void. The direction they stare… is precisely toward your hidden sanctuary!”
“Do you truly not wish to look upon their faces once more?”
Hearing the plea in Ye Hensheng’s voice, Chen Changsheng let out a long, weary sigh.
“What could a reunion possibly mend?”
“They are bound to their Dao, and I am shackled to mine.”
“Divergent paths naturally forge disparate destinies. Seeing them again would only deepen the bitter sting of the inevitable parting.”
“Then why… why were you willing to emerge from the shadows this time, Senior Uncle?”
“It is simple. First, the Dao demands my presence here. Second, there are certain individuals I wish to keep breathing.”
“This Heavenly Talent Assembly is the bloody prelude to a new epoch. In this vast world, some heavy burdens must be shouldered.”
“If your generation is too weak to carry that celestial weight, then the crushing load will inevitably fall upon your Masters’ backs. Do you comprehend my meaning?”