"Shi Yi, tell me, where did the scripture you recited come from?"
Liu Shen's sudden question caught Shi Yi off guard, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.
Lie to her?
Could he even pull that off?
Besides, lies only breed more lies. Using one lie to cover another will only lead to a web of deceit. A single lie might require a thousand more to keep it intact.
Shi Yi wasn't a born deceiver. He couldn't even fool himself with a lie, let alone someone like Liu Shen. Trying to deceive her would make him look more foolish than a clown.
After mulling it over, Shi Yi raised his head, flashing a brilliant smile that revealed his pearly white teeth.
"A secret!"
If lying wasn't an option, then a secret was the next best thing.
As the saying goes, a man with secrets holds the most charm.
A man who lays everything bare might not earn a woman's respect. Once a woman sees through a man completely, he risks becoming nothing more than a plaything in her hands.
Shi Yi wasn't sure what kind of woman Liu Shen was, but he was certain of one thing: no woman liked being lied to—except, of course, for those flattering lies that praised their beauty or kindness. Those were always welcome.
Women are like that. Some lies they can accept, others they can't stomach at all.
You could tell her she's beautiful and kind-hearted, and she'd be pleased. But call her malicious or cruel, and you'd be in trouble.
Beyond that, when it came to truly important matters, no one—man or woman—could tolerate deception.
If you don't want to say something, fine, keep it to yourself. Maybe you have your reasons. But to deceive with lies? That's the most hurtful thing you can do.
"You have secrets?" Liu Shen's expression remained unchanged, but her gaze softened as she looked at Shi Yi.
She had expected him to weave some half-hearted lie to cover the origin of the scripture. She could allow Shi Yi his secrets, but deception? That was something she would never tolerate, in any form.
If Shi Yi had chosen to lie, she would have vanished without a trace, as if she had never existed in his life.
"Teacher, can't I have my own secrets?" Shi Yi puffed out his chest, his tone righteous, as if there was nothing wrong with his response.
In his mind, Liu Shen isn't my woman. Why should she pry into every detail of my life? I just won't say anything. What can she do about it?
Liu Shen didn't press further. Her voice remained calm as she said, "Shi Yi, I believe the reason you were able to open ten Heavenly Passages is largely due to those supreme scriptures. Based on the complexity and chaotic nature of your tenth passages, you must possess at least thirteen supreme Dao scriptures."
The day Shi Yi achieved his tenth Heavenly Passages, she had sensed that this heavy-pupiled youth was far from ordinary. She knew he harbored secrets even she couldn't fully grasp. But since he had never recited any scriptures and even needed her guidance to cultivate the Original True Solution, she couldn't be certain that his ten passages stemmed from supreme scriptures.
"I don't know!" Shi Yi's eyes darted around, but he refused to say a single word.
Beat me to death, and I still won't talk!
"If you don't want to talk about the thirteen supreme Dao scriptures, then so be it," Liu Shen said. "But the scripture you've already recited—surely you don't need to keep that hidden from your teacher, do you?"
"Still a secret!" Shi Yi scratched his head, grinning sheepishly.
The moment the words left his mouth, delicate willow branches emerged from the void, swiftly binding him like a dumpling.
Snap!
A willow branch lashed down from the air, striking with a sound like it had hit plump flesh.
"Don't hit, don't hit! The origin of the scripture is a secret I really can't share. But if the scripture is useful to you, Teacher, I can recite it again for you!" Shi Yi yelped, feeling a stinging pain on his backside. I'm eleven years old this year, and she still treats me like a child. This is utterly disrespectful! She doesn't even see me as a man!
Shi Yi gritted his teeth, seething inwardly, but he was helpless against her.
"Do you know why I stopped you from finishing the recitation?" Liu Shen said. "The supreme scripture you recite takes a tremendous toll on your body. You can't recite it carelessly. At most, you can manage two recitations a day. Any more, and you'll collapse from physical and mental exhaustion."
Liu Shen saw every expression on Shi Yi's face. Truthfully, she had never viewed him as a man. To her, he was just a child who hadn't grown up—a clever, mischievous boy with fanciful thoughts about her.
His chaotic, unrealistic ideas about me are more amusing than anything else.
Because of this, Liu Shen didn't mind Shi Yi's deliberate attempts to get close to her. Rather than feeling annoyed, she found it entertaining, like teasing a child. Especially when she saw his frustrated, teeth-gritting expression—helpless yet defiant—she found it all the more endearing.
It might not suit my usual aloof demeanor, but people are different. The way you act with family isn't the same as with casual friends.
Liu Shen felt the same way. She found herself at ease with Shi Yi, relaxed in a way she wasn't with others. Most people she wouldn't even bother acknowledging, but with Shi Yi, even his endless chatter warranted a response.
Of course, this was largely due to Shi Yi's relentless efforts over the years. In the five years since he left home, his greatest achievement wasn't opening ten Heavenly Passages—it was winning over Liu Shen.
Now, Liu Shen no longer mentioned Stone Village or expressed any intent to return as its sacrificial spirit. Instead, she had made Shi Yi's tenth Heavenly Passage—a chaotic world of earth, water, fire, wind, yin, yang, and the five elements—her home, even carving out a small world within it.
As for Stone Village's safety, there was little cause for concern. The village was protected by the array formations Liu Shen had left behind. Moreover, most of the village's young men and women had undergone baptism with the true blood of ancient species, and many had broken through to the Heavenly Passage Realm. The village was already on its way to becoming a major tribal clan.
If Stone Village wanted to step out into the world, it couldn't remain nestled in its secluded corner forever. To truly rise, it would have to compete and fight with other tribes and ferocious beasts in the Great Wilderness.
"Two recitations? Teacher, isn't one enough?" Shi Yi's face showed reluctance. Even without Liu Shen's warning, he could feel that his recitations were different from others. Reciting too much genuinely drained his body.
It's like this: the scriptures I recite can manifest in reality. It's not just empty words.
The words he spoke carried the weight of a sage's decree, as if they held the authority of the heavens. For an ordinary person without talent, reciting these scriptures until their dying breath wouldn't cause a ripple. But for Shi Yi, every line he uttered triggered celestial phenomena—golden lotuses blooming, visions that could sway the hearts of mortals.
Is this what it means to be the reincarnation of a sage, as a heavy-pupiled one?
No, that's not right. The sages of this world, the ancient sages, are entirely different from the sages I knew in my past life. There's no connection between the two.
Shi Yi rubbed his cheeks hard, shaking off his wandering thoughts. I'm overthinking this.
"No negotiation, Shi Yi. From now on, you'll recite the scriptures inside your Heavenly Passage world, twice a day, no slacking," Liu Shen said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
She knew Shi Yi well—his lazy, hardship-averse nature meant she had to be firm as his teacher. If she let him slack off, how would he ever grow strong enough to stand by her side?
The path of the Dao is solitary, lonely, and desolate.
But if Shi Yi truly has the ability to walk beside me, perhaps some things… aren't entirely out of the question.
And so, in addition to cultivating the Original True Solution and Liu Shen's Method, Shi Yi added scripture recitation to his daily routine. Though he recited within his Heavenly Passage world with Liu Shen by his side, it was no easy task.
Unlike others, Shi Yi's recitations were like a sage's proclamation, carrying immense power and consuming vast amounts of energy. Before, relying on the endless vitality of Liu Shen's Method, he had fought an adult Pixiu for ten days and nights without tiring, growing fiercer with each battle. Yet, reciting just a third of the Salvation Scripture three times was enough to knock him out cold. This showed how taxing his recitations were.
Moreover, aside from the Salvation Scripture, the other supreme scriptures floating in his soul's sea of consciousness weren't something he dared to recite carelessly. He feared he'd collapse before finishing.
A third of the Salvation Scripture, recited three times, can drain me completely. As for the Dao Ke Dao—the True Scripture of Morality—just a few words might finish me off.
In life, one must be cautious and meticulous. One mustn't be reckless or overambitious.
Shi Yi was well-versed in the art of playing it safe. Even when opening his ten Heavenly Passages, he had Liu Shen as his safety net. His pursuit of beauty and charm wasn't blind recklessness—he knew she wouldn't let him come to harm.
The only unexpected factor was the thirteen supreme Dao scriptures in his soul's sea of consciousness. He never imagined that the unremarkable Dao scriptures from his past life would become supreme Dao scriptures in this world, enabling him to open ten Heavenly Passages with immeasurable potential and value.
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The Next Day, Martial King's Manor, Rear Garden
"Aunt, little brother, I…"
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