Chapter 75: Who Ruined Hu Chen

Hu Chen returned to Yingxiang Mansion the previous evening.

But his corpse did not enter the territory of Yingxiang Mansion until this morning.

What arrived first was his soul.

The Red Smoke Steed still carried his remains galloping behind, while his soul was guided ahead by the ghost emissaries under Lord Huang of the Mansion, entering Yingxiang Mansion.

In truth, Lord Huang’s divine authority had no strict territorial limits.

If no other Lord Huang existed in nearby prefectures or counties, the ancestral ancestor of Yingxiang Mansion could extend his power and worship outward.

That is, if a divine authority gap appeared, a city god recognized by Heaven’s Court, the Netherworld, and the Human Emperor could manifest divine signs beyond the prescribed range.

Take, for example, the Earth God of Sand Dunes, Zou Qing.

In the bustling Central Plains, there was an Earth God every ten li; his domain spanned ten li in radius, and beyond that belonged to another Earth God.

Sand Dunes were desolate; even a hundred li around might hold no sand dune tribe at all.

This “Xinmo No. 1” Earth God had no neighbors, no colleagues to see. Had it not been for the Shu Kingdom’s city god and earth gods at Hengsha Pass, he could have crossed thousands of li to feast on offerings in border villages of western Shu.

Shu Kingdom was a densely populated, prosperous land; Yingxiang Mansion was the richest prefecture.

Other spirits could not reach Yingxiang Mansion, yet they seized every nearby divine position.

Once a spirit had already assumed a local divine duty, no other spirit could arbitrarily infringe upon his divine domain.

Unless one was the superior of the other.

Besides Lord Huang, Yingxiang Mansion had many counties and towns; counties had She Lords, towns had Well Gods, even Toilet Gods—they were all subordinates of Ancestor Guan.

When Hu Chen’s soul returned, Ancestor Guan arrived early at the prefectural border, setting up camp in a dim, low, cramped brick-and-tile hut.

This was an Earth God temple.

Earth Gods were ultimately inferior to City Gods.

City Gods often resided in lavish, spacious, and bright halls.

Earth God temples were often just small stone towers by the roadside, no larger than a dog kennel.

The corresponding netherworld blessed land was therefore especially cramped.

And this Earth God temple was a full thousand li from Ancestor Guan’s own City God temple.

More than a dozen Earth Gods attended Ancestor Guan.

“My grandson Hu Chen~~~”

Seeing the ghost emissary guiding Hu Chen’s dazed soul drifting over, Ancestor Guan could not help but cry out emotionally.

“Great-grandfather...”

Hu Chen had been dazed and confused, but Ancestor Guan’s call woke him as if from a nightmare—he instantly became lucid.

It was not that Ancestor Guan used any powerful divine technique.

This was merely ordinary “soul-calling.”

In ordinary households, when a child lost his soul, the mother would carry the child’s clothes into the wild and call his name, or perform other rituals to summon him—that too was soul-calling.

Hu Chen’s soul did not need calling, but his spirit had scattered, leaving him confused.

Ancestor Guan shouted once, and the spirit was “awakened”—reconcentrated within the soul.

“Great-grandfather, save me! Great-grandfather, save your grandson! Your grandson suffers so much! Your grandson is so wronged~~~”

Once lucid, Hu Chen immediately struggled toward Ancestor Guan, wailing loudly.

Ancestor Guan gave a glance to the nearby Earth Gods; the deities promptly bowed and took their leave.

Even the true owner of the Earth God temple stepped outside.

In an instant, the dim, low brick-and-tile hut held only Hu Chen, Ancestor Guan, and a green-faced, fanged ghost emissary.

The ghost emissary respectfully bowed to Ancestor Guan; without being told, he naturally stood by the door, spear in hand, acting as guard.

“Hu Chen, you were far too reckless this time!” Ancestor Guan sighed.

Hu Chen, puzzled, asked: “Great-grandfather, why do you say I was reckless?”

“Don’t you even know how you died? You’re a foolish ghost!”

Hu Chen, both wronged and furious, shouted: “It was Yu Su the brat who killed me! My killer is Yu Su the brat!”

“Be silent!” Ancestor Guan barked. “Lord Yangming is an envoy of the superior state, commissioned by the Human Emperor to oversee western affairs! Even though mortal and divine paths differ, in the human realm he is supreme, while I am in the divine realm—if we ever meet, I must call myself ‘this old man’ and kneel before him in obeisance.

You, a mere mortal, still his subordinate soldier—how dare you speak so boldly of ‘brat’?”

Hu Chen blinked, assuming a pitiful expression: “Great-grandfather, I know the rules.”

“In public, my conduct never drew the slightest criticism.”

Ancestor Guan pointed at him, scolding: “You foolish, empty sack! You’ve had a City God ancestor your whole life, constantly dealing with spirits—and yet you still speak like a ignorant villager, uttering nothing but nonsense.

When you act before men, men watch; when you act behind their backs, spirits watch.

Whatever you do or say, no matter how secret, heaven and earth know it all.

You thought your ‘Little Lifu Plan’ was brilliant, yet you didn’t realize every word and deed was recorded by Lord Yangming’s Wind-Ear.

Your current calamity? You deserve it!”

“What? Wind-Ear? Who?” Hu Chen was terrified.

“Commander Gao Xianjue of the Scout Camp! You’ve seen him many times while serving under Lord Yangming, haven’t you?”

Ancestor Guan sneered. “His Wind-Ear realm is two levels higher than your Thousand-Mile Eye.”

If close enough, he can even eavesdrop on the speech of gods and spirits.

For a mortal general like you, who knows no arrays and no Dao arts, his hearing is as clear as if you shouted right beside his ear—even from ten thousand li away.”

“Gao Xianjue... it was Gao Xianjue...” Hu Chen’s shock gave way to dawning realization. “No wonder—back in Lord Yangming’s command tent, the atmosphere was still cordial.

Lord Yangming had already dismissed me, when Gao Xianjue walked in and handed him a small notebook... Lord Yangming read it, turned pale, and flew into a rage.

I not only devised the ‘Little Lifu Plan,’ but also insulted Yu Yu the brat, called him a bastard... said many disrespectful things—all heard by that bastard Gao Xianjue. Lord Yangming immediately decided to kill me.

Fortunately, a green phoenix descended from the sky, momentarily interrupting his mood—or wait, no!”

Hu Chen anxiously asked: “Great-grandfather, is it true the Human Emperor Zheng is dead?”

Ancestor Guan looked at him and sighed: “You’ve finally realized.

It wasn’t ‘fortunate’ that the green phoenix arrived—it was the green phoenix bringing news of your death.”

“So that’s it... how could this be such a coincidence? Had the green phoenix arrived half an hour later, Lord Yangming, still believing the Human Emperor Zheng lived, would never have dared kill me!

Because Xiao Yu’s Shadow God Map was already complete—the spirits already knew.” Hu Chen sighed bitterly.

Ancestor Guan stared at his forehead for a moment, frowning: “What have you been doing these past months? Why has your fortune suddenly collapsed, your forehead turned dark, and death’s doom drawn near?”

Hu Chen touched his forehead, startled: “Qingsong the little thief... cough, Master Qingsong said the same thing.

Didn’t you, in your youth, perform a ritual for me to gather the ‘Nine-Colored Sky-Piercing Pillar’? How did my fortune suddenly collapse?”

A person’s qi manifests above the head in different colors, shapes, and thicknesses.

The Nine-Colored Sky-Piercing Pillar means qi forms nine colors, thick as a pillar, shooting straight to heaven like a sky-piercing column.

It was not the most auspicious sign of wealth, but the strongest sign of destiny.

Hu Chen’s recent fortunes—the Snake Flame Whip, the Red Smoke Steed—all somehow related to the Nine-Colored Sky-Piercing Pillar.

“I’m asking you—what have you done lately to ruin your fortune? Why are you asking me instead?!” Ancestor Guan snapped.

Hu Chen hurriedly said: “First, I’ve done no evil! I’ve always remembered your teachings—even if I couldn’t practice one good deed daily, I never committed great wickedness.

Fighting for country and ruler on the battlefield, killing countless enemies is not great evil.

I’ve merely picked up some ‘Qin’s Fierce General’ habits; I’ve done no other evil.”

“What do you mean by ‘Qin’s Fierce General’ habits?” Ancestor Guan asked, puzzled.

Hu Chen explained: “Killing prisoners and massacring towns. I’ve followed Lord Yangming on campaigns north and south, and I’ve grasped the essence of Qin’s military way—cruelty!

In just a few months, I completed the ‘Half-Ten Thousand Kill.’

I killed enemy soldiers, and also women and children of the Ji clan of Jinyang.

To prove loyalty to Lord Yangming, I killed fiercely—but surely this wouldn’t harm the Nine-Colored Sky-Piercing Pillar?”

“Sigh—you defied my wishes and insisted on joining Lord Yangming’s ranks just to learn this?

The true martial Dao art is the Three Thousand Fire Crows Formation!” Ancestor Guan was speechless.

—Even if you couldn’t master the Three Thousand Fire Crows Formation, learning the Fire Crow Qi would have been worth following Lord Yangming.

But you learned ‘Qin’s Fierce General’ habits... don’t you think about your own origins? Lord Yangming is protected by the Dragon Qi of the First Emperor—what do you have? Oh, you have a City God ancestor—but even I can’t carry that weight!

Hu Chen said: “Great-grandfather, don’t rush. I’m just being factual.

This isn’t about what I learned in the Fire Crows Army—it’s about finding why my fortune collapsed.

In fact, I’ve already gained basic understanding of the Three Thousand Fire Crows Formation, nearly six-tenths the power of Grand Secretary Cai; I also practice Fire Crow Qi day and night without ceasing.

But neither the formation nor Fire Crow Qi has anything to do with my fortune’s decline!”

“Besides massacring prisoners and women and children in Jinyang, what other evil have you done?” Ancestor Guan’s brow furrowed deeply.

Massacring prisoners and women and children—that was the greatest evil!

But Hu Chen was not the commanding general.

He followed Lord Yangming under orders from the King of Shu—he would never dare act on his own.

Even if he bore karmic debts, they shouldn’t have reduced his mighty Nine-Colored Sky-Piercing Pillar to a doused campfire—leaving only a wisp of gray-white qi.

Of course, qi is not the same as fortune.

Usually, qi-watching reveals existing qi, not future fortune.

Even Master Qingsong only said Hu Chen “might” face calamity.

He didn’t know what the future calamity was.

Hu Chen’s fortune was gathered by Ancestor Guan using the City God’s “Book of Life and Death,” through divine art.

In short, Old Ancestor Guan personally wove Xiao Huchen’s “Protagonist Fortune.”

Thus, he could directly perceive Huchen’s fortune through “Qi.”

Now that Huchen’s Qi has been shattered, his fortune has declined.

“Ah, I remember! The heretic Daoist Qingsong forced me to sever the Dragon Vein of Shaqiu Kingdom!”

Huchen suddenly understood, gritted his teeth, and began calling Qingsong “the heretic Daoist” again.

“Sever the Dragon Vein of Shaqiu Kingdom? Tell me the details.”

Huchen swiftly and thoroughly recounted his experiences in Shaqiu Kingdom.

Old Ancestor Guan’s fingers kept calculating as he murmured, “Your fortune’s collapse does seem tied to Shaqiu Kingdom... but it was Song Changqing who drove the nails into the Dragon Vein, not you.”

Huchen said, “Didn’t you tell me that Song Changqing’s Qi is linked to mine, so I couldn’t kill him—I had to keep him close, grant him high rank and rich rewards, and ensure his family’s wealth and glory?”

“Song Changqing didn’t die—he absorbed the Dragon Qi’s backlash...”

Song Changqing and Huchen were like two ponds connected by a ditch, able to influence each other.

But Song Changqing’s pond wasn’t filled with “Death Dragon Qi”—if it were, he’d be dead.

Since it wasn’t filled, the Death Dragon Qi shouldn’t have flowed into Huchen’s pond... even if some had seeped in, Song Changqing himself wasn’t dead—why then did Huchen, whose fortune was stronger, perish?

Yet Old Ancestor Guan’s tone and expression lacked confidence.

For he knew well that Song Changqing was the one truly hardy and blessed.

He knew Song Changqing’s life was tough and his fortune thick, but he wasn’t certain just how tough or how thick.

If Huchen were a pond, and Song Changqing not a pond but an ocean, then if the ocean lived while the pond dried up, it would be normal.

Huchen suddenly remembered something and cried out, “By the way, Great Grandfather, though I may have suffered the Dragon Qi’s backlash from Shaqiu Kingdom, I also took in Sha Man Yu—the one who nurtured the Dragon Vein—as my daughter.”

She was born with innate wisdom, nurtured the Dragon Vein, and possessed peerless great spiritual powers—she could have entered the ‘Hero Roster’ even in the Central Civilization!”

“By adopting her as my adopted daughter, shouldn’t my fortune increase significantly?”

(PS: Regarding whether adopting an adopted father brings misfortune, I originally planned to leave this hole for later, but to avoid misleading readers, I’ll explain part of it now.

First, being adopted by Xiao Yu does not diminish one’s fortune or cause random misfortune.

Being adopted by Xiao Yu diminishes blessings.

Diminishing fortune and diminishing blessings sound similar—both alter fate and make it worse—but they are fundamentally different.

Diminishing fortune means you were sailing smoothly, but now you’re utterly cursed—drinking cold water gives you a toothache, walking down the road and falling into a pit.

That is, encountering dangers you shouldn’t have faced.

Diminishing blessings means you were sailing smoothly, and you still are—you still encounter dangers when they’re destined, but no new risks or misfortunes are added out of nowhere.

Only when your blessings are sufficient might you turn misfortune into fortune.

Once blessings are depleted, you cannot turn misfortune into fortune—you meet disaster, and disaster strikes.

If fortune is abundant, you never encounter danger at all; all dangers become auspicious omens—for example, falling to the bottom of a mountain and finding a divine scripture.

This is exactly Huchen’s situation now.

He was killed by Marquis Relyang, and it’s related to Xiao Yu; he pursued Lady Xiao Li, cursed Marquis Relyang behind his back, even insulted others’ mothers, and coincidentally, the Emperor died on Rou Fei’s belly (the surface reason)—Rou Fei was a beauty presented to the Emperor by a minister... Huchen had literally run into multiple gun barrels.

But his death fate was not caused by Xiao Yu adopting him.

The true effect of Xiao Yu adopting him was that, after encountering his death fate, his “Nine-Colored Sky-Piercing Pillar” fortune failed to turn misfortune into fortune.

His blessings were stripped away.

The book mentions that his Fire Rat Cloak shielded him from Marquis Relyang’s Flame True Qi.

That is, without the blessing depletion, he had a chance to survive.

One blow wouldn’t kill him, and with Marquis Relyang’s temperament, he wouldn’t strike a second time.

If Huchen were merely gravely wounded, still able to move and think clearly, since he was despised by Marquis Relyang, he would very likely have ridden Chiyan’s steed away from Feixian Ferry, thus avoiding the Eight Immortals Shooting the Sun.

This is the terrifying power of the Nine-Colored Sky-Piercing Pillar—blessings slow, blessings endless.

As for why being adopted by Xiao Yu diminishes blessings, I still wish to preserve some mystery... roughly speaking, it’s the same principle as elders kneeling to juniors, or the elderly kneeling to children—juniors and children lose blessings and lifespan.

More directly: in a world where gods and karma exist, if a saint like the Three Pure Ones called you father, wouldn’t you lose lifespan and blessings?

Of course, Xiao Yu is no saint—her situation is unusual.

Her divine ability, “Great Annihilation Dad,” is not a system, nor even an outsider from the Primordial Chaos world—it is an original element of the Primordial Chaos world itself.

Before the truth is revealed, it may seem mysterious.

Once the veil is lifted in later chapters, readers familiar with Primordial Chaos novels will likely find nothing novel.)