Shi Jian's Dao Heart

Before Liu Xiu could even speak, Mao Xiaofang caught sight of what lay at Liu Xiu's feet; his pupils shrank, and he took half a step back. He had no shadow! What a ferocious ghost! It even dared to come out in broad daylight! As Mao Xiaofang's pupils contracted, his hand instinctively moved toward the satchel on his back. Watching this, Liu Xiu fell silent for a fraction of a second, then immediately bowed in greeting. "Liu Xiu greets Martial Uncle. My master is Shi Jian..." "???" Aren't we supposed to be of the same generation? And since when does Maoshan accept ghosts into the fold? Has Eldest Senior Brother really stooped to taking a ghost as his disciple? Mao Xiaofang froze in bewilderment. But while he stood there dumbfounded, Seventy-First Prince, who was near Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei, suddenly sprinted forward with a look of delighted surprise, shouting toward a middle-aged man among the crowd accompanying Mao Xiaofang. "Vice Minister Zha..." "Seventy-First Prince!" The man addressed as Vice Minister Zha looked upon Seventy-First Prince with great excitement. Seeing this, Liu Xiu inwardly muttered, Another damned eunuch, before raising an eyebrow to inspect the ten imperial palace experts flanking Zha. As for how he knew their identities as imperial palace experts, it wasn't because he possessed telepathy or had divined it. Rather, the clothing these ten men wore was practically identical to that of the three deceased imperial palace experts; their profession was obvious at a single glance. "Uh, greetings, Martial Nephew!" Snapping back to his senses, Mao Xiaofang hurriedly returned the courtesy. Wondering how this group had ended up here, Liu Xiu greeted him once more with "Greetings, Martial Uncle." He then continued, "Martial Uncle Zhaixing and the others are currently chatting with my master inside the wooden hut. How about I go over and notify them that you've arrived, Uncle Mao..." Saying this, Liu Xiu pointed toward the wooden hut. His reason for calling Mao Xiaofang 'Martial Uncle' was simple: he had already learned from Four-Eyed Daoist and the others that Mao Xiaofang was related to Daoist Zhaixing. Moreover, Liu Xiu had learned other details—such as the names and residences of Lin Fengjiao's brothers. First was the second brother, Daoist Zhaixing. Next was the third brother, Daoist One-Eyebrow, who ran a branch hall in Jiuquan Town, seventy li from Ren Family Town. And finally, there was the cousin right before him, Mao Xiaofang. As for why Mao Xiaofang was clearly a cousin yet did not bear the surname Lin, the explanation given by Daoist Zhaixing was that he took his mother's surname. The specific reason had not been elaborated on, but judging from Four-Eyed Daoist's remarks, it was most likely due to a lack of male heirs in the Mao family line. "Wooden hut? Chatting?" Wait... are you sure that's a chat?! Mao Xiaofang glanced toward where Liu Xiu was pointing, only to see searing-white lightning crackling and flashing within the wooden hut. He instantly snapped his gaze back and waved his hands with a solemn expression, declining hastily. "No need, no need! I can wait, I can wait! There's no need to disturb Eldest Senior Brother and the others while they're talking..." "Oh..." It was settled then. You've been beaten by my master before too! Looking at Mao Xiaofang, who looked so stiff that all he lacked was a stool to sit bolt upright in proper form, Liu Xiu was just about to speak when the eunuch whom Seventy-First Prince had called Vice Minister Zha stepped forward and said in a cold voice: "You are Liu Xiu, the one who destroyed the Prince's mortal remains?" Vice Minister Zha stared coldly at Liu Xiu. The moment these words rang out, the expressions of the ten imperial palace experts beside him turned icy upon hearing the word 'Prince,' and their hands moved in unison toward the weapons at their waists. "???" Are you people out of your minds? Your Prince was the one trying to kill us, all right?! Besides, don't you know your precious Prince slaughtered his own people too? Liu Xiu's brow furrowed as he looked at this bunch of creatures. Even though he knew their nature, seeing it firsthand still left him baffled. Seeing the imperial palace experts reaching for their weapons, Dong, Nan, Xi, Bei, and Jiale had an abrupt shift in expression. They quickly rushed to Liu Xiu's side, looking ready to stand or fall with him! Master Yixiu and Qingqing did the same! Just as Vice Minister Zha sneered and took a step forward, thinking to himself that Liu Xiu and his companions were drastically overestimating themselves, their steps halted in unison. Their eyes widened as they stared at Liu Xiu, who had suddenly whipped out a gun. Wait, you're a Daoist priest—what the hell are you doing pulling a gun?! Stick to your spells! Liu Xiu smiled cheerfully, pointing his Colt at Seventy-First Prince beside Vice Minister Zha. "Get over here. Beware they might be fraudsters! And Martial Uncle, please do us the favor of verifying whether their identities are authentic. If they turn out to be fakes and an accident happens, that would be terrible, wouldn't you say?" Liu Xiu beamed as he kept his gun aimed at Vice Minister Zha and his retinue. Then, his face went completely deadpan as he continued, "Now, back up one hundred meters. Anyone who refuses to retreat will be executed on the spot!" "How dare you—" Bang! Bang! Bang— A volley of gunshots rang out, forcing Vice Minister Zha and the others to back away in humiliation and frustration. Mao Xiaofang watched in utter astonishment. Wait... how are you even more domineering than Eldest Senior Brother?! "Looking to pick a fight with me? Dream on!" Liu Xiu muttered under his breath, waving the gun at Seventy-First Prince, who stood frozen on the spot, gesturing for him to hurry over. "They... they..." Seventy-First Prince desperately wanted to say that Vice Minister Zha was indeed Vice Minister Zha, but faced with Liu Xiu—who might genuinely shoot him—he chose to be a wise man who recognized the times! Very astutely, Seventy-First Prince kept his head down and scurried over to Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei. Catching on to what was happening, Mao Xiaofang spoke up. "Martial Nephew, I think this matter..." "Martial Uncle Mao, what's their deal? Do you know them? Have you verified their identities? How did you verify them? Did you confirm their credentials over and over?" "..." The barrage of questions left Mao Xiaofang silently shutting his mouth and stepping aside to cast a spell contacting Mount Longhu for remote verification. Liu Xiu looked at Vice Minister Zha's party, which had failed to retreat the full hundred meters, and pulled the trigger of his Colt again. Bang! Bang! Bang— "Wh-What impressive bullet-dodging!" Liu Xiu could barely keep a straight face as he watched Vice Minister Zha use an imperial palace expert beside him as a human shield. Inwardly remarking that the man truly lived up to the name Zha, he repeated: "Back up one hundred meters, or be executed on the spot!" With that said, Liu Xiu couldn't be bothered to pay further heed to Vice Minister Zha and his retinue whining and muttering a hundred meters away; after all, none of them had died yet. He dropped the matter and turned around to face Shi Jian's group walking over from the wooden hut, along with Shi Shaojian, who was glaring at him. Liu Xiu stepped forward in a hurry and bowed. "Master, Martial Uncles, I suspect these people are remnants of the Heaven and Earth Society trying to assassinate Seventy-First Prince! The moment they arrived, they drew weapons to slaughter us without rhyme or reason. That clearly proves they want Seventy-First Prince dead! In my opinion, we should strike first and eliminate these rebels..." "???" Are you sure they're the rebels? Are you sure the rebel isn't you?! Seventy-First Prince stared with wide eyes at Liu Xiu, who continued speaking briskly without paying him any heed: "...Oh, right, I also suspect this Uncle Mao isn't the real Uncle Mao! Gantian Town is over two hundred li away. Even if he came to assist Martial Uncle Zhaixing, there's no way he could have arrived so quickly. I suspect he's a Painted Skin imposter!" "???" Wait, seriously? How did I suddenly become a Painted Skin ghost?! Mao Xiaofang, who was in the middle of casting his verification spell, looked at Liu Xiu in bewilderment. His mouth twitched, but he said nothing. Listening to Liu Xiu, Shi Jian and the others fell into collective silence. Even though they had just emerged from the wooden hut, every single one of the four was sharp-eared and keen-eyed. Well, excluding the fifth person, Shi Shaojian. Shi Shaojian definitely wasn't! They naturally had a rough idea of what had just transpired. They looked at Liu Xiu with a mix of helplessness; even Shi Jian could barely keep his composure, staring at his disciple who slung mud the moment he opened his mouth. Frankly speaking, he felt his disciple was far more overbearing than he was! Seeing how Liu Xiu branded anyone a rebel over the slightest discord, Shi Jian glanced at Mao Xiaofang, who was casting a spell to contact people not far away, and then looked toward Daoist Zhaixing. Understanding immediately, Daoist Zhaixing hurried over to Mao Xiaofang's side and asked in a low voice, "Cousin, what's going on here? Weren't you supposed to come alone to meet us? Who are all these people?" "Uh, I was just doing a favor..." Mao Xiaofang explained that he had only learned this morning that Daoist Zhaixing would be heading to Gantian Town, but last night he had received a request from his senior martial brother, Dong Zhaokuang. Dong had asked him to lead Vice Minister Zha and the others along the yin road to retrieve Seventy-First Prince. That was why he and Zha's party had arrived so early in the morning. "Ah, no wonder you arrived so fast..." Daoist Zhaixing understood, but then his brow furrowed. His furrowed brow had a simple cause: Vice Minister Zha's group seemed a little too impatient. Still, without dwelling on it, he asked, "Did you verify their identities?" "I did. I've confirmed that my senior brother is indeed my senior brother, and that they really are people from the Qing court..." Mao Xiaofang nodded, glancing helplessly at Liu Xiu, who was even more domineering than Eldest Senior Brother. He couldn't help thinking that the saying "like master, like disciple" was entirely accurate. "Mhm..." Daoist Zhaixing nodded, glanced toward Shi Jian and the others, and gave a look indicating everything was clear. Liu Xiu let out an "Oh" and said: "Oh, as long as it's fine. I was just worried Seventy-First Prince might come to harm under our watch. That would reflect terribly on Maoshan's reputation!" "Ah Xiu makes a fair point; it's always best to be cautious..." Four-Eyed Daoist smoothed things over with a chuckle. "Indeed, caution is warranted!" Daoist Qianhe nodded in agreement, though the smile was gone from his face and his hair was wildly frizzy. Looking at him, Liu Xiu got the distinct feeling that Qianhe must have been electrocuted terribly hard inside that wooden hut. "And what about him shooting at us? Are we just letting that slide?" The speaker was Vice Minister Zha, who had walked over with his ten imperial palace experts after Mao Xiaofang signaled that it was safe to approach. Vice Minister Zha pointed an icy finger at Liu Xiu. Hearing this, Shi Jian frowned, took a step forward, and asked: "Hmm? Do you have an objection?" His voice was calm, yet to Vice Minister Zha and his men, it crashed like thunder straight into their ears. In an instant, their faces turned paper white. Forget speaking—they felt dizzy, their hearts raced in panic, and the hairs on the backs of their necks stood on end, as though some terrifying entity had locked its gaze onto them. "Eldest Senior Brother, don't be angry, they didn't mean that..." Mao Xiaofang hurriedly intervened to smooth things over. Though he didn't like these people either, they were entrusted to him by his senior brother Dong Zhaokuang; he couldn't let anything happen to them here. "All right, all right, let's leave it at that. Don't go blaming Ah Xiu for shooting, either—you were hostile first! Don't think we didn't see you reaching for your weapons just because we were far off!" The speaker was Daoist Zhaixing, who was far less docile than Qianhe and the others. He paused, then chuckled softly. "Besides, we were only protecting Seventy-First Prince. What, could it be that you really are rebels?" The older generation's tactics proved exceedingly effective. Vice Minister Zha's party immediately shut their mouths with darkened expressions; they simply didn't dare answer such a charge. "You... Hmph! Where is the bronze-cornered golden coffin? And where are the bodies of Vice Minister Wu and the others?" Vice Minister Zha refused to argue further, acting as though he already knew what had occurred last night. "Most are in the woods ahead, and the rest are over there. However, the woods are rife with sinister qi. I suggest you stay out!" Daoist Zhaixing offered the warning, but unfortunately, Vice Minister Zha and his men ignored it entirely. After telling Seventy-First Prince, "Seventy-First Prince, please wait a moment, we will be right back," Vice Minister Zha led the ten imperial palace experts off toward High Trees Forest. "Amitabha. Benefactors, please wait! Sinister qi runs rampant inside the woods..." Master Yixiu, full of compassion, stepped forward. Master Yixiu's words trailed off midway, as the men completely ignored him, leaving him to sigh in helplessness. "Perhaps they have some treasure that wards off sinister qi, so they have nothing to fear..." Four-Eyed Daoist chuckled, prompting another helpless "Amitabha" from Master Yixiu. "Senior brothers, junior brothers, martial nephew, I will go follow them to ensure nothing goes awry..." Mao Xiaofang's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing the words 'sinister qi.' With a warm smile, he bowed to everyone, and once finished, he swiftly took off after Vice Minister Zha and his entourage. "Don't stare. Your Uncle Mao's temper has always been like this. Since he promised Senior Brother Dong Zhaokuang that he would protect them, he will see it through to the end!" Daoist Zhaixing spoke to Liu Xiu with an air of mild exasperation and worry. Among their circle of brothers, Mao Xiaofang was easily the most stubborn and rigid. "Oh, right..." Still, the name Dong Zhaokuang sounds rather familiar! Liu Xiu nodded in contemplation. His memories locked onto that television drama The Vampire Hunter, thinking to himself: Isn't that the guy played by the Murong Fu actor?! Shi Jian said nothing about sending Liu Xiu to clear out the sinister qi. In his eyes, not blasting those scoundrels to ash for harboring malice toward his disciple was already giving his junior martial brothers immense face. Oh, it bore mentioning: The world only knew Lin Jiu to be fiercely protective of his own. Yet there was truth in the old saying: like master, like disciple. Years ago, Shi Jian had taught Lin Jiu for a time as well. At this thought, Shi Jian said to Liu Xiu, "Head over to High Trees Forest and keep an eye on your Uncle Mao, lest anything happen to him!" Those vermin could die for all he cared, but Mao Xiaofang must not come to harm; after all, the man had called him 'Eldest Senior Brother' plenty of times. "Yes, Master!" "Mm." Seeing Liu Xiu agree, Shi Jian shot a glance at Shi Shaojian signaling that he should go too. Only then did Shi Shaojian reluctantly follow Liu Xiu toward High Trees Forest with a sullen scowl. Master Yixiu opened his mouth, but said nothing in the end. After all, having been present throughout, he had clearly witnessed the hostility radiating from Vice Minister Zha's party. It was only because Liu Xiu had so many allies by his side; otherwise, Yixiu had zero doubt that Zha's men would have attacked Liu Xiu. No, more accurately, they would have tried to kill him! "Amitabha..." Master Yixiu let out a sigh and stepped aside. Shi Jian turned back toward the wooden hut, calling out to Four-Eyed Daoist and the other two without looking back: "Come!" "..." × 3 No way... more electrocution?! The faces of Four-Eyed Daoist and his two companions turned utterly miserable. Exchanging crestfallen looks, they hung their heads and trudged after Shi Jian toward the wooden hut. Meanwhile, on the way to High Trees Forest. Looking at Shi Shaojian beside him—who was glaring with hostility, sporting yet another trendy, frizzled hairstyle—Liu Xiu asked: "Senior Brother, could you be blaming me for not putting in a good word for you before Master in the wooden hut? It wasn't intentional on my part; it was mainly because Grand-Master's magic was so formidable that I didn't have time to speak up!" Heaven bear witness: Liu Xiu had genuinely forgotten by accident this time. He swore that next time he wouldn't forget such an important matter. And if there was a next time... Well, then he would just promise 'definitely next time' again! "I wouldn't dare blame you, Junior Brother..." Shi Shaojian's expression remained sullen as he clenched his fists, staring at Liu Xiu as if sizing up the best spot to land a punch. Liu Xiu sighed and said, "Senior Brother, it's not like you don't know Master's temper. Do you think he was furious today? Of course he was! Think about it, Senior Brother: if I had put in a good word for you, wouldn't he suspect that you forced me to say it? See? You think so too! My staying silent was all for your own good!" "???" Not putting in a good word for me was for my own good? Shi Shaojian looked thoroughly dazed by this reasoning. Seeing this, Liu Xiu pressed on: "Senior Brother, don't you see? The main reason I didn't speak up was so Master would think highly of you..." "...Think about it, Senior Brother. If I had spoken up for you, what would Master think? He would assume that you coerced your junior brother! Wouldn't that tarnish your character? You're clearly not that kind of person, right?" "Well... your senior brother truly isn't that sort of person!" "Exactly! Look, Senior Brother: even though I didn't speak up for you this time, it looks completely different in Master's eyes. In Master's eyes, he'll only see that you've grown up..." "Really?" "Of course! Have I ever lied to you, Senior Brother?" "It seems... you haven't!" "There you have it! So you see, Senior Brother, withholding praise was done entirely out of consideration for you. Didn't you see how Master looked at you with newfound respect just now?" Liu Xiu patted Shi Shaojian on the shoulder. "Did he? Why do I feel like you're swindling me?" "Not at all! I'm just telling the honest truth!" "Hmph, I'll believe you this once!" "I knew you were broad-minded and reasonable, Senior Brother, and would never hold a junior brother's fault against him..." Liu Xiu praised him with a chuckle. "Naturally! By the way, what was with that bunch just now? Did they bully you? Your senior brother will teach them a lesson for you!" "No need, no need..." Liu Xiu declined. In any case, he had already read the physiognomy of Vice Minister Zha and his men; they had at most ten-odd days left to live. There was no point getting worked up over dead men walking! Ten-odd days, over two hundred li... Oh, that lines up right with reaching Gantian Town. So there really is an Empress Dowager Cixi's tomb in Gantian Town? ... Ten hours after Daoist Zhaixing and the others departed. Nighttime, after dinner. Once again, on the path heading toward High Trees Forest. Only this time, in addition to Liu Xiu and Shi Shaojian, there was Shi Jian, as well as the Black Jiangshi—brought along because it had tried to sneak-eat several ducks that Four-Eyed Daoist was raising. "Your talent in the art of corpse driving is quite... distinctive!" Shi Jian wore a strange expression as he looked back at the Black Jiangshi obediently following behind them without a single corpse-suppressing talisman stuck to its forehead. After some thought, he settled on the word 'distinctive' to commend Liu Xiu. "Master flatters me!" "Mm. But what is the deal with the partial silver armor on this jiangshi?" Curiosity showed in Shi Jian's eyes as he scrutinized the partial silver armor on the Black Jiangshi and its extraordinarily faint corpse qi, before asking Liu Xiu. He had slain dozens, if not a hundred, jiangshi in his time, and had encountered several armored corpses in the deep mountain wilderness. He had also seen Copper-Armored Corpses treasured by fellow Daoists, but a case like Liu Xiu's partial armored corpse was something he had truly never witnessed before; it was both intriguing and exceedingly peculiar! Beside them, Shi Shaojian chimed in with a sarcastic sneer: "Junior Brother says it's a secret and can't be told to anyone!" The reason he said this was because he had asked Liu Xiu about the Silver-Armored Corpse earlier, only for Liu Xiu to refuse to tell him, insisting it was a secret. "Ahem, well, this is..." Liu Xiu cleared his throat with a fist to his mouth and whispered to Shi Jian about the electroplating technique and his plan to wholesale Silver-Armored Corpses in the future. Then he turned to Shi Shaojian, who was straining his ears trying to eavesdrop: "Senior Brother, it's not that I didn't want to tell you. I know you've always been a man who values brotherhood and loyalty above all. If Uncle Four-Eyed and the others asked you how this partial silver armor was refined, you would be caught in a painful dilemma between telling them or keeping silent!" "Mm, you really understand me best, Junior Brother!" Shi "Loyal-and-Righteous" Shaojian froze for a moment, then nodded solemnly. Liu Xiu was right—he was indeed a man of profound loyalty and honor. "I'm glad you understand, Senior Brother. Besides not wanting to put you in a tough spot, this also concerns our future fortune!" Liu Xiu continued. At the mention of 'fortune,' Shi Shaojian's eyes lit up, and he immediately opened his mouth to press for details. However, seeing Liu Xiu put on a guarded display as if walls had ears and eavesdroppers were lurking, he immediately nodded in understanding and stopped asking. Rest easy, I get it. When big money is involved, someone is bound to be watching! I'm not the kind of fool who blabs! "..." Could it be that the reason Ah Xiu didn't tell you about electroplating is that he feared your loose lips would blab it everywhere?! Shi Jian's lips twitched. He couldn't be bothered to look at this rebellious son who had managed to deceive even himself yet again, and merely knitted his brows at the Black Jiangshi that had advanced into a partial Silver-Armored Corpse through electroplating. He grasped the basic principle. Although he hadn't tried electroplating himself, he had blasted enough great divine abilities of primordial magnetism recently. He had carefully observed the changes in iron beads, so he roughly understood the electroplating principle Liu Xiu described. Yet, he felt this method should not have succeeded. Yes, it shouldn't have succeeded! When Liu Xiu used thunder methods to electroplate this Black Jiangshi, the thunder qi of the thunder method should have electrocuted the jiangshi to death! He simply could not comprehend how Liu Xiu had successfully electroplated the corpse using thunder magic without killing it in the process! At this thought, Shi Jian recalled the New Great Yin Art that Daoist Zhaixing had asked him about before leaving. He looked at Liu Xiu and asked: "Can you borrow the power of Moonlight Essence in broad daylight?" "Sure can! Wait, can't you, Master?" "..." Frankly speaking, this disciple has a truly infuriating way of talking! Shi Jian's eyelid twitched as he stared at Liu Xiu. Liu Xiu asked with an astonished look, "Master, don't tell me you really can't? The moon is clearly up there in the daytime too, it's just concealed by the sunlight. Besides, moonlight is just reflected sunlight!" "..." "Huh? Could I have practiced it wrong? No way, right?" "...No." The fact that you can summon Moonlight Essence proves you didn't practice it wrong! But I just don't understand how in the world you pulled it off! Shi Jian did his best to maintain an impassive expression as he looked at Liu Xiu. He tilted his head back to gaze at the moon in the night sky, then asked Liu Xiu probingly: "Since you can cast spells to borrow the power of Moonlight Essence during the day, can you borrow the Sunlight Essence of the sun at night?" "I haven't tried, but in theory, there shouldn't be any problem!" "..." Do you have any idea that your theory is fundamentally bizarre? Shi Jian's brow furrowed slightly as he said to Liu Xiu: "Give it a try!" Having spoken, Shi Jian raised two fingers and tapped Liu Xiu between the eyebrows, transmitting an incantation he had long prepared for him titled Crimson Thunder Weapon-Casting Fire Method. He then continued: "This technique takes the true fire of your inner thunder within the Li Palace's Bing and Ding as its foundation, drawing down Ninth Heaven crimson thunder flame qi and great sun Sunlight Essence from above. While it lacks the might to incinerate mountains and ignite vast plains, it allows you to forge weapons from flame and thunder, naturally gathering your restless heart fire and channeling away dispersed flame qi. It is a spell that encompasses both offense and foundational cultivation!" "Huh? This fire method seems to belong to the same set as the Profound Abyss Weapon-Condensing Water Method, right? Are there three more for metal, wood, and earth?" Liu Xiu skimmed through it and spoke. Seeing that Shi Jian ignored him, Liu Xiu curled his lip, formed hand seals, and recited the incantation. He did not draw the Crimson Firmament Sword. Instead, completing his hand seal, he extended his right hand in a sword finger, invoked the technique's method for drawing Sunlight Essence, and slashed toward the sky! Whoosh— Sunlight Essence was drawn down to empower the sword qi; a streak of crimson sword qi burst forth from his sword finger, shooting straight into the high heavens before slowly dissipating. Shi Jian fell silent for a breath, his brow knitting tightly. To be completely honest, he had seen practically everything in his life—yet he had truly never witnessed someone drawing down Sunlight Essence in the dead of night! Furthermore, it came back to the same point: He did not understand! Just as he didn't understand how Liu Xiu had originally condensed an inner thunder seed from outer thunder drawn out of live and neutral wires! "Master, are you all right?" "...I'm fine!" Shi Jian shook his head, inconspicuously swallowing down the blood welling up in his throat from his agonizingly cracking Dao heart. It was utterly bizarre: in all his days fighting through the Demon Realm, he hadn't bled a single drop. Yet after chatting for a brief while with this newly accepted disciple of his, he was actually bleeding from a wounded Dao heart! Extremely strange, completely bizarre. And above all—he did not understand, nor did he comprehend! "Master, are you really all right?" Liu Xiu watched Shi Jian's face pale momentarily before returning to normal. After a moment of thought, he figured Shi Jian must have suffered injuries in the Demon Realm. Huh? Which archdemon was so formidable that they could injure my master? Liu Xiu pondered, deciding not to pursue the topic further. Just as he was about to inquire about the Three Corpses, Shi Shaojian beat him to the punch and spoke up.