Chapter 109: Senior Brother Smiles

According to the patrolling disciples, some Lian Qi Shi had arrived at the mountain gate to visit friends, claiming they were looking for someone from Xiao Qiong Feng.

Li Changshou swept his Xian Shi over the area and caught sight of two figures riding clouds away from the mountain gate, as if they had left something with the gatekeeper immortal.

Following the ancient rule of "the elder commands the younger," Li Changshou waved his hand and sent Ling'e to handle it.

Meanwhile, Li Changshou stayed on Xiao Qiong Feng and conducted a thorough search to check for any insects causing trouble.

Mosquitoes were no trivial matter.

Perhaps because Li Changshou had been overly exhausted lately and was now forcing himself to stay alert, with a trace of urgency in his mind...

As he stood by the lake among a group of spirit-nurturing jade frogs, using his Xian Shi to carefully examine every part of the mountain...

He suddenly gained an insight and acquired the technique of Shi Wei.

What was Shi Wei?

It was simply a skill for using Xian Shi, with no systematic cultivation method—it required Lian Qi Shi to comprehend and explore it on their own.

With this divine ability, one could observe insects from thousands of li away or break through barriers within a hundred li.

For instance, right then, as Ling'e flew in from the mountain gate...

Li Changshou's original Xian Shi lock on her only showed her figure, face, expression, and the faint sway of her hair.

But now, it was different—his Xian Shi could even discern the texture of her skin...

Speaking of which, Ling'e's skin was truly flawless. Even when Li Changshou observed it with Shi Wei, he found no imperfections.

As smooth as polished jade, radiant and delicate, as if it could break at a touch.

Such perfect skin... it would be a waste not to use it for grinding spirit herbs.

Li Changshou withdrew his Xian Shi and continued searching Xiao Qiong Feng. With the ability of Shi Wei, the inspection became quicker and more convenient.

Where were the mosquitoes?

He had already carried out several full-scale mosquito extermination efforts on Xiao Qiong Feng, and now not a single ordinary one was in sight.

"Senior Brother! Look what I brought back!"

Ling'e jumped down from the clouds and called out proudly.

A jade talisman slowly rotated in her palm, emitting a faint glow, appearing quite ordinary.

"Have you checked it?"

Ling'e said, "I checked it. It's just a transmission jade talisman with no restrictions."

Li Changshou took it casually and examined it a few more times.

Ling'e quickly added, "Senior Brother, this is for Master. We shouldn't open it carelessly."

"For Master?"

"Yes, the gatekeeper immortal said two Lian Qi Shi left this jade talisman. They mentioned they had urgent matters and left first.

They asked about Xiao Qiong Feng and confirmed there were still people here. They said the jade talisman was entrusted by Master's old friend and asked to pass it to him..."

"You didn't mention this earlier, and I wasn't really interested," Li Changshou raised an eyebrow, weighing the jade talisman in his hand as if trying to see through its restrictions.

He didn't dare open it directly, as many transmission jade talismans were crudely made, and the content would vanish once viewed.

But what if this was a trap with some harmful method hidden inside...

Master had only recently become a Zhu Xian, and even if he went to work in the Heavenly Court later, he could barely scrape by for another few tens of thousands of years. He couldn't afford such risks.

Ling'e whispered, "Senior Brother, does Master have friends outside?"

"Not that I know of," Li Changshou said. "Not even within the sect—these few are just superficial acquaintances. After all, Master spent most of the past thousand years in miserable cultivation."

Ling'e sighed softly, "Master is such a pitiful male immortal."

Li Changshou said seriously, "This transmission jade talisman is likely part of someone else's scheme...

Ling'e, do you remember the rumor I told you about last time when I returned from guarding the tomb?"

The senior and junior disciples exchanged glances and immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

And so...

The two returned to Li Changshou's thatched hut, activated several layers of small arrays, and huddled together to tinker with it.

A moment later.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! I told you so, Senior Brother!"

Ling'e collapsed on her senior brother's bed, laughing so hard that her hair ornament tilted and her cloud-like hair became disheveled.

It was a pity that their little uncle wasn't there—otherwise, his laughter would have been quite a spectacle.

At the low table, Li Changshou had black lines on his forehead as he stared at the "family letter" that had appeared on the jade talisman, along with the text that was about to fade...

It really was just an ordinary letter...

And it was from an important figure, addressed to Master, signed by Wan Jiang Yu.

If Li Changshou remembered correctly, when he was young, Master had drunkenly mentioned this name many times...

It was undoubtedly his own Shibo.

Li Changshou hadn't wanted to read the content, but he had no choice but to memorize it quickly before the text disappeared.

This transmission jade talisman was quite "shoddy," and Li Changshou found that its spiritual power was already depleted when he tried to use it again.

He thought for a moment, took out a piece of cloth, picked up a brush with his left hand, wrote down the content, and used immortal power to dry the ink, making it look like an authentic letter.

He set the jade talisman aside, where a faint trace of Wan Jiang Yu's aura still lingered.

"Senior Brother, what did the letter say?"

Li Changshou said, "The writer told Master that she's been doing well these years, living quite nicely. She admitted there was fault on her part in the events of the past, as his senior sister, she failed to protect him... and so on."

Ling'e frowned slightly, her lips pursed as she whispered, "Senior Brother, I don't really like this Shibo."

"Well, she left for eight or nine hundred years without a word and ignored Master—I don't like her much either."

Li Changshou softened his voice, rarely adopting a gentle tone as he said,

"I've always planned for the worst in people and events, only then can I handle the worst situations promptly.

But for this matter, in my heart, I hope for the best possible outcome."

"Senior Brother, what do you think the best outcome would be?"

Ling'e smoothed her skirt and knelt beside her senior brother, her eyes full of tenderness as she listened carefully.

"The best outcome...

Is that this Shibo went out back then to search for treasures to heal Master and mend his Dao foundation. After years of fruitless searching, centuries passed in a flash.

In her heart, she felt despair but didn't dare return, afraid she'd find a self-abandoned Master, or even just a pile of bones and a grave.

So, after eight or nine hundred years, she finally dared to send a letter to inquire..."

Li Changshou finished speaking softly, and Ling'e's gaze had become utterly captivated.

Ling'e said gently, "Senior Brother, if I were ever hurt by someone, would you also run east and west for me, never resting..."

"Don't worry," Li Changshou nodded seriously. "As long as you're not killed outright, I can find a way to save you.

Even if you die, as long as your soul isn't completely destroyed, we can go to the underworld for reincarnation, right?

Besides, why would you get hurt? Haven't you copied enough of the 'Wen Zi Jing'?"

"I—!"

Ling'e instantly lost her composure, rolling her eyes in frustration and itching to bite her senior brother!

But then, she noticed her senior brother slightly narrowing his eyes, with a subtle upward curve at the corner of his mouth.

Whenever her senior brother showed that faint expression...

Ling'e shrank back a little, feeling a wave of tension.

This time, who was going to be set up by her senior brother...

"Ling'e, aren't you acquainted with disciples from other peaks?"

Li Changshou said, "Spread the word about Master's situation and the name Wan Jiang Yu discreetly.

You can embellish it however you like, as long as people know that Wan Jiang Yu has returned to find Qi Yuan from Xiao Qiong Feng."

Ling'e's thoughts turned quickly, and she understood her senior brother's plan. She whispered, "Senior Brother, you intend to..."

"Say no more," Li Changshou glanced at his junior sister. "Just do this part. It'll give you a sense of involvement, and I'll handle the rest."

"Oh," Ling'e puffed her cheeks but didn't dare say more.

She began thinking about how to spread the news...

Of course, she knew what her senior brother was up to—it was just to resolve Master's past karma and settle that old grudge.

When they handed the letter to Master, as Li Changshou had anticipated, Qi Yuan the old Daoist discovered that he had peeked at the letter.

The result was that Master chased him around the mountain for half a shichen with a duster...

After reading the letter, Qi Yuan let out a long sigh and said nothing more, showing no signs of joy.

In fact, the old Daoist's figure seemed even more aged as he continued his meditation in the hut.

Ling'e couldn't help but worry, "Senior Brother, why does Master look unhappy at all?"

Li Changshou rubbed his backside, smirking as he sent a voice transmission to his junior sister, complaining about Master a couple of times:

"Master is someone who sticks rigidly to principles and thinks slowly.

He's still lost in the disappointment from back then when Shibo left him and he lost that duel. He hasn't snapped out of it yet.

If you don't believe me, go check in half a shichen—he'll definitely be jumping around in his hut."

With that, Li Changshou shook his head and rode the clouds toward the pill room, muttering as he left.

He had opened the transmission jade talisman in advance, all for Master's safety!

Half a shichen later...

As Ling'e peeked through the window, she suddenly heard a clattering noise; bursts of laughter came from Master's hut, and the wooden door was flung open.

The old Daoist jumped out directly, waving his duster and shouting,

"Changshou! Ling'e!

Your Shibo has finally sent word!"

Ling'e couldn't help but cover her forehead with one hand, then played along and shouted, "Master, really?"

"Yes! Yes! Ling'e, come quickly and see, come and see!"

"Alright, Master, I'm coming right away."

Ling'e smiled and ran over to look again at the letter Li Changshou had copied...

In the pill room, Li Changshou's Xian Shi caught this scene, and he let out a gentle sigh of relief.

Next was just waiting for news.

Waiting for his junior sister to release information about Wan Jiang Yu and see if they could uncover the location of Master's enemies.

Ideally, it would provoke them and lure them to Xiao Qiong Feng to cause trouble...

But Li Changshou didn't put all his focus on this. He still had two major tasks every day.

First, of course, was cultivation and enlightenment.

Second, he spent an hour each day using the divine statue to sense and monitor the development of the Sea God Cult...

Occasionally, he would send dreams to his divine envoys or grant blessings to devout mortals who worshiped him.

Since he had chosen this path, he would do his best to be a proper "wild" god and gradually find a way to extricate himself...

It was worth mentioning that the dragon clan's guardians were extremely reliable.

These true dragon guardians had recently detected demonic energy in the outer regions of the Sea God Cult.

Without a second word, they confronted it directly, not bothering to investigate the origins, and engaged in battle on sight. They even chased and killed a Tianxian-level demon named Shan Fei for thirty thousand li, slaying him above a mortal city.

In the great wilderness, the dragons were tough and spoke little.

Later, some forces stirred trouble and sent a group of great demons.

The hidden immortal flood dragons and dragon experts in the South Sea emerged together, swiftly routing the demons in moments...

Li Changshou, who watched the entire battle through the divine statue, found it immensely satisfying.

After several conflicts, it was as if the Dragon Palace was declaring to all forces interfering in the southwestern region of the South Jambudvipa Continent—

The Sea God Cult in the South Sea was under their protection for collecting incense offerings.

The Dragon Clan had deep foundations and was full of pent-up grievances; even the Western Cult was somewhat wary of them, and some matters couldn't be brought into the open...

Thus, those scheming in the shadows only used some controlled great demons for a brief probe and didn't entangle further with the Sea God Cult.

What Li Changshou regretted was that he couldn't yet promote the "ash-scattering and funeral services in one" within the Sea God Cult; otherwise...

The scene would have been spectacular.

While paying attention to the Sea God Cult, Li Changshou also secretly observed the sect for over three months.

Many in the sect had heard the gossip about Xiao Qiong Feng, but they just chuckled about it and moved on.

That enemy still showed no trace, as if Li Changshou were dueling with thin air.

But that was fine; Li Changshou could wait patiently...

However, to his surprise, three months later, a second letter for Master was delivered by someone.

And this time, after reading the letter, Qi Yuan the old Daoist was even more excited.

The old Daoist called Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e over, laughing so hard that his beard flew up to his eyebrows, and solemnly announced,

"Changshou, Ling'e, your master is going out for a trip. You two take good care of Xiao Qiong Feng!"

Li Changshou frowned, but Master had already ridden the clouds toward the mountain gate.

So rushed? What if it was a trap?

Li Changshou hurriedly shouted, "Master! Wait!"