Chapter 117: Alas, the Relationship Has Broken Up

"Is there anything I've overlooked?"

The more you feel you can relax a bit, the more you must stay vigilant.

Li Changshou stood by the lake, pondering deeply in his heart.

It had been seven days since Kuai Si Dao Ren left the mountain, and Xiaoqiong Peak had returned to its quiet state.

Youqin Xuanya still needed to focus on her closed-door cultivation, so she wouldn’t be coming today.

Besides, she had already stayed on Xiaoqiong Peak long enough, witnessing that Li Changshou and his master had both remained in the mountains these past few days, which was sufficient.

Li Changshou had to leave this precaution in place.

At the moment, he was seen as an inferior immortal seedling in the sect, so if a true immortal had an accident, no one would suspect him.

But in the future, once his true cultivation level was exposed, with his master’s past involvement, Xianlin Peak might connect the secretive Li Changshou to Kuai Si’s disappearance...

Youqin Xuanya was a cultivator with a strong sense of justice, and she would likely step forward voluntarily to clarify the matter.

By then, with truth mixed with falsehood, he would have more room to maneuver.

Currently, at Xianlin Peak, someone had noticed they couldn’t contact Kuai Si Dao Ren and suspected something had happened to him.

Several of Kuai Si’s fellow true immortals had already banded together to search for him.

If they didn’t find the clues Li Changshou left behind, that would be fine.

If they did, they would be led toward the vast Beijulu Continent, and what happened after that was beyond Li Changshou’s knowledge.

Anyway, the paper daoist disguised as Kuai Si had already hidden in a crevice at the bottom of a rift valley, igniting Samadhi True Flame on itself and turning to nothingness.

Up to now, aside from his heavenly tribulation and minor daily matters, Li Changshou had only actively planned two major events.

The first was going to the northern continent to find herbs for his master’s tribulation, which he prepared for over a decade.

The second was this time, which he also prepared for over a decade.

The Sea God Cult affair didn’t count; it was purely due to unforeseen circumstances, being forced into action, counterattacking under pressure, and shifting the blame to gain merit...

To avoid attracting karma, the best approach was to stay motionless in the mountains.

But just like that great black turtle in Beijulu Continent back in the day, which did nothing at all, a pot dropped from the sky, and it was beheaded by the sage lord, its four legs used to support the heavens.

—Li Changshou wouldn’t dare include that story in the “Wen Zi Jing.”

So, while cultivating secretly in the mountains, it was essential to handle self-protection, make oneself appear unremarkable, and prepare thoroughly for escape.

Li Changshou quietly entered closed-door cultivation in his thatched hut, continuously observing the reactions from Xianlin Peak.

Even though he had the strength to confront several elders from that peak head-on, now that Duixian Gate had finally stabilized and was recognized as a lineage of Ren School, he didn’t want to lose this backing.

When he soul-searched Kuai Si Dao Ren, Li Changshou also learned the identity of the elder who had stood behind Kuai Si and bullied his master and master-uncle.

It was Kuai Si Dao Ren’s master, a certain elder from Xianlin Peak at the early Tianxian realm.

This person had mediated the situation, allowing Kuai Si Dao Ren, who ambushed his master, to escape the sect’s deserved punishment, and causing Xiaoqiong Peak to be completely isolated at the time.

Li Changshou noted this grudge.

In the future, if he had a chance to kick that Tianxian elder while he was down, he would definitely sneak over and throw in a Xiaoqiong Peak-sized stone...

The bamboo slips he had recorded about Kuai Si Dao Ren were now all gone, burned in the alchemy furnace.

Half a month later, Xianlin Peak was in an uproar.

Normally, a true immortal going out and not returning for dozens or even a hundred days was common.

But Kuai Si Dao Ren had said he was going to get some treasures for his disciples to prepare for the sect’s grand competition, yet there had been no news for so long, and the transmission jade talisman couldn’t reach him...

An elder skilled in divination tried to divine for good or ill fortune, but the turtle shell shattered directly...

Kuai Si’s dao companion knew quite a bit about his affairs and led people to investigate that market town, following the clues step by step to the border of Beijulu Continent.

Another month later, Xianlin Peak basically confirmed that Kuai Si had perished, attributing his death to a fight outside the market town.

Such incidents were common in the Great Wilderness.

The elders of Duixian Gate joined forces to make a calculation, only determining the day he died, with no other information.

The matter had to be dropped.

If there were a clear enemy, Duixian Gate would naturally step forward to seek justice for their sect member.

But with the enemy’s traces completely gone and not a single useful clue left, the sect could only offer some consolation to Kuai Si’s dao companion and disciples.

They arranged for another true immortal to guide Kuai Si’s disciples and helped his dao companion find a new partner...

Cough, that depended on personal willingness.

As for the master and disciples on Xiaoqiong Peak, they had no involvement in this matter at all.

Li Changshou quietly observed for a year and temporarily set the matter aside.

As for the other wicked deeds Kuai Si Dao Ren had committed besides ambushing his master, Li Changshou didn’t even bother mentioning them.

He wasn’t like his junior sister with her toxic personality, full of righteous fervor.

As long as his conscience was clear, that was enough.

At this time, the various peaks of Duixian Gate were bustling, as the younger generation’s sect grand competition was held ahead of schedule, requiring all disciples to participate.

The older generation of disciples emerged from seclusion, guiding the juniors on how to fight.

Those masters were also busy, rewarding their disciples with unused treasures and teaching them how to adapt in battles.

Some disciples who weren’t particularly strong were inspired by the earlier battle at the Immortal Hall, where the inferior immortal seedling from Xiaoqiong Peak fought the Jie School disciple and the Dragon Palace’s second prince, and began strengthening their escape techniques.

But most of them had one doubt...

Why were their earth escape techniques so rigid?

Entering and exiting the ground was troublesome, far from as smooth and natural as that Li Shixiong (or Shidi) who once wielded the wolf-tooth club.

This was probably a matter of talent and disposition.

The date of the sect grand competition drew nearer.

Li Changshou refined pills for several months, used his paper daoist to go out and gather wealth twice, and finally restocked his poison pills.

That day, he and Lan Ling’e discussed and worked together.

They slaughtered two colorful false phoenix chickens, killed two bream fish, made a pot of jade-eating frogs, stir-fried several immortal spirit greens, and paired it with two pots of fine wine, setting up a feast in Li Changshou’s thatched hut...

Lan Ling’e didn’t know why her senior brother suddenly wanted to do this, as there was nothing in the mountains worth celebrating.

But to help their master snap out of his self-isolation and regain his spirits, she naturally gave her full support.

After busying themselves for half a day, the senior brother and sister stood in front of their master’s thatched hut.

Li Changshou called out loudly,

“Master, the sect grand competition is still a year away. Do you want to give us some pointers on fighting?”

There was no response from inside the hut.

So, Lan Ling’e coughed lightly beside him and shouted in a pinched voice,

“Ah—

Senior brother, don’t do that!

We can’t do this without Master’s permission!”

“Stop, you rebellious disciples! How dare you!

This will bring shame! You must go to the Hall of a Hundred Matters and record it first!”

With a bang, the hut door was kicked open, and Qi Yuan Laodao rushed out, holding his duster with traces of enlightenment dao rhymes lingering around him.

Seeing his two disciples standing there, the old daoist forced a bitter smile and scolded,

“Is this something to joke about? Where’s your sense of shame!”

“Hee-hee,” Lan Ling’e quickly made a face, “Master! Come over and try this. Your disciples—wait, no, we teamed up to make a table full of delicious dishes!”

Li Changshou also smiled, “And some good wine I brewed recently.”

Qi Yuan Laodao sighed softly, looking dejected, his gaze fixed on the distance, his gray-white hair fluttering slightly.

“As a teacher, my heart is dead, and I’ll spend my remaining days with the dao.

You young ones enjoy the good food and wine slowly... Sigh, Changshou ah, your master has recently come to understand a truth.”

“Master, please tell us,” Li Changshou listened attentively.

Qi Yuan said, “Cherish those before your eyes, don’t speak of future matters. The winds and clouds are unpredictable—who can tell fortune from misfortune?”

Lan Ling’e blinked gently, stole a glance at her senior brother, and her face flushed slightly.

She was someone who liked the idea but not the reality.

Li Changshou laughed, “I’ll remember that, Master. Don’t worry, I’ll protect Junior Sister well.”

“That’s good,” Qi Yuan waved his hand, “Your abilities surpass mine. For the sect grand competition, you and Ling’e can decide for yourselves.

Your master will continue closed-door cultivation, striving to reach the true immortal realm soon and do what you mentioned before.

For the rest of my life, I only hope you two will be well.”

With that, Qi Yuan Laodao turned and went back into his hut, his back looking forlorn, as if a faint song lingered around him...

Snowflakes drifting, north wind howling...

The wooden door creaked shut, and the array activated again.

Li Changshou and Lan Ling’e exchanged glances, both wearing worried expressions.

Lan Ling’e whispered, “Senior brother, what should we do?”

While shaking his head, Li Changshou felt a sense of relief in his heart.

For their master, his master-uncle was not just an emotional tribulation but also a knot in his heart and an obsession.

Fortunately, he hadn’t chosen to tell his master the truth back then; otherwise, his master’s state of mind would probably be like an empty mountain after fresh rain, with himself hanging from the southeast branch...

“Tsk, this is tricky,” Li Changshou thought briefly but came up with no good plan.

Lan Ling’e sighed, “The word ‘emotion’ is truly tormenting.”

“No,” Li Changshou shook his head calmly, “What you see isn’t always what it seems.

What torments most isn’t the word ‘emotion’; it’s that certain mastermind stirring things up in the shadows...

Never mind, I can’t say more about that.

Wait until your cultivation is higher and you’ve encountered the Wuwei Jing; then you’ll understand.”

Lan Ling’e blinked, completely puzzled.

Li Changshou waved his hand, “We can’t waste the food we prepared. Make a few more dishes, and I’ll go to Potian Peak to invite Shibo Jiu Wu and his wife. We’ll move the meal to the alchemy room.”

“Okay!” Lan Ling’e agreed obediently.

“Oh, and grill two more fish, prepare a food box—I need to visit Elder Wan Linjun later.”

“Your little chef from Xiaoqiong Peak is at your service!”

“Still calling yourself a chef? You don’t even know what an apron is.”

Li Changshou rubbed Lan Ling’e’s head, then rode a cloud at his usual height, slowly heading toward Potian Peak.

Lan Ling’e continued pondering how to help their master overcome his current state of mind, heading to the lakeside stove to keep working...

How could she help Master?

Lan Ling’e recalled her memories from the mountains, but they were all filled with her senior brother’s shadow, offering no reference for this.

She then thought back to her time in the mortal world and vaguely remembered a discussion between her mother and second mother.

That time, one of their uncles, a general, had lost his spouse and was heartbroken...

Then her mother and second mother introduced him to a beautiful woman, and in less than two months... he held another wedding.

Although the lesson from that was—“Men are all fickle playboys who tire of the old; you must keep a close eye on them.”

Still, that method could be referenced.

Lan Ling’e blinked and began thinking carefully, planning to suggest it to her senior brother later.

She didn’t dare arrange anything herself; she didn’t want to be punished by copying the Wen Zi Jing thousands of times.

At Potian Peak,

Li Changshou flew all the way to Jiu Zi’s immortal residence. Before he even landed from the cloud, he saw a dramatic scene unfolding.

Not just him—several attendant disciples, Shishu Jiu Jiu, and a few other Jiu Zi immortals who had appeared during the Duixian Gate battle, were all stealthily observing the small building where Shibo Jiu Wu lived...

They heard,

“If you have someone else in your heart, just say it! I, Jiu Shi, won’t cling to you!”

Then, Jiu Shi flew out of the pavilion, covering her mouth and nose as she hurried away.

Li Changshou was stunned at first, then let out a bitter laugh.

Uh, earlier, because he heard about Shibo Wan Jiangyu’s matter and was busy watching Xianlin Peak, he hadn’t sent the Poison Dragon Wine to Shibo Jiu Wu.

He had thought that since he’d already given the recipe to Jiu Wu and Jiu Shi, it would be fine, but unexpectedly, problems still arose...

Li Changshou landed directly in front of Jiu Wu’s pavilion and called out, “Disciple Changshou is here to see Shibo Jiu Wu.”

“Changshou ah,” a sigh came from inside, “Come in.”

Li Changshou stepped inside and immediately saw the mess of objects scattered on the ground, with Jiu Wu having activated the array around the pavilion.

“What’s the matter?”

Li Changshou asked softly, “Shibo, what happened?”

Jiu Wu sat to one side, hand on his forehead, slowly exhaling...

“Sigh, the relationship has broken apart.”