Chapter 202: Low-key with a Hint of Luxury

In the Du Xian Men sect, on Xiao Qiong Peak, Jiang Lin'er shed tears from her previous life, hoping to arrange a marriage alliance with Wang Fugui from the Potian Peak lineage.

In the back hall of the Yue Lao Palace, Yue Lao seriously muttered, summoning a large array of clay figures from Du Xian Men. They were accompanied by specks of starlight and the Tree of Yearning.

Xiao Qiong Peak was, after all, the peak of longevity...

Yue Lao smiled calmly and began to meticulously examine the fate clay figures of Du Xian Men's members.

As the guardian of fate bonds, Yue Lao only had access to basic information when these clay figures formed: a person's true name, birth date and time, current residence, and simple connections.

That was all Heaven's Way allowed him to know.

However, by analyzing the birth date, Yue Lao could roughly deduce a person's age and infer some basic relationships.

Soon, he identified the four clay figures belonging to Xiao Qiong Peak, and their connections were clear at a glance.

"Based on age, this must be the grandmaster of Changshou, Jiang Lin'er."

Yue Lao stroked his beard and sighed lightly, focusing on Jiang Lin'er's clay figure, where he saw six nearby figures.

Among them, five had red strings extending out, already reaching near Jiang Lin'er's figure.

But Jiang Lin'er's figure only had one red string emerging from her right hand, stretching toward the sixth figure—

Wang Fugui from the Potian Peak lineage.

Wang Fugui's left ankle also had a red string wrapped around it, facing Jiang Lin'er's string from afar, though they fell short of connecting.

Yue Lao calculated with his fingers and quickly realized that these two strings had once been linked but had broken apart later.

"So that's how it is."

Yue Lao stroked his beard thoughtfully. At this moment, Wang Fugui was enveloped in strands of Dao rhythm, a sign that he was nearing the Golden Immortal realm.

Yue Lao's own cultivation was limited, and the Heavenly power he could wield was restricted. Forcing a red string for someone approaching Golden Immortal status would invite significant backlash and make it easy for the other party to trace the karma.

But now, both harbored feelings, and the strings were just short of connecting.

In such a case, even if one of them had already become a Golden Immortal, Yue Lao could still intervene to make it happen...

Although he publicly claimed that he couldn't meddle with the fate bonds of Golden Immortals, each situation needed to be assessed individually.

"But Wang Fugui is about to face his tribulation...

If he fails to become a Golden Immortal, won't that leave Changshou's grandmaster as a widow?

The fruit of eternal life isn't that easy to obtain."

Yue Lao pondered this dilemma, considering sending a dream to advise Changshou, suggesting that his grandmaster wait until Wang Fugui achieved Golden Immortal status before helping them connect. That would be safer.

But...

"Never mind. Since Jiang Lin'er is willing and has used tears from her previous life, I'll just lend a hand."

With that, Yue Lao began his work.

He took out his Heavenly scissors and first cut the red string wrapped around Wang Fugui's foot at the root. Then, he wrapped that string around Wang Fugui's wrist and guided it near Jiang Lin'er's string.

There was great significance in this!

For ordinary immortals seeking fate bonds, even if they were meant to be, Yue Lao wouldn't reveal it.

A red string ties two people, keeping their fate undivided.

If the string wraps around a wrist, it means the bond brings overall benefits.

If it wraps around an ankle, it means the bond will hold one back.

Earlier, connecting them directly would have let Jiang Lin'er drag Wang Fugui down.

But now, the fate bond between Jiang Lin'er of Du Xian Men's Xiao Qiong Peak and Wang Fugui of Potian Peak was one of "advancing together," "harmony and beauty," and "mutual enhancement"...

This was the greatest role of Yue Lao's divine position!

Of course, there were other special cases for string placements...

A string around the neck meant the bond could bring fatal disaster.

A string around the waist meant one would be completely passive, led by the other.

Naturally, these strings could also shift on their own...

Yue Lao glanced at the distance, where the only three-star alignment in Du Xian Men was.

At that moment, the red string on Li Changshou's ankle had already moved to his wrist...

Though Li Changshou's string was just a thread, as an experienced immortal official, Yue Lao could discern it clearly.

After adjusting Wang Fugui's string, Yue Lao took out the Tree of Yearning and gently poked Jiang Lin'er's clay figure...

In Du Xian Men, on Xiao Qiong Peak, by the lakeside hut.

Jiang Lin'er suddenly rushed out, gripping the doorframe, biting her lip, her eyes misty as she gazed toward Potian Peak.

She wore a loose robe, straight and flowing like her hair.

In the alchemy room, before the furnace;

Li Changshou, who was routinely monitoring Xiao Qiong Peak, frowned at the scene.

What was wrong with his grandmaster?

Then, he heard his grandmaster's soft murmur...

"You heartless Wang Fugui... How could you not know my feelings..."

Wang Fu!

Li Changshou nearly lost control of his immortal energy, almost causing the alchemy furnace—given to him by Elder Wanlin Jun—to explode!

What on earth was Wang Fugui?

Forget-qing Shangren's real name?

Li Changshou couldn't help but press his hand to his forehead. Forget-qing Shangren's choice in Dao titles was truly unmatched!

Meanwhile, in the back hall of Yue Lao Palace.

Yue Lao hummed a cheerful tune as he tightly wound the now-lengthy red string from Jiang Lin'er's clay figure around Forget-qing Shangren's string.

He then plucked a thread from his own wedding robe, tied a lover's knot, and smiled in satisfaction.

It was sealed.

Bringing such a divine couple together left Yue Lao feeling quite pleased.

Then, he recalled another lover's knot he had tied not long ago.

After returning the Du Xian Men clay figures to their places, Yue Lao pulled out the figures of Ao Yi and Jiang Sisi.

"Oh..."

They were already close?

Excellent, excellent. Yue Lao nodded with a smile as he looked at the two figures pressed together.

Hmm? Another red string had appeared near the young Dragon Prince Ao Yi?

Yue Lao frowned slightly and followed the string, spotting a clay figure that had appeared out of nowhere in the distance.

Wait, the figure connected to Ao Yi's string was a... human man?!

"This?"

Yue Lao calculated quickly and summoned that clay figure, then snipped the string at the root with his scissors!

"If a woman fancied Changshou's friend, that might be fine, but a man? The ways of the world in the Great Wilderness are truly chaotic and unstable!"

But as soon as Yue Lao cut the string, a new one grew from Bian Zhuang's wrist at a visible speed, reaching toward...

The young Dragon Prince Ao Yi again!

"It dares to grow back?"

Yue Lao glared and rolled up his sleeves, snipping it again.

"It still grows!"

Snip!

"Hey, I won't be defeated by you?!"

Thus, half a day later...

As the Golden Crow rose, bringing the first wave of heat from the sun star to the Great Wilderness,

In the Yue Lao Palace of Heaven, Yue Lao's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the two clay figures, the ground covered in a dense mess of red strings.

At that moment, the six hundred and twelfth string extended from Bian Zhuang's wrist, stubbornly reaching toward...

East Sea Dragon Palace's Second Prince Ao Yi!

Yue Lao had seen passionate people before,

But someone like this, who had endured hundreds of setbacks yet remained so persistent!

Such a devoted, stubborn, and single-minded person was rare indeed!

What kind of emotions were hidden in that clay figure? Was it made entirely of passion?

But the problem was...

"You're barking up the wrong tree, Bian Zhuang!"

Yue Lao stomped in frustration, scolding, "If you were a woman, I might go to Changshou and suggest that the Dragon Palace Second Prince take an extra concubine. But you! You!

Oh, you've truly infuriated me!"

Just then, Yue Lao's senior attendant rushed in to report:

"Master! Lord Dong Mu Gong has arrived on his cloud!"

"Oh?"

Yue Lao perked up, glanced at the red strings everywhere, and with a flick of his sleeve, turned them all into pink light that quietly dissipated.

"Wait until I return to deal with you!"

With that, Yue Lao stormed off, straightened his robe, and went out to greet the visitor.

Half a month earlier,

At the foot of Ling Mountain in West Niu He Continent, in the cave of Wen Jing Dao Ren,

Dressed in a light blue gauze outfit with an embroidered bustier and short skirt underneath, Wen Jing Dao Ren stood before a full-length mirror she had casually conjured, carefully examining herself.

What if I see that man like this someday?

"Though I, the great queen, disdain fawning over him—even if he's the strongest among the Saint's disciples—I'm just appreciating him;

But still, if I could make him kneel at my feet, that would be quite delightful."

"Hahaha, ha ha ha!"

At the thought, Wen Jing Dao Ren burst into laughter.

Suddenly, a golden light flew from Ling Mountain and landed before her, forming a wooden plaque.

Wen Jing Dao Ren's laughter ceased instantly, her mouth twitching as she casually shattered the mirror, turning the fragments into droplets of water that fell into the treasure pool.

She tapped the plaque, and an elderly voice emerged:

"On the day of East Sea Dragon Palace's Ao Yi wedding, you must bring six thousand puppets and twenty thousand blood mosquitoes to coordinate with the sea rebel forces in a feint attack on South Sea Dragon Palace, drawing the Dragon Clan's experts away from East Sea Dragon Palace."

Wen Jing Dao Ren replied softly, "Yes, your subordinate obeys."

"Hmm, once this is done, I will request merit for you from our teacher.

As long as you serve us wholeheartedly, Western Teachings will ensure your safety.

But if you dare to have second thoughts... Hmph!"

"You jest," Wen Jing Dao Ren said with a smirk. "Without this place to shelter me, where else in the world could I go?"

"Hmm, as long as you understand."

The plaque responded and then dissolved into golden light, flying away.

"Useless fools!"

Wen Jing Dao Ren cursed inwardly, her mood souring considerably.

"Such an obvious feint—do they really think the Dragon Clan won't see through it?

Even if the Dragon Clan doesn't, can it fool that cunning man?"

A feint on South Sea Dragon Palace to lure away forces, then strike at East Sea Dragon Palace during Ao Yi's wedding...

It seemed like a decent plan, but it was full of flaws.

If the sea rebels wanted to severely damage the Dragon Clan, why not gather their strength and attack East Sea Dragon Palace directly?

If Wen Jing Dao Ren were planning it, she would target the weakest of the four seas—North Sea Dragon Palace—and smash it completely to deal a heavy blow to the Dragon Clan!

She would also send a few Saint disciple-level experts to the East Sea eye to spread the "Demon Incitement" method, turning the lingering souls of the dragons filling the sea eye into demonic obstacles to cause chaos in East Sea Dragon Palace...

That would be a real crushing blow!

It might even directly topple the Dragon Clan, which was strong on the outside but weak within!

Then, Western Teachings could extend an olive branch and take control of the Dragon Clan effortlessly.

"What a pity, you've lost someone as wise and resourceful as I, the great queen."

Wen Jing Dao Ren swept her sleeve and floated back to her bed.

She had initially planned to go directly to the South Sea Sea God to earn more favor, but Wen Jing Dao Ren instinctively played it safe.

She deliberately waited half a month, using her blood mosquito puppets scattered among the sea rebels to confirm the plan was genuine.

Only then did she use her divine powers to guide one blood mosquito, hidden in a fish demon's primal soul, to silently drift toward An Shui City in South Jambudvipa Continent.

As it flew above the Sea God Temple, Wen Jing Dao Ren considered repeating her old trick, controlling the elderly temple priest to harass the Sea God.

But upon sensing the area, she discovered...

The Sea God was home today, entertaining guests in the temple's back hall.

Wen Jing Dao Ren sneered and floated to the back hall, perching on the beam and observing the three white-haired, white-bearded elders below.

The one in the main seat, a kind-eyed, slender old man in white robes, was naturally the South Sea Sea God—the incarnation of the Human Teachings' young mage—and the one who now held her fate.

The other two, one in blue robes and one in a red wedding gown, were at Golden Immortal and Heavenly Immortal realms, respectively, both radiating astonishing...

Heavenly merit!

Wen Jing Dao Ren was tempted, but as she was about to act, she heard Li Changshou's voice transmission...

"Those two are Heaven Court heavy ministers. Are you sure you want to sting them?"

The blood mosquito froze instantly. Far away in her West Niu He Continent cave, Wen Jing Dao Ren smirked awkwardly.

However, this scene made Wen Jing Dao Ren believe even more in what Li Changshou had said before.

Below, the two Heaven Court heavy ministers were discussing the details of attending the East Sea Dragon Palace wedding with the South Sea Sea God, sharing a wealth of information...

The Sea God was indeed a key figure in Heaven Court.

This wasn't Li Changshou's deliberate scheme; it was just a coincidence of visitors.

Still, it let Wen Jing Dao Ren see more hope, which was a good thing.

Counting the days, Wen Jing Dao Ren was here to inform him of Western Teachings' plans against Ao Yi's wedding.

Li Changshou didn't dwell on it; he would find out soon enough.

He continued discussing the specific gifts for Ao Yi with Dong Mu Gong and his old friend Yue Lao, including Yue Lao's blessing words and how many Heaven Court generals and soldiers to bring...

The Heaven Court congratulatory team for East Sea Dragon Palace's Ao Yi wedding, appointed by His Majesty the Jade Emperor, was officially formed at that moment.

Dong Mu Gong was the leader, the South Sea Sea God—who had not yet obtained his official divine position—was the deputy leader, and the internal affairs officer was, naturally, Yue Lao.

Dong Mu Gong pondered for a moment and suggested tactfully,

"Yue Lao Daoist's cultivation isn't the highest, and he handles civil duties in Heaven Court. Should we send a few Golden Immortal realm warriors to escort him?"

Li Changshou glanced at Yue Lao, not wanting to embarrass his old friend, but Yue Lao just nodded with a smile, unfazed.

"Heaven Court now... does have them, right?"

"Yes, of course, though not many."

"Then let's trouble Mu Gong to report to His Majesty and request two experts to join."

Li Changshou said seriously, "Mu Gong, remember, even though His Majesty entrusted this to us three, we mustn't make any decisions on our own. Consult His Majesty on everything, no matter how trivial.

Heaven Court isn't busy with many affairs right now, so don't worry about the trouble. Once Heaven Court runs smoothly, we can handle matters and report back."

Dong Mu Gong and Yue Lao both thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Wen Jing Dao Ren snorted inwardly, "This guy really knows his stuff."

She was getting bored when she noticed a scroll hanging in the main hall and glanced at it absentmindedly.

Suddenly, Wen Jing Dao Ren felt a sharp sword intent, making her body shudder as cold sweat soaked through her three layers of clothing...

What was this!?