Chapter 235: Blame Him... For Being Too Proactive

“Wanjiang Yu, Shibo…”

Li Changshou knew all too well that this was a deeply buried wound his master, Qi Yuan Daozhang, could never fully heal.

He had used lies to deceive his master and minimize the harm, but Qi Yuan still lacked any real vitality, spending his days in quiet despondency…

Treating long stretches of sleep as if they were cultivation!

These days, apart from helping Li Changshou and Ling E secure positions in the Heavenly Court as Qi Yuan had promised, and laying the groundwork in advance, Qi Yuan seemed to have no other pursuits in life.

While calling his master a "salted fish" might be disrespectful,It was undeniably vivid and fitting.

Li Changshou had been waiting, waiting for his shizu to find the reincarnation of Shibo Wanjiang Yu. That way, his master... might not fully recover, but at least he could manage a few jumps back to life.

Up in the clouds, off to the side,Ling E asked softly, “Shixiong, what’s wrong?”

“I’m thinking about Master’s affairs,” Li Changshou replied quietly, and Ling E’s face showed a touch of worry.

Though one of them was overly cautious and the other slightly unsteady with hints of aging too soon, both shared a genuine gratitude towards their master.

Qi Yuan Laodao’s tale of love and hate…

It began with a millennium of resentment, only to encounter the cycle of reincarnation.

The culprit behind the destruction of Master’s cultivation foundation had already been dealt with by Li Changshou’s own hand; and before that, he had made the offender experience firsthand what it felt like to face a heavenly tribulation with a ruined foundation.

Yet, the wrongs committed could never be fully atoned for.

Their master, Qi Yuan Laodao, could only become a turbid immortal before his heavenly tribulation;Li Changshou had been dragged into a series of karmic entanglements just to help his master;And Shibo Wanjiang Yu had met a tragic end in Beijulu Continent because of this, though her remnant soul protected her true spirit, allowing it to go to the underworld for reincarnation.

When his shizu returned to the mountain for the first time, Li Changshou couldn’t bear to see his master sinking deeper into despair, so he asked shizu to investigate the whereabouts of Shibo Wanjiang Yu’s reincarnation in the underworld and quietly gave her some hints.

Jiang Lin’er had only recently achieved the Tianxian realm and naturally couldn’t stand to see her eldest disciple meet such a miserable end;Who was Linjiang Sanren, after all?After years in the cultivation world, everyone knew she was fierce and decisive—wait, no!Everyone knew she was efficient, acted swiftly, and had friends scattered across several minor worlds!

So, Jiang Lin’er used her connections to repeatedly visit the underworld and smooth things over;After much effort, she finally tracked down Wanjiang Yu’s current whereabouts.

Wanjiang Yu’s present life was that of a tree spirit.

A tree spirit is a spiritual entity born from the spiritual roots of a tree, similar to plant-based monsters. Though it possesses some intelligence, it’s not fully developed, and such beings often dwell in places teeming with life force and far from human activity, typically radiating an aura of health and vitality.

Moreover, in this life, she still had some lifespan left…

Originally, Jiang Lin’er had everything arranged for what came next.

She spent a considerable amount of treasures and spirit stones to bribe a minor official in the underworld’s yamen, planning for him to ensure that when Wanjiang Yu reincarnated again, she would be born into the human path, in a wealthy family with no wants.That official would also send word to Jiang Lin’er, making it easy for her to find her.

Such matters were routine for the lower officials in the underworld; they handled them with expertise and reliability—if it failed, they’d refund everything!

In this somewhat chaotic era of the underworld, these “side jobs” were practically the main business for such officials…

Flying on clouds at a moderate height and speed, Li Changshou pondered what could have happened to alarm the sect leader so much.

Reincarnation…Was the reincarnated self still the same person?

Li Changshou understood that reincarnation was never straightforward.

Cross the Naihe Bridge, and all past memories vanish;When reborn, the face might remain, but it’s no longer the person in your thoughts.

It was someone entirely new.

But Jiang Lin’er was determined to do something more for Wanjiang Yu.

As a master, she had gone out seeking her own opportunities years ago, leaving her two disciples vulnerable to disaster, and she felt responsible for that.

Besides, if they found Wanjiang Yu’s reincarnation and told Qi Yuan the truth, even if he only caught a glimpse from afar, his inner knots could be largely untied…

As for whether shizu and master would interfere with Wanjiang Yu Shibo’s reincarnated fate, Li Changshou had carefully considered it…

The Renjiao tradition emphasized quiet non-interference, so they probably wouldn’t meddle much.

What Li Changshou didn’t know was…

Jiang Lin’er had already arranged everything for Wanjiang Yu’s next reincarnation flawlessly, even adding extra spirit stones and treasures to exchange for some underworld cultivation techniques for that official.

But unexpectedly, complications arose…

A few days earlier, two of Jiang Lin’er’s friends came looking for her.

These two friends were heading to the underworld for some business and, having made prior arrangements with Jiang Lin’er, stopped by Duixian Gate to ask if she wanted to join them.

At that time, Jiang Lin’er… well, she wasn’t in a position to go.

So, she asked her friends to deliver some gifts on her behalf to the official she had entrusted and to inquire about her eldest disciple’s current status and remaining lifespan.

Her friends were thorough; they went to the underworld, pulled some strings, and the official reported back that…

The true spirit once known as Wanjiang Yu…

Could no longer be found.

In front of Wangqing Ju.

Li Changshou and Ling E arrived on their clouds at the pavilion hanging on the cliff and bowed in greeting at the door.

Wangqing Shangren’s eldest disciple, Jiu Yiyi, quickly came out to welcome them and led them inside.

In the main hall, everyone wore expressions of concern.

Duixian Gate’s Kongxu Zhangmen, Ji Wuyou, dressed in a green satin robe, sat in the seat of honor;Wangqing Shangren and Jiang Lin’er, both in white robes and skirts, sat on the chairs to the left.

At that moment, Jiang Lin’er’s eyes were red and her lips tightly pressed, but she held back her emotions from collapsing.

Tree spirits were inherently weak and often considered as medicinal ingredients, with many pills using their pure life force as a base.

The disappearance of Wanjiang Yu’s true spirit likely meant one of two things…Either she had been refined as an herb, or her habitat had been destroyed, leading to her soul scattering.

The thought made Jiang Lin’er’s heart ache.

She only regretted her own lack of ability, unable to track down that reincarnated tree spirit earlier…

When Li Changshou entered the pavilion,Ji Wuyou’s eyes lit up, and in Jiang Lin’er’s despairing gaze, a spark of hope appeared.

Only Wangqing Shangren looked at Li Changshou with the simple affection of an elder for a junior.

Li Changshou, with Ling E, stepped forward to bow and pay respects to the sect leader, Wangqing Shangren, and his own shizu.

Ji Wuyou narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded, saying seriously, “Changshou, you’ve arrived.”

“This disciple is here…”

“Well, no worries—just handle your Xiaoqiong Peak matters first,” Ji Wuyou said. “I came to visit Wangqing, and it just so happened that this issue came up.”

Why did the sect leader…Seem like he was deliberately explaining something?

Jiu Yiyi was a bit puzzled; in her view, perhaps Ji Wuyou and this young disciple…Were old friends despite the age difference?

Then, Jiu Yiyi suddenly remembered Li Changshou’s other identity!This young disciple was also a talented alchemist in the sect; the pills he refined were highly sought after among the elders, even hard to come by.

Could it be that the sect leader…

Although the sect leader had no dao companion, he did look a bit frail.

In an instant, Jiu Yiyi thought of many possibilities.

Then, she heard Li Changshou ask softly, “Shizu called this disciple here… what happened?”

Jiang Lin’er sighed lightly and said in a low voice:

“Half an hour ago, a friend sent a message through a transmission jade slip—your shibo’s current life has suddenly vanished without a trace. Even in the underworld, they can’t find where she is or if she’s alive or dead!Changshou, what… what are we going to do?She didn’t have much lifespan left in this life, and I’d already planned out how she’d cultivate and become an immortal in her next reincarnation. How could something like this happen out of nowhere!It’s so unfair—why must my eldest disciple suffer so much!”

Wangqing Shangren reached out and gently patted Jiang Lin’er’s arm, comforting her warmly:

“This is just the latest news from the underworld; things haven’t reached that severe point yet. Lin’er, don’t worry too much—there’s still a chance.”

Upon hearing this, Li Changshou furrowed his brow but said nothing, lowering his head in deep thought.

He couldn’t think of any other possibilities; tree spirits were fragile creatures, and being hunted or used for alchemy wasn’t uncommon.

It was just hard to accept when it happened to someone close to them.

“Cough, cough…”

Ji Wuyou couldn’t help but cough a couple of times;Today, his coughing was relatively mild, at least without spitting blood,Likely because his primordial spirit injury had eased somewhat.

He said warmly, “In my view, instead of guessing wildly here, we should send someone to the underworld to investigate.”

Jiang Lin’er was about to nod immediately but glanced at Li Changshou, her eyes full of inquiry.

Clearly, in her judgment, the one with the most ideas in the room wasn’t the sect leader Ji Wuyou, but her own grand-disciple…

“This disciple dares to speak;The sect leader is right—only by going to the underworld can we find out the truth.”

Li Changshou bowed slightly and continued:

“How about Shizu takes this disciple to the underworld for a thorough investigation?”

Naturally, he’d use a paper effigy to go with her later.

Jiang Lin’er nodded in agreement right away. Before she could say more, Ji Wuyou stood up, casually adjusting his robe, and said:

“Then, let’s not delay—we’ll set out now!”

For a moment, the room fell silent, everyone wearing different expressions.

When had the sect leader ever been so invested in Xiaoqiong Peak’s matters?

Ji Wuyou said calmly:

“Just in time, Wangqing Elder needs to prepare for his tribulation and can’t move around;And I’ve been feeling restless lately, wanting to get out and about, so I’ll go to the underworld to enjoy the scenery.”

Li Changshou: …

Do you really need to force that logic?

Hearing this, Wangqing Shangren and Jiang Lin’er exchanged smiles, both a bit baffled.

The usually graceful Jiu Yiyi let her eyes dart back and forth between her master and the sect leader;This was quite a story.

And the usually clever Ling E blinked lightly, her gaze shifting among her shizu, Wangqing Shangren, and the sect leader;This seemed like yet another story.

Wangqing Shangren said:

“Sect Leader, you need to guard the sect and shouldn’t act rashly.This matter involves Lin’er’s beloved disciple, so I must accompany her to investigate the truth.”

“Ah, it’s fine,” Ji Wuyou waved it off. “Wangqing, rest assured. These days, our Duixian Gate can be summed up in one word—Whether I hold the fort or not doesn’t make much difference, besides… cough!Anyway, it’s settled—we’ll leave in half an hour!Consider this a sect leader’s order.You two prepare well; I’ll also get a few gifts ready. I have some acquaintances in the underworld.”

As Ji Wuyou spoke, he already turned and left the pavilion, leaving the others exchanging puzzled glances.

What was up with the sect leader today?He rarely stirred from the sect, so why suddenly…

Li Changshou had a vague idea but didn’t say more.

He told Jiang Lin’er he’d go back and change clothes, then left with Ling E, hurrying back to Xiaoqiong Peak.

The so-called clothes change was just switching to a paper effigy.

Going out with the sect leader, who was a Jin Xian powerhouse, on his true body would be far too risky.

For safety, Li Changshou used his finest paper effigy, perfectly infusing it with his aura, and prepared a few spares.

He also instructed Ling E a few things, telling her not to leak any of this…

“Shixiong, can I come along too?”

Ling E asked pitifully.

“The underworld has murky spiritual energy, full of yin sha and ghost qi—even a little exposure would damage your foundation.”

Li Changshou explained, then added with concern, “If Master asks what we’re doing…”

“Just say Shixiong was taken by Shizu to discuss the Dao with the sect leader!”

“You’ve gotten smarter lately,” Li Changshou said, reaching up to ruffle her hair, leaving it a bit messy. “Alright, I’m off now.”

With that, Li Changshou turned and headed into the pill room.

His true body turned into a wisp of smoke and went to the underground chamber.

At the same time, the meditation cushion in front of the pill furnace stirred slightly, and ‘Li Changshou’s’ figure emerged again—this was, of course, the paper effigy.

Ling E blinked and asked softly,“Shixiong, what’s the difference between this and your true body? I can’t tell at all.”

Li Changshou thought for a moment and summed it up simply:“This paper effigy is all show; no matter how real it looks, it’s just an illusion formed by a divine ability, like a clever trick. It can fight, but it can’t do everything.”

Ling E nodded as if she understood, watching as Li Changshou’s effigy left the pill room.

Though Ling E felt a bit reluctant to part, she glanced down and remembered that her shixiong was actually hiding in some crevice on Xiaoqiong Peak…

Ah, her shixiong’s personality was truly…

Indescribable, beyond words, profoundly mysterious, and absolutely astonishing!