Chapter 280: Everything is ...'s Choice

In the poker room of Xiaoqiong Peak, the young girl Yu Shi, dressed in her training attire, whispered softly, “Jiu Shijie, what was that golden light?”

At the window, Jiu Jiu sat curled up on the sill, lazily yawning and turning her head to look outside. She gently shook the jade wine gourd in her hand.

This wine gourd was a gift from her nephew Li Changshou after she achieved the Tianxian realm. It could hold several jars of fine wine and even enhance its flavor.

Yu Shi blinked and quickly added, “It was there just a moment ago, and now it’s gone.”

“That direction…oh well!”

Jiu Jiu waved her hand dismissively and explained casually, “That’s the alchemy room on Xiaoqiong Peak, basically your nephew Li Changshou’s exclusive spot for cultivation. He must have been messing around with some pills again.

“My dear shimei, you don’t need to worry about that side. Your nephew is quite mysterious. He’s just a junior disciple, yet…

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, heh.”

“What’s wrong with my shixiong?”

In the corner, Ling E, who had been meditating on the bed, opened her bright eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly as she asked quietly.

Jiu Jiu laughed, “There was that golden light just now…uh, why is the sect leader here?”

At the mention of the sect leader, Ling E and Yu Shi hurried to the window and looked up at the sky over Xiaoqiong Peak.

Ji Wuyou arrived quickly and left just as fast, murmuring something in the air before drifting away with his hands behind his back.

He was only responsible for handling any messes, and as long as it didn’t blow up Du Xian Men, he didn’t care what happened.

“Did the sect leader set up an array here?”

Jiu Jiu tilted her head and muttered, “I get the feeling he’s covering for someone. How strange.”

“You’re overthinking it, Shishu.”

Ling E said softly. Dressed in a light green fringe skirt, she looked even more charming and graceful. “Shixiong doesn’t have that kind of influence to make the sect leader cover for him.”

“Who can really say what happens in this world?”

Jiu Jiu spread her hands. “It’s like that year before I took your shixiong to Bei Zhou—I never imagined that today, as your shishu, I’d end up being taken care of by a regular disciple from Xiaoqiong Peak.

“Look at me now. I drink his wine, use his pills, feed his spirit beasts, and even sleep in his place.

“If your shixiong made some improper request of me, I wouldn’t know how to refuse.”

Ling E facepalmed, suspecting that her shishu was just looking for an excuse to make a move on her shixiong.

Yu Shi asked in confusion, “Shijie, aren’t you the elder?”

“Silly girl,” Jiu Jiu reached out and gently patted Yu Shi’s head, saying softly, “When you grow up and gain some cultivation, you’ll understand how great that nephew Li Changshou is.

“What’s all this about elders or not? Take his high-quality spirit pills for staving off hunger—aren’t they wonderful?”

“They are!

“But is this Li Changshou nephew really that…amazing?”

Just then, a firm voice came from outside the door: “Of course.”

Jiu Jiu chuckled and teased, “I knew it—you always rush over at the first sign of trouble on Xiaoqiong Peak!”

Outside the pavilion, a graceful figure approached amid Jiu Jiu’s jest.

She wore an ice-blue dress, with jade feet in light white cloth shoes and ice-blue ribbons at her ankles. Her long black hair was simply tied in a ponytail, and she glided forward with light, elegant steps.

Her slender legs and slim waist needed no description. Her autumn-like eyes were as clear as autumn water, blending three parts heroism with tenderness. She was the pure and elegant fairy admired by many disciples of Du Xian Men…

You Qin Xuanya.

“You Qin Xuanya greets the two shishu,” You Qin Xuanya said with a graceful bow. Yu Shi quickly returned the courtesy, while Jiu Jiu smiled delightedly.

Ling E said gently, “Shijie, were you startled by that golden light?”

“Yes,” You Qin Xuanya nodded softly, then turned to Yu Shi and said seriously, “Earlier, you mentioned Li Changshou shixiong.

“There’s no need to doubt it—he’s more than amazing. In my eyes, he’s the unparalleled cultivator in the world.

“He’s knowledgeable and wise, mastering cultivation methods and deeply understanding the Wuwei Dao. He’s skilled in arrays, alchemy, calligraphy, and music, and he’s incredibly adept at handling worldly affairs, managing everything perfectly.

“And Li Changshou shixiong is most…”

“Shijie!”

Ling E hurried over and took You Qin Xuanya’s hand. “Let’s go upstairs to talk about this. We shouldn’t discuss it in front of Yu Shi shishu.”

You Qin Xuanya looked puzzled. “Is there anything wrong with what I said?”

“Not really,” Ling E blinked.

How could she explain it?

She couldn’t just say they needed to prevent Yu Shi shishu from developing feelings for her shixiong…

“Oh, come on, let’s go!”

Ling E pulled You Qin Xuanya toward the stairs, using her most persuasive tone.

Though You Qin Xuanya was confused and reluctant to stop, she let Ling E lead her upstairs for a private chat.

At the window, Yu Shi’s face was full of bewilderment as she looked to Jiu Jiu for help.

Jiu Jiu narrowed her eyes with a smile and said, “See? That’s the terrifying part of your nephew Li Changshou.”

Yu Shi grew even more confused. “This…could you explain in more detail, Shijie?”

“Look at Ling E and You Qin Xuanya—they’re both rare talents in Du Xian Men, with looks and figures that even I, as a woman, find stunning.”

As she spoke, Jiu Jiu glanced down at her own figure and sighed, “I suppose I only have this one advantage.”

Yu Shi was even more baffled. “What does this have to do with Li Changshou nephew?”

Jiu Jiu laughed, “Haven’t you noticed that both Ling E and You Qin Xuanya are smitten with him?”

“Well, I did notice that…”

“In the cultivation world, it’s different from the mortal realm. Men might have many concubines, but Dao companions are usually one man and one woman.”

Jiu Jiu sighed. “Just think—two such beautiful women are both devoted to Li Changshou. Doesn’t that show how appealing he is?”

Yu Shi suddenly understood and nodded seriously.

Jiu Jiu sighed again, “And what’s even more remarkable is that Ling E and You Qin Xuanya get along so well, without any jealousy or rivalry. I’ve been waiting for years to see some drama, but it never happens.”

“Oh, right,” Yu Shi whispered, “Now that I think about it, that is pretty extraordinary.”

“And here’s the most extraordinary part,” Jiu Jiu spread her hands. “From what I know, both of them have confessed their feelings to Li Changshou. Ling E even made it her goal to ‘overthrow’ her shixiong, and You Qin Xuanya is always talking about him.

“Even if he were involved with both, they’d probably agree without hesitation.

“But Li Changshou…rejected them both.”

“Ah?”

Yu Shi’s eyes widened. “Those two sisters—er, those two shimei—are already top-tier women, and Li Changshou nephew still isn’t satisfied?”

“See? You don’t get it, do you?”

“Please teach me, Shijie.”

Jiu Jiu smiled calmly, shrugged, and sighed wearily, “I don’t fully understand why myself, but it feels perfectly normal and exactly like something Li Changshou would do.

“Maybe he’s worried that having a Dao companion would bring more karma and complications.”

Yu Shi asked curiously, “But how would that create more karma? Aren’t they already shixiong and shimei?”

“Roughly speaking, take You Qin Xuanya for example. Right now, she’s just his fellow disciple, so if she’s in danger outside, Li Changshou would probably fly over slowly, make a plan, and rescue her safely.

“But if she were his Dao companion, he’d zoom through the air without a second thought to save her.

“There’s a difference, you know.”

Jiu Jiu uncorked her wine gourd and took a big gulp.

Yu Shi pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, “What about you, Shijie? You like Li Changshou nephew too, right?”

“Pfft—cough, cough! Don’t talk nonsense!”

Just then, light footsteps approached, and Ling E and You Qin Xuanya returned, their skirts swaying as they came to check on Yu Shi’s progress in the past half month, steering the conversation away from Li Changshou.

Soon, the pavilion was filled with cheerful chatter and laughter.

A certain white-haired old Daoist who was pretending to pass by paused, turned a corner, and went to the nearby spirit beast enclosure to check on the animals’ health.

This was Xiaoqiong Peak’s rare once-in-a-century event—the peak master’s inspection.

‘Lu Ya.’

In the alchemy room, Li Changshou stood with his hands behind his back, observing the situation inside while pondering the task just assigned by His Majesty the Jade Emperor.

How had it come to this so soon after ascending to heaven? Now he was doing the dirty work for the Jade Emperor?

Well…

In his original plan, these tasks should have been handled by Wen Jing Daoist.

Unfortunately, Wen Jing Daoist couldn’t be exposed yet…

The Zhuxian Flying Dagger and Lu Ya Daoist were not easy opponents.

Because of the Nailhead Seven Arrows Book, he now had another reason to keep his true identity hidden.

Removing Lu Ya Daoist would be difficult, but not impossible.

First, the risk was too high—a single mistake could turn him into Lu Ya’s sworn enemy.

Second, the karma involved was enormous.

As the Daoist scriptures say, the Great Dao is fifty, heaven’s evolution is forty-nine, and all events yet to happen are already woven into heaven’s plan.

If he eliminated Lu Ya, the script of the Fengshen Tribulation would change, creating massive ripple effects and leading to countless unknown consequences.

Li Changshou had no interest in scheming over the Fengshen Tribulation—he was busy avoiding it.

In the Fengshen Tribulation, besides the godhoods, merits, and some chances for spirit treasures, there wasn’t much worth plotting for.

Of course, based on Li Changshou’s own understanding, the Fengshen Calamity for the current primordial world at this point in time was merely a future possibility.

If Lu Ya unexpectedly disappeared, that possibility would shift.

But at the same time, the heavenly dao had a converging force that would realign the world lines, returning to the original possibility at some future node, keeping the calamity largely unchanged…

Hmm, it all depends on the choices of the Creation Jade Disc!

“This matter can’t be rushed—it needs careful planning, with many factors at play…”

Li Changshou stretched and glanced at his master wandering near the spirit beast enclosure. After thinking for a moment, he left the alchemy room and flew over on a cloud.

Xiong Lingli was enthusiastically following Qi Yuan the old Daoist, vividly recounting the story of each spirit beast—from breeding and birthing to raising, slaughtering, cooking, and even handling the waste…

“Table brother is here!”

Xiong Lingli spotted Li Changshou first and waved excitedly.

Li Changshou smiled and approached, bowing to his master in greeting, then joined him for a leisurely stroll.

Before long, Li Changshou led his master to the royal poker room on Xiaoqiong Peak.

Jiu Jiu, Ling E, and You Qin Xuanya were all guiding Yu Shi in meditation, teaching her how to circulate her breath and sense the natural Dao rhymes.

As top talents among the younger—and former younger—generation of Du Xian Men, with exceptional comprehension and aptitude, they had no trouble instructing Yu Shi.

“Li Changshou shixiong!”

The moment You Qin Xuanya saw Li Changshou, she lit up and called out, stepping forward to greet him.

“Shixiong…uh, Master!”

Ling E had just started to brighten up but quickly deflated when she saw her master and hurried to bow.

Nearby, Jiu Jiu smirked mischievously, “Qi Yuan shixiong, what wind blew you here?”

Qi Yuan cleared his throat and said with a smile, “I just came to check on you two shimei.

“We don’t have many treasures on Xiaoqiong Peak, but it’s peaceful. If you need anything while cultivating here, just let me know.”

Yu Shi hid behind Jiu Jiu and bowed quickly, whispering, “Thank you, shixiong.”

Though Qi Yuan’s face remained calm, his arms under his sleeves trembled slightly.

Li Changshou stepped forward half a pace, subtly blocking the view to cover his master’s reaction.

Li Changshou chuckled, “Master, don’t worry. I’ve already arranged everything.”

“Oh dear,” Jiu Jiu said casually, looking up at the sky, “Qi Yuan shixiong, your two shimei have run out of wine lately.”

Qi Yuan replied hastily, “Yu Shi hasn’t even started on the cultivation path yet, and she’s still young. We can’t let her drink! Especially immortal spirit wine!”

Jiu Jiu blinked, realizing her attempt to tease had backfired slightly, and quickly explained that she hadn’t given any wine to Yu Shi…

Li Changshou laughed lightly and produced a treasure pouch filled with fine wine and pills—he had prepared it for Jiu Jiu long ago.

After spending some time with his master there, Li Changshou left with him.

It was clear his master was quite content, murmuring softly on the way back:

“She actually called me shixiong. How wonderful, truly wonderful.”

Li Changshou gently reminded him, “Master, you should keep a younger mindset. Appearance follows the heart.”

Qi Yuan frowned and lectured, “What do you mean by that? Do you think I’m that kind of person?

“I’m over a thousand years old, and she’s so young!”

“Well, Master, you need to look at this with a long-term perspective,” Li Changshou said with a smile. “It’s like this now, but what about in a thousand years? Or two thousand? Or three thousand?

“Doesn’t that make it more acceptable?”

Qi Yuan was taken aback but eventually sighed and waved his hand, flying away on a cloud.

Li Changshou chuckled and turned back to his alchemy room.

Let his master be.

Li Changshou continued pondering the matter of Lu Ya.

Just like with his own tribulations, if he didn’t have at least a ninety-eight percent certainty, it was best not to act.

But not acting didn’t mean Lu Ya wouldn’t come after him…

Back in the underground chamber, Li Changshou glanced at the character “steady” on the wall, then at the newly hung spirit treasure diagram nearby.

At the root of it all, it was a matter of strength.

His current Dao realm was improving very slowly, with epiphanies coming only every half month or so. Spirit treasures were a quick way to boost his power and enrich himself.

Sitting at his desk, Li Changshou took out stacks of paper effigies and began crafting the latest version of his paper daoists. He wrote the character “treasure” on the back of each one.

Half a month later, over twenty new paper daoists, each with strength equivalent to the late Tianxian realm, stood neatly on the table and saluted Li Changshou in unison.

Li Changshou snapped his fingers, and they all turned, jumping into the shoulder packs of the transport paper daoist.

The transport paper daoist transformed into a young woman, performed an earth escape, and vanished.

Time to get to work!