Chapter 282: Shou... Shou'er

"Daozhang, which one?"

Outside the mountain gate, a Yaozu woman dressed in a green long skirt stood quietly, her three thousand strands of black hair cascading like a waterfall, exuding a sense of fragility from within.

Yet, when she uttered those words, not only were the immortals of Duxianmen baffled, but the Yaozu with their "complex backgrounds" behind her also perked up their ears one by one.

What was going on?

Something was wrong!

As one of the parties involved, Li Changshou's mind raced with thoughts, immediately suspecting whether this Yaozu woman had been controlled in her mind and spirit.

Li Changshou naturally hadn't forgotten the matter of this fox demon.

That time, Kuai Si Daoist had schemed against his own master, deliberately luring his master to a mortal city's red-light district; when Li Changshou went in his master's place, he had captured this demon in that city.

Later, they discovered that this fox demon had sheltered the assassin "Centipede Spirit," who had been bribed by Kuai Si Daoist, which turned out to be a fortunate coincidence.

Since the fox demon had gongde on her, Duxianmen did not kill her but instead suppressed her beneath a barren mountain outside the mountain gate.

Li Changshou pinched his fingers to calculate and carefully recalled.

When he had disguised himself as his master and gone with Jiu Wu Shibo to capture this Yaozu woman, she was the madam of a brothel, holding a jade tobacco pipe, with a tall figure and alluring curves, clearly exuding a domineering aura as the brothel's boss.

Subsequently, Li Changshou had interacted with this Yaozu woman a few times, and she had revealed her cunning and malicious Yaozu nature.

At first, when she was captured, she had seized the opportunity to use her charm technique on Jiu Wu Shibo, forcing Li Changshou to offer up the old edition of the "Hundred Beauties Aged" illustrations to the sect.

So how had she become like this today?

Was it an act?

Was she trying to escalate the situation?

Li Changshou hid in the crowd, carefully observing this fox demon, and quickly realized that either her acting skills were extraordinary, or she had genuinely, for some reason...

Fallen head over heels for Jiu Wu Shibo or for his disguised master at first sight!

'How could that be possible?'

A moment of silence fell at the mountain gate, creating an awkward atmosphere inside and out, with only the fox demon speaking with a sense of urgency, seemingly unaware that anything was amiss in her words.

"What is going on?"

From the other side of the mountain gate, Jiu Shi, the fourth in the Jiu Zi Nine Immortals ranking, suddenly spoke up.

Instantly, gazes converged, first landing on the poised, elegant, and beautiful Jiu Shi, then shifting downward to the short Daoist beside her, who was only five chi and a half tall...

The Duxianmen immortals suddenly showed expressions of realization.

So that's what it was...

There was killing intent!

Jiu Wu subconsciously trembled, anxiously slapping his thigh and hurriedly saying:

"It's not like that! It's not like that at all!

I have no connection with this Yaozu woman. It was indeed Qi Yuan Shidi and I who captured her because she was causing havoc in a major city in South Jambudvipa.

But after capturing her, we suppressed her underground. I've only gone to check on her a couple of times, and we barely exchanged any words!

The elders, especially those from the Rewards and Punishments Hall, can vouch for me!"

Upon hearing Jiu Wu's call, several white-haired elders nearby clasped their hands behind their backs and gazed at the sky, maintaining an air of nonchalance.

Jiu Shi gritted her teeth lightly, but with so many people around, she considered her Dao companion's face and held back her anger.

At that moment, the fox demon spoke again, murmuring:

"Qi Yuan...

May I see this Qi Yuan Daozhang again? I have some words I want to say to him."

Jiu Wu immediately breathed a sigh of relief, almost kowtowing to this fox demon grandmother on the spot to thank her for sparing him.

The Duxianmen immortals, who had originally wanted to watch the spectacle, now exchanged puzzled glances.

If the fox demon had taken a liking to the sect's attendant Jiu Wu, that might have been explainable.

Jiu Wu's master was a Jinxian, and Jiu Wu himself was almost certain to become a Tianxian; he was good at handling affairs, skilled in socializing, and if you overlooked his age and rounded it off, he could pass as a handsome young man.

As for his height, it could be described as unique.

But Qi Yuan, the only Zhu Xian in Duxianmen...

That was clearly not normal!

"This isn't right, it's just not right!"

"Is Qi Yuan Shidi really that charming?"

"Incredible, truly incredible."

"Should we call Qi Yuan Shizhi over?"

Many Duxianmen immortals chimed in, mostly out of curiosity.

Jiu Wu quickly glanced at Li Changshou, and the shibo and shizhi exchanged meaningful looks with their eyes.

Drip-drip—'Changshou, what have you done!'

Tap-tap—'It's more like what my master did...'

Drip-drip-drip-drip-drip—'Don't play dumb with your shibo! Wasn't it you disguised as your master back then? You better watch out—my tenth shimei has already moved into your Xiaoqiong Peak permanently!'

Li Changshou felt a headache coming on and could only give Jiu Wu a helpless look, signaling him to stay calm.

For now, the word was: stall.

No matter what this Yaozu woman's intentions were, he couldn't let things develop unchecked.

"Cough!"

Li Changshou cleared his throat, floated up half a chi in the crowd, and smiled awkwardly toward the outside of the mountain gate, saying:

"This... senior, my master is in closed cultivation. Why don't you return with your clanspeople first, and we can discuss this after he emerges?"

The Yaozu woman blinked gently, then revealed a smile full of maternal affection.

"Are you his disciple?"

An elder from the sect immediately introduced: "This is Li Changshou, a disciple of Duxianmen and Qi Yuan Shizhi's chief disciple."

The Yaozu woman stepped forward half a pace, delighted: "Then, may I call you Shouer? Your master has such outstanding disciples."

Li Changshou's forehead instantly darkened with lines, and he retracted his right hand into his sleeve, gripping a carving knife!

He calculated frantically: If he drove away these Yaozu right now, how much karma would he bear?

At this point, one of the Tianxian-level Yaozu behind the Yaozu woman finally stepped forward, asking urgently:

"Xiao Lan, what's wrong with you?

Have these Renjiao people cast some spell on you?"

"How dare you!"

A hot-tempered elder from Duxianmen furrowed his brows and glared, scolding: "Duxianmen is a lineage of Renjiao, passing down the Taiji Wuji Great Dao. How could we resort to such tricks?

If not for her having gongde protecting her—likely from an ancestor who aided our Ren people—I would never have tolerated her causing havoc in the mortal world!"

"Nonsense," a Yaozu man retorted coldly, "You're clearly just afraid that killing her would increase your karmic burdens because of her gongde!

You Renjiao cultivators are all about saving face and will do anything!"

Elder Wan Linjun slowly advanced, leaning on his copper staff, and the two Duxianmen elders in front of him stepped aside to the left and right.

This elder hobbled forward two steps out of the mountain gate, his unremarkable eyes sweeping over the group, and said indifferently:

"I'll handle the killing."

In an instant, the Yaozu treated it as a dire threat, hiding the one called "Xiao Lan" behind them and watching Wan Linjun warily.

The pair of Yaozu with weaker cultivation trembled lightly!

From the distant wooden boat, figures soared into the sky, and the pressure of a Jinxian-level great demon swept toward Duxianmen.

But this pressure was uneven, clearly not from a pure Dao realm.

In response, the pressure from Duxianmen's three Jinxian experts erupted, pressing back toward the Yaozu.

A male Yaozu shouted: "Quick, go fetch our ancestor!"

The situation deteriorated rapidly, and the Duxianmen immortals gathered at the mountain gate were all ready to strike first!

Strike first to gain the upper hand, strike later and be at a disadvantage!

Li Changshou frowned slightly beside them—this fight would be disadvantageous for Duxianmen...

He was about to send a voice transmission to advise Elder Wan Linjun, but before he could speak, the newly released fox demon Xiao Lan suddenly cried out shrilly:

"No, don't!"

This cry, like the blood-curdling wail of a cuckoo, made both sides, already poised for battle, freeze in their tracks!

The fox woman sighed mournfully, under the protection of her clanspeople, and knelt in the air, bowing toward Duxianmen.

"This matter arose because of me.

I secretly left my clan's territory, indulged in the mortal world's pleasures, and allowed the spirits under me to cause harm. I am willing to endure another three hundred years of imprisonment by Duxianmen.

But, may I at least see him once...

I have already developed a demonic obsession for him; in this life, I have no other wishes, only to be with him in love, even in death, our bones buried together.

I am willing to swear a Great Dao oath to prove the sincerity of my feelings."

Her words...

If heard by the Jie Jiao lineage, it would surely result in a group of old Daoists shouting "Demon, die!"

If heard by the Chan Jiao lineage, it might lead to a group pulling her in as one of their own.

But today, it was heard by the Renjiao lineage...

Renjiao was notoriously full of Dao couples!

The humility and passion in the fox demon's words moved half of the Duxianmen immortals present.

Jiu Wu pondered for a moment and stepped forward at the critical juncture, asking:

"You and my Qi Yuan Shidi have only met a few times—how could you develop such a demonic obsession?

If you can't explain it clearly, I won't let you see him today."

This question hit the mark, and the Yaozu visitors quickly followed up with their own questions.

The fox woman sighed lightly, collapsing into a sitting position in the air, her eyes vacant as she murmured:

"That day, when I was captured by this Daozhang and Qi Yuan Daozhang, I seized the chance to use my clan's bloodline divine ability, the charm technique, to scheme against them. The one speaking now acted disgracefully, but Qi Yuan Daozhang was unmoved and simply used a painting to dispel my charm technique..."

As the fox woman recounted the past, the surroundings fell silent, with only her soft voice continuing.

Beside Jiu Wu, a delicate hand reached out unnoticed, grabbed his ear, and yanked hard.

"Hiss—"

Tears welled up in the short Daoist's eyes.

He heard Jiu Shi's voice transmission scolding: "Hmph! Disgracefully! You better explain this when we get back!"

Jiu Wu felt awkward and repeatedly bowed in apology.

Then, the fox woman's story shifted...

"Afterward, they locked me underground, and I harbored resentment toward Qi Yuan Daozhang in my heart.

I don't know how long passed before he suddenly appeared to see me, making me swear not to seek revenge against anyone in Duxianmen because of this.

I agreed at the time, but out of spite, I unleashed my charm technique on him with full force, only to receive a slightly mocking smile in return.

That smile sparked a defiant notion in me, and from then on, I diligently cultivated my divine abilities.

I was determined to make this man bow before me!

That's what I thought at the time."

In the crowd, Li Changshou, who had quietly retreated to a corner, nodded to himself.

This was indeed something he had done.

A female immortal in the mountain gate couldn't help but ask: "And then?"

"Then..."

The fox woman smiled bitterly and continued her slow narration.

"Just as my divine abilities were making progress, he soon appeared before me again, in that dark underground prison, separated by several layers of restrictions.

He smiled at me then—I remember it clearly; it was relaxed and at ease.

He asked if I could use my charm technique to test whether his Dao heart was firm.

I thought it absurd, but I took the chance to strike, unleashing my divine ability with all my might to bewilder his mind. But he—he!"

A Yaozu woman exclaimed in shock: "Did he suddenly become bestial?"

The fox woman chuckled dreamily: "He actually took out a bamboo slip outside the cage and kept writing and drawing on it, even giving me a few pointers on my charm technique.

The way he looked while writing with his head down—I haven't forgotten a single detail to this day...

I thought then, how could there be such a man in the world, with not a trace of desire for me."

In the corner, Li Changshou: ...

There was desire back then; it was just that his "Hundred Beauties Aged" series was even more compelling.

What the fox woman described had happened during the period when he was refining the Heart Fire Burning poison pill.

Li Changshou had considered all scenarios at the time, but he truly hadn't anticipated that the fox demon herself would be the flaw...

What to do now?

He might have to eliminate her after all.

Back then, with his master's permission, he had used his master's appearance to visit this fox demon several times over those months, and he hadn't noticed anything unusual about her...

"I'm such a fool, really."

The fox woman Lan'er's vacant gaze now sparkled with points of light...

"Now, I only feel that those few meetings with him were the most beautiful moments of my life.

But back then, I always felt a bit unconvinced and unwilling; each time, I used my charm technique on him with all my strength but never revealed my true feelings.

After that, he never came to see me again.

Every time I close my eyes, it's his final departing figure.

Year after year, before I knew it, my heart held only his image, nothing else...

Now, I've come out."

Fox woman Lan'er slowly stood up, walked past her clanspeople, her voice gentle but her gaze firm:

"Our clan's rules state that if I have someone in my heart, no one will stop me from leaving.

Today, I stand before Duxianmen, seeking only to see him once more.

Even if he kills me with a sword, I won't hold any grudge; I only ask that he leaves me a wisp of soul, so on my way to reincarnation, I can beg the underworld spirits to let me be reborn as the woman Qi Yuan Daozhang desires."

"Good!"

An elderly Yaozu woman who had arrived unnoticed clapped lightly, wiping away a tear. "In our Qingqiu Fox Clan, as per clan rules, we fully support Xiao Lan in pursuing her own marriage!

Marriage is a priceless treasure; why force apart true lovers?!

Listen up, Duxianmen: Xiao Lan's grandmother's third aunt is an immortal serving the Saint in Wa Huang Palace.

Our Xiao Lan's background is no less than that of your Duxianmen disciples.

Whether he agrees or not, let him show himself and give a straight answer!"

And so, Li Changshou silently put away his carving knife.

Outside the mountain gate, a group of Yaozu men and women gathered, standing behind fox woman Xiao Lan, united in support!

The Duxianmen immortals were momentarily stunned.

After living for so many years, this was the first time these immortals had dealt with such a situation...

Kill her?

They didn't dare; the Qingqiu Clan had a good reputation in the Honghuang, and with this fox woman's deep affection, her only request was to see Qi Yuan once.

Or let them meet?

But that would feel like Duxianmen bowing to the Yaozu. They were already enemies with the Yaozu, and although the Qingqiu Clan had a complex background and gongde protection, their foundations weren't entirely clean.

"How dare you Qingqiu Clan try to snatch someone from our Duxianmen?"

A cold laugh echoed, and a graceful figure flew from Duxianmen, landing outside the mountain gate.

She wore a light blue dress, her long hair flowing straight whether in front or behind—none other than Jiang Lin'er, the shizu of Xiaoqiong Peak.

Jiang Lin'er had been listening with her immortal sense and couldn't hold back any longer. She walked up to the fox woman, hands behind her back, and circled her twice in front of the Yaozu crowd...

"Tsk tsk, nice figure... Oh, quite a few sins, but not as many as my little Jiu.

You're called Xiao Lan? What's your full name?"

The fox woman frowned slightly and asked softly: "And you are...?"

"Lin Jiang Sanren, Jiang Lin'er!"

Jiang Lin'er thumped her chest. "My husband is a Jinxian in this sect, and my grand-disciple is quite capable, but that's not important.

Tsk tsk, I'm the master of the Qi Yuan Daozhang you're looking for. I raised him from childhood—changed his diapers and all. What do you think?"

The fox woman blinked and bowed her head: "Lan'er pays respects to Shizun."

"Don't bow so quickly," Jiang Lin'er chuckled, her gaze sweeping the crowd until she spotted Li Changshou's headband. "This matter probably involves some misunderstanding.

How about this: you come with me to Xiaoqiong Peak, and I'll sort it out for you, okay?"

"Lan'er will follow Shizun's lead!"

The fox woman became excited, her voice even gentler.