Chapter 284: Initial Exploration of Fire Cloud Cave, Snow Fox Asks the True Heart

When the fox woman left Du Xian Men, her beautiful eyes still held a trace of bewilderment.

Li Changshou watched the fox woman's retreating figure, carefully evaluating the potential consequences of this matter in his heart and considering what else he could do.

Yin guo is such a thing—if you don't sever it when you should, it will inevitably lead to chaos, and if it flares up later, your life could be at risk.

Well, at this point, he had likely severed the yin guo with this fox woman. Although his methods had been a bit overly aggressive, it was still better than letting the situation continue to develop.

The Qingqiu clan...

Li Changshou had read about this clan in ancient texts; they had gained some fame even in ancient times.

They were a branch of demon clans with a strong romantic spirit, avoiding battles and conflicts and focusing solely on weaving touching and romantic love stories.

This was exactly as the saying went:

In the Great Wilderness, there are countless mighty beings, but only the romantics leave their names.

'The Qingqiu clan probably has no connection with the three demons of Xuanyuan Fen. There are so many fox demons in the world; it's unlikely I'd run into them so easily.'

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, turning over in his mind the issues he had been considering before.

Xuanyuan Fen was the tomb established by Xuanyuan Huangdi's descendants after he ascended to Huo Yun Cave, using his robes and cap. During the Feng Shen tribulation, it was occupied by the demon clan.

From what Li Changshou knew of the Feng Shen story, when the great tribulation began, Nüwa felt offended by Emperor Xin of the Shang dynasty, so she used the Summoning Banner to gather demons and selected the three demons of Xuanyuan Fen—the nine-tailed fox demon, the pipa spirit, and the nine-headed pheasant spirit—to distract Emperor Xin's attention and hasten the fall of the Shang state.

That nine-tailed fox demon possessed the body of 'Su Hu's daughter from Jizhou, Su Daji,' and with Emperor Xin, they created a classic tale of...

Cough, a story that brought ruin to the Shang state with so many 'loyal ministers,' leaving behind endless infamy for posterity!

'So, what was that nine-tailed fox in the story called?'

Li Changshou pondered and then chuckled to himself.

Thinking about this was just a waste of effort. Even if he found the nine-tailed fox demon in advance, he wouldn't do anything, and he certainly wouldn't get involved—it was none of his business anyway.

Better to think about what to do when he met the human sages in Huo Yun Cave later: how to build rapport with these big shots and, while at it, ask about the whereabouts of the Luo Bao Copper Coin.

Li Changshou's main paper effigy stood at the mountain gate, watching the demon clan fly away.

On Xiao Qiong Peak, the immortals of Du Xian Men had already dispersed.

In the coming days, various couple disputes were expected to arise in the mountains.

To stabilize the sect's atmosphere, Li Changshou had already transmitted a set of unified responses to all sorts of issues to Jiu Wu, instructing him to spread them quietly within the sect.

For example...

If any long-married couples in the sect encountered problems like 'you only thought of me back then because of loneliness from cultivation,' they should use a standard format to reply:

So-and-so, during the time we were apart, it wasn't because of loneliness that I missed you, but because I missed you that I felt lonely.

Whether it would work or not, Li Changshou couldn't guarantee, but it was better than fumbling around without knowing how to respond...

In the thatched hut, Jiang Lin'er didn't expose 'Qi Yuan's' true identity and instead debated with Jiu Wu, Jiu Shi, and Jiu Jiu on the topic of 'loneliness versus love.'

Finally, fearing that Li Changshou might slip up, Jiang Lin'er took the initiative to say that Qi Yuan should go back and reflect in seclusion for a few hours, then led Jiu Wu, Jiu Shi, and Jiu Jiu away from Xiao Qiong Peak.

Li Changshou deactivated the outer isolation array and sat on his meditation mat, letting out a small sigh of relief.

Beside him, Ling E pondered for a moment, her delicate face etched with seriousness.

How could it be that on her master, she saw the same expression her senior brother often had!

Li Changshou swept his immortal sense over the area and carefully sensed his surroundings, then restored his paper effigy to its original paper form and called out, "Help me put this paper effigy away."

Ling E blinked, thought for a bit, and quickly realized what had just happened.

"Senior Brother, you helped Master turn down such a beautiful potential mistress—will Master blame you? That fox woman was quite devoted, too!"

From the paper effigy came Li Changshou's voice: "Nonsense, how can you just call her mistress? That's a huge yin guo! Master hasn't even met her!

Recite the 'Wen Zi Jing' three hundred times."

"Oh," Ling E made a face and quickly stored the paper effigy in her sleeve pouch.

As soon as she put it away, Li Changshou's figure flew back from the mountain gate to Xiao Qiong Peak.

Li Changshou rode the clouds and landed in front of Ling E's thatched hut, sitting in his usual chair, continuing to ponder any potential follow-up issues.

This matter was truly a case of human plans being no match for heaven's will...

"Senior Brother..."

Ling E poked her head over from the side, her pretty face full of earnestness, her face just a foot away from Li Changshou's.

"Hmm?"

Ling E's face flushed red, but she said seriously, "I'm not lonely at all!

The 'Wen Zi Jing' three hundred times, totaling six hundred, I'll take it on myself!"

With that, she smiled smugly and gave her senior brother a challenging look.

Li Changshou: ...

If she doesn't get a good thrashing for three years, she's really asking for it!

Just then, the immortal power barrier around Master's thatched hut was retracted by Li Changshou, and the door was flung open. A beautiful woman rushed out with a duster in hand, shouting angrily:

"You ungrateful disciple! Get over here!"

Li Changshou quickly pointed a finger at his master and activated the multiple isolation arrays that had been added to Xiao Qiong Peak after its renovation.

With a 'pom' sound, the beautiful woman transformed back into Qi Yuan's elderly daoist form, fuming with rage, beard trembling, as he charged at Li Changshou with the duster.

Li Changshou pulled Ling E in front of him and skillfully hid behind his junior sister.

"Master, I've already resolved the matter!"

"What have you resolved?" Qi Yuan glared and scolded, "Don't tell me you went and said something like 'don't mistake affection for loneliness'—where did you learn such nonsense?"

"It's all thanks to your good teaching, Master."

Li Changshou chuckled and quickly added, "Master, I was just prescribing the right medicine to dispel her illusions."

Qi Yuan snapped, "If you made a mistake, own up to it! Can't you just explain and apologize?"

"Master, that won't solve it at all—it would only make things messier.

Besides, I didn't do anything to her, so there's nothing to apologize for. It was all her own wishful thinking...

Master, don't get angry; it's bad for your liver—cough, bad for your dao foundation."

"Today, as your master, I—"

Qi Yuan raised the duster to strike, but Li Changshou dodged around Ling E as the axis, using a technique like 'Qin Wang circling the pillar,' making Ling E giggle nonstop.

Suddenly, Li Changshou thought of Jiu Yu Shi and Xiong Ling Li in the neighboring thatched hut and decided to play matchmaker for his master.

"Ow!"

Li Changshou stumbled and fell toward the door.

Qi Yuan rushed forward with the duster and gave Li Changshou a thorough thrashing on the spot he'd been hitting since childhood, lecturing as he did so:

"Be upright and kind to others!

Is that how I taught you?"

Ling E watched from the side, covering her mouth and laughing lightly. From her observation, this was still her senior brother's paper effigy, so she wasn't worried.

But soon, Ling E thought of Jiu Yu Shi, who had come with her to the lakeside, and suddenly understood something.

She cleared her throat, took two steps forward, and spread her arms in front of Qi Yuan.

"Master, if you're going to hit someone, hit me instead!"

Qi Yuan's raised duster froze in mid-air for a moment, then he sighed.

"Ah, forget it!

Longevity, remember, no matter how skilled you are, never look down on others; no matter how strong your divine powers, never be arrogant.

Demons aren't all benevolent—don't get too entangled with them!"

Lying on the ground, Li Changshou pressed his hands together over his head and said, "Disciple will strictly follow Master's teachings!"

Ling E quickly added, "Disciple thanks Master for not striking!"

"I'm going back to cultivate in seclusion."

Qi Yuan shook his head, duster in hand, and floated back to his thatched hut, leaving behind a back full of weariness and untold stories.

At the window of the neighboring thatched hut, two heads that had been peeking out timidly retracted.

"Senior Sister Xiong, Qi Yuan Senior Brother seems so fierce..."

"Rain Shi, that's our Xiao Qiong Peak's peak master! And that's not fierce; it's having authority."

"Hmm, I think Qi Yuan Senior Brother is actually a really good person."

Hearing this, Ling E, who had just helped her senior brother up, exchanged a glance with him;

Senior brother raised an eyebrow, junior sister blinked, and everything was understood without words.

"Senior Brother, do you want me to apply some medicine for you?"

"No need; it won't absorb anyway. Cough, I'll head back to the pill room for seclusion."

Li Changshou sighed lightly, conjured a white cloud, and lay on it unceremoniously, floating back to the pill room.

After resolving this troublesome matter, Li Changshou steadied his mind, halted the activities of his various paper effigies, and returned his consciousness to the Sea God paper effigy hidden underground.

Later, he still needed to prepare a thank-you gift for Yue Lao, that old friend.

In the future, it was better not to use Master's image for such things; sticking to fictional characters would be safer.

Using earth escape, Li Changshou emerged from underground, his consciousness controlling the paper effigy with the Sea God disguise, and continued toward Huo Yun Cave.

Huo Yun Cave was hidden somewhere in Central Divine State, not visible to the outside world, much like San Xian Island.

Even though one knew San Xian Island was in that sea mist, without the method to enter, it was impossible to find a trace.

When Li Changshou first tried to locate Huo Yun Cave, a simple divination showed him that this place was beyond his modest divination skills.

But now, with Heaven Court's backing, finding Huo Yun Cave wasn't difficult at all.

He rode the clouds, crossing thousands of mountains and ten thousand waters;

After half a day, a vast wetland stretching a thousand li appeared before him.

Li Changshou flew straight toward the sky above the wetland, then turned back in mid-air and dove toward it. Just as his figure was about to hit the water, his immortal sense caught a wisp of cloud smoke condensing in the air.

So, he halted and rode the clouds toward the smoke...

This was the specific method recorded in Heaven Court for finding Huo Yun Cave.

When Li Changshou reached the cloud smoke, he felt waves of profound dao rhymes ahead and heard faint string music in his ears, as if a hidden paradise lay before him.

Within the smoke seemed to be an invisible gate, forcing him to stop.

Li Changshou declared loudly, "I am an envoy of Heaven Court, here on the orders of His Majesty the Jade Emperor to pay respects to the sages of your clan."

As his words fell, he heard a light laugh in his heart, and an eight trigrams diagram appeared before his eyes, its eight rings gently rotating, the lines etched on it flickering with faint light.

'Solve it to enter.'

Li Changshou bowed in salute, condensed a water-fire taiji symbol with his left hand, and slowly pushed the taiji diagram forward into the center of the eight trigrams diagram.

Then, as yin and yang flowed, the eight trigrams diagram began to glow, and another message came to his heart:

'Disciple of Ren Jiao, you may enter.'

The invisible gate vanished instantly, revealing a mountain path ahead.

The path was deep, but brightly lit within.

Li Changshou bowed again, carrying the generous gifts prepared by Dong Mu Gong from Heaven Court's treasury, and stepped into the cave entrance.

His heart remained fully alert, ready to self-destruct at any moment.

After sixty-four steps, the view opened up before him.

What lay ahead was still a vast wetland, seemingly the mirror image of the one he had just seen.

The wetland was clearly divided into two main areas: the left side had seven floating immortal mountains, each with different scenery, mostly quiet and serene.

The right side consisted of continuous mountain ranges connected together, dotted with palaces and buildings, from which came bursts of women's laughter, the sounds of zithers and flutes...

Clearly, the left was the dwelling of the proper human sages, and the right was Xuanyuan Huangdi's family area.

Although Sui Ren Shi, who led the human race in struggle and preserved its spark, and Fu Xi Shi and Shen Nong Shi, the three emperors with greater merits, were revered;

Xuanyuan Huangdi was obviously the ultimate winner among the retired human emperors!

Did he bring his entire harem of three thousand into Huo Yun Cave?

Everyone living in harmony, filled with laughter, forming a big, happy family that could enjoy eternal life and carefree leisure together?

This was just too impressive.

Li Changshou marveled inwardly but didn't dare speak ill of the sages. Carrying the gifts, he looked around, unsure which peak to visit first.

Just then, he spotted a small boat in a corner of the wetland. His eyes lit up, and he flew over on his cloud.

From afar, he saw a burly man in a rain cape fishing on the boat, but as he got closer, he heard the man softly... sobbing?

"Senior, senior?"

Li Changshou called out from a distance. The man fishing quickly wiped his face and turned around, revealing a square-jawed face that looked troubled.

"Who are you? What's your business? How did you get in?

Why are you yelling? This is Huo Yun Cave!"

Listening to the man's thick accent from some region in South Zhanbu Continent, Li Changshou was momentarily at a loss for words.

'Was it really just because of loneliness?'

On that massive wooden ship, in a quiet room, the fox woman lay on the bed with a somewhat bewildered expression, six snow-white fox tails emerging behind her, swaying gently.

She was reminiscing and pondering.

No, this couldn't just be loneliness!

The fox woman pushed herself up with her snow-white jade arms, her expression suddenly excited.

She waved her hand toward the desk beside her, summoning pen, ink, and silk cloth through the air, spreading them on the bed, and began to write and draw.

'We of the Qingqiu clan cultivate through emotion—could it be that so many of our elders and seniors were also just because of loneliness?

No, perhaps I was moved by loneliness at first, but now, in my heart, there truly is a place for you.

Qi Yuan Dao Zhang...'

Her thoughts raced, and her slender fingers moved swiftly. A scene appeared on the silk cloth.

In a dim prison cell, an elderly daoist's figure stood quietly, gazing at the snow-white fox demon inside.

The fox woman wrote 'Qi Yuan' next to it, then seemed to lose all strength, slowly collapsing beside the scroll. She used her demonic power to protect it and gently touched it with her fingers.

After half an hour, the fox woman slowly sat up in a cross-legged position, the scroll floating before her, swaying as if the figure inside had come to life.

A wisp of dao rhyme appeared around her, and a vague, graceful shadow formed behind her, looking up at the void as if questioning something.

Gradually, after an unknown amount of time, this dao rhyme filled the room and alerted her clan members.

A seventh snow-white fox tail quietly manifested behind her...

'Qi Yuan Dao Zhang, I will come to find you again.'