Chapter 347: A Gentleman’s Revenge Is Never Too Late

Someone is stirring up trouble.

After hearing what Duobao Daoist said, Li Changshou and Zhao Gongming exchanged glances, both instantly thinking the same thing.

Even Duobao Daoist himself felt something was off after speaking, and he pondered carefully...

Huoling Shengmu had already moved to Luofu Cave on Emei Shan to cultivate, and as the leading disciple of Jie Jiao's outer gate, Zhao Gongming was in a dual cultivation relationship with Huoling Shengmu, who was the chief disciple of the inner gate's leading disciple.

This was personally mentioned by Huanglong Zhenren in Yuxu Palace!

Duobao Daoist murmured, "Could it be that Huoling has been schemed against?"

Zhao Gongming quickly replied, "How could my relationship with my niece-disciple Huoling lead to such rumors? Ahem, how could something like that happen? Earlier, my junior sister Jin Guang was injured and fainted in front of my cave, so I brought her back to my residence. I thought it wasn't appropriate for me to take care of her alone, so I asked Huoling, my niece-disciple, to help look after Jin Guang. She and Jin Guang are the closest of friends and are usually inseparable."

A look of deep thought appeared on Duobao Daoist's slightly plump face as he stood with his hands behind his back on the clouds. "This news was spread by Huanglong, our junior brother..."

"Two senior brothers," Li Changshou said with a smile, "let's go to the inner hall to talk. The Taiji Tu in the inner hall will shield our conversation so no one else can hear."

Of course, he had more to say...

But Zhao Gongming interjected, "I'll head back to my cave first and find out exactly what's going on!"

"Let's go together," Duobao Daoist said, his expression unusually serious. "Changgeng, you're full of strategies and wisdom. Would you mind coming with us? This matter may seem minor, perhaps just a joke from Huanglong, but it could easily create more rifts between Chan Jiao and our Jie Jiao. As a disciple of Ren Jiao, you're in the perfect position to mediate."

"Alright."

Li Changshou agreed readily, taking a paper effigy from his sleeve and handing it to Zhao Gongming. He said, "You two senior brothers take this paper effigy with you first. I'll make some arrangements on my end."

"Very well."

Both Gongming and Duobao nodded in agreement and immediately set off on clouds—er, hurried through the cave toward Emei Shan's Luofu Cave.

After the two great figures left, Li Changshou frowned slightly, clasped his hands behind his back, and descended from the clouds to the back hall of the Sea God Temple.

This matter was simple, yet not so simple.

'Could it be that someone saw how quickly that rumor about the Grand Mage was spreading across the Five Parts Continent and decided to use this to cause mischief?'

Li Changshou stored this paper effigy back in his underground paper effigy repository, and the one in Heaven began to bustle about, hurrying on clouds toward Doushuai Palace.

Although the information he had was limited, Li Changshou could roughly piece together a logical thread:

Huanglong Zhenren must have seen Huoling Shengmu in Luofu Cave.

The issue was whether Huanglong Zhenren had mentioned this to anyone else. If he had, even just a casual remark like 'Why is Huoling Shengmu in Luofu Cave,' then the rumor must have originated from him.

But if Huanglong Zhenren hadn't told anyone, then this matter...

It would be quite intriguing, basically confirming that someone was scheming in the shadows, and most likely from the Western side.

Better to play it safe—anything involving the Three Teachings, no matter how small, could turn into a major disaster.

Li Changshou didn't dare meddle recklessly; it would be safer to have the Grand Mage step in...

When the paper effigy arrived at Doushuai Palace, Li Changshou was about to call out for an audience, but the palace gates slowly opened a crack.

Delighted, Li Changshou picked up his duster and ascended the steps, slipping inside and heading straight to the back courtyard.

Finally, after freely entering and exiting the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, this ordinary minister of Heaven had unlocked the privilege of freely entering Doushuai Palace!

Hmm, one should always have dreams.

Li Changshou resolved that his next step would be to work toward freely entering Taizhao Guan and firmly hold onto the leg of Ren Jiao.

As he reached the back courtyard and approached the Grand Mage, Li Changshou furrowed his brow slightly...

The Grand Mage's resting place was incredibly simple.

There wasn't even a proper bed; he was just lying on a pile of grass formed from blue vegetation. How could he get good sleep like that? Could his dreams even be sweet?

"Cough, Grand Mage... Grand Mage? Senior brother?"

Li Changshou called out softly a few times, but the rhythm of Xuandu Grand Mage's snoring remained undisturbed.

This...

Li Changshou took a stool from his sleeve and sat down, then pulled out an erhu. Sitting on the stool, he played an energetic piece called "Racehorses."

"Hmm?"

The Grand Mage, who had been sound asleep, slowly opened his eyes, turned his head to look at Li Changshou sitting nearby, stretched lazily, and sat up.

"Longevity, what's going on? Has someone bullied you?"

Li Changshou put away the erhu and quickly summarized the small incident that was unfolding.

After listening, the Grand Mage smiled and said, "It might just be a misunderstanding or two. No need to be so tense."

"If this had happened before the East Sea incident, I would have thought it was just a misunderstanding," Li Changshou said. "But after that battle, I have to think more layers ahead. Based on the information I just received, Grand Mage, could you perform a divination on the name 'Dizang'? He should be a disciple of the Western Saint."

The Grand Mage said, "Is this the one related to Wen Jing..."

"Grand Mage!"

Li Changshou interrupted suddenly and made a shushing gesture.

The Grand Mage chuckled in amusement. "We're in Doushuai Palace. What is there to fear?"

With that, the Grand Mage held up a virtual shadow of the Taiji Tu in his left hand, closed his eyes, and began to calculate carefully.

Soon...

The Twelve-Grade Golden Lotus gave a warning.

But the Taiji Tu rotated slowly, and strands of yin-yang energy condensed from the air, flowing into the virtual shadow.

The Grand Mage closed his eyes, with wisps of Dao rhythm swirling around him, and after a while, he exhaled slowly:

"The Dizang you mentioned is a disciple of the Western Teachings' Jieyin Shishu. His cultivation is quite good, and it seems he just recently emerged from seclusion."

Li Changshou said, "The East Sea incident was entirely his doing."

"Oh?"

The Grand Mage raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Not bad, Longevity. It's rare for you to encounter a real opponent."

Li Changshou continued, "Grand Mage, could you divine a bit more? I want to know if Dizang has any powerful divine abilities, especially those for eavesdropping. This matter is likely that Huanglong Zhenren went to Luofu Cave to find Zhao Gongming and accidentally ran into Huoling Shengmu. They had a conversation, and someone overheard it."

The Grand Mage, not quite understanding, laughed and said, "Who could be keeping an eye on Luofu Cave all the time?"

Even so, the Grand Mage closed his eyes and continued his divination, which took some effort this time. His expression grew a bit serious...

"There's a divine beast called Ditian," the Grand Mage said. "This beast is Dizang's mount. From what the heavens reveal, it has a divine ability to hear the thoughts of all living beings in the Three Realms and discern truth from falsehood. It's not that impressive of a ability. If someone's realm is a bit higher and they take precautions by sealing their Dao heart, it won't pick up anything."

Li Changshou finally relaxed. "As long as it can be guarded against, that's good."

The Grand Mage laughed. "Are you saying Dizang is using Ditian's ability to stir things up?"

"It's still just a guess; I wouldn't dare make a definitive claim."

After thinking for a moment, Li Changshou asked, "Are there many such divine beasts in the Great Wilderness today?"

"That's hard to say," the Grand Mage replied with a smile. "Many ancient powers who have survived to this day have all sorts of suspicious abilities. As for divine beasts, during the height of the ancient demon court, there was a great demon named Baize. His heavenly destiny ability was to seek good fortune and avoid disaster. As soon as the Third Witch-Demon War began, he vanished without a trace. I've clashed with Baize a couple of times, and he always escaped in advance. Even when I just formed the intent to kill, he could sense the danger. He's a hundred times more troublesome than Ditian."

Baize from ancient times is still alive?

Li Changshou noted this in his mind and steered the conversation back to the rumor.

The Grand Mage originally didn't want to get involved over such a trivial matter,

But after hearing Li Changshou say,

"I feel that although this is small, if the Jie Jiao side goes to Yuxu Palace to confront Huanglong Zhenren, it could escalate things badly. Grand Mage, why don't you go invite Huanglong Zhenren first, and then go together to Luofu Cave? I already have an incarnation waiting there. I still need to think of a way to prevent such things from happening again."

"Very well," the Grand Mage stood up and advised, "It's best to solve it once and for all. These kinds of baseless rumors are truly annoying."

"Don't worry, Grand Mage. I have a plan in mind."

The Grand Mage nodded slightly and directly used the art of shifting the universe to leave Doushuai Palace.

Li Changshou glanced at the empty main hall of Doushuai Palace, bowed in salute, and then slipped out.

He didn't know where Xiao Jin and Xiao Yin had gone; Doushuai Palace felt unusually quiet today...

Leaving Doushuai Palace, Li Changshou headed straight to Lingxiao Treasure Hall and waited outside for a while, multitasking.

Soon, the Grand Mage arrived at Luofu Cave with Huanglong Zhenren, meeting Duobao, Gongming, Li Changshou, and the two bewildered Shengmu.

The matter of 'Zhao Gongming and Huoling Shengmu' was just a rumor, and once the parties involved met, it was naturally cleared up.

Huanglong Zhenren even voluntarily swore a great oath, declaring that he absolutely had not mentioned anything about Huoling Shengmu to anyone. The power of the Heavenly Dao verified it, putting the matter to rest.

At this point, Li Changshou finally dispelled his doubts.

This was most likely just something Dizang and Ditian did on a whim...

With the divine beast Ditian assisting, Dizang could 'catch wind and shadows,' fabricate rumors at will. It was effective and had a 'four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds' feel, but it was still a low-level tactic.

This was their weakness!

The Western Teachings started this, so that was the cause;

Then, it was only right for him to launch an appropriate counterattack as the effect.

If you sow bitter seeds, you reap bitter fruits!

With his mind set, Li Changshou stepped into Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

The Jade Emperor on the throne perked up at once, showing a faint smile.

The Jade Emperor in white robes said, "Minister Changgeng, you've been standing outside for quite a while. Is there something you're hesitant to say?"

"Your Majesty, I was indeed a bit unsure earlier about whether to ask you..."

"Ask away. I will answer all that I know!"

Li Changshou pondered for a moment and asked softly, "Your Majesty, how much of the Heavenly Dao's power can you command? To what extent?"

The Jade Emperor, not quite understanding, wondered why Li Changshou was asking this...

"Hmm..."

The Jade Emperor pondered and replied carefully, "If it's against great evildoers, or those who show disrespect to Heaven, or if fierce enemies attack Lingxiao Treasure Hall, invoking the Zixiao Divine Thunder shouldn't be a problem."

Li Changshou felt a surge of admiration in his heart.

He truly appreciated the Jade Emperor's increasingly prudent style.

Zixiao Divine Thunder... and it wouldn't be a problem...

Simply unmatched.

In Luofu Cave,

Li Changshou sat cross-legged in the corner on a meditation mat with his eyes closed, while the four great figures of the Daoist schools sat around a low table. Jin Guang Shengmu continued to lie there 'unconscious,' and Huoling Shengmu hid in the deeper stone chamber of the cave, feeling a bit guilty. Fortunately, Li Changshou had secretly transmitted a message earlier, telling them both to keep up the act.

Luofu Cave fell silent for a long time...

"Senior brother," Duobao Daoist began, "are we just going to let this matter slide?"

Xuandu Grand Mage shook his head with a smile. "Without evidence, how can we confront those scheming behind the scenes?"

"Such malice is unforgivable!" Huanglong Zhenren scolded. "Those who scheme in the shadows have unforgivable hearts!"

Zhao Gongming stroked his beard and said gravely, "This can't just pass. These rumors are already everywhere, unjustly tarnishing my niece-disciple Huoling's reputation. But as Senior brother said, we know it's the Western side stirring things up, so what can we do?"

Duobao added, "Are we supposed to swallow this grievance?"

The Grand Mage asked, "How do you plan to counter it?"

The three Daoists fell silent, each furrowing their brows in thought.

Duobao suddenly laughed. "Then let's spread rumors everywhere ourselves and pay them back double."

Zhao Gongming said, "If rumors fly all over without any basis, we'll be the ones who end up suffering."

"Everyone... senior brothers?"

Li Changshou opened his eyes in the corner, smiled calmly, straightened his Daoist robe, and slowly stood up.

"I have a plan that might work."

Their eight eyes lit up at once.

Zhao Gongming stroked his beard and smiled. "What's the plan?"

Li Changshou bowed in salute, then straightened up and said with a laugh,

"This plan is different from the usual. I call it—suppress before promoting. Since our opponents have given us this opportunity, let's make full use of it."

Duobao Daoist couldn't help but ask, "How do we use it?"

"Make it blow up big!"

Li Changshou said firmly, "Big enough to potentially alarm the Saints at any moment. Use this to make the Western side panic, and put pressure on those scheming behind the scenes, making them feel they can't handle the karma!"

The Grand Mage laughed. "Changgeng, go ahead and explain your scheme. We'll discuss it in detail."

"Yes," Li Changshou bowed again, organized his thoughts, and spoke clearly,

"This counterattack can be divided into three steps.

The first step is today.

Later, Senior brother Huanglong needs to leave here in a rage, make some noise, and go back to Yuxu Palace to complain to several Chan Jiao experts.

Then, Huoling, my niece-disciple, should put on a show—ideally, act as if she's contemplating suicide, feeling her innocence has been insulted, and spread the word about this.

This first step is called 'Huanglong Zhenren Wrongfully Accused in Luofu Cave, Huoling Shengmu Proves Her Innocence with Death.'

Remember, everyone involved in this plan must stay vigilant at all times, not giving the enemy any openings.

Since they're scheming against our Daoist schools, we'll scare them a bit, teach them a lesson, and make them realize that some despicable tactics, once used, come with endless consequences!"

The Grand Mage and Duobao Daoist brightened up, understanding Li Changshou's follow-up ideas;

Zhao Gongming and Huanglong Zhenren exchanged glances, seeing in each other's eyes that they 'didn't quite get it,' which actually made them feel a bit relieved.

They weren't alone in that.

Half an hour later,

Huanglong Zhenren left Luofu Cave with a gloomy face, flying out only a few hundred li before turning back toward Emei Shan and letting out a cold huff, then flicking his sleeve and departing!

Not long after, Huoling Shengmu emerged with red-rimmed eyes, following Duobao Daoist out of Luofu Cave, and conveniently took the 'severely injured' Jin Guang Shengmu with her.

And so, the grand play began.

Li Changshou hadn't expected that the plan he proposed would be agreed to so readily by Duobao and Huanglong Zhenren...

In that half hour, the four great Daoist figures had even exchanged notes on acting and simulated the subsequent developments, which left Li Changshou quite gratified.

One of his paper effigies was hidden in Huanglong Zhenren's sleeve, ready to secretly observe the 'trends' in Chan Jiao.

The purpose of this plan actually had five layers.

Li Changshou told the great figures about four layers and kept the last one for himself.

A gentleman avenges a wrong without delay.

Using this opportunity to strike at Dizang would lay a good foundation for his future 'self-isolation,' and also impose some constraints and rules on his schemes going forward.

Not every trick could be used carelessly.