Chapter 379: The Jade Emperor's Troubles

Fortunately, things hadn't developed in that indescribable direction.

The bloodstains were wiped clean, and Qi Yuan, the old Daoist, quickly regained his composure. He stood up and stepped back, deliberately creating some distance.

Otherwise, Li Changshou would have had to toss over a beginner's version of the "Mei Lao" illustrations.

"Daoist priest," Xiao Lan, the fox girl, called out tentatively, a hint of unease in her voice.

Qi Yuan hurriedly said, "Fellow Daoist, please maintain this distance from me! I lost my composure just now, and I hope you won't hold it against me. This place is Taiqing Xuan Sect, a wondrous gate of the Dao... Fellow Daoist, you should put on all your clothes to avoid stirring up any improper thoughts."

"Yes, Daoist priest," Xiao Lan replied softly, retrieving a long robe from her bracelet.

She had intended to carefully fold and store the gauze skirt, but as soon as she moved, the bloodstains on it suddenly burst into icy blue flames.

With a whooshing sound of fire, the skirt turned to ashes in an instant.

Xiao Lan remained completely unharmed, not even feeling the slightest heat from the flames, leaving her somewhat at a loss.

Qi Yuan, having heard Li Changshou's voice transmission, spoke up: "Fellow Daoist, why not come with me? I've already instructed my disciple to prepare tea, and we can discuss everything."

With that, Qi Yuan turned and led the way forward, partially dispelling the linked trapping arrays in the forest, allowing them to reach the open-air tea pavilion without any obstacles.

—Earlier, when Li Changshou had remodeled Xiaoqiong Peak, he had preserved as much of the setups used for outsiders as possible.

Subsequently, Li Changshou dispatched a paper Daoist, transformed into his own likeness, to deliver some calming and soothing spiritual tea.

After the earlier fingertip touch with the Daoist in her dream, Xiao Lan seemed to have become much more shy.

As she conversed with Qi Yuan across the wooden table, her eyes were full of tender affection, and her lips were quick with praise.

Fortunately, when Li Changshou had previously impersonated his master, he had not only mimicked the form but also the essence, and he had promptly informed his master of what had transpired.

As long as Qi Yuan didn't get drunk, he wouldn't make any major mistakes—at least, Xiao Lan couldn't tell the difference at all.

Once Xiao Lan put on the long robe, it mostly concealed her alluring charm.

When she sat quietly, restraining her aura, she didn't even seem like a demon race woman.

Outside the array, the onlookers had moved to a nearby stream, setting up a simple floating cup banquet. They sipped wine and tea while chatting and laughing.

Jiu Wu remarked, "What do you all think—will there be a result between Qi Yuan, my junior brother, and this fox race fellow Daoist? I'll go first... I don't think this marriage will work out."

"I don't think so either," Ling E said. "Never mind what this fox girl is like or what the demon race is like—just based on the matter itself, from what I know of my master, even if he were truly moved, he wouldn't agree."

"I think it's quite nice," Jiu Jiu said, looking puzzled. "Doesn't the Wuwei Scripture say that we shouldn't force things or go against them? And the Qingqiu clan isn't said to have received praise from that water god in Heaven, with a relatively pure lineage."

Li Changshou thought: When had he ever helped affirm the demon race's lineage!

Jiu Yushi broke her usual silence and whispered, "Why should love be judged by lineage?"

Jiu Shi said, "But in the end, our Duxian Sect was just attacked by the demon race, and the demon race harbors deep resentment toward Renjiao. If this got out, it wouldn't be appropriate."

Everyone shared their opinions, and Li Changshou listened quietly from the side. When it seemed like they were about to argue, he smiled and changed the topic.

No one was better at diverting attention than Shou.

"In my view, my master probably won't hold out for three shichen. Regardless, this fellow Daoist is a guest of our Duxian Sect, so we'll invite her out later and treat her well, as a gesture of hospitality."

Everyone agreed it was a good idea.

At that moment, Jiu Jiu, Xiong Lingli, and Jiang Lin'er excitedly went to check which spirit beasts had fallen into depression today.

Ling E used two old-version paper Daoists to play a qin and xiao duet.

Jiu Shi and Jiu Yushi made the floating cup setup even more elegant, while Li Changshou and Jiu Wu chatted and laughed as they arranged the low tables and prepared fine wine.

As the aroma of meat filled the forest and half a cup of immortal brew passed their lips;

Qi Yuan emerged from the woods as if drawn by the scent, and Xiao Lan, seeing the lively scene, felt a bit uneasy and stayed slightly behind Qi Yuan.

This fox girl now seemed less urgent and bold than before, and more gentle and serene.

With Jiang Lin'er, who had wandered the outside world for over a thousand years as Qi Yuan's master, present, the atmosphere wouldn't turn awkward.

Soon, Qi Yuan sat with Jiu Wu, while Xiao Lan was received by the poised and dignified Jiu Shi. With a few casual pleasantries from Jiang Lin'er, the highest in seniority, the music in the forest gradually became lively and joyful.

With fine wine and delicacies floating by on the stream, and immortals around chatting with Dao insights,

Someone invited Xiao Lan to dance, and though her face flushed red and she initially wanted to refuse, thinking that the three shichen were almost up, she gently nodded in agreement...

Thus, amid the evening sunset, the charming fox girl danced gracefully to the music, captivating most of the figures by the forest stream.

While focusing on controlling the paper Daoists to play music, Ling E glanced up at her senior brother sitting nearby and smiled softly.

Qi Yuan stroked his beard repeatedly, his eyes showing a hint of helplessness and regret, his gaze occasionally drifting toward Jiu Yushi not far away.

Jiu Yushi was leaning against a large gourd that Jiu Jiu had enlarged, holding a wine cup in her hand, her cheeks flushed with a red haze. She had just recklessly challenged the wine immortal beside her and was already overwhelmed before he even got started.

Jiu Jiu, however, was completely at ease, lounging on the slender waist of the large gourd, imagining herself as a sun-dried salted fish. She enjoyed the singing and dancing while holding two bottles of differently flavored immortal brews, taking a sip from the left and a nip from the right...

Li Changshou was even more impressive.

Seizing this idle moment, he kept only a thread of his mind here and had long returned to his main body to conduct his routine inspection of the various paper Daoist storages.

Gazing out over the East Sea toward the Crystal Palace, it was already a scene of song and dance;

Without even using his immortal sense, Li Changshou could imagine the tedious sight of the old Dragon King reclining on his coral throne, with several gentle sea nymphs massaging his legs and shoulders.

Shifting his mind to the West Sea, he used a paper Daoist to observe the reconstruction of the West Sea Dragon Palace.

After all, it was a dragon palace, and it would take at least a century to restore it fully.

Li Changshou felt a bit embarrassed—back then, to maximize damage to the rebel forces, he had spared no expense, using a "Jin Xian realm golden core" as the core for a Earthly Fiend Spirit Explosion Array...

The results were evident: the dragon palace was utterly destroyed on the spot.

However, the over a hundred loyal and honest old dragons in the West Sea Dragon Palace had emerged unharmed, so that balanced out the merits and demerits.

The paper Daoist hidden underwater turned its head, looking toward the Xiniu He Continent.

Through the seawater, Li Changshou seemed to see the crippled golden cicada sphere, the young Daoist on the back of the "green-furred great dog" looking dejected, the thousands-of-zhang-tall Saint dharma form condensed from clouds, and...

A mass of mist like sprawling colorful clouds.

Jieyin Saint.

With this Saint not showing himself, the Western Cult remained unfathomable.

He was a formidable figure who had become a Saint by making a great vow.

If the internal conflicts among the Three Teachings of Daoism were inevitable, leading to a war between Chan Jiao and Jie Jiao, and with Nüwa Saint staying out of the great teachings' disputes... cough, not getting involved, the Western Cult indeed had the power to shake the foundations of Daoism.

Saints and great teachings;

The world and its greater trends.

At this point, Li Changshou had climbed halfway up the mountain and seen some scenery, but looking upward, he still only saw mist.

The mountain was high, the waters distant, and the Dao path long and obstacle-filled.

His mind quietly shifted again;

He went to the South Sea to observe the sea eye and listen to the music from the South Sea Dragon Palace, quickly scanning the territories under the Sea God Cult.

Night was falling, and most Sea God temples had begun to close, but the markets around them were bustling, especially lively as the lights first lit up.

Unlike many immortals, Li Changshou didn't envy the lives of mortals, as he had experienced them himself.

Mortals were mostly weak, at the mercy of heaven and fate, with only a few decades of life filled with various hardships. Though their weakness made life seem more fulfilling, since he had emerged from that, he wouldn't look back.

Heading north, Li Changshou didn't forget to check the North Sea sea eye, then shifted his mind to the coast near the North Continent.

With his immortal sense, he saw a group of Wu clan members gathered in the forest, dancing around a fire and shouting, celebrating the birth of several new Wu clan members.

From the looks of it, tonight would surely see many pure-hearted male Wu clan members getting their heads bashed...

Such a simple and straightforward folk custom.

However, due to the ten thousand years the Wu clan had missed earlier, their population would likely decrease in the future.

Ten thousand years...

This timescale, which he hadn't dared to fathom in his previous life, now felt like mere moments in the Great Desolation.

Li Changshou watched this group of Wu clan members from afar for a while, and upon hearing the music in his ears change, he withdrew his mind and returned to Xiaoqiong Peak.

After a quick check of the situation within tens of thousands of li around Duxian Sect, his routine inspection every three days came to an end.

Another peaceful and reassuring day for Shou.

However, just as Li Changshou was about to enjoy the fox girl's dance, a summons from the Water God Mansion in Heaven suddenly echoed in his heart.

A heavenly general reported that the Jade Emperor was summoning him to the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

Li Changshou was a bit puzzled and carefully reviewed the sequence of events. At this time, Heaven should be steadily recruiting and expanding, with no major issues arising.

Was His Majesty just bored and planning another move against Lu Ya Daoist?

That fellow Lu Ya had been injured by the spirit explosion last time and was likely hiding somewhere. With the remaining foundations of the demon race, finding the elusive Demon Prince wouldn't be easy.

Unless the Jade Emperor used the power of the Heavenly Dao to calculate it himself.

Li Changshou also wanted to eliminate this threat quickly, but Lu Ya might have already been favored by the Heavenly Dao to stir up chaos in the great calamity, making it extremely difficult to get rid of him.

"No point overthinking it; I'll go see His Majesty first."

Incidentally, Li Changshou had a small expectation...

The Jade Emperor's second incarnation, Zhao Dezhu, had already appeared in the Yao Rising Mountain battle, so it clearly couldn't be used again afterward.

From Hua Ritian to Zhao Dezhu, Li Changshou had no idea what name the Jade Emperor would come up with next.

Even if it were something like Qin Tianzhu, it wouldn't be that surprising.

Selecting a paper Daoist with abundant immortal power as the Water God, Li Changshou rode a cloud out of the Water God Mansion and flew toward the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

Along the way, the immortals he encountered all bowed in Dao salute, and the heavenly soldiers saluted with fists clasped. Li Changshou responded with a smiling nod, neither getting too familiar nor flaunting his status.

He rode the cloud straight to the gates of the Lingxiao Hall and walked briskly inside.

He had to put on the proper appearance.

On the high platform's throne, the white-clad youth, who had been looking gloomy, brightened up at the sight of Li Changshou and set aside the "prop" in his hand.

"Your Majesty, this humble god has arrived late; please forgive me."

"No matter, no matter. Changgeng, you have so many duties, and I am well aware," the Jade Emperor said, getting straight to the point. "It's like this: Recently, as I observed the stars at night, I had a sudden insight and realized a opportunity to perfect my own Dao. Since you, my dear minister, come from Renjiao and are a master of cultivation, could you perhaps advise me on this?"

Li Changshou replied with a smile, "Your Majesty, my cultivation is nothing compared to yours. Your Dao is so profound that with a single glance, you could injure that golden cicada, while I exhausted all my schemes just to wound it heavily. Instead, it is I who should seek your guidance on cultivation matters."

"Ha ha ha," the white-clad Jade Emperor waved his hand and laughed. "Let's not dwell on that. It's like this... As the Heavenly Emperor, I govern the Three Realms, but ever since I left Zixiao Palace, I entered Heaven directly, so my understanding of the world isn't very deep. I've walked among mortals in incarnations countless times before, but it was always like a fleeting tour, just for show. Lately, I've felt that if I could use the underworld's Wheel of Reincarnation to temporarily block my memories and memories, and go experience mortal life, sensing the world and connecting with living beings, it might be greatly beneficial."

Your Majesty wants to descend to the mortal world for some life experience?

Is this about bringing "Yang Jian's mother" to Heaven?

The Fengshen great calamity is indeed drawing near!

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, constantly thinking it through.

At this point, he could only pretend not to know and consider the issue from the perspective of an ordinary heavenly official, while also trying to see if he could interfere with the Heavenly Dao's plot.

So, Li Changshou looked up and said:

"Your Majesty, you are the pillar of Heaven and the supreme ruler of the Three Realms—how can you take such risks so lightly? If Heaven's forces were strong, that would be one thing, but now Heaven is just getting on track. If you reincarnate and block your memories, and something happens to you or Heaven, what then? Your Majesty, please think this through carefully."

"Well..."

The white-clad Jade Emperor pondered for a moment, then raised his hand and gently pointed. The Lingxiao Treasure Hall was instantly enveloped in golden light.

The Jade Emperor beckoned, and Li Changshou understood, stepping forward a few paces. The Jade Emperor on the high platform also came out from behind the jade desk, quickly descending and pulling Li Changshou to sit on the old steps.

"Changgeng, I'm worrying about this very thing, which is why I called you for advice. Do you think there's any way I can go down without worrying about being ambushed, while still getting out and about?"

Li Changshou frowned and said, "Your Majesty, if I help you with this, what if the Old Lord blames me later..."

"How could the Old Lord blame you? You won't tell, I won't tell—what's a few decades of mortal life anyway?"

"So, you're really set on going down just to play around? Uh, this humble god misspoke."

"Ah, it's fine, it's fine," the Jade Emperor sighed slowly and said, "Changgeng, this matter is actually crucial for me. You know, day in and day out, year after year, facing the same person—even if she's incredibly beautiful—it starts to feel uneventful. I'm afraid it might affect my feelings for my junior sister, so I want to go down and see more of the mortal women. When I return, I'll surely be even more devoted to her..."

Li Changshou's forehead was instantly covered in question marks.

Your Majesty's logic is clearly off—it's starting to sound like...

Sigh, married too long, grown weary, wanting to experience something new to inject some fresh excitement into the marriage.

Heavenly Dao, you have to believe me—any temporary romantic entanglements or ordinary beauties down there are far inferior to what's at home...

Oh well, better come up with a safe plan to ensure His Majesty stays out of trouble.

People of Renjiao say it best.