Chapter 413: Such a Spiritual Pearl Child

Li Changshou pondered carefully for a few days and felt that Bai Ze’s theory held some truth.

The crucial point was Bai Ze's extreme confidence, and Li Changshou didn't understand the extent of Bai Ze's divine abilities, nor was it appropriate to directly inquire about his origins and background...

The debate had to continue, though; the collision of ideas couldn't stop.

For caution's sake, he needed to exhaust the remaining debate topics.

After another three months, Li Changshou finally felt somewhat at ease with Bai Ze... about ten percent.

He changed their debates from once every three days to once every half month, reducing his visits to Hei Chi Peak to avoid Ling E suspecting things she shouldn't.

Regarding the matter of Youqin Xuanya, Li Changshou roughly explained it to Bai Ze, who nodded in agreement without any hesitation.

As Bai Ze put it, since he had become the coachman of Ren Jiao, he naturally had to follow Li Changshou's orders, and besides, this could even boost his reputation.

Although Bai Ze had been living in seclusion, he still cared greatly about his reputation.

With that, Li Changshou boldly assigned the task to... Ao Yi.

Tian Ting and Long Gong secretly dispatched people to spread messages in various market towns across the Five Bu Zhou, promoting "auspicious beast Bai Ze" as the symbol of "purity and justice," while also countering the established image of the "Ten Great Yao Shuai."

Li Changshou personally painted two pictures for Bai Ze: "Bai Ze Drinking Water" and "Bai Ze Treading Waves." Bai Ze was quite surprised when he saw them.

"Poverty Daoist's true form actually looks so... pleasing to the eye?"

Li Changshou could only maintain a smile at the time, of course, without mentioning his skill in retouching with the brush tip.

What mattered was the composition and lighting effects!

Incidentally, Li Changshou and Bai Ze collaborated on their first task—tailoring a persona for Youqin Xuanya as the "Heavenly Court female war god" and designing the details of her ascension.

Youqin Xuanya, who had been in seclusion recently to break through and consolidate her cultivation, had no idea that the behind-the-scenes team pushing her to become a Hong Huang idol had doubled in size.

Next, they just had to wait for Bai Ze's reputation to gradually rise...

To give Bai Ze more exposure, aside from the two paintings that were circulated, Li Changshou was also considering finding a suitable opportunity for him to go out for a stroll.

Once that was arranged, Li Changshou took the initiative to ask about the matter concerning Lu Ya Dao Ren.

Bai Ze hesitated for a while before revealing a "major secret" to Li Changshou.

"Water God, you must not drive Lu Ya to desperation. He has a secret treasure called the Ding Tou Seven Arrows Book."

Li Changshou's heart stirred, and he smiled. "Is this treasure more powerful than his 'Baby Please Turn Around'?"

"That's right," Bai Ze said seriously, nodding slowly. "Those who know the origins of this treasure, excluding the various Sheng Ren lords, number fewer than ten beings in all of Hong Huang.

The Ding Tou Seven Arrows Book can kill a Da Luo in secret, and its refinement comes at a great cost. It's extremely vicious, harming both the user and the target.

But as long as a wisp of a Da Luo Jin Xian's Yuan Shen is bound to a straw effigy and worshipped daily, with arrows shot at it, the target will be unable to resist and will turn into blood..."

Bai Ze paused, looking at the calm smile on Li Changshou's lips. He was first stunned, then showed a look of realization.

"Has Water God already known about it?"

"How could I know such a secret?"

Li Changshou's smile gradually faded, and he said calmly, "In that case, this Lu Ya must truly be eliminated first.

Mr. Bai, since the Ding Tou Seven Arrows Book is so formidable, is there any way to evade it?"

"From what I know, there is no way to evade it, unless during the opponent's casting of the curse, you find their ritual site and destroy the straw effigy."

Bai Ze pondered for a moment and added,

"However, activating the Ding Tou Seven Arrows Book requires consuming Qi Yun and Gong De. With Water God's current accumulation of Gong De, it's uncertain whether it would even work.

In any case, Water God should be extra careful.

Moreover, though I know I shouldn't say this, Lu Ya is still considered my kin, so I'd like to plead for him."

Li Changshou thought for a moment and slowly shook his head, saying gently,

"This matter isn't up to me alone. If Lu Ya destroys the Ding Tou Seven Arrows Book and doesn't act aggressively afterward, I can, for Mr. Bai's sake, plead for him before Yu Di His Majesty and give him a way out.

But if he doesn't take that path..."

"Thank you, Water God," Bai Ze said with a bitter smile. "Lu Ya's temperament is far inferior to his father's by a hundredfold. I'm afraid he won't survive in the end."

'May it be so.'

Li Changshou replied inwardly and moved on from the topic.

Even though Bai Ze was powerful, he couldn't calculate the Feng Shen calamity, let alone Lu Ya's role in it.

Li Changshou had no certainty about whether he could take Lu Ya's life; he could only wait for opportunities and for Lu Ya to make a mistake in this "heavenly demon confrontation."

—Every move Tian Ting made against the Yao Clan carried this underlying intention.

"Mr. Bai," Li Changshou said, looking at the radiant middle-aged Daoist before him, "why don't you show off your cooking skills today? I'll invite the sect leader and an elder who has been very supportive of me to come over for drinks and chat."

Bai Ze replied joyfully, "Excellent! Poverty Daoist will make sure to impress!"

With that, he turned and strode toward the increasingly spacious kitchen, his entire auspicious beast form brimming with energy.

Li Changshou rode the clouds to Dan Ding Peak to invite Elder Wan Linjun to the banquet at Hei Chi Peak.

Now, Elder Wan Linjun was not far from his Jin Xian tribulation; in one or two hundred years, he should steadily reach it. Exposing him to the auspicious aura of the auspicious beast would be highly beneficial...

Of course, he couldn't personally invite the sect leader; on the surface, Li Changshou was just an ordinary disciple of Du Xian Men, so a transmission jade talisman was sufficient.

Half an hour later, everyone gathered on Hei Chi Peak.

Bai Ze hosted the banquet, Ling E performed music, Li Changshou and Elder Wan Linjun discussed the Dao of elixirs and poisons;

Sect Leader Ji Wuyou volunteered to help in the kitchen, wearing the apron Li Changshou had given to Bai Ze, but he was criticized by Bai Ze for being clumsy...

If the disciples of Du Xian Men saw this scene, they would likely be shocked.

And if the Yao Clan experts who were desperately searching for Bai Ze's traces saw it, who knows how many would be driven mad...

In the border mountains of Bei Ju Lu Zhou, inside a hidden palace.

Lu Ya Dao Ren paced back and forth in front of the high platform's throne; on the platform sat over a dozen renowned Yao Clan figures, most of them looking displeased.

Below the platform, several Yao Wang knelt trembling...

"Waste!"

At the end of the platform, a male Yao with a snake-like appearance scolded the young Yao Wang in a sharp, piercing voice:

"I sent you to find the source of the rumors about Bai Ze Yuan Shuai, and with tens of thousands of lesser Yao sent out, all you bring back is two words—unknown?

It seems you've all become lazy and need some discipline!"

The several Yao Wang shouted desperately, "Spare us! Ancestor, spare us!"

"The source of the rumors doesn't need much investigation," an old Yao with a goat head stroked his beard and laughed. "In my view, it's definitely someone trying to lure Bai Ze Yuan Shuai out, not that they've actually seen him."

Lu Ya frowned and sat back on the throne, waving his hand to dismiss the Yao Wang below;

The several old Yao simultaneously acted to isolate the grand hall from the outside world.

Lu Ya said gravely, "Bai Ze Yuan Shuai has likely left the Five Bu Zhou. He has no intention of meddling further; giving us one strategy was already quite generous."

"Your Highness!"

The Yao Clan notable Lu Gong sat in his chair and bowed, asking, "Last time you sought Bai Ze Yuan Shuai, he advised taking advantage of Tian Ting's weakness to demand from heaven, and then use repelling the heavenly troops as leverage to negotiate with Tian Ting...

So, did Bai Ze Yuan Shuai say how to handle the current situation?

Tian Ting isn't sending troops; instead, they're using things like the evening glow with characters to undermine our morale. We've clenched our fists but can't strike out."

"I suspect that Tian Ting's Yue Lao is up to something!"

A white bear spirit snorted, saying gruffly, "In the last half year, three couples among my grandchildren and great-grandchildren have broken up due to other Yao interfering in their marriages!

I'm baffled—how could a fox clan male Yao be interested in my great-granddaughter, who's as tall and wide as a zhang?

And he's so devoted, even to death..."

"Maybe they just hit it off."

"No, no, this is quite abnormal. Many young and even older couples have split up."

An old Yao with a crocodile head suddenly realized and burst out laughing: "Ha ha ha! As tall and wide as a zhang!"

"Hmm?" The old white bear furrowed his brow.

"Ahem, this king just remembered something amusing."

"You're clearly mocking my bear clan's appearance!"

The white bear stood up, his mountain-like form radiating surging Yao Qi!

"Today, I'll show you what real bear strength is!"

"You're the fish! Your whole family is fish! I'm sturdier than any fish; think I'm scared of you?"

"Enough!"

Lu Ya shouted lowly, and his large purple-and-white gourd appeared in his hand;

The two old Yao who were about to fight instantly quieted down, each huffing and sitting back in their seats.

Lu Ya's mouth twitched slightly as he said calmly,

"Continue sending people to investigate the source of the rumors about Bai Ze Yuan Shuai. Don't let our side fall into chaos.

We all know Tian Ting has Sheng Ren backing them. As long as we don't attack Tian Men directly, killing some heavenly troops is fine.

Everyone, in these extraordinary times, please exercise restraint and patience.

What we want is for Tian Ting to acknowledge the Yao Clan's status in Hong Huang. Fighting Tian Ting to the death would only lead to our ruin.

Also, keep recruiting marginal Yao Wang unrelated to ancient bloodlines—the more, the better. We'll use them later to appease Tian Ting's anger."

The over ten old Yao stood up together, bowed to Lu Ya, and said in unison,

"We obey!"

"Ah," Lu Ya sighed, his handsome face showing a hint of helplessness in its true form.

"If only Bai Ze Yuan Shuai could help us, what would we have to worry about...

Forget it. Bai Ze Yuan Shuai has been in retirement for years, enjoying a carefree life. He's probably wandering the clouds right now."

Lu Gong quickly said, "We will do our utmost to serve Your Highness!"

"With Lu Gong and all of you, I am greatly comforted."

Lu Ya smiled as he spoke, though he kept the earlier scolding words in mind, his eyes still betraying a trace of worry.

At the same time, on Xiao Qiong Peak.

"Mr. Bai, no more dishes! Everyone's full!"

"Ha ha ha, it's fine, it's fine. It's rare for everyone to be so happy. Let Poverty Daoist show off one more skill!"

Li Changshou shook his head at the sight.

Had Ren Jiao gained a strategist or a chef?

However, from the perspective of Ren Jiao's daily family life, a chef was indeed more useful than a strategist.

Mountain cultivation emphasized tranquility, and noise always faded back to silence; banquets eventually had to end.

Only brief separations allowed for future reunions.

Under the starry night, Sect Leader Ji Wuyou and Elder Wan Linjun left Hei Chi Peak, as did Li Changshou and Ling E, leaving only Bai Ze humming a tune and returning to his residence to read by lamplight.

Three days later, while Li Changshou was pondering profound arts on Xiao Qiong Peak, his mind was suddenly disturbed.

After a quick calculation, Li Changshou shifted his focus to the paper effigy in Tian Ting's Water God mansion. He tidied his hair and robes, held his horsetail whisk, and walked out of the study.

Outside, Bian Zhuang was holding a jade talisman and reporting with his head bowed:

"Water God, a Dao Tong from Qian Yuan Mountain has delivered this transmission talisman. It's from Chan Jiao's Twelve Golden Immortals, Taiyi Zhenren, inviting you to Qian Yuan Mountain for a drinking banquet!"

"Oh?"

Li Changshou drew the jade talisman into his hand, carefully reading its contents and sensing the lingering Dao rhyme on it.

It was indeed from that Taiyi Zhenren, who had deep insights into the Yin-Yang Dao.

Why was the great Yin-Yang master seeking him out?

Bored and wanting an argument?

Li Changshou thought for a moment and nodded. "I understand this matter. Keep it confidential."

"Yes! This subordinate will take his leave!"

Bian Zhuang saluted and turned to leave.

A flash of inspiration struck Li Changshou...

If he deliberately led a team of heavenly troops out of Tian Men in a grand display to go to Qian Yuan Mountain, it might provoke a Yao Clan attack, allowing him to rightfully charge Lu Ya and let the Chan Jiao experts strike the Yao Clan.

But as soon as the idea arose, Li Changshou considered it and immediately dismissed it.

It was a solid plan, but the heavenly troops he brought would likely suffer heavy losses, with barely one in ten surviving.

Such sacrifices weren't necessary; there were many ways to defeat the Yao Clan, and the timing wasn't ideal...

Bian Zhuang saluted and asked, "Water God? This subordinate is here. Please give your orders."

Li Changshou's thoughts raced, and he said warmly, "Vice Commander Bian, you've contributed to the Marriage Hall lately. I have a task here—do you have any interest in it?"

"Even if it means my body is shattered and I face a thousand deaths!"

"There's no need for that," Li Changshou said with a narrowed-eyed smile. "It's just about letting Vice Commander Bian show off your personal charm and put into practice the various theories you told Yue Lao before."

Bian Zhuang blinked, completely baffled.

Qian Yuan Mountain was southwest of Kunlun Mountain, not too far from it, hidden at the boundaries of several major immortal sects, embodying the essence of hiding in plain sight.

Any well-informed cultivator knew that Qian Yuan Mountain was Taiyi Zhenren's Dao field; the surrounding major sects had designated the area within hundreds of li as forbidden, and no one dared disturb it on ordinary days.

Naturally, the protective array on Qian Yuan Mountain was not something an ordinary Jin Xian could break.

A white cloud drifted down from the high sky, slowly approaching Qian Yuan Mountain, with the renowned Tian Ting Water God standing on it—a high-quality Jin Xian realm paper effigy of Li Changshou.

Since Taiyi Zhenren's invitation didn't specify that his true body was required, and Li Changshou's paper effigy was a heart-possessed incarnation, attending like this wasn't rude.

Li Changshou mainly worried that if his true body came, Taiyi Zhenren might provoke him into a fight.

It wasn't because he was afraid of death and didn't dare go out!

With Taiyi Zhenren's jade talisman in hand, Li Changshou flew to within three hundred li of Qian Yuan Mountain. The unremarkable wild mountain suddenly glowed with golden light, revealing the outline of a golden bell-shaped protective array!

The array opened a gap, and two familiar figures flew out from within, standing on the clouds to wait.

The slender Daoist in red robes on the left was naturally Taiyi Zhenren.

He had sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, a high nose bridge, and a sharply defined face that was quite handsome—among the male immortals of the three teachings, he was among the top in looks and build.

Pity he wasn't mute.

Beside Taiyi Zhenren stood Yuding Zhenren, with an ordinary face that gave off a solid and dependable vibe.

Seeing Yuding Zhenren, Li Changshou felt a bit relieved.

At least, if he fought with Taiyi today, there would be a Chan Jiao big shot to break it up.

From a distance of several hundred zhang, Li Changshou bowed, and Taiyi Zhenren and Yuding Zhenren returned the courtesy.

But as soon as Taiyi Zhenren opened his mouth, he sounded slightly disdainful:

"Heh, it seems Poverty Daoist can't compare to the senior sisters and junior sisters of Jie Jiao. If you go to San Xian Island, Water God brings your true body, but to my Qian Yuan Mountain, you just send a casual incarnation. Tsk."

Li Changshou laughed. "With the Yao Clan causing trouble and the roads unsafe, my cultivation is shallow. Without experts accompanying me, my true body wouldn't dare travel much."

"Ha ha, in the end, you're blaming me for not coming to pick you up!"

Taiyi Zhenren gestured invitingly. "Water God, please. Today, Poverty Daoist has a matter to request; let's discuss it inside."

Li Changshou exchanged a few pleasantries, then rode the clouds forward, standing obediently beside Yuding Zhenren as they entered with the two Chan Jiao experts.

The protective array closed, blocking out all the immortal senses probing the area.

As soon as they entered the array, Li Changshou's gaze was drawn to the cave dwelling on the cliff ahead.

In front of the cave, several young attendants stood in a row, holding fruits and wine.

Beside them was a "little immortal" in Dao robes with a bun hairstyle, dressed more elaborately than the attendants and positioned more prominently—she was likely Taiyi Zhenren's... dis... ci... ple?

Wait a minute!

Taiyi Zhenren's disciple—wasn't that Nezha's previous life, the Lingzhu Zi?

Although Li Changshou hadn't heard anyone mention Lingzhu Zi in Hong Huang so far, how could he not know the story of Nezha?

How could Nezha be female? Wasn't he the third son of Li Jing?

This pretty little immortal—could she be Lingzhu Zi's senior or junior sister?

Taiyi Zhenren descended on his cloud and said in a very gentle tone,

"Dear disciple, why haven't you paid your respects?

This is the Ren Jiao Changgeng immortal, the Tian Ting Water God—the great immortal here today to treat your illness."

The "little immortal" held her breath, her small hands clutching her robe, her big eyes fluttering as she pursed her lips to gather courage, then whispered,

"Disciple Lingzhu Zi... pays... respects... to... Changgeng... Master Uncle..."

Li Changshou's head was filled with question marks; if not for his good hearing, he really wouldn't have caught those mosquito-like words.

Then, she added softly, "Master, disciple isn't ill."

"No illness, and you're speaking so quietly?" Taiyi Zhenren said warmly. "Show some manly immortal demeanor for your master and master uncle to see!"

"Yes."

Lingzhu Zi responded, took a deep breath, planted her feet in a horse stance, clenched her fists, and punched forward, sending waves of air rippling from her fist!

She then added in a childish voice,

"Ha!"

Li Changshou: ...

Yuding Zhenren beside her silently raised his hands and clapped twice, forcing a awkward smile at Lingzhu Zi as he said gravely, "Good."

"Ah~"

Lingzhu Zi covered her face with both hands and turned to run back into the cave, kicking up a trail of dust and shouting,

"Yuding Master Uncle, you're annoying... Master, Lingzhu really isn't ill!"

Li Changshou's eyes went blank.

What the hell... this Three Altars Sea Meeting Great God, the future Tian Ting general...

Taiyi Zhenren beside him couldn't help but sigh to the sky:

"What sin have I committed!

Changgeng, help Poverty Daoist out. Think of a way to make him more masculine; otherwise, I really don't know how to report back to my teacher."

...