Chapter 604: Xiao Zhong Ah, The Person Is Good

"Wow..."

"Hmm..."

On Sanxian Island, Qiongxiao and Bixiao looked up at the jade statue erected on the mountaintop, protected by their elder sister's array formation, and expressed various admirations.

Bixiao tilted her head. "But why did brother-in-law send a gift like this—a statue of a deity—to big sister?"

"That's right. Normally, if it's a gift of this type, it should be his own statue. Giving sister her own statue— what does that even mean?"

Qiongxiao muttered a few words, and the two young women, one older and one younger, stood in the mountains, gazing into the distance.

Bixiao blinked. "Should we sneak over and take a look?"

"Forget it. It's not meant for us anyway."

Qiongxiao stretched lazily. "More than that, I'm curious about what brother-in-law does in Tian Court most of the time. Creating something like this statue must have taken quite some years."

A hint of longing appeared on Bixiao's young face as she whispered, "They say that after going to Tian Court, you can increase your cultivation without practicing, and all insights come from the Heavenly Dao. Every day, it's just on duty handling minor tasks, then drinking, chatting, and discussing Dao companions—it's so carefree."

"That's just Tian Court's propaganda to attract people. It might even be something brother-in-law came up with to fool someone like you!"

Qiongxiao snorted. "Going to Tian Court means being restricted and having to follow orders from those of higher rank. Isn't it more carefree to cultivate on our island?"

"But you can't find a Dao companion there," Bixiao said, her eyes filled with a touch of expectation.

Qiongxiao smirked, her figure shifting as immortal light swirled and a light mist enveloped her. She transformed into a dashing young gentleman, still bearing her own features but now ambiguously gendered.

"How about it? Want to talk with your third brother?"

Bixiao: ...

Her eyes widened in alarm, and she was speechless.

In the pavilion behind the jade statue, which was a specialized magical treasure for the Fengshen Killing Tribulation.

Li Changshou stood at a desk, brush in hand, sketching the seated immortal maiden before him.

Yunxiao reclined slightly on the bed, her eyes lowered and lips gently pursed, holding a plum blossom in her fingertips. Her right foot peeked out from her skirt, and she sat there like a living painting, perfect for capturing in a shadow orb.

Once the painting was complete, Li Changshou set down his brush, and Yunxiao let out a soft breath, resuming her upright posture.

This scene of one person and one painting evoked a sense of mutual contentment and endless fascination.

Li Changshou asked casually, "Yun, how has Jie Jiao been lately?"

"It's been peaceful," Yunxiao replied. "Our master has given strict orders for all disciples to avoid causing trouble outside and to stay in their own caves or Dao fields for cultivation. It's been several centuries now, with talk of a great tribulation approaching, but there's been no sign of it. Many disciples have grown restless and are starting to think about going out."

"They're still lacking in mental and cultivation maturity."

Li Changshou chuckled, pondering briefly in his heart, but he couldn't reveal the details of the Fengshen events to Yunxiao.

He couldn't just say that the Fengshen Killing Tribulation would arrive in another three or four centuries, involving the succession of the mortal human emperor, and that the three teachings, now entangled in karmic fate, would all enter the tribulation.

This was the Great Desolation, similar yet not identical to the various mythological stories he knew.

Moreover, the Fengshen events had already changed so much that what would happen next and how it would begin were all unknowns.

Perhaps the Western Cult might even start preaching in the Eastern Lands of Great Shang ahead of time...

As he thought, Li Changshou said, "What the Heavenly Dao reveals is ultimately related to the human race, and Nanzhanbuzhou is of paramount importance."

Yunxiao said, "Senior Sister Jinling mentioned sending people to investigate the preferences of the human emperors in Huoyun Cave and to send them some gifts."

Li Changshou pondered for a moment and recalled something.

Bo Jian, a great general under Xuanyuan Huangdi, chosen by the Heavenly Dao, was the first name on the Fengshen List and designated as its guardian during the Fengshen Killing Tribulation.

After the tribulation fully started, Tian Court would need to build a Fengshen Platform, and Bo Jian would have to go there.

At the moment, he was still suppressing a harsh, frigid region where the North Sea meets the East Sea.

To play it safe, as the primary instigator of this tribulation, even though it wasn't yet time for Bo Jian to appear, Li Changshou should prepare some gifts, visit him, and build a good relationship in advance.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Matters related to the Fengshen," Li Changshou said with a smile. "Yun, why don't we go visit the various Jie Jiao Dao fields and take a tour?"

"Is that appropriate?" Yunxiao frowned slightly. "If you show up, they might say you're favoring Jie Jiao, which could bring you trouble."

Li Changshou said seriously, "Public and private matters are distinct; that's my principle. Having a personal bias because of you is already well-known, so hiding it would only invite ridicule. Besides, I'm going to scout potential candidates for Tian Court's official gods. If they get involved in the tribulation later, I can use the Fengshen List to select elite soldiers and generals for Tian Court."

Yunxiao smiled lightly with a hint of playful reproach. "Star Lord, your tongue is as sharp as ever—no one can outtalk you."

Li Changshou immediately straightened up, adopting the air of a typical Tian Court official with a touch of arrogance.

With that, the two left the jade statue behind and secretly departed from Sanxian Island, first heading toward Biyou Palace.

The Fengshen Killing Tribulation was approaching in the blink of an eye, and Li Changshou often felt as though time slipped away unnoticed—a single moment of deep thought or distraction could pass in months.

Looking back, the gathering of the six saints in Zixiao Palace that ended unharmoniously seemed like just one or two months ago.

Now, if he undertook another major project, time would essentially run out.

It was time for some minor arrangements.

When they arrived at Biyou Palace, Yunxiao and Li Changshou naturally drew curious glances from many Jie Jiao direct disciples. Several holy mothers came forward to greet them, and a few male immortals exchanged pleasantries, but there was no sign of the saint or Daoist Duobao.

Two of Lord Tongtian’s attendant immortals arrived and explained to Li Changshou that their saintly master had gone to the Chaos Sea to track a certain treasure, and they would notify him if there was any news.

A weight lifted slightly from Li Changshou's heart.

The matter of lending the Kunpeng ship, as promised to Lord Tongtian, could now be fulfilled as agreed, avoiding any unnecessary debt to Jie Jiao.

As for whether they could catch up to or obtain that treasure, Li Changshou didn't dare to guarantee.

As always, he would handle it with caution and do his best.

After some chatting and laughter among the immortals, it attracted quite a few younger disciples peeking from outside the hall.

In the conversation, Li Changshou casually asked, "I heard from Brother Gongming that Senior Sister Jinling recently took on a new disciple. I wonder who it is?"

In the hall, a fierce-looking but kindly-eyed middle-aged Daoist spoke up: "Uncle Changgeng, are you referring to Junior Brother Wen Zhong?"

This Daoist was naturally Yu Yuan, the renowned disciple of Holy Mother Jinling, whose skills rivaled the experts among Jie Jiao's second-generation disciples and made him outstanding among the third-generation.

Li Changshou smiled. "That seems to be the Dao title."

Yu Yuan quickly said, "That's actually Junior Brother Wen Zhong's real name, not his Dao title."

A second-generation male immortal laughed. "Yu Yuan, if Uncle Changgeng says it's a Dao title, then it is. Where is Junior Nephew Wen Zhong? Why not invite him over?"

"I'll go call him right away," Yu Yuan said with a smile, but as he turned, he added, "A Dao title and a personal name are still different, though."

"Alright, alright, we get it," the male immortal replied, looking helpless.

Li Changshou smiled slightly and watched Yu Yuan leave.

During the last attack on Duxian Gate, Yu Yuan and his disciple Yu Hua had taken the blame for the Blood Transformation God Knife incident on behalf of Jie Jiao. Their loyalty to the sect was unquestionable, and they were also notable figures on the Fengshen List.

But the famous Grand Tutor Wen made Li Changshou even more eager.

Soon, Yu Hua led a young Daoist over on clouds from a corner of Biyou Palace.

This Daoist had a naturally imposing face, a full forehead with a vertical eye, short brows, large eyes, a straight nose, bright and piercing gaze, and a sturdy build, giving him the aura of a born divine general.

Li Changshou examined him carefully with his immortal sense and found that Wen Zhong's vertical eye was an innate divine ability, not something like Yang Jian's, derived from Ancestral Witch blood.

The human race wasn't entirely without bloodline powers. The original batch created by Nüwa had exceptional talents, innate strength, and some divine abilities granted by Nüwa herself—like his own Grand Mage.

But in modern times, such bloodline awakeners among humans were extremely rare, making Wen Zhong truly a natural talent.

Li Changshou and Yunxiao sat at the inner side of the grand hall. Wen Zhong, led by Yu Hua, entered and bowed in salute before Li Changshou.

Wen Zhong seemed a bit nervous; he glanced up at the legendary man, then quickly lowered his head and stayed silent.

This was the Tian Court official god who could stir the Great Desolation and face the six saints...

So young?

"Not bad, not bad," Li Changshou nodded with a smile and said warmly, "Nephew Wen Zhong has exceptional talent. Having achieved such cultivation shortly after joining, he will surely become a great figure in the future. Here, a small gift—please accept it, nephew."

As he spoke, Li Changshou took out two treasure pouches from his sleeve, containing spiritual elixirs and wondrous medicines, all crafted by him, a minor Ren Sect alchemy master.

As a high-ranking Tian Court minister and one of the top three in Ren Sect for alchemy, his gifts were naturally of high quality.

Many Jie Jiao disciples around showed envy. After receiving the pouches, Wen Zhong's Dao heart wavered slightly.

He was a little excited.

Clearly, Li Changshou had become a major figure in others' eyes, where a single word of praise or gesture of goodwill could affect a great sect's disciples.

"Thank you, Uncle Changgeng," Wen Zhong bowed again. "This disciple will strive to cultivate and contribute to Jie Jiao's prosperity."

Li Changshou nodded with a smile, but in his heart, he thought privately: 'You don't need to exert much effort at all. Just make sure that during the Fengshen Killing Tribulation later, you don't find any extraordinary experts to bolster your side and stay away from places like Jin'ao Island. Maybe the tribulation's course would even be disrupted.'

Of course, he only thought this and didn't say it aloud.

Everything followed the Heavenly Dao's script, and Li Changshou could only make minor adjustments.

Since he couldn't favor Senior Sister Jinling's disciple over others, he immediately took another treasure pouch from his sleeve and handed it to Yu Hua, offering a few words of encouragement.

Though Li Changshou was only a fraction of Yu Hua's age, he had to act the part of the elder, solemnly advising Yu Hua to continue his cultivation.

Yu Hua was one who dared to speak and listen, his eyes full of emotion.

This made Yunxiao beside him nearly burst out laughing several times.

Li Changshou accompanied Yunxiao in visiting the notable Jie Jiao Dao fields, both openly and in secret—from Biyou Palace to Jin'ao Island, then to Jiulong Island, Penglai Island, Yingzhou Island, and more.

They wandered leisurely, lingering at beautiful scenic spots for a while, spending most of their time that way.

After a few days together, when Li Changshou expressed his intent to leave, Yunxiao showed rare reluctance.

The two exchanged a few words of caution, bowed in salute, and though they didn't make any overly intimate gestures, it felt as if their spirits had briefly drawn very close.

Generally, for cultivators in a relationship, it was quite different from mortals.

Especially when it was serious.

As Li Changshou traveled back to Tian Court on the clouds, he concealed his figure and used the technique of his paper Daoist containing his true self. After some thought, he decided not to visit Bo Jian privately.

To be prudent, he would return to Tian Court first and discuss it with His Majesty the Jade Emperor. He could say it was at the request of Senior Xuanyuan Huangdi, and the Jade Emperor likely wouldn't refuse—perhaps even sending an incarnation along.

Having met Wen Zhong today, Li Changshou couldn't help but think of Li Jing, whom he had left at Duxian Gate.

These two had many similarities: one would become the grand tutor of Great Shang, the other the commander of Chentang Pass—like a regional governor.

But they chose different paths.

Wen Zhong would support Great Shang's state, rushing east and west, conquering south and north, only to meet a tragic end in the campaign against Western Qi.

Li Jing was more pragmatic; with Nezha ordered to aid the Zhou state, Li Jing later sided with Zhou, securing a high position on the Fengshen List and enjoying smooth sailing after entering Tian Court.

Li Changshou wasn't judging; he simply admired Wen Zhong more.

Now, both Li Jing and Wen Zhong were his juniors, so it wouldn't be appropriate to favor one.

The Fengshen Killing Tribulation, the Fengshen Killing Tribulation...

Li Changshou pondered carefully what arrangements he could still make and what effects they might have.

Invisibly, he was now engaging in a contest with the Heavenly Dao and the Dao Ancestor, but not for opposition or personal gain.

More precisely, it was to optimize the tribulation.

Later, he would send paper Daoists to wander around and seek out those "extraordinary individuals" who would later appear in the Shang state, checking their origins.

If there were opportunities for scheming that could benefit his future plans, Li Changshou wouldn't let them slip.

As he flew toward the East Heaven Gate, Li Changshou revealed his disguised false identity and was about to pass through the gate when his immortal sense twitched slightly, and his sharp ears picked up a conversation among the heavenly generals through his ever-active, all-around Wind Whisper Spell...

" No one can identify the origin of that immortal mountain in Dongsheng Divine Continent. Many immortal sects have checked it out and think it's a great blessed land, but it's been occupied by those demon clans driven to the East Continent."

"Those demons who call themselves benevolent—who knows if they're really good-natured."

"The Star Lord's strategy is to divide and conquer; otherwise, our losses in purging the demons of Beiju Luzhou would have been even greater. Recruiting some demon clans makes sense. But demons are demons—how could they truly be benevolent?"

"If that immortal mountain blessed land is really secured by the demon clans, it would be such a waste of a prime cultivation spot..."

An immortal mountain?

Li Changshou felt a vague sense of connection, as if it held some destiny for him.

What was this about?

Karmic influence at play?

Li Changshou instantly activated his Empty Bright Dao Heart for careful consideration, while pretending nothing was amiss as he headed toward the gate.

A contingent of paper Daoist troops near Duxian Gate had already set off toward the edges of Dongsheng Divine Continent.

Could it be Flower Fruit Mountain, which he'd secretly searched for so long without a trace?

A small spark of anticipation rose in Li Changshou's heart. His true body returned smoothly to Taibai Palace, and he dove back into Xiaoqiong Peak, controlling the paper Daoists to scan the areas with his immortal sense.

However, just as he located the cloud-wreathed, spiritually rich seaside immortal mountain by following the demon aura,

Longji hurried over on clouds, landing in front of Taibai Hall and rushing inside.

"Teacher! You need to go quickly! General Bian Zhuang has barged into the Moon Palace and is about to be beaten to death by the moon fairies!"

Li Changshou: ...

Why did he feel no surprise upon hearing this news? Not even a ripple in his heart.

But the Fengshen Killing Tribulation hadn't even started, and the Journey to the West tribulation was already making an appearance?

That didn't make sense.

The mortals hadn't yet severed the connection between heaven and earth, Great Shang was still thriving, and the Great Tang was at least two or three thousand years away. Even in the Great Desolation's timeline, a gap of ten or eight thousand years between tribulations was acceptable to Li Changshou.

This probably wasn't the "molesting the moon fairy" incident that would get Bian Zhuang demoted.

Besides, Bian Zhuang's skills were far from ready—he hadn't even mastered a single one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations—so it wasn't time for that.

The paper Daoists in Dongsheng Divine Continent paused and hid in place for now.

In Taibai Palace, the old immortal in the paper Daoist's skin emerged with a faint smile and said calmly to Longji, "Don't rush, take your time. General Bian Zhuang is the deputy commander of the Tian River and one of my key aides. The moon fairies are also under my jurisdiction, so they shouldn't beat him to death."