Chapter 62: Being the First Disciple of Human Teachings is Truly Difficult

Ah, serving in the Heavenly Court is truly too difficult.

In the Yue Lao Hall, a slender elderly man dressed in a bright red wedding robe sat in his armchair, sipping tea brought by his young attendants and wiping the sweat from his forehead.

He had just managed to send away a Tian Jiang who insisted on asking him to arrange a match with a fairy from Yao Chi.

Could such a connection be made casually?

Even as Yue Lao, he couldn't arbitrarily alter someone's fate.

Though there were indeed some under-the-table methods, it all depended on who was involved in the match.

Yue Lao had to exert a great deal of effort to brush off that Tian Jiang, leaving him drenched in sweat.

He had to refuse without offending the other party or upsetting the one being pursued...

This job as Yue Lao was genuinely too challenging.

Most marriages formed naturally, while a small portion were bestowed by heaven.

As Yue Lao, he did have some authority to make changes, but that golden scissors and those red strings were treasures of heavenly merit and could not be used recklessly.

Even for a pair of mortals, mishandling it would not only damage his hard-earned merit but also invite punishment from the diligent and energetic Yu Di.

What were naturally formed marriages?

In the rear hall, there was a vast and mysterious space, filled with countless small clay figures corresponding to all beings in the world who needed to marry, based on the three realms of heaven, earth, and humanity.

Marriage was the foundation of rites and the basis of order.

These clay figures mostly represented humans, along with a few disciplined Yao tribes or Wu tribes.

When these beings interacted in the mortal world, their corresponding clay figures would draw closer, each producing red strings of fate that intertwined, thus forming a marriage.

Love that grew over time meant the red strings slowly swayed and entangled.

Love at first sight meant they touched lightly and the strings connected.

Occasionally, if a clay figure drifted in the wrong direction and its string tangled with another's marriage string, that would naturally lead to infidelity.

What were heaven-bestowed marriages?

When a being was born, the space would sense it and create a clay figure, which would immediately entwine with its destined partner's string—that was a heaven-bestowed marriage.

Beyond that, some clay figures were naturally "free-spirited," breaking free from their strings and flying around with half a string trailing behind.

If they encountered others in the same situation, the strings might connect in a flash of passion, or snap quickly for a fleeting affair.

The request from that Tian Jiang wasn't actually hard for Yue Lao to fulfill.

He only needed to tie that Tian Jiang's string directly to the fairy, and it would generally form a marriage without much karmic backlash.

But Yue Lao had to consider the fairy's background from Yao Chi.

Hundreds of years ago, Wangmu Niangniang had already sent someone to reprimand him, so now he absolutely dared not do anything improper with the fairies of Yao Chi...

Yue Lao was originally just an ordinary Tianxian cultivator, but he was among the first to join the new Heavenly Court. With a pure background and diligent work, he was granted the position of Yue Lao by Yu Di ten thousand years ago.

After serving for over ten thousand years, Yue Lao had come to appreciate the many benefits of this immortal role, so he worked tirelessly without any negligence.

However, the problem was that more and more immortals and gods in the Heavenly Court had learned the secrets of the red strings and knew that as Yue Lao, he could alter them.

His small Marriage Hall now had people sneaking in every few days...

Some were colleagues he couldn't refuse outright.

Others tried to bribe him for marriages, but Yue Lao accepted none—what gift could compare to the merit rewards from serving in the Heavenly Court?

But there was another type he couldn't and didn't dare refuse: those with immense power and unassailable backgrounds, where his divine role seemed insignificant, like mere...

"Shifu!"

From outside the hall, two young attendants with sheep-horn braids and festive outfits rushed in, shouting:

"The Great Mage is here! He's almost at the hall!"

Yue Lao perked up and quickly stood, hurrying toward the front of the hall to greet him.

This Great Mage was an extraordinary figure—the only direct disciple of Taiqing Shengren, the leader of Renjiao, with unfathomable cultivation and the backing of Taiqing Laozi himself.

Since Laozi was the eldest among the Sanqing, this Great Mage, despite joining the small courtyard in Kunlun Mountain a bit later, was respectfully called senior brother by Guangchengzi, the chief disciple of Chanjiao who rings the bell in Yuxu Palace, and by Duobao Daoist, the chief disciple of Jiejiao.

The true senior brother of Daoism.

The Great Mage had no official Daoist title, as Taiqing Shengren hadn't granted one to avoid entangling him in great karma.

He was simply called the Great Mage in the Xuandu under Taiqing Shengren's domain, and over time, this expert accepted the name—Xuandu Great Mage.

From then on, "Xuandu" could refer to this chief disciple of Renjiao or have a geographical meaning.

Yue Lao knew full well that this chief disciple of Renjiao was on a completely different level from Taiqing Shengren's registered disciples.

With the Heavenly Court still weak in its early days, the Xuandu Great Mage had been residing in the Doumu Palace for a while...

After all, if some minor Da Luo or Jin Xian caused trouble in the Heavenly Court, it wouldn't do to have a saint handle it personally—Xuandu could step in and eliminate them.

The Great Mage had visited Yue Lao's hall several times before, and Yue Lao naturally understood the purpose of those visits.

Yue Lao hurried out of the hall and looked up to see a young Daoist floating over on the clouds in the distance.

This man wore a dark Daoist robe, his face unremarkable yet perfectly balanced; he stood tall and straight, his robe fluttering lightly. He wore no ornaments or jade accessories, yet he exuded a sense of pure authenticity, like uncarved jade—a quality that came from profound cultivation.

It was said that the Xuandu Great Mage was among the first humans in the world, born without parents, shaped from clay by Nüwa, carrying a bit of the merit from creation and the destiny of Renjiao.

Before even reaching the hall, the Great Mage cupped his hands in salute to Yue Lao and smiled, "Has Yue Lao been well lately?"

"Well, quite well."

Yue Lao nodded repeatedly, and if anyone didn't know better, they might think this Heavenly Court official was naturally hunched.

"Great Mage, please come inside... Shall we proceed as last time?"

"I appreciate your help, Yue Lao," the Xuandu Great Mage said with a warm smile, striding straight into the Yue Lao Hall and following Yue Lao to the rear hall.

Entering the rear hall's courtyard, a wondrous starry sky stretched out before them.

Yue Lao held a potted plant and gently shook it, drawing a cluster of starlight from the sky that hovered in front of them.

This potted plant was actually a post-heaven merit treasure—the Yearning Tree.

The starlight faded, revealing five piles of clay figures of varying sizes, each labeled with starlight-formed characters, categorized accordingly.

For example, the pile on the left was marked with three large characters: Du Xian Men.

The other piles read "Xiao Yao Xian Zong," "Zi Zai Men"... essentially the lineages under Renjiao.

The Xuandu Great Mage sighed softly and smiled, "How many pairs have formed in this millennium?"

Yue Lao bowed his head and replied, "As per your instructions, whenever a marriage is detected, we facilitate it;

In total, these immortal sects have formed three hundred and sixty-two pairs over this millennium."

The Xuandu Great Mage nodded gently and said warmly, "Good, how many new beings have been born?"

"Well... You'd need to check the records in the Underworld for that; we only handle marriages here."

The Xuandu Great Mage chuckled, his eyes narrowing in a warm smile as he laughed.

"I forgot about that matter—please don't mind, Yue Lao.

Ah, my teacher truly gave me a tough task, wanting Renjiao to prosper moderately without allowing me to take disciples..."

The Xuandu Great Mage clasped his hands behind his back and sighed, gazing around. "This is really the only way.

Yue Lao, could you pull out the marriages that are about to form? I'd like to see how many there are."

"Yes, Great Mage, just a moment."

Yue Lao shook the potted plant again, and soon dozens of clay figures flew forward a bit, their distances varying based on their relationships and the likelihood of forming marriages.

Each clay figure had one or two red strings, with some having three or four, but not too many.

For those with deep affections, the strings were longer;

For those with shallow ones, the strings were shorter.

Soon, the Xuandu Great Mage's gaze was drawn to four clay figures clustered together, and he stepped closer to examine the ones under the "Du Xian Men" label.

Yue Lao chuckled beside him, "This is a three stars surrounding the moon formation—such good fortune."

The Xuandu Great Mage nodded slightly and stared intently for a while.

"Great Mage, as you can see, he has red threads on his wrists and ankles, but they're just starting to form... Some people are like that; it must be because this talented Renjiao figure is focused on cultivation and wants nothing to do with worldly matters."

"What a waste," the Xuandu Great Mage said, looking at the three red strings floating around the clay figure and smiling. "Yue Lao, could you help lengthen his red strings a bit so they connect with the other three?"

"Well, that's possible, but Great Mage, we can only assist—we shouldn't force changes..."

"Just give a gentle push to help things along naturally."

"Ah, this humble servant will do it."

Right away, Yue Lao lifted the potted Yearning Tree and gently tapped the clay figure.

At the same time, in the Du Xian Men of Dong Sheng Shen Zhou, in the alchemy room of Xiao Qiong Peak,

Li Changshou, who had just bathed and was worrying about his new alchemy furnace, suddenly felt a few improper images flash through his mind.

"Hmm?"

Li Changshou chuckled lightly and instantly banished the images from his thoughts.

In the Yue Lao Hall's rear hall, as the Yearning Tree approached, that clay figure... stepped back.

"Eh?"

Yue Lao frowned and changed direction, prodding the clay figure with the small potted plant.

In the Xiao Qiong Peak alchemy room, Li Changshou's mind conjured up more images, blending elements from past and present—like his junior martial uncle in a sailor outfit, his junior martial sister in a student uniform, and even...

Uh, why was he imagining You with a full set of armor?

"Dao heart unshakable, illusions unbreakable!"

The images in his mind shattered instantly, and Li Changshou shook his head, continuing to ponder the new alchemy furnace.

In the Yue Lao Hall, as the Yearning Tree struck again, the clay figure twisted lightly to the left.

"Hey! Come on!"

Yue Lao glared and switched directions once more, poking at the clay figure, but it... performed a backflip and dodged agilely.

"Ha ha ha!"

The Xuandu Great Mage couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Yue Lao's face turned awkward; he had embarrassed himself in front of the Great Mage over such a trivial matter.

"Big—"

Yue Lao touched the Yearning Tree, and it instantly expanded, its branches and leaves assaulting the clay figure aggressively.

On the ground, Li Changshou furrowed his brow as improper images surged in his mind again—a beautiful alchemy furnace opening, with several graceful figures flying out...

Li Changshou sat down cross-legged and began reciting the Heart-Calming Incantation;

Who was he kidding? In his past life, he had seen it all.

Maybe his mindset had become unstable after becoming an immortal, leading to these random thoughts.

What was the point of a momentary thrill?

At least achieve immortality first, then think about such things for a long, lasting indulgence!

No, immortality didn't guarantee safety... Better not invite unnecessary karma from marriages.

Li Changshou shouted lowly, "Still!"

In the Yue Lao Hall, the clay figure reacted instantly:

It retreated...

Dodged...

Flipped...

Jumped side to side...

Even did a Thomas spin...

Completely avoiding the Yearning Tree's branches without a single touch.

Yue Lao was sweating profusely, nearly choking on his own breath from frustration.

The Great Mage laughed and said, "Let me lend a hand to Yue Lao."

With that, his left hand glowed with starlight, carrying yin and yang energy, and he reached out from afar to grab the clay figure.

Yue Lao's eyes widened, about to shout "Don't," but it was too late—the Great Mage had already seized the clay figure's left arm.

But...

Crack!

The clay figure's left arm snapped off instantly, and its body leaped away agilely, landing steadily and even striking a provocative pose.

The whole scene fell silent.

"Great Mage... We really can't force it..."

"Ahem, can this be fixed?"

"It can, but it takes a lot of time. Luckily, there was no red string on his left arm to begin with, so it's easier to repair..."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Yue Lao.

That boy needs special attention—I'll come back later and bring some pills refined by Laojun...

Sorry for the trouble!"

With that, the Xuandu Great Mage hastily bowed and turned to leave, vanishing in two steps and leaving Yue Lao in a state of disarray.

A moment earlier, in the Du Xian Men alchemy room,

Li Changshou frowned deeply, his mind in utter chaos.

He sighed helplessly, reached into his embrace, and pulled out one of his trump cards for calming his mind from the Di Zi Number Six pouch.

Slowly unrolling a scroll, it revealed a row of exquisitely painted, heavily made-up elderly women in elaborate dresses...

Li Changshou studied it carefully, murmuring, "True love isn't just about admiring her youth; it means accepting her nagging in old age."

Instantly, the images in his mind shattered one by one, bringing him peace.

"But who gets old in cultivation?"

He smiled to himself, rolled up the precious "Hundred Beauties in Old Age" painting, and felt much calmer.

A man should be tough on himself.

Anyway, it was fine if he occasionally thought of his junior martial sister or junior martial uncle, but why You?

Tsk, You.