Chapter 66: So It's You Who's Up to No Good

A feast was held, and everyone enjoyed it to the fullest.

The wine that Li Changshou brought was only sampled sparingly by Wan Linjun, who left both jars behind.

This elder had little interest in drinking or the dishes, but he chatted animatedly with Li Changshou about toxicology and poison principles while they ate.

On his return from Dan Ding Peak, Li Changshou received a pile of medicinal herbs from Elder Wan Linjun.

He felt a bit embarrassed, as he had only gone to pay a visit, but this elder was truly overly enthusiastic.

In the sect, few cultivators were interested in the topic of poison.

Yet Li Changshou's expertise in the poison path was not insignificant, so they had plenty to discuss.

"I shouldn't go to Dan Ding Peak too frequently, to avoid drawing attention.Next time, I'll wait two years."

Li Changshou pondered this as he landed in front of the pill room on Xiao Qiong Peak.

He settled into a rocking chair, holding a bamboo slip treated with immortal techniques for long-term preservation, and began his daily session of reflection and reading.

Ling'e, sensing that the grand array around the pill room had been deactivated, flew over with a sullen expression on her pretty face, hesitating as if she wanted to speak but held back.

She wanted to ask her senior brother to praise her for the "fried rice" maneuver, yet feared he might scold her for wasting his efforts.

After waiting a while without her saying anything, Li Changshou looked up at his junior sister and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Senior Brother," Lan Ling'e said, lowering her head, "Master has gone to the peak master assembly. Will there be any problems here?"

Li Changshou thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly and transmitted his voice:"There won't be any problems. Master's enemies aren't in a position to become peak masters, so just relax.Master is probably just sitting in the corner listening in. He's the lowest in seniority there and doesn't dare speak up. Given his prideful and face-saving nature, he must be feeling extremely uncomfortable."

In a corner of the Bai Fan Hall on Po Tian Peak,the elderly Daoist sitting on the lowliest mat hunched over, shifting his position slightly to sit more upright.

Back in the pill room,Li Changshou smiled at the distracted Ling'e and said, "You've done well this time, knowing to worry about Master and come consult me.Where was this thoughtfulness before?Alright, I won't dwell on the previous matter. Just focus on your cultivation from now on."

Ling'e blinked lightly. "Senior Brother, were you just praising me?"

Li Changshou chuckled in amusement. "Am I really that harsh, scolding you every day?"

"You always nitpick at me..."

Ling'e made a face, her mood shifting dramatically.She had been like a frostbitten eggplant before, but now she was like a shiny tomato after the rain.

"Senior Brother, this furnace looks amazing."

"Don't touch it randomly. It bites."

"Hmm... Senior Brother, I'm not that twelve- or thirteen-year-old kid anymore...Ouch!Hiss! Ow!Why is there lightning involved?"

"I added a safety mechanism to prevent others from tampering with the pill furnace."

Li Changshou smiled calmly and continued reading his book outside the door.

Beside the pill furnace, Ling'e nursed her reddened finger, tilting her head to examine the carvings on it.Afterward, she wandered around the room, picked up a scripture she had been halfway through, dragged a mat outside, and sat with her senior brother, one on each side.

Like a pair of door gods.

The afternoon sun was warm, a gentle breeze rustled the treetops,insects chirped, streams flowed, butterflies danced, and a few immortals drifted by in the clouds.

Li Changshou occasionally had moments of enlightenment, but he remained composed, absorbing the insights without letting any aura fluctuate.

Now that his cultivation had advanced, he could control whether he entered a state of enlightenment.

What he had worried about most regarding sudden enlightenment was experiencing it during a battle or duel, getting pulled into that state...

"Senior Brother, what's your current realm?"

"Return to Void Realm, fourth stage."

"Oh, that's impressive," Lan Ling'e replied casually, then lowered her head to continue reading her scroll, actually taking in some of its content.

...

In the Heavenly Court, the Yue Lao Hall was enveloped by a grand array.

Two young attendants held up wooden signs, sitting in front of the sealed hall doors.

The one on the right read:Yue Lao is not at home.

The one on the left read:This place is under Heavenly Dao protection.

The smaller attendant muttered, "Senior Brother, if we don't tell Master the truth, will this blow up into something bigger?"

"Shh, do you want Master to turn us back?" the older one rolled his eyes. "We were originally just branches of the lovesick trees, and it was only through Master's enlightenment that we got this form.Don't worry, Master will have a way to handle it."

"Oh," the young attendant pursed his lips, feeling helpless.

And so, the two attendants waited there, day after day, for a full half-year, but Yue Lao never returned.

Where had Yue Lao gone?He hadn't strayed far from the Hall of Matrimony; he had gone to a more secluded immortal hall and found a certain idle immortal official. He offered some gifts, intending to make amends for his mistake.

Yue Lao knew full well that he had no backing or influence, so he dared not offend anyone.That was why His Majesty the Jade Emperor had placed him in the role of Yue Lao—only someone like him wouldn't favor any faction.

Normally, when heavenly generals or immortals came seeking marital arrangements, it was trivial.But if Yue Lao truly meddled with fates using the authority granted by the Heavenly Dao, not only would he accumulate karma, but it could lead to disaster.

Moreover, the Heavenly Dao constantly monitored the Yue Lao Hall.The moment Yue Lao had any improper thoughts, he would face a first warning from the Heavenly Dao, a second punishment, and a third would bring the Zi Xiao Divine Thunder to obliterate him...

The Heavenly Court was in decline, while the Daoist sects were prosperous.Even an ordinary disciple of the Human Teachings, Yue Lao didn't want to offend.

The muddle-up with the red threads stemmed from Grand Mage Xuan Du's rash intervention, but Xuan Du was protected by a saint, shielded by the innate treasure Taiji Chart, and untouchable by karma due to his immense power...How could a minor Yue Lao dare to shift the blame to him?This matter had to be shouldered by Yue Lao alone.

Yue Lao pondered this all night.The longer he delayed, the more likely errors would arise; he had to resolve it quickly.

After much thought, Yue Lao made his decision, left the Hall of Matrimony, and headed to the Shen Wei Hall.

There, Yue Lao stood with the overseer of Shen Wei Hall—a certain anonymous immortal official in golden armor—before the Heavenly Dao treasure, the Xing Luo Meng Tian Yi.

The immortal official operated the device while explaining in detail to Yue Lao:"Rest assured, Yue Lao.When it comes to dream-sending, we can't reach Da Luo Golden Immortals who transcend the world, but for Golden Immortals or Heavenly Immortals, it's no problem.Let alone a young cultivator who's only over a hundred years old.But one thing to note: in a dream, you can only talk; you can't do anything else.This is a treasure bestowed by the Heavenly Dao for the Heavenly Court to show its might—it's just for intimidation, which is why this place is called Shen Wei Hall.As long as the target has a moment of distraction, daze, drunkenness, exhaustion, fatigue, weakness, or relaxed mind, or even during meditative trance, we can send an invitation for them to enter the dream.But if they refuse, there's nothing we can do.You're looking for the Du Xian Men disciple Li Changshou, right?Don't worry, he's just a young disciple—we'll have it done in an instant...Hmm?Why can't we find him?"

The golden-armored immortal official leaned forward, staring at the unchanged Xing Luo Meng Tian Yi.

Yue Lao maintained his gentle smile and continued waiting.

The immortal official hurriedly asked, "Yue Lao, are you sure about the name and title? Do you have his birth details or eight characters?"

"Yes, yes, the Hall of Matrimony has them," Yue Lao said with a smile, quickly pulling a slip of paper from his sleeve.

This time, the immortal official bent down and fiddled with the device for a while, and the massive Meng Tian Yi finally began to slowly operate.

Half an hour later, the immortal official let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead."Huff—We've found him. He's currently in the Du Xian Men mountain gate.Not surprising for a Human Teachings disciple—with an innate treasure protecting the sect's destiny, he's truly hard to trace!Yue Lao, look here. Once this starlight brightens, it means he's asleep or distracted, and we can invite him into the dream..."

"Is that all?" Yue Lao asked softly.

The immortal official laughed. "Yes, Yue Lao, just wait a bit. Generally speaking, we'll catch him off guard within half a day."

Yue Lao expressed his profuse thanks, and the immortal official waved it off, exchanging polite remarks about being colleagues in the same court.

However, after half a day...After a day...After two days..."Why isn't it lighting up?"The immortal official frowned and muttered.

Yue Lao smiled. "It's fine, it's fine. I'm not busy, so I'll just trouble you, fellow Daoist."

"It's nothing, nothing. This place hardly sees anyone for years.I just don't believe he can go a whole month without a moment of distraction."

And so, after a month...

Yue Lao and the immortal official sat cross-legged in front of the Xing Luo Meng Tian Yi, their four eyes fixed on a dim star point.

After two months...The immortal official's eyes were bloodshot as he hoarsely said, "Is this thing broken?How can a minor sect disciple stay in his sect without relaxing his mind for so long? We wouldn't even wait this long for a Golden Immortal..."

"This..."Yue Lao whispered, "Maybe we should forget it."

The immortal official waved his hand firmly. "No! I always see things through once I start!Yue Lao, you go back to your duties. I'll keep waiting here! I'll notify you when there's news!"

Yue Lao replied, "The matters of matrimony are managed by the Heavenly Dao, so I'm just handling the daily requests. Hiding here is actually quite peaceful.Still, I appreciate your trouble."

"You're too kind, too kind."

After three months...The immortal official turned to glance at Yue Lao, his eyes bulging and sockets sunken from not blinking for so long, a hint of anxiety in his heart.Has it really broken?This Heavenly Dao treasure—has it malfunctioned?It's been so long without any sign; he's losing face in front of Yue Lao!How can he ask Yue Lao for help with a marriage later if this thing fails now?

The immortal official pondered and muttered uncertainly, "This Tian Yi is integrated with the Heavenly Court—how could it malfunction?"

Yue Lao frowned. "Fellow Daoist, perhaps..."

"Wait! I'll keep waiting! You go if you have things to do—I won't give up on this disciple!If I have to, I'll go find him myself!"

Yue Lao quickly said, "No need," and continued to wait patiently, using his immortal sense to monitor the Hall of Matrimony in case any great immortal appeared.

After half a year...The immortal official, lying on the ground, sighed softly and said, "How about we try another approach?Send a dream to someone else in Du Xian Men first, then have them notify this disciple to enter the dream and meet you?"

The drowsy Yue Lao perked up immediately. "Good idea!"

"But it feels like we've been outmaneuvered by this little disciple—our divine might is lost..."

"This..."

"Ah...How did he manage it—half a year without giving us any opening!"

And so, half a day later...As Li Changshou was pondering the Wu Wei Jing, Ling'e hurried back from the forest, forcing him to pause his cultivation and deactivate the outer arrays.

"Senior Brother!A golden-armored heavenly general just sent me a dream. He said he wants to send one to you and asked you to relax your mind. It's Yue Lao from the Hall of Matrimony in the Heavenly Court—he has an important matter to discuss!"

A dream? Yue Lao?Li Changshou furrowed his brow, instantly sensing that something was amiss.There are no coincidences—only schemes one hasn't seen yet!Earlier, he had felt a sudden restlessness in his mind, followed by random thoughts forcing him to use his secret treasure, the Hundred Beauties Portrait.Then his Dao body itched inexplicably in the armpit...There must be an issue!When he had analyzed why Du Xian Men's traditions were skewed, he had considered the possibility of Yue Lao and the red threads...Could it really be Yue Lao meddling?But how dare Yue Lao target a disciple of the Human Teachings...

Lan Ling'e urged, "Senior Brother, you should enter the dream quickly."

Li Changshou's gaze sharpened as he said calmly, "Not yet."

"Not...Can you even refuse that?"

"If they could enter my dream directly, why would they go through you to tell me?"

Li Changshou smiled. "This time, it seems Yue Lao needs something from me, so there's no need to worry.Let me think it over carefully.Ling'e, go lie on the chair and rest, or just space out—don't focus your mind.If that golden-armored heavenly general sends you another dream, ask him what it's about. Tell him I'm busy refining pills and can't enter the dream right now."

"Um... okay."

Ling'e blinked and agreed obediently, then gracefully floated to the rocking chair outside the door.

"Ah, I'm being used as a tool by Senior Brother again."

She sighed inwardly, but a slight smile tugged at her lips.It felt good to be able to help her senior brother.