“Elder Brother, the mountain gate is in sight, and this demon won’t cause any trouble. Let us part ways here.”

Three hundred li outside the Crossing Spirit Gate’s mountain gate, on the same cloud, Li Chang Shou, disguised as ‘Elder Qi Yuan’, suddenly bid farewell to Jiu Wu.

“Junior Brother Qi Yuan, why not come to the Reward and Punishment Hall together?”

Jiu Wu was slightly taken aback. “You deserve half the credit for dealing with these demons, you should come to claim your reward.”

‘Qi Yuan’ smiled and said: “Please pass this reward and the spirit beast bag to my two disciples. To be honest with Elder Brother, I have urgent matters to attend to back in Lin Dong City. With all these delays, by the time I return, it will be about the appointed time.”

Appointed time?

Jiu Wu frowned and nodded, seeming to want to say something but holding back.

‘Qi Yuan’ made a Daoist salute and turned to leave on his cloud.

But just as ‘Qi Yuan’ had flown barely half a zhang, Jiu Wu called out: “Junior Brother, wait! Could you tell your elder brother who you’re meeting?”

Li Chang Shou inwardly sighed in relief…

Elder Brother had taken the bait, this would be easier now.

“Well…” Li Chang Shou deliberately put on a troubled expression, then let out a dejected sigh, “I dare not deceive Elder Brother. A few months ago, my senior sister sent two letters, asking to meet me in Lin Dong City.”

Jiu Wu was visibly stunned, calculating with his fingers, repeatedly confirming that deeply etched memory in his heart;

At this moment, Jiu Wu’s expression became very strange.

And Jiu Wu’s next words were somewhat unexpected to Li Chang Shou.

“This is impossible. Junior Brother Qi Yuan, someone must be plotting against you!”

“What does Elder Brother mean?”

The paper vessel’s face showed just the right amount of urgency as he hurriedly said: “Please explain!”

“Well…” Jiu Wu hummed twice, not answering directly, only saying: “In any case, this is impossible.”

“Elder Brother Jiu Wu!”

‘Qi Yuan’ immediately stepped forward, repeatedly making Daoist salutes, earnestly requesting Jiu Wu to tell the truth.

Jiu Wu’s personality couldn’t resist such pleading, and he soon let out a long sigh, saying in a deep voice:

“Your senior sister perished eight hundred years ago, her remnant soul has already reincarnated. I witnessed this myself.

That year, you and Junior Brother Kuai Si from Immortal Rain Peak had a conflict. Kuai Si ambushed you in secret, severely injuring your foundation. Though your life was saved, you could no longer cultivate.

Your senior sister Wan Jiang Yu secretly left the mountain gate, saying she was going to find your master who was wandering the four seas with you…

But in reality, she went to the Northern Continent to search for a precious medicine to repair your foundation.

When the sect elders discovered this, they immediately sent me and two other administrators to chase after her, but by the time we caught up, she was already deep in the Northern Continent, her primordial spirit mortally wounded by fierce beasts, barely clinging to life.

The three of us exhausted all our abilities but couldn’t save this immortal seedling.

Your senior sister’s dying wish was for us three to say we hadn’t found her, and especially not to tell you of this matter.

We three buried her remains ourselves. If you don’t believe this, I can have the other two tell you…

Junior Brother, Junior Brother Qi Yuan? Are you… alright?”

‘Qi Yuan’ trembled, his eyes losing focus, stepping back several paces, tears faintly visible in his eyes.

— Li Chang Shou had never really thought about how to act out such a tragic scene, and could only rely on his imagination now.

Fortunately, Jiu Wu closed his eyes and sighed lightly, unable to bear watching more.

He hadn’t wanted to reveal this matter but worried that ‘Junior Brother Qi Yuan’ might truly fall into some scheme.

“Where… where is she buried?”

“That place of confusing poison mists, nothing remains now. Junior Brother, don’t dwell on this. She has already reincarnated.”

Jiu Wu wanted to offer more comfort, but Qi Yuan had already made a Daoist salute, silently lowering his head and flying toward the mountain gate.

“Elder Brother, I need some time alone.”

“Junior Brother Qi Yuan…”

Jiu Wu knew this was a time of heartbreak for ‘Qi Yuan’ and didn’t try to persuade him further, carrying the spirit beast bag and slowly following behind.

The short Daoist was also filled with emotion, shaking his head and softly chanting:

“The tribulation of love is hard to pass, the heart of the Dao hard to settle.

What thing in this world is love, that it makes people… unable to sleep at night.”

Thinking of his dao companion, Jiu Wu showed a gentle smile;

Suddenly, before his dao companion’s image, appeared several alluring old women…

Ding–

Jiu Wu shuddered instantly.

Rouge-covered skulls, skin-deep bones — cultivation is the real business!

…

Meanwhile, in the grass cottage on Little Qiong Peak.

Li Chang Shou opened his eyes, his gaze very complex.

To think there was such a hidden story behind this…

Unfortunately, his paper vessel impersonating his master couldn’t, by reason, ask too many questions, otherwise, he would have thoroughly inquired about and investigated the details of this matter.

This time, learning who his master’s enemy was from Elder Brother Jiu Wu was already quite fruitful.

Immortal Rain Peak, Kuai Si.

This was a True Immortal, without much reputation in the sect. Li Chang Shou had only occasionally seen this name in the registry at the Hundred Mortal Hall.

Though also a True Immortal in the sect, this person’s fame and recognition were far below that of personalities like Aunt Jiu Jiu and Elder Brother Jiu Wu.

This person…

[Maliciously attacked and injured my master, forcing him to dissolve his body and become a Turbid Immortal;

Moreover, forced me to actively seek immortal dispelling grass in the Northern Continent, causing many karmic ties;

Now I learn you also indirectly caused my martial aunt’s death, killed master’s beloved senior sister.]

“Fellow Daoist.”

A flash of sharpness crossed Li Chang Shou’s eyes but quickly disappeared.

Just hearing him murmur…

“Our karmic ties have grown far too deep.”

Standing up, pacing back and forth in the grass cottage, Li Chang Shou continuously pondered.

He couldn’t rush. Killing or crippling a True Immortal enemy wasn’t particularly difficult for him now;

But this matter concerned the future position of their master-disciple trio in the Crossing Spirit Gate, he must seek stability.

The current urgent matter was deciding whether to tell his master about this.

Thinking carefully, his master was also…

Such an unfortunate male immortal.

His foundation for immortality was destroyed, his senior sister left never to return, his master left never to return, became a Turbid Immortal and was still schemed against, had no close friends in the immortal sect, and was played with daily by his disciple…

Ahem, that last point doesn’t count.

Soon, Li Chang Shou had formed a plan in his mind.

He took out a low-quality message jade talisman, imitating the handwriting of the previous two letters, writing two lines:

‘Knowing you are well, my heart is at peace.

Think of me no more, let us be done.’

Later he would explain to his master that he had stayed in Lin Dong City for a few days, found this jade talisman by the pillow, never found the person he was meant to meet, then encountered Elder Brother Jiu Wu and joined forces to eliminate demons…

If he told his master the truth directly, his master’s heart would surely be completely dead, his Turbid Immortal foundation already unstable.

Using this method, letting his master believe his senior sister was still alive but unwilling to meet him, his master’s mental state should be:

[Snow drifting, north wind howling, heaven and earth, a vast, desolate expanse…]

Though desolate, there was still some color.

‘In the future, I’ll find a way to locate this martial aunt’s reincarnation.’

Li Chang Shou sighed inwardly, his gaze fixed on the character for ‘steady’ he had long ago posted in the grass cottage, the waves in his heart gradually calming.

Things must be done step by step.

The paper vessel disguised as his master flew back to Little Qiong Peak, first entering Li Chang Shou’s grass cottage, then Li Chang Shou and this paper vessel together went to his master’s room.

The mission of this paper vessel on this journey was now concluded.

Moments later, only Li Chang Shou walked out.

A few days later, Elder Brother Jiu Wu came to visit his newly befriended ‘Junior Brother Qi Yuan’, bringing the sect’s rewards for eliminating demons and informing Qi Yuan of that demoness’s fate.

Li Chang Shou used the excuse that ‘my master has shown inexplicable sorrow these past days’ to stop Elder Brother Jiu Wu and discuss the events of that year with him.

Jiu Wu repeated what he had said before;

Li Chang Shou asked about several details, which Jiu Wu answered thoroughly.

Afterward, Li Chang Shou repeatedly requested, earnestly asking Elder Brother Jiu Wu to entreat the other two administrators who went together that year to strictly keep this secret, never mentioning it within the sect…

Jiu Wu solemnly agreed as this was a small matter to him.

Thus, this small interlude in Lin Dong City came to an end.

The captured fox demon was suppressed by the sect elders outside the Crossing Spirit Gate’s mountain gate, in a ground vein formation, and sentenced to three hundred years of confinement there.

The fox demon was grateful not to be killed and didn’t say much, quietly being suppressed under a peak, showing no resentment.

According to Li Chang Shou’s thoughts, it would be best to deal with this demoness directly;

But none of the sect immortals wanted to lose merit or increase karmic obstacles, so they could only temporarily seal her outside the mountain gate.

Li Chang Shou didn’t take this fox demon lightly;

After all, it was ‘his master’ and Elder Brother Jiu Wu who captured her and destroyed her ‘nest’ in the mortal world.

Li Chang Shou had seen several methods in ancient texts for corrupting and destroying merit, though troublesome, it wasn’t impossible.

But now, dealing with this fox demon wasn’t the highest priority.

Having confirmed that his master’s enemy was Kuai Si from Immortal Rain Peak, Li Chang Shou quickly began secret investigation and planning, his immortal sense constantly covering the entire Immortal Rain Peak…

A falcon catching a rabbit still uses all its strength;

To implement a perfect ‘enemy elimination’ plan, he naturally needed to plan well.

Formulate action guidelines, note various difficulties and analyze them point by point, finally make several plans, select the most perfect one, keeping all others as backup.

Comprehensively considering, giving the target an “accident” would be most stable for him.

About half a year later, Li Chang Shou finally saw this Kuai Si once.

He was a middle-aged-looking Daoist, with proper features and extraordinary bearing, sword-like eyebrows, and star-like eyes, indeed having some “looks.”

Daoist Kuai Si came from the mountain gate, probably just returning to the Crossing Spirit Gate from outside; when returning to Immortal Rain Peak, he looked toward Little Qiong Peak four times, his gaze revealing slight coldness.

Li Chang Shou took a bamboo slip and recorded these details carefully.

…

Daoist Kuai Si…

Soon-to-Die Daoist?

From learning this name, Li Chang Shou had already begun preparing to avenge his master;

Outside the mountain gate, two Heaven-grade paper vessels stood ready at all times, carrying enough poison pills to kill twenty Celestial Immortals.

Li Chang Shou could maintain multiple focuses for long periods;

Using a strand of consciousness to constantly monitor Immortal Rain Peak with immortal sense wasn’t difficult for him.

However, what worried Li Chang Shou was…

Since his master saw those sixteen characters, he hadn’t come out of the grass cottage.

If Li Chang Shou couldn’t sense his master’s state, he would have probably already broken through the formation to check what was happening.

Surveillance was surveillance, but his cultivation couldn’t be neglected.

Li Chang Shou continued his routine of refining pills, reading books, having enlightenments, teaching his junior sister, and regularly paying respects outside his master’s room, speaking a few words with his master.

This surveillance continued for twelve swift years, with Daoist Kuai Si remaining in closed cultivation in his cave dwelling.

This Daoist probably didn’t know that the isolation formation outside his cave had long been secretly penetrated, a strand of immortal sense fixed on him for over ten years without moving.

Even if Daoist Kuai Si had previously felt weakly that someone was watching him, after more than ten years, he had… gotten used to it.

A True Immortal in closed cultivation for several decades or hundreds of years was quite normal, if the target didn’t move, Li Chang Shou wouldn’t move either.

But Li Chang Shou hadn’t expected that before Kuai Si emerged, he would receive news.

Due to the Crossing Spirit Gate’s previous calamity, the sect wanted to relieve some pressure on disciples, and also select outstanding disciples to participate in the Three Teachings Origin Conference…

The sect’s grand competition held every two hundred years would be held three years early…