‘What else might I have overlooked?’

The moment one feels they can relax a bit is precisely when they must remain most vigilant.

Li Changshou stood by the lake, continuously pondering in his heart.

Seven days had passed since Daoist Kuai Si left the mountain, and Little Jade Peak had once again settled into quietness.

After all, Youqin Xuanya still needed to cultivate in seclusion, so she wouldn’t be coming over starting today.

Moreover, she had stayed long enough on Little Jade Peak to witness that Li Changshou and his master hadn’t left the mountain these past few days, which was sufficient.

Li Changshou had to maintain this precaution;

Currently, he was considered an inferior immortal seedling in the sect, so when a True Immortal met with trouble, naturally no suspicion would fall on him.

But in the future, once his true cultivation level was exposed, with his master’s past grievances, Raincloud Peak might connect the deeply hidden Li Changshou to Kuai Si’s disappearance…

Youqin Xuanya was a cultivator with a strong sense of justice, and there was a high probability she would voluntarily step forward to clarify this matter.

By then, between truth and falsehood, he would have more room to maneuver.

Currently at Raincloud Peak, some had discovered they couldn’t contact Daoist Kuai Si and suspected something might have happened to him;

Several True Immortals of Kuai Si’s generation had already grouped to search for him.

If they couldn’t find the clues Li Changshou had left behind, that would be the end of it;

If they discovered the clues, they would only be led toward the vast Northern Continent, and whatever happened afterward would be beyond Li Changshou’s knowledge.

After all, that paper avatar disguised as Kuai Si had already found a rock crevice at the bottom of a ravine, ignited itself with Three Realms True Fire, and returned to nothingness.

To date, excluding tribulations and daily minor matters, Li Changshou has only actively planned two major events.

The first time was helping his master pass tribulation by going to the Northern Continent to find medicinal herbs, preparing for over ten years;

The second time, this current matter, also took over ten years of preparation.

The Sea God Sect incident didn’t count – that was purely coincidental, forced by circumstances, compelled to counterattack, shifting blame while earning merit…

To avoid karmic entanglements, it was best to remain motionless in the mountains;

But just like that great black turtle in the Northern Continent back then, who did nothing yet had responsibility fall from the sky – having its four legs cut off by the Sage Lord to support heaven and earth.

—This story, Li Changshou dared not include in his “Scripture of Stability.”

Therefore, while secretly cultivating in the mountains, it was also necessary to prepare proper self-protection, make oneself appear unremarkable, and prepare thoroughly for escape.

Li Changshou quietly meditated in the thatched cottage, continuously observing Raincloud Peak’s reactions.

Even though he now had the strength to directly confront several elders of that peak, with Crossing Heaven Gate finally stabilizing and being recognized as inheriting the Human Dao teachings, he didn’t want to lose this backing.

When soul-searching Daoist Kuai Si, Li Changshou also saw which elder had stood behind Kuai Si, bullying his master and senior sister back then.

Kuai Si’s master, a certain early-stage Celestial Immortal elder of Raincloud Peak.

It was this person’s mediation that had prevented Kuai Si from receiving the sect’s proper punishment for ambushing his master, which had left Little Jade Peak completely isolated at that time.

This debt, Li Changshou had also noted down;

If there were future opportunities to kick this Celestial Immortal elder while he was down, he would secretly join in, throwing a Little Jade Peak-sized stone…

The bamboo slips previously recording matters about Daoist Kuai Si had all disappeared in the pill furnace.

Half a month later, Raincloud Peak erupted in chaos.

Normally, a True Immortal being away for several dozen or hundred days wasn’t unusual.

But before Daoist Kuai Si left, he said he was going to get some magical treasures for his disciples to face the sect competition, yet after so long there was no news, and communication jade tablets couldn’t reach him…

An elder skilled in divination tried to divine fortune and misfortune, but the turtle shell directly shattered…

Kuai Si’s dao companion knew quite a bit about his affairs and led people to investigate that market town, following the clues step by step to the Northern Continent’s border.

Another month later, Raincloud Peak had more or less confirmed that Kuai Si had perished, attributing his death to a battle with someone outside the market town.

Such things were common in the primordial world;

The Crossing Heaven Gate elders also joined forces to make a calculation, only able to determine which day Kuai Si died, with no other information.

The matter could only be left unresolved.

If there had been a clear enemy, Crossing Heaven Gate would have stepped forward to seek justice for their sect member.

But with the enemy leaving no trace, not a single useful clue, Crossing Heaven Gate could only offer some comfort to Daoist Kuai Si’s dao companion and disciples;

They arranged for other True Immortals to help guide Kuai Si’s disciples, and as for finding Kuai Si’s dao companion another…

Ahem, that mainly depended on personal wishes.

As for the master and disciples trio on Little Jade Peak, they maintained absolutely no presence throughout this matter.

Li Changshou quietly observed for a year before temporarily setting this matter aside.

As for those other evil deeds Daoist Kuai Si had committed besides ambushing his master, Li Changshou couldn’t even be bothered to mention them.

He wasn’t like his poisonous junior sister, he didn’t have such a strong sense of justice.

It was enough that his conscience was clear.

The various peaks of Crossing Heaven Gate had now become lively, with the younger generation’s sect competition being held early, requiring all disciples to participate.

The older generation of sect members also emerged from seclusion to guide the younger generation in combat;

Those who were masters also became busy, bestowing some magical treasures they no longer used, and teaching how to adapt during combat.

Some disciples of not particularly strong ability, deeply inspired by the battle between Little Jade Peak’s inferior immortal seedling and the Severing Dao disciples and Dragon Palace’s Second Prince at the Crossing Heaven Palace, began strengthening their escape technique cultivation.

However, most of them had one confusion…

Why was their earth travel so rigid?

Emerging and entering the ground was very troublesome, far from the natural smoothness of Senior Brother (Junior Brother) Li raising his wolf-tooth club back then…

This, presumably, was a matter of talent and temperament.

…

The date of the sect competition drew ever closer.

Li Changshou refined pills for several months, used paper avatars to profit from two external ventures, and finally replenished his poison pill storage.

This day, he and Lan Ling’e discussed and began busying themselves together.

They slaughtered two rainbow-feathered pseudo-phoenix chickens, killed two snakeheads, made a pot of jade-eating frogs, stir-fried several immortal vegetables, paired it with two jugs of fine wine, and set up a feast in Li Changshou’s thatched cottage…

Though Ling’e didn’t know why her senior brother suddenly wanted to do such a thing after all there wasn’t anything particularly worth celebrating in the mountains;

But to help their master break out of his self-isolation and raise his spirits, she naturally gave her full assistance.

After being busy for half a day, this pair of senior and junior disciples stood before their master’s thatched cottage.

Li Changshou called out loudly:

“Master, there’s still a year until the sect competition, would you like to guide us in combat?”

No answer came from the thatched cottage.

So, Lan Ling’e beside him coughed twice, and cried out in a pinched voice:

“Ah—

Senior Brother, you shouldn’t do this!

We haven’t gotten Master’s permission, we can’t!”

“Stop, rebellious disciples!

Doing this will bring shame, you must first register at the Hundred Mortal Hall!”

With a bang, the cottage door was immediately kicked open, and Old Daoist Qi Yuan rushed out holding his whisk, bearing slight remnants of dao insight.

But seeing his two disciples standing before him, the old Daoist immediately gave a bitter laugh and scolded:

“How can you make jokes about such matters? Have you no shame!”

“Hehe,” Ling’e quickly made a face, “Master! Come quickly and taste what Senior Brother and I partnered- no, what we worked together to make, a table full of good food!”

Li Changshou also smiled and said: “There’s also two jugs of good wine that your disciple recently brewed.”

Old Daoist Qi Yuan sighed softly, his face showing dejection as his gaze fixed in the distance, his gray-white hair floating slightly.

“This master’s heart has died, remaining life accompanying the dao beams.

Good food and wine, you young people enjoy slowly… Ah, Changshou, your master has recently understood a principle.”

“Please speak, Master,” Li Changshou listened seriously.

Qi Yuan said: “Cherish those before you, speak not of future matters. Wind and clouds are unpredictable illusions, who can speak of fortune and misfortune?”

Beside them, Ling’e blinked gently and pursed her lips while secretly glancing at her senior brother, her cheeks slightly flushed.

She was also one who claimed to love dragons but feared the real thing.

Li Changshou smiled and said: “Disciple will remember, Master please rest assured, I will protect Junior Sister completely.”

“That’s good,” Qi Yuan waved his hand, “your abilities are somewhat greater than mine, for the sect competition matters, you and Ling’e make your own decisions.

Master will continue cultivating in seclusion, to comprehend the True Immortal realm early and do what you previously spoke of.

For the remaining years, Master only hopes for you two to be well.”

After speaking, Old Daoist Qi Yuan turned back to his cottage, his figure somewhat desolate, with a melody seemingly floating around him…

[Snow fluttering, north wind howling…]

With a creak, the cottage’s wooden door closed, and the arrays activated again.

Li Changshou and Ling’e exchanged glances, both wearing worried expressions.

Ling’e asked softly: “Senior Brother, what should we do about this?”

While shaking his head, Li Changshou still felt relieved inside.

Senior Sister wasn’t just an emotional tribulation for Master, but also a mental knot, and even more an obsession;

It was fortunate that he had chosen not to tell Master the truth back then, otherwise, Master’s current mental state would probably be [After new rain in empty mountains, self-hanging on the southeast branch]…

“Tsk, difficult,” Li Changshou pondered briefly in his heart, temporarily without good strategies.

Ling’e sighed: “The word ’emotion’ truly is troublesome.”

“No,” Li Changshou shook his head, calmly saying, “What you now see is not what you see.

The most troublesome thing isn’t the word ’emotion’, the most troublesome thing is a certain great… who secretly causes chaos.

Never mind, we can’t speak more of this.

When your cultivation is higher later and you encounter the Wuwei Scripture, you’ll understand.”

Ling’e blinked, completely confused.

Li Changshou waved his hand, “We can’t waste the food we’ve made. Make a few more dishes, I’ll go to Sky-Breaking Peak to invite Little Senior Aunt and Senior Uncle Jiuwu’s couple, and move the food to the pill room.”

“Alright!” Ling’e obediently agreed.

“Also cook two more fish and prepare a food box, I need to visit Elder Wan Lingyun later.”

“Little Jade Peak’s cook, at your service!”

“What cook, you don’t even know what an apron is.”

Li Changshou raised his hand to rub Ling’e’s head, then rode his cloud at his signature height, slowly floating toward Sky-Breaking Peak.

Ling’e continued thinking about how to help Master walk out of his current mental state as she went to the lakeside stove to continue busying herself…

How could she help Master?

Ling’e recalled her memories in the mountains, but they were all filled with her senior brother’s shadow, offering no reference for this matter.

Then recalling her circumstances in the mortal world, she vaguely remembered a discussion between her mother and second mother when she was young.

That time, an uncle who was a general had lost his wife and was grief-stricken…

Then mother and second mother introduced him to a beautiful young lady, and not two months later… that uncle held another wedding feast.

Though the educational value of this incident was — ‘All men are fickle-hearted big radishes who fancy the new and tire of the old, you must keep a close eye on them.’

But this method could also be referenced.

Ling’e blinked, beginning to think carefully, preparing to propose this to her senior brother later.

She didn’t dare arrange such things herself, not wanting to be punished with copying the Scripture of Stability thousands of times.

…

Sky-Breaking Peak;

Li Changshou flew to Immortal Jiuzhou’s residence, but before descending from his cloud, he witnessed quite a scene.

Not just him, but several menial disciples, Little Senior Aunt Jiuzhou, and several Wine Character immortals who had appeared during the Crossing Heaven Gate battle were also in various places, secretly observing Senior Uncle Jiuwu’s small tower…

Just hearing…

“If you have someone else in your heart just say it! I, Jiushi, won’t cling to you!”

Then Jiushi was seen flying out from the tower, covering her nose and mouth as she hurriedly flew away.

Li Changshou was first stunned, then gave a bitter laugh.

Uh, earlier because of hearing about Senior Sister Wan Jiangyu’s matter and being busy monitoring Raincloud Peak, he hadn’t sent Senior Uncle Jiuwu any dragon poison wine;

At the time he had considered that the dragon poison wine recipe had already been given to Jiuwu and Jiushi, not thinking there would still be some problems…

Li Changshou directly descended before Senior Uncle Jiuwu’s tower, saying: “Disciple Changshou, having matters to discuss with Senior Uncle Jiuwu.”

“Ah, Changshou,” a sigh came from inside, “come in.”

Li Changshou stepped inside, immediately seeing objects scattered on the ground, as Senior Uncle Jiuwu activated the arrays around the tower.

“What’s the matter?”

Li Changshou asked softly: “Senior Uncle, what happened?”

Jiuwu sat to one side, one hand supporting his forehead as he slowly exhaled…

“Alas, the feelings have shattered.”