“Isn’t a Dao Partner just someone who accompanies you on the path of cultivation? Since when did Dao Partners become equivalent to husband and wife? Can’t I just focus on pursuing the Great Dao? Can’t I cultivate in peace? Can’t I?!”

In the pill-refining chamber of Lesser Spirit Peak, Master Jiu Wu sat with a slightly flushed face, repeatedly pounding the table as he let out suppressed growls.

At this pill chamber feast, Master Jiu Wu occupied the main seat, with his Sixth Junior Sister Jiu Lu’er, and Seventh Junior Brother Jiu Qi beside him. Jiu Jiu was naturally present as well, though she was currently sitting with Li Changshou and Ling E to the side, acting more like a host of entertaining guests.

Junior Sister Jiu Lu’er appeared to be a graceful and intelligent immortal maiden with an air of gentle femininity. She seemed to have a fondness for green, wearing a light green silk dress with a grass-green jacket, and even her hairpin was carved from pure jade. Of medium height, her figure fell between slender and petite, somewhat similar to Jiu Jiu’s though not quite as refined. Her slightly round face featured willow-like eyebrows, almond eyes, thin lips, and a small mouth, with a long, fair neck. At first glance, she gave off an exceptionally gentle impression, speaking in soft, measured tones – one might feel it discourteous to even raise their voice when addressing her.

As for Jiu Qi beside her… we’ll skip the description.

The two had come along to the feast out of concern for their Fifth Senior Brother.

After downing two cups of wine, Jiu Lu’er asked softly, “Fifth Senior Brother, what’s happening between you and Fourth Senior Sister?”

This opened the floodgates, and Jiu Wu began venting his frustrations.

Jiu Lu’er and Jiu Qi could only frown in silence. Meanwhile, Li Changshou, the root cause of all this trouble, kept consoling him, force-feeding him emotional support while pinching his nose.

Only Ling E and Jiu Jiu, who were completely in the dark about the situation, exchanged confused glances…

Ling E knew something about matters between men and women, but not much. As for Jiu Jiu, though she had grown up exposed to such things and had cultivated them for over a thousand years, she understood these matters but lacked experience. She couldn’t comprehend why Fifth Senior Brother was suddenly so full of complaints…

The feast began with nothing but Jiu Wu’s continuous grumbling.

Fortunately, Li Changshou suggested taking a walk with Jiu Wu to clear his mind, leaving the other four to enjoy themselves, preventing the waste of good food.

Walking among the spirit beast enclosures, Li Changshou contemplated how to remedy the situation.

Seeing that Jiu Wu had calmed somewhat, Li Changshou asked quietly, “Uncle Master Jiu Wu, there’s no one else here. I consider you both an elder and a close friend – what’s going on? Weren’t you and Aunt Master Jiu Shi always deeply in love?”

“Ah!” Jiu Wu sighed and turned away without speaking.

Li Changshou probed further, “Uncle Master Jiu Wu, is there perhaps some… difficulty you’re unable to speak of?”

“Ah!” Jiu Wu sighed again, seeming to struggle with whether to speak.

Li Changshou hummed thoughtfully before saying softly, “Uncle Master, there’s something I’m not sure if I should mention.”

Jiu Wu replied, “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“Uncle Master sometimes lacks confidence in this area,” Li Changshou said. “You’re already quite impressive. If even you’re struggling with this, I’ll keep my distance from Dao Partner matters in the future.”

“I…” Jiu Wu paused, offering a bitter laugh while patting his thigh.

“Fine, I’ll tell you the truth! Somehow, I just… I just don’t want to be intimate anymore…”

Li Changshou immediately stepped back half a pace.

This half-step amused Jiu Wu despite his frustration. He cursed, “Don’t get the wrong idea! This poor Daoist is no solitary yang cultivator!”

“Yes, yes,” Li Changshou had naturally just made a joke, as he already knew the root of Jiu Wu’s problem.

After pondering for a moment, Li Changshou asked, “Uncle Master, I heard Master mention the details of your demon-slaying mission. Did you perhaps see that painting I made… the ‘Hundred Beauties in Their Later Years’?”

“Yes, I saw it,” Jiu Wu frowned. “But it was just a painting, how could it affect me? I’m a True Immortal with stable mental cultivation after all.”

“The painting alone wouldn’t have such an effect, but at the time, you were under the fox demon’s charm spell, and your mind was completely unguarded when…”

Li Changshou gave a few hints, and after some thought, Jiu Wu suddenly understood.

“Is that it?”

“It should be,” Li Changshou sighed. “This matter stems from my painting. Though it’s an aftereffect of the charm spell, I bear some responsibility. Uncle Master, if you trust me, let this junior try to help remedy the situation.”

Jiu Wu’s short thick eyebrows furrowed. “How do you plan to help?”

Li Changshou gave a calm smile, clearly confident in his solution.

Shortly after, Jiu Wu returned to the pill chamber feast with renewed spirit and hope in his eyes, completely transformed. He enthusiastically urged everyone to drink and eat, quickly livening up the atmosphere…

His three junior siblings were naturally bewildered, each completely confused.

Li Changshou didn’t return with Jiu Wu, but came back an hour later, rubbing his temples as he solemnly handed a treasure pouch to Jiu Wu.

Jiu Wu asked in a low voice, “How many are there?”

“Thirty-six scrolls, matching the number of Heaven’s Mighty Forces.”

“Excellent! Thank you for your trouble, nephew!” Jiu Wu’s eyes crinkled with joy.

Seeing Jiu Jiu staring intently at the pouch in his hand, the short Daoist scolded with a laugh, “Don’t look too much, this isn’t for children to see!”

Then, Jiu Wu carefully put away the pouch and gave Li Changshou a thumbs up.

“Nephew, you’re truly reliable!”

“It’s nothing, Uncle Master. Just don’t forget our previous agreement.”

“Naturally! Come! Let me toast you! If this works, I’ll properly thank you!”

“No need to be so formal, Uncle Master. Just remember not to spread this around.”

The two exchanged words back and forth, thoroughly piquing everyone’s curiosity, but no matter how the four tried to probe, both men just smiled without speaking.

Soon after, Jiu Wu hastily left on his cloud, leaving his junior siblings behind.

After Jiu Lu’er and Jiu Qi bid farewell and departed, Jiu Jiu kept questioning Li Changshou, who finally explained reluctantly:

“Uncle Master Jiu Wu had some physical issues, with depleted yang energy. So I gave him some pills and made some pleasing artwork for him to view.”

“That’s all?”

“Mm, that’s all.”

However, as soon as Li Changshou finished speaking, Ling E, who was clearing the dishes, suddenly remembered something and nearly dropped the jade plate in her trembling hands.

Li Changshou glanced at her, and she immediately lowered her head to hide her smile, moving more efficiently.

She had recalled the rapid breeding of the jade frogs…

…

At the Nine Immortals’ residence on Breaking Sky Peak, Jiu Wu hurriedly flew back and dove into his tower, taking out two treasure pouches.

From one pouch he retrieved several bottles of pills, and from the other, he took out a stack of exquisite scroll paintings.

The short Daoist recalled Li Changshou’s instructions:

‘Uncle Master, remember to look at the scrolls first to counter those images in your mind. Then try taking one “Vigor Pill” to see if it works. But remember, you can’t take too many pills – one will refresh your spirit, two will prevent fatigue, but three could cause problems.’

Jiu Wu took a deep breath and said softly:

“Nephew Changshou, Uncle Master’s future rests in your hands!”

With that, he opened the scroll marked “One” with a particularly solemn attitude, slowly unrolling it to reveal two lines of poetry:

Spring flowers and autumn moon, when will they end?

How many lingering dreams drift away slowly?

As the scroll continued to unfold, it revealed indescribable scenes drawn with meticulous brushwork…

Jiu Wu gradually became engrossed, continuing to view the paintings with an understanding smile playing on his lips…

Half an hour later, having opened all the scrolls and taken one pill, he sat there lost in thought.

This time, after just a moment, Jiu Wu leaped to his feet.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, his heart trembled, and his eyes grew moist…

This was it!

This feeling he hadn’t experienced in over ten years!

“Shi Shi, Shi Shi! I’m cured!”

The short Daoist hurriedly put away the pills, gathered up the scrolls, and rushed out of the tower toward his Dao Partner’s chambers.

Half a month later.

Jiu Wu and Jiu Shi came hand in hand to Lesser Spirit Peak to express their gratitude, praising Li Changshou’s miraculous healing and benevolent heart… and so on.

This made Ling E laugh uncontrollably afterward.

With the sect’s grand competition approaching, Jiu Wu brought one immortal treasure and two high-grade magical treasures as thanks.

Li Changshou didn’t refuse much, knowing Uncle Master Jiu Wu had accumulated considerable wealth from his years as a sect official. He accepted all three treasures with a smile and gave Uncle Master Jiu Wu three large jars of Poison Dragon Wine.

To consolidate the effect and replenish his vitality – looking at Uncle Master Jiu Wu’s appearance, he was notably more depleted than half a month ago.

Li Changshou thought this karma would end here…

He gave the immortal treasure, a short sword, to Ling E for protection. He kept the two high-grade magical treasures for himself, planning to study their restrictions when researching artifact refining.

For this sect competition, Li Changshou set a goal for Ling E – even if she had to reveal her true cultivation level, she must strive to reach the top 108!

This way, Ling E would receive more attention within the sect.

Now that Li Changshou was already their Lesser Spirit Peak’s trump card, whether his junior sister concealed her strength or not didn’t matter much anymore.

She just needed to remember their three rules when outside and avoid causing new trouble.

As for Li Changshou himself, he had no particular expectations for the sect competition. Getting into the top 36 would be stable enough; there was no use fighting for more.

Days passed one by one, and the small spirit trees planted earlier in the back mountain had now grown strong, providing a steady supply of paper person tree sap.

Those few meritorious old trees had been… chopped for firewood by Li Changshou.

After all, they knew too much, and killing them after they gained sentience would be too cruel.

While they were still trees, chopping them caused no pain – they died peacefully.

The Little Uncle Master had also been quite well-behaved these past few months, seemingly afraid of disturbing Li Changshou and Ling E’s cultivation.

These senior and junior disciples were perhaps the most mentally stable young disciples before the sect competition.

When free, they would discuss how to help their master overcome his melancholy.

Little Ling E’s suggestion – finding a Dao Partner for Master – received Li Changshou’s agreement.

But Li Changshou also said this matter should proceed naturally, without rushing.

Thus, several more months flew by, with various peaks of the Virtue Realm Sect showing flying lights and chasing shadows daily, busily preparing for the competition.

The atmosphere was very similar to mortal festivals.

Li Changshou began teaching Ling E hand-to-hand combat techniques, sharing some simple tactics to help his junior sister advance more easily.

Among this batch of disciples, though Ling E had entered the sect latest, her cultivation was far from the worst.

With half a month until the competition, the foot of Breaking Sky Peak had already begun setting up venues, and many elders who had been in seclusion for years emerged to watch the Virtue Realm Sect’s grand event that occurred once every two hundred years…

Moreover, the Virtue Realm Sect had sent out invitations to several friendly sects in the East Victory Divine Continent, as well as several Daoist inheritance sects.

The aura of the Golden Immortal Sect Master occasionally manifested once or twice.

Li Changshou also wondered if the Sect Master was still coughing blood…

Originally, Li Changshou thought nothing more would happen before the competition.

Rain Forest Peak seemed to have temporarily forgotten about True Immortal Kuai Si, and the area around the Virtue Realm Sect had stabilized with no schemes afoot.

The Sea God Sect’s fierce development momentum had finally stabilized, and the Dragon Clan had also become more restrained, not clashing hard with other forces, just guarding their share of merit.

Li Changshou had now accumulated quite a bit of incense merit, almost enough to condense a Merit Golden Body… thumbnail.

But what Li Changshou didn’t expect was that Uncle Master Jiu Wu would come to Lesser Spirit Peak carrying a pile of gifts, showing Li Changshou a meaningful smile upon seeing him.

“Changshou, do you have any more Vigor Pills?”

Li Changshou frowned, “Uncle Master, those pills should not have been used up…”

“Indeed, they weren’t used up,” Jiu Wu’s expression became somewhat awkward as he set up a sound-isolation barrier, “It’s just that somehow Master found out about my situation with Shi Shi.

Master asked me about the cause and effect, so I explained briefly.

I didn’t mention anything about you, remember the oath.

But when Master was asking me, two elders happened to be present, and then one elder secretly sought me out…

Changshou, you know how cultivating for too long makes one’s mindset grow detached. The elders all have Dao Partners and naturally worry about such matters. I couldn’t refuse, so I gave out the Vigor Pills…

Guess what?

Hey! They worked!”

Li Changshou couldn’t help but hold his head in his hands, taking a while to recover.

He had joined the Human Teaching to cultivate peacefully, find a patron to protect himself, and hopefully pluck the fruit of longevity!

Not to open a pharmacy selling Vigor Pills here, cooperating with some unreliable grandmaster to mess with the sect’s atmosphere!

Jiu Wu smiled, “Changshou, can you still refine Vigor Pills? What materials do you need? I’ll bring them right away!”

“No more,” Li Changshou firmly shook his head. “Such things are very difficult to refine, there definitely won’t be anymore.”

Uncle Master Jiu Wu immediately looked disappointed and said softly:

“Really? Then I’ll go back and tell the elders.

Ah, they had prepared many gifts of thanks. The Transmission Elder had even promised to bestow the latter volume of the Effortless Scripture when you ascend to immortality…”

Li Changshou smiled slightly. Was he the kind of person to be moved by external things?

Yes.

Li Changshou took out six porcelain bottles from his sleeve. “Share these among the elders. There really won’t be anymore after this.”

After all, he still needed to save some for the spirit beasts in his spirit beast enclosure…