Without the Masculine Heart Pills, the income of [Wealth] is immediately reduced by a small half.

Li Changshou looked at the densely detailed formation design diagram he had just completed, roughly estimating the quantity, quality, and value of the treasure materials needed to refine the formation base, and couldn’t help but ponder.

The longest-term plan was to transform Little Qiong Peak into a magical treasure, creating an integrated personal cave dwelling combining attack, defense, residence, and entertainment.

Currently, the path to ‘treasure transformation’ would be taken in three steps.

To be safe, the first step was to forge Little Qiong Peak into a movable composite formation integrating killing and defense and achieve the most basic requirement of magical treasure transformation—the ability to grow or shrink at will.

Since immortal power wasn’t enough to directly refine the entire Little Qiong Peak, they could only compensate with Heaven and Earth formations, and the Heaven and Earth Dao had very high requirements for the formation base’s strength…

Li Changshou did some calculations:

“If we only rely on my, Master’s, and Junior Sister’s monthly allowances, plus Little Qiong Peak’s fixed quota, it would still take about three… ten thousand years.

If we rely on the current rate of wealth from selling refined pills in the town, it would take over a thousand years…”

A thousand years, although looking at his current lifespan it wasn’t very long, and the Degree Immortal Gate couldn’t possibly fall in a thousand years.

But overall, Li Changshou still wanted to complete it earlier, to have more sense of security.

So, Li Changshou spent half a day formulating several ways to—

Earn small wealth that wouldn’t require leaving the mountain gate, exposing his trump cards, or affecting sect harmony.

However, after comprehensive consideration, Li Changshou dismissed several ideas in succession;

Such as ‘Little Qiong Peak Maze Formation One Day Tour’, and ‘Little Qiong Peak BBQ Villa’, would all affect Junior Sister and Master’s cultivation.

In the end, Li Changshou only kept one plan with the smallest impact and smallest benefit, and casually made the items needed for this plan, placing them by the lake of Little Qiong Peak…

At least his half day hadn’t been wasted.

It was a wooden box half a zhang tall, open on the side, containing a wooden carving of a ‘fat cat’, the carving not even painted.

Beside the wooden box stood a wooden sign, which read:

[This is called the Immortal Cat Divination Barrel;

But it’s a strategy barrel, which will give some advice based on your words;

Before use, please put valuable items such as spirit stones, magical treasures, pills, etc. into the cat immortal’s mouth, and bamboo slips with strategies will appear at the bottom of the wooden box.

Note: Use implies agreement to the relevant terms of use for the ‘Little Qiong Peak Strategy Barrel’, refund service is temporarily unavailable.

Peak Master of Little Qiong Peak, Qi Yuan pays respects]

‘Who would fall for this thing?’

Li Changshou shook his head, secretly left a small piece of Double-Pupil Spider silk in the wooden box, then floated away, returning to the pill room to continue refining pills and comprehending the dao.

There were some small designs in the wooden barrel, containing forty-nine bamboo slips, each written with ‘not too bad’, ‘ambiguous’ words.

“I don’t have much talent for fooling people.”

Li Changshou sighed, started up that black pill furnace, and began putting in the previously organized medicinal materials.

Half a day later…

Li Changshou’s mind stirred, and the scene in front of the wooden barrel appeared in his mind:

A small head leaned over, with delicate features and a lovely face, she had light brown medium-short hair, looking up and down at the wooden cat inside.

Suddenly seeing this face so close, Li Changshou didn’t react for a moment;

But when her bending posture changed to leaning forward, that tight hemp cloth short jacket…

Senior Uncle Jiu!

At the same time, Li Changshou’s directional wind spell brought Little Senior Uncle’s muttering…

“Strategy barrel?

Who are they trying to fool, putting this thing here to get spirit stones?”

Little Senior Uncle chuckled softly, casually drew over a small stone, and threw it into the wooden cat’s mouth.

Then, she said seriously:

“Strategy barrel, listen well, I have a small problem—how can I get more fine wine, delicious food, and handsome men?

Um… the last one can be removed.”

Li Changshou immediately smiled with squinted eyes, his mind stirred slightly, and the miniature formation in the wooden barrel activated, a bamboo slip shooting out from the small hole at the bottom of the wooden barrel, caught by Jiu Wu.

Jiu Wu looked at the words on it, reading softly:

“Heavy doubts in heart, answers lie within, don’t forget well diggers, cherish as you go?”

Jiu Wu blinked, hummed twice, and muttered: “Actually has some meaning to it.”

She turned over the bamboo slip to look, seeing written [Please don’t take away, return to the side hole of the barrel], and casually stuffed this bamboo slip back.

She naturally couldn’t recognize that this was Qi Yuan’s handwriting.

Jiu Wu thought for a moment, took out a spirit stone almost depleted of spiritual energy, and threw it into the big-bellied cat’s mouth.

Then, Jiu Wu said: “Let me ask you another question, lately I keep hearing my Sixth Senior Sister and Fourth Senior Sister complaining about their Dao companions, is this Dao companion thing good or bad?”

Li Changshou in the pill room briefly flicked his finger, and the miniature formation shot out another bamboo slip.

After Jiu Wu caught it, she read softly:

“Immortal path ethereal, human way clear, immortal and mortal must part, why worry so…

Oh, feels like it makes so much sense!

This thing is quite effective!”

After pondering for a moment, Jiu Wu looked around, set up a sound barrier, and this time took out a high-grade beautiful jade, carefully putting it into the strategy barrel.

Pat, pat!

She properly clasped her hands together, gently drew in a breath, then slowly exhaled.

“It’s like this, Cat Immortal, I have a friend…

She owes a nephew who is much younger than her, and of a lower generation, many, many favors, so many she doesn’t know how to repay them.

What should be done about this?”

Li Changshou couldn’t help laughing, and considering the beautiful jade, this time gave her an ‘excellent’ bamboo slip.

[Carefree and at ease, no obstacles or worries, having stepped on an immortal path, why fear dao unclear?]

Jiu Wu stood there comprehending for a while, then showed sudden realization, properly made a Daoist bow to the Cat Immortal, and then left with a spring in her step.

‘Probably only Senior Uncle who has drank too much and hurt her… ahem, would fall for this kind of thing.’

Li Changshou smiled inwardly, though that beautiful jade was quite good, and could be exchanged later for some treasure materials.

However, what Li Changshou didn’t expect was…

Two days later, Jiu Wu brought Jiu Lu’er over…

Jiu Lu’er also had worries, asking for strategy about her marriage fate, but opened with:

“I have a friend…”

Li Changshou naturally couldn’t be cruel;

The bamboo slips given out were just some advice to ease her mind, and spend more thought on cultivation, with confidence there’s nothing difficult in the world.

Jiu Lu’er pondered briefly, immediately showed a sweet smile, bowed to the Cat Immortal, and floated away.

This time the income was quite good, and Jiu Lu’er gave several large spirit stones.

Over the next half month, four of the Jiu character’s nine immortals came successively, and five or six True Immortals from Breaking Heaven Peak who were close to them also came, Li Changshou gained over a hundred spirit stones and spirit jades for nothing.

Calculating, it was almost equal to his monthly allowance…

Moreover, each time, these people left satisfied, actually gaining nothing, only confirming what was in their hearts through this method, and Li Changshou didn’t take on any karma.

Could this method work?

He only spent a strand of consciousness occasionally, not much effort.

Li Changshou was also surprised, hurriedly made three hundred and sixty bamboo slips overnight, expanded the wooden barrel somewhat, and set up the formations and restrictions inside more meticulously.

The content on the bamboo slips wasn’t very complex and had no practical meaning, could be understood positively, negatively, or obliquely.

How to understand it depended on which answer the strategy seeker’s heart leaned toward.

If there were people with real difficulties or doubts coming to seek solutions, Li Changshou also prepared three types of bamboo slips.

The first type was [Noble helps ahead];

The second type was [Step back, sea wide sky vast];

The third type was [Still need to ask own heart]…

Thus, a strategy barrel trending toward perfection was quickly perfected, and every day began to have one or two people come to ask for strategy.

Li Changshou moved this thing to Little Qiong Peak’s back mountain forest, to avoid disturbing Master’s cultivation.

What Li Changshou found interesting was that most people who came to seek strategy would bring one line:

“I… have a friend…”

…

Another half month later, near dusk.

A figure familiar to Li Changshou quietly appeared in front of the strategy barrel.

She wore an ice-blue long dress, extremely beautiful but unsmiling, naturally it was You Qin Xuan Ya.

Seeing her at first, Li Changshou thought she came to cause trouble, but You Qin Xuan Ya quickly made several quite familiar actions…

Looking around, setting up barriers, gently exhaling, and… putting in two immortal spirit stones!

Li Changshou, who was refining pills, also couldn’t help but look serious, these immortal spirit stones were quite valuable, what big problem had Poisonous Junior Sister encountered?

However, what Li Changshou didn’t expect was…

“Cat Immortal, I… I have a friend.”

You Qin Xuan Ya said softly:

“She doesn’t know what’s wrong lately, and occasionally becomes restless, with a Senior Brother’s shadow appearing in her heart, if she has free time from cultivation, the first thing is to think about going near Senior Brother.

Although she might not necessarily see him, just being near him makes her thoughts more stable.

This friend of mine deeply admires this Senior Brother in her heart and takes him as her model, but Master… her Master said this might be emotional thoughts stirring, which makes her very confused.

Cat Immortal, what should be done about this?”

Li Changshou: …

Take this opportunity to hint to You Qin Xuan Ya, let her not spend thoughts on himself.

Li Changshou quickly selected from those bamboo slips, chose an ‘excellent’ slip, and shot it out with the formation.

“Immortal path has many beautiful things, no need to be confined by form, tomorrow’s enlightenment comes, laughing and talking great dao achieved.”

You Qin Xuan Ya read the bamboo slip and immediately showed a thoughtful expression;

She quickly understood something, showing a relieved smile, and made a Daoist bow to the big-bellied Cat Immortal.

“Thank you Cat Immortal for the guidance.”

With these words, she turned and rode a cloud, smiling as she flew toward her personally built chess and card… ahem, royal gambling house.

“Poisonous Junior Sister should have understood something.”

Li Changshou pondered, that bamboo slip just now also had no ambiguity, just saying cultivate well, great dao can be expected, there’s more beautiful scenery ahead on the path.

However, Poisonous Junior Sister’s thought process had always been different and unique, Li Changshou also didn’t know what effect his bamboo slip had…

Another half day later, Jiu Wu floated over with furrowed brows.

This Senior Uncle didn’t seek strategy or ask for slips but circled this thing twice.

Then this Senior Uncle understood something and smiled:

“Little Changshou’s thing isn’t bad, being able to actively help give some advice in the sect is also good, didn’t waste that crafty little head.”

Li Changshou couldn’t help transmitting: “Senior Uncle, I can hear you.”

“Ahem, Senior Uncle has matters, has matters, this time just came on behalf of the Hundred Ordinary Hall to look, I’ll go back to report now.”

With these words, Jiu Wu hurriedly rode away on a cloud, running quite swiftly.

With Senior Uncle Jiu Wu helping handle the Hundred Ordinary Hall, this strategy barrel was legitimately preserved.

In the following days, one or two people would come here daily to seek strategy, mostly people from Breaking Heaven Peak;

The reputation of this strategy barrel hadn’t spread widely yet.

Li Changshou’s gains were quite considerable.

After all, this was a business without capital investment, good or bad all depending on one slip, with similar ingenuity to those temple keepers in the South Sea God Temples.

And Li Changshou quickly thought of a new way to earn wealth.

Built a simple isolation formation around the strategy barrel, each time just need to put five spirit stones in the [Open Formation] wooden box to open the formation for half an hour!

Of these five spirit stones, Li Changshou could earn four.

Of course, he also left himself a ‘back door’, able to hear any words spoken to the Cat Immortal at any time.

Two months later, Liu Feixian with a worried expression and scattered spirit also floated over, looked around saw no one, took out five spirit stones, and put them in the wooden box, opening the formation.

This Pill Cauldron Peak True Immortal steward who counted as handsome in the slightly chubby world, silently sighed, took out two bottles of pills, and put them in the Cat Immortal’s mouth.

“Junior Brother Qi Yuan… oh no, Cat Immortal.

I… have a friend.

He did something foolish before, had greedy thoughts, and had some accidents.

Now walking on the road, occasionally gets beaten, once while cultivating in his cave dwelling inexplicably fell asleep, woke up tied to a tree with clothes not covering body…

This friend of mine also knows he did wrong, and sincerely wants to make amends, but suffering like this, can’t even cultivate peacefully, what can be done?”

Li Changshou couldn’t help laughing, and flicked his finger slightly, giving him an encouraging bamboo slip.

But just as he finished the action, Li Changshou unconsciously frowned slightly.

A premonition must be that something was happening at the South Sea God Teaching side, and this time in Li Changshou’s heart, a trace of blood color suddenly arose.

Blood light lingering…

Calculating with his fingers…

It was an ominous sign!