Along the Heavenly River, the naval forces were practicing formations on its waters, with two Vice Commanders supervising from the side.

“Brother Yi, when do you think we’ll get to lead our troops to make a splendid showing in those demon territories?”

Since the Heavenly River Navy was under the Water God’s jurisdiction, and the Water God typically didn’t involve himself in these matters, the actual power rested in the hands of several Vice Commanders.

Bian Zhuang lay on the grassy riverbank slope, chewing on a spirit grass with his hands behind his head. His handsome face bore a hint of laziness as he casually asked this question.

Sitting in meditation beside him, Ao Yi didn’t even open his eyes as he replied:

“Half a month ago during the assembly at Tongming Hall, the Sect Leader, and Wood Lord already decided on delay tactics. Unless we wear down the demon race, you and I won’t have a chance to make our move.”

“Is that so… hah…”

Bian Zhuang let out a comfortable sigh, wearing a somewhat ‘playful’ smile as he muttered:

“What is the Heavenly Court? Today, I finally understand.

They say the Marriage Hall has already tied over a dozen red strings. A demon of the Celestial Immortal realm who was made of clay exploded the day before yesterday—probably killed by a rival Demon King.

Too bad the Marriage Hall can’t interfere with the fate of Long Life Immortals. Otherwise, what would the demon race have to fear? A few red strings would settle everything.

Tsk tsk tsk, the official in charge of morning and evening clouds is even more outrageous, putting the anti-demon proclamation right in the clouds for all demons to see. Who knows if most demons can even read?

But do you know what’s the most brilliant part, Brother Yi?”

“No idea,” Ao Yi responded flatly, showing little interest in conversation.

“Hahaha! It’s the Plague Department making demon soldiers run clutching their stomachs, getting splashed with filth when they relieve themselves!

The northern border is quite lively now, fragrant in all directions, hahaha!”

Hearing this, Ao Yi first smiled helplessly, then shook his head with a sigh: “The Heavenly Court using its various departments’ authority to wear down the demon race’s strength—this was something no one had thought of before.

I wonder if doing this will affect the Heavenly Court’s fortunes.”

“Don’t worry, if we can think of these problems, how could Water God and Wood Lord not have considered them?”

Bian Zhuang smiled: “There are already divine officials constantly monitoring changes in the Heavenly Way. According to them, not only will this have no impact, but because the proper gods of the Heavenly Court are frequently exercising their authority, it has slightly deepened the Heavenly Court’s influence on the operation of the Heavenly Way.

Truly, I increasingly admire my Water God and your Sect Leader.”

“Mm,” Ao Yi’s smile immediately became much more genuine.

It had that feeling of…

[If you praise my Water God, we’re good brothers]

Just then, a white cloud drifted over from the distance. Bian Zhuang looked up, immediately shuddered, and hurriedly stood up.

“Ah! Why have Water God and the Old Man of the Moon come!”

Ao Yi remained quite calm. Having already detected these two figures with his immortal awareness, he waited a moment before rising to welcome them. Together with Bian Zhuang, they called out:

“Paying respects to Water God!”

Above the Heavenly River, all the celestial soldiers and generals paused their current tasks to bow to the two elderly immortals on the cloud.

Li Changshou waved his hand, indicating they should continue as normal, and led the Old Man of the Moon directly to where Bian Zhuang and Ao Yi stood.

“See, Old Man of the Moon,” Li Changshou smiled, “Here is an expert in this matter.”

Following Li Changshou’s right hand, the Old Man of the Moon saw Bian Zhuang’s figure and furrowed his brows, saying softly:

“Water God, although Vice Commander Bian Zhuang is somewhat loose in character, with red strings changing at most three times a day, he hasn’t really… successfully tied any red strings…”

Li Changshou smiled: “Besides Vice Commander Bian Zhuang, the Heavenly Court can’t find many others who can freely change red strings. Old Man of the Moon, you’ll just have to make do with him.”

“Well, alright.”

The Old Man of the Moon sighed, somewhat unwilling.

Still bowing with his head lowered, Bian Zhuang couldn’t help but tear up. Although he felt somewhat offended being discussed this way to his face, his heart was excited.

After being in the Heavenly Court for so long, finally, he could connect with the Old Man of the Moon!

“Vice Commander Bian Zhuang,” the Old Man of the Moon took out a blank scroll and an immortal brush, showing a faint smile, “I have some questions for Vice Commander, and I hope Vice Commander can answer truthfully according to your mind.

If, ahem, Vice Commander were to fancy a beautiful woman who is already married, and her husband is of the same Celestial Immortal realm as Vice Commander… how would Vice Commander go about stealing her away?”

“This…” Bian Zhuang frowned, “Can we do such things?”

Li Changshou smiled: “This is just hypothetical. Vice Commander Bian Zhuang is of good character and acts with measure, naturally wouldn’t do such things.

This is for Heavenly Court business because, in our plan to disturb the demon race, many Demon Kings are too inexperienced—the red strings are tied firmly, but they dare not speak up.

I thought if we could give them a set of methods for stealing away others’ partners, it would accelerate their internal conflicts.

Vice Commander Bian Zhuang, this is a heavy responsibility, please share all you know.”

Hearing Water God’s heartfelt words, Bian Zhuang gradually straightened his back, his whole being radiating a kind of sacred light. With duty in his left eye and responsibility in his right, he said seriously:

“Old Man of the Moon, please wait while I organize my thoughts!”

“Good!”

The Old Man of the Moon held his brush in concentration, quietly waiting.

Li Changshou smiled with narrowed eyes, turning to admire the scenery of the Heavenly River, watching its waters surge above the clouds, imagining what sight it must have been back then when Mount Buzhou fell and the Heavenly River’s waters flooded back into the heavenly dome…

“Brother Sect Leader,” Ao Yi drew close from the side and asked in a transmitted voice, “Using the divine authority of the Heavenly Court like this, won’t there be hidden dangers?”

“Hmm?” Li Changshou smiled, “Normally if the Old Man of the Moon carelessly tied red strings, he would face backlash from the power of the Heavenly Way. But this is an extraordinary period.

Under the Queen Mother’s orders, targeting only those demons who opposed the Heavenly Court with proclamations, not only will the Old Man of the Moon not be punished by the Heavenly Way, but the more he does—the more he disturbs the demon race—the more merit rewards he will receive.

This is righteousness, and also the meaning of form and rules.

When the demon race issued this proclamation, they had already stepped into the cycle of opposing the Heavenly Way, destined only for defeat, but we get to choose the method.”

Ao Yi showed enlightenment on his face and pondered carefully. After a while, he asked again: “Aren’t the demons seeking their own doom?”

Li Changshou stood with his hands behind his back and spoke slowly:

“It’s not that the demons are seeking their doom, but rather that the higher-ranking Demon Kings, or that Lu Ya Daoist, want to use this opportunity to wash away most of the demon race’s remaining forces, thereby reducing the threats to themselves.

The Heavenly Court is now on the verge of great prosperity, human power is scattered among various immortal sects and regulated by the Dao Sect, and the remnants of the ancient Demon Court are His Majesty the Jade Emperor’s greatest concern.

If the demon race doesn’t take this path now, in a hundred years, or three hundred years, when the Heavenly Court’s celestial army is full and its experts have taken shape, the demon race will still be cleared out.

The fact that they could decide to issue an anti-Heaven proclamation at this time proves that there are still capable people in the demon race who can see the great trends of Heaven and Earth—they cannot be underestimated.”

Ao Yi pondered this for a while at the side, gradually digesting these words, and was about to inquire further…

“Ahem!”

Bian Zhuang clasped his hands, his eyes full of confident light, “Old Man of the Moon, please ask freely, this humble official is ready.”

“Then please tell me, Vice Commander, if you were a Demon King who fancied another Demon King’s wife, how would you get to know her?”

“Naturally, one would first visit their cave-dwelling several times to befriend this Demon King, displaying one’s bearing;

When the time is right, find a way to divert this Demon King, meet his wife alone, create atmosphere, speak gently, and proceed gradually thus, observing this wife’s reactions.”

The Old Man of the Moon’s mouth twitched as he wrote all this down.

The Old Man of the Moon asked again: “What are these gentle words? Could Vice Commander teach us a few phrases?”

Bian Zhuang’s face reddened slightly, but he quickly composed himself, regaining that sense of mission and responsibility.

“Well, this is quite shameful, stealing someone else’s partner is ultimately wrong.

I just… have a friend who is a senior in this field, heard him explain it in detail. Generally, one uses flowery words, and the more skillful ones will have a progressive process, like this:

Ahem!

[Madam, I know this is wrong, against common sense, but I simply cannot hide my admiration for you.

Tonight’s moonlight is beautiful, and looking at you, I feel as if I’m in the Moon Palace.

Could you allow me to meet with you a few more times? Even if just to talk like this.

Madam, of your lifetime, I only ask to borrow one night.]

Like that…”

At the side, Ao Yi and Li Changshou’s foreheads were covered in black lines, but the Old Man of the Moon seriously recorded these words.

Bian Zhuang continued to talk at length, fabricating friends and providing different strategies.

The man and dragon at the side tactfully turned their backs.

Li Changshou took out a porcelain bottle and handed it to Ao Yi, making a throat-cutting gesture.

Ao Yi nodded in understanding, calmly putting away the porcelain bottle, but felt somewhat reluctant and transmitted:

“Brother Sect Leader, after all, we asked him to say these things. Isn’t it somewhat inappropriate to just beat him up directly?”

Just as his voice fell, they heard Bian Zhuang spout a few more lines from behind:

“If discovered, one can also shamelessly argue with reason, shouting to the Demon King who comes to catch the adulterers—

‘What you’ve lost is only your dignity and face as a male demon, but what your wife has lost is true heaven-mandated destiny!’

That should be enough to make it a fight to the death.”

Ao Yi silently drew his sword, his long dragon eyes emitting fierce light, while Li Changshou hurriedly stopped him from the side.

Second Senior Brother was such a talent, and might be of great use in the future, couldn’t let him be castrated now.

Bian Zhuang, who was developing new approaches on the side, inexplicably shivered several times, but at this moment he was somewhat carried away by his sense of mission and honor and didn’t pay much attention, continuing to chat enthusiastically with the Old Man of the Moon.

…

No one knew how long the demons in the Northern Continent could hold out.

In the half year after Lu Ya issued the anti-Heaven proclamation, Li Changshou had been busy in the Heavenly Court. Only after the various departments of the Heavenly Court got on track and the recruitment of celestial soldiers and selection of generals returned to normal did he gradually extract himself.

He arranged several paper avatars to monitor various situations underground in the Northern Continent, and incidentally verify the ‘achievements’ of the various immortals and gods of the Heavenly Court.

In the first half year, the Marriage Hall had the most abundant results.

Tying red strings for single Demon Kings, wearing down their fighting spirit and making them preoccupied;

Tying red strings for married Demon Kings, led to dozens of pairs fighting each other, and even more than ten young Demon Kings dying because of this.

Besides the Marriage Hall, the Thunder Punishment Hall had the second-best results, followed by the Divine Might Hall and the Divine Latrine Hall.

At the Northern Continent’s border, the seasons were in disorder, and in areas where demons gathered, not a blade of grass grew, and spiritual energy gradually became turbid;

Thunderstruck without warning, heavenly fire rolled, and the western evening clouds frequently displayed words like ‘Demon Race Will Perish’, ‘Demons Are Unrighteous’, ‘Evil Deeds Lead to Self-Destruction’, ‘Fighting the Heavenly Court Is a Dead End’, putting great pressure on the demon race.

At this time, lower-cultivation minor demons had little morale left, and other beings retreated far away…

In the miasma of the Northern Continent, Witch Tribe hunters frequently appeared;

To the south, the various immortal sects of the Central Divine Continent’s northern region joined forces to seal the border, making demons afraid to set foot in the Central Divine Continent.

Fortunately, demon forces from other borders continuously provided reinforcements for the anti-Heaven demon army of the Northern Continent, allowing them to continue holding on.

In just half a year, many cracks had appeared within the demon race, though they were all suppressed by those ancient senior demons.

Li Changshou had never captured traces of Daoist Lu Ya, and after half a year of monitoring, he hadn’t heard of any strategist appearing among the demons, which left Li Changshou somewhat puzzled.

Did Lu Ya think of this move himself?

It didn’t seem likely.

On Small Jade Peak, Li Changshou withdrew most of his divine consciousness, and he, sitting quietly in the bamboo grove, opened his eyes.

Glancing at the lively chess and card room, Li Changshou couldn’t help but smile.

Rarely were they all present at once. Ling E, who had just emerged from seclusion, and You Qin Xuanya were also in the chess and card room drinking tea, chatting, playing the zither, and playing chess. Ancestor Jiang Liner and Senior Aunts Jiu Jiu and Jiu Yushi were playing Big Immortal cards with great enthusiasm.

Li Changshou rode a cloud to the spirit beast enclosure, observed Bear Lingli who was in seclusion, and transmitted voice to call Ling E and You Qin Xuanya out from the tower, taking the opportunity to show Ling E some matters of the Heavenly Court.

“Senior Brother!”

“Senior Brother Changshou.”

Two soft calls, Ling E and You Qin Xuanya rode clouds over simultaneously, their clothes floating, breathtakingly beautiful, yet each with their own charm.

Ling E was like a piece of pure, flawless white jade, wearing an elaborate flowing cloud hairstyle, a pure white tube top inner garment, a light green silk outer robe embroidered with orchids, paired with a light white waist-length pleated skirt like gossamer. Her figure’s beauty far exceeded what could be summarized as just graceful and delicate.

You Qin Xuanya wore her favored ice-blue long dress, her hair tied in a ponytail, her snow-white swan-like neck, and near-perfect lines complementing each other perfectly, but even such a figure couldn’t overshadow her clear beautiful face.

Though for Li Changshou, they could all be summarized in one phrase…

Pleasant to the eye, and that’s that.

Li Changshou arranged a barrier around the three of them, looked at the sensing stone on his body, and the jade talismans that blocked mind-probing worn by both junior sisters, and got straight to the point:

“Xuanya, how far are you from the Celestial Immortal realm?”

Xuanya?

Ling E blinked, when did Senior Brother become so familiar with Senior Sister You Qin?

You Qin Xuanya said: “Even at the fastest, it would still take over ten years in seclusion… Senior Brother Changshou, is my cultivation progress too slow?”

“Cultivation doesn’t pursue speed, you’ve already worked very hard,” Li Changshou said warmly, taking out two bottles of pills from his bosom and passing them to You Qin Xuanya with immortal power.

“These are pills that increase cultivation and strengthen the connection between cultivators and the Great Dao. You can only take one every ten years. Don’t be impatient, advance step by step in cultivation, and breakthrough as much as you can with these.”

Li Changshou advised somewhat worriedly, and asked again: “Have you two heard about the imminent war between the demon race and the Heavenly Court?”

“We have heard,” Ling E said, “Many senior uncles and aunts in the sect are talking about this, and we often hear about it through wind whispering spells.”

You Qin Xuanya said: “Does the Heavenly Court need personnel?”

“Indeed, but there’s no rush,” Li Changshou said, “Currently the Heavenly Court is in its rising stage. I want to cultivate you, Xuanya, into a respected hero of the Heavenly Court, so you need Celestial Immortal realm cultivation to support this.

At present, celestial soldiers and generals are mainly male, but in terms of cultivator strength, men and women are equal.

If the Heavenly Court could have a gallant female general who doesn’t yield to men, it would greatly benefit the Heavenly Court.”

Hearing this, You Qin Xuanya pressed her lips together, clasped her hands, and bowed her head, saying firmly: “Xuanya will not disappoint Senior Brother!”

“Good!”

Improving the leadership of female cultivators in the primordial world depends on you!

Of course, these words couldn’t be said out loud.

Li Changshou then said: “Ling E, how are your preparations for the tempering experience?”

“Well… isn’t it after twelve years… hehe, Senior Brother, do you want to let me face this cold primordial world?”

Li Changshou nodded: “Yes, I do, and very much so…”

Before he could finish speaking, the three of them suddenly heard a greeting in their ears:

“Ling E is going out to temper experience? This is indeed a good thing.”

Grand Master!

Li Changshou turned his head to look and saw a rotating Taiji Diagram appearing at the side. The power of the Primordial Treasure Taiji Diagram, Li Changshou couldn’t be mistaken.

The Grand Master’s voice transmitted from within: “Changgeng, come over with your two junior sisters, guess what your elder brother has brought for you?”

Li Changshou’s forehead was full of question marks. After instructing Ling E and Xuanya not to be discourteous, he led the two into the Taiji Diagram, directly arriving at the river valley near the Crossing Immortal Gate.

In the chess and card room, Jiu Jiu looked toward the spirit beast enclosure and muttered:

“How did they suddenly disappear?”

“Missing them?” Jiang Liner smiled with narrowed eyes, “If you miss them, go take a look yourself. A pair of Celestial Immortals!”

“Matriarch, you just played two Celestial Immortals,” Jiu Yushi said softly, “I have another Celestial Immortal card here.”

“Ah? Hahaha! Your Matriarch wasn’t cheating!”