“I am Servant Bi Yun, and I’m very nervous right now.”
On Skeleton Mountain, in a cave dwelling on the mountainside covered in fragrant grass, a small servant wearing colorful clothes emerged carrying a flower basket, his expression somewhat dejected.
Sigh, Master had sent him down the mountain to gather flowers again.
He wondered if he would run into the fierce and intimidating Elder Brother Ma Yuan from the neighboring cave again. It was said this elder had even devoured Golden Immortals, with a particular fondness for human hearts.
Servants like him were mostly mountain and rock spirits that had gained consciousness. Their main duty was to serve their cave-dwelling masters and watch over the residents when their masters went out.
If they existed long enough and accumulated sufficient spiritual essence, they might even reach profound realms and become formal disciples.
Take, for example, the most accomplished figure in their servant circles – His Majesty the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Court.
Of course, the Jade Emperor was once the Ancestral Master’s servant and his own background was quite terrifying, being classified as a Primordial Being.
As for servants like himself…
Little fortune, lots of chores, high cultivation pressure, and no holidays. When Master was in the cave, he had to serve tea and water; when Master went out, he was still required to focus on cultivation without the slightest slack.
Miserable hardly began to describe it.
“Roar—”
A low growl echoed through the deep mountains. Servant Bi Yun’s whole body trembled several times. Hugging his flower basket, he flew head down toward the valley below. His movement was quite swift, vanishing in a flash.
Elder Brother Ma Yuan was truly terrifying!
*Flap flap flap.*
The sound of beating wings came from ahead as a spirit bird landed on Servant Bi Yun’s inevitable path, its eyes gleaming with an eerie light.
Meanwhile, at Chen Tang Pass, on the city wall enshrining the Heaven-Earth Bow and Thunder-Shocking Arrows, another spirit bird of similar appearance landed on the tower’s eaves, its eyes fixed on Ne Zha who was hopping and skipping as he approached.
Both spirit birds were paper beings transformed by Li Changshou’s Paper Dao Avatar.
To be precise, these were two paper birds, mainly used for surveillance, message delivery, watching nighttime snippets, searching for enemy traces, and so forth.
What their eyes witnessed was projected into a special bronze mirror standing on Little Jade Peak in the backyard of the Grand White Palace.
At present, Li Changshou can only observe these matters remotely.
The Ancestral Master’s sudden dream summons indicated that the first battle between the Enlightenment and Severing sects was about to begin, and he should just watch from the sidelines without interfering unnecessarily.
Li Changshou’s words naturally followed his consistent style – saying he would leave the primitive world but not too far from it, which served as a form of deterrence against the Heavenly Dao.
He had an “open and honest” discussion with the Ancestral Master, and their respective positions were very clear.
Setting aside whether these positions were true or false, and to what degree;
Objectively speaking, the Ancestral Master truly represented the will of Heaven and Earth, wanting to suppress the vitality of living beings to prevent the catastrophe of the ancient primitive world’s shattering from recurring.
Li Changshou represented the living beings, preserving the spark of resistance against Heaven and Earth, yet being a “vulnerable group,” he couldn’t actively overturn everything.
In their dream discussion, both sides exchanged views on their respective perspectives and each took half a step back, preventing them from immediately falling into absolute opposition.
The Ancestral Master wanted to preserve the original Investiture of the Gods script: Zhou replacing Shang, decimating the Severing Sect, supporting the Western Paradise, and prospering the Heavenly Court.
Li Changshou wanted to protect several close friends from the Severing Sect, try to have those without karmic obstacles ascend in physical form, preserve the Dao Sect’s vital force, protect the will of living beings, and prosper the Heavenly Court.
Their newly reached understanding in this discussion was that Li Changshou wouldn’t interfere with the Ancestral Master’s indirect pushing of the script, while the Ancestral Master would permit Li Changshou to make minor adjustments to the script, preserving the strength of the living beings’ experts.
This involved concepts of “mortal destiny,” “universal balance,” “yin-yang theory,” “unity of heaven and man,” and so forth – it could be considered a direct clash between the primitive world’s two generations of… ahem.
A face-off between two generations of strategists in the primitive world.
“Tsk,” Li Changshou yawned, hands cushioning his head as he reclined in his lounging chair.
To the side, gathered around a low table were Ling E, You Qin Xuan Ya, Xiong Ling Li, and the Chaos Bell Spirit, each holding steaming cups of tea and eating snacks that Ling E had spent considerable time preparing, discussing their card-playing skills and the interesting tales You Qin Xuan Ya had heard from the Heavenly Court.
If this scene were a painting, Li Changshou’s side could be labeled “Life’s Pressures,” while the right side would be “Leisurely Afternoon Tea.”
Ling E and You Qin Xuan Ya’s gazes would occasionally fall on Li Changshou.
Li Changshou had suddenly called them over but hadn’t explained exactly what for, leaving them somewhat concerned.
In the bronze mirror’s display, Servant Bi Yun had reached the valley, gently sweeping at the flowers and grass before him with a tree branch, unable to resist raising his hand to yawn.
Little Ne Zha was hopping and jumping on the city wall, lying on an eave with his legs crossed, also yawning, seemingly about to take a short rest.
Ling E couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Brother, is there something the matter?”
“Ah, nothing,” Li Changshou casually replied. “I’m feeling a bit unhappy, so I called you all over to witness something together. That might cheer me up a bit.”
The Chaos Bell Spirit snickered: “What could you possibly be unhappy about? Even without going out, we’ve heard many beings discussing how Grand White Star single-handedly subdued a group of dragons.”
Li Changshou shook his head and sighed, frowning in concentration as he said softly, “I just argued with the Ancestral Master. He warned me not to ruin his calculations, and I’m feeling rather dejected.”
Bell Spirit: *stunned*.
“I didn’t hear anything, didn’t hear anything,” Sister Bell Spirit rolled her eyes. “The Orthodox Unity Sect is full of weird…”
“Oh?”
A strand of Taiji Diagram’s Dao charm circled, and Bell Spirit immediately changed her words.
“Weirdly strong, weirdly strong powerhouses.”
“Hmph,” the spiritual perception of the Taiji Diagram dispersed around Li Changshou’s body, clearly protecting him at this moment.
Bell Spirit breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest lightly, her small face full of lingering fear.
Ling E said softly, “No matter what, the Ancestral Master should still be reasonable. Senior Brother has done so much for the Heavenly Court, he shouldn’t just scold you like that.”
Bell Spirit glared at Ling E – how dare she say such things?
You Qin Xuan Ya frowned and asked, “The Ancestral Master Senior Brother mentioned… could it be the Dao Ancestor?”
“Let’s not discuss these matters,” Li Changshou waved his hand. “Lest the Ancestral Master hear and become displeased. Respecting teachers and valuing the Dao are our excellent qualities as juniors of the primitive world. Come watch, a good show is about to begin.”
Just as Li Changshou finished speaking, dialogue suddenly came from Ne Zha’s side of the divided projection in the bronze mirror before them.
“General, is it true that no one can draw this bow above our heads?”
“Many cultivators have tried, but the bowstring won’t budge at all,” in the gate tower, the duty general discussed such minor matters with his soldiers.
The general lowered his voice and said, “They say even our Commander-in-Chief couldn’t draw this thing. Otherwise, when those Dragon Clan members came to cause trouble last time, he would have shot them with this bow and arrows.”
The words entered Ne Zha’s ears, immediately causing this bored young hero to sit up.
With a flip, Ne Zha jumped into the tower, looking at the long bow and three long arrows with three sticks of clear incense offered before them, his little brows immediately furrowing.
He felt – purely based on his feelings…
This bow and arrows didn’t seem too powerful.
The bow was wrapped from top to bottom with white cloth strips, completely lacking any treasure light. The three arrows did contain a kind of sharp and murderous aura, but somehow also felt incomplete.
With a stretch of his small hand, the long bow immediately fell into Ne Zha’s grasp. Ne Zha examined this bow that was much taller than him up and down, waving it in his hands.
“So light, how could it have any power? What nonsense.”
Ne Zha tilted his head, then holding the bow, he flipped out of the tower and jumped straight down from the city wall, frightening the gate-guarding commander and passing commoners carrying various building materials.
“Young Master Ne Zha, how could you just jump down like that! From such a height!”
“Are you hurt? Please don’t be hurt.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine… Is this it?” Ne Zha waved the bow and asked, “The one you just said no one could draw – is this it?”
The general hurriedly nodded, repeatedly confirming it was.
“Watch this.”
Ne Zha let out a light snort, pressed his right hand against the bow’s body, hooked his fingers on the bowstring, and gently applied force… increased the force… veins bulging…
*Hum~*
The bow’s body trembled lightly, streams of light appearing on it, condensing into a six-inch-long lock.
Grand White Palace Production · White Marsh Craftsmanship · Changshou Child Safety Lock!
Ne Zha tilted his head, his large eyes full of brightness, immediately becoming energized.
“Fun, fun! It even glows!”
Seeing this, the surrounding mortal soldiers mostly had cold sweat on their faces.
The general hurriedly stepped forward and said to Ne Zha, “Young Master, the Commander-in-Chief instructed that this item must not be disturbed. You’ve awakened the divine weapon, there might be some calamity.”
“Fine then,” Ne Zha instantly became discouraged and threw the still-glowing bow back to the general. “How truly boring.”
The general hurriedly bowed with an apologetic smile, but just as his large hand grasped the bow’s body, the divine light that had formed the lock on it exploded with a “ping” sound and scattered.
Li Changshou: …
This was truly an unlocking method he hadn’t anticipated.
Ne Zha’s small eyes widened, feeling somewhat targeted and mocked by this bow.
That general, however, trembled violently, his eyes reddening, almost crying with joy.
What kind of phenomenon was this? What kind of opportunity?!
A divine weapon choosing its master!
This must be the legendary divine weapon choosing its master! Could he be about to embark on a path of reversal – gaining official positions, conquering in battle, becoming a marquis, marrying a noble lady, reaching life’s peak?
“Hold my sword well!”
The gate-guarding general shouted, throwing his sword at the armored warrior behind him. His arms bulged as he took an archer’s stance, looking toward the sky.
“Open!”
The bowstring vibrated slightly, but the general’s face had already turned red, his whole body trembling continuously. A turbid qi escaped from his back door with a “puff” sound.
With a clattering noise, passing commoners fell to the ground foaming at the mouth.
Shortly after, the gate-guarding general helplessly knelt on the ground. From somewhere came the sound of an erhu, as his eyes gradually lost their light. He slowly lay on the ground, weakly beating at the earth.
Heaven, Earth, why treat him so cruelly?
If he wasn’t destined for this treasure, why give him such hints?
Was he destined to remain just a mid-level commander in Chen Tang Pass, earning a thin salary and little prestige, waiting until he saved enough money to return home as a mediocre landlord, buy a few pretty servant girls, and spend his life in mundane ways…
No!
“Here, let me try again.”
Ne Zha, holding his nose with one finger, reached out his small hand, and the Heaven-Earth Bow immediately fell into his grasp.
This time, he took a light breath, his small face full of seriousness, and mimicked the gate guard’s stance, stepping into an archer’s position and looking toward the sky.
Inhaling, channeling power, immortal force surging, spiritual qi gathering.
The bowstring moved directly!
Ne Zha smiled inwardly, having already thought of how to encourage the dejected uncle.
He would first draw the bowstring to demonstrate his divine power, then give the uncle a gentle smile and say:
‘Don’t be discouraged, I’m a reincarnated immortal. If you practice diligently – doing a hundred squats, a hundred push-ups, a hundred sit-ups, and running fifty li every day – you can do it too.’
“Eh?”
Ne Zha suddenly felt the bow absorbing his spiritual power, and the bowstring had been drawn back halfway.
Streams of red light gathered between his hands, and one of the arrows in the tower gradually dissipated, quickly reforming in front of Ne Zha, perfectly fitting into the bow.
Heaven-Earth Bow drawn!
Thunder-Shocking Arrow arrived!
Ne Zha felt he still had strength to spare, his small arms stretching to their limit, the bow drawn back most of the way!
This arrow!
Ne Zha suddenly felt a surge of heroic spirit, wanting to pierce the heavens, like the legendary Hou Yi shooting down the sun!
He could continue! Still had strength left!
“Hey!”
Let this little immortal see your true potential, longbow!
*Crack, snap!*
Ne Zha was caught off guard as the bowstring suddenly lost its tension, his body losing balance and falling backward!
Looking closely, the bow’s body had broken in half, with pieces the size of fingernails flying out, and little Ne Zha landed on his bottom.
“Ah, this!”
*Gulp—*
Ne Zha’s Adam’s apple bobbed several times, already able to imagine his father’s furious expression.
Chen Tang Pass’s gate front instantly became completely silent. The gate-guarding commander stared blankly at the broken bow before him, unable to help the sadness rising in his heart, realizing that his simple and beautiful wish from earlier would now be difficult to achieve.
On Little Jade Peak, Li Changshou frowned watching this scene, wanting to laugh but also somewhat worried.
Would the Ancestral Master think he was deliberately causing trouble?
This wave was purely a misunderstanding, the responsibility lay mainly in Sir White Marsh’s inadequate craftsmanship, it had nothing to do with him.
On the other side of the bronze mirror’s display, Servant Bi Yun had already gathered a basket of wildflowers and was bouncing back to his cave dwelling.
Although this servant didn’t know what he had experienced, he had somehow become a bit happier.
“What is little Ne Zha going to do now?” Ling E asked softly, as the group and one spirit continued staring at the bronze mirror’s image.
They saw Ne Zha pat his bottom and stand up, tie the broken bow together with the cloth strips that had been wrapped around it, nervously pluck the bowstring, and say to the general:
“If my father asks about it, just say I broke it, don’t worry.”
The general was instantly grateful, almost crying tears of joy.
“Um,” Ne Zha muttered softly, “if my father doesn’t ask, don’t bring it up on your own. This thing was just for display, an old item, not fit for use.”
“Yes, yes, this humble officer understands, Young Master can rest assured.”
Ne Zha calmly nodded, took the bow and arrows, and lightly jumped back up to the tower, returning the bow to its original position, then nervously looked around.
Time to slip away.
On Little Jade Peak, the immortal ladies giggled continuously, but Li Changshou was privately puzzled, wondering how the Heavenly Dao’s script would now play out.
Could it be…
Thus, several hours later, in the dead of night.
A dark shadow quietly slipped into the tower, took away the long bow, and before dawn, returned the reassembled bow.
Li Changshou watched this shadow from the darkness, truly not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
This Maitreya, taking on any job, doing any work, a perfectly good Senior Brother of the Western Paradise, forcibly living as a repairman.
Dawn.
In the Li residence, Li Jing heard the rumors and brought Ne Zha straight to the tower, where they saw a completely flawless bow.
Additionally, all three arrows were now the same length.
Li Jing sighed inwardly, shaking his head slightly, and said to the bow:
“Thank you, Star-Lord.”
In a corner, a slightly chubby Daoist hit the wall, turned, and fled, leaving behind half a cold snort.
This damned Li Changgen, this grudge, this poor Daoist will remember it!