Chapter 110: Daoist, Have You Heard...

Chapter 110: Daoist, Have You Heard...

By the lakeside grass hut, under the blue sky and white clouds.

As Daoist Qi Yuan, stopped by his eldest disciple, just landed, Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e immediately stepped forward and blocked their master's path.

This scene instantly reminded Qi Yuan of his last encounter in the alchemy room. Subconsciously, he took a half step back, looking at his two close disciples with a solemn expression.

"What are you two up to?" he asked.

"Master, rest assured, this time my junior sister and I won't try to confuse you," Li Changshou said with a humble smile.

Lan Ling'e added, "Master, this senior brother of ours hasn't sent you any news for so many years. Suddenly, he's sent two letters in the past few months, inviting you to meet. Isn't that a bit... too sudden?"

Qi Yuan sighed and said, "Your senior brother was just upset with me back then."

Li Changshou quickly interjected, "Master, men shouldn't say 'can't'."

Not understanding, Qi Yuan glanced at his disciples. Lan Ling'e smirked meaningfully, a bit shyly.

Li Changshou continued, "Master, our senior brother is also from the same line of Xiaojiong Peak. If she wants to meet you, why doesn't she come back to the sect? When our senior brother went out back then, she hadn't become an immortal. The reason she gave was to find her traveling master. But after nearly a thousand years, she hasn't returned, according to the sect rules, she should be treated as a traitor. If you, Master, rashly go to meet this senior sister, how should we explain to the sect elders? If they ask, how can you answer with a clear conscience?"

Qi Yuan furrowed his brow, pondering. Walking back and forth on the grass by the lake, he rubbed his chin and mulled over the matter.

On the side, Ling'e gave Li Changshou a thumbs-up discreetly, but he just kept a low profile and didn't say much. Li Changshou knew that he sometimes tended to overthink things.

But it was better to consider too much than not to consider at all. Besides, the situation regarding their master's matter did seem suspicious at every turn.

Although he had just said that he wouldn't confuse their master, if verbal persuasion didn't work, then setting up an illusion array wouldn't be considered going back on his word.

Just as Li Changshou was about to continue reasoning with his master, he heard Qi Yuan sigh, saying, "It does make sense. The sect had already removed her from the disciple roster when she left."

Qi Yuan looked at Li Changshou. Although it was a bit difficult to say, he still asked, "Changshou, what do you think we should do?"

Li Changshou used his sound transmission technique and said, "Master, why don't you write a letter, informing her of the meeting place. I'll use a paper replica to deliver the letter on your behalf, just like when I went out to buy herbs before. No matter what, we shouldn't only consider our own perspective. Master, you can advise her in the letter to return to the sect and admit her mistake. Although our sect rules are strict, the punishments aren't severe. At most, she'll have to reflect in seclusion for a thousand years. Master, do you think this approach is reasonable?"

Qi Yuan pondered silently, clearly considering Li Changshou's proposal. Li Changshou then instructed Ling'e on what to say through sound transmission, and the two of them worked together, speaking one after the other, persuading their master.

Before long, Qi Yuan nodded, convinced by their arguments. Reluctantly, he returned to his hut and spent two hours carefully writing a letter using a transmitting jade charm. He made several revisions, pondering over his choice of words. Finally, he handed the transmitting jade charm to Li Changshou with a solemn expression.

"Don't you dare peek!" he warned.

"Master, you can rest assured," Li Changshou chuckled. "By the time you were writing, I had already finished reading."

"You!" Qi Yuan scowled.

"Just kidding, just kidding, Master, don't be mad."

"Sooner or later, you two will drive me crazy!"

Later, Qi Yuan informed them of the meeting place— Lin Dong, a bustling city on the coast of Nanzhou. The agreed time was two months later, on the east city wall of Lin Dong, just after sunset.

Li Changshou advised his master to focus on cultivation during this time and reinforced the formation around his master's hut to prevent external probing.

"Senior brother, what about you?" Ling'e sneaked over and whispered, to which Li Changshou simply told her not to wander around during this time.

"I won't go to the alchemy room these two months. I'll cultivate in the grass hut," Li Changshou said calmly.

Ling'e adjusted her hair and whispered, "Then, shall I deliver the paper replica out of the mountain gate?"

"No need," Li Changshou looked at his junior sister and smiled. "You're quite familiar with the process. Focus on your cultivation. When you pass through the heavenly tribulation and encounter such things, I'll let you be more involved."

"Got it! Senior brother, I'll do my best!" Ling'e replied enthusiastically.

As Li Changshou returned to his grass hut to cultivate, Ling'e suddenly came back to her senses, gently humming. Now she realized that to be used as a magical tool by her senior brother, she had to reach the level of an immortal practitioner...

That little senior brother of hers!

He had skewed her perception of big and small and raised the threshold for his demand for 'magical tool people'!

As she grumbled inwardly, Ling'e suddenly heard a distant call from the sky, gradually approaching:

"Ling'e—"

Looking up, Ling'e saw a figure swiftly approaching. She instinctively grabbed two jade bottles, but then remembered that her senior brother was beside her. There was no way an outsider could sneak attack Xiaojiong Peak...

In an instant, Ling'e looked up again. She didn't need to see the person's face clearly. Just a glance at the overwhelming evil aura told her that her little senior brother, who she had been complaining about in her heart, had arrived!

With a soft sigh, Ling'e just put away the jade bottles when she was firmly hugged and spun around by Jiujiu. They laughed and frolicked in front of the grass hut.

"Uncle, you're squeezing me so hard..."

"Hahaha, feel the caring love from your uncle, little Ling'e!"

"Uncle, I was wrong, hahaha! Stop tickling me... I was wrong..."

Next door, Li Changshou couldn't help but smile at the scene. But deep down, he also worried about Ling'e's cultivation. Playing with Jiujiu every day like this would inevitably delay her practice. He had to remind her about it.

Soon, unable to withstand the attack from her little uncle, Ling'e could only divert the trouble to her senior brother and call out for help...

Jiujiu's eyes lit up. "Eh? Your senior brother has come out of seclusion? Let's call him over and fight the gods together! I haven't seen him for half a year!"

Li Changshou shook his head helplessly and walked out of the grass hut.

The meditation cushions hadn't even warmed up yet...

...

The atmosphere in Ling'e's grass hut quickly became lively.

Li Changshou brought out two jars of fine wine, Ling'e brought out the snacks she had made for her uncle earlier, and the three of them played cards made by Li Changshou, joking and laughing.

"A pair of true immortals!"

"Hmph! A pair of celestial immortals!"

"In this round, we're minor immortals, and my senior brother is the great deity! Uncle, why are you betting against me!"

"Uh... I got carried away for a moment."

"I think you two should just admit defeat," Li Changshou calmly shook his head. "Both of the golden immortal cards are in my hand. How can you two turn the tables?"

Ling'e immediately snorted, "Nonsense, clearly, the little golden card is in my... Oh no, I've been fooled!"

Jiujiu burst into laughter, nearly falling over. "With your level, you dare to mock your uncle..."

Just then, an old Daoist walked unsteadily to the door. It was Qi Yuan.

"Master!" "Brother Qi Yuan!" Just as the three were about to stand up, 'Qi Yuan' raised his hand to signal them to remain seated. "You guys keep playing, Changshou, Ling'e, accompany Jiujiu well. I have some matters to attend to outside."

Lan Ling'e blinked, and Li Changshou stood up and bowed respectfully.

'Qi Yuan' waved his hand, smiling as he soared into the clouds and flew towards the direction of the mountain gate.

As if recalling something, Lan Ling'e blinked at Li Changshou, who smiled slightly and gestured for them to continue playing cards.

Jiujiu immediately felt proud. "Did you hear that? Your master wants you to take care of me! Hurry, serve up good wine and food, and let me decide when we play!"

The senior brother and sister chuckled lightly and continued to enjoy their time with Jiujiu.

At this moment, Li Changshou was multitasking, but it didn't affect his winning streak...

The 'Qi Yuan' just now was naturally Li Changshou disguised as a paper Daoist, with the consent of his master. Therefore, he didn't feel burdened by multitasking after using multiple paper Daoists. While his main body played cards and conversed with his little uncle, he effortlessly sneaked out of the mountain gate, riding on clouds and heading south...

A moment later, Li Changshou glanced at the divination stone carried by the paper Daoist impersonating his master, and a faint light flickered on it. There was a divine consciousness continuously probing the paper Daoist.

Li Changshou remained calm and continued flying southward. The expression on the paper Daoist's face became somewhat complicated; there was a sense of nostalgia, urgency, and a hint of timidity, almost more like his master... than his master...

The divine consciousness chased after them for more than four hundred miles before gradually weakening. Although he didn't know who the secret observer was, judging by the situation, the person's cultivation level might be at the mid-stage of True Immortal realm, which was consistent with his previous speculation.

However, this was just speculation, and Li Changshou wouldn't make any judgments based on it. The information he obtained was still too limited.

The muddy immortal aura of his master was difficult to simulate, mainly because of the few traces of impure Qi. Li Changshou had a 'clever idea'; he condensed most of the aura of the paper Daoist, which was similar to his master's, using his master's usual punishment tool, the whisk, to make it more authentic.

When he returned, Li Changshou planned to replace it with a 'softer' one...

Over a thousand miles away from the mountain, heading towards Nanzhou.

Flying birds playfully tease, laughing at my many worries.

The paper Daoist disguised as his master was flying in the sky, while Li Changshou's divine sense, three hundred miles to the east, discovered a white cloud with several disciples from the Duexian Sect on it...

It was Jiuwu, Jiushi, and two other sect attendants returning from their errands.

Jiuwu also spotted 'Qi Yuan's' figure.

With a worried expression on his short face, he said something to Jiushi. Then, he asked the three to return to the mountain gate first and turned his cloud, chasing after 'Qi Yuan's' direction.

However, Jiuwu did not approach directly, but followed three hundred miles away, locking his divine sense onto 'Qi Yuan' to see what he was up to.

Li Changshou:...

Could it be that Senior Brother Jiuwu mistook Master for a spy...

At this moment, Li Changshou, disguised as his master, naturally had a limited range of divine sense exploration, and he couldn't detect Senior Brother Jiuwu.

After a moment of thought, Li Changshou didn't bother much about Senior Brother Jiuwu and let him follow. While chatting and playing with Jiujiu, he controlled the paper Daoist, flying slowly towards Nanzhou.

Jiuwu was quite patient and maintained the distance of three hundred miles, occasionally stroking his chin and pondering something...

This pursuit lasted for half a month...

Li Changshou even began to suspect whether Senior Brother Jiuwu was related to Master's enemies. But upon careful consideration, Senior Brother Jiuwu was just a coincidence, with no connection to Master, and they had met several times without any abnormalities.

With this intermittent journey, 'Qi Yuan' arrived at the agreed place with his senior sister, 'Qin Dong,' half a month in advance — the city of Lindong, located on the northeast coast of Nanzhou.

Disguised as a common wandering Daoist, the paper Daoist held the whisk with a wrinkled brow, blending into the bustling city through the city gate.

However, Jiuwu landed outside the city, scratching his head as he found this junior brother's whereabouts quite strange.

"Could it be related to the calamity that happened in the sect last time? Since he's Master Changshou's uncle, I can't just ignore it..." Jiuwu thought to himself.

Just as this thought arose in Jiuwu's mind, his divine consciousness captured the figure of 'Qi Yuan,' who had just entered the city. Another Daoist in a Daoist robe, whose cultivation was in the Nascent Soul stage, approached him directly and whispered something.

"There's a problem, indeed." Jiuwu immediately concealed his aura and secretly moved towards the city, intending to investigate carefully.

This short Daoist naturally misunderstood.

When the paper Daoist impersonating Li Changshou entered the city just now, the Daoist in the Daoist robe, with a cultivation in the Nascent Soul stage, came forward directly to greet him. After a respectful bow, he whispered a sentence:

"Friend, have you ever heard of the South Sea Sea God Sect?"