The situation seemed more complicated than she had imagined.
Ling'e deliberately put on an awkward expression, hoping these three big shots would leave sooner.
She didn't want to get involved in other people's business—especially when it had nothing to do with her senior brother or master.
But at this moment, the two senior brothers on either side were already at daggers drawn, and the air was thick with a tense, smoldering tension...
What was she to do?
Beneath the willow tree, seated around the low table Ling'e had brought out, three fellow disciples—senior brothers and sister entirely unfamiliar to her—sat on three sides.
Seated across from Ling'e was a pretty-faced, poised woman—Senior Sister Liu Yan'er from Duling Peak.
It was this senior sister who had come to Xiaoqiong Peak first;
Ling'e had initially assumed this new senior sister seeking her senior brother was another "dangerous person" like Senior Sister Youqin. But after chatting for a while, Ling'e realized she had been mistaken.
This senior sister clearly had official business to discuss with her senior brother.
The matter had begun seven years ago at an expedition assembly. Senior Sister Liu Yan'er and Fellow Apprentice Wang Qi, who had traveled with her to the Northern Continent, had sparked a romance upon meeting;
After returning to the sect, the two had exchanged messages by flying cranes and made eyes at each other. Their feelings had deepened with each exchange;
Recently, Senior Sister Yan'er and Fellow Apprentice Qi had decided to become cultivation partners. They intended to register at Baifan Hall, officially becoming dao companions, and cultivate together on either Duling Peak or Xiaoling Peak.
But who could have predicted that Liu Yan'er's own junior brother—the仁兄 seated to Ling'e's left, Duling Peak's immortal seedling Liu Sizhe—would suddenly object?
He opposed this marriage!
This was a hundred-year secret love, endured in silence.
Ever since young Liu Sizhe had joined the sect as a child, he had followed this gentle same-surname senior sister, calling out "Senior Sister, Senior Sister";
Gradually, the youth's heart had grown troubled, and he had harbored a beautiful woman within it.
But Liu Sizhe felt he had not yet reached his senior sister's level, that his cultivation was inferior, that he couldn't protect her—and so he had buried his feelings deep within, cultivating earnestly and striving to comprehend the Dao, gradually making a name for himself within the sect.
Until today, Liu Sizhe ranked sixth among the sect's current generation of disciples, having reached the sixth rank Return-to-Void stage. He had received sect treasures and possessed the true transmission of Duling Peak's master.
When he had finally intended to express his feelings to his senior sister, he had witnessed...
Witnessed the woman he loved being led away by a fellow disciple from Xiaoling Peak!
Liu Sizhe had immediately stepped forward to confess his feelings. Liu Yan'er had been startled but promptly declined.
"Junior Brother, I have always regarded you as my closest junior brother."
Liu Sizhe, unwilling to accept this, had persistently questioned Liu Yan'er about her relationship with Wang Qi, and had privately challenged Wang Qi to a duel.
Fellow Apprentice Qi...
Wang Qi of Xiaoling Peak was no weakling. After returning from the Northern Continent, his cultivation had broken through repeatedly. His once somewhat frivolous temperament had also mellowed. He had now just reached the sixth rank Return-to-Void stage, and his ranking among the sect's disciples had risen considerably—to eighth.
After consulting Liu Yan'er, Wang Qi fully respected her wishes and had refused the duel.
Thus, the matter had grown increasingly deadlocked. Liu Sizhe and Wang Qi showed no signs of yielding.
Over the past few days, the conflict had even triggered a standoff between disciples of Duling Peak and Xiaoling Peak, drawing reprimands from the sect elders...
This matter needed to be resolved as quickly as possible.
Liu Yan'er had come to Xiaoqiong Peak for no other reason than to find Li Changshou, who had been with them during the expedition. She wanted him to serve as a witness.
This would make it easier to explain to Liu Sizhe how "Senior Sister Yan'er" and "Fellow Apprentice Qi" had fallen in love at first sight.
Unexpectedly, the moment Liu Yan'er arrived, Wang Qi and Liu Sizhe had pursued them from behind, resulting in this tense standoff.
Blue Ling'e looked at the low table, which was nearly split apart by the two men's auras, and felt a slight pang of heartache...
Her senior brother had crafted that table by hand.
"Senior brothers?"
"Hmm?"
Two solemn, imposing faces turned toward her simultaneously. Ling'e shrank her neck.
Blue Ling'e smiled: "Could the two senior brothers wait over there for a moment?
We women have matters to discuss that are inconvenient for senior brothers to hear."
Liu Sizhe and Wang Qi both looked toward Liu Yan'er. Liu Yan'er's gaze held a hint of exasperation and urging.
Instantly, both men stood and walked toward the lakeside.
Wang Qi thoughtfully set up a mana barrier beneath the willow tree;
Liu Sizhe, seeing this, returned and erected an even thicker, stronger barrier outside the first;
Their gazes collided. Tiny arcs of lightning appeared in the air.
Within the barrier, Liu Yan'er felt her head splitting.
"Senior Sister Yan'er, my senior brother has gone to sever mortal ties. He won't return for at least another year," Blue Ling'e said, then paused to suggest, "You might consult Senior Sister Youqin about this matter."
"I went to see her earlier," Liu Yan'er sighed. "Senior Sister Youqin is in secluded meditation, and I didn't dare disturb her. Now this matter can only be clarified by Fellow Apprentice Changshou."
Ling'e was puzzled: "But what good would it do for my senior brother to confirm you fell in love at first sight?"
"My junior brother is single-minded," Liu Yan'er said bitterly. "He now thinks I'm using Fellow Apprentice Qi as a shield, that I don't want to hold him back on his path to immortality.
But I truly...
Sigh, what am I to do? I even went to ask Senior Uncle Jiu, but Senior Uncle Jiu is also in seclusion.
And now Fellow Apprentice Changshou isn't here either."
Blue Ling'e was about to diplomatically express that this was none of Xiaoqiong Peak's business;
But before she could organize her words, she suddenly felt the ground trembling...
Looking up, she saw those two fellow apprentice brothers on the empty ground before the thatched cottage, their legs locked together in a leg-wrestling contest!
Because sect rules prohibited disciples from fighting privately, any disputes needed to be reported to Baifan Hall in advance. The sect would then arrange a formal resolution.
As immortal seedlings of the sect, Wang Qi and Liu Sizhe were both exercising considerable restraint;
They merely extended their left legs forward, their knees pressing against each other, their gazes as though they might devour the other!
Liu Yan'er immediately raised a hand to her forehead, unsure what to do.
But Blue Ling'e blinked—this situation...
Was quite similar to those spiritual beasts in the back mountain competing for mates!
Laughing inwardly, Ling'e's mind turned, and she formed a decision.
She rose, stepped outside the barrier, and called to the two:
"Stop fighting! You won't kill anyone this way!
Ah—I mean.
Senior brothers, please remember that the sect prohibits private fighting, and this is Xiaoqiong Peak territory.
Since you've both come here, why not follow Xiaoqiong Peak's rules? No matter who Senior Sister Yan'er ultimately chooses, you two settle who's superior right here on this spot.
How about it?"
Both men leaped apart. Though their knees ached, they both appeared nonchalant as they nodded.
Liu Sizhe asked: "What rules?"
"My senior brother enjoys brewing wine," Ling'e smiled. "I ask the two senior brothers to sample it."
Moments later...
*Thunk! Thunk!*
Wang Qi and Liu Sizhe collapsed simultaneously onto the low table, each holding a wine jar that they had barely managed to drink a third from.
After all, it was diluted Beauty's Charm—Uncle Jiu Jiu's personal supply.
Liu Yan'er exhaled softly, giving Ling'e a grateful smile.
But she showed no immediate intention of leaving.
"Senior Sister Yan'er, I might have a method that could help you decide."
Ling'e sighed inwardly, gesturing for Liu Yan'er to come closer, then whispered a few words in her ear.
Liu Yan'er frowned: "Would that work?"
"Of course. If either of them is willing to raise another man's child for you, that's truly someone worth entrusting your life to," Ling'e winked. "But remember to find someone to serve as a witness first, lest your reputation suffer."
"I am enlightened!
If this works, I will owe you my deepest gratitude, Junior Sister!"
Liu Yan'er rose eagerly, performing a Dao salute. Blue Ling'e quickly waved her off.
Before long, this senior sister used two clouds to carry the thoroughly drunk junior brothers into the sky, heading toward Duling Peak.
"Really—everyone comes looking for my senior brother for every little thing.
Is our Xiaoqiong Peak's senior brother really that idle?"
Blue Ling'e huffed lightly, picked up a handkerchief, and took the low table to the lakeside for a thorough washing.
Should she invite Master to Duling Peak to watch the spectacle?
No better not cause trouble. Otherwise, her senior brother would definitely scold her again when he returned.
"Stupid senior brother! When you went to sever mortal ties, why couldn't you bring your junior sister along? I could have kowtowed with you!
Really...
The next time your junior sister goes to sever mortal ties, you're coming with me whether you want to or not—hmph!"
......
Two thousand li southwest of the Du Xian Sect's gate, near the sixth spirit vein, in a valley.
*'I wonder if Ling'e has caused any trouble.'*
Li Changshou awoke from meditation and murmured softly, his gaze peaceful.
His realm was continuously consolidating. Though his cultivation hadn't risen, his strength was growing at a visible rate.
Checking the spider-web formations and various early-warning arrays he had set up, Li Changshou moved to a different cave and continued his secluded cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, a year had passed since his arrival outside the Du Xian Sect.
Though he was right outside the gate, he didn't want to return too early. Beyond the three years of mourning, he also needed to account for travel time and act as a fourth-rank Return-to-Void disciple should.
Three or four years away from the sect—the various peaks' immortal seedlings would probably have advanced another one or two minor realms, wouldn't they?
If he displayed fourth-rank Return-to-Void cultivation, he would simply be keeping pace with the mainstream disciples. That would grant him most of the treatment available to sect disciples without drawing too much attention.
The closer the day of his return came, the more uneasy Li Changshou felt.
As the saying went, a single copper could defeat an honest man;
His current assets were严重 mismatched with his cultivation realm.
The situation was rather like his previous life when playing games—he had purchased a level-boost package but had no decent equipment to use.
Where could he find some materials?
Xiaoqiong Peak's compound grand array needed improvement, requiring a great deal of materials;
He needed to enhance his enemy-suppression methods, which also required a great deal of materials...
If only he had spirit stones that he could never exhaust.
Li Changshou rested his chin on his hand in thought.
He had actually contemplated the Du Xian Sect's spirit mines before. If he could dig a small side branch, the spirit stone problem would be solved immediately.
But Li Changshou felt this would be truly unconscionable;
The Du Xian Sect had nurtured him all these years. Now that he had some strength, he had no intention of becoming a fighting force for the sect—wasn't that enough? To also go挖 the sect's own spirit mines?
That wasn't just taking advantage of the sect's sheep—that was digging up the sect's mutton directly.
*'Go to the nearest market town and sell some poison pills and immortal pills?'*
Li Changshou considered briefly, then felt such a trip was unnecessary.
He was beginning to suspect he might have a "trouble-magnet" constitution.
During his tribulation, he had miscalculated that the Heavenly Way would miscalculate, resulting in a double tribulation and even attracting Heavenly Punishment;
Hit by the Heavenly Punishment and severely injured, he had fled into a fish and drifted west—
—Because he had sensed the approaching figure had come from the east.
And yet, even such a massive fish could be caught by mortals and hauled ashore!
He had merely encountered one Bear Settlement, and he had ended up with the title of Sea God.
At the time, he had been in his original appearance. His disguises had all been destroyed during the tribulation; the statue erected by Bear Settlement a year ago bore his true face...
If he voluntarily went to a market town teeming with all manner of spirits and demons, wouldn't something even bigger happen?
Right—his statue should have collapsed by now, shouldn't it?
He hadn't manifested any miracles. It must have collapsed.
Li Changshou counted on his fingers to divine, his expression froze, and then his entire face was covered in black lines...
What the—
Ahem, little immortal gentlemen didn't use coarse language.
What was going on?
How had his statue already reached over a hundred?
How had his incense merit quietly accumulated to this level—more than when he had killed a great demon!
What on earth was happening?
Because he was carrying objects that shielded him from divination, he had to actively divine to sense those "believers" worshipping him.
Could it be...
Perhaps...
Could it be...
*'Village Chief (Tribal Chief, City Lord)!*
*I know the secret of Bear Settlement's strength!*
*They worship a Sea God every day!*
*After worshipping this Sea God, not only do their bodies grow stronger, but their fishing yields double with each voyage. There's no sickness or disaster in the tribe—it's incredibly effective!'*
*'Quick! Let's get one too!'*
Having conjured this scene in his imagination, Li Changshou's mouth twitched wildly.
What... what should he do?
If he said he truly hadn't intended to compete with the Western Teaching for incense merit—would they... would they believe him?
What poison could defeat a Sage?
Was he... already half-dead?!
Li Changshou's head tilted, and a tiny phantom flew from his open mouth—his primordial spirit had actually left his body from sheer shock—but he quickly sucked it back in...
He had to think of something. He absolutely had to think of something!