Chapter 178: Layers of Shou's Schemes

"Fellow Daoist, please halt!"

Upon hearing the voice transmission, Daoist Wenjing initially wanted to ignore it. She even considered absorbing the old Heavenly Immortal to calm her nerves.

However, at that moment, Daoist Wenjing was unsure whether the three fiends of Jie Sect had truly departed, leaving her feeling unsettled.

Involuntarily, Daoist Wenjing began to suspect that the Heavenly Immortal flying towards her might have been deliberately sent by the three fiends to test whether she would dare reveal what had just happened.

Daoist Wenjing closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed her anger.

When under another's power, one must yield!

She was no match for Zhao Gongming and Qiong Xiao, so her only option was to prioritize self-preservation.

Thus, facing the Heavenly Immortal old Daoist who had come to 'test' her, Daoist Wenjing adopted a pitiful expression.

Perhaps due to the immense humiliation, a wave of pessimistic and dejected emotions brewed within Daoist Wenjing, as the scene of being "scammed" by the three fiends of Jie Sect repeatedly flashed before her eyes.

They were called "three fiends," but the title was misleading.

In reality, only two of them were truly formidable; the other, a minor True Immortal pretending to pass by, was clearly just an accomplice pulled in by Zhao Gongming and Qiong Xiao.

The thought of that minor True Immortal infuriated Daoist Wenjing even more.

It seemed anyone dared to be unruly around her!

The other party had pretended to be passing by, grabbed her arm, and feigned concern, calling out:

"Oh dear, fellow Daoist, this won't do!

My, my, how could you injure someone like this? How could this be?"

Such words clearly conveyed to her, "We've got you trapped, so just admit defeat, fellow Daoist!"

Everyone from Jie Sect was corrupt at heart!

Even such an insignificant minor True Immortal had a corrupt heart!

Compared to the people of Jie Sect, the Western Sect experts who constantly schemed to undermine the Daoist sects and secretly plot against the Three Religions were practically benevolent saints, dedicating their lives and efforts to the great development of the Western part of the Primordial World!

Her clan's children were like pure boys and girls bathed in sacred Heavenly Spirit water!

What was particularly infuriating for Daoist Wenjing was the thought that...

"This Queen had clearly admitted defeat, yet they did nothing to this Queen!"

This was the most outrageous part!

The three fiends had merely taken a pile of useless treasures and spirit stones. Qiong Xiao made her put on the long dress she was currently wearing and then scolded her for corrupting the moral atmosphere of the Primordial World, thereby affecting the cultivation of the pure-hearted male disciples of Jie Sect.

Afterward, they made her swear an Oath of the Great Dao and simply let her go.

Whom were they looking down on?!

Was she, Daoist Wenjing, not worthy of being targeted by Jie Sect? Not worthy of being coerced into doing something more significant?

Was her life only worth a pile of spirit stones and treasures?

To hell with the Western Sect!

Heaven knows what she had truly endured!

The more Daoist Wenjing thought about it, the more suffocated she felt. She truly wanted to unleash a torrent of curses, but then remembered the Oath of the Great Dao she had just been forced to make.

That oath...

What a cunning, treacherous, and meticulous fiend must have crafted that template for the Oath of the Great Dao!

What exactly did the Jie Sect Immortals hope to gain by scheming against her this time?

Was it a warning to others?

Or was it merely a coincidence that they encountered her, and they simply wanted to humiliate her for amusement?

Amusement...

She, Daoist Wenjing, though not among the absolute strongest in the Primordial World, was certainly a prominent figure among the masters of great divine abilities. Yet, she had become mere entertainment for the Jie Sect's fiends.

For so many years, Daoist Wenjing had schemed against countless beings, and nearly everyone who had seen her or known her name was now dead.

However, only by encountering true masters of deception today did she realize how vast the gap was.

This explained why others could become disciples of Jie Sect Sages, while she was merely a bloodied blade in the hands of the Western Sect Sage.

At this thought, Daoist Wenjing let out a self-deprecating laugh, suddenly feeling disheartened and dispirited.

If she couldn't win, she would surely lose. Should she continue to oppose the Daoist sects?

She had always toiled tirelessly for the Western Sect, gaining only a small amount of incense merit.

Did she truly care about the clan members held by the Western Sect?

Frankly, not necessarily.

Last time, when those clan members were annihilated by the Dragon Race, she hadn't felt much heartache; she had merely been indignant at being manipulated by those foolish dragons.

But without those clan members, she would lose her sense of existence in this world, becoming like a wisp of lonely soul drifting from ancient times.

The Three Religions, the Western Sect, the Heavenly Dao, the great tide, merit, the conflicts among great sects...

Heh heh...

In the end, what did any of this have to do with her, Daoist Wenjing?

She laughed at ten thousand years of wasted effort and sighed at the impermanence of the Great Dao.

Perhaps it would be better to go to the Chaos Sea, avoid the Sages' searches, find a secret place, and cultivate in hiding.

If she was lucky, she might find one or two weak chaotic creature tribes, or fragments of the Primordial World adrift in the Chaos Sea where life existed, and she could still be a Queen.

Thus, Li Changshou saw:

The Mosquito Daoist, who should have been utterly vicious, suddenly revealed a weary, forlorn smile. She looked up at the azure sky, her eyes filled with emotion.

Then, the Mosquito Daoist spoke, transmitting her voice to the old Daoist hundreds of miles away in a calm tone:

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need to come closer.

Your Oath of the Great Dao is already so comprehensive; are you still worried about my future retaliation?"

As expected!

Li Changshou smiled bitterly to himself. This Mosquito Daoist had indeed been "scammed" by Lord Zhao and Fairy Qiong Xiao!

Lord Zhao and Fairy Qiong Xiao hadn't directly killed her, likely because they didn't know her true origins.

Looking at her now, the Mosquito Daoist was indeed a beauty.

What a pity...

In Li Changshou's eyes, even if the Mosquito Daoist was as beautiful as Chang'e, the most beautiful in the Three Realms and among the top five in history, she was still just a six-legged fiend of the Primordial World!

As Li Changshou continued to approach the Mosquito Daoist, before he could even reply, Daoist Wenjing's voice transmission came again, a little agitated:

"Fellow Daoist, isn't that enough?!

Am I someone without dignity? You are going too far!

Yes, I cannot afford to provoke you, but can't I just avoid you?

I will leave the Primordial World right now. Are you satisfied?!"

Li Changshou: ...

She was merely "scammed"; why had she suddenly become so world-weary?

He and the Mosquito Daoist had engaged in several remote confrontations, and he had once considered her the most troublesome hidden danger. Mosquito prevention had become his primary concern when venturing out.

As mutual adversaries, Li Changshou had a fair understanding of the Mosquito Daoist's methods based on her past actions.

While it couldn't be ruled out that the Mosquito Daoist was deliberately putting on an act,

inferring backward from the Sage's instructions, it was highly probable that the Mosquito Daoist had become disheartened for no apparent reason after being "scammed" and truly wanted to leave the Primordial World and avoid the Three Realms.

How could that be allowed?!

Grand Pure Sage's intention was for the Mosquito Daoist to maintain her original state. Regardless of whether she schemed against the Daoist sects or plotted against the Dragon Race, nothing should interfere with her destroying the Western Sect's Twelve-Grade Golden Lotus!

What exactly had Lord Zhao done to this mosquito?

Li Changshou's thoughts raced. Although he had arrived in a hurry, several options had already formed in his mind.

A: Seize the opportunity to ignite the Mosquito Daoist's rage and hatred towards the Jie Sect Immortals, thereby revitalizing her spirit and encouraging her to continue stirring up trouble in the Primordial World.

B: Engage in a passionate, somewhat theatrical conversation with the Mosquito Daoist, reveal her identity, express his respect for her as an opponent, and offer encouragement to counteract the blow from this "scam."

C: Trick the Mosquito Daoist into joining the Daoist sects.

D: Teach the Mosquito Daoist the "Anti-Scamming Great Law" and have her retaliate against Lord Zhao's group.

In an instant, Li Changshou made his decision.

Option A was too dangerous; if a crazed Mosquito Daoist caused trouble at the Three Sects' Origin Convention, the risk would be too high and unstable.

Option B might lead to a "confidante Mosquito Daoist" scenario, which could easily cause karmic entanglement, invite public spectacle, and falsely accuse him, Li Changshou, of having a leg fetish. It was not a stable option.

He clearly appreciated *everything*!

Cough, cough, back to business...

For C, the Sages would likely not accept her. The Mosquito Daoist had carried out countless secret schemes for the Western Sect, and the Three Pure Ones had no reason to accept such a vicious executioner. It was unstable.

As for D, while relatively superior, it still left many hidden dangers. If things went wrong, Li Changshou could end up on the blacklist of the Western Sect and the three Sages of Jie Sect.

With a hundred zhang still separating them, and Daoist Wenjing about to turn and leave, Li Changshou quickly made up his mind.

He chose...

...Option Five!

"Your Majesty, the Jade Emperor, circumstances compel this. With a Sage's decree, I can only ask you to be the scapegoat this one time!"

"Fellow Daoist, please wait, please wait!"

Li Changshou, still in the guise of the old immortal, repeatedly called out, holding his whisk.

Daoist Wenjing frowned with impatience, turning to glare at the figure flying up behind her. She truly wanted to attack, but remained wary.

Daoist Wenjing took a closer look and realized that the approaching old Daoist was merely a clone.

Moreover, she felt a vague sense of familiarity with this old Daoist.

Li Changshou rushed forward, smiled slightly at Daoist Wenjing, and said gently:

"Fellow Daoist, have you heard of the Sea God Sect of the South Sea?"

Sea God Sect?

Daoist Wenjing's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and she said calmly, "You are not from Jie Sect?"

"Fellow Daoist, how could this humble Daoist be from Jie Sect?"

Li Changshou's paper clone flicked his whisk, revealing a rather shallow smile, and moved two zhang closer to Daoist Wenjing.

"Fellow Daoist, please don't misunderstand. Our Sea God Sect is backed by the Human Sect. Although our second sect master is a Jie Sect disciple, we only have a small amount of business dealings with Jie Sect."

Thousands of thoughts churned in Daoist Wenjing's mind, and she calmly asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you know who this humble Daoist is?"

"Forgive this humble Daoist's poor eyesight; please don't take offense."

Li Changshou bowed, straightened his sleeves, cleared his throat, and said earnestly:

"To be honest, this humble Daoist is the Sea God of the South Sea, with over ten thousand incense temples and good relations with the ancient Dragon Race.

Today, seeing your remarkable and distinctive demeanor, I felt that...

...you have a destined connection with my Sea God Sect.

Would you be willing to hear me speak about the doctrines of the Sea God Sect, and perhaps stroll through the mortal streets with this humble Daoist for a chat?"

Daoist Wenjing was immediately puzzled. She gazed at the old Daoist before her, still maintaining her guard.

She had sought the South Sea Sea God for so long, and now he had actually revealed himself and stopped her here.

Why were there so many strange and unusual occurrences today?

"This humble Daoist and you should have no connection," Daoist Wenjing said calmly. "I am merely an obscure cultivator of the Primordial World and do not wish for any destined connection with your esteemed sect."

"Ah, fellow Daoist, to say so would be too formal."

Li Changshou smiled, knowing that he had to make Daoist Wenjing stay and listen to him further if he wanted to deceive her.

With a resolve in his heart, Li Changshou calmly stated, "Fellow Daoist, are your entanglements with my South Sea Sea God Sect so few?"

Daoist Wenjing instantly became highly wary, staring at the benevolent-looking old Daoist before her. "What do you mean by that, fellow Daoist? This humble Daoist is a bit confused."

Seeing that Daoist Wenjing remained impassive, Li Changshou continued to increase his "firepower."

"Oh? You don't understand, fellow Daoist?"

Li Changshou smiled, his eyes narrowed. "Then, shall this humble Daoist offer a small reminder?

Counting back, have you perhaps forgotten that small matter of you instigating several incense-based divine sects to smash a few of my divine statues?"

A hint of coldness flickered in Daoist Wenjing's phoenix eyes as she stared at the clone before her.

At that moment, many connections clicked for her, yet she merely said, "Are you arbitrarily blaming me like this, fellow Daoist, presuming my pure benevolence?"

Pure benevolence...

Her thick skin indeed made her difficult to deal with.

Li Changshou ceased smiling, met Daoist Wenjing's gaze, and said calmly:

"Fellow Daoist, if we lay all our cards on the table, it might not be so pleasant.

I did not reveal your true origins to those friends of mine precisely because I wanted them not to kill you. I specifically waited for you here to point you toward a clear path.

If you continue like this, I will invite those twenty-four pearls and the great scissors to make them vomit blood once more."

Daoist Wenjing immediately took half a step back, her entire being radiating wariness. "Who exactly are you, esteemed one?"

Li Changshou smiled faintly, everything understood without words.

"Fellow Daoist, let's step aside and talk."

Daoist Wenjing frowned slightly but slowly nodded, giving a cold chuckle. "I'd like to see what trick you're playing!"

She made a gesture for him to lead, and Li Changshou flicked his whisk, riding a cloud towards the coast.

Just before riding his cloud, the old immortal, impersonated by Li Changshou's paper clone, muttered again:

"These past few days, there have been quite a few large black mosquitoes appearing in the South Sea. Perhaps, fellow Daoist, you could set up a barrier to conceal our tracks.

Given your pure benevolence and beautiful countenance, it wouldn't do for you to be bitten by a mosquito."

Large black...

Daoist Wenjing's expression finally changed. Her phoenix eyes glared at the back of the Heavenly Immortal old Daoist, and a cold glint already appeared at her fingertips.

However, she immediately realized that she had been completely manipulated by this person today.

This was merely the opponent's clone, and Zhao Gongming and Qiong Xiao could appear at any moment.

She was completely cornered by the other party.