Chapter 222: Hehe

Sometimes, a thousand lies are not as valuable as a single heartfelt truth.

Although a thousand heartfelt truths might still be no match for one clever scheme...

In the matter of enlightening Fu Gui Shangren, Li Changshou carefully deliberated and planned, realizing that no excuse would work better than directly telling Jiu Wu Shibo and drawing him into the affair.

As a result, a paper crane carried the message to Potian Peak, and Jiu Wu Shibo soon arrived on a cloud.

Li Changshou waited at the entrance of the pill room.

Seeing Jiu Wu Shibo's cheerful and beaming face, Li Changshou felt his own mood lighten considerably, and he couldn't help but hum an old popular tune from his previous life in his heart...

"Ah ha, give me a cup of forgetful water, to forget that I'm called Wang Fu Gui, eh eh."

Ahem, stay serious, be composed.

Perhaps because it had been so long since Li Changshou had involved him in anything, Jiu Wu Shibo's guard was down, and he landed his cloud directly in front of Li Changshou.

Jiu Wu laughed and said:

"Changshou, how has your cultivation been lately?

You've already reached the seventh tier of Return to Way, right?

Not bad, not bad. The other immortal seedlings ahead of you have started preparing for their heavenly tribulations. You should get serious about it soon too."

Li Changshou smiled slightly and replied:

"Indeed, crossing the tribulation is a big deal."

With two Nine-Turn Golden Pills as his foundation, Li Changshou had recalculated that he could probably attempt the Golden Immortal tribulation in another two or three hundred years.

"Changshou, did you call me here for something important?"

"Shibo, let's talk inside."

Li Changshou gestured invitingly, and Jiu Wu, without a second thought, strolled in with his hands behind his back and hopped into the pill room.

Li Changshou activated the grand array around the pill room, brought out two meditation cushions, invited Jiu Wu to sit, and after a moment of thought...

He omitted the details about the emotional water and simply recounted to Jiu Wu the awkward encounter from the previous day between Wangqing Shangren and his own shizu.

"Is this true?" Jiu Wu asked, eyes wide.

"Mm," Li Changshou nodded. "They sat under the tree for an entire afternoon. My shizu clearly expressed his desire to take things further, and Wangqing Shangren agreed, but then... nothing happened."

"Hiss—"

Jiu Wu sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes full of shock.

"No wonder my master sought me out last night and asked a question that had me puzzled for ages. Now I finally understand!"

"Oh?" Li Changshou's eyes lit up. "What did your shizuzu ask?"

"My master asked, heh heh," Jiu Wu shrugged with a smile, his expression turning a bit sleazy, "about how Shi Shi and I usually get along."

Li Changshou laughed and asked:

"How did you answer, Shibo?"

"Well, I certainly couldn't... heh heh, couldn't say anything improper."

Jiu Wu sighed. "I just described how we normally interact, nothing... heh heh.

I didn't get what my master meant at the time, and even if I had, I wouldn't dare give him advice on that sort of thing.

Who would have thought that after all these years, my master has been so single-minded in his cultivation? It makes me, as his disciple, feel ashamed."

Jiu Wu paused, then asked: "Changshou, you're always full of clever ideas. Do you have a way to resolve this?"

"Yes," Li Changshou took out the "New Wedding Treasure Record" he had made and handed it to Jiu Wu. "Have a look, Shibo."

"Is this another Spring Comes Autumn Goes diagram?"

"No, this one is more technical, with more detailed specifics... cough!"

As Li Changshou spoke, he couldn't help but flush a little; it was one thing to think about it himself, but another to show it to someone else.

Jiu Wu solemnly opened the treasure record and stared at it intently for a while.

"Changshou, you know so much about this!

It's drawn in such detail and so clearly—it's a real treasure, a treasure, heh heh."

Li Changshou said seriously: "This is a proper item, Shibo. Don't laugh."

"We're all over a thousand years old. Who doesn't understand these things?"

Jiu Wu paused, then sighed bitterly: "Ah, I almost forgot, my master doesn't really get it.

That said, this is good, but it's probably just the beginner version... heh heh, is there a follow-up version?"

Li Changshou: ...

"I only created this for the sake of my shizu and your shizuzu," Li Changshou said seriously. "Now that my own tribulation is approaching, I shouldn't distract myself."

"I understand, I understand," Jiu Wu quickly nodded. "You're right; focus on preparing for your tribulation.

In that case, I'll take this back and present it to my master."

Li Changshou reminded Jiu Wu a few more times not to mention that he was the one who drew it, and Jiu Wu looked puzzled.

"If your shizuzu finds out I made this, he might connect it to my shizu and misunderstand something," Li Changshou explained. "My shizu only knows about it in passing..."

Jiu Wu pondered for a moment and said: "Don't worry, Changshou. I'll just say it's a gift from an elder in the sect."

Li Changshou gave him a thumbs-up, and Jiu Wu chuckled again, then hurried back on his cloud to Potian Peak.

Although Jiu Wu had left, his "heh heh" laughter lingered like an echo, not fading for three hours, even making Li Changshou chuckle a few times himself.

Half a day later,

Jiu Wu returned on his cloud in a hurry, winked at Li Changshou, and said:

"It's done."

"Did your shizuzu see it?"

"He did," Jiu Wu said happily. "I watched my master open the treasure diagram myself. Oh, and by the way, I gave him a few rolls of the Spring Comes diagrams you gave me earlier."

Li Changshou slowly let out a breath, then exchanged a glance with Jiu Wu. The unlikely pair of mentor and disciple burst into... heh heh laughter.

This laughter was a warm wish for their elders;

This laughter carried their hopes for a blossoming romance;

As long as everyone offers a little heh heh, the Great Wilderness will have a brighter tomorrow.

With the treasure diagram delivered, Li Changshou planned to wash his hands of the matter.

What more could he do?

He couldn't act like some busy matchmaker from the mortal world, directing things on the spot during the wedding night, could he?

He sent a message to Ling E, telling her to stay in the meditation room near the spirit beast enclosure for the next few days and not return to the thatched hut, so as not to disrupt his shizu's moment.

Li Changshou then focused most of his attention on the Dragon Palace banquet, while keeping a small part on the changes at Xiaoqiong Peak.

But to his surprise...

After three or four days, there was no sign of Wangqing Shangren;

Another three or four days passed, and still no trace of him.

Not until the Dragon Palace feast was winding down and the guests began to leave did anything happen with Wangqing Shangren...

Still nothing.

Could it be that his treasure diagram had embarrassed Fu Gui Shangren so much?

Li Changshou was utterly baffled and a bit disheartened—after all that effort, he didn't want it to go to waste for nothing.

He waited another two days, but Wangqing Shangren and his shizu still hadn't met.

Jiang Lin'er was puzzled, thinking the previous incident had upset Wangqing Shangren, so she went to Potian Peak herself.

But she was told by Wangqing Shangren's eldest disciple, Jiu Yiyi, that Wangqing Shangren had suddenly gained an insight and gone into seclusion.

Seclusion...

Seclusion...

'Could he be in seclusion studying that treasure record? But isn't that something even mortals can figure out at a glance?'

Such a possibility crossed Li Changshou's mind, making him press his hand to his forehead in a mix of emotions.

"Sea God friend, shouldn't we be leaving too?"

Yue Lao sent a voice transmission.

Li Changshou pulled himself together and glanced around—the banquet hall was already half-empty.

"Mm, it's time to go back."

Li Changshou sent a few voice transmissions to Yue Lao, advising him on what to say to the Dragon Palace escorts later.

Every word Yue Lao said here represented the Heavenly Court's stance, so these details had to be handled carefully.

For instance, earlier, Li Changshou and Yue Lao had referred to the Dragon King as "Dragon King Ye" rather than "Dragon King Majesty," as per his prior instructions.

At that moment, the Heavenly Court group, along with Li Changshou as the South Sea Sea God, stood up.

Immediately, sea nymphs relayed the message, and two elder dragons and a white-haired turtle immortal hurried over with smiles.

Yue Lao said:

"In the blink of an eye, it's been over a month since I left the Hall of Marital Ties. I'm afraid affairs have piled up there, so we'll take our leave.

Once again, congratulations to Ao Yi on his fine match and virtuous wife."

"Thank you, Yue Lao, thank you," the Turtle Prime Minister of the East Sea Dragon Palace bowed repeatedly and said with a smile: "His Majesty the Dragon King is still entertaining other guests, so this humble immortal will see you out of the Crystal Palace."

"Very well," Yue Lao nodded with a smile, and the heavenly generals behind him also bowed in respect. The two elder dragons and the turtle immortal returned the courtesies.

The group left the main hall, passed through the pearl corridor, crossed the front courtyard filled with various treasures, and headed toward the gates of the Crystal Palace.

From afar, Yue Lao spotted that familiar figure.

This time, Yue Lao didn't lose his composure but frowned and focused, his eyes showing a hint of pity.

Li Changshou quickly sent a voice transmission: "Yue Lao, don't expose this. I'll handle Bian Zhuang later."

Yue Lao subtly blinked in acknowledgment, and Li Changshou nodded with a smile, saying no more.

Fortunately, Yue Lao restrained himself and didn't glance at Bian Zhuang again.

After leaving the Crystal Palace, Yue Lao exchanged a few pleasantries with the three Dragon Palace escorts, then waited for the dozens of heavenly soldiers to rendezvous before ascending toward the sea surface.

Watching Yue Lao and the Jade Emperor's incarnation depart, Li Changshou sighed inwardly.

Old friend, hang in there.

I hope your fine performance this time balances out the incident where you lectured the Jade Emperor, in his eyes.

If His Majesty the Jade Emperor decides to make things difficult for you, well... I really couldn't stop him back then.

Then, Li Changshou turned to the turtle immortal and said with a smile: "Prime Minister San, now that East Sea matters are settled, I should head back."

"Why not stay in the Dragon Palace for a few days, Sea God?"

The Turtle Prime Minister urged: "His Majesty the Dragon King still wishes to have a late-night chat with you and has instructed that you remain for a couple more days."

Li Changshou replied: "I'm right there in the Sea God Temple. If anything comes up, just come find me there."

"Could you wait half a day?" The Turtle Prime Minister held onto Li Changshou's arm. "His Majesty wants to send you a generous gift."

"There's no need," Li Changshou said seriously. "Ao Yi is the second leader of my Sea God Cult, and I came to offer advice to the Dragon Palace out of concern for him and gratitude for the dragon race's protection of the cult.

As for gifts... you can send them to Anshui City if you like."

The Turtle Prime Minister blinked, nearly overwhelmed, and quickly nodded in agreement.

Li Changshou bowed in farewell, then used water escape to head straight southwest.

Before leaving, he couldn't help but glance at the dejected Bian Zhuang sitting there.

A slight smirk crossed his lips as he activated a paper effigy hidden near the East Sea Crystal Palace, sending it toward the edge of the sea.

Naturally, he was waiting to deal with the aftermath once Bian Zhuang left the Crystal Palace.

Would Ao Yi send someone to beat him up?

Probably not—Bian Zhuang was just a bit too infatuated with Ke Le'er...

'If I were Ao Yi, or if one of my paper effigies in female form were targeted, how would I handle it?'

Li Changshou habitually put himself in the situation and soon shook his head.

First, he would never dress as a woman;

Second, if his paper effigy caused such trouble, he'd just discard it.

Better to die than bend— that's the way!

"Sigh, I should think about what's really going on with Wangqing Shangren."

Li Changshou multitasked, guiding this paper effigy in the form of a young qi refiner to escape through the water toward the South Sea, while pondering how to investigate Wangqing Shangren's situation.

Should he ask the sect leader to intervene and check on Wangqing Shangren?

That might not be appropriate; better to have Wan Linjun Elder go, using the excuse of delivering pills, to see if Wangqing Shangren is truly in seclusion or just avoiding his shizu.

He knew Fu Gui was a bit reserved,

But to be this pure was truly unreasonable.

Just as this thought arose in Li Changshou's mind, a faint warning sign suddenly emerged.

He glanced at the sensing stone tied to this paper effigy's wrist— the stone, which had been dull, now glowed with a deep purple light.

Li Changshou subtly changed direction, and two small paper fish flew from his palm.

Soon, through the yuan shen power carried by the paper fish, he detected over a dozen figures tailing him...

A mix of True Immortals and Heavenly Immortals, including two at the peak of Heavenly Immortal realm?

They seemed to be from the sea race rebels...

These sea race rebels had actually targeted him, the South Sea Sea God. Didn't they know this was just an incarnation?

Li Changshou thought for a moment and dismissed the idea of luring them in to uncover their plans;

He shouldn't have any dealings with the sea race rebels.

If they attacked, he could collect their remnant souls and see what happened.

For now, he continued his water escape through the sea as if nothing was amiss, while urgently mobilizing his hidden paper effigy army in the East Sea.

They were after him alone, so they probably wouldn't mobilize over a hundred thousand troops.