Chapter 281: Have a Heart to Seek Treasure but Gain Nothing, Accidentally Plant Willow and Big Things Happen

In the alchemy lab, Li Changshou sat before the furnace, watching the gently flickering flames. A part of his consciousness, controlling a paper effigy disguised as a coachman, was traversing mountains and valleys, making its way towards the Southern Continent.

Had it been during the early days of the Primordial Chaos, treasures would have been ubiquitous in the Great Desolation; one could simply walk a few steps and find something innately formed. After all, the entire Great Desolation was "born from the innate Dao" back then. But now, the Great Desolation has existed for countless kalpas, enduring wave after wave of great tribulations. Innate beings, dragons and phoenixes, witches and demons, and humans have all passed through several grand eras...

Unmanifested innate spiritual treasures, much like Sages, are truly exceedingly rare. No, that's not quite right; in the Great Desolation, there should be quite a few collectors of such rarities.

Nowadays, the Central Continent should be the primary destination for treasure hunting, as the likelihood of finding treasures there is higher. However, Li Changshou had no desire to haphazardly stumble upon opportunities without a clear objective.

Just as he had initially gained the favor of Elder Wan Linjun through meticulous calculation and thorough research, followed by catering to the elder's preferences and laying subtle groundwork, which eventually led to him acquiring the Poison Scripture for self-protection.

Treasure hunting required the same meticulous planning.

First, he authored a "Treasure Hunting Code of Conduct Handbook." This manual's core comprised only three principles: meticulously calculate karmic gains and losses, carefully consider ethical implications, and under no circumstances bring shame upon the Human Teaching.

Second, he needed to establish a primary objective. This time, Li Changshou's main target was the Coin of Falling Treasures, also known as the "Gold Coin of Falling Treasures" — a treasure consistently ranked among the top three banes in Uncle Zhao's destiny.

Third, he required a comprehensive plan. The entire treasure hunting strategy was meticulously prepared before the paper effigy team's departure, consuming over ten rolls of canvas fabric in the process. Fortunately, he hadn't needed to create any new "Hundred Beauties" or "Autumn Palace" paintings recently, so the use of these fabrics was acceptable.

Beyond these three points, Li Changshou had a fourth contingency: the "Don't Be Heartbroken Even If You Get Nothing" self-consolation therapy.

This time, Li Changshou had little confidence in locating the Coin of Falling Treasures; the paper effigy team was prepared to return empty-handed even before their departure. Coming back empty-handed, as long as no karmic ties were incurred, meant no loss on this venture. However, incurring karmic ties with no gain would be a massive loss!

The Coin of Falling Treasures was a "sample" coin crafted by a Human Emperor, representing the Great Desolation's two earliest coins. They had accumulated heavenly merit and possessed remarkable sentience.

Li Changshou possessed two coins that shared a deep connection with the Coin of Falling Treasures; they were the first edition of human currency, imbued with a small amount of merit power, and could almost be considered the "children" of the Coin of Falling Treasures.

Therefore, this journey was also... a coin's quest for its mother!

Li Changshou genuinely felt like visiting the Tushita Palace to pay his respects, holding his two coins and shouting to the Grand Supreme Elder: "Grand Supreme Elder! Please have mercy on these two children and allow them to bring their parents to live with them!"

Ahem, just a joke, a joke.

The Coin of Falling Treasures could be used for divination, but its most potent ability was to cause innate spiritual treasures to fall. Its most celebrated moment came during the Investiture of the Gods tribulation, when it "abducted" the Sea-Pacifying Divine Pearl.

At that time, Zhao Gongming, having emerged from seclusion due to the deaths of several of the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns, wielded the Sea-Pacifying Divine Pearl to overpower several Chan Teaching experts and relentlessly pursue Vice-Sect Master Ran Deng.

As the battle raged, Ran Deng fled to Wuyi Mountain, where he encountered two old men squatting in a corner, playing chess. Upon realizing that the venerable Vice-Sect Master of the Chan Teaching was being brutally beaten, these two old men, eager to curry favor, promptly deployed the Coin of Falling Treasures to counter Zhao Gongming's Sea-Pacifying Divine Pearl.

The moment the Coin of Falling Treasures emerged, both the Sea-Pacifying Divine Pearl and the Dragon-Binding Rope were instantly "abducted" by the coin, leaving Zhao Gongming utterly unprepared and able only to stare in dumbfounded frustration.

Zhao Gongming hastily attempted to reclaim them, incidentally striking one of the two old men dead with his whip. However, having lost the crucial Sea-Pacifying Divine Pearl, he himself was forced to retreat by Ran Deng.

From that point onward, the twenty-four Sea-Pacifying Divine Pearls fell into Ran Deng's possession, which likely emboldened him to eventually betray the Chan Teaching.

Incidentally, the two old men were named Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao. In the original Investiture of the Gods narrative, they later ascended to the Heavenly Court and became subordinates of Zhao Gongming, known as the Heavenly Venerable of Summoning Treasures and the Heavenly Venerable of Collecting Riches.

Li Changshou hadn't heard any further anecdotes about the Heavenly Court, though he presumed they must be quite fascinating.

Now, regarding the search for the Coin of Falling Treasures: to locate it, the primary consideration was to find its "original holders during the Investiture of the Gods tribulation," Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao.

Where was Wuyi Mountain in the Great Desolation? Li Changshou consulted several "Central Continent Geographic Records" from various sources, but found no mention of Wuyi Mountain. Instead, he discovered several locations named Wuyi Mountain in the Southern Continent. After careful consideration, he surmised that the main battlefield of the Investiture of the Gods tribulation should have been in the Southern Continent, and Zhao Gongming's pursuit of Ran Deng would have occurred within that region.

From this perspective, it seemed unlikely that Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao had genuinely "accidentally encountered" Ran Deng; that entire scene might have been a deliberate scheme orchestrated by the old Daoist Ran Deng.

One question Li Changshou also had to consider carefully was: What impact would it have on the Investiture of the Gods tribulation if he were to indeed obtain the Coin of Falling Treasures?

Zhao Gongming was cursed to death by Lu Ya's "Nail-Head Seven Arrows Book," a matter related to the Coin of Falling Treasures, though not critically so. At that time, even after losing the Sea-Pacifying Divine Pearl, Zhao Gongming borrowed the Golden Jiao Scissors and continued to overwhelm the Chan Teaching, which then created the opportunity for the Nail-Head Seven Arrows Book to be deployed.

However, if he were to take the Coin of Falling Treasures, the incident of "Zhao Gongming borrowing treasures from Three Immortals Island after losing the Sea-Pacifying Divine Pearl" would be averted. Consequently, Fairy Yunxiao might have less involvement in the Investiture of the Gods tribulation.

Nevertheless, if Uncle Zhao were to die, those who should become emotional would likely still do so, making this problem inherently difficult to resolve.

Seven days after the treasure-hunting paper effigy team's departure, they had already investigated several locations in the Southern Continent linked to the name "Wuyi." As Li Changshou had expected, these were mundane areas, devoid of any qi refiners.

To be thorough, Li Changshou directed the paper effigies to meticulously search those areas. He also instructed the treasure-hunting paper effigy team to carry the two "first edition" coins, which served to prevent scrying, hoping to increase their chances of finding the treasure.

Despite these efforts, they remained empty-handed in the Southern Continent.

"Since this lead is a dead end," he mused, "I can only pursue other avenues."

Li Changshou sighed softly, skillfully managing the furnace flames and contemplating the subtle art of "pill formation." He then directed the treasure-hunting paper effigy team to alter their course and head towards the Central Continent.

The Investiture of the Gods tribulation was still an unknown distance away; Li Changshou had observed few omens of its approach, and no significant event like the "Mysterious Bird Giving Birth to Shang" had occurred in the Southern Continent.

In the Great Desolation, time was typically measured in millennia and ten millennia.

Among the remaining options, three seemed most reliable: A) Search for the whereabouts of Cao Bao and Xiao Sheng; B) Investigate rumors concerning the Coin of Falling Treasures; C) Ask his teacher to help divine the Coin of Falling Treasures' location...

Options A and B were certainly necessary, but option C presented a dilemma. Having his teacher intervene in his personal treasure hunt felt truly improper; it could easily lead his teacher to believe he was indirectly soliciting treasures, thus undermining the image of an exemplary disciple he had meticulously cultivated.

Therefore, if options A and B proved ineffective, Li Changshou would have to resort to option "D": borrowing the name of His Majesty the Jade Emperor to visit the human ancestors in Huoyun Cave, ostensibly to explore the path of harmonious coexistence between humans and the Heavenly Court, but also to discreetly inquire about the Coin of Falling Treasures.

For the next half-year, Li Changshou's treasure-hunting paper effigy team diligently searched throughout the Central Continent. To maximize efficiency, over twenty paper effigies operated independently, collecting various rumors and gathering all sorts of information under the guise of compiling a "Great Desolation Spiritual Treasure Compendium."

Ultimately, however, they only amassed a trove of spiritual treasure information that Li Changshou had never heard of, with no trace of the Coin of Falling Treasures. Ironically, the "Great Desolation Spiritual Treasure Compendium" itself had become quite substantial, almost ready for publication...

The two brothers, Cao Bao and Xiao Sheng, also remained elusive; he had no idea where to find them.

While the past six months weren't entirely fruitless, the meager gains still left Li Changshou feeling somewhat dejected. There was no denying it: treasure hunting was incredibly challenging in this era.

"Let's go to Huoyun Cave," he decided.

Without further delay, Li Changshou's Sea God paper effigy in the Heavenly Court departed from the Sea God's Residence, riding a cloud towards the High Heavens Hall.

Speaking of Huoyun Cave, one cannot help but mention the Great Desolation's famously benevolent individual, and a classic negative example in various "Stability Sutra" editions — Old Ancestor Hongyun!

After Old Ancestor Hongyun was ambushed by Kunpeng, severely wounded, and reincarnated, Huoyun Cave became vacant. It later served as the secluded retreat for the human Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors upon their "sainthood."

The "Saint" in reference to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors denoted "sage" or "virtuous person," naturally differing from the Sages of the Great Desolation.

Li Changshou had heard an account from his early years: after the lecture at Zixiao Palace, Hongyun acquired a wisp of Primordial Violet Qi. However, because of the incident where "Hongyun yielded his seat to the two Westerners at Zixiao Palace, compelling Kunpeng to reluctantly follow suit," Kunpeng lost his opportunity to attain sainthood, and Old Ancestor Hongyun was subsequently ambushed by the Demon Master Kunpeng.

When Old Ancestor Hongyun lay grievously wounded and dying, the Three Pure Ones and Zhenyuanzi fortunately intervened to block Kunpeng, allowing Hongyun to escape with a wisp of his soul. This wisp was then nurtured within the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk, while the Primordial Violet Qi was reclaimed by the Dao Ancestor.

Once the Witch and Demon races suffered defeat, humanity rose. The Three Sovereigns were born, and the Five Emperors ascended to their positions, establishing the human race as the undisputed protagonists of heaven and earth.

Rumor has it that Hongyun reincarnated as Shennong. The wisp of Primordial Violet Qi originally belonging to Hongyun was subsequently divided into eight portions, shared by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors for their opportunity to attain sainthood; the Three Sovereigns received slightly more, while the Five Emperors received slightly less.

Thus, while the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were not Sages, they bordered on sainthood. They served as the cornerstone of humanity's destiny and its ultimate "trump card," rarely appearing unless the human race faced a dire existential threat.

With the Heavenly Court now flourishing and the human realm naturally falling under its jurisdiction, visiting the human ancestors in Huoyun Cave under the Jade Emperor's name was an entirely reasonable action.

Crucially, this would not burden Li Changshou with any karmic ties, as he was, after all, merely acting on orders.

The Jade Emperor was quite easily swayed... ahem, the Jade Emperor was also very reasonable and naturally fully endorsed Li Changshou's proposal.

The Jade Emperor penned a letter, declaring his current status as the Heavenly Emperor overseeing the Three Realms and promising extensive care for humanity, the protagonists of heaven and earth. He also expressed hope that humanity would support the Heavenly Court's endeavors by conducting rituals to heaven, earth, and the Heavenly Court, and by communicating promptly should any conflicts arise between humans and the Heavenly Court.

Bearing this letter and the Jade Emperor's instructions, Li Changshou asked Dongmu Gong to prepare a gift, then departed the Heavenly Court and headed towards Huoyun Cave in the Central Continent.

However, just as Li Changshou's Sea God paper effigy flew above the Central Continent on a cloud, a faint disturbance alerted his main body. Li Changshou briefly diverted his attention, then frowned slightly.

He landed the Sea God paper effigy in a mountain forest, using earth evasion to directly hide near a ley line. Most of his consciousness returned to Little Qiong Peak, where he quickly exited the alchemy lab.

The bell rang on Potian Peak, and three Golden Immortal realm auras surged skyward, with figures flying from various other peaks as well! On Danding Peak, Elder Wan Linjun appeared with two fellow sect elders. Meanwhile, by the spirit beast enclosure on Little Qiong Peak, Jiu Jiu hastily gave Ling'e a few instructions about caring for Jiu Yushi, then grabbed her large gourd and hurried towards the mountain gate.

This bell toll signified an enemy encounter.

Li Changshou, however, was in no rush. He leisurely rode a white cloud towards the mountain gate, as the current situation was roughly what he had anticipated.

Three thousand li south of Duxian Gate, a gigantic wooden ship pierced the void, surrounded by swirling colorful mists. Adorned with lanterns and festive decorations, the ship carried handsome men and beautiful women whose attire, however, ranged from merely indecent to utterly scandalous.

Li Changshou observed them closely for a moment, then delivered a silent, righteous critique: "Too gaudy."

These individuals were, of course, the demon clan previously mentioned by Martial Uncle Jiu Wu—a group with an exceptionally complex background, protected by accumulated merit.

Earlier, when Martial Uncle Jiu Wu discussed the fox demon incident, Li Changshou offered a simple plan: Duxian Gate would secretly release information to this demon clan, letting them know that the fox demon was currently safe. She had been apprehended by a Human Teaching sect for running a brothel in the Southern Continent and allowing some demons to absorb mortal yang energy for cultivation.

Although the plan was simple, its efficacy was quite remarkable. Specifying that the fox demon was safe and unharmed ensured the matter wouldn't escalate. As the demons made inquiries at various human teaching sects, each denying any capture of a fox demon, their investigation would naturally lead them to Duxian Gate.

Before arriving at Duxian Gate, this group of demons had thoroughly researched the sect. They knew that although it was located in the Eastern Continent, it had once received the protection of Grandmaster Xuandu of the Human Teaching, indicating an extraordinary background. Consequently, these demons approached with considerable restraint.

They halted their wooden ship two thousand li away at the "Immortal Sect Boundary Line," dispatching several Heavenly Immortal realm men and women who explained their intentions from a distance. This gave Li Changshou a strange sense of déjà vu, as if they were saying, "Don't shoot, we're here to redeem a captive."

The subsequent events proceeded quite smoothly. Duxian Gate had already secretly observed the fox demon, discovering that she had merely been cultivating peacefully in the underground prison, and her cultivation realm had significantly advanced since her confinement. A Discipline Hall deacon had already informed the fox demon that her kin would arrive to retrieve her soon.

Before the mountain gate, as the demons approached, presented gifts, and offered pleasantries, several Duxian Gate elders deliberated, appearing somewhat hesitant. They then had the demons swear an oath, promising that the fox demon would refrain from evil deeds in the future. After this period of formalities and going through the motions, and under the watchful eyes of many Duxian Gate disciples, the fox demon was released from the ley line prison by several sect deacons.

This fox demon appeared to be of considerable standing; upon seeing her, the demons erupted in joyous celebration, with many female demons even weeping tears of happiness.

The matter should have concluded there, but to the surprise of everyone on both sides, the fox demon quietly asked, "Can I join Duxian Gate?"

The fox demon asked softly, her gaze surprisingly pure. Her entire being exuded a clear, spiritual aura, with very little demonic energy emanating from her.

"This?" an elder asked with a frown. "Fellow Daoist, Duxian Gate is a Human Teaching lineage; we only accept human disciples."

"I can serve as a mountain-guarding spirit beast," she offered, "or even a sweeping maid."

The newly released fox demon spoke with a touch of urgency. Under the bewildered gazes of her kin, she quickly stepped forward a few paces on the cloud, her phoenix eyes showing a hint of pleading. "If neither is possible," she implored, "please allow me to see the Daoist who captured me here that year again. I have... some words to tell him."