Chapter 283: Ah, It's Loneliness...

“Disciple, what’s wrong? Why have you immobilized your master?”

By the lake on Little Qiong Peak, inside Qi Yuan's thatched hut.

Old Daoist Qi Yuan had just opened his eyes from meditation when a paper figure emerged from his sleeve, transforming into his likeness. With a raised hand, the figure pointed, engulfing Qi Yuan's entire body in light.

Qi Yuan instantly... became immobile.

Li Changshou hastily said, “Master, there’s no time for explanations. Please sit still. Grandmaster is bringing that fox demon here now! Um, I still have to ask: do you have any... particular feelings about fox demons?”

In Old Daoist Qi Yuan's ancient eyes, one expressed bewilderment and the other confusion. He stared at Li Changshou, momentarily unsure how to respond.

“Changshou, what is going on this time?”

Li Changshou sighed softly, quickly tapped his master's body, and then rapidly explained a few things.

In short, he had used his master's likeness, with permission, to attract a beautiful fox demon that couldn't simply be turned to ash by shouting, “Slay demons and banish evil with divine power!”

Old Daoist Qi Yuan pondered for a moment, grasping the situation. He generously declared, “Changshou, if it truly comes to it, your master will take responsibility for you!”

“Master, you needn't worry,” Li Changshou chuckled. “Your disciple has a way to make her abandon her intentions!”

Pausing, Li Changshou, ever cautious, whispered, “Master, perhaps you'd like to take a look at this demoness?”

“Why would I look at her?!” Old Daoist Qi Yuan's eyes widened, and he hastily exclaimed, “Don't speak such nonsense! What if someone overhears? Your master's reputation for purity must not be ruined today!”

“Alright then, I'm relieved,” Li Changshou said, stepping back two paces and bowing to his master. “Master, please stay in this hut later; you absolutely must not go out. I will handle everything!”

“Go on, go on, sigh!” Old Daoist Qi Yuan waved his hand. “Your master truly has no idea how capable you are now, or what you do outside day by day.”

Li Changshou smiled faintly, conjured a water mirror, and glanced at the appearance of his paper daoist clone. Its face wasn't extraordinary, but its eyes were bright and spirited, and its silver hair looked quite vigorous. It was identical to his master's appearance after Jiuyu Shi had moved to the mountain.

Following this, Li Changshou borrowed his master's whisk, infused its aura into the paper daoist, meticulously checked it twice, then opened the hut door, and walked out of the thatched hut, holding the whisk.

Old Daoist Qi Yuan, sitting on the prayer mat, pondered for a moment, then watched as the hut door closed on its own, and layer after layer of formations activated... He was protected here by his disciple.

Qi Yuan casually conjured a water mirror, looked at himself in it, and instantly saw an unfamiliar... yet beautiful female face... His vision swam, and he nearly fainted from indignation.

On Little Qiong Peak, Li Changshou's paper daoist clone walked to the lakeside, stood silently under the willow tree, and watched the figures flying in from the mountain gate. Although only the fox maiden came from the demon race, how could the immortals within the sect dare to be careless? This was the demon race! Extremely fierce, they said!

Therefore, apart from the essential combat-ready forces remaining at the mountain gate, all the elders and masters from various peaks were closely watching this fox maiden, whose cultivation was only at the True Immortal realm at present... Ahem, they were merely taking precautions, lest this demoness self-destruct and injure Jiang Liner, the Golden Immortal's Dao companion within the sect. They were absolutely not there to practice gossip!

Seeing this, Li Changshou also shook his head; whether it was in front of the sect's immortals or not made no real difference. His current mastery of the paper daoist divine ability could naturally deceive all cultivators within the sect, except for Golden Immortals.

Meanwhile, Li Changshou had already begun dual-tasking, activating the backup Sea God paper daoist hidden within the Sea God Temple in the Heavenly Court. To resolve this karmic entanglement, multiple methods must be employed.

Outside the Sea God Temple in the Heavenly Court;

The benevolent Old Sea God, holding a whisk, left his residence on a cloud, heading straight for the Hall of Matrimony! As soon as Li Changshou departed on his cloud, the heavenly generals guarding the temple gates exchanged glances, looking at each other in bewilderment.

“When did the Sea God return?”

“I don't know, we didn't see him earlier. How is he so elusive?”

“Watch your words. If the Sea God could be seen through by us, would he still be the Sea God?”

The heavenly generals instantly felt the truth in this, quieted down, and gazed in the direction Li Changshou had departed.

As the Sea God paper daoist reached halfway, Little Qiong Peak was already filled with the shadows of the sect's immortals. Fortunately, Jiang Liner said, “Please, fellow disciples, just observe from a distance. It's not suitable for so many people to watch this up close.” With that, she descended towards the lakeside, bringing the fox maiden, along with Jiu Wu, Jiu Shi, and Jiu Jiu.

Now, the fox maiden Xiao Lan, upon seeing the old daoist standing under the willow tree, first felt a surge of excitement, then eagerly wanted to rush forward. But her steps faltered, a hint of timidity appeared in her eyes, and she couldn't help but bite her plump red lips, adding to her pitiful charm.

However, Jiang Liner, with Jiu Wu and the other two, stopped a hundred zhang away, and directly transmitted her voice to the old daoist under the tree... “Are you, second brother, or Changshou?”

Li Changshou sighed inwardly, knowing that this matter couldn't be hidden from Jiang Liner. After all, his grandmaster understood his master too well and was always astute. Li Changshou transmitted his voice via divine sense to Jiang Liner: “Disciple Changshou. This matter has nothing to do with my master; I merely borrowed his appearance for convenience at the time.”

Jiang Liner instantly let out a soft laugh, winked at the old daoist under the tree, seemingly saying, “Then you deal with it yourself.” Then, Jiang Liner pointed at 'Qi Yuan' under the tree. “Isn't he right here? Go ahead.”

“Yes,” the fox maiden said softly, slowly floating down. Her enchanting figure was full of allure, like the gracefully swaying willow and the ripples on the lake.

When she was only a dozen zhang away from the old daoist in her heart, the fox maiden's voice trembled slightly as she whispered, “I...”

Li Changshou, maintaining a stern expression, said, “Fellow Daoist, why do you wish to see me?”

The fox maiden seemed to have a hundred things she wanted to say all at once, but when the words reached her throat, they only turned into a soft 'Mm,' and then a single sentence... “Daoist, do you still remember me?”

Hearing this, Li Changshou subtly furrowed his brow, carefully controlling the change in his expression, a hint of confusion appearing in his eyes. Li Changshou said, “I recall that you and I have no deep entanglement. I apprehended you to protect humanity; my meeting with you down the mountain was to ponder a cultivation technique, and I also gave you spiritual elixirs as a thank you. What is the purpose of this grand spectacle you've created today, Fellow Daoist? Are you intentionally targeting me?”

“How could I target you?” the fox maiden exclaimed, taking a few urgent steps forward.

Li Changshou flicked his whisk, and a wisp of immortal power tinged with turbidity appeared at the fox maiden's feet. “Fellow Daoist, please maintain your composure. This humble Daoist has cultivated in purity for a thousand years and will not permit you to tarnish my reputation!”

“I, I...” The fox maiden's breathing quickened slightly, her pale skin tinged with a delicate blush. But then she calmed down and said softly, “I merely wanted to see you once.”

Li Changshou flicked his whisk. “Very well, you've seen me. You may leave.”

The fox maiden Xiao Lan froze. Many immortals from the Duxian Sect outside Little Qiong Peak either transmitted their voices or silently praised him in their hearts. This Junior Brother Qi Yuan (or Senior Brother, or Nephew) is truly such a strong and upright person. It's truly a pity he can only cultivate into a turbid immortal.

The fox maiden said mournfully, “Are you truly so heartless as to let me go without giving me a single word of opportunity?”

“Fellow Daoist, by now you have already spoken forty-nine words to this humble Daoist. How can you say I am not giving you a chance to speak?” Li Changshou frowned deeply, swept his wide sleeve, and a low table and two chairs appeared on the ground. “Come, sit. I will not only give you a chance to speak, but a chance to speak properly. However, if our conversation doesn't align, please speak less; let's make things clear today, so we can avoid any misunderstandings in the future.”

Immediately, Li Changshou sat down on his own. The fox maiden hesitated, then sat down across from Li Changshou, looking like a wronged young wife.

At this moment, the Sea God paper daoist in the Heavenly Court had just come into view of the Hall of Matrimony, so Li Changshou wasn't in a hurry to speak much under the willow tree. The time was not yet right.

Not far away, Ling'e approached, carrying a teapot and teacups. She called out 'Master' and offered tea to both of them. This, of course, was also arranged by Li Changshou via voice transmission. At once, Li Changshou seized the opportunity to give Ling'e a kind and benevolent smile, saying, “Disciple, you've worked hard. Go cultivate.”

Although Ling'e didn't know that her master at that moment was her senior brother in disguise, her master was usually this kind to her. So she bowed respectfully, acknowledged him, and turned to leave. Li Changshou nodded with a smile, then shifted his gaze to the fox maiden, his expression instantly becoming very serious. “Fellow Daoist, speak your mind. With so many of my fellow disciples watching, I truly do not wish to be alone with you.”

The fox maiden felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, yet she knew this was merely her unrequited wish. She sighed softly. “Daoist, do you lack a serving maid by your side? I can do anything, as long as I can remain by your side.”

This time, Li Changshou fell silent. He picked up his teacup but didn't drink, furrowing his brow for a moment. It seemed as though he was slightly moved by the suggestion... As Li Changshou 'hesitated,' the immortals throughout the Duxian Sect were also left on edge, intently listening, fearing they might miss some juicy details...

However, Li Changshou at this moment was merely focused on speaking with the Old Man Under the Moon, pausing the words of his paper daoist clone here. If he mixed up the threads, it would truly be troublesome!

In the Hall of Matrimony in the Heavenly Court.

Li Changshou's Sea God paper daoist arrived in a hurry, not even giving the Old Man Under the Moon a chance to greet him outside. Upon arrival, he grabbed the Old Man Under the Moon's arm.

“Old Man Under the Moon, I have a request!”

“Don't rush, Sea God, don't rush,” the Old Man Under the Moon's spirit was greatly invigorated. Who was the Sea God? He was a favored official in the eyes of His Majesty the Jade Emperor! Even if he wanted to marry ten or eight beautiful immortal maidens, the Old Man Under the Moon would arrange it, even at the cost of a hundred years of his own merit! Immediately, the Old Man Under the Moon said earnestly, “Sea God, feel free to command anything!”

However, Li Changshou's next few sentences made the Old Man Under the Moon's expression even more serious. “To be frank, besides being the Sea God, I have another identity: I am a member of the Human School. Moreover, I received my master's command to handle some minor affairs for the Human School.”

The Old Man Under the Moon immediately nodded, saying, “I've heard, I've heard.”

Li Changshou said solemnly: “This time, the one requesting your help is not the Sea God, but an immortal of the Human School. Old Man Under the Moon, according to my previous calculations, a minor tribulation is brewing within the Duxian Sect, a lineage of the Human School. I sent a clone to investigate. I happened to discover that it was a demoness who had fallen for one of the Duxian Sect disciples. This demoness is actually from Qingqiu, and she has even gathered many Qingqiu demons to cause trouble at the Duxian Sect, likely intending to force herself upon that Duxian Sect disciple!”

“Ah?!” Upon hearing this, the Old Man Under the Moon's eyes widened. “Such a thing exists!”

Li Changshou said sternly, “Precisely. I've thought long and hard, and there's no way to deal with this matter directly. If a man falls in love at first sight with a woman and gathers his clansmen to forcefully coerce her, that is certainly an evil deed, deserving of punishment and reprimand. But if it's a woman forcefully coercing a man, most people would probably first question the man, asking, 'Didn't you provoke her in the first place?' Therefore, this matter cannot be directly handled. I rushed to you, Old Man Under the Moon, to ask for the use of your golden shears to sever this ill-fated entanglement!”

“Good! I will certainly help with this!”

“No time to lose, they're about to start fighting over there!”

“Let's go, quickly to the back hall!”

The Old Man Under the Moon raised his hand, shook his sleeve, grabbed a pair of golden shears, and rushed to the back hall. Li Changshou seized the opportunity to follow close behind. This Old Man Under the Moon, a truly dependable fellow, didn't hesitate at all. He immediately drew upon the stars and gathered dust, summoning two batches of clay figures before them. On the left were the Qingqiu clan, with numerous clay figures, mostly human-faced and human-bodied, with pointed fox ears. Overall, the red threads of the Qingqiu clan were 'divergent,' with many threads extending in all directions. However, one red thread extended from them, entering the pile of Human School Duxian Sect's destined clay figures on the right. Following this red thread, they instantly found a clay figure that bore a resemblance to Old Daoist Qi Yuan. The red thread entangled Old Daoist Qi Yuan, but there was no corresponding red thread on Old Daoist Qi Yuan's clay figure... Not even a loose end.

“That's it!” The Old Man Under the Moon was swift and decisive, stepping forward, his beard and hair flying! With a 'snip,' the red thread was cut in two! But the red thread trembled slightly and began to regrow on its own, steadily advancing towards Old Daoist Qi Yuan's clay figure once more...

“Another one so infatuated?” The Old Man Under the Moon snorted coldly, calculating in his heart that he absolutely couldn't lose face in front of the Sea God. This was his main duty! The Old Man Under the Moon immediately said, “Hmph! Infatuation has always been nothing more than excessive sentimentality!” Immediately, the golden shears continued to snip.

Seeing this, Li Changshou pondered briefly and actively launched an offensive on the main battleground!

On Little Qiong Peak, under the willow tree by the lake.

'Qi Yuan,' who had remained silent, suddenly chuckled softly. The fox maiden Xiao Lan, whose heart was inexplicably troubled due to the severed red thread, immediately said upon seeing this: “Daoist, what's wrong?”

“I was waiting for you to speak. Why were you silent?”

The fox maiden Xiao Lan froze for a moment, then hurriedly said, “I thought you, Daoist, were considering...”

“Considering letting you stay? Don't overthink it.” Li Changshou smiled. With the snip-snip sound of the Old Man Under the Moon's golden shears echoing in his ears, his expression towards the fox maiden became much more relaxed. Li Changshou said calmly, “Fellow Daoist, you haven't truly fallen for me, have you?”

The fox maiden's expression immediately became anxious. “Daoist, Lan'er's heart is filled with your image!”

“Does that count as falling for someone?” Li Changshou's gaze radiated a piercing divine light as he watched the fox maiden, seemingly able to see through her mental defenses. Li Changshou said, “Have you ever asked yourself what you truly feel in your heart? Have you ever truly understood your own intentions?”

“I certainly have asked... ed...” The fox maiden's voice weakened. As she examined her own Dao heart, she found that those images had become somewhat faint!

“No, actually, you haven't,” Li Changshou said calmly. “For the simplest example, if the one who visited you in the underground prison then wasn't me, but just a random person from the Duxian Sect. As long as they had prepared a method to counter your charm earlier, making you feel frustrated, you would have placed their image in your heart, and over time, it would have fermented into the illusion that you were deeply enamored with them. Is that not so?”

“This...” The fox maiden parted her red lips but couldn't speak. She then hastily stood up, feeling somewhat flustered.

Li Changshou sighed: “Fellow Daoist, if I were replaced by someone else, you would merely be infatuated with that other person. Can that truly be called falling for me? The most fundamental and precious aspect of affection between a man and a woman, of the bond between Dao companions, is the feeling of 'it must be you and no other.' A beloved isn't just someone one holds in their heart; a beloved is that irreplaceable person in one's heart. Clearly, you don't have that.”

The fox maiden's eyes glazed over slightly, and she mumbled, “I don't...”

“The underground prison was dim and secluded. You were alone there, without the flattery of minor demons by your side, without the allure of the mortal world's splendor. In your heart, you merely sought something to lean on. You are also at the True Immortal realm; reflect on it yourself. Is this not so? Fellow Daoist, the one your heart yearned for was not I, Qi Yuan.”

The fox maiden stumbled back two steps, her eyes filled with bewilderment. She murmured, “My heart yearned not for Daoist Qi Yuan, my heart yearned...”

“For loneliness.”

The fox maiden Xiao Lan's delicate legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the grass.

Li Changshou sighed, “Do not mistake your true feelings for loneliness again. It is only because you are from the Qingqiu clan that I speak such words to you. Fellow Daoist, please leave. I will not see you off.”

With that, Li Changshou flicked his sleeve and walked towards Ling'e's thatched hut, leaving behind only the bewildered fox maiden and the various Duxian immortals lost in thought.

This wasn't over yet. At the Duxian Sect's mountain gate, the original paper daoist clone, which hadn't followed Jiang Liner to Little Qiong Peak earlier, flew out on a cloud towards the old woman who appeared to be the leader of the Qingqiu demons here. The internal cause was resolved; the external pressure also needed to be lifted promptly.

A moment later, in the Hall of Matrimony in the Heavenly Court, the Old Man Under the Moon raised a hand to wipe the warm sweat from his forehead, looking at the red thread that had finally stopped regrowing, and secretly sighed in relief. The Old Man Under the Moon turned his head and saw the Sea God keenly examining the Duxian Sect's array of clay figures...

“Sea God, is everything alright now?”

“For now, yes,” Li Changshou exhaled softly. “Thank you, Old Man Under the Moon, for your assistance! However... why does this clay figure have three red threads wrapped around it?”

“Oh?” The Old Man Under the Moon walked over, took a look, and chuckled, “This is the clay figure representing the destined affinity of young friend Changshou from the Duxian Sect. It was like this the first time I saw it. Young friend Changshou is also an excellent person. Sea God, you can pay more attention to him; he is definitely a promising talent among the disciples of the Human School!”

Hearing this, Li Changshou chuckled and shook his head.

The Old Man Under the Moon hastily asked, “Sea God, what's wrong?”

“Nothing,” Li Changshou mused briefly, then simply said, “These matters, it's best to let them take their natural course.”