Chapter 654: Black Panther Changes Name, Calculates Bodhi

On one hand, Hei Bao was a jinx, which might be beneficial for increasing the success rate of some plans, although it was quite mystical.

On the other hand, Li Changshou was worried that Hei Bao might cast a "Dao You Qing Liu Bu" curse on him.

That would be truly unlucky.

However, since Hei Bao made a move this time, Li Changshou decided to formally befriend him.

The timing was perfect, just before Hei Bao went to seek apprenticeship at Yu Xu Gong.

So, when Hei Bao rode the clouds towards the demon gathering grounds in Dong Sheng Shen Zhou, Li Changshou meticulously prepared a paper daoist. The paper daoist transformed into the appearance of a middle-aged daoist and created a "beautiful encounter" along the path ahead.

But what Li Changshou hadn't anticipated was...

"Sigh, I should go back to the island and check first."

Just a few hundred li from where Li Changshou's paper daoist was hiding, Hei Bao murmured softly, then turned and headed towards the sea.

He was so close that Li Changshou almost unleashed his reverse "Dao You Qing Liu Bu."

After a moment of thought, Li Changshou summoned Ao Yi, who had just returned to the East Sea for his break, and had Ao Yi take his wife Jiang Si'er back to Jin'ao Island.

Li Changshou's paper daoist hid in Ao Yi's sleeve, secretly observing Hei Bao's every move.

This Hei Bao...

He no longer fit in with the atmosphere on Jin'ao Island.

Originally a disciple of Yuan Ze from Jin'ao Island, he had been reincarnated with the underworld's blessing. Meng Po had given him a shake of her soup ladle, allowing him to recover his past memories.

But now, even though he called himself Yuan Ze, he had little in common with his old friends. Any forced conversation quickly devolved into awkward silence.

The Jie Jiao atmosphere was always quite harmonious.

When the daoists heard that Hei Bao wanted to stay on the island for cultivation, they immediately arranged a cave dwelling for him and urged him to stay put, saying they were all family.

Hei Bao was deeply touched, but he couldn't help feeling a bit lost.

Li Changshou understood this feeling well. After reincarnation, everything changed; you were no longer the same person, and fitting back into your old circle was nearly impossible.

Hei Bao was like that,

And so was Jiu Yushi, whom Li Changshou had been grooming as the head of Du Xian Men.

What if he, Li Changshou, ever had the chance to return to his hometown...

A faint sense of desolation welled up in Li Changshou's heart, and he felt a slight empathy with Hei Bao.

"Terrifying great calamity messenger."

Li Changshou sighed inwardly, sweeping away those thoughts to avoid giving the Heavenly Way any openings.

Hei Bao stayed on the island for over a year, but eventually, on a night thick with moonlight and serene beauty, he left without a word.

As he departed, his daoist figure looked quite forlorn.

The world was vast, yet he had no place to call home.

The path of cultivation was ultimately one of quiet solitude.

Though a few old friends noticed Hei Bao leaving, they only sighed lightly and did not stop him.

This time, Li Changshou's long-awaited paper daoist finally came into play.

Calculating Hei Bao's route precisely, Li Changshou's paper daoist positioned himself along the path, made some preparations, and wondered in his heart whether the Heavenly Way would throw another obstacle.

In the grand plan of "X's Disappearance," the most crucial part was arranging all the children of the great calamity in the Feng Shen Da Jie.

His own master, Jiang Shang's reincarnated form, needed no mention; everything was already set for him.

The Shang monarch, Di Xin, had just been arranged.

The fox girl Xiao Lan was a bit more complicated; she would later serve Nüwa Niangniang, so Li Changshou would lay groundwork in advance but wouldn't force her to do anything.

Wen Zhong had already been influenced by him and was pondering how to become the "Shao Shi" to pave his way to the Tai Shi position.

Then there were the seven "fleshly ascendants" from the original Feng Shen story—Li Jing, Jin Zha, Mu Zha, Nezha, Yang Jian, Wei Hu, and Lei Zhenzi—all key figures whose fates he had to arrange personally.

The logic Li Changshou was following was complex, but simply put:

He had to be involved in every variable of the Feng Shen Da Jie.

Even if many events were guided back to their original outcomes by his own hand, he still needed to arrange them himself.

All of this was for a complete withdrawal during the first half of the journey.

From this logic, calculating carefully, the matters he had to worry about in the entire Feng Shen were truly endless.

"Sigh..."

As he thought of this, Li Changshou's paper daoist let out a long sigh, stood at the edge of the pavilion in the mountains with a wine cup in hand, and recited aloud:

"Life's greatest sorrow is wandering alone, utterly alone with no friends to keep.

Don't say the road ahead lacks confidants; beyond this pass, no old acquaintances remain."

Hei Bao, who happened to be flying by on the clouds, heard this and was filled with sudden sorrow. He glanced down at the pavilion by the mountain stream, then turned to veer off to the side, not wanting to disturb this stranger's moment of expression.

But then, he heard another line:

"Miao Miao, have you been well since you left me?"

Hei Bao's figure halted abruptly. He turned sharply and stared at the drunken figure below.

A demon? Yes, there was demonic energy—it seemed like the incarnation of a tiger king, with strength on par with his own, both still a step away from Jin Xian.

Miao Miao...

A flicker of confusion rose in Hei Bao's heart, along with an inexplicable tension. Wondering if this was some "descendant" of his, he rode the clouds slowly towards the pavilion.

"Dao friend, what's wrong with you?"

This feigned concern.

Li Changshou's paper daoist turned to look at Hei Bao, a touch of emotion in his eyes, but he smiled and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing—forgive me for the display. I was just overcome with thoughts of my late wife."

Late wife?

Hei Bao perked up and stepped forward a few paces, asking hurriedly, "Has your esteemed wife passed away?"

"Sigh," Li Changshou sighed, lowering his head as he returned to the stone table, poured himself a cup of wine, and drank it down in one gulp.

Hei Bao hurried closer and asked again, "Is your esteemed wife truly gone?"

Li Changshou furrowed his brows and glared at Hei Bao. "Dao friend, your interest in my wife seems a bit improper, don't you think?"

"No, no, it's not that! I have a friend who is also named Miao Miao!"

Hei Bao said urgently, "She showed me great kindness, saving my life when I was at my lowest, and even..."

He swallowed the words about offering herself—after all, in reality, it was he who had done so.

"Oh?"

Li Changshou frowned in thought for a moment, then invited Hei Bao to sit and pulled out a jade cup from his sleeve, along with a fine wine he'd acquired from a demon market.

One was somewhat naive, his heart full of concern for an old acquaintance;

The other had carefully planned everything, with topics at the ready and full knowledge of Hei Bao's background.

Soon, the two were deep in conversation.

Once Hei Bao realized that the "Miao Miao" they were each referring to was not the same person, he breathed a sigh of relief but was also overcome with endless emotion.

The fastest way for men to bond was to get thoroughly drunk together.

Hei Bao quickly became tipsy, and as he chatted with Li Changshou, he suddenly covered his face and burst into sobs.

Li Changshou watched with a surge of emotion.

With his dao heart in such disarray, this guy still hadn't developed a heart demon...

As a great calamity messenger and a pawn of the Heavenly Way, he was truly exceptional.

Hei Bao's sobs were heartrending, evoking sadness in listeners and tears in onlookers, carrying a desolate air of autumnal grief.

"Dao friend, dao friend, what's wrong?"

Li Changshou asked gently, raising his hand to pat Hei Bao's shoulder.

At that moment, Hei Bao's dao heart had completely collapsed. He turned and leaned against Li Changshou's arm.

It was quite sudden.

"My life, my life! How tragic it is!"

"Why did heaven make me remember my past life? Otherwise, Miao Miao wouldn't have left me. I was so self-important, thinking I was a Jie Jiao immortal, not just a demon by origin."

"In this world, where is my place? Where, oh where!"

"Uh, am I hugging a pillar?

My apologies, my apologies!

Wah—Even if I achieve Jin Xian immortality, my life will still be so lonely! So lonely!"

Li Changshou: ...

This was probably the pain of an unchangeable fate, unaware that it had already been predetermined.

"Dao friend, we share so many similarities—why not become close friends?

I too have awakened past-life memories, felt out of place with the past, and unfit for the present."

Hei Bao was taken aback. "Dao friend, is that true?"

"I am Geng Chang!"

Li Changshou stood tall and bowed to Hei Bao. "Let us be friends!"

Hei Bao quickly rose and returned the bow.

"I am Yuan Ze... Sigh, what's done is done; I might as well abandon my old dao title!

All troubles stem from heart barriers; to break the heart is to deepen the dao. From the word 'heart,' how difficult it is—self-breaking leads to Shen.

From today, my dao title shall be Shen Bao!

Dao friend Geng Chang, please accept a bow from Shen Bao!"

Li Changshou bowed in return. "Congratulations on emerging from your confusion, dao friend. From today, great prospects await you!"

"Thank you for easing my heart, dao friend. Come, let's keep drinking!"

The two demons exchanged laughs, and Shen Bao shook off his earlier gloom, his eyes bright and spirits renewed, even taking on a more dominant role.

Afterward, the two stayed there, drinking and talking for sixteen days.

When Shen Bao mentioned his divine ability to curse with his words, Li Changshou just laughed and asked him to try it on himself. Shen Bao did as asked, but of course, it had no effect.

Shen Bao, never one to hide his thoughts, poured out everything in his heart. He even lamented the death of the demon prince Lu Ya and said that Lu Ya had been his lifelong idol.

Li Changshou: ...

What a perfect opportunity.

Li Changshou steered the conversation toward Lu Ya's death, and Shen Bao was full of emotion.

To Li Changshou's surprise, Shen Bao didn't rail against Tai Bai Jin Xing Li Changgeng...

"Sigh," Shen Bao sighed, "Senior Lu Ya's death was ultimately the fate of the demon race.

The Heavenly Way seeks to promote the human race and establish the Heavenly Court order, so the remnants of the ancient demon court couldn't be allowed to survive.

That Tai Bai Jin Xing Li Changgeng was also acting for the Heavenly Way, forced by circumstances. I don't know the details, but I understand it well.

Serving the Heavenly Way must be no easy task."

Li Changshou felt a twinge at the tip of his nose, almost turned back by this guy.

"But understanding is one thing; Senior Lu Ya showed me immense kindness, so if I get the chance, I'll demand justice from Li Changgeng!

Make him...

Apologize to Senior Lu Ya."

Why did the latter half sound so weak?

This blessing effect was negligible, brother.

After chatting for a while, this pair of "close brothers" parted ways. Li Changshou said he was going to Dong Zhou to join some relatives.

Shen Bao hesitated, wanting to go along and find some work, but in the end, he didn't say it out of pride.

The two exchanged communication talismans and agreed to meet again for drinks and chats.

Once Li Changshou rode the clouds away, Shen Bao sighed endlessly and headed in another direction, toward the border between Nan Zhan Bu Zhou and Zhong Shen Zhou, then veered to the demon areas near the border of Xi Niu He Zhou to try his luck.

This was exactly:

Tai Bai Jin Xing's clever scheme, Shen Bao returns resolved from his turmoil.

Opportunities lie ahead on the path, new theories on the Jiang-Shen conflict emerge.

"Geng Chang brother, what a fine daoist he is."

Shen Bao sighed with emotion and rode the clouds into the high sky, concealing his aura as he proceeded freely.

Meeting Shen Bao was just the beginning. Since Li Changshou had decided to play this role, he would see it through completely.

His paper daoist, carrying nine spares, went to the East Sea coast and secretly controlled a demon Jin Xian demon king, using him as a cover to hide himself.

Nowadays, there were many places where he needed to multitask, especially in the mortal world, where he had to handle routine tasks at fixed times every day.

His interaction with Shen Bao was merely to influence him and arrange his apprenticeship, ensuring all variables were under his control.

Even if this aligned with the Heavenly Way's intent, it didn't matter.

Speaking of which, the power struggles within the Shang court were truly brutal.

The young prince, born not long ago, had already faced tragic fates like poisoned milk and accidental attacks by palace maids, but his destiny was incredibly resilient—he emerged unscathed.

These events stirred up a storm of blood and violence within the palace.

Li Changshou turned a blind eye to it all, quietly building his own faction, only speaking up to influence the human emperor's decisions on key issues.

His experience as an ordinary minister in the Heavenly Court had given him ample expertise.

In the mortal dynasty, he chose to stay hidden in the shadows, avoiding the spotlight.

Achieving fame in the mortal world was rather uninteresting.

Building an underground "evil" force in Da Yin City barely held his interest.

After the "Bi Gan Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart" incident, Chan Jiao seemed to have heeded Li Changshou's advice—better to do less than more—and even withdrew their third-generation disciples.

On the Jie Jiao side, since Wen Zhong was doing well in Da Yin City, they placed high hopes on him and didn't make other overt moves.

In reality, both sects were secretly investigating powerful vassal states, looking for one that could replace Shang.

But after looking around, none quite measured up.

Though Zhou had developed its national strength for years, it had just endured a disaster, weakening its power significantly, and it remained subservient to Shang, not daring to rebel.

—Ji Jili, Ji Chang's father, had governed diligently, expanding Zhou's territory by conquering smaller tribes. The previous Shang monarch had praised him, granting him the title of "Leader of the Western Vassals" and then having him executed.

The grudge between Zhou and Shang was already sown then.

Zhou was now leaderless; without the Shang monarch's command, Ji Chang didn't dare ascend the throne.

The Shang monarch was deliberately delaying, clearly intending to suppress this potential threat.

Compared to Zhou, the Chong Hou clan in the north was more prosperous, the Jiang clan in the east had deep roots and strong forces, and the E Hou in the south had vast lands and high prestige...

These three were more likely candidates to replace Shang.

This left Chan Jiao and Jie Jiao quite puzzled, so they placed bets everywhere, constantly planting agents.

Though the Feng Shen Da Jie still had decades before it fully erupted, the undercurrents were already surging, and the atmosphere was tense.

At this time, Li Changshou shifted his gaze to his old adversary.

The situation in Nan Zhou was stable under the Heavenly Way's maintenance and the saints' watchful eyes, so nothing major would happen there.

He had to seize the moment while the saints' attention was on Nan Zhou to complete his other backup plans...

For example, secretly stirring up trouble when Li Jing meets Yin Shi.

Or visiting the underworld for a stroll to find Jin Zha's past origins.

Or issuing a decree from the Heavenly Court to hunt down the hidden Xu Po Ti in the Three Thousand Worlds.

Li Changshou's true body went out personally, with Bai Ze handling the strategies and Jin Peng leading the pursuit. In just a few days, they cornered Xu Po Ti at the edge of the Three Thousand Worlds.

Jin Peng wanted to kill him outright, but Bai Ze stopped him secretly.

Li Changshou deliberately left an opening, giving Xu Po Ti a chance to escape toward the boundary of the world.

However, just as Xu Po Ti was about to burst through the edge of the great wilderness, a curtain of thunder descended from the void, sealing off all his paths.

The rules of the great wilderness.

If one tried to flee into the Chaos Sea during a great calamity, their origins would be erased by the Heavenly Way, counted as "this immortal is dead."

Such beings, upon returning to the great wilderness, would become like those shadowy figures that once appeared in the ancient Shura city of the Blood Sea—demons, rejected by the Heavenly Way, effectively fallen.

—Li Changshou's outings were all official business.

Additionally, the final interpretation of this clause rested with the Heavenly Way.

Xu Po Ti halted his disheveled form in front of the thunder curtain, lowered his head, and spat out a mouthful of blood. He turned and glared at the Heavenly Court authority figure approaching with hands behind his back.

"Run, Xu Po Ti."

Li Changshou smiled with narrowed eyes. "Hand over the Ding Tou Qi Jian Shu, and I'll spare your life."

Hey? Why does this feel like a villain's vibe?

"Hmph! I don't know what Ding Tou Qi Jian Shu is! The West has already suffered heavy losses; do you really want to wipe us out?"

"It's as I said—today is for personal grudges, no need to drag in the great sects' conflicts."

Li Changshou extended his left hand, and the Lu Shen Spear flew from Jin Peng's hand into his grasp.

Xu Po Ti gritted his teeth, his eyes full of resentment, and turned to charge through the thunder curtain into the Chaos Sea, his figure vanishing instantly.

Li Changshou furrowed his brows, and Jin Peng chased after him, with him and Bai Ze following closely.

In truth, Li Changshou felt a slight relief in his heart.

Xu Po Ti's piece on the board had finally been played.