Chapter 689: Shizu, This Time It's Really Not Intentional Scheming

I am Bi Yun Tongzi, and I am feeling really panicked right now.

In the cave on the grassy slopes of Kulou Shan, a small attendant dressed in colorful robes and carrying a flower basket stepped out with his head down, looking a bit dejected.

Sigh, the master has sent me down the mountain to pick flowers again.

I don't know if I'll run into that fearsome neighbor from the next cave, Ma Yuan Shibo. I've heard he even ate a Jin Xian once, and his favorite thing is human hearts.

Most attendants like us are actually transformed from mountain rocks or spirits. Our main job is to serve the cave master, and when the master goes out, we have to guard the door and the grounds.

If we exist long enough and build up enough spiritual energy, we might reach a higher realm and become formal disciples.

For example, the most outstanding one among us attendants is His Majesty Yu Di of Tian Ting.

Of course, Yu Di was once Dao Zu's attendant, and his origins are incredibly powerful, making him a type of innate great power.

Attendants like me...

We have little fortune, lots of chores, heavy cultivation pressure, no vacations at all. When the master is in the cave, we have to serve tea and water; when the master is out, we're required to focus on cultivation without any slacking.

It's beyond just miserable.

Roar—

A low growl echoed from the deep mountains, making Bi Yun Tongzi tremble all over. He clutched his flower basket and dashed toward the valley below, his figure swift as a flash, vanishing in an instant.

Ma Yuan Shibo is truly terrifying, scaring me half to death.

Thud, thud, thud.

Up ahead came the sound of flapping wings, and a spirit bird landed on the path Bi Yun Tongzi had to take, its eyes gleaming with an eerie light.

At the same time, on the city walls of Chen Tang Guan, where the Qian Kun Gong and Zhen Tian Jian were enshrined, another similar spirit bird perched on the eaves of the watchtower, its gaze fixed on Nezha, who was bouncing his way over.

These two spirit birds were incarnations of Li Changshou's paper dao ren.

More precisely, they were paper birds, mainly used for surveillance, message delivery, viewing short scenes at night, and scouting enemies.

Everything they saw was projected onto a special bronze mirror standing on Xiao Qiong Peak in the rear courtyard of Tai Bai Palace.

Li Changshou could only observe remotely for now.

Dao Zu's sudden summons in a dream had essentially made it clear that the first battle between Chan Jiao and Jie Jiao was about to begin. He was telling Li Changshou to watch from the sidelines and not interfere.

Li Changshou's response followed his usual style: he said he would leave the Hong Huang but not go too far, which served as a form of deterrence against the Heavenly Dao.

After an open and honest discussion with Dao Zu, their positions were now very clear.

Regardless of whether those positions were genuine or how much of them was true,

Objectively speaking, Dao Zu represented the side of heaven and earth, aiming to suppress the vitality of living beings to prevent the ancient Hong Huang's devastating disasters from recurring.

Li Changshou represented the side of living beings, preserving the spark of resistance against heaven, though as the "weaker party," he couldn't actively overturn the table.

In their debate in the dream, both sides exchanged views on their respective ideas and each took a step back to avoid immediate absolute confrontation.

Dao Zu wanted to preserve the original Feng Shen script: replacing Shang with Zhou, weakening Jie Jiao, elevating the West, and prospering Tian Ting.

Li Changshou wanted to protect his friends in Jie Jiao, ensure that those without karmic burdens ascended in the flesh, preserve the essence of Daoism, safeguard the will of living beings, and promote Tian Ting.

From this debate, they reached a new tacit understanding: Li Changshou wouldn't interfere with Dao Zu's indirect influence on the script, and Dao Zu would allow Li Changshou to make minor adjustments, preserving the strength of the living beings' side.

This involved concepts like "fate of living beings," "balance of all things," "yin-yang theory," "unity of heaven and man," and so on—it was basically a head-on clash between the two greatest schemers of Hong Huang.

"Tsk," Li Changshou said, hands pillowed behind his head as he yawned on the lounging chair.

Beside him, Ling E, You Qin Xuan Ya, Xiong Ling Li, and the spirit of the Chaos Bell were gathered around a small table. Each held a cup of steaming tea and snacks that Ling E had prepared, discussing their card skills and the amusing stories from Tian Ting that You Qin Xuan Ya had heard.

If this scene were a painting, Li Changshou's side could be labeled "life pressures," while the right side would be "leisurely afternoon tea."

Ling E and You Qin Xuan Ya's gazes often drifted toward Li Changshou.

He had suddenly called them over without explaining what he needed, leaving them a bit curious.

In the bronze mirror, Bi Yun Tongzi had reached the valley, holding a tree branch and gently sweeping through the flowers and grass, unable to suppress a yawn.

Meanwhile, Nezha was bouncing on the city walls, lying on an eave with his legs crossed, also yawning as if ready for a nap.

Ling E couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother, is something the matter?"

"Ah, nothing," Li Changshou replied casually. "I just feel a bit unsettled, so I called you all here to witness this. It might cheer me up a little."

The spirit of the Chaos Bell chuckled. "What could possibly unsettle you, sir? Even as Tai Bai Jin Xing, you're suppressing all the dragons—we've heard plenty of creatures talking about it without you even going out."

Li Changshou shook his head with a light sigh, furrowing his brow as he whispered, "I just had an argument with my master ancestor, and he warned me not to disrupt his plans. It's got me feeling down."

The spirit of the Chaos Bell froze.

"I didn't hear anything, I didn't hear anything," she said, rolling her eyes. "People in Ren Jiao are all so... strange..."

"Hmm?"

A wisp of Taiji Diagram's aura swirled around, and the spirit of the Chaos Bell quickly corrected herself.

"Strange strong, strange strong great masters."

"Hmph," the Taiji Diagram's spiritual sense dissipated around Li Changshou, clearly protecting him at that moment.

The spirit of the Chaos Bell breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest lightly, her face full of lingering fear.

Ling E whispered, "No matter what, the master ancestor should at least be reasonable. Senior Brother, you've done so much for Tian Ting—he can't just scold you like that."

The spirit of the Chaos Bell shot Ling E a glare. How dare she say that?

You Qin Xuan Ya frowned and asked, "Senior Brother, by master ancestor, do you mean Dao Zu?"

"Let's not discuss that," Li Changshou waved his hand. "We don't want to upset the master ancestor. Respecting teachers and valuing the Dao is a fine quality for us juniors in Hong Huang.

Come over and take a look—a good show is about to start."

No sooner had Li Changshou spoken than the bronze mirror, divided into two scenes, suddenly showed dialogue from Nezha's side.

"General, is it true that no one can draw that bow on top of us?"

"Quite a few cultivators have tried, but the bowstring doesn't budge at all," the on-duty general in the city gate tunnel discussed with the guards.

The general lowered his voice. "They say even our commander couldn't draw it. Otherwise, during the last dragon attack, we would have used it to shoot them down."

The words reached Nezha's ears, instantly making the bored young hero sit up.

With a flip, Nezha jumped into the watchtower, looking at the long bow enshrined with three sticks of incense and three long arrows, his little brows furrowing.

It was just a feeling, purely his intuition...

This bow and arrows didn't seem all that impressive.

The long bow was wrapped from top to bottom in white cloth, with no treasure light at all, while the three arrows did carry a sharp and fierce aura, but they felt somehow incomplete.

He reached out, and the long bow fell into Nezha's hand. He examined it up and down, this bow that was taller than he was, and swung it around.

"It's so light—what kind of power could it have? What an exaggeration."

Nezha tilted his head, then jumped off the city wall with the bow, startling the gate guards and passersby carrying building materials.

"Young Master Three, why did you just jump down like that? It's so high!"

"Are you hurt? Please don't be hurt."

"It's fine, it's fine... Is this it?"

Nezha swung the long bow and asked, "You said no one can draw this one, right?"

The general nodded quickly, agreeing repeatedly.

"Watch this."

Nezha snorted lightly, pressing his right hand on the bow and hooking his fingers on the string. He pulled gently... then harder... veins bulged on his forehead...

The bow trembled slightly, and streams of light formed a half-foot-long lock on it.

Tai Bai Palace special edition—White Ze craftsmanship—Longevity Child Lock!

Nezha tilted his head, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Fun, so fun! It even glows!"

The surrounding soldiers and people broke into cold sweats.

The general hurried forward and said to Nezha, "Young Master Three, our commander ordered that this shouldn't be touched recklessly. You've awakened the divine weapon—it might bring disaster."

"Fine," Nezha said, a bit disappointed. He tossed the still-glowing long bow back to the general. "How boring."

The general quickly bowed his head with a smile, but as soon as his hand gripped the bow, the light-formed lock on it shattered with a ping.

Li Changshou: ...

This was truly an unexpected way to unlock it.

Nezha's eyes widened, feeling like the long bow was targeting and mocking him.

The general, however, trembled all over, his eyes turning red as if he might cry from joy.

What kind of phenomenon was this? What kind of opportunity?

A divine weapon choosing its master!

This must be the legendary divine weapon choosing its master!

Was he about to embark on a path of counterattack, rising in rank, earning military honors, marrying a noblewoman, and reaching the peak of life?

"Hold my sword!"

The gate general shouted, tossing his sword to the armored soldier behind him. He rolled up his sleeves, took a wide stance, and posed to draw the bow, staring at the sky.

"Open!"

The bowstring vibrated slightly, but the general's face turned red, his body shaking uncontrollably. A foul burst escaped from behind him with a "phut."

Clang, clang—nearby passersby foamed at the mouth and collapsed.

Soon, the gate general knelt weakly on the ground. The sound of an erhu drifted from somewhere, making his eyes gradually lose their light as he slowly lay down, weakly pounding the earth.

Heavens, earth, why be so cruel to him!

If this treasure wasn't meant for him, why give him such a hint?

Was he destined to remain just an ordinary mid-level officer in Chen Tang Guan, earning a meager salary, a bit of fame, saving up to go home and become a mediocre landlord, buying a few pretty maids, and living out a dull life...

"Wait, let me try again."

Nezha picked his nose with a finger, reached out, and the Qian Kun Gong fell into his small hand.

This time, he took a deep breath, his face full of seriousness. He mimicked the general's pose, taking a wide stance and looking up at the sky.

Inhale, gather strength—immortal power surged, spiritual energy converged.

The bowstring was pulled directly!

Nezha smiled inwardly. He had already thought of how to encourage this disheartened uncle.

He'd draw the string first to show his power, then give the uncle a gentle smile and say:

"Don't lose heart—I'm a reincarnated immortal, after all.

If you practice hard, do a hundred squats, a hundred push-ups, a hundred sit-ups, and run fifty li every day, you can definitely do it too."

"Huh?"

Nezha suddenly felt the long bow absorbing his spiritual power, with the string already pulled halfway.

Strands of red light gathered between his hands, and one of the arrows from the watchtower dissolved and quickly reformed in front of him, perfectly nocking into the bow.

Qian Kun Gong drawn!

Zhen Tian Jian ready!

Nezha felt he still had strength left, so he strained his little arms to pull it further, drawing the bow more than halfway!

This arrow!

Nezha suddenly felt a surge of heroism, as if he could shoot through the heavens, like the legendary Da Yi shooting down the suns!

He could go further! Still more power!

"Hey!"

Let this young immortal see your true potential, long bow!

Crack, snap!

Caught off guard, the bowstring in Nezha's hand suddenly lost tension, and he stumbled backward!

Looking closely, the bow had snapped right in the middle, with pieces the size of fingernails flying off, and Nezha landed on his backside.

"Ah, this!"

Gulp—

Nezha's throat bobbed as he imagined his father's furious face.

Chen Tang Guan's gate fell into complete silence. The gate general stared blankly at the broken bow, overcome with sorrow, feeling his earlier simple dream was now impossible.

On Xiao Qiong Peak, Li Changshou frowned at the scene, wanting to laugh but also worried.

Dao Zu wouldn't think he was deliberately causing trouble, would he?

This was purely a misunderstanding—the fault lay with White Ze's craftsmanship not being up to par, nothing to do with him.

In the other scene on the bronze mirror, Bi Yun Tongzi had already picked a basket of wildflowers and was skipping back to his cave.

Though the attendant didn't know what he had experienced, he inexplicably felt a bit happier.

"What's Nezha up to now?"

Ling E whispered, as the group continued watching the mirror.

They saw Nezha pat his backside and stand up, wrapping the broken bow with its cloth strips. He guiltily plucked the string and said to the general,

"If my dad asks, just say I broke it. Don't worry."

The general was overcome with gratitude, nearly in tears.

"And," Nezha muttered softly, "if my dad doesn't ask, don't go out of your way to tell him. This thing's just a decoration, an old relic, not worth using."

"Yes, yes, I understand, Young Master Three. Don't worry."

Nezha nodded calmly, picked up the bow and arrows, and lightly jumped back onto the watchtower, returning the bow to its place. He then looked around guiltily.

Time to slip away.

On Xiao Qiong Peak, the fairy ladies laughed continuously, while Li Changshou pondered in confusion, wondering how the Heavenly Dao script would play out now.

Could it be...

A few hours later, in the dead of night,

A shadowy figure sneaked into the watchtower, took the long bow away, and before dawn, returned it fully reassembled.

Li Changshou watched from the shadows, truly amused and exasperated.

This Mi Le—taking on any job, turning the respected senior brother of Xi Fang Jiao into a mere repairman.

In the morning,

In the Li residence, Li Jing heard the rumors and rushed to the watchtower with Nezha, finding the bow completely flawless.

Oh, and the three arrows were now all the same length.

Li Jing sighed inwardly, shaking his head slightly as he looked at the bow and murmured,

"Thank you, Star Lord."

In the corner, a slightly plump daoist smacked the wall and vanished with a huff.

That scoundrel Li Chang Geng—this grudge, I, the poor daoist, will remember!