Chapter 99 The Fear of the “Wild” G.o.d
On the Heaven-Breaking Peak, in the residence of the Nine Jiu Immortals.
Li Changshou returned from the Immortal Du Hall. He did not see Jiu Wu and Jiu s.h.i.+, nor did he see any other Jiu Immortals.
They had gone to the various parts of the sect to get busy.
Little Aunt-Master was still drunk and sleeping soundly beside the bed. Li Changshou did not disturb her.
Should I carry Little Aunt-Master onto the bed?
He would naturally not do something that could easily be misunderstood.
That was not all. Li Changshou had also studied the surroundings of his Aunt-Master’s pavilion for a while. Soon, he understood the principles behind the protective array formation.
Li Changshou connected the array foundation of the array formation there and the array formation around her pavilion to protect her uninhibited appearance while she was sleeping…
The array formation in this place was obviously set up by Uncle-Master Jiu Wu because it was in the style of a “short Daoist”.
Then, Li Changshou found a disciple who was in charge of performing miscellaneous tasks, and took two bottles of Soul Formation Pills from him.
some
After some small talk, Li Changshou told him to tell Jiu Jiu that he and Ling’e had already returned to the Little Qiong Peak, after she woke up. After that, Li Changshou brought Ling’e along and let her lie on the cloud while he flew at a height that he was most familiar with towards Little Qiong Peak.
To be honest, the presence of Little Qiong Peak was really too insignificant.
Although Li Changshou was very satisfied with that… no one from the Immortal Sect dropped by to ask about him! That made the detailed things that Li Changshou had prepared completely useless!
Of course, it was a good thing that he could not use them…
Fortunately, Li Changshou did not see his master’s name on the stone tablet of the Hundred Mortal Hall, which had just been erected to commemorate the deceased “martyrs”. Otherwise, he would not know how to explain it to his master.
No matter how long the three statues of the paper effigies had been wors.h.i.+ped, nothing else should have happened.
The “memorial” was purely a form of commemoration. There would be no merit gained from burning incense…
Upon returning to the straw hut, Li Changshou woke Ling’e up first.
After discussing for a while, the two of them decided to act according to the first plan that they had drawn up previously to “calm their master down”.
Li Changshou laid back on his bed. His lips were dry and his eyes were out of focus. There was a hint of longing in his eyes.
Lan Ling’e ran to her master’s straw hut and knelt on the meditation cus.h.i.+on, before… releasing him.
“Who had the audacity to plot against me!?!
Look at my Dharma treasures!”
Qi Yuan jumped out of the pocket, raised his horsetail whisk, and looked around angrily. He lowered his head and saw his little disciple kneeling on the ground.
Ling’e’s eyes reddened as she bit her lip gently. She secretly pinched her thigh and used some of her true cultivation level.
“Master…”
Qi Yuan was stunned. Then, he recalled that he had been drugged by two of his disciples.
Qi Yuan scanned his surroundings using his immortal senses and saw his eldest disciple lying in the straw hut next door.
He asked, “Ling’e, what’s wrong with you? What happened to your Senior Brother!?!”
“Master, a large number of demons invaded the sect previously. Senior Brother was worried that you would rush up to fight the demons and hence, he took you and me away… During the battle, Senior Brother…”
Before Ling’e could finish speaking, Qi Yuan rushed over to Li Changshou’s bedside.
Qi Yuan looked at his heavily injured disciple and was filled with deep regret. He quickly took out numerous bottles of medicine, but he did not know which type of medicine to use. Li Changshou opened his eyes and said softly, “Master.”
“Yes, I’m here!” Qi Yuan replied in a trembling voice. “I’m here. If you have something to say, just say it.” “I’m fine.” Li Changshou said in a hoa.r.s.e voice and sighed faintly. “Master, I’ve bewitched you previously…”
“It’s not an issue. It’s not an issue. You were just sparing a thought for me. How can I not understand?”
Qi Yuan sat on the side of the bed and grabbed Li Changshou’s wrist before checking it carefully.
The old Daoist priest’s expression changed instantly. The immortal power in his eldest disciple’s body was much purer and clearer than his own. It was indeed the immortal power of the Essence Immortal realm.
However, those immortal powers were rather insignificant to Qi Yuan’s senses.
At that moment, Li Changshou’s aura was extremely chaotic. His heart was ricocheting like a drum. Upon closer inspection, Qi Yuan discovered that it was actually… very rhythmic like musical percussion!
Li Changshou forced a smile and said, “Master, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.”
Qi Yuan’s eyes were filled with guilt. He sighed and said, “Ah, I was incompetent. I couldn’t protect you and Ling’e. I even made you and Ling’e work so hard.”
“Master, I was the one who drugged you and caused you to faint. Otherwise, you’d definitely be able to…” *Coughs* Qi Yuan quickly said, “That’s just a trivial matter. I don’t blame you. I don’t blame you.”
Li Changshou coughed weakly and smiled bitterly. “Master, that’s just a verbal statement with no proof. I really feel guilty from the bottom of my heart.”
“I… Yes, I swear that I will not blame you this time!”
“Master, what do you swear to?” “To the Great Dao, of course…”
“Master, if you don’t chant the ‘Grat.i.tude Incantation’, the Great Dao will not detect it.”
“Alright, I will do that! Eh?”
Qi Yuan was stunned. He looked at Li Changshou who was lying on the bed.
The latter’s eyes were half-closed, and he was barely breathing. He coughed weakly again. The old Daoist priest looked at Ling’e, who was hiding outside the straw hut, and his immortal senses circled around the Little Qiong Peak. He immediately recovered from the shock.
Qi Yuan said coldly, “Changshou, your Qi-Calming Turtle Breathing Mantra doesn’t seem to only conceal your cultivation level.”
“Master, I…”
“Psht!”
Suddenly, a noise could be heard from outside the door. After trying hard to hold it in, she could not help but laugh.
Qi Yuan was speechless.
Li Changshou coughed and sat up silently. He smiled sincerely at his master.
“Master, I’m really fine.”
“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”
Qi Yuan picked up his horsetail whisk and hit Li Changshou with it. Li Changshou took the chance to escape, but when he was at the door, he was hugged by Ling’e who suddenly pounced on him!
“Senior Brother, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
Ling’e squinted and smiled. She quickly yelled at Qi Yuan who was inside, “Master, I’ve caught Senior Brother! Senior Brother forced me to do all of those things! Master, I’ve always said that you can do your part as a cultivator of the Immortal Du Sect by going out to kill enemies. However Senior Brother said that you will only fight with the higher-ups when you go to the arena without using any strategies!”
Li Changshou glared at Ling’e. Qi Yuan had already rushed over from behind. He raised his horsetail whisk and shouted loudly. He then used it to whip Li Changshou on his back.
If Li Changshou really wanted to run, he would naturally be able to escape.
At this moment, he was just giving his master an out and a chance to vent his anger.
He heard a few slapping sounds, and the familiar part of his body was red and swollen again…
Li Changshou was having a hard time too.
When his master hit him with the horsetail whisk, he tried his best to suppress the immortal power in his body while retaliating against his master, lest anything happened to him.
A few moments later…
Li Changshou and Ling’e knelt neatly in front of their master.
Qi Yuan sat on the round chair and frowned as he listened to Li Changshou speak.
His initial anger turned into confusion, followed by a moment of realization. Qi Yuan’s expression changed several times throughout the process.
After Li Changshou finished speaking, Qi Yuan muttered, “Is that the reason?”
For a moment… he felt that something was amiss, but he could not put a finger on it.
“Master, that’s true.” Li Changshou and Ling’e nodded in unison. Qi Yuan was deep in thought.
Ling’e, who was at the side, pursed her lips secretly. However, she completely understood that she definitely could not give her Senior Brother a chance to speak, given the situation that they were in!
Otherwise, his senior brother would really be able to twist the facts!
It was clearly them who had sneaked an attack on their master. However, their master actually felt that he should have been bewitched…
He thought that that way, they would be able to avoid the possibility of a flaw appearing in their battle formation and causing all their efforts to go in vain because of a single person. Qi Yuan sighed. He quickly followed Li Changshou’s instructions and flew into the Hundred Mortal Hall.
As the Peak Leader of Little Qiong Peak, he had to show up and ask if there was anything he could do…
As soon as her master left, Ling’e felt a chill down her spine. She could not help but s.h.i.+ver.
“Senior, Senior Brother…”
“Junior Sister.” Li Changshou’s smile was very friendly and gentle. “You’ve become full-fledged and disobedient, huh?” Ling’e cringed, giggled, and whispered, “It’s all because of your teachings, Senior Brother. You taught me that it’s better to let one person get in trouble rather than two… Senior Brother, I was wrong!”
“Hmph!”
Li Changshou slowly stood up while supporting his b.u.t.tocks with his hand. He circulated his immortal power and dissipated the external wounds that his master had just inflicted.
“Senior Brother, should I help you apply some medicine?”
“Forget it…”
Li Changshou was just about to tease Ling’e and take revenge on her when he felt a sudden urge. He could not help but frown.
Li Changshou hid his right hand in his sleeve and pinched his fingers to make some calculations. His frown deepened.
This time, it was not that something had happened to Uncle-Master Jiu Wu. He did not give Uncle-Master Jiu Wu any of those “little trinkets” either.
Li Changshou somehow felt a sudden sense of danger…
He glanced at Ling’e and said, “Ling’e, go outside and play. I need to meditate and think about something.”
“Oh.” Lingle could tell that her senior brother seemed to have some serious matters to attend to. Although she was a little dissatisfied with the word ‘play’, she still responded obediently and quickly left Li Changshou’s straw hut.
Li Changshou activated the surrounding array formations and sat cross-legged on the meditation cus.h.i.+on. He began trying to detect something with his senses and made some deductions.
Something happened…
Something happened at the South Ocean Sea G.o.d Sect.
A statue of his had been smashed.
Li Changshou was delighted at first. After all, if that was the case, one of his 1,600 statues would be successfully removed.
However, he could not smile at all afterwards…
In the small temple in the village where people wors.h.i.+ped him, two groups of mortals were slas.h.i.+ng the people around them with their knives, and blood was splas.h.i.+ng everywhere.
It was a battle between sects. Li Changshou had already sensed it beforehand. He did not expect that things would become increasingly intense and that such a huge commotion would break out. There were already mortals who had begun to sacrifice their lives and shed their blood for the Sea G.o.d of the South Ocean…
However, Li Changshou soon realized that a wisp of black aura was wrapped around his Essence Soul and tied to his wrist.
It seemed to be… negative karma!
Li Changshou hurriedly took out a wisp of the incense merit he had been hiding and approached the black aura. The two intertwined and gradually disappeared.
Merit and negative karma.
“What is this?”
Li Changshou did not know whether to laugh or cry as he remained seated. Soon, he began to think carefully.
The merits of incense offerings actually came from “protecting” and “enlightening” mortals.
To a certain extent, the existence of the South Ocean Sea G.o.d Sect had made the villages in the small region unite and a.s.sist each other. That was beneficial to the stability of the world.
In addition, people everywhere had been continuously wors.h.i.+ping him and offering incense. That was equivalent to the Heavenly Dao acknowledging him, an “illegitimate” G.o.d.
He was forcibly accepted because of all the people who wors.h.i.+ped him.
At that moment, the negative karma was caused by the conflict between the sects that led to the lethal fight in the mortal world. A portion of the karma that resulted from the deaths and injuries turned into negative karma which found its way to Li Changshou…
“This matter has to be resolved.”
Li Changshou remained seated while being in deep thought.
He now had a paper effigy which could barely be considered an “introductory-level” avatar of him. As long as he could borrow some Dharma treasures that could allow him to fly through the sky and burrow into the ground, he could save on immortal powers and rush to the South Ocean.
What should I do to destroy my Sea G.o.d Sect? Instead of earning these merits from incense offerings, I’d rather earn some merit in the Heavenly Courts. That merit would be pure and comfortable.
I wouldn’t be in this predicament, where I’m at risk of being redressed by the Western Sect at any time.
Now that I’m thinking about it carefully, I’m an “illegitimate G.o.d” who’s being wors.h.i.+ped. Yet, I want to destroy my own sect. I’m one of a kind. “Yes, I have to make careful arrangements.”
Li Changshou took a deep breath and began to think carefully.
I must really scare those villagers of Xiong Village who are dedicated to acc.u.mulating their wealth!
A few days later, at the Heaven-Breaking Peak.
Jiu Jiu, who had just woken up, stood in front of the wooden door that was pushed open. She performed a few spells consecutively, but there was no reaction from the walls of the array formation outside.
Huh?
Jiu Jiu turned around to look inside the house. As the room was too clean, she was not used to it.
Is this… really my room? Jiu Jiu frowned and realized that things were not that simple.
On the Golden Ao Island.
“Han Zhi, you can’t go on like this.”
Ao Yi looked at the haggard-looking girl and said softly, “Why don’t I accompany you to walk around? If you find the scenery of the East Ocean boring, shall we go to the West and South Oceans? There is beautiful scenery everywhere in the four seas. You really can’t continue being so depressed.”
Han Zhi sighed and smiled bitterly. “My master actually…”
Me “Actually, that’s not a bad thing,” said Ao Yi. “After Senior Brother Yuan Ze reincarnates, he will definitely be able to cultivate.
So what if he becomes a demon?
He’s just going to lack some luck and fortune. He can transform and continue pursuing the Great Dao.
Besides, think about it…”
Ao Yi pondered for a moment and rolled his eyes before continuing, “After Senior Brother Yuan Ze reincarnates, he will definitely be unable to speak for a long time. Doesn’t that mean he won’t be able to get into trouble?”
Han Zhi blinked and exclaimed, “That’s true!”
As Ao Yi continued to persuade her, Han Zhi’s mood gradually changed for the better.
She sighed softly and said gently, “In that case, let’s go out for a walk. I want to relax too. Thank you Uncle-Master, for keeping me company.”
“It’s my duty to do so.” Ao Yi smiled.
I will definitely take good care of you for your master!
Not long after, the two figures flew out of Golden Ao Island. They chose a random direction and moved out slowly.