Chapter 25 (2/2)

This was where Exalted w.a.n.g Qing’s eight or nine disciples secluded themselves to cultivate. A building had been built among the mountain.

The ‘Nine Jiu Immortals’ was only one of the lines in the Heaven-Breaking Peak. However, the one with the lowest cultivation and who had entered the peak the latest among them was Jiu Jiu, who was already a Perfected Immortal. Naturally, the treatment she got was vastly different from Qi Yuan and his disciples.

Not only was there an excellent spirit-gathering array there, but there were also many disciples who were in charge of odd jobs. On top of these, protective arrays, which were restricted by the sect, had been set up around various buildings. One could say that this was an ideal place for cultivators to live.

Jiu Jiu was the youngest and was naturally pampered and loved by her senior brothers and sisters. Her accommodation was close to Jiu Wu’s and was in an ideal spot to be protected by her other senior brothers and sisters as well.

If Jiu Jiu went into seclusion, the others would surely guard her house vigilantly.

Under the watchful eyes of several handymen, Jiu Jiu flew back into her building, kicked off her cloth shoes, and jumped barefoot into her bed, which was carved out from jasper. She hugged the two jade pots, which she just brought back with her, and then began to giggle.

“Should I drink you or you first this time? Little Shoushou is not bad. He could think of making such things. Three years are about to go by. The ‘Ganges River’s Dry Wine’ that he buried the last time is going to emerge soon. Then, I will drink to my heart’s content! Slurp! I will enjoy some Beauty’s Charm today.”

“Cough! Cough, cough!”

Outside the building, a short, five-foot-tall Daoist coughed. Jiu Jiu, who had been lying down on her bed, covered both jade pots and looked outside cautiously. When she saw who it was, she heaved a sigh of relief.

“Fifth Senior Brother, just come in. I didn’t even activate any arrays.”

“I was just reprimanded by Big Senior Sister before. We might be close, but I must not forget my manners,” answered Jiu Wu as he laughed. He took two steps forward and paused again.

There was no s.p.a.ce for him to advance.

He surveyed the wine jars, blouses, and undergarments scattered around the floor. Finally, Jiu Wu smacked his forehead and said, “Little Jiu, you’re already 1,800 years old. Why can’t you tidy up your own house?”

Jiu Jiu sniffed and waved her hand, saying, “There’s no weird smell anyway. It’ll be fine.”

She casually put her jade pots into her storage Dharma treasures, and then sat cross-legged on her bed.

With much difficulty, Jiu Wu opened a path in the mess on the ground. Then, he sat beside the short table and spoke in a low voice. “Jiu Jiu, you’ve been going to the Little Qiong Peak very often recently.” Jiu Wu laughed. “What do you do there?”

“I play. What else can I do there?” Jiu Jiu blinked. “Fifth Senior Brother, why are you suddenly asking me this?”

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing.” Jiu Wu waved his hand and then scratched his head. He thought about the tasks his various senior and junior sisters gave him. All of a sudden, he did not know what to say.

‘How should I put this? I can’t possibly ask my Junior Sister if she has fallen in love with someone in the Little Qiong Peak, can I?’

Jiu Wu regained his composure. “Cough! I remember the first tens of years after you joined the sect. You were quite close to that Junior Brother Qi Yuan.”

“That’s right,” replied Jiu Jiu, nodding. “Back then, Senior Brother Qi Yuan took very good care of me.”

Jiu Wu hesitated. “Then are… you…?”

Jiu Jiu frowned. “Fifth Senior Brother, what’s the matter with you today? Why are you stuttering?”

“I… I… Ai!”

Jiu Wu stomped his foot and said, “I’m going to be straightforward! Little Jiu, you’ve been heading to the Little Qiong Peak every day during this period. Even though you’re on an alcohol ban, you look extremely energetic! Your Senior Sisters were wondering if you… er, if you were…”

“Were what?”

“You!”

“Me?” Jiu Jiu frowned, her eyes filled with confusion.

Jiu Wu’s voice became sharp as his heart raced. He sucked in a deep breath and spat, “Are you?! Going to break through—”

“Is it so easy to break through?” Jiu Jiu rolled her eyes. “Tell my Senior Sisters not to worry. If I hit a bottleneck, I will ask you about it. I will not be hard-headed and try to force my way through.”

“That’s good, that’s good. I’ll go back then. Continue cultivating.”

Jiu Wu quickly excused himself as he stood up and walked to the door. At the door, he turned around again and asked, “That’s right Little Jiu. The spider that you brought back from the Little Qiong Peak the last time is dead. Ask Martial Nephew Changshou if he has any more. I’ll use my treasured pills to trade.”

“Alright, I got it. I’ll ask him for you the next time I go there.”

Jiu Wu smiled subtly.

‘Gee, since Jiu Jiu brought back the Strong-Pupil Three-Headed Spider the last time, I obtained spiderwebs, which would help me see things from a distance. Life has become much more interesting since. Especially when I place the webs in the waterhole where my Dao companion often bathes in. The scene is…’

“Cough, cough.” Jiu Wu lowered his head and walked away quickly.

‘Fifth Senior Brother is acting so strangely today. Forget it. Maybe he quarreled with Fourth Senior Sister.’

Jiu Jiu shook her head and activated the array outside her building. Then, she lay down on her mattress and retrieved her two jade pots. Once again, she tried to resolve her beautiful dilemma.

…

At the Little Qiong Peak’s Pill Chamber…

Li Changshou stood in front of the pill furnace. The ingredients he required for the pills had already been prepared. He turned towards the futon on the left.

He held a jade token in his left hand as he tried to sense the changes happening in various parts of the huge array. Once he confirmed for the third time that there were no dangers, he activated the pill furnace’s restrictions. Flames immediately appeared inside.

Li Changshou sat down on the futon on the left. However, just as he was sitting down, a plume of green smoke exploded beside him. His figure disappeared, leaving behind a paper doll.

In the blink of an eye, the paper doll took on Li Changshou’s form. The green smoke quickly entered his nostrils and disappeared.

Illusive techniques were the old Daoist priest Qi Yuan’s forte. Naturally, his older disciple had mastered it a long time ago.

In fact, the number of things Li Changshou now knew how to create illusions of was many times that of his master’s.

<script>