Chapter 28 (2/2)

Jiu Wu stared at Jiu Jiu. “Then why have you been going to the Little Qiong Peak so often over the last two years?!”

“I was helping to set up array formations,” answered Jiu Jiu as she spread out her hands. “I was banned from wine for three years. Martial Nephew gave me good drinks to replace wine. In return, I helped him set up array formations.”

Jiu Wu’s eyes widened. “Junior Sister, you were the one who set up the array formation on the Little Qiong Peak?”

“That’s right. I did it myself!”

Jiu Jiu raised her eyebrows proudly. However, she quickly explained the situation. “Senior Brother, you know I’m not interested in array formations. Changshou was the one who told me where to place what. Then, when the array formation was coming into shape, I was in charge of suppressing the spiritual energy flow. However, during this period, there was no need for me to set up any more array formations. I could not take the benefits for nothing, could I? These few days, I helped him refine a pill…

“Senior Brother?

“Senior Brother, what’s the matter? Your expression is so strange.”

“I see!”

A realization dawned on Jiu Wu. He stood up and paced the room. “The chain array formation was not set up by someone who had not ascended to immortality. It’s no wonder that only simple mazes and trapping arrays were used! He used his smarts and your hands in order to develop something like that. Amazing… amazing! This Li Changshou does not have elite-level potential, but he is in the Void Return Realm even though he joined the sect about 100 years ago. That means he is slightly better than average. If one nurtures him, he will have no problem ascending to immortality. He can make something of himself with hard work.”

At the side, Jiu Jiu yawned and stood up quietly. Her head was lowered, her body was bent over, and her arms were hanging by her side as she drifted towards the door.

“Senior Brother, I’m going back to rest. Refining pills is so tiring.”

“Ai, Little Jiu, the three jade slips that I handed to you!” Jiu Wu quickly said, “I think you should give them back to me. These are treasures belonging to our line of succession. We should not hand them out so easily.”

“They’re just some of the lessons you learned. Why do you have to be so stingy?” Jiu Jiu rolled her eyes and tossed two bottles to Jiu Wu. “I’ll make the decision. I’m using a few poisonous pills that Little Shoushou made in order to obtain these lessons from you. That should do it, right?

“These are poisonous pills that can injure even Perfected Immortals! It was a product of some of my hard work, too.”

“Those are not just ordinary lessons— Poisonous pills!?”

Jiu Wu caught the bottles and frowned as he studied them.

Jiu Wu was already drifting out of Jiu Wu’s building and returning to her own. What’s more, she was activating the huge array outside her building.

Jiu Wu could not help but laugh. ‘There is nothing wrong with Ninth Junior Sister giving him these jade slips. After all, Li Changshou is a disciple of their own sect as well.’

Jiu Wu surrounded his body with immortal power and sent the bottles tens of feet away from himself. Then, he opened the bottles from afar. Looking in, he discovered that there were three red pills in each bottle. They were emitting a light fragrance.

“They are Bone- and Mind-Rotting Pills and Soul-Transforming Killing PIlls? They are of good quality as well. Although they are poisonous pills, they are of similar quality as immortal pills. Were these refined using Little Jiu’s powers as well? This Li Changshou is something.”

Jiu Wu could not help but laugh again. Then, he spotted something else on the bottles. He brought them closer so that he could study the bottles.

There were two lines of words on the bottles. Placing the bottles side-by-side, he realized that the sentences flowed.

The short Daoist mumbled as he held the bottles up, “It’s rare to find some peace on the road to immortality; refrain from worldly riches and make a gentlemen’s agreement.” Finally, a small smile appeared on his lips.

“This fella had indeed discovered s.h.i.+ s.h.i.+ and I. That was why he intentionally undid the array formation. With these words, he is explaining that there is a working relations.h.i.+p between him and Little Jiu. He’s asking us not to worry.

“That’s not right. How did he know that these two bottles would end up in the hands of s.h.i.+ s.h.i.+ or me? Little Jiu would not have noticed the words on the bottles. Even if she did, she would not care. It’s obvious that the message is meant for us. What’s more, it was probably written using Dharmic powers a while ago. These were the remnants of the writing.

“Is he also trying to tell me to act like I did not realize the various abnormalities on the Little Qiong Peak?”

The short Daoist kept the bottles, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked towards the side of the table. He rubbed his chin and pondered deeply.

Jiu Wu recalled the time he had spotted Li Changshou and Youqin Xuanya’s traces in the North Continent. At the time, he had also stumbled upon many set-ups within a 50-kilometer radius.

Jiu Wu looked up and saw the wooden cage hanging in the cool, dark place.

These demonic spiders were extremely hard to rear. Yet, they kept reproducing at the Little Qiong Peak.

In addition to the chain array formations and poisonous pills that he saw over the past few days…

Jiu Wu sighed and said, “You’re formidable, young man. You remained inconspicuous and hidden. Before you went to the North Continent, not many people knew about you. You are not ranked among the younger generation of cultivators, either. You don’t want people to pay attention to you so that you can hide in a quiet place and cultivate. I don’t want to disturb you, too. However, as an attendant of the Immortal Du Sect, I cannot let my guard down with you.

“Pui, some peace, gentlemen’s agreement… Meet at 11:45 PM¹?”

Jiu Wu halted, the smile slowly disappearing from his face.

…

At 11:45 PM, Jiu Wu rode a cloud towards the Little Qiong Peak.

At that moment, the array formation around the Pill Chamber had already been deactivated. A tall figure stood at the door of the Pill Chamber. He cupped his hands and bowed towards Jiu Wu.

Jiu Wu smiled and landed from the sky. From outside the Pill Chamber, he smelled mellow and rich wine.

Li Changshou greeted him. “Your disciple pays his greetings to Uncle-Master.”

“Good use of ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ and ‘some peace’,” said Jiu Wu as he smiled and shook his head. He sighed softly and said, “Weren’t you afraid I wouldn’t turn up? What if I dragged you to the Punishment Hall to be questioned?”

“Well,” said Li Changshou, with his hands still cupped, and his body still bowed. Warmly, he continued, “Your disciple was not sure either. What’s more, ever since I met Uncle-Master at the North Continent, I have been worried. Yet, I knew that Uncle-Master is a person of virtue and prestige. You would not purposely make life difficult for a disciple in your sect.

“What’s more, your disciple is just unwilling to attract too much attention. I am completely loyal to the Immortal Du Sect. I also know my responsibilities as a disciple of the sect. I act righteously according to my conscience, and I am not afraid to be questioned.

“Uncle-Master, please come in and rest.

“Your disciple knows that Uncle-Master is an expert in brewing wine. I asked my Junior Sister to prepare several dishes to go with wine. May I be so bold as to invite Uncle-Master to have a taste of the wine I brewed?

“Uncle-Master, if you have any questions, please ask me tonight. Your disciple will consider carefully and answer you truthfully. I just hope to dispel the worries in Uncle-Master’s heart, so that your disciple can continue to cultivate peacefully as before.”

Jiu Wu smiled and nodded. With his hands behind his back, he walked into the Pill Chamber.

The pure moonlight shone through a window. Under the moonlight, a short table was filled with fine delicacies. A luminous cup was already filled with premium wine.

In fact, that was the Ganges River’s Dry Wine that Li Changshou had brewed for Jiu Jiu. He had opened one small vat in advance.

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