Stinky Senior Brother

Stinky Senior Brother

Fortunately, his master had not grown suspicious and had even asked Li Changshou with concern when he had developed such an ailment, taking hold of Li Changshou's wrist to examine him carefully.

It was also thanks to Daoist Master Qi Yuan being only at the ninth stage of the Dao Attainment Realm, still one step away from immortality. When he probed him, Li Changshou easily muddled his way through, resolving this little crisis...

"Your six senses are unsettled, and your vital spirit is muddled," Qi Yuan cautioned solemnly. "Changshou, after you return, seclude yourself in quiet cultivation for a while. Do not go out and about. Your master will also tell Ling'e not to disturb you.

"There is a slight problem with your state of mind, but thankfully it is not serious. A period of quiet cultivation will suffice."

Li Changshou nodded gravely. "Yes, Master."

Ahead of them, Youqin Xuanya, who had been somewhat tense, also let out a sigh of relief at those words. The subtle detail in her expression happened to fall into the eyes of the short Daoist, Jiu Wu, beside her.

Interesting.

Jiu Wu raised his thick, short brows, his expression immediately becoming rather meaningful...

Hearing Daoist Master Qi Yuan say so, Jiu Jiu also relaxed. She rose and hopped over beside Youqin Xuanya, asking softly what exactly had happened earlier.

Li Changshou glanced at the Soul-Capturing Bead in his Storage Magic Tool. Several remnant souls inside had yet to fully dissipate, and many fragments of memory could be found within them.

So he silently released a wisp of spiritual consciousness, moved the Soul-Capturing Bead farther into a corner, and sealed it with talismans.

So long as it had nothing to do with him, all was well under heaven.

Jiu Wu was far stronger than Jiu Jiu, but even he did not dare fly at full speed within the Northern Continent.

The short Daoist was quite cautious. He did not utter a word as they traveled, his gaze constantly sweeping alertly over their surroundings.

—This made Li Changshou think rather highly of him.

At last, they left the Northern Kuru Continent without incident.

After leaving the land blanketed in miasma, Jiu Wu led them south for a hundred li, found a Desolate Mountain, and notified several fellow disciples to gather there.

After waiting roughly half an hour, Wang Qi's master arrived first with Wang Qi and Liu Yan'er.

Youqin Xuanya's master, Jiang Jingshan; Yuan Qing's master, Lin Qi; and Liu Yan'er's master did not arrive until another two hours later.

Jiang Jingshan was a standard-model fairy: lovely features, Pure Qi swirling around her, cloudlike hair gathered in a bun, immortal robes adorning her form. She was brimming with Immortal Qi without losing the warmth of the human world.

"Xiaoya!"

Seeing her beloved disciple kneeling on the ground, her entire body covered in bandaged wounds, her long dress stained with Bloodstains, her face so haggard she seemed like a different person, Jiang Jingshan's expression turned sorrowful. She rushed forward in two steps and gathered Youqin Xuanya into her arms.

"Master..."

"Master is here, Master is here!

"It was this master's momentary confusion that made me agree to that thief Yuan Qing's request, sending you here to seek Flame-Averting Heart-Clearing Grass as training. It was all this master's fault!"

Youqin Xuanya's eyes reddened slightly, but she gently drew a breath and steadied her state of mind. "This disciple was useless and caused Master to worry."

Daoist Master Lin Qi, who had arrived with the others, had already learned that Yuan Qing was dead. He did not fly into a rage. Looking at the master and disciple, he asked in a grave voice:

"What exactly happened?"

While searching along separate routes, they had also taken one Primordial Immortal who had been an accomplice of Yuan Qing and Yuwen Ling. They had dealt with that Primordial Immortal as well and roughly learned what had happened before.

Jiu Wu said, "Junior Brother Lin Qi, calm yourself first. Let Xuanya tell the entire matter from beginning to end.

"Xuanya, be as detailed as possible. Do not conceal anything!"

Jiang Jingshan hurriedly said, "Xiaoya, just say whatever you need to say. Your master will make the decisions for you in all things!"

"This disciple obeys," Youqin Xuanya said. Her gaze drifted toward Li Changshou at the edge of the group, and the emotions that had just begun to stir within her inexplicably calmed.

She first sighed, then slowly began recounting everything from the moment the five disciples had split up, giving them every detail.

She spoke from afternoon until dusk, then from dusk until the sky was full of stars.

Why doesn't this Poison Sister just start from the Creation of Heaven and Earth?

Li Changshou grumbled inwardly. He quietly went a little farther away to sit in meditation and regulate his breathing, while still hearing the general course of Youqin Xuanya's experiences...

After Jiu Jiu was trapped, Yuan Qing had not directly ambushed Youqin Xuanya. Instead, he had first summoned a gang of villains to attack them both, intending to stage a hero rescuing a beauty.

In the end, this "beauty," Youqin Xuanya, was considerably stronger than the "hero," Yuan Qing, leaving Yuan Qing in an exceptionally awkward position.

Yuan Qing then changed tactics, having his accomplices continually pressure the two of them and create an atmosphere of utter desperation, before taking the opportunity to confess his feelings to Youqin Xuanya.

Yet even when facing a desperate situation, Youqin Xuanya had still decisively rejected Yuan Qing's declaration of "sharing a grave with you and journeying together into the next life"...

His soft tactics repeatedly failed, and Yuan Qing finally became enraged from humiliation. Tearing off his mask, he tried to use a Love Gu to control Youqin Xuanya. But Youqin Xuanya found an opportunity to escape using a Teleportation Treasure Talisman, happened to encounter Li Changshou, and was saved by Li Changshou for the first time...

After recovering from her injuries, Youqin Xuanya had wanted to take a detour back to the Treasure Forest of Chaotic Miasma. After traveling for several days, she discovered that she had accidentally gotten lost. Then, by further misfortune, Yuan Qing's group found her trail, forcing her into a fierce battle.

This time, Li Changshou happened to pass by in time again.

Under Li Changshou's guidance, Youqin Xuanya lured those people beside the nest of a powerful poisonous creature. In the end, that group was poisoned to death by the creature, while Youqin Xuanya personally killed Yuan Qing.

As he listened to Youqin Xuanya recount all this, Li Changshou could not help sighing inwardly:

This Yuan Qing had so many chances, but he was simply no good at it.

He even felt slightly sorry for Yuwen Ling and the other subordinates of Yuan Qing.

Once Youqin Xuanya had finished recounting the events of this journey, gaze after gaze fell upon Li Changshou.

Jiang Jingshan personally brought Youqin Xuanya over. Master and disciple solemnly thanked Li Changshou and said that, after returning to the sect, they would offer even greater thanks. Li Changshou, somewhat "reserved," repeatedly said there was no need.

Afraid Li Changshou might say something wrong, Daoist Master Qi Yuan arrived in time and beamingly accepted this wave of gratitude...

Among those present, only Lin Qi, Yuan Qing's master, was in the most awkward position.

"Alas," Lin Qi sighed. "This poor Daoist lacked discernment in taking a disciple. After returning to the mountain, I shall go accept punishment."

Jiu Wu advised, "That Yuan Qing schemed deeply. His intentions were already improper when he entered the sect. Junior Brother, you accepted him directly during the last Founding Ceremony, so this cannot be blamed on you."

Lin Qi shook his head gloomily and said no more.

As for Youqin Xuanya killing Yuan Qing, though she had reason and justice on her side, she had still killed a senior fellow disciple and would still have to face punishment under the Sect Rules.

—The punishment would be extremely light, likely just several years of shut-door reflection in the mountains.

Jiu Wu also encouraged Li Changshou with a few words, saying that the sect would certainly reward him after they returned to the mountain, and that it would not be stingy with the reward due to him.

Their group did not return to the Du Xian Sect together.

Qi Yuan traveled slowly behind with Li Changshou, Liu Yan'er, and Wang Qi—the three masters and disciples making their way back at an unhurried pace.

The others returned to the Du Xian Sect at full speed: those who needed punishment received punishment, and those who needed to plead guilty pleaded guilty.

They were in such a hurry entirely because Jiang Jingshan had urged them on.

Youqin Xuanya's master was no simple figure. She herself was a disciple of the sect master, held considerable status within the sect, possessed profound cultivation and numerous magic treasures, and had a Dao companion with whom she treated each other as honored guests. That Dao companion was also an expert of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

Though the matter in the Northern Continent had already come to an end, how could Jiang Jingshan allow her disciple to suffer such grievances for nothing?

Before setting out, Jiang Jingshan had directly sent word to her Dao companion, telling him to find a few fellow disciples with nothing better to do. Once she returned to the mountain, they were to immediately head for the Southern Continent and uproot Yuan Qing's Mortal World power entirely, leaving no future trouble behind!

The journey back to the mountain was calm as windless water, without a single ripple.

It was just that whenever Li Changshou heard Liu Yan'er's tender call of "Junior Brother Qiqi" along the way, he could not help but shudder...

Ahem. Cultural differences, cultural differences.

Lesser Qiong Peak was quiet at night. A white cloud stopped in midair, and Li Changshou drifted down from it. Daoist Master Qi Yuan, meanwhile, was all smiles as he rode the cloud toward the other peaks.

—Master had just received an invitation from Liu Yan'er's master to go have a little wine and share a small meal.

Passing through the Isolation Array he had set up with his own hands and stepping onto the familiar grass, Li Changshou let out a deeply comfortable breath.

At peace at last.

"Senior Brother!"

A joyful cry came from the side. Li Changshou turned to look and saw Azure Radiance flickering around his junior sister's grass hut.

The small array that blocked outside detection had been opened from within by a narrow crack, and the voice came from that crack...

Then he heard the ceaseless sound of splashing water, followed by Ling'e's cheerful cries. "Senior Brother, you're back!

"Are you hurt? What happened before? Why were you gone so long?"

Before her words had faded, a graceful figure rushed out from the grass hut. Her entire body was wrapped only in a thin blanket, her slender, shapely figure especially alluring. Her long hair was dripping wet, and clear water still clung to her skin, delicate enough to seem as if it would break at a touch.

Yet she paid no heed to any of that. The moment she saw Li Changshou, she happily jumped up.

She had only just gotten into the wooden tub and had been bathing moments ago. Perhaps some bathwater had gotten into her eyes, for a mist suddenly clouded those almond-shaped eyes. Spreading her arms, she threw herself at him.

Li Changshou instinctively wanted to dodge, but when he saw the grievance filling Ling'e's eyes, he sighed inwardly. He stood where he was with his hands behind his back and let his junior sister crash into his chest.

"Stinky Senior Brother, you scared me to death!

"You didn't come back for so long—I thought something had happened to you!"

Ling'e's cry could not help carrying a hint of tears, and she began to choke up. But just as she was about to cry, a large hand gently rubbed her head.

"Senior Brother..."

Ling'e looked up at him, light flickering in her eyes as her little mouth unconsciously puckered.

Li Changshou suddenly said, "Right, Master, he..."

"Ah!"

Ling'e immediately realized what he meant. Thinking that their master had returned together with her senior brother, she gave a soft cry, hurriedly turned around, and dashed back into the grass hut with the speed of thunder and the force of a gale. Wrapped in her blanket, she plunged into the large wooden tub and hid beneath the water, not daring to raise her head.

—It was naturally fine for Senior Brother to see her like that, but how could any man other than Senior Brother see her!

Not even Master!

Sending out her spiritual consciousness to investigate, Ling'e poked her head out of the water in confusion...

Li Changshou's voice drifted in from outside. "Master went to another peak for a banquet.

"I'll rest for a while first, then come find you at the hour of the tiger to ask about this training."

Having said that, he casually activated the array around her grass hut again and drifted back to his own dwelling.

Inside the wooden tub, Ling'e lowered her head to look at the thin blanket around her body, a flush rising to her cheeks.

"Stinky Senior Brother..."

She muttered to herself, slowly sinking her head beneath the water and leaving a string of bubbles on the surface.