MSBITRS Chapter 61 V2

“This time, I hope you take it as a lesson.”

“I understand, Senior Brother,” Ling’e bit her lip. “From now on, I’ll copy a scripture every day.”

Li Changshou handed her a storage pouch and sighed. “It’s not that I’m being overly strict with you, but you grew up within the sect, and, before that, in a noble household. You’ve never truly experienced how cruel the world can be.

Take my latest trip outside, for example. I… never mind.”

“Hmm?” Ling’e blinked, curiosity flashing in her eyes. “Senior Brother, what happened?”

Li Changshou stood with his hands behind his back, tilting his head slightly as he let out a soft chuckle. “Just focus on your cultivation… Ling’e?”

“I’m here!”

“Train hard. Don’t get distracted by other matters.

You need to reach the fifth stage of the Returning Dao Realm before the next sect-wide ceremony. That way, the sect will take notice of you.”

Li Changshou rubbed his forehead and sighed. “That way, if one day I suddenly disappear, at least the sect will still look after you.”

Ling’e whispered, “Senior Brother… are you planning to run away?”

“Run away? What nonsense are you talking about? Go back and rest. I need to start refining pills.”

Li Changshou chuckled lightly, leaving Ling’e feeling puzzled.

As she left the alchemy room, she tilted her head, deep in thought. Then, glancing back at the room, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her senior brother was acting… a little strange.

Inside the alchemy room, Li Changshou skillfully ignited the furnace and began refining a Purifying Turbidity Pill for his master. The ingredients contained no toxins, so there was no need to wear protective gear.

Once the flames were stable, his mind drifted to another important matter.

Money.

“Little Qiong Peak, Little Qiong Peak… it’s like we’re destined to be poor.”

He needed a vast amount of precious materials and spirit stones; otherwise, he’d be restricted in everything he wanted to do.

It wasn’t about making a fortune overnight—he just needed a stable source of income beyond the basic stipend of a sect disciple.

Hiding away in the mountains—ahem, staying stable in the mountains—was great for safety, but it also meant there were no easy ways to gather resources.

Could he use some trickery to convert the deity statues along the South Sea into incense-fueled merit generators and sell them to the Western Sect?

…No, that was asking for death. Better to avoid the South Sea altogether.

So how should he make money?

“The two things that would benefit me the most right now are: one, gaining access to the inner sanctum of the Dao Repository Hall, which is reserved for immortals. That’s not easy.

Two, taking on alchemy commissions from the sect to earn extra income. Using my high pill-refinement success rate, I could gather medicinal herbs bit by bit, and over time, the profits would add up.”

Since he wouldn’t need to enter long secluded meditation anytime soon, he could afford to spend a few hours a day refining pills.

Taking commissions was simple—he just needed to register at the Hundred Affairs Hall, and the sect would assign him tasks. Many disciples from other peaks did this as well.

But he’d need to discuss this with his master first. Alone, he wouldn’t be able to take on commissions for high-grade pills.

Why not work with Uncle-Master Jiu?

It wasn’t a matter of trust—Uncle-Master Jiu was currently in seclusion and did not know alchemy. She was also too well-known in the sect, which would attract suspicion.

Besides, making his master more active in the sect would help lure out that old enemy. I hit two birds with one stone.

Li Changshou stroked his chin in thought, but suddenly, he noticed the flames in the furnace becoming unstable. Instinctively, he flicked out a wisp of true fire.

Then, his movements froze.

Wait, did I just use Three-True Flame by mistake?

Crack… crack…

Boom!

The entire alchemy room trembled violently, and in the next instant, the roof was blasted off!

A moment later, Li Changshou stood amidst the wreckage, his face covered in soot. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words. The frustration was real.

Looking at the pile of mangled metal in front of him—the remains of his painstakingly restored alchemy furnace—he could only let out a bitter chuckle.

Hah… ha ha…

So in the end, working with the Western Sect to sell incense and merit might be the fastest way to get rich…

We solemnly swear, we don’t produce incense—we merely transport it.

“Little Poor Peak indeed,” Li Changshou muttered, amused by his own joke. He shook his head and began cleaning up the destroyed furnace.

At least he had only used a single wisp of Three-True Flame. If he had thrown in a full burst, the entire alchemy room would have been reduced to rubble, and he’d be rebuilding tomorrow.

High above the nine heavens, amidst drifting clouds, celestial islands hovered in a starry sea.

The newly established Heavenly Court loomed over the center of the Middle Continent, suppressing the fortunes of the vast world.

For now, the court was still relatively empty. Though celestial soldiers guarded the five great heavenly gates leading to the mortal world, the grand halls and pavilions of the court itself remained mostly unoccupied.

If not for the Sage Laozi, who had stationed an incarnation here as the Grand Supreme Elder Lord to support the Jade Emperor, the court might have already been taken over by ambitious old demons from the ancient monster clans.

At the heart of the court stood the Dao Palace of the Three Purities, with the Ninth Heaven reserved for the three great Daoist Sages. Here, celestial radiance shimmered over a single, humble Daoist temple—Laozi’s usual place of meditation.

The Lingxiao Hall, the grand and resplendent throne room of the Jade Emperor, sat on the Eighth Heaven. But at this time, it barely held any real authority in the world.

Surrounding it were numerous military outposts, clear evidence that Haotian—the Jade Emperor, a former attendant of the Dao Ancestor—was deeply concerned for his own safety.

The Seventh Heaven housed many of the court’s administrative offices and celestial residences. Laozi’s Tusita Palace was also located here.

In an inconspicuous corner of the Seventh Heaven, nestled on a floating island, stood a gracefully designed celestial hall, its structure elegant yet unremarkable.

What truly made it stand out were the large, red silk banners draped across its eaves.

Could it be the site of a grand celestial wedding?

Not quite.

This was the Heavenly Court’s official bureau in charge of marriages across the Three Realms.

A golden plaque gleamed above its entrance, bearing the words:

[Heavenly Fate and Mortal Bonds]

It was none other than the residence of the Old Man Under the Moon—the matchmaker of the heavens.