MSBITRS Chapter 66 V1

During the banquet, Elder Qing enjoyed himself thoroughly.

Wan Linjun only took a small sip of the wine that Li Changshou had brought before setting aside both jars.

The elder had little interest in drinking or the dishes; instead, he engaged in an enthusiastic discussion with Li Changshou about toxicology and poison techniques as they ate.

On his way back from Danding Peak, Li Changshou received a pile of medicinal herbs from Elder Wan Linjun.

He felt a bit embarrassed—after all, he had only gone there for a brief visit, but the elder had been incredibly generous.

Within their sect, few cultivators took an interest in the study of poison.

Li Changshou’s knowledge in the field was quite advanced, making him a rare conversation partner on the subject.

“I shouldn’t visit Danding Peak too frequently, or it might attract unwanted attention. Next time, I’ll wait at least two years before going again.”

With that thought, he landed in front of the alchemy room on Xiao Qiong Peak.

Settling into his rocking chair, he picked up a bamboo scroll that had been reinforced with immortality magic for long-term preservation and began his daily study and contemplation.

Meanwhile, Ling’e, who had just deactivated the formation around the alchemy room, flew over with a frustrated expression, hesitating as if she wanted to speak but didn’t dare.

She wanted her senior brother to praise her for her “explosive cooking” skills but was afraid he’d scold her for wasting his efforts.

After waiting for a while and seeing she still hadn’t spoken, Li Changshou looked up at her and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Senior Brother,” Lan Ling’e lowered her head, “Master went to attend the Peak Lord Assembly. Will everything be alright here?”

Li Changshou pondered for a moment before shaking his head slightly and transmitting his response:

“There won’t be any problems. Master’s enemies aren’t capable of becoming peak lords now, so don’t worry.

Right now, Master is probably just sitting quietly in a corner, listening in. Given his status and his pride in proper etiquette, he must be feeling extremely uncomfortable, like he’s sitting on pins and needles.”

—At Broken Sky Peak, in a corner of Bai Fan Hall—

An elderly Taoist, sitting on the very last cushion in the corner, subtly adjusted his posture to sit a little straighter.

—Back in the alchemy room—

Seeing Ling’e’s distracted look, Li Changshou chuckled and said, “You’ve done well this time. You’re concerned about Master and even thought to consult me about it.

Where was this attentiveness before?

Alright, I won’t hold the last incident against you. Just focus on your cultivation from now on.”

Ling’e blinked. “Senior Brother… were you just praising me?”

Li Changshou let out a helpless laugh. “Am I so fierce that you expect me to scold you all the time?”

“You always criticize me…”

Ling’e made a playful face, her mood instantly brightening.

A moment ago, she had looked as dejected as a wilted eggplant; now, she was as radiant as a freshly washed tomato.

“Senior Brother, this furnace looks impressive!”

“Don’t touch it. It bites.”

“Hmm… Senior Brother, I’m not twelve or thirteen anymore—

Let me poke it!

Ow! Ahhh!

Why does it have lightning?!”

“I added a security mechanism to prevent others from tampering with the alchemy furnace.”

Li Changshou remained calm, smiling as he continued reading outside the room.

Ling’e, now nursing her reddened finger, tilted her head as she examined the engravings on the furnace.

After wandering around the room for a bit, she found a scripture she had half-finished reading before. Grabbing a cushion, she sat outside next to her senior brother—one on the left, one on the right.

Like a pair of guardian deities.

The afternoon sun was warm, a gentle breeze rustled the treetops,

Cicadas chirped, streams murmured, butterflies danced, and in the clouds above, a few immortals drifted far away.

Li Changshou occasionally had flashes of insight but remained composed, internalizing his realizations without revealing even the slightest fluctuation in his aura.

With his cultivation level rising, he finally had control over whether or not to enter an enlightenment state.

His greatest concern had always been suddenly entering enlightenment in the middle of battle, losing control at a crucial moment…

“Senior Brother, what’s your cultivation level now?”

“Fourth stage of the Return to Void Realm.”

“Oh, that’s amazing,” Lan Ling’e replied absentmindedly, lowering her head and continuing to read, absorbing knowledge bit by bit.

—Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Court, the Hall of the Matchmaker was completely sealed by a powerful formation—

Two child servants sat before the tightly shut hall doors, each holding a wooden sign.

The right sign read:

[The Matchmaker is not home.]

The left sign read:

[This place is under the protection of the Heavenly Dao.]

The smaller child murmured, “Senior Brother, if we don’t tell Master the truth, won’t this cause trouble later?”

“Shh! Do you want Master to turn us back into tree branches?” The older child rolled his eyes. “We were originally just two twigs from a mutual pining tree. It took the Master’s blessing for us to gain intelligence.

Don’t worry. Master will figure something out.”

“Oh…” The smaller child pursed his lips in resignation.

And so, they waited day after day… eventually waiting for half a year.

Yet, the Matchmaker never returned.

—Where had the Matchmaker gone?—

In reality, he hadn’t ventured far from the Hall of Fated Love.

He had sought out a secluded celestial hall, where a certain idle immortal official resided, and delivered some gifts in an attempt to remedy his past mistake.

The Matchmaker understood his position well—he had no backing, no connections, and dared not offend anyone.

That was precisely why the Jade Emperor had placed him in charge of the Hall of Fated Love—someone like him wouldn’t dare favor any particular faction.

Requests from heavenly generals and celestial maidens for romantic ties were minor affairs.

If he truly meddled with the power granted by the Heavenly Dao to manipulate fate, he wouldn’t just accumulate immense karmic debt—he’d cause serious disasters.

Moreover, the Heavenly Dao constantly monitored the Hall of Fated Love.

The moment he even thought about tampering with fated relationships, he would receive a warning.

A second offense would result in punishment.

A third offense… and the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder would erase him from existence.

With the decline of the Heavenly Court and the rise of the Dao Sect,

Even the lowest-ranking disciples of the Human Path were people the Matchmaker couldn’t afford to offend.

The root of the current problem lies in the Grandmaster of Xuan Du’s reckless intervention.

But with a Saint backing him, an innate treasure suppressing his karma, and immense personal strength,

How could the Matchmaker possibly shift the blame onto him?

This matter… he had no choice but to bear it himself.