A spark flew from her fingers, lighting a soft flame beneath the cooking stand. She snapped her fingers, and a spirit fish leapt from the lake, landing right onto the chopping board like it volunteered.
Ling’e pulled out a sleek dagger-shaped artifact named Descale, tapped the fish unconscious, and began expertly preparing it…
Youqin Xuanya curiously leaned in, momentarily forgetting all about her original purpose for coming here.
Half an hour later…
“This looks good.”
“Try it, Senior Sister! My cooking is just as good as Senior Brother’s now!”
“Mmm… smells amazing!”
Youqin Xuanya held a pair of jade chopsticks, her eyes sparkling with delight.
Next to her, Ling’e had already set up a low table and brought out a sweet fruit wine that wouldn’t get them drunk. The two sat by the lake, sipping wine and tasting fish.
Not long after, a white cloud floated over from Dan Ding Peak…
Ling’e glanced at the cloud’s altitude and said quickly, “My senior brother’s back! Didn’t you say you had official business to discuss with him?”
“Mhm.” Youqin Xuanya immediately put down her chopsticks and stood up to greet him.
This time, Li Changshou didn’t avoid them. He calmly rode his cloud over.
“Senior Brother!” Ling’e called out sweetly. “Youqin has been waiting for you.”
“Senior Brother Changshou,” Youqin Xuanya greeted, bowing with cupped hands.
“No need for such formality, Sister Youqin,” Li Changshou returned the gesture. “What brings you here?”
Youqin Xuanya looked at him and explained the situation regarding the underground leyline escape formation. She said, “If we are attacked and the mountain’s protective formation is in danger, you and Junior Sister Ling’e should go straight to the Bai Fan Hall. There’s a hidden path to escape from there.
We haven’t reached immortality yet—staying here would only be a burden to our elders during such a crisis.”
Li Changshou’s brow furrowed. He quickly asked, “Sister Youqin, have you already informed the disciples of the other peaks?”
“…Not yet,” Youqin Xuanya admitted with a bit of embarrassment. “I came here to Little Qiong Peak first. I was hoping to ask if you would assist me in spreading the word to the others.”
Ling’e blinked, staying quiet.
Li Changshou let out a small sigh of relief inwardly, then said with a serious tone, “If we do that, we need to rephrase it. Do not mention anything about the leyline escape formation.
Have you considered, Sister Youqin, that disciples have been joining this sect for decades, some even over a century? What if an enemy infiltrator is among them and hears this? If an attack comes, wouldn’t we have just exposed our escape plan and cut off the disciples’ last resort?”
Youqin Xuanya was momentarily stunned. She frowned slightly and said, “You have a point, Senior Brother Changshou… but if we don’t trust people, how will they trust us?”
“Trust should come after understanding,” Li Changshou replied calmly. “If you don’t know someone, on what basis do you trust them? The human heart is complex—faces are easy to see, but the mind is not.
And tell me, Sister Youqin, do you truly believe no one in the sect would choose survival over loyalty?”
“I…” Youqin Xuanya was speechless. She couldn’t argue back and silently reflected.
Li Changshou added gently, “We are naturally grateful for the teachings of our sect, but that’s just us. We can’t expect everyone to feel the same.
The Dao of Heaven starts from the heart, and even methods and principles follow from that.
Tell me, even between master and disciple, father and son—how many truly share the same path?”
“…I understand.” Youqin Xuanya gave Li Changshou a deep bow, her eyes filled with admiration. “I hadn’t thought things through. Thank you for your insight.
Please, Senior Brother, advise me on how to handle this properly.”
“No need for such courtesy,” Li Changshou responded with a slight bow of his own, though he was mentally taking notes.
“For someone with her kind of personality, logic and reason work pretty well…”
He smiled and said, “If you intend to inform the disciples in advance, we can simply say—‘If a major crisis occurs, all those who have not yet ascended should go to Po Tian Peak to take shelter.’
Once they’re there, you can guide them to Bai Fan Hall. It’s better than having everyone swarm Bai Fan Hall directly.”
“That’s a good idea,” Youqin Xuanya’s eyes sparkled. “If not for your guidance…”
“Sister Youqin, you were just too anxious. With a little more thought, you’d have figured it out.”
Li Changshou smoothly cut her off, then gestured politely. “This matter can’t be delayed. Best not to linger here too long.”
“Mhm.” Youqin Xuanya nodded lightly, gave another respectful bow, and rode her cloud toward Po Tian Peak.
She was on her way to meet with the elders of Bai Fan Hall to remind them to keep the matter confidential.
Thanks to Senior Brother Changshou’s words…
There really might be a spy among us.
By the lake, Ling’e blinked at Li Changshou. He smiled back and then headed toward the alchemy room.
A short while later…
In the underground chamber beneath the alchemy room:
Li Changshou sat at his desk, playing with a storage ring recently given to him by Elder Wan Linjun—it bore the seal of the sect leader. Spread out before him was a map he had drawn earlier.
Inside the ring was a massive stockpile of poisonous herbs, likely a reward given to Elder Wan Linjun by the sect, now passed on to him.
He also received a whole batch of poison and knockout pills.
Give a peach, return a plum. Since Elder Wan gave him this bounty, Li Changshou decided to use it for the sect’s defense—“public supplies for public service.”
Now…
He tapped his fingers lightly on the table and began analyzing.
“If I were one of those attackers… from which direction would I launch a surprise assault?”
Six months later, 3,000 miles northwest of the Duxian Sect’s mountain gate
Shadows zipped swiftly along the ground, flying low through a desolate valley.
None of them noticed that, on a rock ledge off to the side, a strand of spider silk clinging to the stone was swaying faintly in the wind…
At the same time, 300 miles ahead in a dense forest along their path—
A wooden box buried under a tree quietly popped open.
A paper figure covered in small cloth pouches leapt out, instantly using wood-element techniques to merge into…
…a nearby old tree’s trunk.
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1