Without the Ambition Pill, the amount of money he earned was instantly reduced by half.
Li Changshou looked at the array formation design that he had just completed. He roughly estimated the quantity, quality, and value of the materials used to refine the array foundation. He could not help but mutter to himself for a while.
The ultimate long-term plan was to transform Little Qiong Peak into a Dharma treasure and a mobile abode that combined attack, defense, residence, and entertainment.
At present, the path of turning Little Qiong Peak into a Dharma treasure was divided into three steps.
In order to be safe, the first step would be to create a mobile complex array formation that could kill, defend, and achieve the most basic requirement of Dharma treasure transformation, which was rather important.
Since his immortal power was not enough for him to refine the entire Little Qiong Peak, he could only rely on the Cosmic Array Formation to make up for it. On the other hand, the Cosmic Dao had high requirements for the basic strength of the array formation…
Li Changshou did a quick calculation.
“If I rely only on the monthly allowance that I, Master, and Junior Sister get, and the fixed quota that is given to Little Qiong Peak, I will probably need another thirty… thousand years. If I were to rely on the speed at which pills are sold in the town, it would take over a thousand years…”
A thousand years may not be considered long given his current lifespan, and the Immortal Du Sect would not collapse within a thousand
years.
However, Li Changshou still wanted to complete it as soon as possible so that he could feel more secure.
Hence, Li Changshou spent half a day developing a few money-making methods that would allow him to earn without having to leave the sect, expose his trump cards, or affect the harmony in the sect.
However, Li Changshou dispelled a few of his ideas.
For example, ‘Little Qiong Peak Trapping Array and Enchantment Array’ and ‘Little Qiong Peak Barbecue Mountain Villa’ would affect the cultivation of his junior sister and master.
In the end, Li Changshou only kept one of the plans, which had the smallest impact and the least benefits. He casually made the items used for this plan and placed them beside the lake of the Little Qiong Peak…
He thought that he had not wasted that half of his day.
There was a wooden box that was half a meter tall. He opened it from the side and saw a wooden carving of a “big-bellied cat” inside. He could not be bothered to paint it.
There was a wooden tablet beside the wooden box. There were some lines on it.
“This item is known as the Immortal Cat Divination Barrel. However, in reality, it would give a suggestion based on what you say. Before you use it, please throw Spirit Stones, Dharma treasures, pills, and other valuable items into the Immortal Cat’s mouth. The bamboo lots that have countermeasures written on them, will appear below the wooden chest.
Note: Usage would automatically mean acceptance of the relevant terms of use of ‘Little Qiong Peak Countermeasure Barrel’. For the time being, there will be no refund service.
With respect, the Peak Leader of Little Qiong Peak, Qi Yuan.”
Who would fall for this?
Li Changshou shook his head and secretly left a small piece of spider web in the wooden box. Then, he floated away and returned to the Pill Chamber to continue refining pills and comprehending the Dao.
There were some intricate designs on the interior of the wooden bucket. There were forty-nine bamboo slips inside. Each bamboo slip had the phrases ‘not too bad’ or ‘ambitious’ written on it.
“I really don’t have the talent to deceive others.”
Li Changshou sighed and activated the pitch-black Pill Furnace. Then, he placed the herbs that he had previously arranged into it.
Half a day later… Li Changshou suddenly got an idea and the image of the wooden bucket appeared in his mind.
A small head leaned over. Her features were exquisite and her face was attractive. She had short, light-brown-colored hair and was scrutinizing the wooden cat inside.
Li Changshou could not react because he was suddenly looking at her face from a close distance.
However, the other party had changed her position from bending over to standing up straight. Her tight linen blouse…
Aunt-Master Jiu!
At the same time, Li Changshou’s Wind Speech Incantation also allowed him to hear Little Aunt-Master’s murmurs…
“A countermeasure barrel? Who are you trying to bluff? Do you think that you can take someone else’s Spirit Stones with just this?”
Little Aunt-Master chuckled. She picked up a random stone and threw it into the wooden cat’s mouth.
Then, she said seriously, “Countermeasure Barrel, listen up. I have a small problem now. How can I obtain more wine, delicacies, and handsome men!?!
Well… I can take back the last one.”
Li Changshou smiled and squinted. With a thought, he activated the miniature array formation in the wooden barrel. A bamboo slip shot out from the hole under the wooden barrel and was caught by Jiu Jiu.
Jiu Jiu looked at the words on it and read softly, “There are many doubts in your heart but the answer lies at the bottom of your heart. Do not forget who gave you everything that you have. Treasure it?”
Jiu Jiu blinked and mumbled, “That’s interesting.”
She flipped the bamboo slip and took a look, only to see that there was a line written on it
—
“Please don’t take this away. Place it back into the hole at the side of the bucket.” Then, she stuffed the bamboo slip back.
She naturally could not recognize that it was Qi Yuan’s handwriting.
Jiu Jiu thought for a while and took out a Spirit Stone that was about to run out of spiritual energy and threw it into the big-bellied cat’s mouth.
Then, Jiu Jiu said, “I’ll ask you another question. Recently, I’ve been listening to Sixth Senior Sister and Fourth Senior Sister complaining about their Dao companions. Is it a good thing or a bad thing to have a Dao companion?” Li Changshou, who was in the Pill Chamber, thought for a while. With a flick of his finger, the miniature array formation shot out another bamboo slip.
Jiu Jiu held it and read softly, “The Immortal Path is ethereal, and the Dao of humans is clear. You will have to part ways in the end, be it mortals and immortals. Why should you be troubled… Oh, that sounds so reasonable! This thing is quite efficacious.”
After pondering for a while, Jiu Jiu turned her head and looked around. She set up a soundproof barrier around her. This time, she took out a high-quality jade and carefully placed it in the countermeasure barrel.
Pa! Pa!
She put her palms together and took a deep breath before exhaling again.
“So, Immortal Cat. I have a fellow Daoist… As for her, she owes a nephew who is much younger than her in terms of age and seniority, a lot of favors. She doesn’t know how to repay them at all. What should she do?”
Li Changshou could not help but laugh silently. For the sake of that piece of beautiful jade, he gave her a “positive” bamboo lot.
“Stay free and carefree, without any obstacles or worries. Since you’ve already stepped onto the Immortal Path, why should you worry about the unknown?”.
Jiu Jiu stood there and experienced it for a while. Then, a look of realization appeared on her face. She bowed to the Immortal Cat seriously, then turned around and left with joy written all over her face.
I think only Little Aunt-Master would fall for this trick because she’s drunk too much… ahem.
Li Changshou chuckled in his heart. That piece of jade was not bad. He could exchange it for some precious materials later.
However, what Li Changshou did not expect was…
Two days later, Jiu Jiu pulled Jiu Lu’er over…
Jiu Lu’er was also troubled. She asked about her own marriage, but she said, “I have a fellow Daoist…”
Li Changshou naturally could not be an evil person.
The bamboo slip that he gave her was to persuade her to relax and spend more time on cultivation. As long as she was confident, there would be no problems in the world.
Jiu Lu’er pondered for a while and immediately smiled sweetly. She bowed to the Immortal Cat and left.
The revenue he got this time was not bad as Jiu Lu’er contributed a few large Spirit Stones.
In the next half a month, four Jiu Immortals arrived one after another. Five to six Perfected Immortals from the Heaven-Breaking Peak who were familiar with them also showed up. Li Changshou had accepted more than a hundred Spirit Stones and spirit jades for no reason.
It was almost a month’s worth of monthly allowance…
Furthermore, every time those people left in satisfaction, they actually did not obtain anything. They only used that method to confirm their thoughts. Li Changshou did not get any karma.
Is this method really feasible?
It was not difficult for him to spend some time and energy on it by putting some of his attention on it every now and then.
Li Changshou was also a little surprised. He made 360 bamboo lots overnight and expanded the wooden barrel. He also set up the array formations and restrictions inside to make them more exquisite.
The content on the bamboo slip was not complicated, nor did it have any practical meaning. It could be understood directly or oppositely. One can also have a more inclined understanding
The deciphering would depend on which answer the person who was seeking advice, was inclined towards.
Li Changshou prepared three bamboo lots for those people who were suspicious and had doubts which they wanted to clear by drawing lots.
The first type was something like “You will get help from a benefactor along the path ahead.”
The second type was “Take a step back and you will see how vast the world is.”
The third type was (You still have to do some soul-searching…]
As a result, a barrel that was more suited to perfection was quickly completed. There were also one or two people who would visit to ask for advice every day.
Li Changshou moved the barrel to the forest behind the Little Qiong Peak so that he would not disturb his master’s cultivation.
What was interesting to Li Changshou was that most people who were there to seek advice would say, “I… have a fellow Daoist…”
Half a month later…
When it was almost evening, a figure that Li Changshou was familiar with appeared in front of the barrel.
She was wearing an icy-blue dress. She was extremely beautiful but did not smile. Without a doubt, she was Youqin Xuanya.
When he first saw her, Li Changshou thought that she was there to cause trouble. However, Youqin Xuanya quickly did a few familiar-looking moves…
She looked around and set up a barrier. She then took a deep breath and… tossed two Immortal Spirit Stones into the barrel!
Li Changshou, who was in the midst of refining pills, could not help but reveal a serious expression. The Immortal Spirit Stone was extremely valuable. He wondered, What major problem does Toxic Junior Sister have?
However, what Li Changshou did not expect was…
“Immortal Cat, I… I have a fellow Daoist.”
Youqin Xuanya said softly, “I don’t know what’s wrong with her. Recently, she would occasionally feel uneasy. A senior brother’s figure appeared in her heart. Whenever she had some free time after cultivating the Dao, the first thing she would do is to go near her senior brother. Although she might not be able to see him, she would be more at ease as long as she’s near him. My fellow Daoist admires that senior brother very much and treats him as her role model. However, her master… said that she might have fallen in love with him. That confused her. Immortal Cat, what should she do?”
Li Changshou was rendered speechless.
He wanted to make use of that opportunity to hint Youqin Xuanya not to waste her time on him.
Li Changshou quickly picked one of the bamboo lots and flicked it out using the array formation.
“The Immortal Path is a beautiful thing. There’s no need to be restricted by your appearance. You will be able to obtain a good fortune in the Ming Dynasty. You will be able to talk about the Great Dao.”
After Youqin Xuanya finished reading the words on the bamboo lot, she looked like she was deep in thought.
She quickly understood something and smiled in relief. She bowed to the big-bellied Immortal Cat.
“Thank you for your guidance, Immortal Cat.” Then, she turned around and rode on a cloud. With a smile, she flew towards the chess cards that she had personally made… ahem, the royal casino.
“Toxic Junior Sister should have understood something.”
Li Changshou pondered for a while. The bamboo lot did not have any ambiguity. It meant that she should cultivate well and pass the Great Dao and that there were even more beautiful scenery ahead.
However, Youqin Xuanya’s thoughts had always been different and unique. Li Changshou did not know if his bamboo lots would be effective either…
Half a day later, Jiu Wu floated over with a frown.
That Uncle-Master did not ask for any advice. Instead, he circled the item twice.
Then, he understood something and smiled. “This thing that Little Changshou is doing is not bad. It’s also a good thing that he can take the initiative to help the sect. He didn’t waste that scheming little brain of his.”
Li Changshou could not help but say via voice transmission, “Uncle-Master, I can hear you.”
“Ahem, Uncle-Master is busy. I have something to do. I’m here on behalf of the Hundred Mortal Hall to take a look. I’ll go back and report to them.”
After saying that, Jiu Wu hurriedly ran away.
With Uncle-Master Jiu Wu helping him with the Hundred Mortal Hall, the countermeasure barrel was properly preserved.
In the following days, there would be one or two people visiting the place to ask questions. Most of them were from Heaven-Breaking Peak.
The reputation of the countermeasure barrel had yet to spread.
Li Changshou’s gains were considerable.
After all, it was a business that did not require any capital. He could only rely on one bamboo lot. It was similar to the divination lots in the temples in the South Ocean Sea God Temple.
Li Changshou quickly thought of a new idea for creating wealth.
He set up a simple isolation array formation around the bucket. Each time, one only needed to place five Spirit Stones in the wooden box to activate the array formation. That would keep the array formation running for an hour!
Li Changshou could earn four of the five Spirit Stones in the box.
Of course, he also left an alternative for himself. He could hear anything the people said to the Immortal Cat.
Two months later, Liu Feixian, who looked depressed and distracted, floated over. He looked around and saw that there was no one around. He then took out five Spirit Stones and placed them in the wooden box before activating the array formation.
The Perfected Immortal executive of Danding Peak, who was considered a little chubby in the world of immortals, sighed silently. He took out two bottles of pills and placed them in the Immortal Cat’s mouth.
“Junior Brother Qi Yuan… Oh no, Immortal Cat. I… have a fellow Daoist. He had done something foolish previously. He was greedy and got into a mishap. Now, whenever he walks on the road, he would be beaten up from time to time. Once, he ended up falling asleep for no reason when he was cultivating in his Cave Abode. When he woke up, he was tied to a tree, stark naked…”
“My fellow Daoist knows that he has done something wrong. He sincerely wants to salvage the situation. However, he can’t rest assured and stay in cultivation after suffering like that. What should he do?”
Li Changshou could not help but laugh. He flicked his finger and gave him an encouraging bamboo lot.
However, Li Changshou frowned subconsciously the moment he finished.
Li Changshou reckoned that the urge he felt must be because something happened in the Sea God Sect of the South Ocean. This time, Li Changshou’s heart turned red.
A bloody glow lingered…
He pinched his fingers to deduce…
It was an ominous sign!