Chapter 1115: Schemes and Intrigue
“Second-in-Command, I’ve found something tasty again. Want to try some?” Yun Mengmeng carried a bamboo basket covered with a cloth, concealing whatever was inside.
“Senior Brother Lu Yang, you’ve had more interactions with Everlasting-jiejie. When she speaks of her resurrection, does she mention me more or Lianyi more?” Ao Ling stood to Lu Yang’s left, her tone gentle yet assertive.
“Everlasting-jiejie and I are so close. She definitely mentions me more often!” Jiang Lianyi stood to Lu Yang’s right, glaring at Ao Ling with enmity.
“Young Creed Leader, do you think there’s any room for improvement regarding the recording orbs?” Jin Caiwei held a recording orb in both hands, waving it before Lu Yang’s eyes.
Surrounded by four women, each with their own demands, Lu Yang was overwhelmed and could hardly keep up.
Meng Jingzhou raised his hand to execute the Single’s Curse Fist, but hesitated, unsure who he could strike. I can’t defeat any of these people.
He consumed an Emotion-Forgetting Pill, and his heart instantly became as still as water. Then he saw Lu Yang surrounded by the four women again, grew envious once more, and consumed another pill. Then he looked again and grew envious once more.
Meng Jingzhou inhaled two deep breaths and decided to turn away from this envy-inducing scene, resolutely heading to the Great Mission Hall.
Noticing Meng Jingzhou’s odd behavior, Lu Yang called out, “Hey, Old Meng, why are you leaving? You haven’t finished telling me about your experiences in the Buddhist Kingdom!”
“I’m not talking about it anymore. Your experiences are far more exciting!”
Lu Yang was befuddled. Why has Old Meng’s mood suddenly soured? Did I overdo it with the immortal body?
That shouldn’t be; I only kicked once. Old Meng’s psyche can’t be that fragile, right?
“Second-in-Command, try it.”
“Sister Mengmeng... I’ll eat it, I’ll eat it. Please stop poking my face with the food.”
Lu Yang could only take a bite. Although he didn’t know what it was, the flavor was excellent.
Hearing Lu Yang praise her pastry, Yun Mengmeng grew even more excited. “Try another piece. It’s a different flavor.”
Lu Yang made his way from the Dao-Seeking Sect’s entrance back to Heaven’s Gate Peak, all the while surrounded by the four women.
He was flanked by the Dragon and Phoenix ancestors, and though he had no idea what had happened during his absence, the conflict between the two seemed to have intensified.
The two ancestors looked at him expectantly, hoping to hear the answers they wanted.
Lu Yang put on a troubled expression. “Senior Ao Ling, Senior Lianyi, it’s not easy to answer this question.
“Her Exalted Majesty mentions you both every day, so many times that I’ve lost count. How could I possibly rank one above the other?”
Hearing this, the two women exchanged provocative glances. The tense, confrontational atmosphere largely dissipated, though inwardly, they were extremely delighted.
Feeling guilty for not giving a concrete answer, Lu Yang quickly tried to make amends. “If you two want to know the answer, it’s simple. Senior Qing He is now the Scribe. You can ask her to keep count from now on.”
Qing He, who was feeding the Everlasting Immortal Fairy in the mental space, stiffened. How did this question get tossed to me?
She tucked the small blanket around the Everlasting Immortal Fairy and said softly, “Mistress, I’ll step out for a moment.”
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy lay on the bed, still appearing terribly weak. She mumbled in acknowledgement, thinking how lively and wonderful it was outside.
Qing He flew out of the mental space and shot Lu Yang a glare, suspecting he had done it on purpose.
“Younger Sister Qing He, we’ll leave the tallying to you from now on.”
“Matters entrusted by you two sisters are within my duties. Every word and action of Her Exalted Majesty carries profound meaning.
“However, perhaps your question has no answer.”
“What do you mean?”
Facing Ao Ling and Jiang Lianyi, Qing He also put on a troubled expression. “In these past few days I spent caring for the Mistress’s daily needs as the Scribe, I’ve noticed something different from ancient times. In the past, the Mistress mentioned the two of you the most. But now, the one she mentions most is Lu Yang.”
Lu Yang smoothly took over the conversation. “Senior Qing He is right. Her Exalted Majesty often tells me that our Great Dou Dynasty is full of talent. If we could set aside internal strife, cooperate with one another, and work toward a common goal, there is no difficulty in this world we cannot overcome.”
He glared at Qing He. Did you hear that? What do you mean by ‘caring for the Mistress as the Scribe?’ Is that really what a scribe should be doing?
Qing He glared back at Lu Yang. What kind of intoxicating soup have you been feeding the Mistress? All she talks about is you!
Feeling that he couldn’t outmaneuver Qing He in the short term, Lu Yang quickly changed the subject, brainstorming a new path to riches for the Qiongqi Tribe.
“Senior Caiwei, the recording orb does have room for improvement. I intended to discuss it with you earlier, but I was delayed by some matters recently. Please, come with me.”
Jin Caiwei’s eyes lit up as she eagerly followed him. I knew the Young Creed Leader had more ideas.
~~~
Tao Yaoye was lying on the branch of a peach tree outside her cave abode, holding a peach twig as she drifted off in thought. Sensing Lu Yang approaching, she immediately jumped down, straightened her clothes, and waved at him.
“Senior Brother Lu Yang, I heard you’ve returned from Demon City...”
Then she saw the procession of beauties behind him. She froze, her hand raised mid-air. It was only after a long while that she remembered to lower it.
“Younger Sister Peach,[1] I’m here.” Seeing Tao Yaoye waving, Yun Mengmeng also raised her hand in greeting.
Having stayed at the Dao-Seeking Sect for so long, she was familiar with Tao Yaoye.
Lu Yang cleared his throat. “Ahem, Junior Sister Tao, let me introduce you. These are Senior Ao Ling, Senior Jiang Lianyi, Senior Jin Caiwei, and Senior Qing He.”
As a member of the Heavenly Court Creed, Tao Yaoye knew of Ao Ling and the others, but this was the first time she had met them formally.
Tao Yaoye hurriedly returned the greeting. “Greetings, seniors!”
At the same time, she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Since they’re all seniors, they probably won’t become romantic rivals. I still have a big advantage.
My greatest adversary now is Yun Mengmeng. She’s meticulous and shrewd, even harder to deal with than Lan Ting. No matter how many times I tried to sound her out subtly, she had deflected my questions with clever answers. I still can’t discern her true feelings!
“Senior Caiwei, this is the method I mentioned.”
Lu Yang smiled. “I’m sure you’ve heard of Junior Sister Tao. She’s the founder of Dreamlike Bubble Mirages.”
Jin Caiwei had naturally heard of her. Tao Yaoye had created Dreamlike Bubble Mirages when her cultivation was still low. By now, her wealth must have accumulated to an astonishing degree.
“Senior, I was thinking that you could try combining the recording orb with Dreamlike Bubble Mirages—use the recording orb to play content from Dreamlike Bubble Mirages. This would significantly increase the sales of recording orbs.
“However, you would need to share the profits with my junior sister here regularly. What do you think?”
“No problem!” Although Jin Caiwei didn’t have much business sense, she trusted Lu Yang’s wisdom.
“Junior Sister Tao, what do you think?”
Tao Yaoye could see the benefits. This can expand the Dreamlike Bubble Mirages’ reach and let me build a good relationship with Senior Jin Caiwei.
Excluding Senior Brother Lu Yang’s role as an intermediary, this is essentially establishing a mutually beneficial partnership with an ancient half-immortal through my own abilities. This is a fortuitous opportunity that countless cultivators can only dream of.
Although it has been some time since I last saw Senior Brother Lu Yang, he still thinks of me!
1. “Tao” means peach. ☜
