139: Chapter 139 Troublesome Neighbors

The sea breeze was salty and fishy, and the night was as dark as ink.

On the barren rocky beach of Longevity Island, inside a simple stone pavilion, a strange fragrance wafted out, enough to make any gourmet salivate.

A palm-sized black cat crouched on the edge of the stone table, its amber eyes fixed on the bubbling stone pot in the center. An eager purr rumbled in its throat, its tail swinging like a metronome.

"What's the rush? It's not ready yet."

Gu Changsheng held a handful of purple spices, made from dried and ground weeds that grew alongside purple star grass; it was superb at removing fishiness and enhancing flavor.

With a light pinch of his fingers, he sprinkled the powder evenly over the translucent fish in the pot.

Sizzle.

Spiritual fire licked the bottom of the pot, and the aroma instantly exploded within the small stone pavilion.

Sitting opposite him, Shen Zhiwei held a white jade wine cup. Watching Gu Changsheng's fluid cooking movements, a hint of surprise flashed in her cold eyes.

She was used to the delicacies of the Dragon Palace and had seen countless Cultivators swallow dry Medicinal Pills for the sake of fasting.

Someone like Gu Changsheng, who was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator yet focused so intently on a fish, was truly rare.

"Fellow Daoist Gu's skills..." Shen Zhiwei lightly sniffed the aroma, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly. "You don't seem like a bitter ascetic, but rather like a refined man of the world."

"Food is the first necessity of the people. Before reaching Immortal Ascension, a Cultivator is still human."

Gu Changsheng extinguished the spiritual fire on his fingertips, picked up the tenderest piece of fish belly, blew on it, and placed it on a small plate in front of Coal Ball. Then he looked up and smiled, "Besides, this Silver Thread Fish brought by Fellow Daoist Shen is bursting with Spiritual Qi. To swallow it whole without savoring it would be a waste of heaven's gifts, wouldn't it?"

Shen Zhiwei smiled faintly, her fair hand rising as she poured a cup of amber liquid for Gu Changsheng.

"This is 'Drunken Dragon Brew.' It's strong, so please drink slowly, Fellow Daoist Gu."

Gu Changsheng picked up the wine cup but didn't rush to drink. Instead, he used the System to scan it inconspicuously.

After confirming it was non-toxic and that the Spiritual Qi was pure and gentle, he drained it in one gulp.

Boom!

The wine went down his throat like a line of fire, rushing straight to his Dantian before transforming into a soft, warm current that spread through his limbs and bones.

His Meridians, which had been slightly sluggish due to suppressing his cultivation, actually relaxed under the power of the wine. It was so comfortable it made him want to sigh.

"Good wine," Gu Changsheng praised. No longer standing on ceremony, he picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth.

Two people and one cat, on this desolate island, actually created the illusion of peaceful, quiet years.

After three rounds of wine, the bright moon over the sea had risen to the middle of the sky.

Shen Zhiwei's peerless face was flushed with red. This Drunken Dragon Brew was no ordinary drink; even a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator would feel their Divine Soul drifting after drinking too much.

Resting her chin on one hand, her eyes gazed hazily at the shimmering sea in the distance, her expression gradually becoming hollow and deep.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, look at this sea..."

Shen Zhiwei's voice became somewhat low and raspy, no longer its usual cold and guarded self. "Doesn't it look like a giant cage?"

Gu Changsheng's hand paused slightly while picking up food, then returned to normal. "The sea is wide enough for fish to leap; why talk of a cage?"

"Heh..." Shen Zhiwei gave a self-deprecating laugh, her fingers rubbing the rim of the cup. "That's for fish. What if it's a dragon?"

Gu Changsheng's heart skipped a beat.

Here it comes.

The typical "truth after wine" prelude.

Based on his years of experience in the Way of Survival, what followed was usually a series of high-risk plotlines like "I'm actually the Young Miss of such-and-such power," "I carry a deep blood feud," or "I have a key that can open a treasure vault."

To listen is to invite Karma.

To get involved is to invite trouble.

"Fellow Daoist Gu." Shen Zhiwei turned her head, her eyes seemingly hiding a thousand words, carrying the urgency of a drowning person clutching a piece of driftwood. "Actually, I'm not a Loose Cultivator. I am..."

"Fellow Daoist Shen!"

Gu Changsheng suddenly raised his voice, slamming his chopsticks onto the stone table with a "clack." Coal Ball, who was licking a plate, jumped in fright, his fur standing on end as he nearly fell into the pot.

Shen Zhiwei was stunned, the words at the tip of her tongue forced back down.

Gu Changsheng stood up abruptly, hands behind his back, looking up at the bright moon with an expression of solemnity and intoxication.

"Look at this moonlight, so bright and clear! In such a scene, one truly cannot help but want to... recite a volume of scripture!"

Shen Zhiwei: "...?"

Before she could react, Gu Changsheng had already closed his eyes and began to chant loudly:

"The Great Dao is formless, giving birth to Heaven and Earth; the Great Dao is emotionless, moving the sun and moon; the Great Dao is nameless, nurturing all things..."

His voice was clear, yet it carried an imperceptible ripple of spiritual power.

This was the introductory lesson of the Taiqing Sect, the 'Scripture of Purity and Stillness,' and also the most basic heart-calming incantation.

Every word uttered was like a clear spring, pouring over Shen Zhiwei's somewhat heated mind.

"...If one can always be pure and still, Heaven and Earth will return to them. Now, the human spirit loves purity, but the mind disturbs it; the human mind loves stillness, but desires lead it astray..."

The scripture echoed across the empty island, and accompanied by the rhythm of waves hitting the rocks, it produced a strange harmony.

The hazy look in Shen Zhiwei's eyes gradually faded as the scripture was recited.

She looked at the thin but upright figure in green robes with his back to her, and her heated brain quickly cooled down.

She was a smart person.

Gu Changsheng wasn't lacking in sentiment, nor did he truly want to recite scripture.

He was telling her: shut up.

Some things, once spoken, become Karma and entanglements. He didn't want to hear them, nor did he want to be drawn into her whirlpool.

A chance meeting, ending at being neighbors.

This was his boundary and also his mercy—after all, the less one knows, the longer one lives.

The bitterness in the depths of Shen Zhiwei's eyes slowly dissipated, replaced by a sense of relief and gratitude.

In this Cultivation World of intrigue, where people would love to suck the marrow from others' bones, how rare it was to meet someone who actively rejected secrets and trouble, even going so far as to play dumb to maintain a safe distance.

"If one can constantly dispel their desires, the mind will naturally be still; clarify the mind, and the spirit will naturally be pure..."

Gu Changsheng finished the last line and slowly turned around, his solemn expression instantly switching back to his previous honest smile.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, I've lost my composure after drinking; please don't laugh at me. I usually cultivate my character and love this 'Scripture of Purity and Stillness' the most. Whenever I drink too much, I can't help but recite a few lines."

Shen Zhiwei put down her wine cup and rose to give a graceful bow. Her tone returned to its usual coldness, but with an added touch of sincerity.

"Fellow Daoist Gu's Dao Heart is clear; it was I who was too attached to appearances."

Just as the atmosphere had softened and the two were about to make a polite exit.

[Ding!]

[Top-tier Intelligence!]

Gu Changsheng's eyelid twitched as a line of crimson text popped up without warning on the golden panel in his Sea of Consciousness.

[Target Locked: Shen Zhiwei.]

[Trackers: "Three Corpse-Hunting Ghosts" of the Wan Sha Hall.]

[Configuration: One at Foundation Establishment Perfection, two at the Late Stage. Skilled in combined attack Formations, carrying the "Foul Blood Spirit-Tainting Net" specifically designed to counter water-attribute Cultivation Techniques.]

[Distance: Five hundred miles due south, approaching stealthily aboard a "Ghost Shuttle." Estimated arrival at Turtleback Reef in fifteen minutes.]

[Risk Assessment: Extremely High. If Shen Zhiwei is captured here, there is a high probability that Longevity Island will be "cleaned up" as well.]

The smile on Gu Changsheng's face didn't change at all, nor did his eyes flicker.

But his fingers inside his sleeve had already quietly crushed a Jade Slip.

Wan Sha Hall.

A demonic giant of the Southern Border; how did these mad dogs catch the scent and come here?

It seems the "dragon locking nailss" on this Dragon Palace princess aren't foolproof; her aura still leaked out.

Gu Changsheng's mind raced with calculations.

Save her? Not worth it, too easy to expose his strength.

Don't save her? Once Shen Zhiwei is caught, those people from the Wan Sha Hall will surely clean up the surrounding traces. If they approach Longevity Island and trigger the Formations, discovering something amiss, it'll be trouble.

If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.

He had to let her live, and she had to survive on her own.

"It's getting late." Unaware of the approaching danger, Shen Zhiwei smoothed her skirt and prepared to leave. "Thank you for your hospitality today, Fellow Daoist Gu. I shall take my leave."

"Wait a moment, Fellow Daoist Shen."

Gu Changsheng suddenly stopped her.

He fumbled in his robes for a while and pulled out a roll of beast-hide Formation Flags that looked dusty and even a bit worn.

There were five flags in total, with crooked, earthy-yellow runes drawn on them, looking like low-quality goods sold for five Spirit Stones a bunch at a street stall.

"The winds are strong and the waves are high in this sea area. I see that although your Formations are exquisite, they don't seem very effective against wind and sand."

Gu Changsheng handed over the flags with a sincere expression. "This is a little gadget I refined in my spare time called the 'Sand-Fixing Formation.' Although it has no offensive power, it's exceptionally sturdy. Burying it around your island will help you sleep more soundly at night."

Shen Zhiwei looked at the shabby flags, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

She was of the Dragon Clan and a Formation expert; why would she need such mundane things to block the wind?

But seeing Gu Changsheng's "sincere" eyes, she couldn't bear to refuse his kindness.

"Then... thank you, Fellow Daoist Gu."

She reached out and took the flags.

The moment she touched them, Shen Zhiwei's fingers trembled slightly.

Heavy.

These flags, which looked light as air, were as heavy as mountains in her hand, as if she were holding up five mountain peaks.

Furthermore, from within the flagpoles, a faint, heart-palpitating sound of thunder could be heard. Though extremely weak, it carried an aura of destruction.

This was no ordinary item!

She suddenly looked up at Gu Changsheng.

But Gu Changsheng had already turned around and was cleaning up the leftovers on the table, waving his hand without looking back.

"If the wind is strong tonight, remember to plant the flags deeper, preferably according to the Five Elements positions—Earth generates Gold, Gold generates Water... ahem, anyway, you get the idea. You understand Formations, so just set them up however you like."

"Strong wind..."

Shen Zhiwei mulled over those words, a realization dawning in her heart.

She took a deep look at the man's hunched back as he cleared the dishes and solemnly tucked the flags into her sleeve.

"I understand."

With that, she stepped onto a water lotus and transformed into a streak of green light, vanishing into the vast night.

Not until her aura had completely disappeared into the mists of Turtleback Reef.

Did Gu Changsheng slowly straighten his back, the honest and timid expression on his face instantly vanishing.

In its place was a cold and silent depth, like the deep sea.

With a wave of his wide sleeve, the lantern in the stone pavilion was instantly extinguished.

In the darkness, only a pair of blue-green eyes flickered.

"Coal Ball."

Gu Changsheng lightly patted the black cat on his shoulder, his voice low and carrying a hint of chill.

"There's a show to watch."

"Tonight's fish might be a bit fishy."

"Meow!"

The black cat licked its paw, its eyes flashing with golden light. Its lazy fat body instantly tensed up like a fully drawn bow, ready for action.

The sea breeze suddenly picked up.

Five hundred miles away, three dark shadows shrouded in a thick scent of blood skimmed over the sea's surface like sharks that had caught the scent of blood, silently closing in on the peaceful cluster of deserted islands.