“Sigh, being on duty in the Heavenly Courts is really too difficult.”
In Elder Moon’s palace, a thin elder dressed in a bright red wedding robe sat on his chair. He drank the tea that the young boy had brought over and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
He had just dealt with a Heavenly General who had insisted on being match-made with a fairy from the Jade Pool with his help.
Can this match be made so casually?
Even though he was the Moon Elder, he was not to manipulate the fate of others.
Although there were in fact, many ways to do it in secret, it still depended on who the person being match-made was!
Elder Yue had spent a lot of effort to deceive and lure away the Heavenly General. He was so tired that he was sweating profusely.
He wished to reject her without making her unhappy. Furthermore, he could not afford to offend the person he liked…
Elder Yue’s task was really too difficult.
Most marriages were formed naturally, while a small number was bestowed by the heavens.
As a Moon Elder, he indeed had some rights to make changes. However, the pair of golden scissors and the red string were treasures of the Heavenly merit. They could not be used recklessly!
Even if it was just a marriage between a pair of mortals, mishandling would not only damage the merit that he had worked hard to accumulate, also cause him to be punished by the Jade Emperor, who was serious, responsible, and hardworking…
What were naturally-formed marriages?
In the apse, there was a mysterious universe that was almost endless and contained countless tiny clay figurines. It was mandatory for all living beings in the world to be married. There were respective clay figurines for each of the three marriages of the Heaven, Earth, and Man.
Marriage was a mandatory rite of passage.
The clay figurines mostly corresponded to humans and only a small number corresponded to demons and witches.
When they interact in the mortal world, the clay figurines in the apse would approach each other. Then, there would be a red string emerging from each of them. After the two red strings intertwined, a marriage would be formed.
Love develops over time as red strings move and intertwine gradually.
It was love at first sight. He only touched it lightly and wrapped it around the red string.
Occasionally, some clay figurines would drift in the wrong direction, and the red strings would get entangled with that of other marriages. There would naturally be an intervention in the affected marriage…
What was a marriage bestowed by the heavens?
When a living being was born and detected, clay figurines would form and be bound by the red string of fate. That was the marriage bestowed by the heavens.
Other than that, there were also some people who were naturally “rebellious”. They would break free from the red string of their marriage and drag half of it around.
Occasionally, they would encounter clay figurines that were in the same situation. When the red strings were tied together, there would be burning passion, and when they were broken, all fate would be severed.
The Heavenly General’s request was not difficult for the Moon Elder.
All he had to do was tie the Heavenly General’s red string to that fairy. Even if it resulted in a marriage, there would not be any negative karma.
However, the Moon Elder had to consider the Jade Pool fairy’s background.
Hundreds of years ago, the Queen Mother had already sent people to reprimand him. Now, he dared not do anything to the Jade Pool fairy that would violate the rules.
Elder Yue was originally just a Heaven Immortal cultivator. However, he was amongst the first batch of Immortals to join the newly formed Heavenly Courts. He was upright and serious when it came to working. Ten thousand years ago, the Jade Emperor bestowed him the position of the Moon Elder.
After assuming the position of the Moon Elder for ten thousand years, he experienced many benefits from it. For that, he had been conscientious and did not dare to slack off.
However, the problem was that more and more Immortals of the Heavenly Courts had learned about the secret of the red string of Fate. They also knew that the Moon Elder could change it.
There were people sneaking into the tiny Hall of Marriage every few days…
Some of them were officials from the same Hall and it was indeed inexorable.
Some of them wanted to try and get his help by sending him gifts, but the Moon Elder did not accept any of them… What kind of gift would be more valuable than the rewards given by the Heavenly Courts?
However, there was another situation where the Moon Elder could not and did not dare to reject the powerful old Daoist priests who had strong backgrounds. In front of big shots like them, he was just an insignificant immortal. For example…
“Master!”
Outside the hall, two young boys with braids scurried in gleefully and yelled,
“The Great Daoist Master is here! He’s almost reaching the front of the hall!”
The Moon Elder shocked. He quickly got up and strode towards the front of the hall.
The Great Daoist Master was an impressive figure. He was the only personal disciple of the Grand Pure One, the master of the Ren Sect. His Dao was unfathomable, and his backer was the Grand Pure One!
Due to the fact that he was the senior of the Three Pure Ones, the first disciple of Chan Sect, Guang Chengzi of the Yuxu Palace, and the eldest disciple of Jie Sect, all addressed the Great Daoist Master as their senior even though he had entered the small courtyard of Kunlun Mountain a little later.
He was the eldest Senior Apprentice of the True Dao Sect.
The Great Daoist Master did not have a clear Dao name because the Grand Pure One had not given him one, lest he accumulated any bad karma.
Due to the fact that he was known as the Great Daoist Master in Xuandu Temple that was led by the Grand Pure One, he gradually assumed that name over time…
Great Daoist Master Xuan Du of Xuandu Temple!
Since then, the word Xuandu could be used to refer to him, the first disciple of the Ren Sect, or the location.
Moon Elder knew clearly that the first disciple of Ren Sect was completely different from the few registered disciples of the Grand Pure One!
Due to the fact that the Heavenly Courts had just risen and were still rather weak, the Venerable One of Xuandu Temple had been temporarily staying in Tushita…
After all, if any troublemakers from Zenith Heaven or Golden Immortals were to create trouble in the Heavenly Courts, it would not be appropriate for the Saints to personally deal with them. Xuan Du would just have to destroy them.
That Venerable One had visited the Moon Elder several times and the latter naturally understood what he wanted.
The Moon Elder quickly walked out of the hall and raised his head, only to see a young Daoist who drifted over from the clouds that were not too far away.
He was dressed in a black Daoist robe and although his features were unclear, he seemed rather decent.
He was standing tall and upright, while his robe swayed gently. There was not a single piece of jade accessory on his body. However, he gave off a genuine vibe that was like a piece of unpolished jade. It was an aura that could only be possessed by someone with extremely profound Dao.
It was said that the Great Daoist Master Xuan Du was the first batch of humans in the world. He had no parents and was created by Lady Nuwa. He had some merits that were gained from creating humans, and the luck of joining Ren Sect.
Before he reached the hall, the Great Daoist Master cupped his hands and bowed to the Moon Elder. He smiled and asked, “How have you been?”
“Good, I’ve been well.”
The Moon Elder nodded repeatedly. If others did not know, they would have thought that the Heavenly Courts’ immortal was a hunchback.
“Great Daoist Master, please come in… or would you like to repeat the previous practice?”
“Thank you, Moon Elder.” The Great Daoist Master Xuan Du smiled warmly and entered the Moon Elder’s hall, after which he followed the Moon Elder to the apse.
Once they entered the apse, they saw a mysterious starry sky ahead.
The Moon Elder held onto a basin and swirled it gently, after which a ray of starlight flew across the starry sky and stopped, hovering in front of the two of them.
That scene was actually a Postnatal Merit Numinous Treasure—the Acacia Tree.
As the starlight faded, five heaps of clay figurines were formed. The clay figurines of each heap were of different sizes, and on each of them were several words condensed from starlight. They were divided into different categories.
For example, the ones from the leftmost heap had the words “Immortal Du Sect” written on them.
The other piles had the words ‘Unfettered Immortals’ and ‘Unfettered Sect’ written on them. In fact, they were the Dao bearings of the Ren Sect.
Xuan Du sighed softly and smiled. “How many couples have you brought together in the last thousand years?”
The Moon Elder lowered his head and said, “According to your instructions, I matchmake every couple that I discover share some affinity with each other.”
“Over the past thousand years, a total of 362 pairs of clay figurines have been made.”
The Great Daoist Master Xuan Du nodded and said warmly, “Well, not bad. How many newlyweds have given birth to offspring?”
“Well… You have to go to Hell to check on that from the register. We only deal with matters regarding marriage here.”
Xuan Du could not help but laugh. He liked to squint his eyes when he smiled, and his smile was rather warm.
“I forgot about this matter. Moon Elder, don’t blame me.”
He continued with a sigh, “Teacher has really given me a difficult task. He wants the Ren Sect to flourish, but he wouldn’t let me accept any disciples…”
Xuan Du placed his hands behind his back and sighed. He scanned the surroundings and said, “We can only resort to this. Moon Elder, could you show me the number of marriages that have been sealed recently?”
“Yes, Great Daoist Master, please wait a moment.”
The basin in Elder Yue’s hand was swirled once again. Soon, dozens of clay figurines flew forward. The distance between the clay figurines varied according to the closeness of their respective relationships and the possibility of a marriage between them.
Every clay figurine had one or two red strings while some had three or four, but there wouldn’t be too many.
Those who were more sentimental and had longer relationships would have long red strings.
Those who had shorter relationships would have shorter red strings.
Soon, Xuan Du’s attention was caught by the four clay figurines that were leaning against each other. He took two steps forward and looked at the four clay figurines that were below “Immortal Du Sect”.
The Moon Elder smiled and said, “This is the power of the Three Stars surrounding the moon. They are very blessed.”
Great Daoist Master Xuan Du nodded his head gently and stared at them for a while.
“Great Daoist Master, look, there are fine red threads on his wrist and ankles. However, there is a thread emerging from the red string…”
“Some people are like this. This person must have been dedicated to cultivating his Dao and did not want to interfere with the matters of the world.”
“What a waste.” Xuan Du looked at the three red strings hovering around the clay figurines and smiled. “Moon Elder, can you help him lengthen the red string so that it can be connected with the three other red strings on him?”
“Of course I can. However, Great Mage, we can only help. It’s not easy to change it…”
“I’ll let nature take its course. At the same time, I’ll give some help.”
“Ah, I’ll do it right now.”
At that moment, the Moon Elder immediately raised the potted Acacia Tree and tipped it towards the clay figurine gently.
At the same time, in the Pill Chamber of the Little Qiong Peak of the Immortal Du Sect of Dongsheng Immortal Region, Li Changshou, who had just taken a shower and was worrying about the new Pill Furnace, suddenly developed inappropriate thoughts.
“Eh?”
Li Changshou chuckled and dispelled the image in his heart.
In the apse of the Moon Elder Hall, the Acacia Tree was slowly tapped against the clay figurine which then took a step back out of nowhere…
He took a step back.
“Huh?”
Moon Elder frowned and changed the direction. He carried the small potted Acacia Tree and continued to poke the clay figurine.
In the Pill Chamber of Little Qiong Peak, Li Changshou’s mind was filled with images, which were all a combination of the past and the present. For example, there were images of his Uncle-Master in a sailor suit, his female junior in a student attire, and…
Uh, why would I fantasize about being poisoned while wearing a Mecha?
“The Dao Heart is solid, and illusions cannot destroy it!”
Li Changshou shook his head and continued thinking about the new Pill Furnace.
In the Moon Elder Hall, the Acacia Tree caused the clay figurine to tilt towards the left.
“Hey! I will!”
Moon Elder’s eyes widened and he grabbed the Acacia Tree before changing directions again. He pointed it at the clay figurine and this time, the clay figurine… did a backflip and dodged nimbly.
“Hahaha!”
The Grandmaster Xuan Du could not help but laugh out loud.
Moon Elder’s expression immediately grew sullen. He had actually made a fool of himself in front of the Great Daoist Master over a trivial matter!
“Big!”
The Moon Elder touched the Acacia Tree which expanded instantly, while its branches and leaves rushed towards the clay figurine.
Li Changshou, who was on the ground, frowned. A beautiful Pill Furnace appeared in his mind. When the Pill Furnace opened, a few figures flew out…
Li Changshou sat down cross-legged and began to chant the Qi Condensation Curse.
What a joke. He had never seen anything as such in his previous life.
Perhaps, his mental state became unstable after he became an immortal, so much so that he kept thinking about random things.
What was the point of a fleeting moment of pleasure?
At the very least, he had to obtain immortality before thinking about such things! That would be being eternally shameless!
No, being immortal might not be able to allow him to protect himself… He could not afford to offend the affinity of marriage, which was dispensable.
Li Changshou hollered, “Quiet!”
The clay figurine in the Moon Elder Hall immediately sensed something and reacted.
It retreated…
Dodged…
Leaped…
It jumped left and right…
Revolved…
It allowed the leaves of the Acacia Tree to sweep over freely, for they would not touch it.
The Moon Elder was so anxious that his forehead was full of sweat. He was almost infuriated to the point that his aura surged.
The Great Daoist Master who was standing at the side smiled and said, “I’m here to help you, Moon Elder.”
At that moment, his left hand glowed with starlight while Yin and Yang appeared in his palm. He then grabbed at the clay figurine that was far away.
Elder Yue’s eyes widened. Just as he was about to shout ‘No’, the Great Mage grabbed the clay figurine’s left arm.
However…
Crack!
The clay figurine’s left arm was broken in an instant, and its body jumped out nimbly. After it stopped, it even posed provocatively, seemingly taunting them to come forward.
The entire scene was dead silent.
“Great Daoist Master… you can’t, you can’t force yourself…”
“Ahem, can I make up for this?”
“Yes, you can. However, it will take a lot of time. Fortunately, he doesn’t have any red string on his left arm. It will be easier to repair it…”
“I’ll have to trouble you then, Moon Elder.”
“Go ahead and get busy, Moon Elder. I’ll come back later and bring you some pills that have been formulated… Please take care of this kid, thank you!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Great Daoist Master Xuan Du hurriedly bowed and left. He disappeared quickly, leaving the Moon Elder to deal with the mess.
A moment ago, in the Pill Room of the Immortal Du Sect.
Li Changshou frowned as his heart was in chaos.
He shook his head helplessly and reached into his breast pocket, and into the No. 6 Earth Treasure Bag, after which he took out one of his trump cards that would calm his mind.
A scroll was slowly unrolled, revealing the painting of a row of exquisitely drawn… old women who were wearing thick makeup, and fairy clothing…
Li Changshou looked at it carefully and mumbled, “If your feelings are genuine, you won’t just lust over the beauty that she had when she was young, but also accept her nagging when she gets old. ”
Instantly, the images in his mind were shattered one by one, and he felt at ease.
“However, why would immortals grow old?”
He smiled conceitedly and put away the precious painting of “Aged Beauties”. He was instantly much more at ease.
Men should be more ruthless to themselves.
It was one thing for him to think of his female junior and Uncle-Master by chance at times, but why did he think of poison?
Tsk, it’s toxic.