The Divine Soul’s Gambit

This jade slip, at first glance, seemed no different from any other. However, those with keen eyes would discern its peculiar chill and the faint, wispy patterns that shimmered under the light. This was not a tool for recording text; it was meant to nurture a divine soul.

This implied that the Pei family’s scheme was to have the divided soul of some unknown ancestor—contained within this jade slip—seize the body of the increasingly frail Pei Nishang.

It was said that A flower cannot bloom for a hundred days, referring to a sacred-grade poison refined by Venerable Luo Guanjing. This colorless, odorless toxin left its victim feeling nothing, with even their gradual decline barely noticeable. One day, they would simply discover the person had become an empty shell, vacant and foolish, soon to perish like a clay figure.

Yet, as a master of the alchemical arts, He Suosi naturally understood that the Hundred Days of Red Flower was, in fact, a poison that targeted the divine soul, rendering it weak and susceptible to possession.

A cultivator’s divine soul begins as a chaotic mist. Upon glimpsing the Dao, one cleaves through this mist, allowing pure energy to ascend and turbid energy to descend, forming a sea of primordial consciousness. Those who truly enter the inner sanctum understand that all things in the world arise from the interplay of yin and yang, and are governed by the mutual restraint of the five elements. They then use this understanding to manifest myriad phenomena within their soul.

Those who achieve minor success can consolidate their soul, returning to simplicity in hopes of finding a method of divine soul evolution most compatible with themselves. If one reaches the pinnacle, they become a self-contained entity, encompassing all phenomena in the formless, perhaps even achieving ascension through their divine soul alone.

He Suosi could humbly claim he hadn’t reached the absolute pinnacle, but he had certainly achieved remarkable success. He possessed a complete, robust divine soul, while the opponent in the jade slip, regardless of who it was, was merely a wisp of a divided soul. This was akin to an adult bullying a toddler.

He had anticipated a grand battle, but it seemed they had merely served up a roasted lamb.

With this thought, He Suosi pressed the jade slip against his forehead.

He had no idea which ancestor’s divided soul resided within it. Alas, no matter who it was, it would merely serve as nourishment.

Luo Guanjing discovered that something was amiss far too late. Though he was currently only a wisp of a divided soul, broadly speaking, it was not incorrect to say he was Luo Guanjing himself.

How to put it? Initially, the task was simply to possess a young girl, one already weakened by his own poison. Who would feel any pressure?

Luo Guanjing was not conceited by nature. He began martial arts at five, cultivated at ten, established his foundation at seventeen, formed his golden core at a hundred, and abandoned the righteous path for the demonic at five hundred. Starting from scratch, he founded the Luo Men sect at three thousand seven hundred years old.

In the current cultivation world, apart from a few ancient monsters and minor fiends, everyone respectfully addressed him as Venerable Luo. His condescension in undertaking this petty task was merely to repay a favor, and because the matter itself was truly too easy.

Yet, he had stumbled upon a formidable opponent.

After passing through a layer of mist that resembled the divine soul state of a novice cultivator, he saw a man in a long green robe smiling and waving slightly at him.

The man’s dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, his posture was as upright as bamboo, and his long eyebrows soared diagonally into his temples. His nose was straight and prominent, giving him an extraordinarily handsome appearance. A pair of captivating peach blossom eyes, shimmering like rippling water, made one’s heart involuntarily sway.

Upon seeing Luo Guanjing, the man’s expression grew even more delighted. “Oh, it’s you, Little Jing.”

Luo Guanjing immediately turned to flee.

However, he forgot that this was someone else’s divine soul space. The moment he turned, he was met with He Suosi’s magnified, smiling face, now right before him.

“How could it be you?!” Luo Guanjing gnashed his teeth.

He Suosi narrowed his eyes, smiling like a fox. His thin lips curved upwards, slowly parting to utter:

“Serves you right for bullying a little girl. Hehe, you idiot.”

Though Luo Guanjing was over a thousand years old, he appeared as a beautiful youth with fair skin, delicate features, and dazzling eyes. However, the cultivation method he practiced leaned toward the sinister, and having been the Luo Men Master for millennia, his demeanor was always gloomy and oppressive. Ordinarily, his disciples would blanch in fear at just a casual glance from him.

Now, he was so enraged by He Suosi’s words that he nearly vomited blood. Yet, the situation was so bizarre that he felt inexplicably defeated.

He demanded, “What’s going on with you? Did you possess her first?”

He Suosi scratched his face, deftly changing the subject. “What kind of conspiracy are you cooking up? If it’s against Yuan Zhigong, how about we discuss it? I’m quite interested.”

At this moment, Luo Guanjing sensed acute danger. Indeed, he had come to bully someone, but now, a single misstep could lead to his divided soul’s utter annihilation. Even if it was just a wisp, losing it would cause severe backlash to his main body.

Despite his internal turmoil, Luo Guanjing maintained a composed expression. He said, “Upon closer inspection, it seems Pei Nishang’s actual divine soul is in a deep slumber beneath yours. Did you accidentally stumble in here?”

He Suosi’s smile stiffened slightly. “Little Jing, you aren’t unaware that the more you know, the faster you die, are you?”

As he spoke, He Suosi slowly advanced until their noses were almost touching. The other man’s usually composed face subtly changed color. He crossed his hands in front of him, saying, “He Suosi, do whatever you want with me—kill me or cut me apart—just don’t… don’t come any closer.”

“…Why? I’m not going to assault you,” He Suosi rolled his eyes. “I merely want to…”

A sharp pain shot through his waist. Luo Guanjing looked down to see He Suosi’s hand reaching into his midsection.

“…”

The hand, submerged in his torso, was transparent, blending with his soul body like liquid and emitting a faint white glow. It was as if their bodies had become one. When the hand was withdrawn, it pulled out a grey-green spiritual chain. He Suosi flicked it in the void before tucking it into his robes, where it vanished.

Luo Guanjing knew then that this wisp of his divine soul was now completely severed from his original body’s connection. His temper evaporated; knowing He Suosi wouldn’t annihilate his soul now that he was captured, he clutched his side. “You’ve changed, He Suosi. I thought I was doomed.”

He Suosi raised his hand and patted Luo Guanjing’s shoulder. “Venerable Luo, Sect Master, Grandmaster of Poisons, right?”

“…?”

“Do you know how to navigate inner-harem schemes?”

“…”

“Hahahahaha, your expression is absolutely hilarious! My stomach hurts from laughing.”

Inner-harem schemes, of course, were a joke. He Suosi merely wanted a high-level helper to decipher the formations of the Guangyu Immortal Sect.

Upon learning this, Luo Guanjing was not optimistic. “If you could break it from the inside, wouldn’t the sect have fallen long ago?”

“Why do you say it as if the Guangyu Immortal Sect relies solely on that grand formation for protection?”

“It is precisely so,” Luo Guanjing stated matter-of-factly. “You haven’t been a sect master, so you don’t understand the importance of a protective formation—especially the one guarding the Guangyu Immortal Sect.”

He Suosi was speechless. He decided to set that aside for now and clarify the immediate situation. “So, why did you come to possess a young girl?”

When asked this, Luo Guanjing felt genuinely embarrassed. Initially, it was a secret known only to his allies, but now that He Suosi knew, he felt utterly humiliated. However, since the target was no longer viable, there was nothing to hide, so he recounted the full story.

It turned out that the main issue wasn’t even Yuan Zhigong’s inner residence, but rather Pei Nishang’s maternal family. The Pei clan was vast, with many branches just in Pei Nishang’s father’s generation. Pei Yong, originally the legitimate son, had sons who all died young, leaving only Pei Nishang.

Since she wasn’t from the main branch, the main family members naturally stirred, eager to seize power. However, Pei Nishang controlled the Pei family’s most crucial lifeline—the Reincarnation Pavilion—and was also the favored concubine of the Guangyu Immortal Monarch. They couldn’t directly act against her, so they planned to first make her lose favor, poison her, force her to relinquish the family assets via possession, and finally send in their own daughters to replace her in the harem.

After hearing the full account, He Suosi couldn’t help but exclaim, “What a load of crap!”

Luo Guanjing wore an expression of disdain as well. “Brothers bickering, inner chambers in chaos. The Pei family is doomed to fall sooner or later.”

He Suosi squinted at him. “Why the disgusted expression? Weren’t you part of this plan? Or… as expected, do you have other motives?”

Luo Guanjing remained silent, looking as if he was trying to hide something obvious. He Suosi didn’t press further. For a grand sect master to personally undertake such a task, it surely wasn’t merely for family squabbles.

He Suosi waved his hand at Luo Guanjing, deciding to continue dealing with the real-world problems.

When He Suosi slowly awakened in the physical world, he saw Pei Yizhi looking at him excitedly. Upon seeing him stir, she immediately said, “How is it, Senior? Should we immediately make Pei Nishang sign the contract so the Reincarnation Pavilion will be ours?”

He Suosi stared fixedly at her.

Cold sweat beaded on Pei Yizhi’s forehead, glistening greasily under the dim light. She couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of his gaze, so she fawned, “No, no, no, the Reincarnation Pavilion belongs to Senior. How could we possibly be worthy?”

He Suosi continued to watch her, gradually revealing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Pei Yizhi flinched under his gaze, her face slowly clouding with terror. “Miss?”

He Suosi then spoke, “You still remember that I am your Miss, do you?”

Pei Yizhi dropped to her knees with a thud. She seemed to struggle even to breathe, gasping and nearly rolling her eyes back. “Miss, Miss, I was deluded! I willingly debased myself! Miss, please forgive me!”

As she spoke, she repeatedly kowtowed. He Suosi didn’t particularly care whether to forgive her or not. He had seen too many people like her—short-sighted individuals who only saw immediate petty gains.

However, this time, for a moment of peace, he decided it was worth giving them a surprise. With a smile, he slowly pressed his index finger to Pei Yizhi’s brow. Amidst a subtle glow, Pei Yizhi’s eyes became vacant.

He Suosi spoke, “Go back. Although your mission failed, who can say it was your fault? But don’t sell the things I gave you. You must keep them by your side at all times, take them out to show off constantly. Then, everyone who shares this joy with you will fall into the City of Ultimate Bliss.”

As He Suosi’s finger gradually lifted, a small, inexplicable black mole appeared on Pei Yizhi’s brow. It wasn’t obvious on her aged, orange-peel-like face, but it subtly added a strange charm.

He Suosi murmured softly, a smile playing on his lips. “I hope you have fun.”

He Suosi believed that once the orchestrators of this plot discovered their subordinates inexplicably rotting to death one by one, they would become far more cautious about targeting Pei Nishang.

Yuan Zhigong watched Pei Yizhi leave the sect gates, his expression flickering with uncertainty. Since he had discovered that the aphrodisiac incident was unrelated to Pei Nishang, he had conducted some investigations. However, because he wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about harem politics, he hadn’t made much progress.

Nevertheless, being within the Guangyu Immortal Sect, he remained attentive. Today, upon hearing that someone from the Pei family had arrived, he specifically came to observe. But things seemed to be quite different from what he had imagined.

His gaze quickly fixed on the small mole on Pei Yizhi’s forehead as she departed. His usually icy face instantly cracked.

‘Senluo Unsolvable.’

In this world, he knew only one person who could cast this curse. That person was He Suosi.