Chapter 40: Usurping the Host's Role with Ease

Lotus lamps were lit, and the stone bones were rugged.

Within the current Green Snake Mansion cave, even though the lamplight rippled with gold, illuminating the surroundings and making them clear and transparent, it was ultimately not as pure as it had been before.

It lacked two parts of clarity and held three parts more gloom.

Moss grew deep on the cave walls.

All manner of stalactites hung from top to bottom, water droplets swaying incessantly as if they were about to fall but did not.

The sound of the wind was like sobbing, giving one the feeling of ghosts crying and wolves howling.

Demon shadows flickered, noisy and disorderly.

All the demon spirits and monsters under the jurisdiction were gathered in this one cave.

The Cave Abode had continuously extended and widened downwards, more than ten times larger than it had been before he left.

It was still somewhat cramped.

Of course, it was the minor demon spirits who were wronged. No matter what, Qingshe would not let the cutbacks affect herself.

Passing through the long corridor.

Fang Longye arrived at a hall he had never entered before.

Inside the hall, lotus lamps were lit on the walls, illuminating the surroundings as if it were broad daylight; one could vaguely see rock formations serving as rooms and hanging stones forming pavilions.

There were jeweled railings and red doors, green windows and pearl curtains, garden trees standing tall, and pine moss lush and green.

Inside were bamboo chairs, wooden tables, and jade vessels, exquisite and magnificent.

A faint, misty fragrance wafted, stirring the heartstrings.

One could not help but look at Qingshe, only to see her icy skin concealing jade bones, her collar revealing a creamy chest. Her willow-leaf brows were piled with emerald green, and her apricot eyes flashed with silver stars.

The mind wavered.

However, in just an instant, he brushed away the distracting thoughts in his heart.

Surveying the surroundings, he saw a Cloud Couch in the center of the hall, suffused with precious aura. Fang Longye did not stand on ceremony; he strode over with long, swift steps and sat firmly upon it.

Only then did he signal for Qingshe to take a seat.

This performance was indeed too abrupt, but it was not because he was arrogant after achieving success or because evil had welled up in his heart.

In normal times, he would naturally be humble and polite; even if he wanted to seize power and ascend, he would only reveal his strength inadvertently and plan slowly through gentle means.

It was just that the current situation did not allow him to deliberately humble himself or hide his capabilities.

With a great enemy at the gates, to unite with others, one must necessarily distinguish between master and subordinate, head and tail.

To make the other party willing to act according to his schemes and lead the subsequent affairs, using force to subdue them was the most quick and effective path.

Since he had to subdue the other party, it was better to simply state his attitude directly than to be duplicitous at the start and then turn hostile halfway through.

It was better to be like this—seemingly abrupt, yet open and aboveboard.

He had originally thought that this action of his would provoke Qingshe's shock and anger, and he had long been prepared to reveal his trump cards and show his strength.

Regarding the leadership of their relationship, he was now determined to win.

Yet unexpectedly, the smile on Qingshe's face did not diminish; there was not the slightest sign of reluctance, nor any intent of resentment.

She sat down at his subordinate position in a leisurely manner.

There was absolutely no surprise or shame at having the guest usurp the host's role.

"It seems the Venerable One has already recovered the memories of your past life. Truly, this is something to be happy and congratulated for! This concubine wishes the Venerable One an early retrieval of your past-life Dao Fruit and to ascend to an even higher level." As Qingshe spoke, she rose and bowed.

??!

Fang Longye was stunned. Despite all the various developments he had simulated in his mind, he had not expected this scenario—it was like punching a ball of cotton.

As his thoughts turned, he, having made great progress in his knowledge of cultivation, understood the reason for Qingshe's words and actions.

For a moment, he did not know whether to laugh or cry.

She had mistaken him for a reincarnated Golden Immortal.

For a moment, he wanted to explain, but he could not explain it clearly. Moreover, given his situation, pretending to be a reincarnated great power was also a layer of cover for his secrets. Immediately, he stopped arguing and sighed pretentiously: "Past events are like dream bubbles. In this life, my name is Fang Longye, and my Daoist title is Yuanlong. Fellow Daoist Cuiwei, you may call me Fellow Daoist Yuanlong from now on."

"How would this concubine dare—"

Fang Longye waved his hand and said: "We are all but mayflies between heaven and earth. There is no need for this—"

After some refusal, Qingshe finally changed her address to treat him as an equal.

Looking at it this way, Qingshe seemed overly cautious. If he were merely a reincarnated Golden Immortal whose cultivation was not yet equal to hers, why such an attitude?

Little did he know, compared to immortals and gods below the Golden Immortal realm, a Golden Immortal could fully be called a different form of life.

Their lifespan is infinite, and they cannot be killed completely.

To attain the Golden Immortal realm is to be attained forever once attained.

Even if they suffer a Calamity and reincarnate, no matter how long they sink, there will eventually be a lifetime where they return to their peak.

Even if you kill the reincarnation of a Golden Immortal, you will only forge karma, and they will eventually return to their peak in some lifetime.

By then, even if their memories have become unrecognizable due to too many reincarnations, they will still come to seek revenge driven by karma.

Of course, this is not to say that a Golden Immortal can truly exist forever in the world.

After all, no matter what kind of immortality it is, it is only within a certain scope.

Besides the power of higher realms, there are the Three Calamities hanging over their heads like a sword.

Under the Three Calamities, once one fails to pass, there is no more life, and one will be completely extinguished from the world, with no reincarnation possible. Of course, if one passes, there is a smooth path ahead.

Therefore, many Golden Immortals who cannot pass the Three Calamities find loopholes. When the time comes, they commit suicide to enter reincarnation and recultivate, deleting their account to start over.

In short, this was the reason Qingshe treated Fang Longye, whom she believed to be a reincarnated Golden Immortal, with such reverence.

The reason lay right here.

And in her view, wanting to climb the social ladder and attach oneself to the powerful was not so easy. Being sweet-tongued and respectful was better than holding onto the airs of having provided guidance.

Qingshe smoothed her hair, her dark brows slightly raised, "Fellow Daoist Yuanlong, you must be clear about the current situation. I wonder what insights you have to offer this concubine—"

Fang Longye did not say much more, directly laying out everything he currently knew as well as his subsequent plans.

Of course, he naturally kept some things reserved.

Inside the hall.

Clouds and mist drifted across the steps, curling and refusing to dissipate, green as dark eyebrows.

Water vapor condensed into petals, blooming faintly, frost-white as snow, light and dreamlike.

The green and white colors blended and rubbed against each other; having received Fang Longye's message, she pulled her clothes together, her hand resting on her skirt, her pretty face slightly lowered in thought.

After a short while, she raised her head and said: "Since there is the planning of fellow Daoist Yuanlong, I imagine it will be foolproof. I will naturally accompany you~"

She smiled brightly: "In that case, Caidie no longer needs to disguise herself as a laborer every day, performing that bitter ruse, waiting in vain for an enemy who doesn't know when they will come knocking, to carry out an ambush~"

Thinking of the plot from his past life's memories, Fang Longye shook his head and laughed: "If someone could really come knocking, what use would a mere bitter ruse be?"

Over at Green Snake Mansion, Fang Longye and Qingshe unified their front and agreed upon the plans and actions for when the time came.

Here, the Golden Centipede avatar also received a mission from the Snake and Scorpion Demons.

A bat demon shouted: "Centipede Commander, the Lady summons you!"

The Golden Centipede avatar swept his gaze over and discovered that this bat spirit's left leg was half-broken, and its aura was somewhat weak. It seemed it had been caught in the crossfire during the struggle with the Huluwa.

"Good, I will go at once!" The Golden Centipede avatar felt a stir in his heart and immediately followed the bat spirit toward the cave chamber where Jinshe was located.

He had already guessed the purpose of Jinshe summoning him.

According to his calculations, the plot point for utilizing the Alchemy Furnace had arrived.

Thanks to book friend Meng Wang Shen You for the 100 Qidian coins tip, thank you all for your support~

(End of this chapter)