At the entrance of the Zhutian Tower, Shen Gongbao watched the mortals coming and going. Seeing the pride and smiles on their faces, his inferiority complex intensified. After all, he was a Celestial Immortal cultivator, but these mortals possessed something he lacked: confidence and pride.
Shen Gongbao lowered his straw hat slightly and sat down at the corner not far from the entrance of the Zhutian Tower.
He observed for a whole day, and soon he discovered that he could not sense anything above the sixth floor. Obviously, this place was very likely the dojo of that mysterious quasi-saint.
Just then, an old woman carrying a basket on her back and leading a little girl of about seven or eight years old passed by Shen Gongbao, and then the old woman stopped.
"Grandma, what's wrong?" the little girl asked.
"Young man," the old man said, looking at Shen Gongbao.
“…” Shen Gongbao raised his head with a puzzled look on his face.
The old man didn't seem afraid of Shen Gongbao's strange appearance, and even the little girl next to him wasn't scared; instead, she looked at him curiously.
"I've seen you here since I passed by this morning. Are you having some trouble?" the old man said with a kind smile.
Shen Gongbao stared blankly at the old man in front of him, and his heart trembled as he listened to the old man's gentle and caring words.
“Young man, you need to cheer up. There are job openings at the palace gate. You can give it a try. Not to mention, you’ll be guaranteed three meals a day, and you’ll get paid at the end of each month.” The old man took out a neatly folded stack of handkerchiefs from his bosom and unfolded them layer by layer, his trembling hands seemingly peeling open Shen Gongbao’s cold heart.
Soon, some money was revealed inside. It wasn't much, just enough for a family of three in Chaoge City to spend for a day.
"Grandma..." the little girl exclaimed.
"It's not much money, but take this. I see you've been sitting all day, and you probably haven't eaten yet. Take this and buy some pancakes." The old man's trembling hand took half of the money from his handkerchief and handed it to Shen Gongbao.
Shen Gongbao stared blankly as he stretched out his hand, and several large coins landed in his palm.
By the time he came to his senses, the old lady had already walked away with her granddaughter.
"Grandma, this money is what you earned through hard work selling shoes, why should you give it to him?"
“Niu Niu, what did Grandma teach you? Be kind to others. That person looked really pitiful. He must have been wronged. Grandma saw the injury on his face. Sigh, it reminded me of your deceased father.”
Shen Gongbao overheard their conversation, and his heart pounded. All the sounds around him seemed to disappear at that moment, and all he could see were the departing figures of the old man and the child. At that moment, he felt a warmth he had never felt before.
"Why?" Shen Gongbao murmured, looking at the few large coins in his hand. He couldn't understand why this mortal, who was already struggling so much, would extend a helping hand to him.
"Why?" Shen Gongbao asked himself again.
Shen Gongbao raised his head and looked at the sky. A tear slid down his cheek. The world that had been murky in his eyes seemed to become clear at this moment.
He carefully put the five large coins into his pocket, wiped his eyes, and his gaze became firm. Then he stood up and walked step by step toward the Tower of All Heavens. He was going to fight for his future.
On the top of the Zhutian Tower, Li Daoyi and his companions were drinking tea and chatting when Li Daoyi suddenly sensed something.
"Why is this guy here?" Li Daoyi asked, puzzled.
"Hmm?" The group looked at Li Daoyi at the same time, and then they also sensed it.
"Huh, it's that kid from last time," Kunpeng exclaimed in surprise.
Immediately afterward, Li Dao waved his hand, and Shen Gongbao, who had just stepped onto the steps below, felt the scenery around him change, and he found himself in a spacious and unfamiliar house.
When he came to his senses and looked around, he saw Li Daoyi and the others, and his legs went weak, so he knelt down.
"Junior Shen Gongbao pays his respects to all the seniors." Shen Gongbao kept his head bowed deeply.
No one spoke; they simply watched the tiny celestial being with curiosity.
Shen Gongbao waited for a long time, and seeing that no one spoke, he secretly raised his head and first saw Li Daoyi, Zhen Yuanzi and Kunpeng whom he had met before. Then his pupils suddenly contracted.
"The Sage of Tongtian..." Shen Gongbao cried out in fear. He had actually seen the Master of Tongtian, and a chill ran down his spine as he quickly lowered his head.
"Interesting, a member of the Chan Sect? You've been ostracized by your fellow disciples and have nowhere else to go, right?" Tongtian's voice came. The moment Shen Gongbao appeared, he had already figured out the whole story.
"This disciple greets the Sage," Shen Gongbao said hastily.
"You've come to see me?" Li Daoyi asked.
"I...I..." Shen Gongbao's mind was in complete chaos. He couldn't utter a single word he had prepared. With Tongtian also present, how could he possibly dare to speak?
"Hahaha, what are you afraid of? You've already dared to come in, so why would you be afraid of my Senior Brother Yuanshi?" Tongtian laughed.
Upon hearing this, Shen Gongbao took a deep breath. Yes, he had already come this far, so what was there to worry about?
"This junior wishes to stay and serve you, senior," Shen Gongbao said, bowing to Li Daoyi.
"Haha, you little celestial being, you've got some nerve! You should know that you're betraying your sect!" Kunpeng laughed.
"Senior, you flatter me. Although I have joined the Chan Sect, I have not learned a single skill from them over the years, nor have I received any favors from them. My cultivation has not progressed at all in decades. I am unwilling to accept this. Ever since I last met this senior, I have longed to join you. I hope you will grant my request." After saying this, Shen Gongbao kowtowed heavily.
“A wise bird chooses its tree to perch on, fellow Daoist. Although this man is of low aptitude, he is truly pitiful. Since we are destined to meet, why not…” Zhen Yuanzi spoke up at this moment. He saw Shen Gongbao’s predicament.
Looking at Shen Gongbao in front of him, Li Daoyi's mind was racing. He had actually made plans for this person before, but he didn't expect that the other party would deliver himself to his door so quickly.
"Were the injuries on your body inflicted by Taiyi?" Li Daoyi asked.
"Yes, this junior has offended Senior Brother Taiyi," Shen Gongbao said apologetically.
Li Dao nodded, instantly understanding that Shen Gongbao had probably tried to flatter him but ended up making a fool of himself; how could Taiyi Zhenren possibly be interested in someone like him?
"Do you want revenge?" Li Daoyi asked.
Shen Gongbao suddenly looked up at Li Daoyi.
"I..." Shen Gongbao opened his mouth.
"Follow your heart," Li Daoyi advised.
Shen Gongbao immediately recalled the disdainful look in Taiyi Zhenren's eyes after he was injured, and a ferocious look appeared on his face.
"I want to kill that guy!" Shen Gongbao shouted.
"Okay, at least you have some backbone."
Li Daoyi nodded.
"Wen Zhong."
"exist."
Wen Zhong walked over from behind.
"Find him a place to stay in the city, and I'll make arrangements for that later," Li Daoyi said.
"Yes," Wen Zhong replied quickly.
“Alright, go with him. There’s no need to rush revenge. I have other plans for you later,” Li Daoyi said to Shen Gongbao.
"Yes, thank you, senior." Shen Gongbao breathed a sigh of relief.
After the two left, Tongtian asked.
"Fellow Daoist, you seem to think highly of that kid from earlier?"
"Do you all think he's just a minor cultivator?"
Everyone nodded.
"Hahaha, you underestimate him. This person is an indispensable part of the Investiture of the Gods. Countless immortals will die because of his words, even quasi-saints," Li Daoyi said.
"What?" Everyone was immediately shocked.
“Shen Gongbao? I see. That’s right, Fellow Daoist Li is right. That person was indeed remarkable, with exceptional eloquence and a knack for persuading others.” Bai Yi Wutian, who was standing to the side, also recalled some of Shen Gongbao’s deeds.
In the backyard of Zhutianlou, Wen Zhong's carriage slowly drove away with the two of them.
"You're lucky, kid, to actually be appreciated by a senior," Wen Zhong said.
“Yes, Brother Wen, I have a favor to ask,” Shen Gongbao said.
"What is it? Speak up, don't be shy, we're all on the same side now," Wen Zhong said with a smile.
“I’m looking for two people, an old lady and a little girl,” Shen Gongbao said.
"Oh?" Wen Zhong was immediately puzzled.
Shen Gongbao then recounted what had happened.
“Hey, brother, see? This is what ordinary people are like. Though humble, they are still kind. Don’t worry, I understand what you mean. I’ll find the person for you tomorrow,” Wen Zhong said, patting Shen Gongbao on the shoulder.
"Thank you very much, fellow Daoist," Shen Gongbao said gratefully.
The next day, a completely transformed Shen Gongbao appeared in front of a low-lying hut. The little girl who opened the door looked at him timidly.
"Who...who are you looking for?" the little girl asked.
"Niu Niu..." Shen Gongbao called out to the little girl.
"Oh, how did you know my name?"
"We met yesterday, don't you remember?"
"Yesterday?" The little girl looked Shen Gongbao up and down, then shook her head.
"Niu Niu, who is it?" At this moment, the old lady also came out of the house.
Upon seeing this, Shen Gongbao immediately stepped forward and knelt down before the old man.
"Oh dear, what are you doing?" The old man was startled.
Shen Gongbao quickly took out the few large coins from his pocket. The old man recognized them at a glance and looked Shen Gongbao up and down again.
"It's you! You're that young man from yesterday!" the old man exclaimed.
"They are indeed loyal and righteous." Inside the Tower of All Heavens, a huge mirror floated in front of him, showing the scene that had just happened. Li Daoyi nodded in satisfaction.
Then the scene in the mirror shifted, revealing a figure—Yin Suzhi, heavily pregnant—and next to her was Li Jing, who was carefully peeling fruit.
“We owe the King a favor, and you must repay it properly in the future, or I will never forgive you,” Yin Suzhi said.
"Yes, yes, of course I remember. Sigh, I never thought I would leave Chentang Pass and be transferred back to Chaoge," Li Jing said.
“You should have come back long ago. How can a good man cower in one place? Now look how good things are! Jinzha and Muzha can go to the palace to study with the prince. What future is there in staying in Chentang Pass?”
“But I already wrote to my sect to have the two children become disciples of Kunlun…” Li Jing said softly.
"What? You... How could you not discuss such a big matter with me? You bastard!" Yin Suzhi said angrily.
"Interesting, I almost forgot about that." Li Daoyi laughed as he watched this scene. He hadn't remembered that Jinzha and Muzha had indeed joined the Chan Sect and were disciples of two of the Twelve Golden Immortals.
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