The abode of Shang River Fairy was decorated plainly. Meng Qi walked past various male disciples with "his baggage" on his back. While they were jealous and envious, they all knew "Guo Xi's" status had changed and were unsure if they should flatter him, making the situation particularly awkward.
As he packed "his belongings" and walked toward the abode, Meng Qi's mind was spinning fast, thinking up plans to deal with Demoness Gu.
Although on the surface it appeared both of them would be in danger if their fake identities were exposed, actually, Gu Xiaosang could afford to be exposed while Meng Qi could not.
Gu Xiaosang can abandon the last three layers of the ruins of Ninth Heaven. Considering her current achievements—she had impartation from Luo Denomination and had achieved One Step to Heaven—she would definitely achieve Half-step to Dharmakaya realm, if not Dharmakaya. She would also have loads of adventures in the future that can further her chances. As for Meng Qi, if he was exposed, Mystic Fairy would definitely be able to guess the karma on him and force him to either join the Sect of the Plain Lady as a War Puppet or die after the karma was realized. Other possibilities were nearly impossible.
Furthermore, if both of them were exposed at the same time, the Sect of the Plain Lady would definitely go after him first.
Therefore, since Demoness Gu's objective in the ruins of Ninth Heaven were not in conflict with his own goals, collaborating with her was the most rational choice, disregarding all emotional factors.
Now that he had already made the decision, it would be best not to regret and instead focus on the next steps.
For instance, he would need to consider the possibility of Demoness Gu wanting to have sex with him after reading the Dual Cultivation script of Shang River Fairy. Would he be able to use Karma Fruit and other kung fu to subdue her without angering her and exposing himself?
Even though Meng Qi knew that he was thinking too much, he was quite confused as his first kiss had just been taken by Gu Xiaosang.
Inside the bedroom, Gu Xiaosang sat cross-legged on the jade bed, maintaining the appearance of Shang River Fairy. Her eyes were half open, giving off a cold and solemn look.
"Her skills and books are over there, read it yourself." Gu Xiaosang said in an indifferent tone.
Her distant attitude made Meng Qi slightly speechless as his predictions were proven to be inaccurate and his plans went to waste. It was as if he had just punched the air.
"Demoness Gu is indeed moody and unpredictable..." The corner of Meng Qi's lips twitched as he walked toward the bookshelves where several Dual Cultivation methods and Exterior kung fu methods were kept. Meng Qi would not need these low-tier skills but they could be exchanged for karma points later.
Time seemed to pass faster when he was concentrating. The sun had risen again after Meng Qi finished reading and memorizing the many secret techniques. Meanwhile, Gu Xiaosang was still meditating. The morning sunlight shone upon her, making her pale face seem almost transparent, giving her a subtle sense of fragility.
"Demoness Gu, fragile? Haha..." Meng Qi laughed at his thought and coughed to get her attention.
Gu Xiaosang opened her eyes and smiled. She waved her hand to isolate the abode from the outside world. "Do you have something to say?"
Meng Qi nodded and looked at Gu Xiaosang directly. "There's a problem with our plan."
"What problem?" Gu Xiaosang was not flustered.
"Using my doppelganger to lead Mystic Fairy herself to Bodhisattva Jingyan in exchange for some Nirmanakaya or Elder looking after Extinctive Blade of the Overlord seemed like a foolproof plan, but actually, it would only work in the most ideal situation. For instance, what if the first response is for Mystic Fairy to lock down the entire Plain Lady's Paradise and command and allocate manpower to search every corner?" Meng Qi explained solemnly. "We should not look down on Mystic Fairy. I believe she must have thought of the possibility of us luring the tiger out of the mountains. We should not count on encountering the most ideal situation and should also consider the unideal ones too."
"Yes! Hubby is so meticulous!" Gu Xiaosang rose and her dress fell to the ground like piles of snow. Her eyes were full of admiration for Meng Qi.
"She is so good at acting..." Judging from Gu Xiaosang's reaction, Meng Qi was sure that she already had a plan.
Gu Xiaosang clasped her hands and held her fingers together before putting them under her chin. She smiled, showing a few bright and crystal-like teeth. "Looks like my hubby has improved tremendously since we first met. When I first met you, you were still an innocent little monk. When I met you again, you had become smart and cunning. Now, you are thoughtful and have a clear understanding of the plan. Unfortunately, you are still unable to see the bigger picture and unable to set up traps and plans.
"It was a delight for me to meet my hubby here. You having Karma Fruit was unexpected even by me, making my original plan unsuitable and full of flaws. How about we be honest with each other and discuss a suitable plan."
"Finally a reasonable attitude..." Meng Qi nodded in agreement. "We need to consider our chances of failure and plan for things not going as expected as well as the possibility of being exposed."
"If things come to light, we can use the Reincarnation Charm unless Mystic Fairy completely activates the Plain Lady's Paradise." Gu Xiaosang said firmly without explaining why. "Moreover, the Plain Lady's Paradise was a part of the Celestial Court of ancient times. If I open the door to Ninth Heaven inside, I can create shockwaves and chaos, as well as unexpected changes, giving us another chance to escape."
"As long as we can use the Reincarnation Charm, we should be fine." Meng Qi had heard these explanations from Wang Siyuan before, and it felt weird listening to Gu Xiaosang say the same things. "Could the demoness have plans for the Plain Lady's Paradise?
"The audacity!"
"There are a few instances where our plan could go awry. Hubby, did you kill Guo Xi?" Gu Xiaosang abruptly asked.
"Nope, I have him trapped in my secret treasure." Subconsciously, Meng Qi wanted to lie, but he knew that the question had a purpose so he answered vaguely instead.
"Spirit Beast Bag?" Gu Xiaosang's eyes shimmered as she stared at Meng Qi, but did not pursue the topic. "That's fine."
As she spoke, she took out a map filled with simple graphics and small prints. "This is the blueprint of the Plain Lady's Paradise, illustrating where formations and important passages lie. You must memorize all of these to prevent yourself from getting lost while looking for Jingyan."
"So detailed?" Meng Qi concentrated on the map and frowned involuntarily. "How does Demoness Gu have such intimate knowledge of the Plain Lady's Paradise?
"This would not be known to Shang River Fairy, who only enters the Plain Lady's Paradise once every few months. Does she have accomplices inside the Plain Lady's Paradise?"
As Meng Qi stared at Gu Xiaosang, he thought of the mysterious disappearance of Shang River Fairy and found Gu Xiaosang more unfathomable and unpredictable than ever before. Behind her mischievous appearance was a thoughtful and cunning woman.
"Hubby?" Gu Xiaosang waved her right hand with its slim and delicate white fingers. She smiled and asked Meng Qi, "Why are you always staring at my lips? Are you thinking of what happened a while ago? Do you want to try it again?"
"I wasn't..." Meng Qi looked at her lips subconsciously and stopped immediately. It would be useless to argue with the demoness. He would just ignore her and discuss their plans instead. "Do you have an accomplice inside?"
"Yes." Gu Xiaosang didn't bother with lying. "However, I can't reveal his identity at present. Hubby, can you control Guo Xi and make him obey your instructions and act normally?"
Meng Qi remembered the Exterior chapter of Heavenly Golden Scripture and replied. "I can do it for twenty minutes at most."
"That should be enough." Gu Xiaosang cheered in excitement and clapped her hands together like a little girl.
"What about you? How can you hide from Mystic Fairy? She has a soul lamp and would know that you have killed Shang River fairy." Meng Qi asked in confusion.
Gu Xiaosang laughed and replied. "Hubby, when did I say that I killed Shang River fairy? I merely captured her. She still has her uses.
Meng Qi was stunned. They went on to discuss the matter concerning the Plain Lady's Paradise, completing the entire plan. In the end, Meng Qi decided that they had a huge chance of success, especially since Gu Xiaosang seemed to have more plans!
As the plan was completed, Meng Qi sighed in relief and he relaxed. Suddenly, a matter flashed across his mind and he asked directly, "Did you lead Dark Broadsword on purpose?"
Gu Xiaosang seemed to have expected the question and tilted her head as she smiled, showing her dimples. "I only provided him with the ex-Demon Lord's skill initially and sent him to work on affairs concerning his impartation. It surprised me too that he obtained a drop of blood from Heaven-Consuming Demon Lord."
She answered vaguely and Meng Qi did not press further but instead looked for a place to rest before re-entering the Plain Lady's Paradise. Suddenly, a female disciple requested to enter the room.
"Hubby, we are newly married couples. How can we be apart?" Gu Xiaosang was ethereal as she laughed.
"What do you want?" Meng Qi was alert.
Gu Xiaosang cheerfully replied. "Nothing much, just show off our love in front of them. Hubby, can you massage my temples?"
"Such a difficult woman!" Meng Qi complained as he walked behind Gu Xiaosang, placing his hands on her temples.
Suddenly, Gu Xiaosang fell back and leaned on Meng Qi's chest. She then spoke enchantingly.
"You may enter."
Meng Qi's body stiffened before relaxing.
...
After a few days, a message returned from the Plain Lady's Paradise asking Shang River Fairy to lead her new disciples to comprehend the Extinctive Blade of the Overlord.
In a hidden valley on Lihua Island, dense clouds rose and haze filled the air.
Leading Meng Qi and several male disciples into the valley, Gu Xiaosang ran into Bodhisattva Lian Yu and Ying Ning, who were on their way to meet Bliss Bodhisattva to discuss the issue of Merciless Tyrant.
"Sister Shang River, I heard that you have found a new husband and that he has barely opened all nine apertures?" Bodhisattva Lian Yu mocked Gu Xiaosang. She was still annoyed about Gu Xiaosang's interference last time. She stared at Meng Qi and continued. "He is not even handsome!"
Gu Xiaosang spoke coldly like Shang River Fairy. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
"Hehe... maybe he has special skills. I didn't realize that Sister Shang River is such a temperamental woman." Bodhisattva Lian Yu giggled as she jested.
"Female gangsters..." Meng Qi had given up on the morality of the Bliss Bodhisattva lineage.
Gu Xiaosang snorted and pretended to lose out in the exchange of words. She then secretly relayed her message to Meng Qi. "Your doppelganger can follow them now.
"As they pass, the formations will weaken, making it easier for you to enter."
Meng Qi nodded slightly. Beneath his calm expression was a highly focused mental state.
Gu Xiaosang, on the other hand, seemed to be calm and fearless, as if she was merely returning home.
At this moment, the fog wavered and light started shining through, showing an old and majestic stone door.
The heavy stone door opened and the environment changed immediately. White clouds rose as light continued to shine. Vital Qi of Heaven and Earth seemed to be mixed with the haze as order and chaos combined.
One need not pass through the door to enter the room. There were slight changes of Dharma and Logos!
This was the Plain Lady's Paradise! Part of the real Immortal Realm of yesteryears!