Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 21: The Young Tianshi

Without mentioning Li Ying, Shangguan Hong was already in trouble, and it seemed Chen Yi might not escape his fate either. Lei Jun glanced at Tang Xiaotang, wondering how this Little Senior Sister would handle it.

He was calculating, only to hear the conversation shift, with the topic now centering around Tang Xiaotang and Chen Yi.

Just two days ago, they’d clashed head-on.

“Ugh, what bad luck!”

Tang Xiaotang, overhearing the gossip from a distance, snorted.

Lei Jun asked, “So, the rumors are true?”

Tang Xiaotang replied irritably, “As if! Who does he think he is, demanding I, a Daoist Apprentice, make way for him?”

To Lei Jun, Chen Yi was merely an acquaintance he knew by face and name. They’d seen each other before but never interacted. From what the other Daoist apprentices of the Eighth Academy said, while Chen Yi had his moments in the spotlight last year, he was actually rather calm and not overly arrogant.

Between him and Tang Xiaotang, it was still unclear who had initiated the confrontation.

Lei Jun opted to stay quiet, simply listening to the gossip.

Tang Xiaotang declared, “He’s nothing special. I could’ve taken him down with one hand back when I was eight!

Give way to him? If I stepped on him and he could say a word, I’d give him credit for real guts!”

Lei Jun raised an eyebrow, “So, did you actually step on him?”

“No.” Tang Xiaotang puffed her cheeks. “He got lucky. Senior Brother Li happened to pass by.”

The Tianshi Mansion had many Daoists with the surname Li—Senior Brother Li, Senior Sister Li, Elder Li, Uncle Li. But the way Tang Xiaotang used the name had a specific meaning.

She had only one Senior Sister—Xu Yuanzhen.

And Senior Brother Li? He referred exclusively to one person: Li Zhengxuan, the son of the current Tianshi and the young Tianshi of Mount Longhu.

In recent years, two young prodigies in the Tianshi Mansion had gained considerable fame, well-known among prestigious families and cultivation holy lands outside the mansion.

Xu Yuanzhen.

Li Zhengxuan.

Within the mansion, fellow disciples typically called one “Senior Sister” and the other “Senior Brother.”

Strictly speaking, Xu Yuanzhen was the first disciple under the current Tianshi, having joined the Dao and undergone initiation before Li Zhengxuan. However, out of respect for Li Zhengxuan’s familial relationship with the current Tianshi, no one referred to him as “Second Senior Brother.”

Lei Jun had also heard of him but had never personally interacted, only seeing him once during the initiation ceremony. He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, dressed in purple Daoist robes, with sharp brows and a serene presence that radiated the grace of a young immortal.

Lei Jun looked back at Tang Xiaotang and couldn’t help but feel a pang of exasperation as he recalled the young Tianshi’s appearance:

Little Senior Sister, you’re a textbook villain right now…

The matter quickly resolved itself.

When Li Zhengxuan intervened, Tang Xiaotang, rather than fanning the flames, seemed more surprised. She knew that Chen Yi had a more complicated history with the Li family disciples, so she hadn’t expected Li Zhengxuan, the young leader of the Li family’s new generation, to stand up for Chen Yi.

On the other side, the young Tianshi was calm and composed, displaying the demeanor of a young master:

“We’re all disciples of Mount Longhu. There’s no need for divisions. Not only Chen Shidi, but if Tang Shimei were ever in trouble, I would do my utmost to help.”

Tang Xiaotang waved her hand. “There’s no need.”

The young Tianshi continued, “Indeed, both the elders of the mansion and I personally hold Tang Shimei’s talents in high regard.”

Tang Xiaotang, momentarily thrown off, let her frustration dissipate. Still, her response had its own flair: “No worries, I won’t disappoint anyone!”

Li Zhengxuan nodded, turning to Chen Yi, “Tang Shimei is unique, different from other Daoist apprentices. Though she hasn’t been formally initiated, she’s still one of our Mount Longhu disciples.”

After a moment’s pause, Chen Yi exhaled and said, “My apologies for my earlier presumptuousness, Shixiong and Shijie.”

Li Zhengxuan then mentioned that he was going to see his Fourth Martial Uncle, Elder Yao—Chen Yi’s master—and invited Chen Yi along.

The whole confrontation dissolved quietly.

“But I still feel uneasy. There was an underlying hostility directed at me, not from Senior Brother Li, and not from that Chen kid, either.”

Tang Xiaotang said glumly, “Senior Brother Li’s intervention interrupted things, and when I tried to find the source later, that hostility was already gone.”

Hearing this, Lei Jun was reminded of something Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen once told him:

“If someone else taunted Xiaotang the way you do, she’d have slapped them with a talisman ages ago. She goes easy on you not because you’re ‘one of us,’ but because she senses you have no ill will.

Xiaotang may be reckless, but she’s astute when it comes to sensing others’ intentions.”

Lei Jun remained silent, returning to his own small residence and inviting Tang Xiaotang inside.

After they sat down, he finally spoke:

“Little Senior Sister, your instincts are spot on. Regarding Chen Yi, someone is indeed manipulating the situation. But ultimately, it wasn’t to harm you. Instead, it served to elevate Senior Brother Li’s reputation and rally others—what people call ‘one plays the hero, the other plays the villain.’”

Tang Xiaotang’s eyes widened. “You’re saying… Senior Brother Li planned this?”

“Not necessarily planned,” Lei Jun replied. “Senior Brother Li might’ve just happened upon it. The original scheme might not have targeted you specifically—it’s likely someone just wanted to use you to teach Chen Yi a lesson.”

Lei Jun continued, “But as things turned out, the final outcome elevated Senior Brother Li’s image as the young Tianshi. He calmed Chen Yi down and won over more disciples from other families.”

He looked at Tang Xiaotang. “Little Senior Sister, in all this, you’ve become the classic villain of these Daoist tales.”

Tang Xiaotang’s brows furrowed, and a hint of gold flashed in her black hair. “Outrageous!”

Lei Jun said, “No need to rush to settle scores now. Trying to clear things up will only make it worse. Wait a while and find an opportunity later. There will be plenty.”

The tall girl, fuming, paced around the room. After a moment, she stopped and fixed her gaze on Lei Jun.

Lei Jun: “Little Senior Sister?”

Tang Xiaotang: “Did you just say… I’m like a villain in a story?”

Lei Jun: “You know—the kind that clashes with the protagonist. They’re often far stronger at first, setting a challenge, like a one-year or three-year promise. Eventually, when the protagonist grows stronger, the villain gets bested.

Some villains don’t care about overwhelming the weaker protagonist right away, yet some righteous hero steps in to protect the protagonist, making them ultimately unable to defeat him at his weakest.

In the end, they either serve as a foil or become a stepping stone for the hero.”

Tang Xiaotang gaped, “Where did you hear all this?”

Lei Jun replied, “Back in my village. The storytellers used to tell these tales, but after our village fled the famine, I haven’t heard any more of them.”

“I don’t want to be the villain; I want to be the hero!” Tang Xiaotang’s attention quickly shifted as her temper faded, dragging a chair to sit in front of Lei Jun. “Tell me more—what’s the full story like?”

Lei Jun sighed, “I didn’t read many stories for girls, so you’ll have to settle for the guys’ version.”

Tang Xiaotang: “?”

…

In another small residence, a young Daoist in a yellow robe sat at a stone table. On the table was a sheet of paper listing several names:

Chen Yi.

Shangguan Hong.

Lei Jun.

Guo Yan.

The young Daoist scanned the names, recalling the details:

Chen Yi, disciple of Fourth Martial Uncle Elder Yao, with the Pure Void Spirit Physique and already established Foundation.

Shangguan Hong, disciple of Fifth Martial Uncle Elder Shangguan, with excellent bone structure and remarkable comprehension, but not yet at Foundation Establishment.

Lei Jun, disciple of Junior Uncle Elder Yuan, with the Hidden Dragon Spirit Physique, and also established Foundation.

Guo Yan, disciple of Elder Hu of a collateral lineage, with the Flowing Wave Spirit Physique and established Foundation.

These four, plus Li Ying, were the most promising new disciples this year.

The Li family disciples this year were abundant in talent, but at the highest level, there were few top candidates… The young Daoist frowned.

At least he had managed to delay Shangguan Hong’s progress.

One small delay can make a lifetime of difference—catching up won’t be easy.

Unfortunately, Chen Yi escaped this time.

Lei Jun and Guo Yan hadn’t sought to be the Tianshi’s direct disciples, which meant they’d been overlooked at first. But neither one was easily dismissed, now that they had quietly reached Foundation Establishment.

“I’ll have to find a way to restrain them,” he thought.

A visitor arrived at the gate, and the young Daoist tucked away the paper before opening the door. Outside stood a young Daoist girl, Li Ying:

“Second Brother, Senior Brother is looking for you.”

Inside, Li Ying’s Second Brother, Li Ming, son of Elder Ziyang, nodded, “Alright, I’ll go now.”

As he left, he asked casually, “How is your cultivation coming along?”

Li Ying replied, “There was a small difficulty, but it’s resolved now.”

Li Ming said, “Good. Keep focused on your cultivation and avoid distractions.”

“I’ve been so busy I’ve nearly forgotten the time,” Li Ying responded, looking at her brother strangely.

Li Ming nodded and departed.

Arriving at his cousin’s residence, the young Tianshi’s abode, he stopped and bowed.

“Senior Brother.”

With his back turned, the young Tianshi asked, “Was it your doing with Tang Shimei and Chen Shidi?”

Li Ming answered, “I merely set up a small coincidence to bring them together. I didn’t expect it would require your intervention. I apologize for troubling you, though the outcome turned out better than I anticipated.”

The young Tianshi advised, “Don’t waste time on trivial schemes. Whether for the Tianshi Mansion or for the Li family, the best path forward is to focus on self-improvement and promoting the sect.”

Li Ming replied, “Yes, Senior Brother.”

Leaving the young Tianshi’s residence, he returned to his own small residence, took out the list again, and continued his contemplation.