Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 73: Keep the wealth within the family

"A blissful dilemma."

During a previous Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity session, two Lower-Moderate Omens had appeared at the same time. It hadn't mattered much back then. As long as there was one Moderate Omen, Lei Jun would avoid the Lower-Moderate Omens no matter what.

But he had considered: what if in the future there were multiple Upper-Moderate Omens or even Supreme Good Omens at the same time?

He hadn't expected such a blissful dilemma to arrive so soon.

After reading his fortune, Lei Jun had a rough idea of what to do.

Tang Xiaotang only liked hunting down big fish; she wasn’t as enthusiastic about dealing with small fry. Thus, she had only captured and killed a few of the leaders from the Yellow Heaven Sect. As for the rest, who managed to slip away, she didn't care much about them escaping.

If Lei Jun wanted to pursue those fleeing Yellow Heaven Sect disciples, he'd need to set out immediately. Otherwise, they'd disappear without a trace.

But that would conflict with the other Upper-Moderate Omen, which clearly stated he needed to return to Mount Longhu as soon as possible. Based on past experiences, when a fortune involved a timing element, strict punctuality was necessary to get the expected outcome.

In other words, whether he chased the fleeing Yellow Heaven Sect disciples or made a quick trip to Chiyuan Grotto-Heaven before returning to Mount Longhu, he risked missing the Sixth-Grade Opportunity mentioned in the second Upper-Moderate Omen.

Two Upper-Moderate Omens, but only one choice.

You can't have both the fish and the bear's paw...

Yeah, right.

Lei Jun looked at Tang Xiaotang and said seriously, "Senior Sister, I think there's no issue with Chiyuan Grotto-Heaven."

If he were alone, or with someone else, he might have to carefully choose between the two fortunes. But since Tang Xiaotang was with him, they could each handle one. After all, no point letting the fat meat fall into someone else's hands.

"Chiyuan Grotto-Heaven is no issue?"

Tang Xiaotang turned to the captive, her gaze becoming dangerous. "Did this guy lie to me?"

Lei Jun shook his head. "Not necessarily. He might not know the truth either. But based on my analysis, even if Yellow Heaven Sect has more plans, they'll still target the Tianshi Mansion at Mount Longhu."

The current attack from Yellow Heaven Sect was widespread, impacting not just Mount Longhu’s Tianshi Mansion, but also its offshoots like the Tianxu Sect and Zixiao Sect.

However, their main focus was still on the Tianshi Mansion. That was where the high-level cultivators were fighting. The lower-level disciples couldn’t join in there, so naturally, battles spread to the outskirts.

Attacking the Tianxu Sect, Zixiao Sect, and other areas weakened the Tianshi Mansion’s influence while plundering resources for their own gain. The earlier conflict between the Tianshi Mansion and the Lin Clan followed the same pattern.

But in this world of cultivation, the ultimate outcome was determined by the strongest at the top. If Yellow Heaven Sect wanted this operation to count, they had to focus their power on the Tianshi Mansion.

The Moderate Omen concerning Chiyuan Grotto-Heaven supported Lei Jun’s judgment.

Yet the second Upper-Moderate Omen suggested no danger in returning to the Tianshi Mansion, which Lei Jun found intriguing.

Tang Xiaotang looked at the captive. "So he doesn’t actually know the real intel? I don’t think he set me up on purpose."

Lei Jun hadn’t set her up either; he was offering her an Opportunity instead.

"I do think those Yellow Heaven Sect disciples who fled need to be dealt with thoroughly," Lei Jun said.

Given the two Upper-Moderate Omens, Lei Jun ultimately chose the second one—to return to Mount Longhu. Even though the second Upper-Moderate Omen promised a Sixth-Grade Opportunity, lower than the Fifth-Grade Opportunity of the first, it came with no risks or hidden dangers.

Returning early to the Tianshi Mansion would also allow him to investigate clues about the Tianshi Seal.

He had no intention of setting Tang Xiaotang up. The risks of the first Upper-Moderate Omen were minimal for him, and likely even less for Tang Xiaotang, whose cultivation was higher. The only uncertainty was whether she’d also get the Fifth-Grade Opportunity.

Now the challenge was convincing her to go after those minor targets.

Sure enough, Tang Xiaotang said lazily, "Just a few small fries. If they escape, it won’t matter."

Lei Jun’s expression turned serious. "Senior Sister, you’re being foolish!"

Tang Xiaotang: "?"

Lei Jun: "You always say you don’t want to be the villain in a story."

Tang Xiaotang: "Right..."

Lei Jun: "In those stories, why do so many protagonists manage to escape danger while they’re weak, and later come back to take down the villains?"

Tang Xiaotang: "Hmm..."

Lei Jun: "Because the villains didn’t take them seriously when they were weak. They thought they weren’t worth the trouble and let them go, giving them a chance to survive. From a story perspective, that makes for an exciting plot. But for the villains who let them go, it’s another matter entirely."

Tang Xiaotang hesitated. "You think any of those small fries who escaped could be like the protagonists in those stories?"

Lei Jun said firmly, "Everyone is the protagonist of their own story. Maybe they’re small now, but they might just need an opportunity. Villains become villains because they squander too many opportunities."

Tang Xiaotang clenched her fist. "Then this time, I’ll be ruthless. As you said—no mercy!"

She frowned slightly and looked into the distance. "They’ve scattered, but they haven’t gone far. Rounding them all up will take some time."

"If you’re still worried about Chiyuan Grotto-Heaven, you can check it out later just in case."

Lei Jun nodded in satisfaction. "I’ll take this captive back to Mount Longhu. We rushed the interrogation, and we’re not experts. We should let the experts at the Discipline Hall dig out everything he knows."

Tang Xiaotang looked at him. "The area around Mount Longhu is still chaotic. Will you be okay on your own?"

Lei Jun smiled. "Don’t worry, I won’t take unnecessary risks."

Just like Zhong Yunfei had done for Xia Qing before, Tang Xiaotang slapped a few Talismans onto the forehead of the unconscious Yellow Heaven Sect elder.

After parting ways with Tang Xiaotang, Lei Jun took the captive and headed back to Mount Longhu.

He traveled quickly, but carefully concealed his presence. With the help of the Life-Bound Wind Talisman enhanced by the Night Wind Stone, he moved stealthily. When conditions allowed, he used his Water-Repelling Golden Eyes to travel by water, avoiding detection.

Whenever he encountered powerful cultivators, he used the Breath-Taking Flag to bury himself in the earth, escaping danger each time.

His fortune truly seemed to favor him. He didn’t encounter anyone too powerful and returned to Mount Longhu safely.

Even better, the Tianshi Mansion had stabilized the situation, pushing the battlefront outward. The mountain itself and the surrounding area had returned to temporary peace.

Though it wasn’t as tranquil as before, the fires of war had been kept outside.

Unfortunately, neither Yuan Mobai nor Xu Yuanzhen were currently on the mountain.

Even so, security was tighter than usual.

Lei Jun handed over the captive without hesitation to a patrolling elder.

"Thank you, Nephew Lei. Leave this Yellow Heaven Sect scoundrel to me," said Elder Xia with a smile.

Lei Jun wasn’t particularly close with Elder Xia, but there was a connection: he was the husband of Red Rain Elder, Lei Jun's Second Martial Uncle, and Xia Qing's mentor and clan uncle.