Chapter 143: The Fox

Lin Jue was just about to ask this Mountain Lord, but a glance from the corner of his eye revealed that in the peony field, where the light was growing dimmer, many pairs of eyes were staring at him. It was the wolf pack he had summoned earlier.

"Mountain God, wait a moment."

Lin Jue first walked toward the pack of wild wolves.

This wolf pack had helped him catch the mouse demon for half a day. Although they didn't manage to catch it in the end, they had at least restrained the mouse demon, leaving it with no time to worry about anything else. Not to mention their hard work, they had been helpful to him.

So he took out his water bottle and fished out a small bottle containing the spiritual liquid he had refined. He dripped a few drops into the water bottle, shook it well, pointed his finger, and used a water-control technique. The water inside split into several streams and flew out toward the pack of wild wolves.

It actually startled them at first.

After steadying themselves, they saw the Daoist bow deeply to them:

"Many thanks to you all for your help. After such hard work, you must be thirsty. I have nothing else good on me, so I will gift you some spiritual water to express my gratitude."

The method of gathering beasts and controlling birds mainly conveys goodwill and respect.

Although the wolf pack were wild wolves, at this moment, the Daoist's sincere heart and friendship seemed pure and genuine to them. They all relaxed, and seeing the water droplets floating in front of them, they all stepped forward to lick them.

Seeing this, the Mount Langtou Mountain God couldn't help but smile, and then he asked Lin Jue:

"What did you want to ask earlier, Fellow Daoist?"

"I just wanted to ask the Mountain God if you know the origin of my fox?" Lin Jue pointed forward. Standing in front was the Mount Langtou Mountain God, and behind him were the black bear's corpse and his own fox.

"Ah?"

The Mountain God was stunned, the smile on his face instantly vanished. He first looked at him, then turned his head to look at the fox behind him, shocked beyond measure:

"You are asking me? Do you really not know, or are you pretending?"

"I truly do not know."

"How is that possible!?"

"I do not know."

"You wouldn't dare to joke!!"

"I do not know."

"Hiss..."

The Mountain God's face instantly turned pale. His eyes shifted for a long time before he asked, "I sent you a dream, did you not receive it?"

"..."

As soon as Lin Jue heard this, he knew—

What that "Third Shixiong Refuter" at the foot of Mount Yishan said was indeed true. His little fox was really sent by this Mountain God!

His fox definitely had a close relationship with Jun Niangniang Yao Hua, and was not an ordinary distant descendant, which was why this Mountain God was sent to deliver it personally. Jun Niangniang Yao Hua was not someone who didn't understand etiquette; it was this Mountain God in front of him who had messed it up.

Although he thought this, he answered truthfully:

"I do not know."

Thump!

The Mount Langtou Mountain God, who hadn't felt fear even when facing the ferocious bear demon and the tall stone giant, now sat down on the ground, his expression dull, staring at Lin Jue.

"It's ruined!"

Two words spilled from the Mountain God's mouth.

Lin Jue ignored him, but suddenly looked behind him, unable to help but frown—

Whether it was demons, ghosts, or spiritual cultivators in the world, as long as they had cultivation, they would all gather the spiritual rhyme of heaven and earth. At this moment, after the bear demon died, its cultivation essence naturally drifted out and returned to its origin.

Among them were pure and impure, clear and turbid, refined and mixed. He saw his little fox standing on the giant bear's belly, waiting solemnly. Then, from these drifting cultivation essences, it excluded all the mixed and turbid essence and spiritual energy, and specifically picked out a single thread from the purest and clearest essence and spiritual energy.

It raised its head and inhaled deeply.

The setting sun had already set. In the Daoist's eyes, it seemed as if he could see a trace of imperceptible light being inhaled into its nose.

"This is..."

Lin Jue immediately thought of the lizard gecko demon at Songyin Temple, and then thought of the old fox in Pear Village. He immediately knew how his fox had learned the ability to walk on walls and spit cold air.

"So that's how it is."

If it weren't for the fact that he could distinguish that what it was absorbing was a thread of the purest and clearest essence and spiritual rhyme, it would really have had a bit of a demonic flavor.

"Fellow Daoist..."

The Mountain God in front of him was calling him, which made him come back to his senses.

"What is it, Mountain God?"

"Fellow Daoist, don't worry about other things! This is the Jun Niangniang's innate ability. This Highness naturally has it too. There is nothing to be surprised about. Fellow Daoist, you should worry about other things!"

"So that's how it is." Lin Jue noticed that this Mountain God used the address "Highness," then paused and said frankly, "I have nothing to worry about."

"I do!"

The Mount Langtou Mountain God was burdened with worries.

Looking at this newly promoted Mountain God, Lin Jue knew that his cultivation and ability were far from being comparable to the Mount Yishan Mountain God, but no matter which time he dealt with him, the impression he gave Lin Jue was excellent:

The first time was hospitality and generosity. Lin Jue was just an ordinary person, and after bringing a few pieces of peach gum, he got a meal of Thousand-Day Wine and was warmly entertained for a night, without any contempt or neglect.

The second time was this time. Without a doubt, thanks to him, Lin Jue was able to win and survive.

Therefore, he neither wanted to see him so worried, nor did he want to see him punished, and he was willing to think of a way for him.

"Mountain God, don't be nervous. This matter is only known to you and me. As long as I don't say it, who would know?" Lin Jue quickly said to him, "Let's first tell me the whole story properly."

"How could I hide it from the Jun Niangniang?"

"If it couldn't be hidden, hasn't the Jun Niangniang not punished the Mountain God until now?"

"This..."

The Mountain Lord had already become a Mountain God, but he still had the honest and simple nature from before. When he was silent, he had a certain majesty, and when he fought with demons, he was ferocious and had an outstanding style. At this moment, when he was in a daze, his honest and simple nature was immediately revealed.

Night was gradually falling.

"Sigh, I was also entrusted by the Jun Niangniang to send her descendant to you.

"Although the Jun Niangniang was defeated back then and lost her Daoist site, and rarely appeared afterward, in these hundreds of years, there have been occasional reports of fox demons attaining the truth and the Dao in various places. Among the nearby spirits and monsters, it was also rumored that the Jun Niangniang had not admitted defeat and given up, and some spirits and monsters said that although the Jun Niangniang was defeated and no longer competed for incense, she still wanted to cultivate some excellent descendants to ensure the continuation of her clan.

"After all, this place was once the Jun Niangniang's Daoist site. It is not surprising that you passed through here and were discovered by the Jun Niangniang.

"That day, the Jun Niangniang entrusted me in a dream, saying that she saw you had great talent and that there was something on you that had an affinity with her. She asked me about you, and I went down the mountain to investigate and then reported back to the Jun Niangniang truthfully."

Something on him that had an affinity with her...

Hearing this, Lin Jue couldn't help but recall that time.

At that time, besides the ancient book, he only had a few pieces of peach gum given by the peach demon in Danxun County.

Could it be that the ancient book attracted that Jun Niangniang's attention?

It couldn't be those few pieces of peach gum, could it?

Lin Jue's frown grew tighter.

The Mountain God's words did not stop.

"After hearing this, the Jun Niangniang felt that since you had an affinity with her, your cultivation talent was very good, and you had good character and state of mind, which was very rare. However, there were some things she found inconvenient to do personally, so she let me entrust her descendant to you. She also asked me to bring you a gift and said that if you encountered danger in Huizhou, you could call her name, and she could come to help you once, but only once."

"So that's how it is!"

Lin Jue suddenly realized that the reason Jun Niangniang Dangshan descended to help him last year was because of this reason.

The Mount Langtou Mountain God was crying without tears:

"However, at that time, you were already on Mount Yishan. The Mount Yishan Mountain God is an ancient innate deity who has always forbidden outside spirits and monsters from entering Mount Yishan at will. I didn't know his temperament, and the Jun Niangniang was defeated back then and rarely appeared in public afterward. I didn't know the Jun Niangniang's intentions, so I didn't want to attract the attention of the Mount Yishan Mountain God, so I had to sneak in.

"I secretly entrusted this Highness to you.

"I only felt at ease after watching you take this Highness away.

"I entrusted the specific matters to you in a dream.

"Since you didn't receive it, you must have been discovered by the Mount Yishan Mountain God and intercepted."

In the boundless sea of peony flowers, a Daoist priest in a tattered robe holding a sword was standing, and beside him sat a majestic sturdy man with a wild boar's head, telling the Daoist about what happened before.

The fox was constantly leaping up and down in the flowers, as if it had no worries, occasionally catching two insects and bringing them to the wild boar man to eat.

The man was not in the mood, but didn't dare not to accept, so he had to respectfully reach out and take them while talking.

Slowly, he gathered a handful of insects in his hand.

"So that's how it is."

Lin Jue nodded after listening.

The Mount Yishan Mountain God indeed had this rule and habit.

At that time, when everyone was on the mountain for the spring outing and Mingzhou Mountain sent a letter with a paper crane, Lin Jue had heard his master and senior brothers mention that it was very difficult for ordinary demons and ghosts to enter Mount Yishan, including sending letters—even if Lin Jue learned the paper crane technique from the paper play, his attainments were deep, and he could fly thousands of miles, if it weren't for the divine power of a deity, it would be very difficult to send it back to the Daoist temple, because it would be intercepted by the Mountain God.

The dream sent by this Mount Langtou Mountain God was probably intercepted in this way.

For a moment, it was hard to say whether he was smart or stupid.

If he were smart, he had messed it up.

If he were stupid, he had considered so much.

"Later, I was still worried, so I specifically snuck into Mount Yishan to check, and saw that you and the Jun Niangniang's descendant were getting along very well, so I felt at ease, thinking that you had already received it and agreed. That time I was almost discovered."

"No matter." Lin Jue said with a smile, "Although I didn't receive it, I agreed, and the result of the matter was not changed because of this."

"But my result might..." The Mount Langtou Mountain God was annoyed, "I even accepted the Jun Niangniang's reward!"

"Mountain God, you worry too much."

"Sigh..."

"Don't panic, don't panic. Although I didn't know these things, I also inadvertently asked the Jun Niangniang to take action to help. Moreover, now my Fuyao and I have a deep affection, which might not be a bad thing." Lin Jue thought carefully, in fact, that Jun Niangniang had given him more.

For example, the silver-eating ghost who followed him because Jun Niangniang Yao Hua took action to help and because of Jun Niangniang Yao Hua's name.

"Then what does the Jun Niangniang want me to do?"

"Naturally, I agreed to help her raise this Highness. I guess it would be even better if this Highness could attain the truth and the Dao."

Lin Jue nodded after listening. In fact, this question had no meaning anymore. In any case, Fuyao had been with him for a long time, and he would be with him for a longer time, and he would treat him with all his heart.

"Did the Jun Niangniang tell you its original name?"

"No, no, did she?"

Three years had passed, and the Mountain God was very panicked at this moment, almost wanting to open his brain to search for it.

"What about the gift?"

"The gift was sealed by the Jun Niangniang in a box, and the box was sealed and buried by me under the biggest pine tree on the highest peak of the mountain where your Daoist temple is located."

The Mount Langtou Mountain God said, "My seal requires a spell to be opened. The spell was told to you in the dream, but you didn't receive it, so I will tell you again. It is very easy to remember, it is the eight big characters 'Mount Langtou Mountain Lord, food and drink without worry'."

"It is indeed easy to remember."

"The Jun Niangniang's seal can only be opened with the hair of the Jun Niangniang's descendant." The Mount Langtou Mountain God said, "Three years have passed now, and I don't know if it has been discovered by anyone. However, even if it is discovered by someone, they can only open the seal I left behind. As for the seal left by the Jun Niangniang, even if the Mount Yishan Mountain God came in person, without other clever skills or treasures, it would be absolutely difficult to crack."

"I have remembered it." Lin Jue nodded, "Mountain God, do you know how to find that Jun Niangniang?"

"Fellow Daoist, you are joking." The Mount Langtou Mountain God said helplessly, "Since that battle, the Jun Niangniang has almost disappeared, and has never revealed her true body again. How could I know such things?"

"Then how can I talk to her?"

"Fellow Daoist, don't make things difficult for me. Although I have achieved the position of Mountain God, it was also thanks to the Jun Niangniang's blessing. Before, I was just a spirit and monster with the deepest cultivation in the nearby mountains. No matter how deep the cultivation is, it is far from being comparable to the Jun Niangniang. In the past, if we spirits and monsters had anything to say to the Jun Niangniang, it was like you humans burning incense and praying to gods, but the Jun Niangniang never responded. At least since I opened my spiritual wisdom, I have never heard of the Jun Niangniang responding to anyone."

The Mount Langtou Mountain God paused:

"However, since you have an affinity with the Jun Niangniang and were entrusted by the Jun Niangniang, you can try it. Maybe you can get the Jun Niangniang's pity."

"Many thanks."

Lin Jue bowed to him: "This matter is known only to you and me, heaven and earth, and will not be told to others."

"Ying?"

A fox jumped out from the side, jumped between them, and tilted its head again, looking at Lin Jue. In its mouth, it was still holding a centipede, which was twisting constantly, dozens of feet struggling desperately.

"It also knows." Lin Jue smiled and bowed to the Mountain God, "But it is my Fuyao now."

"Ying~"

The fox tilted its head to look at him, and handed the centipede to the Mountain God.

Thanking him for his friendship in helping to fight.

The Mountain God took it tremblingly.

Just then, a mountain spirit and monster came back to report that they had failed to catch the mouse demon, and it had run away.

"That mouse is too cunning, and the place is too big, it is really hard to catch." The Mount Langtou Mountain God said to Lin Jue, feeling a bit guilty, and couldn't help scratching his head.

"No matter, no matter, next time I meet it, I will definitely kill it!"

"That's good."

As the Mount Langtou Mountain God was speaking, he turned his head and saw that the surrounding sea of peony flowers had already been messed up by their fighting, and he didn't know how many plants had died. He knew that this was planted by the people at the foot of the mountain and was the livelihood of many farmers this year, so he waved his big hand and wantonly sprinkled his magical power.

Immediately, one peony flower after another either straightened itself, flew up out of thin air, or moved on its own. The broken ones were repaired as before, the fallen ones grew again, and they were all planted back in their original positions.

The land also became flat again.

"Mountain God has good virtue and good ability." Lin Jue complimented him, "With this, why do you still need the Jun Niangniang's help to seek the position of a god, and why worry about the lack of incense?"

"Fellow Daoist, don't say these things. Come back to Mount Langtou with me, there is also a meal of Thousand-Day Wine to drink!"

"Mountain God, are you afraid of that Corpse Tiger King? If not, let me leave a line of words to help the Mountain God with some incense."

"That Corpse Tiger King has long been suppressed, what is there to be afraid of? Besides, I have already achieved the position of Mountain God, and now I am a righteous god, how could I be afraid of it?"

"That's good!"

So Lin Jue picked up a broken flower stem, and right next to the bear demon, he used the stones summoned by the mouse demon to form the stone giant and then scattered, to write a line of words on it:

The demon slayer is the Mountain God of Mount Langtou.

The green stem juice, the handwriting was elegant.

Thinking that after dawn tomorrow, when the local farmers come to this sea of peony flowers and see this huge black bear, it might spread far and wide, and even be reported to the government. Then, in the local strange stories, there will also be the name of the Mountain God who loves the people on this Mount Langtou.

Then he called the fox and left with the Mountain God.

Lin Jue also missed that Thousand-Day Wine a bit.

What he missed even more was probably his third senior brother. ===== CHAPTER 144 =====