Chapter 145: Seeking Peace for the Villagers

A leisurely sound of hooves on the mountain road.

Lin Jue changed into a good Daoist robe. Last night, he drank with the Mount Langtou Mountain Yili Shenjun until midnight, talked about many things about cultivation and gods, and talked about the Great Saint Demon King from hundreds of years ago, which was quite enjoyable. Plus, the Thousand-Day Wine was both delicious and mysterious, so drinking too much was something that happened unconsciously.

And that Thousand-Day Wine lived up to its name of a thousand days; his head was still a bit unclear even now.

So he sat on the donkey's back and let it walk forward.

Occasionally, when there was no one around, he taught the fox to say a few words.

Between the mountain roads, one person and one fox answered each other, swaying, and the mountains and rivers passed by his side.

It was not far from Mount Yishan now. Lin Jue really wanted to go back to Fuqiu Peak to see what kind of parenting gift that Jun Niangniang had sent him. However, after struggling for a long time, he still planned to go back to Shu Village to see first.

Although long nights bring many dreams, and there was a risk of Jun Niangniang Yao Hua's parenting gift staying on the top of Fuqiu Peak for one more day, it had already been more than a thousand dreams, so a few more didn't matter. By comparison, the villagers and uncles and aunts who had helped him were more important.

While swaying and walking, he recalled.

His dream battle with Liu Taihou in Shu Village was nothing, he only had some bruises on his body after waking up. Instead, he picked up a small spear and a small sword that had gained spirituality. But the battle with the mouse demon and the bear demon was a big loss—

Not only did he lose two throwing darts, he went back to look for them last night but couldn't find them no matter how he looked, his long sword was also chipped, and the five bean soldiers were all more or less damaged, so he had to go back and repair them properly.

He also ruined a Daoist robe.

The biggest loss was the consumption of two Spirit-Walking Pills.

This kind of pill was not difficult to refine with his second senior brother's level, and other materials were not precious for them who relied on Mount Yishan. Only the Xingxing was nearly extinct and really hard to find.

Fortunately, hearing the mouse demon say that after the Corpse Tiger King was suppressed by the heavenly soldiers and generals, the main subordinates were either wiped out or scattered and fled, leaving only this bear demon. In this way, he could be considered to have cleared his worries about this matter.

Only the mouse demon escaped.

There were other gains.

Not to mention Jun Niangniang Yao Hua's parenting gift, which he didn't know what it was, just solving the doubts in his heart was a happy and good thing.

Moreover, the Mountain Yili Shenjun was hospitable and was extra enthusiastic to him and Fuyao. Last night, he drank his fill of the precious Thousand-Day Wine mixed with the essence of the sun and moon, and even filled a full pot for them when he left.

Swaying, walking further and further.

Slowly returning to the city near Shu Village.

First eat a bowl of scorched rice.

This was something he and his cousin wanted to eat every time they came to the city to work, but couldn't bear to eat. Now he ordered two bowls, one for himself and one for the fox.

A bowl of scorched rice, topped with preserved vegetables, dried bamboo shoots, and a few pieces of diced pork belly. There wasn't much meat, but it was very oily, rich in oil and sauce, and even the soup was full of oil and sauce fragrance. Mixed with rice, although it couldn't give you the feeling of mountain delicacies, it could comfortably coax a big bowl of rice into your stomach.

For this kind of food, you couldn't chew slowly. You would inevitably shovel it into your mouth, making the bowl clatter.

Just as Lin Jue was shoveling, he suddenly heard someone talking about him nearby.

"Haven't you heard? Someone in Shu Village dreamed of slaying an immortal!"

"What dream of slaying an immortal?"

It was two middle-aged men dressed as traveling merchants.

"You haven't heard? There is a person in Shu Village who went to Mount Yishan to learn Daoist arts and spells a few years ago. This time, a boy in Shu Village was unlucky and was entangled by an evil god named Liu Taihou worshipped in Lingshan'ao. The Shu family tried many methods but none worked, so they had to go to Mount Yishan to invite him back. And on the first night he came back, he actually slew that Liu Taihou in a dream!"

"Ah? There is such a thing?"

"It's true! This matter was already a big deal before. People in Lingshan'ao and Shu Village all knew about it. They invited many witches and sorcerers but none worked. After slaying that Liu Taihou a few days ago, he told the Shu family that he burned that Liu Taihou with divine fire in his dream and pierced his heart from his back. The Shu family went to Lingshan'ao early the next morning to see, and the statue of that Liu Taihou in the temple really looked like it had been burned by fire, and there was a crack from the chest to the back, as if it had cracked from the inside..."

"Oh my!"

"That Shu family boy has been fine these past few days..."

Lin Jue couldn't help but shake his head and smile when he heard this. He didn't expect that he could also have a day of becoming a strange story of gods and ghosts discussed by others after tea and dinner.

The young man who listened to the village elders tell such stories in the Xiashao Pavilion back then had walked into the story unconsciously.

However, he learned from it that Liu Taihou was indeed eliminated, and Shu Chengzhi had also recovered.

This was a good thing, which made Lin Jue feel relieved.

He finished the bowl of rice in two or three bites, lifted it up to shovel, and shoveled the rice grains that were stuck to the edge of the bowl and looked oily because they were soaked in soup into his mouth, not leaving a single one, and then stood up to pay the bill.

Then he took the fox and walked slowly on the street to digest.

A young Daoist priest holding a sword, with a wooden and silent gray donkey, and a white fox that looked unusual at first glance, also attracted many people's attention.

This place valued commerce, and brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were very famous.

The Xuan paper here was the best in the world.

Lin Jue bought a lot and carried it on the donkey's back.

Then he went straight to the Luo Xian Temple.

The layout of the Luo Xian Temple and the Three Maidens Temple was about the same. The main hall directly in front was dedicated to Luo Xian, and there were two side halls on both sides. Because this place was the incense land of Emperor Yu Jian, the side hall on the left was dedicated to Emperor Yu Jian and the Southern Three Saints under his seat, as well as some attendants and subordinate gods. The side hall on the right was dedicated to all gods.

Lin Jue was not looking for Luo Xian, but for Lord Yi Li.

Emperor Yu Jian's official position was too high, and he couldn't see him. He was not familiar with the other two of the Southern Three Saints. Only this Lord Yi Li was relatively familiar. It just so happened that Lord Yi Li was the head of the Southern Three Saints. Judging by Daoist Qingxuan's tone, the last suppression of the Demon King was led by Lord Yi Li.

So he went straight to the side hall on the left.

First, he looked around, went straight to Lord Yi Li, took out three sticks of incense, shook them, lit them, and inserted them in front of Lord Yi Li.

"The Dao is learned from the heart, the heart is transmitted by incense. Incense fills the jade furnace, the heart is before the Emperor. The true spirit looks down, the immortal seat descends to the pavilion. The official reports, offering to the Nine Heavens."

This was the Incense-Offering Divine Spell of the Fulu Sect.

Lin Jue didn't know if it was useful, or if it was appropriate for him to use it, but he recited it anyway:

"This junior, Lin Jue, a descendant of the Fuqiu Temple of Mount Yishan, dares to report to the Yili Shenjun that the subordinates of the Corpse Tiger King have not been completely suppressed and are still causing chaos to the common people of the world.

"This junior, a descendant of the Fuqiu Temple of Mount Yishan..."

Lin Jue finished reciting it once, and repeated it a second time.

He originally intended to recite it three times. If he couldn't reach the Yili Shenjun or the Yili Shenjun didn't pay attention, he had also written a memorial on the road, which could be burned for the Yili Shenjun.

But he didn't expect that when he only recited it for the second time, a clear breeze rose in the hall.

Clang! The hall door closed heavily!

The light in the temple also dimmed instantly.

In a trance, he saw that the statue of Lord Yi Li above had changed. The stiff contour curves of the statue became soft, the face became more real, and the armor and cloak became more lively. After a while, a burst of five-colored divine light was sprinkled, and the statue above had already turned into a deity, sitting high on the divine platform, looking down at Lin Jue.

Did he really come?

Is Lord Yi Li quite free recently?

Lin Jue thought so, bowed and said:

"Greetings, Yili Shenjun."

"We meet again." Lord Yi Li looked at him calmly, "Don't guess too much. This Lord is very busy and came specifically for you. Since you are a Daoist of the Lingfa Sect and have something to report, don't be too polite, just speak directly."

"Good."

Lin Jue quickly told the story.

Naturally, the focus of his words was not Liu Taihou who caused chaos in Lingshan'ao and Shu Chengzhi who was tortured, but the mouse demon and black bear that had not been completely suppressed. They actually guessed that it was he who informed Qiyun Mountain, and ran to his hometown to cause trouble, lured him down the mountain, and tried to intercept and kill him to take revenge.

However, when telling the story, there was no need to emphasize it repeatedly.

Lord Yi Li could naturally hear it.

After listening, his face was clearly very ugly.

The divine hall was silent for a moment.

Then a voice finally came out—

"At that time, the suppression of demons in Yixian City was supervised by me personally. A net of heaven and earth had long been laid in the city. If it were the mouse demon in the city, it would definitely not have escaped! Since there were those who escaped, they must not have been in the city at that time! And the Corpse Tiger King had many subordinates, and there were indeed many fish that slipped through the net, and even now they have not been completely suppressed, and many have fled to the north."

Lord Yi Li's voice was deep, echoing endlessly:

"As for how they knew it was you who informed Qiyun Mountain, I think it was mostly based on speculation, but I will also investigate carefully. As for the mouse demon that escaped, I will send the Thunder General to pursue and capture it."

"Yes."

"Are you satisfied?"

"Naturally, I have no dissatisfaction."

"Hmph! You have merit, and I am not someone who ignores merit. If you have suffered any losses because of this, just say what you want, and I will naturally compensate you!"

Lord Yi Li lowered his eyelids to look at him, knowing that at this time the bear demon had been killed by him, and the mouse demon had escaped. And after he returned to Mount Yishan, even if the Corpse Tiger King went in person, he couldn't do anything to him. When he went down the mountain again, his cultivation and ability would probably have improved a lot, and his own safety would no longer be threatened. But he came here and asked him personally, obviously he had something to ask for.

Lin Jue naturally knew that this was a good opportunity to ask for things.

Unfortunately, there were more important things...

"Although this junior was seriously injured and lost some magical artifacts and bean soldiers, these are all small matters, and I dare not trouble the Yili Shenjun. The only thing I worry about is that these demons already know my hometown, which is Shu Village, not far from here. This junior is worried that such things will happen again."

"Heh! I underestimated you!"

Lord Yi Li looked at him highly and also smiled: "You want to seek peace for your fellow villagers?"

"Exactly!"

"Hahaha, the world is about to be in chaos, you and I both know. Under the disaster of troubled times, even without the subordinates of the Corpse Tiger King, the disasters in your Shu Village will definitely not be few." Lord Yi Li laughed, "The peace you are seeking is not just peace in this matter."

Paused:

"However, considering that you helped the Emperor eliminate the great trouble in the hinterland in advance, I will make an exception and allow it. I will send divine generals and heavenly soldiers to protect your Shu Village from being disturbed by demons, ghosts, and monsters, for a period of one hundred years."

"Many thanks, Yili Shenjun!"

"I will say it in advance, it is only to prevent disturbance by demons, ghosts, and monsters. If it is a natural disaster, perhaps I can remind you in advance. If it is a man-made disaster, we can't manage it at all. You need to know that since ancient times, there have not been many villages in the mortal world that can survive for hundreds or thousands of years. Relying solely on the protection of gods cannot achieve this. Things still depend on human effort."

"Many thanks for the reminder, Yili Shenjun."

"Hu..."

A clear breeze blew, silent and soundless, and the Yili Shenjun left.

Clang! The hall door was blown open by the wind again.

When Lin Jue looked up again, what stood on the divine platform was just an ordinary statue of Lord Yi Li, with mountain-pattern armor and five-colored divine clothes, quite tall and majestic.

Looking back, the fox was sitting obediently outside the hall, sticking to the threshold, looking up at him, neither walking far nor coming in. There were a few people standing outside the hall, who seemed to want to offer incense, but didn't know why the door was closed, and didn't know why it was opened rudely, all showing confusion and discussing vaguely.

Seeing that it was a Daoist priest inside, they were even more surprised.

"There was some delay, please come in, everyone."

Lin Jue bowed to them, and then left with the fox.

He first went to the small temple in Lingshan'ao to look at the statue of Liu Taihou. Sure enough, he saw that the temple had been demolished, and the statue had been smashed. He could clearly see the traces of fire on it, and he could also find the faint sword wound on the chest and back mentioned in the rumors here. It was a pity that he didn't see it with his own eyes at the time, and didn't know where the fire came from or how the scar appeared.

Lin Jue stayed for a while, and then went to Shu Village.

Seeing that Shu Chengzhi had indeed recovered, he comforted him a few words, told them some things, stayed at home for a day, and then left and returned to Mount Yishan. ===== CHAPTER 146 =====