Chapter 150

"Sixth senior brother, how is the Planchette technique cultivated and used?"

In the outer courtyard of the Daoist temple, three Daoists were sweeping the floor.

A few days ago, a violent storm had lasted for several days, and only yesterday did it stop, blowing many broken branches and leaves into the temple, and accumulating a layer of rain mud on the ground, which turned to dust under the sun, sticking to the ground and making it very difficult to sweep.

Grass had grown in the gaps of the stone slabs again.

The junior sister was sweeping the most diligently, enjoying it.

Lin Jue took the opportunity to ask the sixth senior brother about the Planchette technique.

"Is it finally my turn? I thought you looked down on my Planchette technique, junior brother, and wouldn't come to me to learn it."

"How could that be?"

"That's true too." The sixth senior brother said, "Among the techniques in this temple, the Planchette is the simplest and most worry-free; it would be a huge loss not to learn it."

"Is that so?"

"Could I lie to you? You can learn this Planchette technique in at most ten days or so. After learning it, whether you can find a Planchette Immortal is another matter. If you want to reach the extreme, naturally it requires a lifetime of effort, but our technique doesn't need that; it's enough to be able to use it." The sixth senior brother said, "I was originally allowed to learn this Planchette technique by Master because my talent was good, but I was truly lazy and unwilling to spend energy on techniques."

"I see..."

What the sixth senior brother said was indeed true—

Except for the junior sister and the eldest senior brother who had no choice, when other senior brothers entered the temple, the master chose the main techniques for them to cultivate based on their own talents and personality preferences.

For example, the second senior brother had a quiet personality, could sit still, and could settle his heart, so he learned alchemy; the third senior brother had some chivalry, which was just right for collecting Bean Soldiers; the fourth senior brother had a pure and kind heart, most suitable for dealing with animals; the fifth senior brother was simply not interested in combat techniques, so he learned medicine; the seventh senior brother was playful and loved fun, so he learned theatrical arts.

"People down the mountain often don't need to learn planchette writing; they rely on accidentally forming a bond with a Planchette Immortal, or the Planchette Immortal comes to them on its own. Other aspects are also handled by the Planchette Immortal; in short, the Planchette Immortal takes the initiative."

"We are a bit different."

"Our Planchette Immortals are found by ourselves, chosen by ourselves."

"Having Daoist practice and cultivation as a foundation naturally makes it easier to find and select a Planchette Immortal, and knowing techniques is even better. Thus, after finding a Planchette Immortal, we are not like the planchette users down the mountain, being pushed around by the Planchette Immortal."

"There's more—"

"For example, inviting a Planchette Immortal doesn't mean you can invite them from thousands of miles away; not every immortal can convey a message across a thousand miles in one sentence. As for the distance, people down the mountain rely entirely on the Planchette Immortal's ability. Therefore, many people who invite Planchette Immortals either stay in one prefecture or county and cannot travel far, or the Planchette Immortal follows them, or rather, they go wherever the Planchette Immortal goes."

"The Planchette Immortal earns money for you, and you earn incense for the Planchette Immortal."

"We, on the other hand, can use this technique to work together with the Planchette Immortal. For example, if we are separated by a thousand miles, the Planchette Immortal transmits two hundred miles, and we transmit eight hundred miles, so we can invite a Planchette Immortal from a thousand miles away."

"This depends on one's Daoist practice."

The sixth senior brother explained to him while sweeping the floor and slacking off.

The junior sister also pricked up her ears to listen, but her movements didn't stop.

"Another example: when ordinary people invite a Planchette Immortal, the force transmitted from afar is mostly weak, so they have to use a winnowing basket to support it, use a string to hang it, or borrow the hand of the planchette medium to write or draw. But when we invite a Planchette Immortal, we can assist from the side with our own magical power. Regardless of whether the Planchette Immortal's force is strong or weak, at most we only need to hang the brush; some don't even need a hanging string, and the brush moves on its own in mid-air."

"So that's how it is." Lin Jue nodded. "Then how do you find and select a Planchette Immortal?"

"That depends on what kind of Planchette Immortal you want to find."

"What kind..."

"No need to rush, and no need to force a result. Planchette users down the mountain have one Planchette Immortal for one planchette medium; we are practitioners of the Dao, specializing in this method, so it's not impossible to find a few Planchette Immortals at the beginning."

"Can I find more than one?"

"Yes."

"Then you and Master..."

"The reason why Master and I only have one Planchette Immortal each is truly because we are close friends with the Planchette Immortal and have a deep relationship. The human heart is only the size of a palm; to make such a friend, one has already exhausted all one's strength. Even if you find several Planchette Immortals at the beginning, after a long time, slowly only one remains who has frequent contact."

The sixth senior brother paused after saying this:

"Besides, most of the things we ask the Planchette Immortal are not ordinary matters; they are somewhat secret. No matter how obscurely the Planchette Immortal speaks, there are risks. If the relationship is not close and based on mutual trust, how could they tell you casually?"

"So that's how it is..."

Lin Jue was thoughtful, feeling it made a lot of sense, and then asked: "Then how do I find them?"

"It's very easy to find them here in Mount Yishan. After you learn it, use the secret method to invite them one by one, every day." The sixth senior brother simply stopped and said to him, "Demons, monsters, and ghosts are the same as humans; whether they are knowledgeable or good at calculating, once they know a lot, they want to speak out. When their minds are full of things, if they don't pour them out, even if they don't overflow, they will feel uncomfortable. Therefore, as long as your heart is sincere, your five energies are not mixed, and your character is not bad, there will always be long-lived spirits in the mountain who will come to your invitation. This is a process of mutual selection; no need to rush to choose, in truth, they might not necessarily look favorably upon you either."

"Understood..."

"It's fine after finding a Planchette Immortal. Like me, I haven't spent any effort on this for a long time; I meditate and sleep every day, playing with things I like, such as playing the zither or woodworking." The sixth senior brother smiled at him while leaning on the broom. "This is what it means to cultivate the Dao."

Lin Jue still had a thoughtful look on his face.

The cats in the temple were very annoying; the ground was clearly so dirty, and they clearly saw them sweeping, yet they insisted on lying on the ground, and wouldn't move even when the broom came.

If the broom touched them, they would turn their heads and stare at you in confusion, or stretch out their paws to fiddle with the broom, or roll around to act cute to you.

Even the fox followed suit.

"Move aside."

"Move aside."

Two voices rang out one after another.

Originally, the fox had already stood up, intending to move, but after a glance, seeing that the cats in the temple hadn't moved, it lay back down, flipped its belly, and stared innocently at Lin Jue.

"Learning bad habits instead of good ones."

Lin Jue had no choice but to pick it up and throw it aside.

Then he continued sweeping, pondering and longing.

What kind of Planchette Immortal did he need? He probably already had the answer, but what kind of Planchette Immortal could he find?

Clouds rolled and unfurled on the mountain, and another period of time passed.

Lin Jue had learned the method of finding a Planchette Immortal.

So he came to the top of Fuqiu Peak again.

According to what the sixth senior brother said, the term "Planchette Immortal" had long been deeply rooted in people's hearts, so there were some conventional rules in the world.

Lin Jue recalled the sixth senior brother's words in his mind:

"Whenever you invite a Planchette Immortal to ask about things, you either ask about strange events or ancient secrets, or you ask the Planchette Immortal to help with calculations and divination. People know this, and spirits know this too. Therefore, inviting a Planchette Immortal is like looking for a strategist; as long as you use the method of inviting a Planchette Immortal and your intention is there, naturally, demons, monsters, or ghosts that meet the requirements will come to the appointment."

"Either knowledgeable or good at calculating."

"It wouldn't happen that ancient princes put up notices to hire strategists, but some warriors came to the appointment instead."

"If you really encounter that, just send them away politely."

"But because most of the questions and answers between Planchette Immortals and humans are of this nature—strange events and ancient secrets might involve the secrets of the gods, Buddhas, or other great demons, and calculations and divination might harm the harmony of heaven, and might also lead to serious consequences if said inaccurately, causing the person who asked to come looking for trouble—so Planchette Immortals do not appear easily."

"Even the planchette medium doesn't meet the Planchette Immortal."

At the same time, because talking to a Planchette Immortal is a very private matter, the sixth senior brother couldn't accompany him.

After Lin Jue arrived at the top of Fuqiu Peak, he found a comfortable spot under the ancient pine to sit down and looked at the fox that had followed him to the pine tree.

"I have work to do, stay a bit further away from me."

"Ying?"

The fox immediately tilted its head, looking at him in confusion.

Lin Jue had no choice but to point in a direction: "Walk a bit that way."

The fox walked a few steps in that direction.

"Walk a bit more."

The fox walked a few more steps and tilted its head to look at him.

"Walk a bit more."

The fox was very obedient and walked a few more steps.

After several times like this, Lin Jue finally sat peacefully under the pine tree, preparing to test the method to invite a Planchette Immortal, and the fox also sat down in the distance.

The Daoist had his own work to do, so he closed his eyes.

The fox had no work to do, even when driven far away by him, so it had no choice but to sit facing him, staring straight at him, shaking its fluffy tail for fun.

"I am a disciple of Fuqiu Temple on Fuqiu Peak, a student of Daoist Yunhe, and a follower of the ancestor Daoist Banshan. I invite the Planchette Immortal...

"I am a disciple of Fuqiu Temple on Fuqiu Peak..."

As he operated the method to seek a Planchette Immortal, he entered a trance-like state, his mind becoming elusive, but he kept his mind steady, always reciting this invitation to the immortal.

"I am a disciple of Fuqiu Temple on Fuqiu Peak..."

Mount Yishan was truly worthy of being an ancient spiritual mountain; who knew how many demons, monsters, and ghosts were cultivating here? When Lin Jue recited it for the third time, he received a response from an existence.

A breeze blew, and his heart felt a moment of trance, as if falling into a dream.

In the dream, there was a vast expanse of clouds and mist, and cloud energy came from the west, ethereal and changing, with no clear shape or form.

"You are... eh?"

The visitor just wanted to ask him something, but was surprised, and then immediately left.

"Hmm?"

Lin Jue opened his eyes.

What was going on?

Could it be that the technique was operated incorrectly somewhere?

But it didn't seem like it.

Lin Jue knew in his heart that this technique was used to find a Planchette Immortal among the planchette methods of Fuqiu Temple, and this was actually a process of mutual selection, so he didn't think too much and continued to close his eyes and recite.

"I am a disciple of Fuqiu Temple on Fuqiu Peak..."

He didn't know how many times he recited it, when another breeze blew.

"Whoosh..."

Lin Jue's mind swayed, and he fell into a dream again.

In the dream, there was heavy snow flying, and a blurry figure holding a paper umbrella walked over from afar; the whole figure looked like it was painted with ink, and naturally, nothing could be seen clearly.

"Are you a disciple of Fuqiu Temple?"

That figure asked Lin Jue faintly.

Lin Jue's heart was calm, and he bowed and replied:

"Returning to the senior, that is correct."

"Doesn't every generation of your Fuqiu Temple only have two people learning planchette writing?" That person paused, the blurry ink-painted body moved, not knowing what action was taken, and then realized, answering himself without waiting for Lin Jue to reply, "So it turns out this generation found one more disciple."

"That is correct."

"You... hmm?"

Just when Lin Jue felt that this might have been a good start, at least a conversation had begun, that person was surprised again, and then the whole figure blurred into a shadow, and even this illusionary dream disappeared abruptly.

"What's going on?"

Lin Jue opened his eyes and turned to look around.

Fuyao was very obedient, still sitting there, but it already felt a bit bored, changing from sitting to lying down, placing its chin and whole head on a small stone, pillowing on the stone and staring at him.

"..."

Lin Jue was a bit confused.

Why did it end just as it started twice in a row?

Could it be because there was an "outside fox" present, and these Planchette Immortals felt he wasn't following the rules?

He had the heart to let his own fox go further away, but at this moment, turning his head and meeting the eyes of the fox lying on the ground, wagging its tail and waiting patiently for him, how could he have the heart to drive it away?

"Sigh..."

Lin Jue patted his Daoist robe, stood up, called the fox, wandered around the mountain with it for a circle, and then returned to the temple.

He prepared to ask the senior brothers first.