Chapter 211: Ghosts Keep Out!

The martial artist led the horse in front, the Daoists led the donkeys behind, and there was conversation in the sound of bells.

"Xiao Xiao Shimei has learned 'Mountain Pressing Down' now, but before practicing to a profound level, it is not a good way to win in magical combat, but it is not bad to use as assistance," Lin Jue didn't avoid the martial artist in front. Apart from believing in his character, not everyone could understand these spells. "Although Xiao Xiao Shimei's method of crushing stone has been completed and can be used to deal with people, in the struggle between monsters and ghosts, the distance of clapping is too close, which is ultimately a bit dangerous."

"My sword technique and fire method are both learned very well!" Xiao Xiao Shimei didn't understand why he said such words.

"It's not that Xiao Xiao Shimei is not powerful, but that I happen to have a spell here that is suitable for Xiao Xiao Shimei and suitable for magical combat. It doesn't need to be close, and the power is also great. Although it looks a bit clumsy, it has infinite strength, just right to complement the flexible Xiao Xiao Shimei."

"What spell?"

Xiao Xiao Shimei immediately turned her head to look at him.

"It's called Pointing Stone into General, also called Gathering Stone into General, which can summon mountain stone giants to fight the enemy," Lin Jue took out a small book. "I haven't learned it deeply either, I can only summon stones, but I can't gather stones into generals, so Xiao Xiao Shimei, you look at it first. If you have anything you don't understand, come and ask me, and we will explore it together."

"!"

Xiao Xiao Shimei immediately took it.

Taking advantage of walking, she flipped through this book. The first two pages were introductions to this spell, which made her look very surprised.

This spell was very powerful.

Then she tucked it into her bosom.

Luo Seng in front just pretended not to hear, walking while leading the horse, identifying the earth mounds on the side of the road, counting silently in his heart, and looking up at the sky at this time, hearing their conversation stop, so he said to them:

"According to the person I met on the road just now, we should still be twenty miles away from Fanghua County city. It will be dark when we walk there."

"Can we enter the city when it's dark?"

"If there is no official business, we definitely can't enter the city. However, Fanghua County is a big city. The big cities in Qin Zhou are different from other cities. Not only is the city prosperous, but there are often villages gathered a few miles outside the city, so naturally, there will be inns, hotels, and even other shops and restaurants. It is just like in the city. We can stay there and inquire about news."

Luo Seng said, pausing, and couldn't help but look up at the sky:

"But this sky seems a bit wrong."

"Within a quarter of an hour, it will rain," Lin Jue said to him. "However, it will only rain heavily at the beginning

Hearing him speak with such certainty, Luo Seng had no doubts.

He had his own experience of the world and the jianghu, and the Daoist naturally had his own skills; since they were traveling together, there was no need to ask so much, and since the other had already spoken, he should just fully trust him.

"Then we must find a place to hide from the rain."

Luo Seng looked up and gazed around, but saw no pavilion or shelter.

"I trouble the Daoist's immortal donkey to carry my luggage for a stretch; I will go ahead and find a place to take shelter from the rain!"

Luo Seng placed his bundle on the back of the junior sister's donkey and then mounted his horse.

"Go!"

There was no need to whip the horse; the steed naturally lifted its hooves.

The man and horse soon went far away.

Lin Jue and the other naturally could not catch up, but a slender white shadow rode the wind and leaped, easily following by his side.

Running forward for three li, no pavilion or shelter was seen.

Running for five li, still no pavilion or shelter was seen.

Instead, the fox, which would rather jump around everywhere than walk on the road, stopped at the edge of the cliff by the road and turned its head to call out to him.

"Ying!"

Luo Seng immediately turned his head to look—

He had long known that this fox's intelligence was no less than a human's; it usually did not like to call out, and if it made a sound, it must be like a human, having something to say.

It was just that he could not understand the fox's words.

"What did you say?"

"Ying!"

"What is it?"

"Ying!!"

"What do you mean?"

Luo Seng furrowed his brows.

"Ying wu!!"

The fox seemed to be somewhat anxious; while speaking to him, it raised its paw and pointed at the cliff beside them.

Luo Seng's brows, however, furrowed tighter and tighter.

"Are there rabbits inside?"

"Wu!!"

"No? What is there?"

"Cave! Hide from rain!"

The fox could not help but speak, saying crisply.

Luo Seng was startled on the spot.

It was his first time hearing a fox speak.

He had long known this fox was not ordinary and had long guessed it might have become a yaoguai, but only now was he certain.

After the surprise, he went over to look, and sure enough, there was a cave.

Looking further ahead, he still could not see a pavilion or shelter, so he had no choice but to give up and turn back.

Soon he saw the two Daoists.

"There is no pavilion or shelter ahead, but the Daoist's fox found a cave." Luo Seng said, "It can actually speak."

"Lord Luo need not be alarmed; we did not intend to hide it." Lin Jue said to him, "You must know that yaoguai and ghosts also have distinctions between good and evil; my Fuyao was picked up by me on the mountain when I was small and brought up by my own hand. The principles it knows are the same as mine, and even its personality and likes and dislikes are somewhat similar to mine; it has never done evil."

"I naturally know this principle, and I naturally trust the Daoist."

Luo Seng said, turning around and walking forward again.

The world was dim and gloomy, the autumn wind rolled the fallen leaves, and the group finally arrived in front of the cave before the rain.

They immediately prepared to go in to take shelter from the rain.

But unexpectedly, just as they walked outside the cave and used a long blade to push aside the weeds, they saw the fox become alert, and at the same time, a voice came from inside the cave:

"Do not enter! There is a ghost inside!"

"!"

The fox flicked its head, staring straight into the cave, its ears standing high.

The few also paused in their movements, looking at each other.

"Who is inside?"

Luo Seng asked tentatively.

"A ghost!"

The voice inside replied.

Luo Seng then turned his head to look at Lin Jue and the other.

Although he had dealt with ghosts before and even slain evil ghosts, at this moment, it was clearly more suitable for the Daoist to communicate with the ghost.

The junior sister also looked at Lin Jue.

The same principle—

She also dared to communicate with ghosts, but at this moment, it was clearly easiest to leave it to the senior brother.

Lin Jue did not decline, stepped forward, bowed, and said: "Are you truly a ghost?"

"No doubt about it! Leave quickly!"

"It is about to rain outside, and the three of us wish to come into the cave to take shelter from the rain and leave when the rain stops; is this place actually your burial ground?"

"Not so!"

"Since it is not your burial ground, would you mind letting us enter to take shelter from the rain?"

"Do not enter!"

The voice still said so.

"Why?"

Lin Jue asked again, puzzled.

The reply was: There is a ghost!

Lin Jue could not help but smile.

"I forgot to tell you, among the three of us, two are Daoists from Mount Yishan who have dealt with many ghosts, and the one beside me is also a rare jianghu expert in this world who has slain countless yaoguai; none of us are afraid of ghosts."

Lin Jue paused as he spoke:

"The rain is about to fall, and the autumn rain can be very cold; although we are not afraid of the cold, we have brought a lot of luggage, and my donkey cannot get wet in the rain. If you have no other inconveniences, please allow us to enter and take shelter together, and we will leave when the rain stops."

The cave suddenly fell silent, and no more sound came out.

Just when the few were getting somewhat impatient, the cave finally said: "Forget it, forget it; based on your words just now that 'yaoguai and ghosts also have distinctions between good and evil', and that you are not afraid of ghosts, then come in; just do not light a fire to disturb me."

"Many thanks."

"Sorry to disturb."

Luo Seng went in first, pushing aside the weeds.

Lin Jue and the other put away the paper donkey and then carried the bamboo baskets containing the luggage and heavenly treasures into the cave.

They saw that the cave was just the height of a person, the kind where one would not touch their head while walking but would always subconsciously want to stoop, and its depth could not be estimated. Because the light outside was already dim, and the cave entrance was overgrown with withered grass, the light that could drill in became very little, causing the inside of the cave to be almost pitch black, with no bottom in sight.

"My surname is Lin, given name Jue." Lin Jue bowed to the inside, "Meeting is fate; may I ask your honorable name?"

"I have already forgotten."

The voice came from the depths of the cave.

Lin Jue did not mind, nor did he go to find him, but just asked casually: "How long have you been here?"

"I have also forgotten; I only remember that when I came here, the word 'people' referred to the nobility, 'people' referred to slaves, 'chen' referred to male slaves, 'qie' referred to female slaves, 'shi' were martial artists, 'junzi' referred to the nobility, and 'xiaoren' were those ruled by the nobility." The voice in the cave said.

"It is very different now." Lin Jue thought for a moment and said.

"Indeed."

"I imagine you must also have cultivation."

Lin Jue also felt it was wondrous; when at Yang Family Village, Mr. Yang still said he had never seen a thousand-year-old ghost, and here they were seeing one, were they not?

"I do not have much cultivation; living until now relies mostly on staying behind closed doors and avoiding the sun, moon, wind, and rain."

"Why don't you manifest yourself for us to see?" Luo Seng asked.

"Impossible!"

"Why?"

Luo Seng had been a head constable and a county commandant, and he liked to be suspicious.

Then he heard the ghost in the cave reply: "Becoming a ghost is not a good thing; although I luckily relied on a little cultivation not to be worn away, after many years, I no longer look like a human, and I do not wish to see people."

"Then why do you stay here all the time?"

"Why can I not stay here? The human world is chaotic and full of people chasing fame and profit; who would have known that the underworld is also like this? Those people do not want to stop even after they die; it is better to hide in a cave and seek some peace."

"..."

Luo Seng then said no more.

The three exchanged glances.

Finally, it was Lin Jue who spoke:

"We were originally heading to the capital, and all have a heart seeking immortality; we heard there is an Immortal Elder Green Water here who can help people become immortals, so we prepared to come and see. Since you have been here for thousands of years, we wanted to ask if this matter is true or false, and where we should go to find him."

"Whether it is true or false, won't you know once you go to see?"

"It sounds like you know about this matter."

But unexpectedly, the voice in the cave suddenly became a bit more impatient:

"You Daoist! I thought you had some sincerity, but it turns out you are also trying to trick my words! Alas! Has the human heart in this world today become like this? It seems I was right to hide here!"

"Why does the senior say this? Every word I said is true."

"Since you are a person who cultivates the Dao and knows spells, do you not know whether people can become immortals so easily? By asking this, are you not trying to trick my words? Listening to this, you must have other motives for coming here, right?"

After hearing this, Lin Jue immediately became serious.

First, he stood up and bowed to show his apology, and only then did he say truthfully: "The junior truly wanted to ask the senior about the Immortal Elder Green Water, but was worried that I was not familiar with the senior, so I tested you like this; please forgive me."

"That Immortal Elder Green Water is right here; although I have lived a long time, I do not wish to find this trouble, so I will not tell you anything. However, his affairs are known to everyone, and where he is is also known to everyone; why must you ask me? Just ask anyone, go and see, and you will know."

The voice in the cave calmed down again.

Lin Jue breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he had dealt with many "refuting seniors" and knew how to communicate with such people.

"Then has the senior ever heard of the Tu Long Wang?"

"I know, but I am not familiar." The ghost in the darkness said, "It is just that yaoguai have come to my cave to stay before, on their way to the Tu Long Wang's birthday banquet."

"The Tu Long Wang's birthday banquet?"

Lin Jue keenly grasped this point.

"Such yaoguai leaders have no restraint over the yaoguai in a region; if they do not find some excuses to call them over to show off their wealth and skills, how can they convince the masses?"

"I wonder when that Tu Long Wang's birthday banquet is?"

"I no longer distinguish between cold and heat, so how would I remember the days and months? I only know it was in the first half of the year; counting from now, that time was nine springs, summers, autumns, and winters ago."

"So that is how it is."

At this time, it had already started to rain outside.

Raindrops were like curtains, hanging all over the world outside the cave.

Lin Jue sat cross-legged against the wall in the cave, his expression calm, continuing to chat with him, treating it as cherishing these chance encounters.

At this time, he did not ask for his name, nor did he make him manifest.

It was purely chatting to pass the time; on this rainy day by the side of the wild mountain road, he picked up some interesting fate.

Listening to him talk about ancient affairs and ancient human hearts, he finally knew that the phrase "human hearts are not as they were in ancient times" was indeed interesting. Listening to him talk about people in the human world chasing fame and profit and not stopping even after death made one sigh. Talking about the troubles of cold and heat in this cave and the worries after becoming a ghost also increased his knowledge quite a bit, which was quite interesting.

Not until the rain stopped did he bid him farewell and leave.

It was just like meeting an interesting person at a tea stall by the road; the jianghu is vast, and once parted, they would never meet again.