Chapter 226: Sailing to the Banquet

Before one knew it, the middle of the second lunar month had already passed.

In the courtyard, the peach trees had quietly traded their blossoms for green leaves, and the green mountains outside the gate had also become lush, a sight that brought joy to one's heart.

Lin Jue was in his room refining pills.

Thanks to his progress in fire-element spells and the improvement of his own Dao cultivation, his magical power had grown increasingly profound. Now, he refined pills just like his Third Shixiong, with no need for firewood.

He simply used spells to gather fire, refining the pills with spiritual fire.

Many types of pills could not be refined with firewood or charcoal.

The pill furnace his Third Shixiong had given him was very compact. Although it could not refine too many pills at once, and could not hold the materials for some powerful immortal pills, it was very economical with magical power. Lin Jue could easily refine pills using spiritual fire and control the heat well.

The furnace was small, the pills were few, and the refining process was meticulous.

It was just right for practice.

Today was the Spring Equinox, when heaven and earth divided day and night equally, and the yin and yang Qi were balanced—the most mysterious time, perfect for refining Spirit-Walking Pills.

Lin Jue had been refining pills for a day and a night.

The room was filled with warmth as a result.

The fox was lying to the side, staring at him without moving, having long since grown bored of waiting.

The Cai Li, coveting the warmth of the room, also sat leaning against the wall, legs stretched out, its tail swaying left and right, amusing itself.

A mysterious aura gradually grew within the pill furnace.

The sense of mystery intensified, and suddenly, a burst of pill fragrance arose.

"Poof..."

It seemed as if a gust of wind had formed inside the furnace, blowing the spiritual fire within out through the holes, nearly singeing the fox.

It was done!

Lin Jue immediately pointed a finger.

The lid of the furnace opened slowly.

Amidst the firelight, spiritual charm flowed, and there were some substances like unsolidified medicinal paste, shimmering brightly.

Lin Jue immediately pointed a finger again—

Ordinary pills were rolled into balls by hand.

Spiritual pills were formed into pills through spells.

Under the point of his spell, the medicinal paste solidified instantly and automatically divided into the fixed size of Spirit-Walking Pills. With another point from Lin Jue, these pills flew out of the furnace one after another.

Lin Jue had already prepared the pill bottle.

"Fuyao!"

"Ying!"

The fox instantly perked up, tilting its head to exhale a breath of cold air.

"Hoo..."

Seven Spirit-Walking Pills flew through the cold air, instantly cooling and becoming hard, then followed the mouth of the bottle, landing perfectly inside with a clinking sound.

To the side, the Cai Li's tail stopped, and it couldn't help but look over.

Lin Jue kept the last pill, letting it land in his palm to examine it carefully.

"Hmm..."

As expected, there was still a gap compared to his Third Shixiong.

However, because the furnace was smaller and produced fewer pills, with his careful attention, the quality was still acceptable.

The medicinal effect was naturally weaker, and for ordinary people, the side effects might be greater, so the requirements for the method of consumption would also be higher.

But Lin Jue was already satisfied, and he didn't feel he was wasting materials.

Even the most formidable pill refiner started by practicing.

If he always let his Third Shixiong help him refine every pill, then his own attainments in pill refining would always remain at this level.

"Clink..."

The last one also landed in the pill bottle.

Lin Jue plugged the bottle and placed it on the shelf nearby.

"Thank you," Lin Jue said to Fuyao, "this counts as a great contribution from you."

The Cai Li to the side looked over at him.

"You made a contribution too."

Lin Jue added, and only then did he go out.

His junior sister was practicing swordplay in the middle of the courtyard.

Compared to before, because she had eaten a pill of the original Giant Spirit Pill, her footwork was more agile, and the force of her sword swings was greater, breaking the air without a sound, yet carrying a sharp, icy chill.

She swung the sword with her right hand and waved her sleeve with her left as she turned.

"Hoo!"

A gale kicked up the dust on the ground.

If he were to spar with her now, without using spells, he feared he wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

Luo Seng happened to be returning from outside, carrying his blade.

"That crocodile yaoguai is really going to hold a banquet," Luo Seng said directly upon seeing them all there.

"How does Lord Luo know?"

"In the last few days, the area of the Wei Shui River further downstream has been very unsettled. People have seen waves rising without wind, overturning boats. Several places on both banks have had strange tides; some dragged people into the water, while others swept away many chickens, ducks, and livestock from the riverside villages. Some have seen the shadows of yaoguai in the water. I asked around, and such things happen almost every ten years, but since different villages suffer each time, no one pays it any mind."

Luo Seng paused as he spoke:

"This flood passes through several counties, and several county magistrates have invited experts to perform rituals or make sacrifices by the river, and they have all posted notices offering rewards for people to come and eliminate the yaoguai."

"So that's how it is." Lin Jue nodded, "Lord Luo is truly sharp."

"It cannot be hidden from those who are observant."

"Then we should also set off for the banquet, shouldn't we?"

"Just about," Luo Seng said, "shall we take the water route or the land route?"

"What does Lord Luo think?"

"On this route, people mostly take the water route. Why don't we take the water route too? It will appear more leisurely. If we encounter yaoguai causing trouble, we can just inform them that we are on our way to the banquet," Luo Seng said. "I'm only afraid that the water hasn't been peaceful these past few days, and no one is running boats, so we'll have to rent one ourselves."

"Let it be as Lord Luo says."

"Wait for me to tidy up a bit!" Luo Seng said, "Luo Mou has found some brave men, and I will call them over so they can provide support from the outside when the time comes."

"I will also tidy up a bit."

"Me too!"

The three of them walked toward their rooms.

The fox and the cat followed them.

"Little Flower, did you hear? There is a big crocodile in the Wei Shui River. When we get to the riverbank, you go down and catch that crocodile," Lin Jue said to the Cai Li cat, "it's just a fish anyway."

"Meow?"

The Cai Li turned its head to look at him, a look of shock on its face.

Fuyao also looked at him and the Cai Li in shock.

"Haha, I'm just teasing you. We have left many of our belongings here, and the house cannot be left without anyone, so you stay behind to guard the house. If you're hungry, just catch mice to eat."

"Meow~"

The Cai Li finally agreed, stretching lazily.

To be safe, the three of them changed into new clothes, used a clear breeze to blow away the scent on their bodies, applied some medicinal dregs, dared not touch the Cai Li, brought the things they needed, and walked toward the river.

Lin Jue took out several thumb-sized medicine bottles and handed them to Luo Seng.

Facing Luo Seng's puzzled expression, he said:

"Lord Luo, remember—"

"The cyan bottle contains the Spirit-Shen Shen Xing Dan. After eating it, you will walk and run like the wind, and your speed will be very fast, but the medicinal effect lasts at most one hour. Once the effect passes, your legs will ache, so it should only be eaten when it is critical."

"The white bottle contains the Heart-Protecting Pill. Eating it makes it less likely to become muddled or be confused by miasma, yaoguai Qi, or ghost Qi."

"The green bottle is the Shatang Pill. After eating it, you won't drown if you fall into the water, and you can move freely. Although the Tuo Dragon King's cave is on the shore, it can still go into the water, just in case."

"The red bottle is the Light-Returning Pill, which stops bleeding and heals wounds. If you suffer a near-death injury and cannot walk, eating it will allow you to hold on for a period of time."

"The yellow bottle is the Jin Guang Pill. After eating it, you will naturally have golden light protecting your body. I think it will help Lord Luo's combat power reach a higher level."

"Each bottle has only one pill. In an emergency, just crush it."

Luo Seng took the five bottles, his mind a bit muddled.

Lin Jue smiled to the side.

His junior sister explained more specifically to him: "For the cyan bottle, just remember it as 'clear breeze'; after eating the Spirit-Shen Shen Xing Dan, it's like being accompanied by a clear breeze. For the green bottle, just remember it as 'green water'. The golden bottle is naturally 'golden light'. For the red bottle, just remember it as 'stopping bleeding and healing wounds', and for the white bottle, just remember it as the 'white mist of miasma'!"

"Makes sense."

Luo Seng nodded repeatedly after hearing this, his mouth moving constantly, as if reciting and memorizing them in a low voice.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel surprised—

That there were so many immortal pills and miraculous medicines in this world!

Especially these Spirit-Walking Pills and Jin Guang Pills; one could make a martial artist who was already fierce and good at fighting move like the wind, and the other could bring golden light to protect the body. It was as if they weren't prepared for Daoist practitioners, but specifically for martial artists.

If there were enough of these pills, he would have the courage to fight even the fiercest yaoguai or even divine beings in this world.

Halfway there, Luo Seng went to find his friends, presumably to discuss some arrangements, and then returned, telling Lin Jue and the other that everything was settled, and they went together to the river ferry.

Sure enough, no one dared to run boats these past few days.

Fortunately, the silver money Luo Seng had obtained some time ago was more than he could spend, so he directly bought a covered boat and bought some wine, meat, and pastries, creating a very leisurely atmosphere. The three of them and the fox sat on the boat, drifting downstream.

It was the beautiful scenery of spring; the sky was overcast as if it were about to rain, and the Wei Shui River was like a jade belt, winding between two mountains.

From somewhere on the shore, a long, lingering song drifted over:

"In the Southern Mountain there are crows, in the North a net is spread;"

"Once the crows fly high, what can the net do?"

The three of them barely poled the boat; the boat traveled as fast as the current.

They just sat in the cabin, setting out several plates of mutton, chicken, and pastries, using their chopsticks, looking like two Daoist priests traveling for pleasure, bringing a guard, and visiting this world.

Hearing the song, Lin Jue turned his head.

"Who is singing?"

"Who knows? We haven't reached the place where boats capsize and river waves sweep people away yet. Perhaps it's some leisurely person on the shore," Luo Seng replied. "If we drift like this, I'm afraid we won't reach the Tuo Dragon Great King's cave until tomorrow."

"Isn't that just right?" Lin Jue said with a look of longing, "I wonder how lively this yaoguai king's birthday banquet will be?"

"You'll know when you see it."

"I just hope we don't get kicked out."

"I wonder what kind of temperament that Tuo Dragon Great King has."

His junior sister held a roasted chicken wing, feeding it to Fuyao, while quietly watching the two people beside her.

They had already agreed on the road—

From the moment they boarded the boat, they were carefree people who wanted to attend the yaoguai king's birthday banquet because they loved excitement and wanted to broaden their horizons.

Whether the heavens were being kind or not, it wasn't long before it started to rain in the mountains.

At first, the rain was light, and the river water below was neither blue nor green. When hit by the raindrops, it rippled, disturbing the spring water of the river.

Soon, the raindrops grew larger.

White rain like jumping pearls scattered into the boat.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

A series of sounds beat against the top of the covered boat.

Fuyao couldn't help but look up at the top.

Before it knew it, another chicken wing was offered to its mouth.

Fuyao turned its head to glance at her, then moved its head away.

"It doesn't like chicken wings; it likes meat," Lin Jue said to his junior sister from the side.

"Ah?"

His junior sister was a bit surprised.

What she liked most was chicken wings, which was why she gave them to the fox; she hadn't expected the fox not to like them.

Luo Seng to the side leaned against the railing, looking into the distance.

At this time, both the river and the riverbank were filled with water mist, and the originally calm river surface was beaten into a mess, but between the rain mist on the riverbank and the forest, there was a small temple.

Not knowing what he remembered, he suddenly pinched a few pieces of pastry and threw them into the river, then picked up a cup of wine and poured it into the river as well.

Seeing this, Lin Jue asked in confusion:

"Why does Lord Luo do this?"

"Oh, you don't know. There was once a woman here with a strong and unyielding temperament. Because her parents wouldn't agree to her marrying her sweetheart and instead forced her to marry someone else, she was unwilling and had no other way, so she jumped into the river and ended her life. It is said that later generations built a small temple by the river to commemorate her, and it is also said that her soul still remains in this river to this day, unwilling to be reincarnated, having transformed into a divine being. Later, people traveling by water who pass by here will throw some pastries or gifts into the water to give to her, forming a good connection, hoping to have peace when traveling through this stretch of the river."

Luo Seng said, smiling casually: "It is said to be very efficacious."

"There aren't many people like that."

Lin Jue smiled, then also pinched a piece of pastry and threw it into the river.

Amidst the rain and water mist, once the pastry entered the river, it could no longer be seen, sinking into the water in a hazy blur.

A cup of wine was poured out, instantly merging with the river water.

"This rain is going to last until nightfall. Fortunately, the boat Lord Luo bought is big enough not to fear the rain."

"Indeed."

As they talked, the rain grew heavier.

The river surface was filled with water mist, and above their heads, only the horizon had light. A lone covered boat moved slowly on the river. With the water mist and the light of the sky, and the mountains and forests forming shadows, heaven and earth seemed to have only two colors, black and white, like a painting splashed with ink.

Just as Lin Jue had said, by nightfall, the rain had stopped.

At this time, the river surface was extremely quiet, and heaven and earth were pitch black, with only the covered boat rocking with slight waves.

But on the river surface, a lamp was lit.

The lamp light was a bright yellow, standing abruptly in the middle of the water, reflected in the water and wrinkled by the waves.

"Hmm?"

Luo Seng was a bit surprised.

Lin Jue and his junior sister also looked in that direction, while only the fox lay at the edge of the boat, looking at the bottom of the water.

Suddenly, a woman's voice came from nowhere:

"Are you all going to attend the Tuo Dragon Great King's birthday banquet?"

Lin Jue was not afraid, only asking: "Who are you, and why light a lamp in the middle of the water? Could it be that you are a yaoguai or ghost in the river?"

That voice still came from nowhere, answering: "Since the Daoist already knows, why ask more?"

"Meeting is fate, why not ask?"

"Didn't you all give this little woman some pastries and two cups of wine during the day?" the voice said, "How could you have forgotten so soon?"

"So it is you."

The three of them looked at each other, all revealing a look of sudden realization.

No one was afraid. ===== CHAPTER 227 =====