Chapter 26: Old Daoist and Young Girl

There were five peach gums in total, amber-colored and semi-transparent.

Lin Jue looked at them while walking.

There was no way—

Since they were given, he could only take them as a parting gift from a senior and an old friend.

But what was the use of this? How to use it?

Should he boil it and eat it?

But what did this count as?

Peach trees produce peach gum, which Lin Jue had eaten, but a peach tree that had become a spirit and talked to you for a few days gave you a few pieces of peach gum, which it produced itself. If placed on a human, what would it count as a gift?

Lin Jue always felt it was a bit strange.

Strange as it was, his mood was still good, both with a bit of wonder and detachment, and a bit of beauty and leisure.

At this time, the book basket on his back had been repaired almost as good as new, and he was using his whistle stick as a walking stick. He was only two days away from Qiyun Mountain, so he naturally felt lighter and lighter walking.

It was just that walking on the road, Lin Jue also had a few more thoughts than the previous section.

That was to often pay attention to the flowers, plants, and trees by the roadside.

To cultivate Wood Escape, one must first be in harmony with plants.

Lin Jue didn't know how to be in harmony with plants, so he had to stop often to observe plants he had never known or noticed before, reaching out to touch the texture of the leaves and looking at their flowers.

In his previous life, he knew many people who loved flowers, plants, and trees. That kind of love was something ordinary people couldn't reach, mostly women with delicate minds. At that time, Lin Jue only thought that these flowers, plants, and trees were ordinary things. Where were they not, and where couldn't you see them? And where was there any place worth looking at them carefully and recording them? But now, facts almost easily proved that it was just that he didn't have the state of mind and time to look at them carefully at that time.

Because at this time, Lin Jue didn't have any cultivation or perception, just spent a little more time and energy to look at them carefully, and he had already discovered their unusualness.

Almost every kind of tree was different and had its own unique place. Almost every flower was also different. Every newly opened flower was so delicate and clean. Even for the smallest flower, if you looked closely, the petals and stamens were so exquisite and complex, far more than the few lines and colors in a painting.

Moreover, this was summer, a season when branches and leaves were lush and plants were growing wildly. Besides wild flowers blooming by the roadside, there were vines hanging with fruit. These plants were wantonly displaying their life and temperament.

Under Lin Jue's careful observation, he was unexpectedly surprised from time to time, as if he had discovered interest in it.

Naturally, it was just interest.

To talk about perception, there was none at all.

But this also made him feel satisfied and even surprised.

Because interest itself was a precious thing.

So the speed of walking was delayed quite a bit.

Even if he saw an ancient tree thicker than himself, even if it was in the woods by the roadside, as long as it wasn't too difficult to walk, he would put down his book basket and go to visit it. Sometimes, according to what the tree yaoguai said in the book, he would place his hand on the tree trunk to feel the texture of the bark, concentrate his mind, try to perceive the essence of the tree, carefully experience the spiritual charm of wood, and imagine that he was the same, striving to achieve integration with it.

Feeling clear in his heart, and with a playful mood, he recited the spell and tried to pass his hand into the tree.

"Haha..."

Naturally, he couldn't do it at all.

Lin Jue was not discouraged at all. It was his first time learning, and he had a bit of a playful mind. He shook his head and laughed, then came back to carry his book basket and continued forward.

In the mid-afternoon, the young scholar stopped by the roadside and chatted with an old man working in the fields below the road:

"May I ask, old sir, do you know Qiyun Mountain?"

"Qiyun Mountain? I know!"

"How to walk there?"

"Walk this way."

The old man pointed in a direction.

"This way?"

Lin Jue bent down and turned his head to look.

"Ah..."

"I just came from this way."

"Then you walked the wrong way!"

"..."

Lin Jue shook his head and laughed, thanked the old man, and walked back.

When in a good mood, even doing something wrong had no gloom, but instead, he laughed at his own stupidity, patted his head, and almost laughed out loud, his footsteps still light.

Even if it was already a bit late.

For someone who didn't understand the road and itinerary, walking at night was truly a very normal thing—

Lin Jue had been delayed for a while seeing off the tree yaoguai this morning, walked slowly, and walked the wrong way halfway, and when he turned back, he was delayed for a while, so the sun naturally set behind the mountain halfway.

This was the second time walking at night since leaving home half a month ago.

But this time his heart was much more settled.

First, the tree monster said that this place was close to Qiyun Mountain, so even in the wilderness, there were rarely rampant and fierce monsters. Second, the weather today was very good, with a clear sky for ten thousand li, so he thought there would be no rain at night. After entering the sixth month, the weather was getting hotter and hotter, so sleeping in the wilderness at night would not be cold.

Finally, Lin Jue was not so afraid of yaoguai and ghosts anymore.

Sure enough, it got dark halfway.

Taking advantage of the fact that the daylight had not completely dissipated, Lin Jue found a dry and flat place by the roadside, tidied up the ground a little, and sat down, preparing to spend the night here.

It is said that for other travelers going on a long journey, sleeping in the wilderness at night is also an unavoidable thing. If you don't do anything shameful, you are not afraid of ghosts knocking on the door. It's just that most people are in groups, sleeping in the wilderness together, while Lin Jue was alone.

He wasn't too afraid anyway. He combined the firewood knife and whistle stick in his hand and placed them beside him, and his sense of security increased another level.

So Lin Jue sat on the ground, eating dry food while watching the sunset glow reflecting the mountains and rivers in the distance, listening to the wind like weeping and the rustling of the forest, and closed his eyes to sleep when the time came.

But for some reason, he couldn't sleep peacefully tonight.

Probably because he had encountered too many yaoguai and ghosts recently, and now he was sleeping in the mountains, so he inevitably had related dreams.

In the dream, there was a young ghost who saluted him and told him that his coffin was buried not far away. As time passed, it was exposed to the ground. Some time ago, a team of heavy troops passed by, and a warhorse accidentally rushed off the road and stepped on a corner of his coffin. Now it was leaking wind and rain, and he was helpless, so he had to ask him to help repair it.

"..."

When he woke up, Lin Jue woke up.

At this time, the dream had not passed, and he felt that the things in the dream were like reality, but when blown by the wind, the dream gradually dissipated.

When he opened his eyes, everything around him was dim and dark, only the bright and numerous stars were above his head, a galaxy, and countless light-sand worlds constructed the unique and magnificent fantasy of the world. Lin Jue couldn't distinguish the specific time, only guessing that it was probably around the fifth watch.

When he was in Shu Village, he should be waking up around this time. He slept early last night, so he should be waking up around this time too.

This was also probably the coldest time of the night, so it might be that he was woken up by the cold.

As for the things in the dream, there was no need to care.

"..."

Lin Jue didn't want to rush on the road at this time, but had nothing to do, and was still a bit confused, so he lay down and slept again.

But he didn't expect that as soon as he fell asleep, the dream came again.

In the dream, it was still that ghost.

"This is not a dream, no, this is a dream, but it is not a dream you made yourself! I am truly a ghost. It is true that my house was stepped on and collapsed by a horse. I want to ask you to help repair it. Please don't take it seriously! It is not easy for me to meet a person like you. If you can't help me, I don't know how long I will have to wait!"

The ghost was explaining and begging.

In the dream, Lin Jue couldn't help but feel deeply puzzled.

"A person like me? What kind of person? And why did you find me?"

"There are few people who stay overnight on this road. For some time, there have only been a few times. Some people have vigorous blood and qi, and I dare not approach. Some people have impure five qi, and I don't think they are worth trusting. And although I was lucky enough to become a ghost after death and did not go to the underworld, my magic power is low. A gentleman must have been in frequent contact with yaoguai recently, and the qi on his body is not repulsive to me, so I decided to find you, and I am able to find you."

"..."

Lin Jue in the dream didn't speak for a while, only feeling it was both true and false.

Things in dreams are like this, difficult to distinguish.

"The gentleman carries something strange on his body. I smelled a fragrance of spiritual charm. If the gentleman agrees to repair the house for me, I have a good thing to tell you."

"What good thing?"

"The gentleman has agreed!" The ghost in the dream said so, but before Lin Jue could answer, it hurriedly said, "Just today, in the mountain behind, there is a mountain like a hammer. The Mountain Lord is holding a banquet in the mountain, inviting spirits and monsters from all directions who are practicing peacefully and not causing trouble, to discuss the newly obtained "Yin-Yang Sutra". If you carry this object to visit, don't lose your sincerity and etiquette, the Mountain Lord will definitely treat you as a guest. I heard that every time the Mountain Lord holds a banquet, there is "Thousand-Day Wine". At that time, you will definitely have a cup. I heard that drinking it has great benefits. Many years ago, a spirit attended the banquet, drank the wine, and stayed overnight beside my house. Just smelling the residual wine fragrance and the spiritual charm in it made me feel comfortable for a long time. There was also a woodcutter who accidentally drank it on the mountain, not only living to a ripe old age but also being free from illness and pain until old age."

"What Yin-Yang Sutra and Thousand-Day Wine?"

"It's almost dawn, I can't say more. Anyway, if the gentleman helps me, how could I deceive or harm the gentleman? Ghosts can't do such things..."

"How can I repair your house?"

"Find some wood and cloth to plug it, so it doesn't leak wind and rain."

As soon as the words fell, the dream scattered in a panic, and at the same time, like an ordinary dream, it gradually became blurry with time.

Lin Jue was confused for a while, and then he woke up.

In his heart, he couldn't help but recall the things in the dream, both thinking about whether it was true or false, and trying hard to grasp those blurry details, trying hard to let those words not run away cleanly as soon as he woke up.

But when he opened his eyes and sat up, he heard footsteps in front.

Lin Jue was alert for a while, turned his head to look—

Not far from where he was staying was the official road. At this time, in the dimness, plants and trees cast shadows, and smoke rose from the road, but an old Daoist priest was walking slowly.

Not only the old Daoist, but a smaller figure followed behind the old Daoist.

"!"

Lin Jue quietly gripped the park knife beside him.

Almost at the same time, the old Daoist also saw him.

"Haha..."

The old Daoist seemed to be startled by his reaction, stopped, looked at him, and laughed, quite kindly: "Little lay Buddhist, you are not afraid to sleep in the wilderness by the roadside at night, why are you so nervous when you see a Daoist priest?"

The person behind him also stopped, first looked up at him, and then followed him to look at Lin Jue.

That was a young girl, holding a wooden stick and carrying a satchel.

Meeting someone inexplicably on the road in the dimness, the old Daoist was not afraid, but she was a bit afraid, so she opened her eyes wide and quietly looked at Lin Jue.

"Daoist priest, are you a human or a ghost?"

Lin Jue's thoughts were fast, and he asked back.

"Naturally a human."

"Why are you rushing on the road in the middle of the night?"

"Middle of the night?"

The old Daoist couldn't help but laugh again, turned around, and pointed to the east: "Little lay Buddhist, please take a look, it's almost dawn now."

"Hmm?"

Lin Jue took a look, and sure enough.

"The weather has been hot recently. Once it passes noon, I am still okay, but this girl I just picked up is truly walking hard. But walking only in the morning, she can't walk very far. There is no way, so I have to learn from the lay Buddhists who often do business here and set off at the fifth watch."

"Where did you come from?" Lin Jue's thinking was agile, knowing that there was no place to buy or borrow accommodation on the road ahead.

"Of course, like the little lay Buddhist, sleeping by the roadside at night."

"That makes sense, but if you are just rushing on the road, just walk past on the road ahead. Why stop and talk to me so much?"

"Naturally, I feel I have a connection with the little lay Buddhist." The old Daoist said with a smile, "Isn't the little lay Buddhist's heart almost the same? Both afraid that we are yaoguai and ghosts walking at night, and seeing my Daoist robe, feeling that there is a connection, wanting to talk to me a few more words, both hesitant and not wanting to miss the connection."

"..."

"What other worries does the little lay Buddhist have?"

"No more worries."

Lin Jue said decisively.

"Eh?"

This made the old Daoist a bit surprised.

The young girl behind was also obviously stunned.

"My name is He Xianyu, Daoist name Yunhe, practicing on a nearby mountain. This is returning from visiting a friend, passing through this place." The old Daoist saluted him, "This is a girl I just picked up in the village a few days ago. Because I feel I have a connection with her, I am preparing to take her back and accept her as a disciple."

After speaking, he turned his head to look at the young girl.

"My name is Qingyao."

The young girl understood his eyes and hurriedly said.

"Surname Lin, name Jue."

"Meeting is a connection, and it will be dawn soon. Why don't the little lay Buddhist pack up and we go together, how about that?"

"I couldn't ask for more."

Lin Jue turned over, picked up his things at will, carried his book basket, and prepared to walk.

Just taking a step, he suddenly thought of something.

"Wait!"

Lin Jue's footsteps suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?"

The old Daoist looked at him strangely.

"..."

Lin Jue found it a bit difficult to say for a while.

He hadn't figured out whether what he dreamed last night was a dream or if there was truly a ghost, so how could he tell others?

So he quickly put down the book basket again, tried hard to recall, and according to the location told by the ghost in the dream last night, ran over a few steps to check—

There was truly a gap on the ground, revealing a piece of coffin board, and it was stepped on and broken.

One could vaguely see the hollow inside.

It was actually true...

"What's wrong?"

It was a crisp female voice, the young girl imitating the old Daoist's tone, staring at him curiously and asking.

"It's a long story..."

Lin Jue then told them about what happened last night. ===== CHAPTER 27 =====