Chapter 287

"Xiao Xiao Shimei, how did you get here?"

"Riding a horse."

"I mean, the Fengshan Hongye Guan is more than twenty li away from here; how did you know I was here?"

"Little Flower told me!"

"How did Little Flower know?"

"I don't know either. Originally, it was playing outside, and I had just finished digging the soil and went to repair the road to the mountain top, when it suddenly ran over and told me that you and Fuyao were fighting with someone over here. I originally wanted to walk here, but when I saw the two stone horses by the bridge, I tried asking the stone horses to bring me over; I didn't expect that as soon as I spoke to them, they immediately agreed."

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

Lin Jue glanced at the stone horse carrying her beside him.

Could they not agree?

You were splitting stones to make furniture in front of them every day, repairing roads on the mountain, and using your hands to touch stones to make stone carvings; how scary it was for the stone horses!

After a few words, they had already walked into the cave room.

It could also be said to be a main hall, a sleeping hall, because at the very front of the cave room was a stone platform, covered with thatch, and then some cloth quilts were spread on the thatch, messy, like a nest.

Lin Jue looked left and right.

There were also many wolf-headed soldiers and several Yakshas in the cave room, all turned back into paper, quietly leaning against the stone wall supported by tilted bamboo frames, looking quite eerie under the firelight. Some had damage on them, and one could tell that these wolf-headed soldiers and Yakshas were the ones who had fought with them outside.

Lin Jue saw two paper figures that were taller than the Yakshas and looked similar to people, so he couldn't help but ask:

"What are those?"

"Long Bo."

"Long Bo..."

"But they can't be considered Long Bo. Paper is too soft to make such tall people. This is as tall as it gets," Daoist Hua said. "Bean soldiers can be made."

"Bean soldiers..."

Lin Jue couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

This was a legendary giant; some said they were thirty zhang tall, some said taller, but legends were often exaggerated; what was obvious was that they were indeed a kind of giant, a kind of person who was exceptionally large compared to the Jiaoqiao.

Could bean soldiers be made into such giants?

Daoist Hua seemed to know what he was thinking, glancing at him with his peripheral vision, as if seeing an old friend.

"But they aren't that easy to make. Bean soldiers need residual souls and obsessions; if you want to use bean soldiers to make Long Bo soldiers, you need to have extremely high attainments in this field, you need to find the best spiritual wood, heh, besides that, you also have to find a residual soul and obsession of a Long Bo who is compatible with you and willing to follow you."

Daoist Hua said, shaking his head repeatedly:

"How could it be that easy!?"

Lin Jue nodded, feeling it made sense.

However, his heart was still shaken—

Although the bean soldiers were still his great helpers, they were more inclined to protect him or clear out small demons, and could only be used as assistance in the process of dealing with big demons.

If one day, he scattered a tiny bean and it turned into a giant several zhang or even ten zhang tall, wouldn't he be able to fight big demons and deities just by relying on bean soldiers?

He had to find an opportunity to explore the mysteries with Third Shixiong Hua.

And that paper-cutting technique, the spell of turning into wind.

But there was still business to attend to.

Not long after, Luo Seng asked: "Since you cultivate in the mountain and use a talisman to peep and eavesdrop, do you know what idle people have come to the mountain since the beginning of spring? Especially recently!"

"Since the beginning of spring, too many people have come to my place, especially recently; as the weather gets hot, how many women in the capital don't want a slender figure? How could I see them all?"

Daoist Hua said, but paused:

"But what I know is that this kind of thing definitely didn't just start recently."

"What do you mean?"

"This kind of thing has existed for a long time. That's what I mean. It's just that women meeting with misfortune wasn't so frequent and concentrated before, nor was it so undisguised, and it had nothing to do with me, so the capital didn't care much," Daoist Hua said leisurely.

"..."

Luo Seng fell into deep thought, then said: "Can others use your eye talisman and ear talisman?"

"Do you want to seek a set of eye and ear talismans from me?" Daoist Hua looked at this martial artist with slanted eyes, then glanced at Lin Jue and the Xiao Xiao Shimei, "Forget it, forget it, for the sake of my old friends and juniors, and also neighbors on this Fengshan, I'll bestow a set upon you."

A dog demon who loves face also loves to give face to others.

Lin Jue naturally smiled and thanked him.

The old Daoist priest had mixed hair and beard and wore a gorgeous Daoist robe, and at a glance, he had a high status and an extraordinary identity.

"Third Shixiong, I've been too busy lately, I'll come to visit you in the mountain in a while."

Lin Jue didn't immediately ask this Third Shixiong Hua for advice on Long Bo bean soldiers and spells, but prepared to wait until he was familiar with him; anyway, his cave dwelling and the Fengshan Hongye Guan were both on this Fengshan, not far apart, and with the friendship of their ancestors, they would always be interacting.

"Welcome anytime."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Daoist friend," Daoist Qingxuan said, "But after such a commotion, I'm afraid it will affect your... business."

"Haha! No problem, no problem! I knew the troubled times were coming, so I've been storing human fat for the past two years; I've stored quite a bit, enough for me to use for a long time," Daoist Hua said, "Besides, you are a Daoist who cultivates quietly in a temple every day, how would you know the hearts of women? Let alone that I, Daoist, act upright and have a name outside, even if I really ate people, as long as I don't eat everyone I see, there will still be women in the capital coming to find me."

"Life is not easy."

Daoist Qingxuan shook his head and sighed.

"Third Shixiong, goodbye," the Xiao Xiao Shimei also said, "I'll be at the Fengshan Hongye Guan recently, Third Shixiong can visit anytime."

"Xiao Xiao Shimei, stay with me in the capital for a few days, maybe I'll need you to be a thug," Lin Jue interrupted her.

"Oh! Then Third Shixiong come visit in a while!"

"Good, good, good!"

The few went down the mountain one after another.

The Xiao Xiao Shimei was still riding that stone horse, Lin Jue was also sitting on the back of another stone horse, Luo Gong was holding his horse, and on the horse's back was Daoist Wan, while the three Daoists from the True Zhen Jian Gong were walking in front.

"These are the two stone horses from the entrance of the Star Gazing Palace, right?" Daoist Jiang asked.

"Exactly."

"They actually followed you," Daoist Jiang paused, "I have to remind you that the Star Gazing Palace is indeed arrogant; if they find out about this, I'm afraid they will make things difficult for you."

"We'll see when the time comes."

"Daoist friend, be careful," Daoist Jiang said solemnly to him, "Open spears are easy to dodge, hidden arrows are hard to guard against; human calculation is also an extraordinary ability in the world. Besides, if it's not a matter of deities, I think those Daoists from the Star Gazing Palace can't do anything to you; if there is a matter of deities, you can come find us."

"Thank you."

"It should be so," Daoist Jiang said lightly, fell silent, and added, "From the capital to Fengshan, you always have to enter and exit from the South Gate; two Daoist friends, if you pass by the True Zhen Jian Gong, you can come visit more often."

"To tell you the truth, we wanted to go in and sit for a while and have a lunch several times when we passed by," Lin Jue laughed, "But seeing your temple so lively, especially during the time when spring just started, the incense was so prosperous that we thought your temple was on fire from far away, and the Daoist friends in the temple were also busy, so we were embarrassed to disturb you."

Daoist Jiang heard this and looked at Daoist Qingxuan.

Daoist Qingxuan immediately smiled brilliantly: "What are you saying, Daoist friend? Old friends gathering, what busyness or leisure is there? We became Daoists on the mountain just for leisure and comfort; if we Daoists are so busy that we can't even entertain old friends, then I'm afraid there's no one in the world who can be called leisurely except for you Daoist friends from the Spiritual Method Sect!"

Daoist Jiang didn't speak, just nodded, indicating agreement.

Lin Jue naturally smiled and bowed.

The Xiao Xiao Shimei learned to cup her hands like him.

The few from the True Zhen Jian Gong didn't speak anymore, leaving only the brother and sister sitting on the horse's back, walking and chatting trivially.

"Third Third Shixiong, the soil I just dug hasn't been planted with seeds yet."

"Plant them in a few days."

"My chickens haven't been fed yet!"

"They will find food themselves."

"Little Flower is still guarding the house at the temple!"

"Isn't that just right?"

The sunset was dim, and the few gradually went down the mountain.

They didn't return to the capital until the next day.

Daoist Wan was placed in the quiet room by Luo Gong.

Lin Jue found a pill and fed it into his mouth; he didn't know how dirty the person cursed at the time, or how heavy Daoist Hua's hand was, but he didn't wake up even after eating this pill.

However, people who practice the Five Elements Spiritual Method do have strong vitality; Lin Jue saw his breathing gradually stabilize and his face gradually recover its blood color, so he felt relieved.

In the courtyard, the crabapple flowers hadn't withered; amidst the light green, there were deep red cinnabar beads and pink-white flowers, and the Xiao Xiao Shimei was standing under the tree looking with curiosity, while Lin Jue and Luo Gong were sitting at the stone table.

"If what Third Shixiong Hua said is true, this matter is likely of great importance; how should we investigate?"

"The Daoist is not good at this kind of thing, but Luo is!" Luo Seng said, "When the Ling Shi from the Ministry of Rites finds the constables for me, I will go investigate; if there is a need for fighting or spells, I will call you!"

"Then I will trouble Luo Gong with the investigation," Lin Jue knew the principle that everyone had their own strengths; Luo Gong was once the County Commandant of Changning and was skilled at investigating demon and ghost cases, so he didn't stand on ceremony with him, "However, we cultivators also have our own abilities; Luo Gong can go investigate, and I will perform spirit-writing to ask the gods, providing reference for Luo Gong."

"Good!"

Luo Seng agreed.

Then Lin Jue saw his brows slightly furrowed, as if he had thoughts, wanting to speak several times but stopping, so he was puzzled:

"Does Luo Gong have something to say?"

"I don't know if I should say it."

"Just say it."

"It's just a guess and worry; this kind of thing is destined not to find evidence, even if I say it, please remember, Daoist, that it's only for reference and reminder," Luo Seng then opened his mouth to say, "They all say the Star Gazing Palace is self-righteous, arrogant, and petty, and they also know that the Daoist once made them lose face, and the demon in the mountain outside the city also made them dissatisfied. Daoist, have you ever thought about what you would do if this matter really had something to do with the Star Gazing Palace?"

As soon as Lin Jue heard this, he also frowned.

Third Shixiong Hua had mentioned this yesterday, and he had dealt with it at the time; actually, he had thought about it later.

Luo Gong had been a County Commandant, and even Daoist Qingxuan praised him for solving cases like a god; his Jianghu experience was always rich, and his intuition was also very accurate, which was one of the important helps he could provide to Lin Jue besides martial arts when he was with him.

Since Luo Gong also thought so...

Lin Jue noted it down for the time being.