Chapter 305: The Way of Bean-Scattering-into-Soldiers

"Where is this?"

"Who? Who are you?"

"Where is this?"

"Who are you? How dare you enter my dream?"

In the dream, the Flower Daoist looked at a little ghost wearing brown clothes and a brown hat with a round ball on it that appeared in front of him, and asked in surprise.

But the little ghost floated in the air, just looking at him seriously, still a sentence:

"Where is this?"

"This is naturally my cave, the Flower Mountain Cave Heaven!" The flower-robed person was a bit annoyed, "You little ghost, cat-bold, actually dare to run into Daoist's dream to run wild."

Saying that, he was about to get angry.

However, the little ghost was born white and cute, and very weak, looking like four or five years old. I am afraid that whether it is a monster or an immortal, very few will want to clean it up as soon as they see it.

And this little ghost was timid. Seeing him get angry, its eyes opened round, and it disappeared in a flash.

The dream also gradually shattered.

In the cave, on the stone bed, covered with the flower quilt just filialized by the junior, and with the flower cotton quilt, the four feet of a big flower dog began to kick for no reason, as if running wildly in a dream. Not long after, the flower dog suddenly stood up, its four feet did not stop, and it rushed straight to the cave stone wall.

When it reached the stone wall, the flower dog stopped.

It turned sideways and bent over, raised its hind leg to scratch its head. After a while, it stood up, pointed a finger, and the flower robe beside it flew over and automatically put it on its body.

This is the Dressing Technique.

It was something he asked other monsters for advice on decades ago.

"What is this?"

The Flower Daoist stood in place, pondered for a moment, but still shook his head, let it go, turned and walked back to the bed, drilled into the remaining warmth, and continued to sleep.

To the right of the Hongye Temple, the branches of a small tree swayed.

The tree was already lush with branches and leaves, but under the branches and leaves, there were strings of yellow-red delicate fruits, which were just ripe.

The Junior Xiao Shimei stood on the tree branch, not holding the branches, but could stand steadily. She was holding a winnowing basket, carefully picking cherries.

Cherries are too soft and tender, so she must be careful. Even if she pinched them with her hands, she dared not use force. Holding them in the palm of her hand felt trembling, and putting them into the winnowing basket also required gentle movements.

Another Daoist priest was standing under the tree, holding a basin of water in his left hand, and his right hand was formed into a sword finger, as if he were reciting a spell and performing a technique.

Only seeing the branches and leaves on the cherries swaying, the invisible magical power drove the cherries, which were bright yellow with tender red, to connect into a line and fly down, falling into the water basin.

Each used their own means, each showing their magical powers.

A white fox as big as a cat was playing and frolicking with a colored civet, chasing back and forth in the wind.

The mountain wind was becoming more and more noisy.

The maple trees on Mount Feng and the bamboo forest behind the Daoist temple were all blown by the mountain cave, making a rustling sound.

In the strong wind, there was suddenly a clap of thunder.

The two people, one cat, and one fox turned their heads to look at the same time.

There was already a dark cloud in the distance.

As expected, what followed was a rainstorm, and the rainstorm was mixed with strong winds, making the frolicking of the white fox and the colored civet move from outside the Daoist temple to inside the Daoist temple.

Lin Jue had no choice but to sit cross-legged in the Banshan Hall, either meditating and cultivating, or pondering and gaining insights into spells, or holding a basin of cherries, eating while watching the rain outside.

Xiao Shimei was not afraid of wind and rain, and sometimes she would dance with a sword in the rain.

Sometimes the two would discuss cultivation and spells.

For several consecutive days, the sea pressed the bamboo branches low and then raised them, the wind blew the mountain corners, and it was dark and bright. After the rainstorm washed away the spring, the sun came out again, and it was completely summer.

Lin Jue also summoned the paper donkey again, took the fox, went down the mountain, and slowly returned to the capital.

Entering the residence gate, the courtyard wall was clean.

I don't know if it was washed by the rain, or if those two didn't write poems recently.

When walking into the courtyard, it happened that Wu Lingshi came to visit, and was talking to Master Fan Tian Shi by the lake. Wu Lingshi held a folded piece of paper in his hand, and Master Fan Tian Shi seemed a bit dissatisfied.

Hearing the sound of donkey hooves stepping on stone slabs, both of them looked over.

"Eh! Daoist friend Lin has returned?" Master Fan Tian Shi said first, "I was just talking to Wu Lingshi about you!"

"The subordinate has seen Lin Zhenren." Wu Lingshi saluted him.

"You are..."

"Oh, it's like this. A few days ago, summer arrived, and there was thunder for several consecutive days, startling many monsters and ghosts in the capital. Many people saw them, and they even appeared in people's homes. Many people are afraid, and the strange people in the Juxian Mansion cannot handle them. Therefore, I specifically came to ask Master Fan Tian Shi for a letter, so as to borrow Master Fan Tian Shi's name to ask a few 'divine beings' in the capital to go and help handle them."

"So that's how it is." Lin Jue said, "Is there anything I can help with?"

"They are all small monsters and ghosts, and they didn't cause much trouble. How can I trouble Lin Zhenren to take action?" Wu Lingshi said respectfully.

"This is wrong. The people's livelihood is no small matter. Besides, even if I don't take action, my Fuyao also has great ability, not necessarily weaker than those 'divine beings' commanded by Daoist friend Fan."

The fox sat on the side with a solemn expression.

In fact, with its intelligence, it already understands that they eliminate monsters and ghosts, and there is silver, and their Daoist priest wants to use this kind of silver to feed that ghost, and then spit out pills for them to eat.

Those pills are delicious, and eating them makes one more powerful.

"If you can't deal with them, the subordinate will definitely come to ask Lin Zhenren and the fox immortal under the Zhenren's seat to take action." Wu Lingshi said.

"Take what action?" Master Fan Tian Shi opened his mouth on the side and said to Lin Jue, "Just when Daoist friend Lin entered the door, I was discussing with this official, speaking up for you."

"Oh?"

Lin Jue looked at him, and then at Wu Lingshi.

"Last time, Daoist friend settled such a big matter for the capital, except for so many monster Daoists in the Jingyun Temple, the Ministry of Rites actually refused to even change Daoist friend's silver medal to a gold medal!" Master Fan said indignantly.

Lin Jue heard this and realized that before he entered the door, this Daoist friend Fan was arguing with Wu Lingshi about his affairs.

At this time, Wu Lingshi showed a bitter expression: "How can the subordinate decide this?"

"Then who decided it?" Master Fan asked.

"Where would the subordinate know? I only know that when Zhou Physician told the subordinate about this, the reason was: this matter was done by Master Fan Tian Shi and Lin Zhenren together. The credit for eradicating the Jingyun Temple monster Daoists is with Master Fan Tian Shi, and it cannot be counted entirely on Lin Zhenren, so Lin Zhenren's silver medal cannot be changed to a gold medal." Wu Lingshi paused as he spoke, and glanced at them quietly, "The subordinate also does not understand, and also tried to ask Zhou Physician, but whenever this matter is mentioned, Zhou Physician does not speak."

Hearing this, especially the second half, Lin Jue and Master Fan Tian Shi looked at each other.

This sounds reasonable at first glance—

To avoid trouble, Lin Jue pushed many things to Master Fan Tian Shi, which is equivalent to letting him clean up the mess and borrow his reputation to cover the wind. But at the same time, the reputation and credit were also divided to Master Fan Tian Shi.

The Ministry of Rites' consideration seems reasonable.

However, if you think about it carefully, in this day and age, it is precarious, and it is not the original You Dynasty. The gold content of the Juxian Mansion has dropped sharply. When has the management of the Ministry of Rites ever been so strict?

If it were really so strict, Master Fan Tian Shi would be fine, but how could that Nan Gong, who is known as having summoned divine beings to eradicate the Corpse Tiger King, and Pan Gong, who had just come ashore not long ago, get gold medals?

Not to mention that this matter was originally handed over to Lin Jue by the Ministry of Rites, and it was also taken by Lin Jue. Even if there is Master Fan Tian Shi's credit, it is Lin Jue who "invited" Master Fan Tian Shi to help. How can it not be counted as his credit?

Plus Wu Lingshi's last sentence...

Obviously, the decision of this matter came from a higher level, which is something Zhou Physician dare not speak about.

Lin Jue then knew.

He settled this matter and eliminated the Daoist priests of the Jingyun Temple, which is equivalent to killing the alchemy masters of certain people, cutting off their dreams of eternal youth, golden guns that don't fall, and giving birth to sons. Because he was in the right, the witnesses and material evidence were all complete, and there was Master Fan Tian Shi to cover the wind, so they were not easy to come to find him, so they set some stumbling blocks for him.

But it was also his own negligence that gave them an excuse.

"Wu Lingshi doesn't need to be so guilty. It should be that my credit is not enough, and I am not worthy of this gold medal." Lin Jue said unhurriedly, "In the future, if there is anything in the capital, Wu Lingshi, please come to find me."

"Yes, yes, yes..."

Wu Lingshi had official business and left soon.

Lin Jue watched him leave, his heart calm.

He didn't lose—

The Daoist priests of the Jingyun Temple were special after all. This time he and Lord Luo went to fight with them, and he gained peace of mind, silver, treasures, and spells, which can be considered a very rich harvest.

Since the harvest is very rich, it is not good to ask for too much.

And the Cangzhen Pavilion is to be entered, and the Great Yin-Yang Method is to be found.

This time it counts as his negligence, so he admitted it! If it were the normal process, why would he worry about not getting a gold medal? But if they continue to block, then he cannot be blamed for going in to find it himself.

"Many thanks, Daoist friend Fan."

Lin Jue saluted Master Fan Tian Shi and returned to the small courtyard.

Lord Luo sat beside the stone table, holding a letter in his hand, reading it carefully.

"Where did Lord Luo get the letter?"

"From home."

"A letter from home..."

Lin Jue was a bit emotional for a moment.

Lord Luo received a letter from home, but the letter he entrusted to be sent back probably hasn't arrived yet. I don't know when he will receive the reply from his uncle and cousin.

Returning to the room, he opened the ancient book.

There were two more spells on the book.

"Whoosh..."

Paper soldiers and generals, Paper-Cutting Technique.

Paper-cutting into soldiers, refined with secret methods, can be no different from ordinary soldiers. Because they are made of paper, they are afraid of water and fire.

Lin Jue flipped another page.

"Whoosh..."

Paper Yaksha, the art of paper-cutting.

Cutting paper into a Yaksha; those with deep attainments can possess power no different from a real Yaksha, and they can appear in the daytime, even surpassing a real Yaksha.

Because it is made of paper, it fears water and fire.

"..."

It seems the art of paper-cutting is also a major category; some of the spells within it each occupy a separate page in the ancient book.

Lin Jue pinched the paper page and listened intently.

It must be said that everyone has their own strengths, and even immortals are not necessarily better than mortals in every respect, let alone Senior Flower, who is not even a mortal—the author who wrote these two spells in the ancient book had attainments in them far inferior to Senior Flower. In fact, as Lin Jue listened carefully, he only heard methods for applying oil to make them waterproof, but no method for applying human oil and using secret rituals to refine them for fireproofing.

The immortals did not know, yet Senior Flower knew.

It seems very likely to be his exclusive secret technique.

It is indeed as Lin Jue thought: the art of paper-cutting, the art of carving beans into soldiers, and the soul-shifting art all have similarities, yet they also have differences. Now, Lin Jue placed all three together, repeatedly comparing them and pondering them carefully, both sensing the profound mysteries within and contemplating further hidden mechanisms.

Perhaps the true way of scattering beans to make soldiers lies within them.

The night gradually passed.