Chapter 344: Immortal Riding a Crane

A few days later, at the Zhen Jian Gong outside the city.

Lin Jue came to visit before leaving, and it happened that Daoist Qingxuan had returned for some business, so they just happened to sit together again, boiling tea and talking.

The one boiling tea was still Daoist Jiang.

She sat under the window of the quiet room, quiet and silent. The daylight from outside the window shone in, making her snow-white skin seem to glow, with a somewhat transparent texture. The tea water on the stove was surging, and the wisps of steam rising were also particularly distinct in the sunlight, bubbling away.

The conversation was mostly left to Daoist Qingxuan.

Actually, in the second half of last year, Lin Jue had also come to visit once, but before that, Daoist Qingxuan was in Zhangning County, and the only people Lin Jue knew in Zhen Jian Gong were Daoist Jiang and Ma Shidi. Daoist Jiang didn't have much to say; at that time, she was also sitting under the window of the quiet room boiling tea. The two only chatted about some recent situations in Zhangning County, things in the capital, and the changes in the situation in Huizhou, but they did drink a lot of tea.

Daoist Qingxuan had much more to say.

"Although Zhangning is close to the capital and used to be quite prosperous, the commoners are also suffering. Having suffered this disaster for no reason, it's even more bitter," Daoist Qingxuan said. "I don't have much to say; when I was practicing on Mount Qiyun before, I didn't live a happy life either. Especially when I was young, I also suffered. At least I built a temple in Zhangning County, didn't have to worry about food and clothing, and lit a fire at night; even if it leaked wind, I wasn't afraid of freezing. It's just that looking at those commoners, I couldn't bear it in my eyes."

"Daoist Third Shixiong has a compassionate heart."

"Huizhou is relatively better," Daoist Qingxuan said, pausing. "Friend, you just said you were going back to Huizhou?"

"I am going back to Huizhou for a trip. I haven't seen my Shixiongs for a long time and miss them very much. Originally, I intended to join forces with all the Daoist brothers and friends to get rid of that Leopard King before returning, but after that battle last year, this yaoguai has been hiding in its lair and not coming out, and it's impossible to go into the mountain to find it, so I had to return to Huizhou first," Lin Jue said. "Do the two friends have any letters or items you want me to bring back on the way?"

Daoist Qingxuan turned his head and looked at Daoist Jiang. Seeing her quietly boiling tea, without any reaction other than shaking her head, he smiled and said:

"Friend, you have a heart. It's just that we have always had contact and exchanges with our sect, and there are many Huizhou merchants traveling to and from the capital who take the initiative to bring letters for us. Even if there were letters, they would have been brought back long ago."

"That makes sense."

Lin Jue explained for them and took out a talisman paper to hand over.

"What is this?"

Daoist Qingxuan took it suspiciously.

"This is the talisman paper to drive that little ghost of mine, the one that likes to ask for directions everywhere," Lin Jue said. "This time I am going back to Huizhou, although I am walking fast, I don't know how long it will be before I return. If that Leopard King comes out of the mountain to cause trouble again, I know Zhen Jian Gong will definitely take action. Even if the two friends don't go in person, the Heavenly Fire Divine General will also be dispatched. At that time, please let me know."

Hearing this, Daoist Jiang, who was boiling tea, also turned her head. A side profile facing the light; it really felt like her hair was glowing, and her cheeks were also glowing.

Daoist Qingxuan said: "Just rely on this talisman?"

"Burn this talisman, and Chen Niu will appear. After you see it, tell it 'bring Lin Jue over,' and it will come to find me."

"Noted."

Daoist Qingxuan said, looking at the talisman carefully: "Friend, this thing has been around for some years, right?"

"Obtained from an evil god in a small country in the Western Regions."

"It is a magical artifact of the Central Plains, but it is very primitive; it looks authentic yet not quite authentic."

Daoist Qingxuan held this talisman paper. Although the talisman paper was folded, the place where the Dharma seal was stamped remained on the front. He looked at it and handed it to Daoist Jiang.

Daoist Jiang took it, glanced at it, and gave a conclusion:

"Although it is not orthodox, it is not an evil path either. It is not borrowing from gods, nor is it commanding ghosts. It should have been made by a Great Sage among the yaoguai in ancient times."

Saying this, she poured tea for them:

"Many Great Sages have their own soldiers and spiritual officials, which are equivalent to the heavenly soldiers and generals and small divine officials above the Nine Heavens. Later, when the Nine Heavens were built, the yaoguai Great Sages either returned to the Nine Heavens or were exterminated. Some of the Dharma registers and Dharma seals that commanded these soldiers and spiritual officials were scattered in all directions and obtained by people."

"So this little thing is actually a spiritual official," Lin Jue laughed, feeling it was very interesting.

"This counts as a spiritual servant," Daoist Jiang glanced at him.

Lin Jue took a cup of tea from her hand.

He took a sip; it was sour and sweet.

This Daoist Jiang still remembered his habit of only adding sugar, honey, and plums.

"Delicious."

"Honey produced in early spring, rapeseed honey," Daoist Jiang said lightly. "Plums from the southwest, sour but not astringent."

"Particular. No wonder it's so delicious," Lin Jue said and asked again, "Generally, how did this type of spiritual command come about in the first place? I see this little thing is a person, so how could it be driven by a yaoguai Great Sage?"

"There are also yaoguai under the command of the Nine Heavens Orthodox Gods; the yaoguai Great Sages of ancient times also had believers in the mortal world," Daoist Jiang replied. "I don't know where your little ghost came from, but it dares to walk around in Zhen Jian Gong, and the divine generals and divine officials in the divine hall didn't make things difficult for it; its origin is probably orthodox."

"This little thing is quite pitiful..."

"This type of spiritual servant, being able to survive for so many years, most of their souls are incomplete. If you can become an immortal, you can make it up for it."

"So that's how it is."

"How long will it take for you to return?" Daoist Jiang asked.

"As long as I receive news from Chen Niu, rushing back to the capital should be within a day and a night," Lin Jue replied.

"..."

Daoist Jiang pursed her lips and said no more.

Instead, Daoist Qingxuan beside her suddenly laughed.

"Hm?" Lin Jue also looked at him with a smile. "Daoist Third Shixiong, why are you suddenly so happy?"

"Nothing else. Just think, haha, that you, Friend, can rush back to the capital from Huizhou within a day and a night; it's really fast. Those who practice spiritual methods are indeed good, hahaha, I am truly happy for you," Daoist Qingxuan said while putting down his teacup and laughing, then shook his head pretending to be serious. "Unfortunately, I don't have any talent for practicing spiritual methods..."

"But Daoist Third Shixiong has already been ordained and ranked among the immortals."

"Yes, haha..."

The three of them talked for a while, drinking several pots of tea in the spring sunshine, before Lin Jue finally bid them farewell.

Leaving the quiet room, the fox was playing in the courtyard.

This fox looked extraordinary at first glance, as if it had become a spirit. The fact that a fox that had become a spirit dared to run into Zhen Jian Gong, and the fact that there was a fox visiting Zhen Jian Gong, were both enough to attract the attention of pilgrims. At first, the fox played with them, but after a while, it got a bit annoyed and jumped onto the shoulder of the Dharma-protecting divine statue.

The Daoists of Zhen Jian Gong didn't care, the fox wasn't afraid, and the gods didn't seem to blame it either. "Let's go."

Until the Daoist came out and shouted once.

Seeing this, everyone finally knew that it was the white fox from Lin Zhenren's house, which was said to have held down a giant from the Western Regions in the palace; no wonder it was so spiritual.

The fox jumped down from the divine statue and followed Lin Jue out the door.

Daoist Qingxuan and Daoist Jiang followed behind to see him off until they sent him out of the mountain gate. Lin Jue told them not to see him off anymore, and they stopped, then Daoist Qingxuan asked him again:

"Friend, after you return to Huizhou, if there is nothing in the capital, how long will you stay in Huizhou before returning to the capital?"

"That's hard to say," Lin Jue answered truthfully. "It depends on whether my Shixiongs want to keep me."

"So that's how it is."

"The two of you, please return."

"Walk slowly."

In looking through them one by one...

"Walk slowly."

The two Daoists, one smiling and nodding, the other with a calm expression, then turned and walked back to the Daoist temple.

Lin Jue walked two steps out, a doubt suddenly arose in his heart, feeling something was wrong, but when he stopped and turned back to look, there was no one at the entrance of the Daoist temple.

"Ying wu?"

"It's nothing."

Lin Jue put away his doubts:

"Let's go."

One person and one fox returned to the city slowly.

They retrieved the small bag and the small house and returned to the courtyard.

"Luo Gong, if you have trouble in the capital, just find Friend Fan. If the Leopard King in the Northwest causes trouble again and the Ju Xian Fu decides to exterminate it, please burn this talisman and let Chen Niu come to find me."

Lin Jue said similar words to Luo Gong.

Now, although Luo Gong was still a wanted criminal, he had already gained a firm foothold in the capital by relying on the name of "Lin Zhenren," so Luo Gong also gained a firm foothold in the capital—as long as he put on his bamboo hat, he was the guardian of the famous Lin Zhenren in the city, so naturally, no one would stop him.

To be on the safe side, Lin Jue left the nameplate with him.

Then he bid farewell to Master Fan Tian and Pan Gong.

Wan Xinrong, Daoist Tao, and others heard the news of his departure and also came specifically to see him off.

At about the same time, the Junior Xiao Shimei also arrived in the courtyard.

Today she was not riding a donkey; it should be that her divine movement technique had already been initiated and she had some attainments, so she walked here herself.

"So many people?" The Junior Xiao Shimei carried two bundles, looked at the group of people in the courtyard, and then looked at Lin Jue. "Third Shixiong! Are we setting off?"

"Put your bundles here with me."

Lin Jue pulled open the cloth bag, reserving space for her.

"Thank you, Third Shixiong."

The Junior Xiao Shimei didn't have many things; one bundle contained a set of clothes to change into, and the other bundle contained books, silver money, and persimmon cakes made from the persimmons she grew herself, which she wanted to bring thousands of miles away for the Shixiongs to eat.

At this moment, putting them into Lin Jue's cloth bag, she felt it was just right.

Not as Lin Jue expected, he immediately heard the sentence:

"Then Third Shixiong, can you let me carry this cloth bag? If I don't carry something, I always feel light and floating, which I'm not used to."

"Use this to carry it."

The small bag Lin Jue made came in handy.

This was a small backpack; a person could carry it, and a fox could also carry it if it changed to a suitable size, and it was just right for holding the cloth bag.

Lin Jue handed it to the Xiao Shimei.

"It's not heavy!"

The Junior Xiao Shimei carried it to try it out and then looked at Third Shixiong: "Third Shixiong, how are you going?"

Luo Gong, Master Fan Tian, Pan Gong, Wan Xinrong, and others also looked at Lin Jue.

"Friend Bai He will naturally take me there."

Lin Jue said, waving his hand toward the sky, and a white heron flew down from the roof, landing gracefully on the stone table.

Immediately after, the Daoist shook his body, and white smoke rose.

The white smoke dissipated, and the Daoist had disappeared, but looking closely, there was another Daoist on the table who was only as tall as two fingers.

The Daoist laughed and rode on the back of the white heron.

The Junior Xiao Shimei stared at him blankly.

The others also looked on in surprise.

In their eyes, the white heron spread its wings, kicked its legs, and left the stone table lightly, flying steadily into the blue sky.

The Daoist also went with it, as if an immortal were riding a crane.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 345 =====