Chapter 347: Returning to Mount Yishan

Lin Jue saw Fifth Third Shixiong and couldn't help but be stunned.

The Junior Xiao Shimei who followed immediately saw this, and her heart felt sour and bitter.

Orthodox Daoist practitioners in the mountains mostly have good complexions. This is not only the credit of cultivation, but also because they live freely and comfortably, with few worries and troubles in their hearts. Therefore, even if they go to ordinary temples, those who do not have orthodox spiritual method inheritance and do not know magical arts, as long as they are serious about practicing the Dao and cultivating the heart, the complexions of those Daoist masters are mostly very good, and they can also attain longevity.

Second Third Shixiong and Seventh Third Shixiong are both like this.

Only this Fifth Third Shixiong.

He looked old because of his calm personality, and since he went down the mountain, he didn't know how much suffering of the people he had seen, how many worries he had taken for others, and he had actually changed a lot more than before.

Lin Jue saw it and knew, no wonder so many ethereal and free immortals were in the mountains, while those who relieved people's worries in the mortal world, no matter how great their skills were, most of their images were worse.

"Third Shixiong."

Lin Jue looked at him, and all the words only turned into one sentence: "You have gone through many vicissitudes..."

"Shidi and Xiao Shimei are here." Fifth Third Shixiong looked at them. "Don't you also have some changes?"

"Third Shixiong, several Shixiongs are going to return to Mount Yishan, there are some things, Third Shixiong please go back too, just treat it as a small gathering." Lin Jue said to him.

"Allow me to delay for two days."

"No rush, Third Shixiong can wait for Second Third Shixiong and Seventh Third Shixiong in the city, we will go find Fourth Third Shixiong first."

"Hard work for you."

"See you at Mount Yishan."

The Daoist rode the white heron and left again.

Biluo County, twenty miles outside Shimen Mountain.

There is also a large mountain here, and the sound of a clear and winding flute comes from the forest, floating above the treetops, looking from afar, adding a bit of silence to the mountain.

But if you walk closer, you will find that there are wolf packs shuttling and surrounding in the mountain forest. Each of those wolves is much larger than ordinary wild wolves, and they are even more vigorous and agile, as if they are about to become spirits. And further away, there are clouded leopards as large as leopards lurking in the dark.

High on the top of the mountain, a Daoist sat cross-legged on a stone, closing his eyes and playing the flute.

A white heron suddenly flew from the blue sky.

Two figures came down from the back of the white heron, one was a young Daoist, and the other was a white fox, which was very small at first, but had already become large after landing.

The flute sound in the mountain paused.

As soon as the fox landed, it turned its head to look at the movement in the mountain, then suddenly became large and rode the wind away.

"Third Shixiong is exterminating yaoguai here?"

"No other way, there are many yaoguai and ghosts in the deep mountains, people's hearts are easy to change in troubled times, and yaoguai and ghosts are also restless, harming the commoners working on the mountain. This place is remote and poor, they can't afford other Dharma masters and experts, so they have to come to the Shimen Mountain Mountain God Temple to ask me to help exterminate yaoguai," Fourth Third Shixiong looked at him and said, "Why did Shidi suddenly come to find me?"

"Missed Third Shixiong, please ask Shixiongs to return to Mount Yishan for a small gathering."

"There must be something, right?"

Fourth Third Shixiong smiled and turned to look at him.

"There are some things."

"Just right. I corresponded with First Third Shixiong last month and heard that he took in two apprentices, a man and a woman, with very good talent. I also said, why not take advantage of the fact that several Shixiongs haven't gone far, return to Mount Yishan for a gathering, and see the two apprentices he newly took in," Fourth Third Shixiong said, "Wait for me to exterminate the yaoguai, tidy up, and then set off."

As soon as he finished speaking, a long howl came from the mountain in the distance.

It turned out to be a wild boar spirit.

A five-tailed white fox larger than a fierce tiger dragged a wild boar weighing more than a thousand jin out of the mountain forest.

A loud eagle cry came from overhead.

A group of large wolves and clouded leopards all stood in the forest, staring at this fox with suspicion and surprise, feeling familiar, but almost failing to recognize it.

After thinking for a while, they finally remembered that it was the fox on the mountain that always hung out with the cat.

Qiuru County.

Except for Seventh Third Shixiong, Sixth Third Shixiong's days should be the most carefree and nourishing.

Words like carefree and nourishing are not entirely correct, because each Third Shixiong has his own hobbies and pursuits. For example, Second Third Shixiong loves to study alchemy, and Fourth Third Shixiong loves to have fun with beasts and birds in the mountains. Perhaps the days they live are already carefree and nourishing enough for them. If they were to live the days of Seventh Third Shixiong and Sixth Third Shixiong, they wouldn't be used to it.

However, in the minds of most people in the world, the days of Seventh Third Shixiong and Sixth Third Shixiong should be the most carefree and nourishing.

Sixth Third Shixiong is even richer.

After all, Seventh Third Shixiong seeks fun. As for money, he is satisfied if it is enough to use, and if it is not enough, it doesn't take much effort for him to get it, but it is just temporarily stored elsewhere, asking others to help keep it for a while.

And Sixth Third Shixiong mainly practices the method of Fu Ji. In this increasingly chaotic world, in Huizhou, which is rumored to be recruiting troops and horses and intending to start a business, it is destined that most of the people who come and go are high-ranking officials and nobles. Even if these high-ranking officials and nobles know in their hearts that money is of no use to practitioners of the Dao, in order to express their intentions and respect, they will still send it constantly.

When the white heron flew to the Daoist temple, Lin Jue saw that the entire Daoist temple was surrounded by guards and servants; obviously, there were nobles visiting.

The voices of commoners came from outside the door.

"Can't go in?"

"Can't go in! At this time, the Department Magistrate is in the temple, visiting the experts in the temple. If the villagers want to offer incense, please come back another day, or wait a while!"

The white heron also seemed to turn its head and look outside the door.

Then it turned its head again and looked at the tea room in the courtyard.

Lin Jue sat cross-legged on the back of the white heron without moving, while the fox walked to the edge of the heron's back and poked its head to look.

Voices came from the tea room.

While waiting patiently, listening casually, the content of their chat was actually very familiar.

"Now in the Ju Xian Fu in the capital, it is said that there are several experts, among whom there is a Master Fan Tian, whose fame has been accumulated for more than ten years. There is a South Heavenly Master who once invited gods to exterminate a great yaoguai king in Huizhou, and there is also Pan Gong, who is the reincarnation of the River God. In recent years, there has been a 'Lin Zhenren' who is good at magical arts. This state wants to ask the Daoist, I don't know if these are real skills, or if the name exceeds the reality?"

"The Department Magistrate wants to ask, if you start a war, when the two armies fight, how many strange people and experts are there to help in the army, and whether these people will help the imperial court, right?"

"Can't hide from the Daoist."

"The Department Magistrate knows that this poor Daoist has always not answered this kind of question," Sixth Third Shixiong's voice sounded in the tea room, pausing. "However, I am still very willing to hear about this 'Lin Zhenren'."

"This Lin Zhenren hasn't been in the capital for long, but his reputation has risen very quickly. He first beheaded the Tu Long Wang by the Wei Shui River, then went to Zhangning County to exterminate a great yaoguai, and even brought the yaoguai head back, passing through the city. Whenever there were yaoguai and ghost affairs in the city, if they asked for his help, he didn't need to take action himself; just a white fox under his seat could exterminate the yaoguai... Eh? Why is the Daoist laughing?" "Nothing, please continue."

"This state has intelligence reports coming back, saying that the Jingyun Temple outside the capital, which has been built for hundreds of years, was also very likely destroyed by his hands. When the foreign mission came to congratulate at the end of the year, the Dazu mission brought many Dharma masters and warriors, and it is said that they had the upper hand in the battle of magical arts with the strange people and experts of the Ju Xian Fu in the palace. It was also until he took action that the Da Jiang imperial court regained face. After that, one night, the Dazu mission went to his residence for a night raid, and the next morning, someone saw the bodies of the Dazu Dharma masters and warriors being carried out one by one."

The Department Magistrate seemed very worried:

"This state is worried that the other Master Fan Tian, or the South Heavenly Master, even if they really have skills, their skills are with the gods of the Nine Heavens, and the gods have never easily intervened in the struggles between mortals. Only this 'Lin Zhenren' has real skills, real materials, and they are all on himself."

"And according to the intelligence reports coming back to this state, when this 'Lin Zhenren' went to Zhangning County to exterminate yaoguai, many strange people and experts in the Ju Xian Fu in the capital were watching. Later, when the Dazu Dharma master provoked in court, the strange people and experts of the Ju Xian Fu almost lost all face. After this 'Lin Zhenren' took action, his reputation among the strange people and experts in the Ju Xian Fu has been extremely high."

"This state is just afraid..."

A clear breeze suddenly blew in the courtyard.

The guards and followers in the Daoist temple had already raised their heads, looking at the white heron standing on the tree in the courtyard, looking at each other, whispering.

The white crane and white heron themselves were born elegant, with an appearance quite full of immortal spirit, plus this Daoist temple where real experts lived, everyone felt strange and didn't dare to offend.

Suddenly heard a voice from the tea room:

"I originally wanted to chat with the Department Magistrate for another hour, but just now the Jixian suddenly told this poor Daoist that my Shidi suddenly came to visit, and we haven't seen each other for several years. Why don't we chat in detail with the Department Magistrate next time?"

"Oh? The Daoist's Shidi is here? Where?"

In looking through them one by one...

"Already in the courtyard?"

The Department Magistrate hurriedly stood up and opened the window to look out, but saw that the Daoist temple was empty, only the guards and followers standing every few steps, and a white heron on the tree in the courtyard.

The Daoist walked out of the tea room and into the courtyard.

Someone suddenly came down from the back of the white heron, turning into a Daoist, just like the immortal scene in the rumors, which stunned the Huizhou Department Magistrate and many guards and followers for a while.

Just in time, the Xiao Shimei also arrived outside the door.

The three Third Shixiong and Xiao Shimei met, naturally happy.

However, for Lin Jue and the Xiao Shimei, the emotions in their hearts couldn't help but be a bit complex and not calm.

This was already within the borders of Huizhou.

There were less than two hundred miles left to Mount Yishan.

Because they were about to return, they were excited and agitated in their hearts, and they were also afraid that there would be changes in the temple, and it would not be what they thought.

Their hearts were not calm.

In Mount Yishan, under Fuqiu Peak.

Lin Jue returned for the first time, and to show respect, he did not fly back to the Daoist temple directly by riding the heron, but landed when he was near the range of Mount Yishan and walked in with the Xiao Shimei.

This respect, one part for the Fuqiu Temple of the sect, one part for the Mountain God who protects Mount Yishan, and one part for the senior who refuted under Fuqiu Peak.

Lin Jue and the Xiao Shimei looked at each other and walked forward.

The fox and the colorful civet followed behind, while the white heron was flying leisurely and slowly in the blue sky.

For the Xiao Shimei, she still had to go up further, and only when she reached the small half of the mountain in front of her could she see her old friends and old scenery, but for Lin Jue, he had already started to meet old friends here.

"Is the senior here?"

Lin Jue had just crossed the single-log bridge when he looked around and shouted loudly.

His heart was lifted.

"Third Shixiong?

"Third Shixiong..."

He shouted several times, but no one responded.

The Junior Xiao Shimei followed him, turning her head and looking around, just about to open her mouth to say to Third Shixiong "maybe that senior went to visit relatives today," when she heard a voice from the forest:

"Why are you turning your head and looking around, can you still see me?"

It was the voice of the refuting senior.

Lin Jue breathed a sigh of relief and saluted with a smile: "Haven't seen you for several years, how are you, senior?"

"That's not right! What haven't seen for several years? Didn't you and I see each other earlier this year?"

"Hm?"

Lin Jue was slightly stunned, and then he realized that it was referring to his asking for advice using the "Fu Ji method."

"That was not seeing with my own eyes after all."

"That's not right either! Do you see me with your own eyes now?"

"..."

Lin Jue was slightly stunned, then smiled.

This "refuting senior," really, as soon as it opened its mouth, it was the familiar voice and tone.

Just this sentence, it seemed like he had returned to several years ago, the nervousness of returning to Mount Yishan, the uneasiness, and the worries all disappeared without a trace.

"Haha! Thank you, senior!"

Lin Jue saluted with a smile and then walked up the mountain.

The Junior Xiao Shimei followed with her sword, and a fox and a colorful civet looked around while walking, and followed up while chasing and playing.

Unknowingly, they had gradually walked high.

Occasionally stopping to look around, the reed path they came from, the surrounding mountain forest, the hot spring emitting water vapor, and the Scissors Peak that appeared vaguely on the side, were all the same as in his memory.

Passing through the forest, the mountain gate of the Daoist temple came into view.

It was a faded vermilion gate, with two cats lying lazily at the entrance, and the plaque overhead was written with the three characters "Fuqiu Temple," and the two sides were written with a couplet:

Obtain the clear energy of mountains and rivers;

Gather the spiritual aura of heaven and earth.

The two cats shook their ears, as if sensing something, and instantly raised their heads, staring at them.

Then their pupils dilated rapidly.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 348 =====