Chapter 348: Yin-Yang and Reincarnation

The two cats had faces full of disbelief.

Until they saw the colorful civet and the fox running towards them, and looked at each other again to confirm, they stood up with a "whoosh" and ran towards the cat and the fox.

Three cats and one fox began to dance the lion dance.

When they approached Lin Jue and the Junior Xiao Shimei, they diverted their attention, rubbed against their trouser legs, and then continued to rush towards the colorful civet and the fox, continuing to circle around and dance the lion dance.

The gate of the Daoist temple was not closed.

In his memory, except at night, the gate of Fuqiu Temple was rarely closed.

Lin Jue and the Junior Xiao Shimei also looked at each other, one after the other, and stepped into the Daoist temple.

An ancient pine, with branches and leaves like an umbrella, like layers, like clouds. Under the tree was the place where they often rested and ate. A clouded leopard was still lying on the tree, opening a pair of lazy eyes to look at them, and then stood up from the ancient pine.

The Daoist temple was very quiet.

Both of them couldn't help but turn their heads and look around while walking.

Guest hall, guest room, Tianweng Hall.

Attic, kitchen, Ban Shan Hall.

Basically exactly the same as in their memory.

Compared to this thousand-year-old Daoist temple, a few years of time seemed to be just a snap of the fingers; this weak wind of years was not enough to blow any ripples on it.

In the air, besides the smell of incense, there was a faint smell of medicine, which was pleasant to smell, but it lacked a bit of the smell of wine.

The Daoist temple was too quiet, so much so that when the two were walking, they always felt a bit unaccustomed. When the pictures in their memory overlapped with the pictures in front of them, they always felt as if they could hear a faint, intermittent flute sound or zither sound from somewhere, but listening carefully, there was none, and only then did they know that it was the sound in their memory.

There were very few changes in the Daoist temple.

But changes also existed.

When they walked into the inner courtyard, the two heard a sound from the attic, like someone stepping on the wooden boards of the stairs, light and fast.

A moment later, a Daoist child wearing a gray-white small Daoist robe ran out and stood at the door of the attic.

This small Daoist child looked seven or eight years old, with a clean face, lively eyes, and two small buns tied on top of his head. After seeing the two, he immediately turned his head and shouted to the attic above:

"Third Shixiong! We have guests in our Daoist temple!"

Lin Jue and the Junior Xiao Shimei looked at each other again upon hearing this.

In the past, this "our Daoist temple" was all from their mouths, and this "there are guests" was also used by them to refer to others. They didn't expect that one day, they would hear this sentence here.

Lin Jue immediately revealed a smile.

And the Junior Xiao Shimei originally had some feelings, but seeing Third Shixiong didn't seem to be moved, but rather felt that this matter was a bit funny, she also put away her feelings and followed along happily.

Soon, another Daoist child appeared at the door of the attic.

He also looked seven or eight years old, but he was a boy. As soon as he came down, he stared at them blankly.

The two were wearing Daoist robes and didn't look like pilgrims.

He thought they were guests from another Daoist temple with friendship, or Daoist masters who came to find trouble without friendship, but he saw the cats in the Daoist temple circling around them, constantly rubbing back and forth on their feet, and the clouded leopard in the Daoist temple jumped down from the tree, surrounding them and calling out.

It seemed more familiar with them than with himself.

"You two, what are your names?" Lin Jue touched the head of the clouded leopard and asked the two Daoist children.

"My name is Jiyang."

"My name is Jiyin."

"Surname Ji..."

This is not First Third Shixiong's surname, but Master's secular surname.

The two had no similarities in appearance, but they had the same surname, and their names were just Yin and Yang, which was the cultivation path of Fuqiu Temple; they should be the names given by First Third Shixiong.

Lin Jue thought for a while and asked them again: "Then you two are the First Third Shixiong and Second stone steps of this Daoist temple?"

"I am First Third Shixiong!"

"I am Second Xiao Shimei, not Second stone steps."

"It's okay, you will be Second stone steps later."

"Ah?"

"Where is your master?"

"Master went up the mountain to work," said the small Daoist child named Jiyang. "Master said, in the Daoist temple, if he is not here, we two are in charge. If you have anything, you can tell us."

"You two are in charge..."

It gave a wonderful feeling.

Lin Jue looked at the Junior Xiao Shimei, and the Junior Xiao Shimei also looked at him, both smiling.

"Yes."

"Then if yaoguai cause trouble down the mountain, are you two also going down the mountain to exterminate yaoguai?"

"This... this..." The small Daoist child stammered for a long time before saying, "We are still small, and we haven't learned magical arts. We can only exterminate yaoguai when we grow up."

Lin Jue and the other couldn't help but laugh again.

And at this time, a thin dog was walking fast in the mountain, stopping from time to time and looking back at the person behind it.

Behind it was a middle-aged Daoist carrying a basket and a hoe. The Daoist's temperament was very simple, and his expression was also very calm. In order to facilitate work, he rolled up his wrists and trouser legs, looking just like an ordinary mountain farmer.

And he was also walking fast.

Walking back to the courtyard, he saw Lin Jue and the other at a glance, and his pace slowed down. Then he put down the hoe and unloaded the basket without haste, and also said to them:

"Why did you suddenly come back?"

"Third Shixiong."

"Third Shixiong, we came back to see you."

Lin Jue and the other both turned around and said to him.

The two small Daoist children were stunned.

"This is my Shidi and Xiao Shimei, and also your Eighth Shishu and Ninth Shishu," First Third Shixiong said to the two small Daoist children. "Why don't you call them Shishu quickly."

"Eighth Shishu, Ninth Shishu," the small "First Third Shixiong" called out obediently.

"Seen Eighth Shishu, seen Ninth, Ninth..." The "Second stone steps" scratched her head, confused. "Why not call them Ninth Shigu?"

"Haha, it's all fine, calling them anything is fine, anyway, you are the boss and the second now, you are in charge."

"..."

The two children were too embarrassed to speak.

Lin Jue laughed while walking with First Third Shixiong: "Third Shixiong, how does it feel to be a master and teach apprentices?"

The Junior Xiao Shimei also cast her gaze, obviously very interested in this question.

"You will know when you take an apprentice."

"Where did Third Shixiong find the apprentices? They don't look big, but they are quite smart."

"In the city down the mountain, from a traveling troupe from another place. I don't know where or how they got the children. They were quite pitiful. I saw they had good talent, so I spent money to redeem them."

In looking through them one by one...

"That can also be considered affinity."

"I'll tidy up the rooms for you."

"We'll tidy up with you. Tidy up a few more rooms, the other Shixiongs will also come back, but it will take a few days," Lin Jue said. "Tidy up the rooms first to wait for them, and we can also take this time to visit Master Wangji, the Mountain God, and the Daoist friends on Scissors Peak. I also happen to go home for a trip."

"Hm? Hm..."

First Third Shixiong obviously sensed that their return was not simple, but he didn't ask much and continued to walk towards a few guest rooms to start tidying up.

While busy, the Daoist temple seemed to have a bit more liveliness.

However, Lin Jue and the other were in the courtyard, and they would still think of the time when all nine Third Shixiong and Xiao Shimei were there, and Master was also there. The scene at that time was obviously worlds apart compared to now.

It was time for spring flowers to bloom in the mountains again.

The spring water was still icy, and apricot blossoms followed the jumping stream water of Jin Yu Creek. Lin Jue and the Junior Xiao Shimei, with the fox and the colorful civet, and the two small apprentices newly taken in by First Third Shixiong in the Daoist temple, were standing in the icy stream water of Jin Yu Creek catching fish. There were already a few small fish in the fish basket.

Both children were quite happy.

Lin Jue stood in the water and asked: "Did your master bring you here before?"

"No!"

"No."

"I said so! Your master only knows how to dig soil and farm. If we didn't come, how would you know how fun this mountain is?" Lin Jue said with a smile.

"What about you? Did your master bring you here?" Jiyang asked.

"We..."

Lin Jue and the Junior Xiao Shimei immediately revealed a look of memory.

"We entered the gate late. Besides Master, several Shixiongs were also our masters," Lin Jue said, looking at the two of them. "When you grow up, maybe you will be thirty or forty years old, and your master will take in more apprentices. At that time, you will also teach them."

"Oh..."

Both children nodded.

"I remember First Third Shixiong can't cook," the Junior Xiao Shimei asked them with doubt. "Then what do you eat every day following First Third Shixiong?"

"Master cooks! Cooks rice and dishes for us to eat every day!"

"Is it delicious?"

"Much better than when we were in the troupe! And we can eat our fill!" Jiyang said.

"Yes! We can eat our fill every day!" Jiyin also said. "There is oil and salt taste in the dishes!"

This description...

The Junior Xiao Shimei's expression was solemn.

And the two seemed very happy about this.

Seeing them like this, she couldn't help but think of herself in the past.

Didn't she also not have enough to eat when she was at home? When she arrived at the Daoist temple, just having dishes and eggs, being able to eat her fill, having oil, and having salt taste, she felt very satisfied.

It wasn't until she met Little Third Shixiong that she became picky.

Just as she was thinking, the fox beside her feet was quick-eyed and fast-mouthed, biting a small fish from the stream, flapping it on its mouth, becoming a jumping silver light, firmly attracting the attention of the two Daoist children.

"So powerful!"

And saw "First Third Shixiong" pointing to one side—

"There are fish there!"

Unfortunately, it was a distance away. If he went to catch it, let alone the stream was slippery, even if he walked over without slipping, the fish would have been scared away long ago.

But saw Eighth Shishu stretch out his hand.

"Pop pop pop..."

Two fish jumped out of the water, struggling in the air, as if held by an invisible hand, and flew into Eighth Shishu's hand.

"!"

Although the two children had arrived at Fuqiu Peak and knew that Master was an immortal expert and had seen many yaoguai and ghosts in the mountain, they hadn't started practicing the Dao yet and hadn't learned magical arts, and hadn't seen much. Just Eighth Shishu's ordinary hand of controlling objects to catch fish made them marvel as immortals.

Not long after, a group of people walked through the mountain with fish strung on weeds.

From Fuqiu Peak to Scissors Peak, they walked through the place where mountain flowers were blooming. The peach blossoms and azaleas all over the mountain made the two people stop from time to time. Looking at any place, it seemed they could see the past from it.

Third Shixiong and Xiao Shimei sitting under the tree eating and chatting, Master dozing off with half-closed eyes, Seventh Third Shixiong using peach blossoms to make butterflies, the fox jumping everywhere.

Coming back to their senses, in front of them were two seven or eight-year-old Daoist children, shuttling through the peach blossom forest with excitement while carrying fish.

Single update today, double update tomorrow.

(Bowing and exposing chest)

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 349 =====