Chapter 373: Now I

How is the situation in Yunmeng County?

Lin Jue felt mentally weary, yet he did not forget this matter.

"The matter is not yet settled. The Daoist from Yushan is still in Yunmeng County," Fan Tian Shi replied. "But nothing major has occurred there—only Dong Wang Mu spreading her teachings. There has been no fierce conflict, mostly just skirmishes between Dong Wang Mu's followers and imperial troops, even bordering on full-scale warfare. I hear Dong Wang Mu has some envoys, but they rarely engage in direct magical duels with the Yushan Daoists; they hide in the shadows, and when they occasionally meet, they deliberately avoid confrontation."

"So it's like that?" Lin Jue asked. "Will the Yushan Daoists intervene in the conflicts between Dong Wang Mu's followers and the troops?"

"They do not intervene. Their usual work is calming the people, persuading them not to believe in Dong Wang Mu, using magical arts to earn the people's trust—it's tedious and exhausting," Fan said. "Originally, after returning to the capital, Nan Gong and Luo Gong planned to go straight back to Yunmeng County, but upon hearing this, they decided against it."

Nan Tian Shi and Luo Gong both nodded.

Lin Jue also nodded, in agreement.

Put himself in their place—if he were in Yunmeng County, he could fight demons, eliminate harmful beasts, battle demons that corrupted minds—but if it were ordinary people who had believed in Dong Wang Mu, whose faith had shaken the court's rule and were now being crushed by imperial troops, he would not only refuse to assist the troops, he feared he wouldn't even want to go see it.

To even look would taint the eyes.

With this court as it is, it's hard to say whether upholding its rule is right or wrong, hard to say whether those who believe in Dong Wang Mu are driven to desperation—or perhaps actively working to end this chaos.

If so, the matter in the northeast can wait a while longer.

His heart grew a little lighter.

The more relaxed he became, the more exhausted he felt.

At the same time, Fan Tian Shi continued:

"Luo Gong has no desire to go, but Nan Gong still wishes to make the trip—though the matter there is not urgent. Now the mountains are sealed by heavy snow, roads are impassable, supplies are hard to move, and having just returned from the northwest, he has spent years there fighting the Leopard King; his body and spirit are worn out. He says he'll go next spring."

Nan Tian Shi smiled and nodded again.

"Hmm…"

Though stationed in the capital, Fan Tian Shi knew everything happening in both places.

Lin Jue stopped thinking about it and turned to his junior sister:

"Where are the senior brothers?"

"In October, I taught the senior brothers the Divine Step Technique. Once they mastered it, I came back to find you," the junior sister replied. "Seventh brother learned the slowest at first—he kept sneaking off to Yixian to indulge in wine and women, always disappearing. But after learning it, his progress was swift."

"Because he still wants to go to Yixian and indulge in wine and women?"

"You guessed right—but not entirely," the junior sister said, in a tone resembling a junior correcting a senior. "Also, after you left, no one cooked in the monastery. Since the senior brothers were practicing their new Divine Step Technique, I took them every day to eat at restaurants around the mountain—it was quite fun."

"What about Ji Yin and Ji Yang?"

"They eat the cold meals we bring back."

"Poor things…"

"They only became pitiful after you left!" The junior sister grinned at the memory. "The first meal was cooked by the eldest brother. He set it on the table, and the two of them sat there, too scared to speak or pick up their chopsticks, just staring at each other, eyes darting back and forth—so amusing."

"Two pairs of eyes."

"Yes, yes, exactly! Two pairs!"

"And after that?"

"They gritted their teeth and ate it. After that, I cooked. My cooking is better than the eldest brother's—I learned a lot from you, but still not as good as you," the junior sister said. "Later, I took them to restaurants in town."

"I should write a cookbook, detailed and thorough, and leave it in the monastery for future generations."

"You should have done it long ago!"

The junior sister immediately added: "Write it, and give me a copy first!"

Lin Jue couldn't help smiling.

Those around him—except Luo Gong, Jiang Daochang, Qing Xuan Daochang, and Ma Ma Shidi—were all astonished.

It was hard to imagine: a Daoist who had defeated a Many Yaoguai King alone, released a breath that made a hundred flowers bloom, turned autumn into spring, summoned flying swords to dance in silver whirls with a thought, made stone statues fall with a gesture, summoned mountain spirits with a chant—this man was also skilled in the kitchen, even highly accomplished!

"No need to be surprised," Lin Jue chuckled. "This is another of my prized skills. Life in the mountains is dull; we Daoists must find ways to pass the time, so we pick up other arts. And we are not immortals—we have no devotees offering tea and wine, no food appears out of nowhere—we must make our own."

"I see."

Though still amazed, they gradually understood.

It was much like immortals dwelling in the mountains, bored and idle, brewing their own wine, growing herbs, and brewing tea themselves.

Qing Xuan Daochang sighed:

"Thinking back, it's been years since I left Huizhou for this capital. Since that spring after the flowers bloomed, I've never tasted your cooking—it's been one of my greatest regrets in recent years."

"Hah…"

A table of wine and dishes, half a day of trivial talk in the private room—most of it had nothing to do with the fate of the realm or the lives of the people, yet it was light, joyful, and comfortable.

After the meal, Nan Tian Shi and Wan Wan Xinrong and others took their leave first; outside the door, they could hear them bickering over who would pay. Jiang Daochang and Qing Xuan Daochang exchanged glances and rose together.

"Daoist, you've worked hard and are weary. Since Yunmeng County currently has no major issues, you may rest well for a while," Qing Xuan Daochang said, bowing respectfully.

"If anything major happens, you'd best not go," Jiang Daochang added coldly—

"First, it's a demon—a true demon, unaffiliated, without sect or lineage. If it truly stirs up a great storm, even the Heavenly Lord will send his True Lords to suppress it. Second, it's a Many Yaoguai King—a true Many Yaoguai King. Before you attain True Immortality, you must not lightly provoke it."

She rarely spoke so much.

Lin Jue found it reasonable.

"Thank you."

"Then we take our leave," Jiang Daochang said, offering a Daoist bow. "Daoists, if you have time, come often to Zhenjian Palace for tea."

"Certainly."

Lin Jue returned the bow. "Certainly!"

His junior sister bowed back.

"Certainly!"

The fox copied them.

Suddenly, Cai Li threw him to the ground.

Only Lin Jue, his junior sister, Luo Gong, Fan Tian Shi, and Pan Gong remained. They left the tavern, walked through narrow alleys, and slowly headed home.

Did you know, Third Third Shixiong? In the second month after you left, Second Third Shixiong took on a disciple down the mountain—a child found by the eldest brother who was being sold; he said the child had exceptional talent. The boy is like Ji Yang and Ji Yin—clever and amusing—but even younger.

"Do you want to take on a disciple too?"

"Huh? Why ask that?"

"I don't know. Just a random question. I just thought you seemed interested in disciples."

No mistake! One word, one line, one detail, one meaning—all clear!

"Is that so…"

The junior sister paused, lost in thought.

"Taking one would be fine. The mountains are lonely, life is long—you must find ways to pass the time," Lin Jue said. "But you must watch their character. Character matters more than talent."

"I never thought about it…"

"No rush. Your life is long."

"Right! The senior brothers are still at Yishan—they said they'll stay until after the New Year. I came to find you. Will you return?"

"I'll stay quiet for a few days…"

Lin Jue paused, turned around, and saw Luo Gong silently following behind him, his eyes habitually scanning the streets. Fan Tian Shi and Pan Gong also trailed behind, quietly listening to his conversation with the junior sister. He asked:

"When will Luo Gong leave?"

Luo Gong looked up at him, bluntly: "I'll wait until the Daoist comes to say farewell."

"… "

Lin Jue was momentarily speechless.

Having spent years together, of course he felt reluctant.

But this capital, this court—there was no longer reason to keep Luo Gong here, nor any justification for asking him to stay.

He deserved a broader world.

"When Luo Gong departs, I must drink a farewell cup with him."

"Naturally."

Luo Gong's expression remained calm, though his eyes held a touch of emotion.

He paused:

"By the way, three months ago, when we returned to the capital, the official Wu, the Ministry of Rites' Vice Minister, Minister, and Director all came. The rewards were placed in the storage room beneath the pavilion."

"Was there a thousand taels of gold?"

"They said the imperial treasury was empty, gold scarce, and couldn't gather a full thousand taels—asked if other items could substitute. But since you weren't here, I gave them no good face. A few days later, they gathered the gold and delivered it."

"Good," Lin Jue sighed in relief. "Take the rest with you—not just for travel expenses and future needs, but as curiosities to bring home, make into clothes or ornaments."

"I am from a military family. Though our name has declined, we still possess considerable wealth in the northwest. How could I lack these things?"

"… "

When they returned to the courtyard, his heart was utterly still.

Lin Jue returned to his long-abandoned quiet chamber, blew gently, clearing the dust, placed the meditation cushion before the desk, and sat cross-legged.

With a thought, he summoned the ancient book.

He turned to the latest page.

Indeed, a blank page—but glowing with golden light.

This time, Lin Jue did not ignore it.

He took out inkstone and inkstick, used the winter snow before him as water, ground the ink slowly, pondered long, then dipped his brush.

The fine Huizhou brush, its tip touching paper, instantly manifested the miraculous.

Characters appeared upon it—

Soul-Annihilation Technique: Method to Summon and Annihilate Souls.

During the Jingping era of Great Jiang, a leopard demon ravaged the northwest, skilled in soul-transference arts and causing countless deaths. A Daoist known as Pianshan lost his family to this demon in his youth, vowing revenge; for seventy years he pursued immortals and the Dao, unwavering in his resolve, devoted entirely to this quest, drawing upon the soul-stabilizing incantations of Daoist and Buddhist traditions and the spirit-binding rites of ancestral worship, until he finally uncovered the means to counter soul-transference arts.

This method could break soul-transference, as well as spells like Bean Soldiers and Stone Warriors, yet it did not end there.

Beginners could seek out fragmented souls and minor ghosts, perform the rite to destroy them; as they advanced, they could extract souls from Daoists and demons; when mastered, even divine spirits and great ghosts could be slain.

「……」

Lin Jue picked up his brush.

This was an introduction.

From this moment on, he was no longer merely a user or inheritor of this ancient book—he had become part of its author, adding brick and mortar to its foundation.

(End of Chapter)