Chapter 59: Catching Demons in the Temple

"Subduing demons and defending the Dao is the duty of us who cultivate the Dao. Since there are demons and we have encountered them, naturally we should go and see. Besides, we were already planning to borrow a room in that Temple of the Earth God."

The Seventh Third Shixiong said with a smile, then said to Lin Jue: "However, you must know that I am not as skilled in fighting demons as the Third Third Shixiong ahead. If we really encounter demons, Ma Shidi, you must protect me."

"Thank you, Third Shixiong."

Lin Jue bowed to the Seventh Third Shixiong, then looked at the group from the same village: "Shu San Shu Shu, ever since I studied under the famous teacher on Mount Yishan, I have also learned some magic. In these days, I have also dealt with evil spirits a few times. It just so happens that we were planning to borrow a room in the Temple of the Earth God tonight, so let us go and see for you."

"You? Can you handle it?"

"Are those demons very fierce?"

"They say they are some kind of small people. Some in the city have been injured by them, and some have been killed by them!"

"..." Lin Jue's eyes flickered. "Then we must go and see. Half a year of hard work—it's not a small amount of money. Please lead the way, Shu San Shu Shu."

"Is your teacher really not there?"

"He's far away."

"Then... you..."

"Lead the way."

"Sigh... let's go..."

Shu San Shu Shu changed direction and led them toward the Temple of the Earth God.

As they walked, he explained the situation.

"During this time, as long as they weren't extremely poor, every household has lost money. Only the craftsmen who make iron boxes have made a fortune. If you go to buy things, any merchant large enough to collect silver will definitely have an iron box. That's the reason."

"That is indeed the case," Lin Jue said. "Shu San Shu Shu, why didn't you buy an iron box?"

"It was just being too careless and greedy for saving money. It's also the fault of the one who makes the iron boxes; seeing it was late, he raised the price on the spot. We were angry and didn't buy one, thinking that sleeping in a temple, no matter what, it was a temple in the city, with so much incense offered every day, it would be somewhat useful, and demons and ghosts shouldn't dare to come. Plus, we took turns keeping watch and held the money in our arms, thinking that no matter what, nothing would happen. Who would have thought that we would fall into a daze and fall asleep? When we woke up, oh my, I'm afraid if I tell the people in the village, they won't believe me, and if they do, they'll gossip..."

Shu San Shu Shu couldn't help but beat his chest and stamp his feet.

The others were also extremely regretful.

"Iron box..."

"In a daze..."

Lin Jue muttered, also pondering.

"It's probably a method of the demons and ghosts exhaling to make people fall asleep." The Seventh Third Shixiong was indeed not skilled in fighting demons, but he had heard some experience from the several Third Shixiong ahead.

"I think so too."

As they were talking, they arrived at the Temple of the Earth God.

This temple was about the same size as the Three Maidens Temple in Shu Village. Usually, it was managed by government officials; he didn't know if they counted as temple keepers. He had come here during the day, but they weren't there at night. Giving a few coins would allow them to borrow a room in the temple.

Lin Jue took the initiative to give the copper coins and walked into the temple.

As soon as he entered, he felt something was wrong—

Although there was a statue of a deity in the temple and one could smell the scent of incense, he couldn't feel the divine charm of the incense communicating with the gods; instead, there was a faint, lingering yin energy that hadn't dissipated.

This was the benefit of cultivating the Yin-Yang Spiritual Method.

Those who cultivate the Yin-Yang Spiritual Method are abnormally sensitive to the yin and yang spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Most demons and ghosts in the world also walk the Yin-Yang Great Dao, and most demons and ghosts don't cultivate mature Yin-Yang Spiritual Methods like humans, nor do they understand the principles of yin-yang balance. They just follow their instincts to cultivate. At the beginning of cultivation, they will draw a large amount of yin energy into their bodies, and yin and yang are not balanced. This is also a distinguishing feature.

Lin Jue stood in front of the statue and looked; it was a rather refined-looking man, nothing special.

"Donkey Third Shixiong, sorry for your trouble sleeping outside for the night."

The Seventh Third Shixiong said respectfully, tied the donkey outside the temple, took down the bamboo basket, moved it into the temple, and placed it by the wall.

Lin Jue also placed his whistle-stick and firewood knife in a handy position by the wall, then took a meditation cushion, walked to the wall, and sat down leaning against it.

They would sleep here tonight.

The little fox followed him with happy steps. Seeing him sit down, it instinctively circled the temple, sniffed around, and familiarized itself with the environment before returning to his side and lying down.

"Seventh Third Shixiong, how much silver do you have left?"

"About three taels left."

"That will do..."

Lin Jue touched his own bosom.

He also had savings of twenty taels of silver. It had been useless since he went up the mountain. It was hard to make a trip down the mountain, and although he didn't know what was good to buy or what he should buy, he had brought them along. He didn't know if he could lure out the demon that loved silver.

"I suggest we change out of our Daoist robes."

"We'll listen to Lin Third Shixiong."

The Seventh Third Shixiong still teased Lin Jue like this.

Then all three took off their Daoist robes.

"To be safe, Shu San Shu Shu, you shouldn't sleep here tonight. We passed a guesthouse on the way here; you should go stay at the guesthouse, and I'll settle the bill tomorrow morning."

"If you really encounter demons, you must prioritize your own safety!" Shu San Shu Shu urged, then said, "If you can really deal with those demons, you must, you must get this money back for us! This is not just the hard-earned money of more than a dozen households for half a year, but it might also be the life-saving money for the village that suffered from the flood!"

"How much in total?"

"Two hundred and thirty taels and two coins."

Merchants in this area were known for their integrity; Shu San Shu Shu blurted out the amount of money almost without thinking.

"I've noted it."

Lin Jue's expression was somewhat serious.

The sky gradually turned dark.

There was no eternal lamp in the temple, and there were only two tiny windows, one on the left and one on the right.

They were called windows, but in fact, they were just holes the size of two heads. When the sky outside was slightly darker, the temple became dark; once it was dark outside, the temple was almost pitch black.

It wasn't until his eyes gradually adapted that he could see a little.

He vaguely saw the Seventh Third Shixiong seem to take something out of his bosom, then smear something back and forth on his hands. Lin Jue heard him mutter in a low voice: "It's not easy to save some silver in the temple. We don't have the skills of the First Third Shixiong or the Third Third Shixiong, so we can't really let it be stolen."

"Third Shixiong, what are you doing?"

"To be safe, making some preparations," the Seventh Third Shixiong said. "By the way, do you have any silver on you? Smear a little on it too."

"What?"

"The Qingfu Method..."

He vaguely saw the Seventh Third Shixiong reach out.

Lin Jue reached out to take it, groped in the darkness, and touched a small bottle from the Seventh Third Shixiong's hand. It was about the thickness of a finger and the length of a finger, a narrow-necked bottle.

Inside was a sticky, gooey liquid.

"A trick," the Seventh Third Senior Brother explained to him. "The mother and child Qingfu are deeply affectionate and connected, never separating. Take the juice of both, refine them with a secret method, smear one part on the money, and after throwing it away, the one who performed the technique will automatically fly back."

"So magical?"

The Little Xiao Shimei's surprised voice sounded from the side.

"An ancient trick. Those who are particular use this method to perform at temple fairs, throwing money away or handing it to the audience, and then it automatically returns. Those who are not particular use it to buy things or harm people. Many books record such magic."

Lin Jue lifted the bottle and placed it under his nose.

There was a slight smell, hard to describe.

Frowning and thinking for a moment, Lin Jue still handed the bottle back to the Seventh Third Shixiong: "I won't apply it, lest there really be Many Yaoguai coming, and they smell something wrong and don't dare to come and steal."

"That also makes sense!"

The Seventh Third Shixiong's expression also tightened, and he immediately said: "Sure enough, when it comes to dealing with Many Yaoguai and ghosts, you are also a Third Shixiong."

"Don't laugh at me..."

"Haha!"

"I've just happened to encounter quite a few by chance."

"Then let's stop talking."

"Alright!" Lin Jue agreed. He looked down and saw the little fox curled up beside him, a pitch-black ball in the dim light. He reached out to touch it, and it was warm and soft, so he said, "Humans in the night can't compare to foxes; you must be vigilant."

Good Fuyao had always been a mute fox and did not reply to him.

The temple immediately became quiet.

Lin Jue sat in the position closest to the door, vigilantly glancing at the two head-sized holes in the wall, wondering if it was a small-sized or transformation-skilled Many Yaoguai or ghost that crawled in from here.

To his left was the Xiao Xiao Shimei, and the innermost was the Seventh Third Shixiong.

On his right side was the little fox curled into a ball.

Whether it was knowing that foxes were naturally vigilant nocturnal animals, or that having the furry little thing beside him naturally made one feel at ease, or perhaps for other reasons, just having this half-grown little thing lying quietly beside him actually allowed Lin Jue to feel a bit more stable and composed in his heart.