Chapter 71: Curse Control and the Dragon-Transforming Trick

"It is naturally a good thing to have one's merits recorded in the Book of Merit. Let us not speak of folk legends; no one knows if they are true or false. In any case, for us practitioners of the Dao, having an entry in a deity's Book of Merit is, on the positive side, something that might earn us some care should we encounter a deity somewhere in the future. On the negative side, hmm, if one were to commit an offense one day, hehe, and fall into the hands of a deity, perhaps one might be granted a reprieve."

"After all, this is the era of the Incense Divine Dao. Lord Tianweng governs the Nine Heavens above and below, so no matter how you look at it, it is a good thing."

The two had already handed over the sorcerer and the affairs of the city to the Daoists of Qiyun Mountain, and had also returned to meet up with their fellow Daoists from Scissors Peak.

At this moment, the two Daoists walked along the street, followed by a donkey. On the donkey's back were several cats, all poking their heads out of bamboo baskets, looking curiously at the street. The Third Shixiong explained things to him as they walked.

"Judging by your tone, Shixiong, the latter is more common, isn't it?" Lin Jue asked.

"Haha, naturally," the Third Shixiong said with a smile. "The names of us cultivators of the Spirit Method Sect were never on the Nine Heavens to begin with. We are carefree and cultivate ourselves; how many opportunities do we have to require the care of deities? It is more likely that we might offend a deity, or have some disputes, or some misunderstandings, or perhaps we might see a deity acting without virtue and smash their statue or break their temple, only to be reported elsewhere by that deity after they find our weakness. In those times, being able to rely on some merits to have these immortals show some care would be quite good."

"So that's how it is."

"That is why I say the fellow Daoists of Profound Heaven Temple are quite reasonable."

"I feel that the matter here is not simple. I fear there is a, a monster that has gained some climate."

"Junior brother, oh junior brother, since you have already handed it over to the fellow Daoists of Qiyun Mountain, do not worry about it anymore." The Third Senior Brother shook his head. "These deities of the Nine Heavens Immortal Realm eat the incense offerings of the world's people, just as the imperial court eats the taxes and salaries of the world's people. Naturally, they must bear such responsibilities... Moreover, they are more skilled at such matters than we are. If they cannot find it, what can we do?"

"They should be able to find it, right?"

"Even if they can't, it is their business." The Third Shixiong said indifferently. "You must know that we Daoists of the Spirit Method Sect walk the path of being carefree. When eliminating monsters for the people, we naturally cannot be vague. When our sense of chivalry rises, we can wield our swords for a thousand miles. To put it plainly, it is about doing what must be done, but also being decisive enough to stop when necessary and leave when necessary. Only then can one be truly unconstrained."

"That makes sense."

"Besides, they spoke very reasonably. They said they would write to inform us once they have investigated it clearly. That is already quite good." The Third Shixiong lifted his gourd to drink. "There are thousands of trivial matters in life; what can hinder a joyful heart?"

"That is..."

Lin Jue was lost in thought.

No wonder this Shixiong was so carefree all day long.

Looking back—

Even though the commoners who had followed them to the county office to watch the excitement had long since dispersed, they had only scattered within this city. At this moment, as they walked through the alleys, gazes and pointing fingers were cast upon them from all sides.

Lin Jue felt as if he could hear their whispered discussions.

"They say it was invited by those merchants who sell paper..."

"Besides the monster finding back the money..."

"There was also a sorcerer..."

"The family behind Minsheng Street went out to run a business, and the gate was locked. That sorcerer was hiding inside, using magic to make knives fly in the sky, flying across the street..."

"This little Daoist passed through the door in an instant, went in and came out, and went in again..."

"..."

Who knows how many people saw the battle of magic on the street, and who knows how many people they told about it.

I suppose that after some time, this will also become a strange tale passed down by word of mouth in this place, right?

Lin Jue suddenly thought to himself.

"Let's go buy carving knives."

The Third Shixiong weighed a small bag of broken silver in his hand, which was a gift of thanks from those merchants. "It is very boring in the mountains. When your cultivation becomes more profound and you no longer need to study to resolve doubts, it will become even more boring. Even if you don't achieve anything on the path of Bean Soldiers, just treat it as a way to pass the boring time, find a piece of wood to carve, or learn a craft; that is also quite good."

Lin Jue agreed with this statement.

This was the location of the provincial capital, and trade was prosperous, so naturally, carving knives could be bought. The Third Shixiong also knew where to buy them.

He immediately took Lin Jue to pick out a set.

It cost thirteen taels of silver.

With the remainder, they bought wine, weighed out a few catties of cooked mutton, a dozen small fish, and bought high-quality forage. Interestingly, when they were buying wine and meat, someone even came to pay for them.

If one asked, the other party would be very respectful, saying it was a gift for the high-level monster-slayers.

The two had no choice but to accept.

"Many thanks to the fellow Daoists of Scissors Peak for this trip. These small fish are for the road. As for the rest owed to you all, not a single one will be missing. After returning to the mountain, I will definitely have the Seventh Shidi personally deliver them to Scissors Peak. Fuyao also contributed, so I will share two catties of mutton with you—one catty for the road, one catty for the return. Donkey Shixiong has worked the hardest, so he should also have a full meal..."

The Third Shixiong said slowly as they left the city.

This was the harvest of this trip down the mountain.

Of course, merits entering the Book of Merit were also a harvest, eliminating monsters was also a harvest, and even the simple act of going down the mountain itself was a harvest.

There is no such thing as a wasted journey in life.

Returning to the Daoist temple.

After sending off the monsters from Scissors Peak, the four cats in the temple remained. Lin Jue heard the Seventh Shixiong laughing and saying to the Third Shixiong, "You invited the fellow Daoists of Scissors Peak down the mountain to eliminate monsters, and now you want me to catch fish to repay them." However, he could only hear the complaints and not any unwillingness; it was likely mostly just joking.

In any case, Lin Jue had already returned to his room.

Fuyao consciously returned to the meditation cushion and lay down.

Lin Jue sat back on the edge of the bed.

The Sixth Shixiong had made him a new bookshelf, which stood against the wall. Lin Jue pulled an ancient book from the middle of a pile of books.

He flipped to a new page:

Carving Beans into Soldiers, the Method of Bean Soldiers.

In ancient times, there was a True Person who was skilled in the art of scattering beans to become soldiers, capable of turning ordinary soybeans and stones into thousands of troops. However, such miraculous powers are unfathomable and not easy to learn. Later, people often imitated this method to develop other techniques.

Carving beans into soldiers is one of the Wood-Metal spells, which has some connection to the art of carving. It involves carving and refining soldiers into dummies, which are then refined into beans for easy carrying. It also has the effect of being mistaken for scattering beans to become soldiers, and has considerable power in both magic battles and military formations.

"The effect of being mistaken for scattering beans to become soldiers? Does this count as an effect?" Lin Jue thought silently to himself. "It seems that 'scattering beans to become soldiers' is indeed widely known and very intimidating."

He continued to read down—

This spell requires hard work; cultivation takes a lot of time, and refining also requires soaking in the sun and moon.

Fortunately, this method also draws on scattering beans to become soldiers. Cultivating this method is also helpful for cultivating the true scattering of beans to become soldiers. If one's attainments are profound and one's talent is excellent, perhaps one can use this method to realize the true scattering of beans to become soldiers on one's own.

"Whoosh..."

Lin Jue flipped to the next page.

Curse Control, using curses to control objects.

A spell adapted from the method of controlling objects and curse techniques. It is simpler to cultivate than the method of controlling objects. However, one must be focused on chanting curses at all times during the casting. Although it is good at magic battles, the flaws are obvious. If there is no protector, one must work hard to cultivate other profound body-protecting or hiding methods.

Cultivating this method is also helpful for cultivating the true method of controlling objects. If one's attainments in this area are profound and one's talent is excellent, perhaps one can use this method to realize the true method of controlling objects on one's own.

"Whoosh..."

Dragon-Transforming Trick, a trick of magic.

It makes a person's weapon turn into a snake. If one's attainments are shallow, it is just a trick of the eye, making people confused and afraid, causing them to drop their weapons. If one's attainments are profound, one can make the snake leave on its own, but it can never harm anyone.

"So that's how it is."

Lin Jue opened his eyes wide, lost in thought.

He then studied it carefully.

This could also be considered one of his harvests.

Now Lin Jue had gradually come to understand, and also realized the profound truth of the Fourth Shixiong's words, "Spells are valued for their quality, not their quantity"—most spells in the world are very profound. It would be good enough for an ordinary person to learn one of them to a profound level in their lifetime. Wanting to be proficient in everything is almost impossible.

Even with this ancient book, it is absolutely impossible.

Of course, most cultivators and sorcerers down the mountain only know one or two spells in their lifetime. This is not actually because of this truth, but because spells are too hard to find and not common, especially in this era where deities and the Fulu Sect occupy the mainstream—cultivators of the Spirit Method Sect do not worship deities, are of no benefit to the divine order, and pursuing being carefree is also a challenge to the divine order of Lord Tianweng. Therefore, many cultivators' spells are passed down from generation to generation. Very few people have the opportunity to come into contact with several spells, so they have to specialize in one, cultivate it to the extreme, reach the peak, and become a master themselves.

However, spells are marvelous, and they generate and restrain each other. In magic battles, knowing a little more about spells is definitely a good thing, because it makes it easier to know or infer the weaknesses of the enemy's cultivated methods, and easier to defeat the enemy.

It is very difficult for Lin Jue to learn all the spells that appear in the ancient book, and it is absolutely impossible to master all of them, but he can learn some of them, and at the very least, understand them. In this way, it is easier to find the spells most suitable for himself, master them, and it is also easy to remain invincible in future battles down the mountain.

What Lin Jue has learned best now is actually the Fire-element spell that the Second Shixiong uses to assist in alchemy.

It's just that the Second Shixiong uses it to assist in alchemy, while Lin Jue mostly uses it to fight enemies. At this time, there has gradually been a transformation from ordinary fire to spiritual fire, and his ability to control flames is also strengthening.

"Knock, knock..."

There was a knock on the door outside.

"Junior brother, I heard your Daoist robe was damaged. Bring it to me and let me sew it for you."

It was the voice of the First Shixiong.

Lin Jue opened the door and went out.

The person standing outside was indeed the First Shixiong. He had his sleeves and trouser legs rolled up, and he looked honest and simple. If he weren't wearing a Daoist robe, he would really look like a farmer from down the mountain, or like an older brother from an ordinary family.

"Many thanks, Shixiong."

Lin Jue took off his Daoist robe and gave it to him.

The Little Xiao Shimei also happened to return from outside. She was still covered in dust, and her hair was messy from the wind on the mountain. When she saw him, her eyes lit up:

"Shixiong is back!"

"I'm back."

"For the past two days, we have been eating porridge every day, using the salted vegetable and minced meat you made to go with it. It just happened to be finished today!" The Little Xiao Shimei's eyes were very bright. "When will you cook another bowl of noodles to eat?"

"Tomorrow." Lin Jue looked her up and down. "You should go wash your face first."

"It's all stone powder, it's not dirty." The Little Xiao Shimei didn't care at all, just looking at him. "Shixiong, are you cooking tonight?"

"..."

Lin Jue suddenly thought of the requirements for his own Wood-Escape method, which is to be in harmony with grass and trees. Could it be that the Little Xiao Shimei is in harmony with the mountain stones and earth?

With this state of mind, no wonder her spells are progressing so fast.

This Little Xiao Shimei is obedient and sensible, hardworking and enduring. Since coming up the mountain, her relationship with Lin Jue has become better and better. Lin Jue is actually very willing to teach her his Wood-Escape method, or if he finds other Five-Element spells in the future, he can also pass them on to her after she leaves the mountain. There is a sense of nurturing. ===== CHAPTER 72 =====