[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-book-of-strange-tales":3,"chapter-the-book-of-strange-tales-the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-92":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Book of Strange Tales",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2317372,4532,"Chapter 92: Yi Mountain","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-92",92,"\u003Cp>“Brother, I’ll be gentle!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The junior sister said to Lin Jue with a serious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s this? Can this little girl break my perfected ‘Mountain God Body Protection Art’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hemp-clad giant stared wide-eyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amazed, he also grew curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The onlookers naturally did not believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The previous several martial artists were young and strong, their skills no less impressive, yet none could break this hemp-clad giant’s spell. Even if these two Daoists knew magic, first, their senior had just failed; second, magic-users on this mountain these past days were not rare—in fact, just half a quarter-hour ago, another Daoist had tried and admitted defeat, praising the hemp-clad giant repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could this little girl possibly do it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the little girl had stepped before the hemp-clad giant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hemp-clad giant also pulled up his clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the neck down, he had turned to stone sculpture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s be clear! If you can’t break it, you must drink a bowl of wine. If you refuse to drink, your brother must drink for you!” The hemp-clad giant paused, suddenly feeling a strange unease, “But be careful…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl’s expression was serious; she lowered her head, scanning the hemp-clad giant from top to bottom, finally fixing her gaze on his belly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you looking for? Don’t bother! Shao Mou may be a martial artist, but this is orthodox Five Elements magic, not some crude martial art—once activated, it turns to solid stone, with no vital point!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl said nothing, only raised her right hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the onlookers assumed she might draw the long sword with its weathered hilt held in her other hand, she instead extended her right index finger and gently poked the fatty flesh at the giant’s waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force was light, the speed slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was this supposed to mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stared, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was she trying to tickle him into breaking his spell?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fingertip touched the stone at his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Snap…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint sound rang out!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a crack in stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hemp-clad giant had turned entirely to stone from the neck down, leaving only his head visible—so everyone clearly saw his expression shift: the giant, who had been dismissive moments before, suddenly frowned, his face contorting in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, his entire body returned to flesh and blood; he hastily reached out to clutch his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ssshh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hemp-clad giant groaned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The onlookers were all frozen in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They saw the giant remove his hand, look down—and there, his waist was already bruised purple, faintly oozing blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some seasoned martial artists finally understood: the little girl hadn’t been searching for his vital point, but for a spot where injury would be harmless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of magic is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hemp-clad giant immediately turned to the junior sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ji Shi,” the little girl replied calmly. “A spell specifically for shattering stone. I trained it. It’s orthodox Yi Mountain magic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ji Shi…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hemp-clad giant murmured the name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt a touch of fear, but mostly relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had he come here, inviting others to break his spell, even offering a bowl of wine as bait? Wasn’t it precisely to find a way to counter his own magic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he learned the method, he could prepare a defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The martial world is perilous, and grows more so with each passing day. This place—Mingchou Mountain’s Yanxia Temple’s grand ritual—is one of Daoism’s greatest festivals. With Yanxia Temple’s prestige and the gods’ watchful gaze, nearly every martial artist here has some connection, and most are relatively mild-mannered. Even the fiercest among them tone down their behavior here. Where else could he find his weakness so safely?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he couldn’t find it here, next time he might be caught off-guard in a martial world clash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daoist, your skill is impressive! I admit defeat!” The hemp-clad giant picked up the nearby wine bowl and drained it in one gulp, then asked, “What’s the secret behind this Ji Shi spell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No secret. Just hard practice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If someone knows this spell, are there any telltale signs?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No signs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hemp-clad giant sighed. Indeed, the world’s magic was countless and wondrous. He bowed again: “I shall remember this Ji Shi spell. Thank you, both Daoists!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yi Mountain, Fuqiu Temple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The junior sister said it solemnly, repeating it for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, a true temple of a famed mountain!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hemp-clad giant quickly corrected himself in praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the junior sister nod, satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Until we meet again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue smiled and returned the bow, then led his junior sister away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, the junior sister’s skill was nowhere near the giant’s. Even though both practiced orthodox Yin-Yang Spirit Law, the giant had trained only half a Qi-nourishing method—but over a year, he’d still surpass her. The gap in magical mastery was even greater. Yet magic in the world is inherently mysterious, generating and countering each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky was nearly dark, yet many travelers still moved on the mountain—some carrying candles, others torches, descending the slopes, forming a long dragon of light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little fox trotted ahead on tiny steps, guiding them toward the bamboo hut. Lin Jue turned to look back at the crowd behind him, then at the long chain of firelight below—and for a moment, he felt reluctant to return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t this, too, a grand gathering?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue sighed inwardly, then turned his head—and saw the junior sister walking beside him, her eyes gleaming, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you thinking about, sister?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you thinking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was thinking—if only we’d met that Stone Ghost now. The stone demon who blocked our path at night on the way to Xiao Chuan Village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at the bamboo hut, they pushed open the door and lit an oil lamp. The third senior sat cross-legged before a desk, three coarse bowls before him: two filled with food, one already empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third senior didn’t open his eyes: “The Yanxia Temple keeps sending meals. They’re still edible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two sat down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the candlelight, there was a bowl of white rice topped with simple vegetables: boiled tofu, roasted dried bamboo shoots, stir-fried greens, stewed gourd, pickled vegetables, and soybean paste. The rice itself was the village banquet style—steamed in a steamer basket, each grain distinct, all the sauces soaked into the rice. Though cold, the flavor was still decent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far better than the meals at Fuqiu Temple in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was still just “edible”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue thought, scraping his rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave your bowls outside—someone will collect them in the morning,” the third senior said, lying back. “Hmph, some people—do they have broken minds? They’ve cultivated Dao, yet still eat vegetarian. They’re not monks! Now none of our guests get meat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you care about them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bamboo hut filled with the clinking of chopsticks scraping bowls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though simple, the meal was satisfying and quick—within moments, the bowls were empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, all three lay down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I miss porridge with rice cakes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Came the junior sister’s voice from the left room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third senior immediately agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue ignored them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cool breeze blew out the oil lamp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wooden bed, bamboo mat, the air slightly chilly—no blanket needed. No need to undress; just lie down and sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the mountain, a flat patch lay amid bamboo groves and scattered rocks, paved with old blue stone slabs, with a pavilion at its edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mountain path led to this spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now a crowd had gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most were Daoists, though none knew their level or sect—yet all wore Daoist robes. Most sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed in meditation, before them lay herbs and ancient objects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two and the fox followed the third senior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue couldn’t identify the ancient objects, but most seemed only faintly spiritual—not powerful artifacts. Probably they’d sat on altars too long, or been used too often, absorbing spiritual aura. Few rivaled the martial artist’s flashy sword from yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue recognized the herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most were rare, aged herbs; those with spiritual aura were scarce, far inferior to Yi Mountain’s celestial treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These Daoists were likely of low skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made sense—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, the Spirit Law and Alchemy sects are weak. Spirit Law Daoists seek freedom; Alchemy Daoists hide deep in mountains. Even the high-level Daoists of both sects have their own affairs—why would they wander aimlessly to this Talisman Sect’s grand ritual?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daoist monasteries like Fuqiu Guan, with orthodox lineages and backing from Yishan, are exceedingly rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many Yishan mountains are there in the world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And how many Fuqiu Guan monasteries?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One can only sigh that the Lingfa Sect is weak, so tales of wandering masters who wield magic have grown scarce; when one does encounter such a person, it is as rare as seeing a celestial immortal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the three of them found seats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sat on woven mats, with two bamboo mats laid before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third senior brother sat alone behind one bamboo mat, on which lay casually arranged spirit pills brewed by the monastery, along with numerous rare herbs and treasures gathered by his fellow disciples from Yishan but unused; he sat there contentedly, pulling out his wine gourd and drinking leisurely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue and the other shared one bamboo mat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one thing on the bamboo mat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leaves of the Dan Guo Tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though there were two people and a fox, they neatly divided the leaves into three piles, each containing a dozen or so leaves; the two sat cross-legged, and the fox sat upright as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weather here was better than that of Yishan; morning light filtered through the bamboo grove, warming their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Martial artists, performers, or strange figures from the jianghu might trade their collected spiritually potent items for money, but Lin Jue and the others had no intention of selling for coin. As for what they truly wished to exchange these items for, Lin Jue could only ask his third senior brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The best and most precious thing, of course, is magic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third senior brother lowered his head, mouth clamped on the gourd’s spout, mumbling:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides magic, we could trade for spiritually potent wood—we can use that. Otherwise, exchange for medicinal herbs or spirit plants not found on Yishan; Second Senior Brother gave me a list. We’re lacking nothing else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These days, magic is truly scarce; many Daoist monasteries or martial artists know only one spell, passed down through generations, and that alone qualifies them as true Daoists or extraordinary figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, the third senior brother didn’t rely on this place to offload these items—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Fuqiu Guan was small, due to its tradition of sending disciples down the mountain to establish branches, it was still well-known within the Lingfa Sect, its reputation far surpassing Xianyuan Guan, which was larger and had more disciples yet also sat on Yishan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, it naturally had connections with famous mountains and true monasteries elsewhere; they simply hadn’t arrived yet. Once they did, they would gather, exchange knowledge, and trade naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At present, they were merely accompanying two junior disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many legs passed before them; some paused to examine closely, but most stopped before the third senior brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Few exchanges were made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by afternoon did a middle-aged Daoist with a beard approach Lin Jue and the other, bending low to study the leaves for a long while, as if recognizing them and showing keen interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What spirit plant are these leaves from?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged Daoist looked up, as if testing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These are leaves from the divine tree of Yishan. Legend says they grew from the seeds of an immortal fruit eaten by a hermit immortal dwelling in Yishan; the seeds absorbed heaven’s spirit and earth’s essence, and moonlight and sunlight, carefully nurtured by mountain spirits, until this one-of-a-kind divine tree emerged.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The junior sister spoke immediately, her expression solemn, as if reciting a lesson—because that was exactly how the senior brother had first described it, saying it twice, and she had memorized it; in the past half-day, she had repeated it many times:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These are the leaves of the divine tree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some in the mountains call it Longjing Tree; others, Dan Guo Tree,” Lin Jue added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged Daoist smiled upon hearing this:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re from Yishan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuqiu Peak’s Fuqiu Guan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you know that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I once knew a Daoist who left Fuqiu Guan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These leaves are rare. Few matching pill formulas exist, and they’re of little use; their spiritual resonance is weak. But they happen to match the medicinal properties of the pill I’m preparing—I might experiment with them as a harmonizing agent.” The Daoist looked at them. “What do you want in exchange? Don’t be greedy. I can find other substitutes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t be sure whether the man truly recognized the leaves, but even if what he said—that the leaves merely matched the medicinal properties of his pill and could serve as a harmonizer—was true, it was likely not that simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were herbs scattered everywhere, and even the third senior brother had some spirit plants laid out; surely none of those matched the medicinal properties he needed? Why come for this rare object?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet upon reflection, he discarded most of these suspicions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leaves were useless to him anyway, and here they seemed unlikely to fetch much; mutual need was best. Overthinking now would only bring unnecessary worry—better to see what he offered first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lin Jue reached this final thought, he paused in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed to have been subtly influenced by the third senior brother.\u003C\u002Fp>",2290,"2026-06-20T14:45:35.226Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","78f5f28b70e7a1c52f51004868ee2f8361978fc925b89aa7f38f17960ffa8597","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-93","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-91",608,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-book-of-strange-tales-cover.jpg"]