Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 109 A Jar of Copper Coins

As soon as the strong man finished speaking, many people nodded to confirm that they had heard it too.

“That’s what I heard in my dream.”

"My father dreamed it, too."

"My child also said he had a dream about it."

"Everyone be quiet, I'll finish talking to the Taoist priest first!"

The sturdy man frowned, not liking their noise. After they quieted down, he took over the conversation and continued speaking to Chen Ji.

"Ever since I had this dream, the commotion inside the ancestral hall has gotten louder. The words on one of the ancestral tablets have been tampered with. If it weren't for an elder who remembered it and compared it with the family tree, we wouldn't have noticed it."

"Also, at night, some people saw the lights in the ancestral hall turn green, and heard other noises, but they didn't have the courage to go in and check. When they went during the day, everything seemed normal."

"These past few days, the villagers have gone to inquire about their ancestors, but have received no response. They only saw a message written on the table where the offerings used to be placed..."

"This demon insists on occupying your ancestral hall and forcing you to make a statue of him?"

"The Taoist priest already knows."

"I just heard it from the yamen runners today."

Chen Ji said slowly.

The strong man sighed, but his face showed helplessness.

"This is indeed what happened the day before the yamen runners arrived."

"At first we just thought it was the peddler who mentioned it, and that the spirit might have heard it and done it, and the yamen runners could come here and deal with it."

"Who knew that the yamen runners did come, but they couldn't see anything wrong. After hearing what the peddler said, they just told us to find someone with experience to do the calculation."

"They said it wasn't a ghost harming people, but a reminder in a dream. It's also a matter of the ancestral hall, and they can't handle it. Otherwise, they will burn it clean, and no ghosts will survive, even the ancestors will be gone."

"Of course we didn't dare to agree, so we came to see the Taoist priest."

Chen Ji nodded, but wanted to laugh.

I'm afraid the yamen runners never thought that the people from Wang Village would find their way here after going around in circles.

It is not uncommon for demons and ghosts to occupy ancestral halls and wild temples.

Strictly speaking, even the City God of Water and Madam Hongci are considered as such.

However, Chen Ji was more interested in the peddler.

"A new ghost has come to live in the old temple. It's ridiculous that ignorant villagers worship ghosts as their ancestors. They will be laughed at in the afterlife."

You can tell at a glance that it is talking about the ancestral hall.

But if you already know the key, why would you tell it in a dream?

Moreover, the way this peddler collected money was somewhat similar to the legendary knife seller on credit.

But the knife seller only sells things like knives and axes.

This person is a little different, and what he said is more like the verses given by fortune-telling and spirit writing, which is really strange.

So Chen Ji looked at everyone in Wang Village.

"Do you know where the peddler went?"

"I don't know."

"He insulted the ancestral hall first, so it's a good thing that he wasn't beaten to death on the spot. Naturally, no one cares where he went."

"It's possible he was behind this. We should have arrested him and questioned him that day."

The villagers were very excited.

Chen Ji disagreed with them.

"If he was behind this, why would he risk his life to warn you?"

"I'm afraid he's a well-meaning person. If his warning to you doesn't work, he'll explain it to you in a dream. Don't try to plot behind your back."

The villagers looked embarrassed when they heard this, but they did not dare to disobey Chen Ji's wishes. They smiled bitterly and did not talk about it anymore.

Chen Ji also disagreed.

Whether the villagers believed it or not was none of his business. They came to him to ask him to exorcise demons and catch ghosts, and it was not a class, so there was no need to explain too much.

If he wasn't curious about the peddler's whereabouts and identity, he wouldn't have asked too many questions.

Seeing that they also didn't know the truth, he gave up and asked them why they came to him instead of going to Qingliang Mountain to find the Taoist priests and monks.

"They're so..."

Someone in the crowd was about to answer, but the sturdy man's expression changed. He quickly grabbed the man's hand, covered his mouth, and glared at him fiercely.

Seeing that the man had no intention of talking, he slowly looked at Chen Ji.

"I've also looked for the master on the mountain, but he's having a Qingming Festival ceremony soon and can't spare the time."

"This isn't a life-or-death crisis for the village, and I don't want to delay other people's ancestral worship, so I thought of asking Taoist Master Chen."

"That's right."

Chen Ji smiled but did not expose them.

It was obvious that they had asked the monks and Taoists on the mountain and knew that the money they wanted was too much, so they came to me.

However, he has plenty of money, and handling these matters can also accumulate merit, so it's okay to agree to it directly.

But thinking about what Yan Chixia and Taoist Xiyun had said, he shook his head and did not agree immediately.

"I have something to do these days, so I won't be able to go there until after Qingming Festival."

"what?"

Everyone in Wangcun was stunned.

The burly man in the lead looked at Chen Ji, as if he wanted to see if Chen Ji was deceiving them.

Chen Ji also looked back.

However, after a few breaths, the strong man realized that he had gone too far and quickly nodded to apologize.

"We were abrupt and didn't explain the situation. Please forgive us, Taoist Priest."

With a slight beckoning of his hand, someone behind him handed over a leather bag, took out three silver ingots and presented them with both hands.

"I left in a hurry this time and didn't bring much money with me. This thirty taels of silver is a deposit. I also ask that you come to the village to exorcise demons and catch ghosts when you are free."

"How can I find you?"

"About fifty steps south of this street, there's the Tongshan Blacksmith Shop. They belong to our village. I'll settle them down with them later. If you're ready, go find them."

"it is good."

Chen Ji took the silver and watched them leave.

After returning to the house, I happened to see all the monsters and ghosts in the yard chatting together.

Bai Qi and the others got sachets made of the Painted Skin Ghost's skin, and they all looked like human beings when they stood together.

Baojiejun swayed in the wind in the corner, which was quite elegant.

Only the loach monster didn't know how to climb out of the well and floated in a wooden basin beside the well, which was quite interesting.

Seeing Chen Ji coming back, several monsters looked over.

Baojiejun and the loach monster were a little curious, but because they were not very familiar with each other, they did not dare to ask.

Bai Ba had no such concerns and approached Chen Ji and asked.

"Sir, why didn't you agree to those people's request? It sounds like there really is a demon or ghost at work."

"It's true that demons and ghosts are causing trouble, but they can't be considered good people either."

Chen Ji said slowly.

He knew that the demons were looking for him, and he already knew his abilities, but he still deliberately tested him and concealed the information.

Although people should be cautious when encountering things, this has gone beyond the scope of caution.

Not to mention that they also beat the peddler.

However, these monsters were not aware of these things, so Chen Ji explained them clearly.

“People are so strange.”

Bai Ba sighed and said slowly.

"I tried to warn the demons and ghosts, but was beaten up. If it were a demon, it would not be able to bear it. I don't know why this peddler would come into their dreams to help them."

"And these people come to see you, sir, but they're unwilling to believe you. Why is that?"

"I've heard this before on the mountain. Why are people unwilling to trust their own kind?"

It was not easy to talk to the loach monster and Baojie Jun, but the two monsters were quietly waiting for Chen Ji's answer.

Chen Ji didn't say anything, but looked at them and smiled slightly.

"This is the difference between humans and monsters."

"so complicated."

Bai Ba murmured.

Bai Qiji Fox also nodded repeatedly.

"Yeah! It's indeed complicated, not as straightforward as the fox."

“Not even as good as a loach!”

Despite being separated by mountains and rivers, the fox and the loach unexpectedly reached a consensus so quickly. It was the fox who swayed in the wind and spoke slowly.

"But sir, you must have your reasons for doing so."

So the fox and the loach both stood there in a daze, staring at Baojie Jun in a daze.

After a long time, a sentence came out.

"It's over, it turns out that demons can really learn to become humans!"

Chen Ji shook his head and smiled, not knowing what to say.

This Lord Baojie actually mastered the essence of Confucian cultivation. No wonder his cultivation level increased so rapidly.

Since Miss Bai is not here, there is no need to run the pharmacy, and Sister Sun doesn't know where to pack up the incense and candles.

It was a rare occasion that only cultivators and demons were gathered in the courtyard, making it a perfect time to discuss the Dao.

Bai Qi and his companions had just experienced an epiphany before leaving the mountain, and now they brought up their own problems to ask Chen Ji for advice. Chen Ji then explained them one by one.

Soon, all the foxes' doubts were resolved, and they went back to practicing with satisfaction.

Baojiejun and the loach monster were listening with envy.

Is this Mr. You's demon? Even cultivation is much easier than wild demons like them.

The loach monster was even more excited and shouted to stop Chen Ji.

"Fellow Daoist, fellow Daoist! You haven't introduced me to the fellow fox Daoist who can practice the art of swallowing things!"

"I was so busy that I forgot."

Chen Ji reacted and called out to Bai Ba.

"This fellow Loach Daoist also has the ability to swallow objects and store them within his body, but it's different from yours. If you want to delve deeper, you can discuss the method with fellow Loach Daoist."

Bai Ba's eyes lit up.

"Sir, you are truly kind. Knowing that I haven't found a suitable Taoist friend to discuss the Dharma with me at Qingfeng Temple, you even specially found Taoist friend Niuqiu to discuss the Dharma with me!"

"It doesn't really have anything to do with me. I only remembered it after Brother Loach showed his magic. I told Brother Loach about your situation, and he kept it in mind."

"That's because you remembered it, sir, that we have this opportunity!"

Bai Ba said seriously.

Chen Ji sighed, feeling somewhat helpless.

"Why are you sighing, sir?"

"Bai Ba, you'd better not bother trying to learn to be as good as Bao Jiejun. You won't be able to imitate him, and instead you'll seem like a flatterer."

The hair on Bai Ba's face swayed, and he scratched his head with a smile, but he didn't look blushing or embarrassed at all.

Chen Ji said nothing more and turned to look at the small door.

There seemed to be some movement outside the door.

"Someone is back."

Chen Ji said slowly.

So Baojiejun stood up straight, and the loach monster turned around and jumped into the well, as if nothing had happened.

"Squeak."

The wooden door opened slightly, and Sister Sun walked into the yard, still holding a bamboo basket in her hand, which was filled with a lot of paper money, gold ingots, incense and candles, which was no less than that in the morning.

When he saw Chen Ji, he hurriedly saluted.

"Sir, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. The yellow paper at the market was sold out, so I had to go somewhere else to buy some. That delayed me a bit."

"It doesn't matter. Now that you are ready, let's go. It will be too late later."

Chen Ji glanced at the sky.

It is now past the hour of You, and we still have some distance to go outside the city. Burning paper will take time. If we are any later, the ghosts will roam at night, and the excessive yin energy will be bad.

When I went out, I saw many people walking on the street.

They were all carrying similar baskets, going to worship their ancestors.

Walk all the way out of town.

I saw many people finding an open space, kneeling on the side of the road, using branches to pick up the paper money in the circle.

Chen Ji recalled the scene of ancestor worship.

It is also a county town, and you have to go outside the town to burn paper.

Some who thought the road was too long would find an empty intersection and draw a circle, while those who were more respectful would find a piece of wasteland outside the county town.

It is 70% similar to the present moment.

The remaining three points are not in the human world, but in Chen Ji's eyes.

Look around.

There are ghosts standing outside each circle, looking confused, but they all instinctively stare at the burning paper money and incense in the circle.

Some people couldn't help but want to reach out to grab the money, but when they raised their hands and touched the corners of the circle, they were immediately burned as if they had touched fire, so they had to pull their hands back, grimacing and wailing.

Chen Ji knew that these were just wandering ghosts on the roadside and could not take the property that belonged to the owner.

But looking at their eyes, I can tell that they are not easy to deal with. It would be fine if no one offered sacrifices to them at other times, but today it cannot be so.

So he went forward and found the family who were burning paper.

"If you burn paper like this, I'm afraid even if the ancestors come, they won't receive money. Instead, it will easily attract wild ghosts."

"We've been burning for so many years and it's always been like this. How can you... Master Chen? How can it be you?"

The rebuttal stopped abruptly.

Even the action of shaking out the gold ingots and paper money stopped in mid-air. It was not until the flames burned his hands that he gasped and let go of the branches, but still looked at Chen Ji in shock.

"The gates of hell are wide open tonight to receive sacrifices and see if there are any other demons causing trouble. There is nothing else to do."

"So what did Taoist Master Chen just say?"

"The purpose of drawing the circle is to enclose a piece of Yin soil in the Yang world. This is a rule agreed upon by heaven and earth long ago. However, if it is completely enclosed, the Yin and Yang will still be separated, so a gap must be left at the northwest entrance."

"This way, the dead can come in and out more easily, and the paper money and gold ingots you burn can also be delivered."

"And outside the circle, many wandering spirits have gathered. If you don't give out some money, these wandering spirits might try to steal the money your ancestors received."

"How dare they steal the money I burnt for my ancestors?"

The person who burned paper was very angry.

Chen Ji sighed.

"When refugees can't even get enough porridge, and there's a rich man eating meat and white steamed buns next to them, what do you think will happen to him?"

"..."

The paper burner remained silent for a while, then stammered and asked Chen Ji how to calm the anger of these wandering souls.

“That’s easy.”

Chen Ji happened to have read these methods in Taoist books.

He stepped forward and waved his sleeves, using the wind to blow a gap in the northwest corner. He then grabbed a handful of paper money and blew it out of the circle, scattering it in all directions, chanting a spell.

"Four-way travelers, please do not fight or grab, paper money is used to buy your way through, each of you will receive a portion!"

"Wow!"

The burnt paper money was blown away by the wind, and a gust of wind suddenly appeared out of nowhere and scattered in all directions.

The wandering souls surrounding the circle suddenly dispersed like a tide, chasing after the paper money floating between heaven and earth.

There was suddenly a void in front of Chen Ji, and even the temperature rose slightly.

Suddenly, only two old men were left outside the circle.

It looks somewhat similar to a paper-burning figure, wearing a melon-shaped hat, a brown nine-layer collar with a locket, and cloud-patterned cloth shoes.

After seeing that the wandering souls around had dispersed, he took the silver and money in the circle through the gap and bowed to Chen Ji.

"Thank you for your help, Taoist priest. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to get the money."

"It's also because you gave birth to good children, so this paper money is not small."

"If I could receive a compliment from the Taoist priest, I would be happy even if I died."

As he spoke, he thought of something and bowed again.

"I passed away suddenly before, and there are some things I didn't have time to say. I happened to meet you today, Taoist priest, and I would like you to pass on a message to my two children. Is that okay?"

"nature."

"Just say I have a jar of copper coins buried under the stove. Dig it out and divide it up quickly to prevent it from rusting."

"it is good."

"Thank you, Taoist Priest. Since it's inconvenient for us to stay in the human world for long, we won't bother you any more!"

After saying this, his figure slowly sank, and he returned to the weeds from the ground just like Lu Pan, which made Chen Ji exclaim in amazement.

I don't know which one is more exquisite, this or earth escape.

The person burning the paper was so shocked that he was speechless.

They clearly heard Chen Ji talking to someone, but they couldn't see any trace of him. They could only vaguely feel that something seemed to be happening around them.

It was not until Chen Ji looked at them that they respectfully asked Chen Ji what had happened just now.

"Nothing. Your ancestor has already returned to the underworld with the silver and money, and he also asked me to bring you a message."

"I wonder what it is?"

"There's a jar of copper coins under the stove. I want you to dig them out and divide them up to prevent them from rusting."

The paper-burning figures looked at each other, their faces changed drastically, and they kowtowed hurriedly.

Chen Ji was a little surprised and asked them why they suddenly did this.

The person burning paper hesitated for a few breaths and then bowed.

"To be honest, we did dig up a jar of copper coins when we were renovating the stove a few days ago, but we haven't told anyone yet. The Taoist priest can say this, so I'm afraid he really saw our ancestor."

"In that case, your ancestors' efforts have not been wasted."

Not far away, the person burning paper nearby followed suit and opened a gap at the northwest end of the circle, then chanted a spell.

However, these effects were not as good as Chen Ji's, and many wandering souls gathered at the edge of the circle and never left.

Chen Ji simply took out the paper money from the basket, lit it with the flame of incense and candles, called for a breeze, and scattered the paper money.

"Shh!"

The paper money flew out like a kite, attracting all the wandering souls and heading towards a faintly visible gate in the distance. The wandering souls followed the long dragon made of paper money.

Several ghost messengers outside the door noticed the situation here and bowed from afar to express their gratitude.

As if that wasn't enough, he sent a ghost forward to ask respectfully.

"But Master Chen is here in person?"

(End of this chapter)