Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 126 Four Winds of Sliced ​​Meat, Five Flavors of Moonlight
When I opened my eyes again, the moon was hanging in the sky, birds were chirping all around, and I was lying in a brightly lit room.

The light illuminated the altar and offering table on the side, and the statues and tablets of the gods could be vaguely seen on it.

The Taoist Master Xuanshan actually decided to light a lamp?
Chen Ji's first reaction was surprisingly like this.

I've been here a few times before, and the room was always incredibly dark. I never expected that after a glass of wine, the room would suddenly become bright.

He struggled to get up and looked around the room.

The bed and table were spotless, and the statues and tablets of the gods on the altar were clearly visible, but they seemed somewhat familiar.

Upon closer inspection, however, they were dumbfounded.

The text above clearly describes the winds of the four seasons, as well as the name of the founder of Qingfeng Temple, the Four Winds Master.

Xuanshan would never have arranged things like this.

and so……

Am I currently at Qingfeng Temple?
"Squeak."

As Chen Ji wondered what was going on, the door quietly opened, and the young lady Bai walked in gracefully, followed by a group of demons and the old abbot.

"Sir, you've woken up?"

"Fellow Daoist, how do you feel?"

His eyes were full of concern.

"Miss Bai... Elder Abbot, what's wrong with me? I remember listening to the Salt Elder's discourse."

Chen Ji sat up abruptly, wanting to speak, but still feeling a bit hungover, his words were slurred.

"I do not know either."

The white girl shook her head.

"Just now, the Salt Elder was explaining how to cultivate oneself through consuming elixirs, and you suddenly entered a state of enlightenment."

“We stayed by your side, but you didn’t wake up. As it was getting late, we took you back inside.”

"Epiphany?"

Chen Ji was slightly dazed.

"Isn't it true? The state of enlightenment you had when you, sir, were exactly the same as that day when the little fox listened to your lecture."

Miss Bai looked on curiously.

Chen Ji shook his head, half-jokingly saying...

"I don't know if it counts. It's like I'm in a dream, listening to people talk about philosophy, and I can't do anything about it."

Unexpectedly, everyone in the room, both humans and demons, burst into laughter.

"Listening to someone discuss the Dao? That must mean you've had an epiphany."

Master Xiyun smiled.

"People are different, and the manifestations of sudden enlightenment also differ."

“Back then, I had an epiphany by observing the wind left by the patriarch. When I stood there watching the wind, I seemed to see the patriarch teaching me to summon the wind. After I woke up, I mastered the wind of the four seasons.”

"The old Taoist was different. He used to enjoy cooking and had been studying how to cook with spiritual ingredients. After a while, one day while he was cooking, he suddenly seemed to see someone cooking. When he woke up, he understood the way of cooking."

"It's truly magical."

Chen Ji sighed.

He had witnessed the little foxes' moments of enlightenment, but he didn't know what their condition was like.

Listening to what the old abbot and Daoist Xiyun said, it was similar to what I experienced when I entered the Mysterious Mountain in my dream.

Moreover, from my own perspective, sudden enlightenment is quite similar to entering a dream.

But thinking about the time it took for me to have this epiphany, I feel a little regretful.

Why is it a pity?

"He woke up too quickly. If he could have listened for a little longer, he probably would have remembered more."

"quick?"

The demons and humans inside the house cast surprised glances at them.

“Fellow Daoist, you have been sleeping here for three days. How can that be fast? If it weren’t for the fact that your breathing has been even, I would have been tempted to wake you up.”

"Three days?"

Chen Ji was also surprised.

I've never spent this long studying the Dharma in my dreams before, I don't know this time...

Chen Ji pursed his lips, still faintly able to taste the wine in his mouth, and then he understood.

This can probably only be attributed to that glass of wine.

I just don't know what kind of fine wine it is, or what its purpose is.

However, the spiritual energy contained within is indeed abundant; after three days, I still haven't felt hungry.

Just as I was thinking about it, a thought struck me.

Chen Ji then noticed that a new chapter seemed to be emerging in "Strange Tales".

I quickly flipped through the book to check, and sure enough, I found that the latest page had several extra lines of text.

"Tengu"

"Chen Sheng, accompanied by a group of demons, sought the Dao. He met the Salt Elder and learned of the Way of Cultivation in the kitchen. Deeply moved, he suddenly understood and dreamt of entering the Mysterious Mountain. Just then, a celestial dog ate the moon. The Daoist master said that darkness falls under the lamp, and thus imparted this method. He then transmitted the ancient Qi Refining Golden Elixir Method, which could be used to [illegible characters]. However, the method was incomplete. The Daoist master said that the Emperor disdained it and was about to speak again when the celestial dog barked away, and the moonlight reappeared. He then gave Chen Sheng a cup of wine. After drinking it, Chen Sheng was drunk for three days. When he awoke, he found a piece of tortoise shell, from which he could seek the method."

Looking at the words on the paper, Chen Ji couldn't help but marvel at how extraordinary this art of immortality truly was. It was one thing that the Xuan Shan Daoist only dared to teach it under the cover of darkness, but now it was even impossible to record in the Records of Strange Tales.

It seems there are many other secrets about immortality.

As Chen Ji pondered this, he noticed that he seemed to have an extra piece of tortoise shell in his hand.

It is much thicker than a regular tortoise shell. When held in the palm of your hand, it still has a rough texture and a bit of warmth. If you concentrate on feeling it, there is also a faint energy extending out, as if it is in the distance.

After a moment's thought, Chen Ji understood the purpose of the tortoise shell, and a strange look appeared in his eyes.

The Golden Elixir Method for Qi Refiners is incomplete, containing only one sentence, making it impossible to cultivate. This tortoise shell should indicate the location of the remaining Golden Elixir Method.

This can no longer be described as a divine object; it would be no exaggeration to call it a supreme treasure.

No one was paying attention as Chen Ji quietly tucked the tortoise shell into his sleeve.

At least for the next few months, I won't have to leave this place. I don't need to think about finding the Golden Elixir Method. I'll think about that when I really have to leave Sendai Mountain.

After a moment, my stomach rumbled, and a wave of hunger washed over me.

Chen Ji then realized that he hadn't eaten for three days and had only survived on that cup of spiritual wine.

So he asked aloud.

Is there any food left?

"Yes, I'll get it done right away."

The old abbot spoke with a smile.

"You're only eating now?"

Chen Ji looked outside with a suspicious expression.

With the moon high in the sky, it didn't look like a mealtime at all.

“We had many ideas about cooking, but unfortunately you fainted and we didn’t have time to implement them. We just discussed giving it a try yesterday.”

"It took a long time to finish, and it was only today that it was completed, just as you woke up, fellow Daoist."

"I see, I made it in time."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ji felt as if a certain aroma had seeped into his nostrils, and he couldn't help but feel a strong urge to eat.

He got up and was still able to walk, so he went out of the house and saw the Iron Pot Demon and the Salt Elder still preparing the dishes, while Master Xiyun was sitting by the stove tending the fire.

The Iron Pot Demon transformed into its original form, sat on the fire, its body charred black, yet its eyes still protruded, questioning the Salt Elder beside it.

"How is it?"

"It's still a bit too hot, let's wait a little longer."

"Add more fire! Add more fire!"

"Salt Elder Chong Xiyun shouted."

Then they saw Master Xiyun summon wind to stir the firewood in the stove, and the flames instantly rose up.

The Iron Pot Demon blushed.

The salt-making old man's face was flushed, but he still didn't forget to stir the ingredients in the pot.

Soon, steam filled the air above the pot, with faint flashes of golden light.

"Cease fire now!"

The salt old man shouted.

Just as Master Xiyun was about to draw his sword, the old abbot made his move.

He flicked his whisk, swirling up the firewood, and with a flick of the wind, extinguished the flames.

"Suggest friendly means!"

The salt-making old man sighed, but didn't stop. He broke off some salt from his body, put it into the pot, and continued stirring.

Only when the golden light intensified, almost reaching the heavens, did the salt maker grab the pot lid and tightly cover it.

No one, human or demon, had any doubts. Seeing that Chen Ji was not curious, someone asked him if he knew why the pot lid was on.

"Shouldn't it be to conceal its aura? To prevent such delicious food from revealing its presence and attracting the attention of other beings?"

Chen Ji said slowly.

Previously, he might not have known, but after experiencing the Xuan Shan Dream Technique, he understood many things.

Just as the transmission of Dharma is like this, so too should the transmission of spiritual food be.

"Eh, how did you know, fellow Daoist?"

The salt maker then lifted the pot lid and, holding a spoon much taller than himself, asked a question.

However, before Chen Ji could ask, he suddenly realized.

"Fellow Daoist has a discerning palate, so you must have heard of this dish somewhere. There's no need to ask any more questions; just come and try it out!"

Chen Ji looked into the pot and saw a thick soup containing many mountain delicacies, some familiar and some unfamiliar.

A faint glow shimmered within the soup, and upon closer inspection, a gentle breeze could be seen swirling within it.

"Hmm? Is this the wind of the four seasons?"

"Exactly."

Master Xiyun nodded.

Surprise flashed in Chen Ji's eyes.

"How did they do that?" He used his Qi-gazing technique to look inside and discovered that the wind circulating in the pot was actually the wind of the four seasons.

In other words, if they were to drink this soup now, they would truly be living on air.

The salt merchant burst into laughter.

"Why are you still surprised, fellow Daoist? Didn't I tell you before my enlightenment that cultivation is about absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth? The winds of the four seasons are formed by the surging of spiritual energy of heaven and earth, containing the five elements and four virtues. How can they not be used as food?"

"This Four Seasons Fire and Wind Stew is a dish we've been developing over the past two days."

"Using the four seasons' winds gathered by the Taoist, the body of Fellow Taoist Iron Pot, my seasoning, and many other spiritual ingredients, we have created a dish that harmonizes the five elements. Consuming it can cleanse one's spiritual energy of impurities."

"Fellow Daoist, you can distinguish the five elements, so you probably don't need it. However, ordinary cultivators only need one bowl of this stew a year to expel the five elements and the impurities of the moonlight from their bodies. It is an excellent spiritual dish."

"It's really mysterious!"

Chen Ji was deeply moved.

If word of this dish spreads, it will indeed be of great help to other cultivators, who will probably be willing to pay a high price for a bowl.

As Chen Ji was thinking, the salt merchant tapped the pot lid with his spoon.

"Fellow Daoist, if you're not going to eat, please move aside. Don't you see the other fellow Daoists are waiting to enjoy the food? It won't taste good if it gets cold, and the effects will be much less."

Chen Ji looked around and realized that everyone in the courtyard, including the demons, was staring longingly at the pot. He then realized that he shouldn't have been talking about cultivation while eating.

This has delayed everyone's meal.

Fortunately, they were all familiar demons and acquaintances, so no one urged them on. However, the cook, Salt Elder, couldn't stand it anymore and started urging them on.

So he picked up a bowl, asked the salt merchant to fill it for him, and then turned around and sat down to the side.

The demons then stepped forward and took turns getting a bowl.

Strange to say.

The Iron Pot Demon was originally a large pot used for distributing porridge in a soup kitchen, but it could change its size at will.

The pot used to make cold noodles at the pharmacy and the pot used for cooking now are about the same size as the iron pot on a regular stove.

But when these bowls were scooped out, they didn't seem to decrease in number; instead, many strange things happened.

"Otherwise, it wouldn't deserve the name of a spiritual vegetable."

The salt merchant said smugly.

"This pot of water was taken from the well in your medicine hall, and it has absorbed the essence of the sun and moon. It is enough to feed hundreds of people."

"After I finish distributing the items to my fellow Daoists, I'll go and distribute them to the young Daoists as well."

Then he looked at Miss Bai again.

"As for Sendai Mountain, I really don't want to go through all that trouble, so I'll have to trouble Senior Fox."

"nature."

The white girl smiled slightly.

"It is already a blessing for them to be able to taste the spiritual dishes made by fellow Daoists. How could we trouble fellow Daoists to deliver them in person? It is not appropriate."

"Thank you for your understanding, Senior Fox."

The salt merchant nodded and then looked at Chen Ji.

“Where is that fellow Daoist Loach? Please invite him out. This spiritual vegetable owes a great deal to the well water that nourished it, so I’ve saved a bowl for him as well.”

"Loach Demon..."

Chen Ji subconsciously looked at Daoist Xiyun.

Beside him was the gourd where the mudfish demon lived, and at that moment a head was poking out, looking outside.

Only after the salt old man spoke did he flick his beard, turn his head, and emerge from the gourd.

"Hmph, you won't even let me discuss the Dao? Don't you all still use the well water I prepared for your cooking?"

"Since it's made from water from my Water Palace, I'll reluctantly take a bite."

Master Xiyun suppressed a laugh and brought over the bowl.

The loach hopped and jumped into the bowl, just like the day we ate cold noodles.

"Whoosh!"

"It's so hot! It's burning me to death!"

Before it even hit the ground, a scream echoed throughout the courtyard.

All the demons and Taoists in the courtyard burst into laughter.

Master Xiyun was both amused and exasperated.

"Fellow Daoist, even if you have no hands or feet, you should know this is hot. Why did you still jump in?"

"Hiss... I never thought it would be this hot... Eating other noodles... hiss... is fine."

The mudfish demon jumped and shouted, forgetting to summon water to soak itself.

It was only after the old abbot chanted a spell and summoned a basin of water that the mudfish demon recovered.

I looked up and asked why the Four Winds Stew was so hot, yet it also had a cool sensation.

The salt-loving old man spoke slowly from above.

"You usually absorb the moon's essence without paying attention to the time of day?"

"Of course."

The salt merchant nodded.

"Then the heat is correct. It just means that the moon's essence in your body is mixed and not integrated at all. Otherwise, you wouldn't have this reaction."

“Look at those other demons, none of them are as hot as you.”

The salt-loving old man pointed to the bronze toad demon and the iron pot demon.

"really."

The Iron Pot Demon nodded, and the soup in the pot swayed and rippled.

However, since he was already sitting on the fire, the mudfish demon didn't believe him at all, so it looked at the bronze toad demon.

"What do you say, fellow Daoist?"

"It's definitely not hot."

The bronze toad demon nodded and even took a sip, indicating that what he said was true.

The mudfish demon was stunned upon hearing this.

The salt merchant spoke again slowly.

"Fellow Daoist was not here when we discussed the complex flavors of the Five Elements and Moon Essence that day, otherwise you would know that I am not lying to you. If you cannot adjust your condition as soon as possible, I am afraid that your cultivation will be hindered."

"But isn't moonlight all the same? How can it have a flavor?"

The mudfish demon asked in confusion.

The salt merchant shook his head.

"It's clearly your sense of taste that's lacking."

"The new moon is cold and gloomy, with a rusty smell. It will get better after midnight."

"The waxing crescent moon is sour at first and then astringent. Unless you have the ability, it is not recommended to absorb its essence."

"Gazing at the moon is as sweet as honey, it is most fitting."

"The waning moon brings initial bitterness followed by numbness, and is not suitable for absorption."

"As for the Emperor's Dew... it's truly a delicacy, unforgettable just thinking about it!"

The salt merchant's words were unforgettable.

After a long while, he looked at the mudfish demon and said calmly.

"Ordinary demons and ghosts cannot discern the key; they absorb the moonlight as soon as they see it."

"Little did they know that the new moon harms the blood vessels, and the crescent moon corrupts the spirit."

“Those with some skill can cultivate slowly and gradually reduce their abilities. You, on the other hand, cultivate haphazardly and accept all comers. You've really been very lucky to have achieved your current level of skill.”

"If you don't drink this dish soon, you'll probably go mad from internal energy derangement."

The mudfish demon was shocked and couldn't believe what it was hearing.

He then looked at Chen Ji.

"Sir, is what this fellow Daoist is saying true?"

Chen Ji shook his head.

"I don't know either. I had an epiphany before I started talking about these things. I had only just woken up."

Master Xiyun and the others nodded in agreement.

“What the salt old man said is true.”

"That's what they said the day you weren't here."

……

The mudfish demon was stunned for a long time before making a decision.

He simply jumped out of the basin, closed his eyes again, and resolutely plunged into the Four Winds Slice, enduring the pain as he swam inside.

After brewing a cup of tea, Chen Ji remembered something and asked the Salt Elder out of curiosity.

"Didn't you just say that eating this would be fine?"

The salt merchant nodded.

"Yes."

Will it hurt when you eat it?

"It shouldn't be, at least it shouldn't hurt that much."

He paused, taken aback.

"I didn't say it needed to be soaked. Wasn't it all this fellow Daoist's own idea? I thought he just liked this kind of spiritual food."

All the practitioners inside the room fell silent.

After a while, not knowing what to say, I simply made an excuse to leave.

"Let's go distribute the spiritual food to the Taoist priests."

"I also want to go to the peach orchard to collect some pieces of lightning-struck wood."

"I need to find a Taoist priest to learn about the methods of generating and transforming the Five Elements."

Before Chen Ji could think of another reason, he heard the mudfish demon's weak voice.

"Sir, could you please find me a spoon?"

(End of this chapter)