Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 28: Fighting in the Storm
Chen Ji stopped and looked at the Taoist temple.

The red walls, black tiles and green trees are no different from the Taoist temple I imagined.

A pair of couplets hangs under the eaves, with gold characters on an ink background floating like clouds.

"The cool breeze in the temple always caresses my face, and the bright moon in the courtyard always stays with me."

The horizontal banner only has the four words "Four Seasons Always New", but no temple name is seen.

“Why is there no Guanming?”

"I heard that the temple master felt it was unnecessary. Ordinary temple names are meant to let people know where the temple is, but this couplet already explains it, so adding anything more would be redundant."

"He's a wonderful person."

Chen Ji sighed.

As they were speaking, the Taoist priest in charge of reception at Qingfeng Temple noticed the two of them coming out.

"Would you two like to burn incense or perform rituals?"

Yan Chixia performed the Ziwu technique and saluted.

"I am a wandering cultivator from the mountains, and I came here to visit Taoist Master Xiyun."

"It turns out to be fellow Taoist."

The Taoist priest in charge of reception returned the greeting by holding the Ziwu Jue technique, and he became visibly excited.

Life in the mountains is boring. Most of the believers who come here come to burn incense and ask for divination, and there are very few religious ceremonies.

Usually I can only recite scriptures and practice qigong, which is very boring.

If fellow Taoists come to discuss Taoism and chat, they can also serve tea and water and listen to some stories from the outside world.

Then he looked at Chen Ji and asked with a smile.

"Is this fellow Taoist also here to visit a friend?"

"It is."

"I wonder which Taoist priest it is? I'll go and report it to him."

"I don't know either. I was sent here to deliver a message. I was told that I would know who to contact after hearing the message."

Chen Ji thought about it and realized that Mr. Su did not tell him the name of his old friend, so he could find the person by just saying one sentence.

"What's the matter?"

"An old friend from a hundred years ago has come to collect a debt."

Chen Ji spoke nervously.

The Taoist priest in charge of reception changed his expression slightly and stared at Chen Ji.

"Fellow Daoist, are you here to have some fun at this temple? We have dozens of people here, big and small. Without a name, you come to collect the money with just a few words. Isn't that a bit rude?"

"It really wasn't my intention. The elders in my family are old and some of their memories are unclear. When they heard that I was coming down the mountain, they asked me to come and ask."

Chen Ji explained.

"Friend Yan, can you testify for me?"

"Indeed, I trust Fellow Daoist Chen."

Yan Chixia nodded.

As a result, the Taoist priest in charge of reception was at a loss as to how to inform them.

After a pause, Chen Ji sighed.

"Forget it. Why don't I go with you to find Taoist Xiyun first? After asking him, we can see if he knows who the elder's old friend is."

"Alright."

"Infinite Heavenly Lord!"

The Taoist priest heaved a sigh of relief.

When Taoist Xiyun mentioned debt collection again, it was no longer his problem.

Then he led the way in front.

Yan Chixia had been here several times and took the opportunity to introduce the various halls in the temple to Chen Ji, who took the opportunity to visit.

"In addition to the Sanqing Hall, Lingguan Hall, and Zushi Hall, which are common in other Taoist temples, Qingfeng Temple also has four winds of the four seasons."

"This is the Mingshu Hall dedicated to the spring breeze."

"Every spring equinox, when the spring breeze blows through the palace, the hall is filled with the sound of hundreds of birds singing together, like the sound of zithers and harps, and the sound of nature lingering in the air. It is truly wonderful!"

Passing by a palace, Yan Chixia pointed at it and introduced it to Chen Ji.

“It’s really strange!”

As Chen Ji listened to the singing of hundreds of birds, the image of Miss Bai standing in the hall teasing the birds suddenly appeared in his mind.

On the day of the Spring Equinox, it seemed quite interesting that a fox and hundreds of birds made such noises in the temple.

A smile appeared on Chen Ji's face.

Yan Chixia didn't notice and continued to introduce himself.

"There are three other places of worship in the temple: Qingming Hall, Changhe Hall, and Guangmo Hall."

"Actually, the South Wind should be called Jing Feng or Kai Feng. I think the Taoist priest at Qingfeng Temple just wanted to find a suitable name, so he used the Southeast Xun Feng to make up the number."

"Ah, is that so?"

Chen Ji retracted his smile and came back to his senses from the scene just now. He felt that he should tell Mr. Su and Senior Huai about it after returning. It must be very interesting.

I responded subconsciously, but didn't take it to heart.

It's just a name, as long as you like it, and it's still in the eyes of others.

The Taoist priest in charge of reception turned pale.

At this time, a question came from a distance.

"Fellow Daoist Yan, you're here?"

The three of them stopped, and under an old pine tree in the distance, a white-haired Taoist priest slowly stood up and nodded in greeting.

"Master, they said they are your good friends and came to look for you."

The Taoist priest in charge of reception said hurriedly.

"Nothing, I already know, go ahead."

"Yes."

The Taoist priest who was in charge of reception hurriedly took his leave, fearing that if he walked any slower he would hear Chen Ji's words about collecting the debt.

"Master Xiyun, I hope you are well."

Fellow Taoist Yan Chixia greeted him and introduced himself to Chen Ji in a low voice.

"This is the current abbot of Qingfeng Temple. If you have any questions in the temple, you can consult Taoist Master Xiyun."

"Fellow Taoist, be compassionate."

Taoist Xiyun bowed and greeted Yan Chixia, then looked at Chen Ji.

"Why don't you introduce this fellow to me?"

"He's a fellow Taoist from Xiantai Mountain. He came up the mountain for something, so I brought him here to pay a visit to the Taoist priest."

"Fellow Taoist, be compassionate."

"Mercy, mercy."

Taoist Xiyun and Chen Ji greeted each other, and then looked at Yan Chixia.

"Fellow Daoist Yan, are you here to discuss Dao this time?"

"No, this time it's a battle of wits."

"Oh? You always chose to discuss Dao when we were going to duel, why do you want to duel today?"

"It's not me who wants to fight, but Fellow Daoist Chen."

Yan Chixia explained to Chen Ji with a smile.

"Qingfeng Temple has a long tradition of fighting. Anyone who can defeat the Taoist priests in the temple can make a request."

"Many of the fine swords in Tiejin Town were bought by the Taoists in Qingfeng Temple. If you want a good sword, it will take a while to forge it. Why not challenge them to a duel? If you win, you can get one faster."

"I see." Chen Ji finally understood why Yan Chixia asked him to come to Qingfeng Temple to watch the fight.

But there is one thing I don’t understand.

I only know two, or let's say three, magic spells. How can I win the fight?

"They will choose Taoists of your age to hone your skills. I've seen your skills, and I think you won't lose."

Chen Ji was stunned, but gained confidence.

If he were the same age as me, I probably wouldn't lose.

"Fellow Daoist, are you sure about the duel?"

Taoist Xiyun asked gently.

Chen Ji bowed and saluted.

"Originally, Shang felt that a hasty duel was inappropriate, but since it's a tradition within the temple and there are rewards, he wanted to give it a try."

"That's quite straightforward."

Taoist Xiyun laughed heartily.

"That's fine. Cultivation is all about broadening one's horizons. Since fellow Taoists have proposed it, I'll take the initiative and agree to it. I'll go to the Taoist temple and let them broaden their horizons."

"Let's go."

Taoist Master Xiyun led the way and walked towards the Taoist temple.

He picked up a few leaves, chanted some magic formulas and whispered a few instructions, then let go. The leaves flew up in the wind and turned into kingfishers that flew away into the sky.

"Good technique."

Chen Ji admired sincerely.

"The Blue Bird Communication Technique isn't considered profound. It's documented in many Daoist books. Haven't you read it, Daoist friend?"

Taoist Xiyun spoke slowly, half chatting, half testing.

"I have indeed never seen it. There is no such magic on the mountain."

"What kind of magic does fellow Daoist know?"

"Control fire, bind soul."

Taoist Xiyun's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise.

"This is not an ordinary technique. Daoist friend, your cultivation is truly different from that of ordinary people. It's difficult at first but becomes easier later. Didn't your master teach you?"

"I don't have a master. I just happened to learn it by chance."

"That's right."

Taoist Xiyun nodded, his eyes flickering and a little moved.

"Being able to master these two techniques without a teacher, fellow Daoist is indeed a promising cultivator. Would you consider joining my Qingfeng Temple?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Taoist Priest, but I don't have any such plans for the time being."

"Pity."

Taoist Xiyun shook his head.

"Then I hope that fellow Daoist will hold back and not embarrass the younger generation in the temple."

Unconsciously, Taoist Xiyun had already regarded Chen Ji as a peer and did not look down on Taoist priests of this age.

When the three of them arrived at the Taoist temple, many Taoists from Qingfeng Temple had already arrived.

Qingfeng Temple has always had rules, but most people come to the temple to discuss Taoism, but very few come to fight. Many people have never seen it, and today they come here specifically to watch the fun.

Even the Taoist priest who had just led the way was among them, talking to someone next to him.

When they saw Taoist Xiyun appear, everyone became quiet.

The pine waves rolled up the smoke from the stove, and in the sandalwood mist, the old Taoist spoke softly.

"This is the fellow Daoist who has come to fight. Those who have practiced for more than five years do not need to come out.

After the Taoist priest finished speaking, some older Taoist priests gave up the idea of ​​going forward and just watched quietly with their sleeves rolled up.

The younger ones were not convinced, but they looked at each other and did not dare to step forward. They were also a little afraid of what Taoist Xiyun would say.

After a while, a man who was about the same age as Chen Ji came out.

"Uncle Master, I want to try it, is that okay?"

"You, maybe it's possible, just be careful."

"Yes."

The young Taoist agreed.

"Disciple will be careful not to hurt this fellow Taoist."

Taoist Xiyun opened his mouth, but he didn't know how to say that he was reminding him to be careful.

I believe that Chen Daoyou is also a man of measure.

So everyone stepped back a few steps, leaving enough space for Chen Ji and the Taoist priest from Qingfeng Temple.

"My fellow Taoist, I am from the Qingfeng Temple, and I am skilled in calling the wind and rain. I have come to ask for your advice."

"Xiantai Mountain, Chen Ji, skilled in controlling fire and binding souls, please!"

The other party did not look down on or disdain Chen Ji just because he had no sect. He cautiously kept his distance from him at the beginning, chanting spells silently while holding his hand.

A wind slowly started to blow in the mission field, and a light rain began to fall.

Chen Ji then understood why Taoist Xiyun chose this Taoist priest.

When the technique is not profound, it cannot be released very far.

The storm was indeed not conducive to Chen Ji's use of fire control techniques. As long as Taoist Wei Ming kept a distance, he could consume him.

Unfortunately, Chen Ji had dealt with cunning demons and learned the essence of fighting from Yan Chixia.

As long as you can win, it's okay to change direction slightly.

If the Taoist doesn't come to your side, you can go to the Taoist's side.

So he looked in the direction of the Taoist priest and walked forward.

The Taoist was stunned for a moment, and then became a little flustered when he saw Chen Ji walking towards him, and quickly stepped back.

But walking backwards was far slower than Chen Ji's running, and he didn't dare turn around and run, so he soon let Chen Ji close the gap.

The wind and rain are still blowing.

However, Chen Ji knew that he had reached the distance where he could control the fire.

Then the hot and bright sun in his heart emerged again, and a fierce flame gushed out, enveloping the Taoist's whole body.

After a while, the flames dissipated, and the Taoist was unharmed.

The Taoist stood there in a daze. After checking carefully, he finally confirmed that there was no problem and bowed.

"My fellow Daoist has great skills and is very flexible in his fighting style. I am the loser."

"This is a discussion of the Dharma, so how can there be a winner or loser? Your Wind and Rain Technique is also very advanced! I'm grateful for your instruction!"

Chen Ji also bowed.

A smile appeared on the Taoist's face and he bowed to Chen Ji.

After the two men left the scene, Taoist Xiyun asked again.

"Anyone else want to fight?"

Now no one spoke, so Taoist Xiyun nodded and taught them that they should be humble, diligent and studious, so that they could achieve such profound skills like Chen Ji.

"If there's a next time, you must not lose to Fellow Daoist Chen."

Taoist Master Xiyun summarized it simply.

The Taoists looked at Chen Ji and decided to go back and try harder.

Taoist Xiyun then looked at Chen Ji with satisfaction.

"Let's go, since you want a sword, it's time to go and pick one."

　The young author is asking for recommendations, monthly tickets, and support for continuing reading. I have seen the problem that everyone mentioned it is too short. I will keep a record of it first, and then update it quickly after it is put on the shelves to repay the debt. I will definitely let everyone feel what it feels like to have a long, long, long, long and satisfying novel!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)