Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 31 Painted Umbrella

"squirrel?"

In the small courtyard, the wind picks pine nuts and the fire-roasted tofu smells fragrant.

A squirrel happened to run across the old pine tree, its fluffy tail brushing the sky, brightening the eyes of the three people, revealing a hint of astonishment.

The three of them were in a daze, thinking they had misheard.

"You mean squirrel?"

"A squirrel like that just now?"

"Exactly."

Chen Ji nodded.

The three of them were stunned and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, be careful and don't mess around!"

Yan Chixia advised in a low voice.

"The old abbot is a renowned master. It's extremely difficult for ordinary practitioners to obtain guidance. Don't waste such a good opportunity."

Taoist Master Xiyun also winked behind his master, signaling Chen Ji to ask questions carefully.

The old abbot looked at the old pine tree. The squirrel had already run away and no one knew where it was. Only the empty branches were trembling slightly. His eyes were calm, and no one knew what he was thinking.

The courtyard became quiet again.

After a moment, the old abbot turned around and looked at Chen Ji.

"I am a little confused, please enlighten me."

"Master, please speak."

"I see you've only just entered the Dao. Although your techniques are profound, they only cover two branches. You probably haven't even explored the Six Arts yet."

"I don't know why you would ask a demon how to practice?"

"Even if you want to ask a demon, my friend Mr. Fox, you should ask the fox how to practice, not ask a squirrel?"

"To be honest, I encountered a squirrel demon on my way down the mountain. Since I didn't know how to practice, it gave me some pine nuts and asked me to ask a master for advice."

"The abbot is a well-known master. I think he might have a way."

Chen Ji put down five pine nuts on the table and spoke slowly.

"These pine nuts are produced by old pines struck by lightning. They can nourish qi and cultivate the body. I ate one and the effect was no less than the tofu the abbot offered me. I wonder if you can try a cultivation method similar to that used by squirrels?"

The abbot looked at Songzi and nodded, his eyes becoming more and more satisfied.

"You!"

"No wonder Su Yu asked you to come and collect the debt and meet an old friend. He is indeed a trustworthy person."

After that, he stood up.

"When Su Yu left, he said he had entered the ghost path and didn't know when he would disappear. He was worried about the Confucian inheritance."

"We agreed with me that if there are any reliable people, please send them to me. I hope I can teach them something."

"He also said that people's hearts are unpredictable, and he may not be able to judge people accurately. Let me test him when the time comes."

Chen Ji was surprised.

"So the question just now was a test?"

"Of course."

The old man nodded.

"If you were asking for a magic weapon just now, the evaluation would be low; if you were asking about the confusion in your own cultivation, the evaluation would be medium; if you were asking about Su Yu's safety, the evaluation would be high."

"It's just that you, fellow Taoist, have truly exceeded my expectations. After learning about Su Yu's situation, you immediately inquired about it. Now, you're actually asking for a commission from a squirrel demon just because of a promise."

"I have never met such a sincere and trustworthy person in my life."

"Does the Taoist priest really have a way to help Mr. Su live longer?"

"If so, do you want to change the question?"

Chen Ji thought about it.

"I still have a 100-jin (approximately 1,000-year-old) Polygonatum at the fox's place. Is that enough to get another answer from the Taoist priest?"

"Good good!"

The old abbot cheered loudly, his eyebrows and hair dancing with joy.

"Su Yu is right. If you have such thoughts, why worry about your own cultivation?"

"Your vision is just not good enough. With your character, it would be a shame to follow his example and become a sour scholar."

"Originally, I planned to teach you the Six Arts, but now it seems that you seek virtue, while I thought you sought the Dharma. This is actually inferior."

"I see that your energy is healthy but your soul seems injured. How about I refine a batch of soul-nourishing pills for you?"

"Maybe it can make up for the missing soul?"

The old man shook his head.

"Of course I can't."

"Then there's no need to trouble the Master. My soul isn't injured, but it was manipulated by the bad guys. It's missing something, so the Soul Nourishing Pill is probably useless."

"Creating an animal? How could such a wicked person do this? What a sin!"

"In that case, the Soul Nourishing Pill is indeed useless."

The old Taoist thought again, but he was in a dilemma. For someone like Chen Ji, he really didn't know what to give him.

Taoist Xiyun seemed to be thinking about something and whispered a few words into the old Taoist's ear.

The old Taoist's eyes lit up.

"Excellent, excellent! Bring me something like that!"

Soon, Taoist Xiyun came over with a bamboo umbrella.

"As Daoyou said, other things may not be pleasing to me, but this one should be suitable."

"what is this?"

Chen Ji asked.

"Painted Skin Umbrella." Taoist Xiyun said.

"In the past, my master went down the mountain to hunt demons and ghosts. A painted-skin ghost wreaked havoc in the village, harming countless people. After my master slew the demon, he peeled off the ghost's skin and made this umbrella."

"Opening an umbrella conceals your appearance, making it impossible for even those closest to you to recognize you. It's perfect for hiding your whereabouts."

"So magical?"

Chen Ji opened his eyes wide and was shocked by the painted umbrella in front of him.

This was probably the first magical weapon he had ever seen, and its effect was indeed extraordinary.

The key is that it was made by the old master himself.

No wonder Yan Chixia said that he was the best master in the Three Mountains and One River area. He really has some skills.

"My friend, you escaped from the beast-eating soul technique. If the villains knew about this, they would definitely not let you go. This umbrella may be useful in the future, so there is no need to refuse it!"

"Thank you for the gift, Master. I'll send it to you once the Huangjing is prepared..."

"No need."

The old abbot waved his hand.

"My Qingfeng Temple has been open for over a hundred years. Although we are not wealthy, we are not short of these treasures. Since you have just entered the Dao, you can keep them for your own use."

"The demons of Xiantai Mountain will gather soon. You should also exchange some things."

Taoist Xiyun also said with a smile.

"Just accept it. Master rarely gives things to others."

"I want you to talk more!"

The old abbot scolded.

Taoist Xiyun said nothing, just smiled.

At this point, Chen Ji knew it was not good to continue refusing, so he bowed and expressed his sincere thanks.

"A gift from an elder cannot be declined. Next time I come to see the abbot, I must bring a good gift."

"understood."

The old abbot nodded indifferently and spoke slowly again.

"It's different with Taoist demons. The squirrel's cultivation method is definitely not available in the temple. There's no need to ask at the demon gathering. If you have the ability, go to Fenshan Town. Maybe there's something there."

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves lightly, and a few pine nuts flew back and landed in front of Chen Ji.

"You can take these with you. Squirrel gave them to you in exchange for the skills. You just asked a question. You don't deserve one."

"Then I would like to thank the master on behalf of the squirrels."

Chen Ji smiled.

It’s obvious that the old abbot has a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

The old abbot looked at the two of them again.

"It's getting late. Do you want to stay on the mountain later?"

"I have gained some insights from discussing the Dao, so I will not disturb you any more and will return to cultivate."

Yan Chixia bowed respectfully.

"how about you?"

The old abbot asked Chen Ji again.

"I'll go back to town. I have some things to deal with. I'll go back to Xiantai Mountain after I'm done. Since it's getting late, I'll leave first."

Chen Ji also bowed and said goodbye.

"Don't bother, I'll give you a ride."

The old abbot picked up a pen and wrote and drew on the talisman paper. In just a cup of tea, he had drawn a boat. He then pinched the magic formula and chanted a spell before picking up the talisman.

"Close your eyes! Go!"

When Chen Ji heard this, he subconsciously closed his eyes.

The old Taoist slapped Chen Ji in front of him.

"boom!"

The shirtless burly man threw down the big bag on his back and smashed it onto the bluestone road, raising a lot of dust.

There were shops on both sides, all with their doors open and fires burning brightly.

The wall was piled with dry firewood.

The anvils and hammers banged.

The sound of ironwork and the hustle and bustle of the street filled my ears.

Chen Ji moved his hands, feet and lips and felt no discomfort.

One cannot help but marvel at the magical power of the old abbot.

In the blink of an eye, he came down from Qingliang Mountain and arrived at Tiejin Town.