Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 78 There is a Mountain God

It only took half an hour to collect the lightning-struck wood, but the smell on it lingered for a long time.

When Chen Ji woke up the next day, he could still smell the scent of saltpeter mixed with pine resin in his hands.

This reminded Chen Ji of a bracelet he had bought when he visited a temple, which was said to be made of lightning-struck wood.

There seemed to be this smell at first, but it was gone the next day.

According to Taoist Master Xiyun, these are all inferior things, not as good as the high-quality lightning-struck wood that he personally picked.

I can't go back, otherwise I could compare the differences.

Chen Ji sighed and pushed the door open.

I happened to see Taoist Xiyun sitting on a chair, carving something with a carving knife in his hand.

Only when I walked over did I see clearly that there were a lot of wood chips on the ground. As Taoist Xiyun moved, new debris fell.

"What is the Taoist priest doing?"

"Carving a magical instrument."

Taoist Xiyun smiled slightly.

"I promised my fellow Daoist that I would make a magical instrument, so naturally I have to prepare it."

"But after thinking about it, I realized that the wood struck by lightning yesterday wasn't suitable for use as an amulet, so I changed it."

"This is the lightning-struck jujube wood I asked them to send from the mountain. It's great for making amulets, and I might as well make some for fellow fox Taoists."

"Thank you, Taoist Priest!"

"Mercy, mercy, I also want to thank you for bringing me to the Dharma viewing, otherwise I wouldn't have picked up these lightning-struck woods."

Taoist Xiyun smiled and returned the greeting, continuing his carving.

Chen Ji then thought of Bai Shixue's weapon refining.

"Master, is this carving a magical instrument?"

"nature."

"But Bai Shi, who practices the art of refining weapons, says that even after forging a weapon well, one needs to develop spiritual intelligence before one can use it. Why is that?"

"Is it a weapon refining method?"

Taoist Xiyun nodded slightly.

"That's definitely more difficult, and it's different from what I carved."

"Please tell me in detail, Taoist priest."

"There's nothing much to elaborate on."

Taoist Xiyun spoke slowly.

"Lightning-struck wood carries the power of thunder and is considered a natural magical tool. We simply carve its shape into it. If you're not particular, you can just hold it directly."

"Isn't it also mentioned in the storybooks? The lotus platform and gourds born naturally always have some special functions, and thus become the magical instruments of those powerful people."

"Metal instruments are much more complicated. They require blood and sweat, they need to be tempered by thunder tribulations, and they also need to be possessed by evil spirits and ghosts. That's why they are considered magical arts."

"I heard that weapon refining also requires the skills of controlling fire, such as heart fire, earth fire, sky fire, and Samadhi fire..."

"This is something I'm not good at either. I'm afraid I'll have to ask fellow Taoists who specialize in refining weapons."

"That's it."

Chen Ji finally understood why Bai Shi said that he had only mastered some of the weapon refining skills.

If we go by this standard, it would be a bit of a stretch to say it's anything. I'm afraid it can only be considered entry-level.

But as long as there is progress, it is good. If you take one step at a time, you will succeed.

At this time, Bai San came in from the front yard and said that a craftsman came to look for Taoist Xiyun.

"Craftsman?"

"Perhaps the craftsmen who sculpted the statues of the Five Great Mountains have gathered and are here to look for me. I told them I'd stay here temporarily."

After saying that, he looked at Chen Ji.

"Fellow Daoist, would you like to go and see the statue being shaped?"

"If possible, I would like to go and see it."

Chen Ji had never seen the process of shaping a statue. Especially after knowing that there were gods in this world, he became even more curious about how the statue was shaped.

"Then let's go. It's a good opportunity for us to go together."

Taoist Master Xiyun put away the carving knife, collected the half-carved piece of lightning-struck wood, and even gathered together the broken wood chips.

"Will these be useful if I keep them?"

Chen Ji noticed Taoist Xiyun's actions and asked curiously.

"nature."

Taoist Xiyun laughed and picked up the crumbs and put them into a small cloth bag.

"Lightning-struck wood chips are also rare treasures. Once you collect enough, you can use them to draw talismans, start fires, add eye-openers, and make incense... Fellow Daoist, don't think these are just ordinary wood chips."

……

Chatting along the way.

Soon, they followed the craftsman who led the way to the door of a workshop and heard noisy sounds coming from inside.

"I've asked Song San to invite the Taoist priest over. You should all remember the instructions carefully."

"These statues were requested by the Taoist priest of Qingfeng Temple. Don't make any mistakes."

"We don't need to make the first one. We have made many statues of the Five Great Emperors before, so don't worry."

"That's good!"

When Song San pushed open the door, Chen Ji saw more than twenty people standing in the workshop.

Wearing short hemp clothes, he either holds a hammer or a tile knife.

When he saw Chen Ji and the others come in, he smiled with clear eyes, clasped his fists and said, "Master, please be merciful."

"Mercy, mercy."

Taoist Xiyun returned the greeting solemnly, and Chen Ji also followed suit and bowed.

But he heard the voice that had just given orders to the craftsmen, and felt a little surprised.

"Master Chen is here too?"

"Do you recognize Fellow Daoist Chen?"

Taoist Xiyun asked.

"Of course I recognize him. Taoist Chen has done such great things. Everyone in the town knows that Taoist Chen is a capable person."

"That makes things much easier."

Taoist Xiyun smiled and nodded.

"The statue of the Five Great Mountains mentioned earlier is what Daoist Chen wants to request. If you have any questions, just tell him directly."

"So it was Taoist Chen who wanted to invite me. No wonder Taoist Xiyun didn't make any requests that day."

He bowed his head, looked at Chen Ji with a smile, and asked confidently.

"We've also sculpted some statues of the Five Great Emperors, but I wonder what kind Taoist Master Chen wants?"

"What kind are they?"

Chen Ji really doesn't quite understand this.

"Mainly clay sculptures, stone carvings, wood carvings, copper and iron castings, and dry lacquer and paper-mâché."

"Aside from the craftsmanship, are there any other differences between these items?"

"I wonder how big the statue should be?"

"It's about the same size as those found in ordinary mountain god and land god temples."

Chen Ji said slowly.

There is no City God Temple in Tiejin Town.

Apart from Qingfeng Temple, he had never been to any other temples.

I have seen some statues of gods before, but the temple is quite large and the statues are extremely tall. They should not be suitable for the requirements of a mountain temple. It would be better to ask the leaders.

"Then it's not too big."

The leader understood what was going on after hearing what was said.

He picked up the chisel and started practicing on the ground.

"A typical mountain temple is only one room large enough to house an eight-foot statue."

"If the Taoist priest wants to invite the Five Sacred Gods, he'll need at least three statues of this size."

"That's a bit big."

Chen Ji thought that building such a mountain temple on Xiantai Mountain was indeed a bit eye-catching, so he shook his head.

"The statue can be smaller. One is enough for the temple."

"That's right."

He thought for a moment, erased what he had just drawn, and started drawing on the ground again.

"For a temple, it's most convenient to carve from a wooden base. Six feet high is just right."

"The craftsman is experienced and has ready-made materials. It will take at most two months to carve it and install it."

"That'll do."

The mountain temple has not been repaired yet, but it should be done in a month or two.

Chen Ji nodded and thought of something else.

"We need to reserve a place for the deity to accompany you. Please help me prepare the base." "Of course, I'll take note of what you said."

Then he asked if someone was needed to repair the temple.

"That's not necessary, it's already been agreed upon."

"Then there's nothing else to do. I'll go talk to the Taoist priest after the statue is finished."

"Don't you need to pay money?"

Chen Ji was a little surprised.

"If others may need it, then Master Chen, of course, doesn't need it."

"Why?"

Zuotou laughed heartily, his eyes full of admiration.

"Even the saints say that the Taoist priest is virtuous. How can we not trust him?"

"The two plaques that Taoist Priest Dao has now were also made by us brothers."

"Thank you so much, Master Craftsmen. However, I still need to know how much silver is needed. If it's not enough, I will go and get more."

“Is that so…”

When he heard that it was for money, the leader became serious and looked behind him to find someone who was good at accounting to discuss it together.

But it only takes a cup of tea to figure out the rough idea.

"The five statues will cost about 115 taels of silver. The pedestals for the accompanying deities will be used by the apprentices for practice. We can make some modifications later, so they won't be counted."

"What do you think, Taoist Priest?"

"Thank you for your help, it's very suitable."

That's the deal.

Chen Ji bowed and returned to the pharmacy with Taoist Xiyun. On the way, he was still thinking about how to raise the money.

Taoist Master Xiyun saw him thinking and asked him what he was worried about.

Chen Ji then told the truth.

Taoist Xiyun laughed and shook his head.

"You are indeed worrying too much, fellow Daoist."

"Xiantai Mountain is rich in resources. Even if the mountain god gave you some Polygonatum and Bupleurum, selling them would be enough to build a temple and statues."

"really."

Chen Ji nodded, but with some concerns.

"But isn't this a bit bad? I remember that if a deity is made through incense, the temple should be built with donations from the people."

"That's fine, but it's a little slow."

Taoist Xiyun said slowly.

"Miss Bai returned to the mountain a few days ago and told the mountain god to pay attention to the people making a living on the mountain. Saving a life will earn you some merit. When there are more people, more people will come to repair the temple. That would be the best."

Chen Ji nodded and looked towards Xiantai Mountain, but he didn't know what the mountain god would choose.

"This way, it's better to go down."

A cliff on Xiantai Mountain.

Two herbalists with hemp ropes tied around their waists were swinging down from the top of the mountain, searching for herbs on the cliff.

The backpack behind him was empty, with no harvest at all.

The younger herbalists asked as they climbed when they would go back.

The old herbalist gritted his teeth and clung to the cliff.

"If I can't find anything today, I'll stay in the mountains and not go back. I'll need food even if I go back, so it'd be a waste of time... Gurgle..."

The herbalist's throat was rolling as he spoke, and he looked at the cluster of pink and purple flowers on the cliff in disbelief, his eyes lighting up.

"There looks like there's a Dendrobium nobile there!"

"where?"

"There! Next to the rocks."

The young herbalist looked in the direction of the finger and became excited as well.

"It really is!"

"Such a fine golden hairpin dendrobium, if delivered to the pharmacy in good condition, would be worth at least two taels of silver."

"Two taels of silver?"

The old herbalist's eyes lit up as he looked at the cluster of pink and purple flowers. He looked up at the rope and gritted his teeth.

"The rope might not be enough, I'll just crawl over and pick it!"

"No, Daddy, it's too dangerous."

The young herbalist looked down.

The cliffs were as sharp as a knife and the mountain wind was like a waterfall, which made people lose their composure and they hurriedly called out to the old herbalist.

"That's okay. I'll just hook over there and then climb. It won't be far."

"If we can't find any good herbs this time, our family will be out of food!"

"Then I'll go pick it!"

Hearing this, the young herbalist stiffened his neck.

"Fuck off! What can you do with your half-baked skills? Stay here!"

The old herbalist cursed, looked in the right direction, kicked off the stone wall and swung towards the dendrobium.

The veins on his arm holding the rope were knotted. The moment he got close to the cliff, he gritted his teeth and smashed out the hook.

"Qiang!"

The intersection of metal and stone is actually hanging firmly on the cliff.

"Daddy, be careful!"

The younger herbalists shouted.

"It's okay, it's already stuck. I'll crawl over now."

The old herbalist calmed himself, untied the rope, and climbed towards the Dendrobium not far away.

The mountain wind is strong and the cliffs are steep.

It took him a quarter of an hour to climb to a distance of less than ten feet.

As we were almost there, I could see with my own eyes that this cluster of Dendrobium was growing well, and it was actually twice as much as I had estimated.

I was even happier, so I picked most of them and put them in my backpack.

After thinking about it, he felt uneasy, so he took out all of them, wrapped them in cliff moss, put them in his arms, and muttered to himself.

"Thanks to the mountain gods, I'm lucky to have collected so many dendrobiums. The rest will be left to others who are destined to have them!"

The old herbalist touched the more than one or two taels of silver in his arms and grabbed the rope tied to the hook again.

But protecting the Dendrobium is always a little bit off.

He was reluctant to put it back in the backpack, so he made up his mind and stretched out his arm to grab it regardless of the distance.

But unexpectedly, his foot slipped and he fell off the cliff.

The young herbalist was stunned by the sight of this scene. He reached out to grab it hastily, but only grabbed an empty rope.

"father!"

The mountain wind was turbulent, like crying and complaining, but there was not a single echo.

The young herbalist no longer cared about anything else. He threw away his backpack, grabbed the rope and climbed up the mountain in a few steps, then changed the route to go down the mountain.

I hurried all the way and fell countless times. When I reached the foot of the mountain, I could no longer see any human form.

When I reached the bottom of the cliff where I was picking herbs, I was stunned by the scene in front of me.

On the grass in the forest, the old herbalist was lying flat on the ground with a few broken branches beside him. He only had a few scratches on his body, and his arms and legs were intact, and he was even breathing weakly.

The young herbalist rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he saw, but still stepped forward to test it out.

Sure enough, a warm breath came from his nose, and he heard a rather difficult cry of pain. The old herbalist actually woke up slowly.

"Daddy, are you...are you okay?"

The young herbalist asked anxiously.

The old herbalist's eyes were blurred, and it took him a while to come back to his senses and look at him.

"Am I dead?"

"Of course I'm not dead. Why would Dad say such depressing things? It's just... Dad, do you still remember what happened? Falling from such a high mountain, he only had some minor injuries, even his bones are still intact. This is incredible!"

"It seems that a few branches blocked it, which slowed it down a lot, so he didn't die."

The old herbalist looked up, his eyes flashing.

He felt his arms again and found that even the dendrobium was intact, so Yu became more respectful and knelt down to kowtow.

"It seems to be true. There really is a mountain god in Xiantai Mountain!"

"Why does Daddy say that?"

The old herbalist looked at the cliff and spoke of what had just happened with emotion.

"When I fell from the sky just now, my mind went blank. I felt like I was dead."

"But then I heard a voice saying that they were the mountain god of Xiantai Mountain. They sensed that a kind person was in trouble and came to help. They grew branches from the mountain to block me. That's how I was able to make it all the way down to the ground alive. They also said that these herbs could be sold to Huxian Medicine Hall in Tiejin Town."

"The Huxian Medicine Hall? Then let's go take a look."

(End of this chapter)