Chapter 444: Personal experience also becomes a fairy tale "Doesn't the snow lotus only grow for one year?" the merchant asked, "Is there really a thousand-year-old snow lotus in this world?" "Who said that snow lotus only grows for one year? You must not know enough." The scholar immediately turned around and explained to him sincerely, "It is said that the roots of snow lotus only grow for one year, but it is not always the case. For example, after leaving the northwest, the snow lotus on the Tianshan Mountains in the Western Regions often takes several years to grow." "Haha, I've also heard that the higher the mountain the snow lotus grows on, the colder the place it grows in, the slower it grows. It's even said that at the top of the Tianshan Mountain, where there's only rock and snow but no soil, there may be snow lotus growing there. That snow lotus has become a divine creature, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth and the coldness of the snowy mountain. It takes a thousand years for it to grow and bloom." "Yeah!" The scholar nodded repeatedly, as if he had found a soulmate: "That's right! I heard from people over there that there are immortals living at the highest point of the Tianshan Mountains in the south. The immortals grow thousand-year-old snow lotuses, planting a batch every fifty years, and they bloom every fifty years. Every time the snow lotus blooms, they hold a snow lotus meeting and invite all the immortals and monsters around to participate. Oh, just smelling the fragrance of the snow lotus is said to help immortals prolong their lives and help monsters practice." The scholar told the story vividly. Everyone listened with great interest. "There was a man in our place before. His last name was Zhao. Let's call him Mr. Zhao. It happened fifty years ago. He was also out doing business. When he was walking at the foot of Tianshan Mountain, it was also at night. It seemed that he encountered wind and rain or something. He stayed in an inn on the side of the road. There was another person living in that inn. He couldn't sleep at night, so they chatted with each other. "Mr. Zhao is very talkative, and I didn't expect that man to be talkative too. "They talked for a long time and both felt that they got along very well. Before going to bed, the man told Mr. Zhao that he was not actually a human, but a monster in a nearby river. Because of his success in spiritual practice, he was invited by the gods on Mount Tianshan to attend the Snow Lotus Meeting. The gods also told him that if they were destined to meet in the future, he could go to that river to drink with him.

"After hearing this, Lord Zhao couldn't sleep all night. “He also wants to go to the Snow Lotus Society. "The next morning, he quietly followed the monster all the way to the foot of Tianshan Mountain, and then followed him up the mountain. In the middle, he was stopped by some 'people' wearing snow-white armor. He said that he was also invited to participate in the Snow Lotus Conference. “In the end, I actually went to the Snow Lotus Society. "It is said that when he arrived at the meeting, everyone looked at him and thought he was strange or unfamiliar, but that man was really capable. He was extremely respectful to the gods on Mount Tianshan and presented them with precious treasures from the Central Plains that he had brought for the princess of a small country in the west. The gods said that his respect was the most precious gift, so they asked him to sit down and drink, and gave him a piece of snow lotus when he left. "That man lived until last year, he was nearly 100 years old, and he was still the same as when he was young. I used to go to his house to play when I was a child, but when I grew up, I felt a little scared for some reason, so I didn't dare to go anymore." The scholar sighed and said sadly: "Now that I think about it, I really shouldn't have done that. Although Mr. Zhao looks like a middle-aged man, he has the heart of an old man, kind and gentle, and he treated me very well. I stopped going when I grew up, and that hurt the old man's heart." "Oh, it's human nature. There's nothing to blame yourself for." The only old man among the group shook his head and said to him, "Some things are just like this. Everyone yearns for them, but when they don't happen to them, they always feel strange and resentful. Besides, when people get old, they scare children, not to mention people who are still young even if they are a hundred years old." "That makes sense." Lin Jue also spoke up to comfort the scholar, "The fact that you can think like this now shows that you have good character and morals. It's just a childhood thing, so there's really no need to blame yourself." The others also nodded. But then Lin Jue asked again: "I wonder how to participate in this Snow Lotus Club? If I offer treasures, can I get snow lotus as a reward?" "Haha! I just heard it from others, how could I know so much?" The scholar said with a smile, "Master, you asked so much, maybe you are attracted by the story and want to go to the Snow Lotus Festival to see the scene and ask for a piece of snow lotus, hahaha..." The scholar seemed to be completely relaxed and laughed out loud. But as he laughed, his expression stiffened again. Think about this place, a mountain post station close to the border. Think about it, it’s late at night and it’s thundering. If you think about this scene carefully, you would realize that on this road which was sparsely populated during the day, you would actually meet this Taoist who looked and sounded unusual. Isn’t this the same as in the story? Calculate the time! It is exactly another fifty years!

"Master, you are not also a demon or god who has been invited to transform into a human form and attend the Snow Lotus Conference, right?" the scholar asked hesitantly. As soon as the words fell, the others were also startled and turned to look at the Taoist and the fox. "Of course not." Lin Jue smiled and nodded at them. "It is said that the gods on Mount Tianshan are as holy as the ice and snow on Mount Tianshan. Anyone invited by them must be a virtuous goblin or ghost. If someone is not virtuous, he will be driven down by the gods if he goes to Mount Tianshan." The scholar stumbled and fell, terrified. "If the Taoist priest is virtuous, please don't lie to us..." "Indeed not." "That's good……" The scholar finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Hehe, I also heard rumors about the Snow Lotus Society when I was a child, but not in such detail, and I have almost forgotten it. But I also heard that the Tianshan Mountain is cold and lonely, and the gods who can live on the top of the mountain must not be bad people. The people at the foot of the Tianshan Mountain are hospitable, and most of the gods are like this. You have to go with sincerity. Even if it is just an ordinary person, there is no reason to stop you." The old man said, "It's a pity that I can't remember those stories when I was a child." The official also nodded and said, "Fifty years is too long. If the Snow Lotus Society really happens once every fifty years, rumors about it should arise every fifty years, because that's when people go to the society, and some people encounter ghosts and gods on the road, or even someone accidentally enters the Snow Lotus Society at this time, and then the rumors will spread. But as time goes by, people will slowly forget about it until the next fifty years." "That's it……" Lin Jue listened carefully and gained something from it. It was just as I had originally thought, the thousand-year-old snow lotus was probably not that rare. "Since several nobles have told stories, I will also tell one. However, I am not good at speaking, so please forgive me if I can't tell it well." The servant who followed the official also spoke. "There are no nobles here, only travelers seeking shelter from the rain." The official next to him said, "Everyone sits together, regardless of status, talking about fun things, just to get through the night." "Yes Yes Yes……" The servant named Saturday said: "When I followed my master in Zhangshan County, I also encountered ghosts. At that time, my master was a judge in Zhangshan County. "Once my master had a case in his hands that he couldn't decide, so he asked me to go to the prisoner village outside the city early in the morning to inquire about some matters. In order to avoid the eyes and ears of some nobles in the city, he asked me to leave the city before dawn. I was young and courageous at that time, so I left the city. “Unexpectedly, halfway through the journey, I met someone traveling with me. “The man spoke to me, and I spoke back to him. “At first he pretended to be a human, but I soon exposed him. I told him he was a ghost. I also said that my master was the most fair judge in the city, and if he wanted to harm me, he should come over. "When the ghost heard this, he immediately confessed. "He said he was from a nearby village and died last month. However, his wife was nine months pregnant and unfortunately he did not get to see their son. After arriving in the underworld, he felt aggrieved. “I still remember what he said— "He said that he had never done anything bad in his life, nor had he done many good deeds. However, when he was interrogated in the City God Temple, the City God said that although he had not done many good deeds, he had a kind heart. When he saw the weak and helpless, he often felt pity and wanted to help them. When he encountered unfair things, he often felt resentful and wanted to fight for justice. However, sometimes he lacked the ability. Most of the time, he did not help because he was embarrassed." Hearing this, the businessman asked in surprise: "Excuse me? Is there any shame in helping others?" "That's exactly what happened," the scholar said.

"I was also puzzled and asked, but the man said that was just like that. He was embarrassed to talk to others and to ask if they needed help." The servant said, "That's how it was. When he arrived at the City God's place, he was treated with some favors. The City God specially granted him a month to come back and see his son being born." The servant paused: "Later, I talked to him about the prisoner in the village next to them. After I came back, I told my master. When I went to look for him again, I found that there was indeed a man who had just died in that village, and his family indeed had a new wife who was pregnant for ten months and was about to give birth to a son. “What that person said also helped the master solve the case. "The master also gave his wife half a catty of silver to help him deliver the baby and take care of his health." The official listened and nodded repeatedly to prove that what his servant said was true, and said with emotion: "Although the one-month grace period was not long, it was just enough for me to fulfill my wish and see my son. This incident tells us that if we want to do good deeds, we'd better do it. It will be beneficial no matter what." After hearing this, everyone agreed with it. Then all eyes turned to Lin Jue. "Hey?" The fox was listening with great interest, but suddenly he was stunned. Then he reacted and immediately shrank behind the Taoist priest. "As a Taoist practitioner, you must have encountered many strange things in this world, right?" "I have indeed seen quite a few." Lin Jue said, "Since you have all spoken, and we have listened, it would be a shame if I didn't tell you one in return, so I will tell you one as well." Everyone became interested. The fox also came out from behind him, sat upright, raised its paw to lick it, and secretly glanced at the few people. "You mentioned the monsters in Qinzhou before. I also know something about it. I will tell you about an interesting one." Lin Jue first said to the middle-aged businessman, and then continued: “Before this, there were several big monsters in Qinzhou, but they did not cause trouble one after another. Instead, they appeared in the northwest and northeast at the same time and harmed the world. "At that time, there was a Taoist priest in the capital who had some Taoist skills. He told him to understand and he recovered. “Wu knows that Chang wants to get rid of the demon, but he is in a dilemma. "If you go to the northwest, the monsters there are fierce and violent, and you will definitely fight to the death. If you are not careful, you may die. If you go to the northeast, the monsters there are always peaceful and don't hurt people. They just preach, and the monsters in the northeast have magic that can make you immortal. "That Taoist priest couldn't tell for a moment." When they heard the word "Changsheng", everyone became very interested. Who in the world doesn’t want to live forever? "The Taoist priest went north and encountered a thunderstorm. He stayed overnight in a village temple. When it was almost evening, someone suddenly came in and stayed with him. They had a conversation. “The man said his surname was Chen, and his name was Chen Xiangli. "After talking to him, I found that Mr. Chen was very knowledgeable and had his own unique views on everything. After talking with him, the Taoist felt more cheerful, so he decided to follow his heart and go to the northwest where the monsters were fierce and violent, because the people there were being harmed by monsters at that time. "The two chatted all night. The next morning, when the cock crowed, the Taoist priest found that Mr. Chen was motionless. He walked over to take a look and found out that Mr. Chen was actually a judge in the temple. "Perhaps he sensed that he had concerns, so he showed up specially to talk with him and clear up his confusion. Lin Jue paused and said to the official: "It's the same as before."

"I can't compare with him." The official waved his hands. "I've heard that gods are like officials in the human world, with high and low positions and great and small divine powers, but there is no distinction between high and low. I didn't understand it at the time, but after hearing the Taoist's story, I finally understood why." The middle-aged businessman sighed, "Such gods, no matter what their positions are, deserve the respect of the world like Tianweng." "Who says it's not?" Just when they thought Lin Jue had finished his story, he continued speaking with a solemn and calm expression: “The most amazing thing is that the Taoist priest went to the northwest and fought fiercely with the monster. Although he would have died if he hadn’t been careful, he finally got rid of it with the concerted efforts of everyone. "But when he returned to the capital and heard the news from the northeast, he realized that the northeast, which he had thought was relatively safe, was actually a dangerous place. If he had gone to the northeast for ease, he would most likely have died by now. It was because he was willing to take risks for the people and fight the seemingly ferocious and violent northwest monsters that he went to a safer place and was lucky enough to survive. “I thought he was risking his life for the people, but it was this heart that led him to a safer place and saved him from danger. "I thought I was protecting the people, but it was the people he protected and his heart for protecting the people that protected him once in the dark." After hearing this, the middle-aged businessman felt familiar with it and immediately asked, "Is the Taoist talking about the Qinzhou subsidence?" "Exactly." "There is such a story behind this!" the middle-aged businessman couldn't help but exclaim. "Wonderful!" The officials also clapped their hands. "It is a blessing for the people to have such a great man living in the world!" "Maybe." "I think this Taoist master must have 'realized' this truth this time." The official added, "This kind of story should be passed down to teach future generations." The fox sat on the side with a serious look on his face. Lin Jue smiled but said nothing. (End of this chapter)