Chapter 27 Tiger Banquet "I heard that most ghosts in the world have little power and often suffer from hunger. Wild ghosts are even more so. If they cause disasters for no reason, they may not be able to get over it. They are also afraid of encountering a master who is not afraid of them, or being blamed and punished by the gods. Therefore, once they encounter something, they will seize the opportunity and even fabricate people's faults, either asking people to offer sacrifices or ask for help. “I don’t know whether this story is true or not.” Lin Jue paused and thought, "If I remember correctly, I stepped over his head last night when I was looking for a place to stay. If the story is true, he didn't use this as an excuse to force me to help like the rumors say. He is more gentlemanly than those wild ghosts in the rumors." "Where did you hear that?" "I heard it from the village elders and thought it might make sense." "I did see some ghostly aura on the young lay Buddhist." The old Taoist priest smiled and did not say whether the rumor was true or not. He just continued to ask, "What are the young lay Buddhists planning to do now?" As the sky grew brighter, they could see each other's faces clearly. The old Taoist priest was rather thin, with wrinkles all over his face. His age was unknown, but he looked quite ethereal and kind. He was carrying a bag, and looked like he was going on a long journey. The girl next to him was very young, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a fair complexion, a pointed chin, delicate features, and a rather exquisite appearance. She also carried a shoulder bag and just stood silently beside the old Taoist without saying a word. "Ugh……"

Lin Jue sighed, "Although I haven't agreed in my dream, what reason is there for not doing this kind of thing? If you are in a hurry, please go ahead. I will walk faster later. If we are destined to do so, I can catch up with you before we go our separate ways." "In this case, what's the use of staying here to lend a hand? Besides, I don't have many years left to live. Who knows if I will end up in the same situation as this person in many years?" The old Taoist priest did not leave, but just looked to the side. The girl clearly felt his gaze, but didn't understand what he meant at first. She turned her head to look at him, then turned to look at Lin Jue, and sometimes looked at the coffin board on the side of the road in the distance. There was obvious confusion and thought on her little face. After thinking for a long time, she finally understood. But once she understood, she didn't hesitate at all. She put down her bag and wooden stick, rolled up her sleeves, and walked quickly over to help. So Lin Jue took off his machete and turned it into a hatchet. After some effort, he found a dead and dry tree and started to chop it down with a grunt. The girl came with great momentum, but when she really got in front of him, she found there was no way she could help. She had to stand by and pretend to hold the tree for him, then lowered her head and watched him chop without saying a word. It wasn't long before a piece of wood was chopped off. Lin Jue carried the wood and walked to the side of the coffin. He gestured and repaired it several times, and finally made it fit the shape of the hole in the coffin. He stuffed it in with force and knocked it a few more times. When he turned around, the girl behind him just happened to be holding a handful of wood chips, and silently handed them to him. "Thank you." Lin Jue selected a few pieces to fill the gaps. When he felt it was almost done, he found some thick dead leaves and covered it on top. He then used a hatchet to dig up some soil from the side and covered it with it. After stomping it down, he was satisfied. "Is the young layman finished with the repair?" "It's fixed." "Where to go next?" "After that..." Lin Jue paused and frowned in thought. The old man and the young man both looked at him, one of them was smiling, while the other had eyes full of curiosity. By this time it was completely light.

In the distance, there were even early-morning business travelers approaching. One could hear the sound of horse bells and wheels rolling over the hard ground, echoing among the mountains in the early morning. It was quite quiet and peaceful. "To be honest, last night that guy told me a 'good thing' in order to get my help. I don't know if it's true or not, and I don't know if I should go." Lin Jue frowned and recalled, "But now I think I'm willing to believe that what he said is true, but even so, I don't know if I should go." "what?" "He said that today, on the mountain behind us, there is a hammer-shaped mountain. The king of the mountain is holding a banquet there and inviting people to attend. He said that I can also go..." Lin Jue gave a brief account of the incident. "What a coincidence!" The old Taoist smiled and said to him, "I have recently heard that the mountain king on this mountain is holding a banquet and inviting all the demons and ghosts that have never caused trouble to attend. In the past, there was a fine wine called 'Thousand Day Wine' at the mountain king's banquet. I have a disciple who likes to brew and drink wine the most, so I plan to join in the fun and see if I can bring some back." "Ok?" Lin Jue couldn't help but stare at them. The ghost in the dream also seemed to mention "Thousand Day Wine". If the old Taoist had not said it, the name of the wine would have become blurred as the dream faded. Only after hearing what the old Taoist said did he remember it. At the same time, Lin Jue also remembered something else, so he looked at the old Taoist carefully. Old Taoist... "I wonder where the immortal came from?" Lin Jue asked carefully choosing his words. "It's too far to go out and visit friends." "Have you passed Qiuru County?" “Yes.” "When I was in Danxun County, I heard that a master came to Qiuru County and eliminated demons in Qiuru County. But is he a real person?" "I did get rid of an evil demon in Qiuru County, but it was just a casual act, not worth mentioning." "This……" Lin Jue really thought it was a coincidence. When they first met, he only felt that the old Taoist had an extraordinary demeanor. In addition, he had a good impression of the monk in Zhushan Temple before, so he thought that even if he was just an ordinary Taoist, it might be interesting to walk with him. There must be a teacher among three people, and it is possible to gain something. Later, he told the old Taoist about the ghost in his dream. He looked normal and said that he did see some ghost aura on him. Lin Jue thought that he might have some skills. I didn’t expect it to be the one the Wei family mentioned. At this time, he knew very well that the old Taoist beside him was the immortal master he was looking for. However, on the one hand, there was this immortal master whom he met by chance, and on the other hand, there were Mount Qiyun and Mount Yi, which he had already planned to visit. He was in a dilemma for a while. "Does the real person want to attend the banquet as well?" "Young layman, would you like to have a companion?" "Of course I would." Where is the doubt now? "But even if that mountain gentleman is hospitable by nature, it is unreasonable for him to come empty-handed. Do you have any gifts prepared?"

"Is this possible?" Lin Jue took out peach gum from his body. "The essence of the peach demon!" The old Taoist only took a glance and knew it, and still said kindly: "This is also a good thing. You don't need so much, three or two will be enough, and you should keep the rest." This person is indeed not an ordinary Taoist. Lin Jue took the peach gum back. "Then let's go." The old Taoist said in a clear and carefree voice, "We have to take the mountain road. The grass and trees are growing lushly at this time of year. The hatchet that the young monk brought with him will come in handy." "..." Lin Jue didn't say anything. This was just as it should be. So he walked for a while with the old Taoist and the girl, and they discussed with each other how to identify the road. When they left the official road and walked onto the small path, Lin Jue walked in front. He was the one who knocked away the spider webs in the early morning and cleared away the thorns and weeds that blocked the way. "Why don't you use a hatchet to chop?" "To be honest, when I was in Danxun County, I once encountered a fairy who was transformed from a peach tree. I had a good chat with it and it gave me peach gum. So I thought that plants and trees also have spirits. If there is no need, don't cut them down." "If you don't cut them down, the woodcutters who come up the mountain will cut them down in the fall and winter and tie them up into firewood to sell to people in the city." "I think they will make good firewood then." "Haha! Great answer!" "Thank you..." "What is it you are asking for?" “Just be at peace.” "It's good to have peace of mind!" The old Taoist nodded repeatedly, smiling. In May, not only are thorns growing wildly and the woods are deep, but snakes and insects are also most active. The group climbed up the mountain for most of the day and saw snakes several times. The most dangerous one was a snake that crossed the mountain in front of them. It was as thick as a man's arm. It was a rare snake with a strong territorial nature. When it saw someone intruding, it even stood up and stared at the group, trying to scare them away and not let them pass. This old Taoist priest is indeed quite capable. He walked forward, smiling, bowed to the snake, and then said, "We are just passing by, we have no ill intentions, please allow us to pass." The snake stared at him and actually avoided him. The old Taoist only said: gather the beasts and train the birds. Lin Jue had more respect for him. It was almost dusk when Lin Jue stopped, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and looked back. All he saw was layers of forest below. The official road and the place where he had walked in the morning were no longer visible. I don't know how high I climbed along the way, I just know that it happened like this several times. When I looked back, I saw deep forests, and when I looked up, I saw that there were still higher mountains ahead. It seemed that there were endless levels, and then I finally saw the mountain that looked like a hammer.

It turned out to be a hammer, not a wolf's head. The mountain is made of rock, like an inverted hammer, with some pine trees growing on top and rocks and silky green grass all below. However, it seems that the hammer itself got its name because it looks like a wolf's head, which is not too far off the mark. Lin Jue looked back at the Taoist priest behind him, only to see that he was still calm, not even sweating and his hair was not messy. The girl's stamina was much better than he thought. She was in almost the same condition as himself, except that her face was flushed and her clothes were soaked with sweat. However, she kept following them to climb the mountain without complaining about being tired. This little girl is not squeamish. When Lin Jue withdrew his gaze again, he was suddenly startled. A huge wild boar suddenly appeared in the grass ahead. The wild boar was probably as heavy as two or three adults. It was fat and strong, with sharp fangs and erect mane, and it stared at them straight in the eyes. The old Taoist priest laughed and stepped forward. Just when Lin Jue thought that he was going to use the "method of gathering beasts and taming birds" to persuade the huge wild boar to leave, he saw him reach into his sleeve, take out a small porcelain pot, bow and say: "I am He Xianyu, also known as Yunhe Daoist. I heard by chance that the mountain lord was holding a banquet on the road. I happened to bring the spiritual spring from the mountain, so I came to attend the banquet." The wild boar stared at him with a gleam in its eyes, then walked over and sniffed at the old Taoist and the porcelain bottle in their hands, then turned its head and looked at the two people behind it. "This little girl is my future disciple." "Oh, I'm Lin Jue. I just happened to hear that the mountain king was holding a banquet on the mountain. I've always admired fairies, ghosts, and gods from all over the world, so I came to visit with gifts." Lin Jue was full of curiosity and nervousness, his heart was beating fast, but he still spoke sincerely. Three pieces of peach gum were served. I came to visit the banquet for no reason, and I felt that the gift was too small, but the peach gum was given by the peach demon. In addition to its own value, it also had a little friendship. Although Lin Jue and the tree demon only knew each other for a short time and had no friendship, this friendship was hard to explain, but it could not be ignored. Previously, the old Taoist said that three or two would be enough. After some hesitation, Lin Jue chose to obey, but he also took a larger number, giving three as a gift and keeping two. Then he saw the wild boar come forward, and then came in front of him and the girl, sniffing carefully, and also sniffing the peach gum in his hand. Its eyes flickered a few times, and then it retreated and turned to walk up the mountain. The old Taoist priest followed. Lin Jue followed. Know in your heart—— This is probably the tiger's home. (End of this chapter)