Chapter 36 You are lucky to meet me (ask for monthly ticket) Canteen, breakfast. A bowl of vegetable porridge, unlimited servings, an egg per person, nothing wrong except that the vegetables were still a bit bitter. But there was a plate of kimchi in the middle, which was salty and choking, and even a bit chewy. There were only six people eating there. The others haven't gotten up yet. This place is too leisurely. It’s just that Lin Jue has not started practicing spiritual techniques or learning spells yet. He still needs to do morning lessons. At the same time, he is not used to such a leisurely life. After breakfast, he seems to have nothing to do. "Junior brothers and sisters, are you free?" "Big brother." "Big Brother!"

The two responded one after the other. "You just came to the mountains and are not used to life in the mountains yet. I will find something for you to do." "Big Brother, just go ahead." "Big Brother, please speak!" Naturally, both of them had a good attitude. "There will be pilgrims coming today. One of you will stay and help me receive the pilgrims. It will be a good opportunity to learn how to receive pilgrims. There is not enough firewood in the temple, so the other person will go to the mountain to chop firewood." The eldest brother looked at them with a smile. The junior sister looked at Lin Jue first. "I'm going to chop wood." Lin Jue said naturally, "I just happened to bring a hatchet with me up the mountain." "it is good!" The eldest brother was not surprised, and just said to him: "But we are in Yishan here, which is a little different from other places. If you want to go to the mountain to chop wood, I have something to tell you." "About the mountain spirit?" "The mountain monsters are only one aspect. If you encounter a mountain monster, remember to say that you are a disciple of Fuqiu Temple. When you put on the Taoist robe in the future, no monster will bother you. At most, they will tease you. Remember to stick to your original intention and don't be tempted, so you won't lose your composure. As for the wild beasts nearby, Fourth Junior Brother has warned them not to hurt people easily." "take note of it." "Also, when you're cutting firewood in the mountains, you can't just cut down any tree you see. If it's a small, living tree, you have to leave it alone. For a big, living tree, you can only cut the branches at the bottom. If there are no branches below, you can't cut it. It's best to find a dry dead tree, which is also easy to burn and doesn't need to be dried up." "anything else?" "The road deep in Yishan is dangerous, so be careful when walking. This mountain is very strange, mostly rocks and little soil. It is extremely difficult for pine trees to grow on the mountain, and they are favored by the mountain god, so don't cut them down. If you come across a wooden stake on the mountain halfway, don't sit down easily just because you are tired. It may be a seat for a monster in the mountain." When the eldest brother said this, he couldn't help but smile and reminisce, "These are what my master told me at the beginning." "remember." "Go ahead. It doesn't matter if you don't have enough firewood. You can just pick up some pine cones and burn them."

"it is good!" Lin Jue didn't say anything and agreed. Where can you learn without working these days? Besides, looking at the Taoist temples, most of them are self-sufficient. Chopping wood is the simplest thing, it just takes some effort. If you don’t do it yourself, will you leave it to the old masters or brothers to do it? So he turned around to get a hatchet, and went to find a backpack, a shoulder pole and two pieces of rope, and took the remaining glutinous rice cakes with him, and walked towards Fuqiu Peak in the direction pointed by the eldest brother. There are many plants along the way. Of course, weeds were no good, and thorn bushes were lush and green at this time of year, so they were not suitable for use as firewood. As for some large trees, the lower branches had been chopped off, and there was not a single dead tree. This is also normal. Fuqiu Temple has been here for so many years, and the firewood that is closest to it is always the first to be chopped down every year. Then you have to go to a higher place. Go deeper. Go far away. It was early in the morning in the mountains, and the morning mist had not yet dispersed, making it extremely cool. Now Lin Jue no longer had to worry about wandering around the world, nor did he have to worry about where to find a teacher. With his mind at peace, he was naturally in a very good mood. Why would he be afraid of long journeys? Gradually entering the depths of the white clouds. Fuqiu Temple is located at the foot of a mountain peak. You may not notice it from the Taoist temple, but as you go higher, the scenery of this place gradually becomes apparent. Occasionally, you can see exposed granite, and ancient pines rooted in the cracks of the rocks. I don't know whether the ancient pines happened to grow in the cracks of the rocks, or whether the roots split the rocks. You can often hear the singing of unknown birds and the roar of unknown beasts, echoing in the mountains and in the clouds. Do not harm the ancient pines, be careful when cutting down living trees, look for dead wood, cut more dead branches, and if you come across extra pine cones on the ground, pick some up. Lin Jue gradually also cut some firewood. The mountain became steeper and steeper, and before I knew it I had passed through a dense forest. When I looked back, I saw an open expanse of land. I saw green mountains in the distance overlapping into shadows, there were thousands of layers of them. The morning mist accumulated on the ground and in the valleys, forming a sea of ​​clouds. The contrast with the inky green mountains made them look even whiter and more shocking. Looking back again, there was a stone peak above my head. “Is this Fuqiu Peak?” Lin Jue looked carefully and found a little bit of the shadow of the "Fuqiu Peak" that the old Taoist had pointed out to them from a distance. There were also two stone peaks next to it, one of which had a scissors-like gap. It was so cool at this time, I was full of energy and in a good mood, so naturally I wanted to climb up and take a look. But you have to chop wood first. There are quite a lot of dead wood and branches here. The side branches under the big trees have not been cut much, and some have grown again after being cut. "Bang..." The sound of chopping trees continued to be heard in the mountains. It still echoes among the clouds and mountains. Things like chopping wood don't require much thought or effort. You just need to keep doing the same thing. There's no need to rush, and you'll gain something. It's surprisingly fun to do. Lin Jue was neither hurried nor anxious. It didn't take long for him to cut down a lot of dead branches. He tied them into two bundles with ropes and filled his backpack.

"Done!" Then it was time to climb the mountain. The firewood shoulder pole and the backpack were placed aside. Lin Jue only put the glutinous rice cake in his pocket and picked up the hatchet and climbed up the mountain. Before I knew it, my clothes were wet. It wasn't rain, it was sweat and fog. The truth is that the mountain is too high and has already been lost in the clouds. Even if it is a sunny day without rain, your clothes will still get wet if you go deep into the clouds. At the same time, the closer you get to the top, the steeper it becomes. To get to the top you even have to use your hands and feet. Fortunately, it’s not far away and doesn’t take much effort. The boy quickly climbed to the top. As soon as I stood up, I was shocked. In front of you is the core area of ​​the entire Yishan Mountain. There are stone walls connected to each other, which are thousands of feet high. There are countless shapes of strange peaks and rocks. Many rocks look bare, but there are many ancient pines growing on the mountains. It is not yet morning, but the morning mist is still accumulating between these strange peaks and rocks and tenacious ancient pines, like a veil covered by heaven and earth. With the wind, it changes ever-changingly, forming a wonderful sight. What a beautiful landscape painting. Lin Jue was deeply shocked and could not help but open his eyes wide, trying to take in this wonderful sight as much as possible. When I was at the foot of the mountain, I really couldn't see that there was such a beautiful scenery in this mountain. I think most people in the world are blocked by remote roads and few come here. At this time, there was only one thought in my mind - There are probably immortals in such mountains. Lin Jue looked for a long time but still felt he had not seen enough. He did not notice that he was chilled by the wind. He just listened to the whimpering of the mountain wind and watched the ever-changing clouds and mist. After the initial shock wore off, he finally felt a little relieved. I happened to be hungry, so I took out the tart cake I brought with me and started eating it here. This tart cake is much more delicious than the food in the temple. But at this moment, he heard some other sound in the mountain breeze. "Ok?" Lin Jue tilted his head slightly and listened carefully. Sure enough, there was a voice. Hmmming and humming, he doesn't sound like a human. Like some kind of animal or an animal's cub. It sounds a bit pitiful. Lin Jue still remembered what his senior brother said. He thought that there might be monsters teasing him and he should stick to his heart and not be tempted. So he ignored it for the moment and continued to chew on the tart cake in his hand. You can never go wrong by ignoring it.

"call……" The mountain breeze blows, and white clouds in the distance are like waves. Facing this painting, with the landscape as a side dish, chewing the food slowly, this taste, this feeling, how can it not be a heavenly day? But the screaming continued. Not only that, it seemed clearer and more pitiful. "?" Lin Jue frowned and finally couldn't help it. He put down the cake, picked up the hatchet beside him and walked towards the source of the sound. This place was very close to him, only about seven or eight feet away. Lin Jue slid down and saw—— It turned out to be a baby animal. A little fellow whose fur has just grown out, grey in appearance, looks a bit like a dog, but not quite, and is at most the size of a palm. The little thing was lying on the edge of the stone peak, looking like it had lost its mother. It turned its head to look around and kept calling out. When it saw Lin Jue coming, it immediately closed its mouth and stared at him eagerly. Animals' faces are different from humans', and it's impossible to tell whether they're looking at them in fear or confusion. They just stare at Lin Jue with their round eyes, saying nothing, which makes people feel pity for them. "This is……" Is it a cub accidentally lost by a wild animal in the mountains? Or was it the mountain monster's trick of playing a trick on him because he had just arrived? While thinking, Lin Jue looked around, but he didn't see any other cubs or any animals that looked like its mother. "Where's your mother?" Lin Jue held the hatchet and spoke to it casually as if he was talking to a person. Naturally there is no answer. The little fellow still stared at him with his round black eyes, looking at him weak, helpless and honest. I don’t know what I was thinking at this moment. Lin Jue frowned. Neither is walking. It's not a good idea to stay. "Forget it. If you are really a lost kid, it doesn't matter if you didn't meet me. But if you met me, it means you are destined to be with me and you are lucky." Lin Jue said this, but did not approach it casually. Instead, he found a slope not too far away and sat down, continuing to eat the cake, hoping to wait for its mother to come back and take it away. "call……" After it came to a stop, the wind started to blow colder and colder. The little thing was still staring at him silently, with the same expression.

Lin Jue was afraid that it was hungry, so he broke off a piece of cake and walked over to feed it, but he just put it in front of it and then walked back to his original position. Seeing that it didn't eat, he didn't care and continued to sit there. Feeling that it might still be a little close, he moved a little further away. From this side, you can't see the wonders of countless strange peaks and rocks, but you can still see the peaks on the left and right. They are all granite with cracks and lines all over, like scissors or cloud gates, with ancient pines rooted in them. It is still so beautiful that it doesn't seem like this on earth, but like a scenery that can only be found in heaven. Sitting in a place like this and waiting, no amount of time is too long. Besides, we come here just to see the scenery. Lin Jue was very patient, even leisurely. Until time passes by little by little. The sun had already passed overhead, and the clouds in the distance gradually dissipated, replaced by smoke rising from something unknown in the distance. Then the sun began to slowly move westward. Lin Jue almost fell asleep here. "..." When he came to his senses, the little creature was still lying quietly in the distance, looking like a tiny dot from afar. It neither moved nor barked, and he didn't know whether it was afraid that barking again would scare Lin Jue and make him eat it, or whether it felt more at ease because there was another animal around, and it just stared at him from afar with its round little eyes. The small piece of custard that Lin Jue had just broken off had been eaten up by it. The time is getting later and later. Before I knew it, the mountain wall in the distance had been turned yellow by the sun, and the ancient pine trees cast slanted shadows on the mountain wall. The mountain began to fog up again, revealing an unpredictable side. "Little guy, why haven't your parents come yet?" Lin Jue once again came to the little creature with the hatchet in hand, but he was still unsure whether this was a prank by the mountain monster. For example, could he transform into a small creature like this, make him feel pity for it and not want to leave it, let it stay in the mountain for a day, and then make fun of its stupidity? Or wait until the sun sets and it gets dark, and then kill it? The master said that there are mountain gods in Yishan as well, and the rules are very strict. The spirits in the mountain all know the Taoists in Fuqiu Temple. At least on Fuqiu Peak, the latter should be impossible. The former is possible. At least that's what the yellow dog on the road is capable of. But now, when I lowered my head and looked into the eyes of this little thing, and saw its confused, uneasy and helpless look, wasn't this myself more than a year ago? "Ugh……" Lin Jue couldn't help but sigh. Seeing that it was getting darker, he reached out and picked it up, preparing to take it back to the Taoist temple. As for whether it was a trick of a spirit or not—— If it weren't for the evil spirits, how could they use people's kindness as bait to deceive people? If this really happened, I would admit it and use the hatchet to speak! (End of this chapter)