Strange Stories

Chapter 548 Yuan Jun Visits
The clouds are facing the setting sun, the evening breeze is blowing on your face, and the entire capital city and the nearby mountains are all in sight.

The dampness in the air when rising through the clouds, the chilliness above the clouds, the almost unsteadiness of being able to stand when making sharp turns, and the feeling of weightlessness as if your whole body is about to leave the ground when falling. You can go wherever you want, with no obstacles in between and no worries to hold you back, creating an indescribable sense of freedom and pleasure.

"carefree!"

The emperor laughed and shouted on the cloud: "Haha! I haven't felt so happy in a long time!"

"There's something more interesting. Would you like to try it, Mr. Luo?"

"what?"

The Taoist smiled slightly and breathed out at him.

"call……"

Back then, this breath turned the eunuchs in the palace of the previous dynasty into a group of foxes and chickens. Now, this breath turned Luo Gong into a white crane.

"?"

Bai He turned and looked at him, with surprise and wonder in his eyes.

Then he took a step forward without hesitation, spread his wings and jumped, and disappeared from the thunderclouds in the sky.

"Canopy..."

The fox immediately turned into a crow and chased after it.

The Taoist priest was waiting with a smile on his face on the cloud.

After a while, the white crane spread its wings and slowly flew up from below the thundercloud, while the crows flew in circles around it.

There is no one in the world who has not had this dream.

The white crane turned its head and glanced at Lin Jue, then immediately flew towards the mountains and forests in the direction of the setting sun.

It is so refreshing in the evening breeze.

After a while——

"The ancients thought that turning their bodies into cranes was something they only dreamed of, but I never thought that I would experience it myself today." Luo Gong and Lin Jue walked together on the ridge, and their words were full of admiration, "It is really wonderful."

"Mr. Luo has been worried for too long."

"Yes!"

"How long do you plan to stay in this position, Mr. Luo?"

"This……"

This question stumped Mr. Luo.

Most of the emperors before him did not have such a situation as his - before he started his army and made his fortune, he had been assisted by a Taoist priest, who helped him to enter Taoism through martial arts. Later, the people who protected him also became immortals. The emperors before him dreamed of meeting immortals, but he had a close relationship with the immortals, and was even given immortal fruits that could prolong his life.

But no emperor was willing to be the emperor emeritus.

No emperor would want to have an emperor emeritus above him.

“Most of the emperors in the past reigned until their death, but if Lord Luo were to be like this, I’m afraid several generations of his descendants would die, and he would have to suffer from worry and loneliness for a long time.” Lin Jue took a leisurely step, and what flashed through his mind was the helplessness and loneliness of Lord Luo in his later years in the illusion, especially the passing of his concubines and old friends, and the conflicts between him and his descendants. Some things are really difficult for emperors and gods to change.

Mr. Luo was silent and thoughtful.

"Everything has its limits and should be done in moderation. I also understand this principle," Luo said.

Lin Jue glanced at him.

Luo Gong did understand it, after all, he was well versed in military strategy.

But the dragon throne is not an ordinary position. The principles that you can understand while walking in the mountains may not be understood by you when you return to the palace. The principles that you can understand now may become confusing after a long time in the future.

However, Lin Jue stopped talking at this moment and said with a smile:
"I think Mr. Luo has several descendants?"

"Two sons and three daughters." Luo Gong also laughed, "The youngest son was born just last year."

Although he knew that the future predicted by the old man might not be the real future, seeing the pure joy in Mr. Luo's smile at this moment, and thinking about the decades later in the illusion, Lin Jue still felt a sense of trance.

"What a joy."

"Haha! Didn't the Taoist priest accept disciples?"

"Yes. I accepted two." Lin Jue said, "An elder told me that I was destined to have four disciples. I don't know whether it is true or not, but I have accepted two now."

"I've seen those two! They're quite clever and clever!"

“I am quite satisfied with them.”

"A good teacher naturally produces good students."

"Of course I will do my best to teach and guide them. As for whether they can achieve enlightenment in the future, it depends on their luck." Lin Jue said as he walked, "But I also know that their talents are not as good as mine back then."

"How many people can compare to the Taoist priest?"

"Haha! That's true!" Lin Jue rarely showed modesty, and then turned his head to look at Lord Luo beside him, "Lord Luo is the same. It's true that the descendants are Lord Luo's bloodline, but Lord Luo is a rare talent, and it's probably difficult to find someone who can compare to Lord Luo even after dozens or hundreds of generations. Even if they want to inherit the throne, we just need to do our best to teach and guide them, and there's no need to be too demanding of them."

"I have a strange feeling..."

"what?"

"It's as if the real person has calculated the outcome of my old age and has come to give me these reminders!"

"Ha ha!"

The two smiled at each other, and walked along the ridge that looked like the back of a black dragon in the night. The dreamy light in the west cast their silhouettes.

Then we talked about some interesting things in the capital.

Because there were many demons and ghosts hiding in the capital before, living with people, and Zixiao Palace was searching for demons and distributing talismans, many stories were made in the capital. Nowadays, most of the popular stories circulating in the streets and alleys of the capital are also related to demons and ghosts. For example, a county magistrate lived in an alley in the south of the city, next to a fox. He was taken care of by the fox for a lifetime, but when Zixiao Palace came, they captured the fox.

The county magistrate was naturally dissatisfied, so he first reported the case to the Juxian Mansion. The Juxian Mansion was unable to do anything about it, so he went to kneel down at the palace gate and was almost investigated and punished. Fortunately, he was rescued by Lord Luo.

The same story can be seen in the north of the city.

The fox lived next door to the family, who had been cared for by the fox. However, the family lost their conscience and reported the neighbor for the five taels of silver offered by Zixiao Palace. It was said that there was a big quarrel in the family before the report. When the fox was captured by the Taoist priest of Zixiao Palace, it cried and cursed along the street. It did not cry about being captured, nor did it curse the Taoist priest for being cruel. It only cried about its stupidity and cursed the Taoist priest for being unpredictable.

Later, this family became greedy and thought that Juxian Mansion also had the same reward, so they went to Juxian Mansion to ask for the reward, and they happened to meet Nan Tianshi.

How could the upright and righteous Nan Tianshi listen to such things?

They were scolded and driven out on the spot! The next day, the county government went to their home, confiscated the five taels of silver from the Purple Sky Palace, and beat everyone in the family with five boards, except for the old man who disagreed with exposing his friend and neighbor, to show justice.

There was also a monster who transformed himself into a herbalist in the city and opened a medicine shop to save many people. Everyone praised him as a god-like being, but they never knew that he was not originally human.

There was also a concubine of a certain high-ranking official, who was extremely beautiful, well-educated and well-mannered, but unexpectedly she was a fox demon in disguise.

These stories are widely circulated in the capital.

It is said that it was even written in a book.

Of course, the foxes mentioned in these stories are not necessarily real monsters transformed from foxes, but a general term for monsters that have the ability to transform and whose true identity is unknown.

There are other bloody and fierce stories, which are about the evil demons and ghosts that were caught by Zixiao Palace to harm people. However, these stories are often horrifying and have a narrow audience, so they are naturally not so widely circulated.

However, the two of them still talked about it with great interest.

Until the emperor returned to the palace, people in the palace had no idea that the emperor had left quietly once, let alone where he had gone or what wonderful things he had done.

Lin Jue originally wanted to visit Master Nan Tianshi, but after thinking about it, he gave up.

Nan Tianshi is a man of integrity and justice. He will act according to his own heart, so there is no need for me to say anything. Even if I want to go, I should choose a time when he is free and visit him as an old friend to reminisce about the past.

So he also rode the cloud back to Fengshan.

……

Maple Mountain Pavilion, on top of the mountain.

"Bah!"

Another hoe was used to dig up new soil.

Lin Jue buried another fruit core, carefully covered it with soil and then poured spiritual water on it.

The fox sat nearby and licked his hand quietly.

If we count a few great things in the world, planting trees would definitely be at the top of the list.

Digging the soil, sowing seeds and watering here is planting trees; preaching to disciples at the foot of the mountain is also planting trees; visiting Luo Gong is planting trees; the eldest brother visiting the mountain god in Yishan is planting trees; and the sixth brother deducing is also planting trees.

As long as you are patient, there will be results.

As he was planting, he suddenly saw a ray of divine light descending from the sky and landing behind him.

The fox concentrated on licking its fur, turned its head to glance sideways, and continued licking.

"A Taoist friend should be at ease."

A light female voice was heard.

"Daoyou is here?"

Lin Jue put down the melon gourd and turned around to see a tall woman with glowing white skin, wearing a simple and elegant divine robe. She was still holding the whisk in her arms, so he added:
"long time no see."

"Long time no see indeed."

"We were kept as guests by the old celestial being in Yuanqiu Wonderland for nearly a day, but we never expected that it would be nearly a year since we left." Lin Jue sighed, and pointed at a few almost invisible small tree buds on the hilltop, "But it can be considered a blessing in disguise. Not only did we get the phoenix feathers, but the old celestial being also picked a basket of Yuanqiu fruit himself."

"Is Mingdi Tianweng really in Yuanqiu Fairyland? Let me tell you, although Mingdi Tianweng is strict, he is also strict with himself." Taoist Master Jiang's expression remained calm. "Daoyou has never done evil, and your heart is calm and at ease. Even if you meet Mingdi Tianweng in Yuanqiu Fairyland, you will not be embarrassed. And if you don't meet him, with your ability, you can go to Yuanqiu Fairyland."

Lin Jue smiled and did not refute.

What Taoist Jiang said was undoubtedly right, but his initial worries and his decision not to let Fuyao go with them were also reasonable. Both of them were right, and their speculations were also confirmed.

"Daoyou was conferred the title of Yuanjun?"

"Exactly."

"what do you say that is?"

"The Moon Mirror Cave Shines on Yuan Jun."

"Congratulations! These congratulations are a little late!"

"It happened last year. I wanted to tell you then, but I went to the foot of Feilai Mountain and didn't find you. I guessed that you had already entered Yuanqiu Mountain." Taoist Jiang said, "I never thought that Emperor Ming Tianweng would keep you as his guest. It seems that Taoist friends really like him."

“We didn’t expect that either.”

Lin Jue picked up the bucket and the hoe, preparing to return to the attic below.

When the two passed by, Daoist Master Jiang should have turned around and followed him, but he suddenly stared at him carefully and said:

"Why does the Taoist friend seem to have changed a little?"

"Hmm? Changes?" Lin Jue paused, then said, "Oh, when we were in Yuanqiu Mountain, we drank the red spring water in the mountain, so we regained our youth. In Fuyao's words, we became a little newer."

"Not really." Daoist Master Jiang lowered his eyelids, "Daoyou's heart has also changed."

(End of this chapter)