Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 125 The Darkest Thing Is Under the Lamp; Seeking Immortality

"It's just that your fellow Daoist has arrived, why disturb my peaceful slumber?"

The salt-loving old man stretched and stood up straight, his face showing displeasure.

"Besides, these Taoists don't understand the Tao of you and me. They only think that cooking is a minor path, a frivolous pursuit that leads to the loss of ambition. What's there to say about it?"

"Fellow Daoist is mistaken. These are different. Please take a closer look."

The old abbot smiled and stroked his beard as he reminded the salt merchant.

The salt merchant then turned his head to stare at Chen Ji and his group, his nostrils twitching as if he were trying to discern their scents.

After a long while, he looked at the astonished eyes of the crowd.

"Strange! I can smell fox, toad, loach, and kitchen smells, and there's one more that I can't smell."

The salt merchant looked at Chen Ji.

"What kind of monster are you? Why do you smell like a human?"

Chen Ji felt that the salt merchant was very clever, able to discern their identities simply by their taste.

It should be noted that the mudfish demon is still inside the gourd.

The aquatic creatures hide in the water, their presence completely concealed. Even if one uses their aura-observation technique, they might not be able to discern their identities.

Putting everything else aside, in this one skill alone, the Salt Master is far more skilled than ordinary practitioners.

The demons also curiously examined the Salt Elder.

Standing no more than six or seven inches tall, it resembled an old man. Its beard, hair, and clothing were all pure white, just like the salt sculptures Chen Ji had seen before. Even when it walked, it had a somewhat dreamlike quality.

"What are you looking at? You haven't told us what kind of demon you are yet!"

The salt merchant leaned closer to examine Chen Ji.

"I am human."

"people?"

The salt merchant was stunned for a moment, then glared and puffed out his beard.

"Impossible, how could a human be mixed up with these demons?"

"That's a long story."

Chen Ji smiled.

"Then let's not talk about it. I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice, and I can't stand such words."

The Salt Elder waved his hand, speaking out of turn, and looked back at the Iron Pot Demon.

"And what kind of demon are you? Why do you smell like a kitchen?"

"I am the Iron Pot Demon."

"Iron pot demon?"

The salt merchant became interested, examined it carefully for a few moments, and nodded.

"It's burning hot, and the taste is right. It really is the Iron Pot Demon."

As he spoke, something came to mind.

"Since you're a pot demon, do you have any special dishes? This old Taoist priest, who has become a Taoist priest through cooking, knows how to cook many good dishes. You, the iron pot demon, are a cook by nature, so you can't be worse than this Taoist priest, can you?"

"This……"

The Iron Pot Demon paused for a moment, then shook its head.

"My cultivation is meager; how can I compare to a true master? I can't cook any good dishes; I can only make noodles."

What kind of noodles?

"Locust leaf cold noodles".

"Well... never mind, make a bowl and let us try it. If we are qualified, then we can discuss philosophy with you."

"As for the other demons and humans, let them go do something else. Cooking is a minor skill, and I'm afraid you all will look down on it, so I won't keep you here to offend your ears."

Chen Ji was speechless.

The salt old man's words were not meant to impress the ears with the idea of cooking.

It's clearly because they think they're bad at cooking and that they're not qualified to discuss philosophy.

Such a unique demon is just like the mudfish demon. I suppose one of them, "This Lord," and the other, "This Old Man," could get along well.

However, the fact that the old abbot treated him with such courtesy, and that even the Iron Pot Demon had to be tested before they could discuss the Dao, aroused Chen Ji's curiosity. He wanted to see how the art of cooking was discussed.

So he smiled.

"Although I am not good at cooking, I do know how to eat and I would like to see how."

"Ah."

The salt merchant scoffed and laughed.

"Anyone can eat. Even if you have a mouth, you can eat. I've seen many gourmets who claim to have tasted all the delicacies in the world, but what they say is utterly disgusting."

"You say you know how to eat, but is there any special reason?"

"Please, Mr. Salt, tell me if this counts as a good eater?"

Chen Ji reached out to grab the salt old man, but as soon as he touched his body, his palm suddenly transformed into a cloud, his entire arm passing through the salt old man's body. When he withdrew, he brought a gentle breeze and returned to his human hand.

"Illusion?"

The salt merchant asked.

Chen Ji smiled but remained silent.

The salt-gathering old man pondered deeply, and after a moment he thought of something, he shook his head repeatedly.

"Impossible, impossible! I've never heard of anyone comprehending this technique from bamboo shoots in the clouds. You wouldn't be doing this, would you?"

"I only understood this after eating the bamboo shoots from the clouds."

Chen Ji said slowly.

"What a waste! What a waste!"

The salt merchant was so angry he jumped up and down.

"I have cooked so many dishes, not to mention earthly ingredients, I have even prepared many spiritual ingredients such as bamboo shoots from the clouds. How could I not have gained any insights!"

"This person who can't even cook is infuriating!"

The salt-making old man beat his chest and stamped his feet, yet he didn't look like an old man at all. After a long while, he finally spoke slowly.

"You've got a good appetite, so come and listen with me."

After speaking, he looked at the other two demons.

"Do you also have such abilities? If so, I won't stop you."

The copper toad demon grabbed a stone from the side, which had turned into a copper ingot when it was brought to its mouth, and swallowed it with a gurgling sound.

"I can eat copper."

"To have such ability, one can be considered a good diner. You can listen."

Miss Bai shook her head.

"I do not know how to cook, nor do I have the ability to prepare such food, but I have something that should be able to exchange for a spot."

"what?"

"Ten-thousand-year-old brine".

"Hmm? Where?"

The young lady then took out a small bottle containing a clear, cool water sample, which was somewhat different from the mountain stream.

The salt collector walked to the bottle, opened the lid, tasted a drop, and his eyes lit up.

"It really is brine! You can try it too!"

"As for that mudfish demon, well, since you're all here, let him come along too."

The salt maker held the bottle, overjoyed.

The mudfish demon, upon hearing this, turned annoyed.

"What do you mean I have to come along? I'm not a gluttonous dragon! I'm not going!"

After saying that, he looked at Daoist Xiyun.

"Fellow Daoist, would you like to go and listen to their discussion of the Dao?"

"Let's forget about it."

Taoist Xiyun shook his head.

“My master said I am not good at cooking, so listening to him is of no use. It is better to discuss the Dao with my fellow Daoists.”

"Since they are discussing the Dao, shall I take you to the mountain to take a look?"

“Excellent!”

The mudfish demon yelled and looked at Chen Ji.

“Sir, give the gourd to Fellow Daoist Xiyun. You go and discuss the Dao, and we will also go to tour the mountains and discuss the Dao.”

"Alright."

Chen Ji handed over the gourd.

While the path of spiritual practice requires learning from many sources, it also necessitates following one's own heart.

It's understandable that the mudfish demon, possessing dragon energy, wouldn't be willing to humble itself by listening to the ways of the cook.

So he took the gourd and handed it to Daoist Xiyun.

But then they heard the mudfish demon whisper.

"Sir, you may go and listen carefully, and tell me about it later. Actually, it doesn't matter whether you tell me or not. If there is anything delicious, just bring some back."

So I was waiting here.

Chen Ji shook his head, then wanted to laugh. It wasn't that he was inherently proud and unwilling to listen; it was clearly just being arrogant.

He nodded in agreement.

"understood."

Soon, Master Xiyun took the mudfish demon on a mountain excursion, leaving only the Taoist and the demon in the courtyard to discuss culinary arts.

The old abbot then introduced the salt merchant's identity.

“This fellow Daoist came here after smelling the aroma of my cooking. He is a cultivator from Yantian and is extremely skilled in seasoning.”

"Some dishes were difficult to balance in terms of taste and effect, but with the help of Salt Master, they have basically reached perfection." "It is also because Fellow Daoist's own culinary skills are sufficient. If it were someone else who couldn't do it, even if I used all my skills, it would be useless."

He then looked at Chen Ji and the others.

"Although you are not skilled in cooking, since we are discussing the Dao, we cannot remain silent. So I would like to ask whether you usually worship the moon or absorb the five elements?"

"Five Qi".

Chen Ji replied.

"Worship the moon".

The same applies to the other demons.

"Can you distinguish the taste of the five elements and the moonlight?"

"Where does the moonlight smell?"

The demons all reacted in a normal way.

He frowned, dismissing it as the salt merchant's nonsense.

However, Chen Ji, in a fleeting moment of inspiration, recalled the words he heard during the Dharma discussion in his dream and the difference between the five elements in the mountains and the human world, and slowly began to speak.

"The five elements in the human world are mixed and impure, while the five elements in the mountains are pure and refined. Pure five elements are as clear and cool as water, while mixed and impure five elements are like mud and sand mixed in. Is this the taste that the salt old man was talking about?"

"Ok?"

The salt merchant unexpectedly cast a surprised glance his way.

After a long pause, he let out a cold snort.

"People are indeed dishonest. You know that the five elements have this difference, yet you still talk about bamboo shoots in the clouds. There is no one in the world who knows how to eat better than a gourmand like you."

"Ok?"

Chen Ji was also surprised.

He had merely shared his insights into the breathing techniques passed down in the Xuan Shan Dream Method; how did he become the Gluttonous God of Heaven and Earth?

"You don't know?"

"I really don't know."

The salt merchant clicked his tongue in amazement, carefully examining Chen Ji before expressing his admiration and wonder, confirming that he was not joking.

"This is probably the talent for cultivation. No wonder he can use magic to eat it."

The salt-loving old man looked at the others halfway through his sentence.

"Have any of you heard of the method of ingesting elixirs?"

“I know about it, and I’m quite familiar with it. There are people around me who are practicing cultivation.”

The image of Bai Ba popped into everyone's mind.

They even knew his abilities; he had cultivated the Hutian Technique through the method of ingesting food, making him arguably the number one fox in the world to cultivate this technique.

"Fellow Daoist, are you aware that most of the methods of consuming elixirs circulating nowadays are distorted?"

"Crooked?"

Everyone in the courtyard frowned.

"nature."

The salt merchant said smugly.

"What is cultivation? It's nothing more than absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into one's own body. What absorption speed can compare to eating?"

"The art of cooking is to transform the absorption of spiritual energy into the consumption of spiritual energy; the method of ingestion is the ultimate form of eating."

“If someone like this fellow Daoist can already perceive the flavors of the five elements, and their cultivation improves further, they will be able to cultivate without learning the ingestion method.”

"As for the methods of ingestion circulating in the world, most of them teach practitioners how to ingest poisonous pills and spiritual herbs, which is essentially a wrong path."

"It's laughable that so many people still cling to the method of ingesting food, thinking they've glimpsed the Great Dao. How laughable!"

The salt merchant made no attempt to hide his disdain.

Inside the courtyard, both humans and demons remained silent.

Even Miss Bai seemed to be deep in thought, and after a moment she asked the Salt Elder.

"Did you come up with all of these on your own?"

"nature!"

The salt merchant raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

"Fellow Daoist, are you saying that I, a mere rogue demon, am making these baseless accusations?"

"No, I just think that You have very high insights into cooking, and I have learned a lot!"

"what?"

The salt merchant paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face.

"You fox demon are quite the talker. I would never have said these things if you didn't know this old Daoist."

"Since you understand, I'll say a few more words to you."

Now everyone, including the demons, took it seriously.

The salt maker, however, calmly reached into the jar and took out a wine cup made of salt, then opened the lid and filled it with brine.

He sipped it slowly, as if drinking wine, and his face showed great satisfaction.

Looking at everyone, though his eyes were white, one could still see the depth in his gaze.

"Even ordinary people know that eating and drinking are of utmost importance, and the same is true for spiritual practice."

"I don't know the methods of cultivation, but I know a lot about cooking techniques."

"The best dishes are like those of you, my old friend. Select the finest ingredients, use an airtight container to preserve all their flavor, add seasonings, and the result will be incredibly fragrant!"

"The same applies to your cultivation. When the five elements and the essence of the moon enter your body, you are not to leave them unused. Instead, you must mobilize and refine them, like cooking a dish for your body. This is the true path of cultivation."

"If we compare it to a chef, one's own cultivation level is the ingredients, and the techniques are nothing more than cooking utensils and methods."

"Many people, both human and demon, only want the techniques and neglect their own cultivation. Isn't that like trying to cook a rotten dish with good cooking utensils?"

"boom!"

Before the other demons could even form an idea, Chen Ji's mind jolted, and amidst the roar, he found himself in a dream during the day. When he opened his eyes, he was back at the temple on Xuan Mountain.

There was only a sliver of moon hanging in the sky, and no lights were around, so much so that you couldn't even see your own five fingers.

Chen Ji struggled to get up and looked out the window, but he couldn't see any scenery either, only vaguely hearing sounds.

"Master, why are you giving a lecture today while the moon is eclipsed by the celestial dog, and why are you not even allowed to light lamps?"

Have you ever heard of darkness under the lamp?

“I’ve heard of…”

"That's it. I dare not let anyone know what I'm going to talk about today."

“The sun and moon are the lamps of heaven and earth. At this time, neither the sun nor the moon can be seen. It is like darkness under the lamp, and what is being said will be unknown to others.”

"What is the Taoist master going to say? Why is he being so careful?"

"The question you asked earlier."

"Is it immortality?"

The demon who asked the question was excited.

"Exactly."

The Taoist master paused for a few breaths before slowly speaking.

It was too dark to see clearly, but Chen Ji still felt that the pause meant the Taoist master was looking in his direction.

So I listened carefully to the sound.

“In ancient times, there was no such thing as a cultivator; there were only Qi cultivators. They were the first people in the world to pursue longevity and they passed down a method of cultivation.”

"Only when the five internal organs are in balance can they become firewood; one must use the body as a furnace to refine the elixir."

"How then should this method be practiced?"

"I don't know."

The Taoist master spoke slowly.

Chen Ji was also surprised, as this was the first time he had heard the Taoist master say he didn't know since he entered the dream.

The demons and ghosts beside the Taoist priest were also surprised.

"Are there things in this world that even Taoist masters don't know?"

“You guys, I’m not God, how could I know everything? Besides, even God has things he doesn’t know right under his nose.”

“I mentioned this when I discussed the Dao with the Emperor, but he couldn’t explain it either. He felt there was no need to think about it too much. Since we haven’t yet mastered all three thousand Great Daos, we can choose one to achieve immortality. There’s no need to bother studying the methods of ancient Qi cultivators.”

"After all, the body is the furnace, and the five internal organs are the fuel. If it is not heated properly, one may go astray, suffer soul destruction, or die and perish."

"If you can grasp the key to this, the Great Dao is within reach, and immortality will be easy."

"If you can't figure it out, go find the things left behind by the Qi cultivators. Maybe there's something else you can learn from them."

What else is there to say?

But then a very loud bark came from afar.

A ray of moonlight shone down, and the earth returned to its clear light.

Finally, they could see clearly that the three Taoists, demons, and ghosts were still there in the small courtyard in the distance.

The Taoist's voice slowly rang out again.

"We've witnessed the celestial dog eclipse the moon, understood the Dao, and after all this talk, we're thirsty. Please have a drink!"

After saying that, he picked up the pot and poured wine.

The sound of water reached Chen Ji's ears.

Turning my head, I saw a cup of wine on the offering table beneath the memorial tablet.

The aroma of the wine is enticing; it's clearly not an ordinary product.