Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 130 The Carefree Millstone Demon
"Blood Demon?"

Chen Ji stopped what he was doing and looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

The stone mill demon spat and shouted curses.

"You Taoist are really something. You helped the Blood Demon capture me, and you've already done such a despicable thing. You still ask me why? Do you really think I'm stupid?"

"I really don't know."

Chen Ji said seriously.

"I came here because the villagers came for help, saying that a demon was throwing people, and it has nothing to do with the blood demon."

"If you don't believe me, I'll disperse the wind and fire and explain things to you properly."

"Okay, you can leave now and we'll talk later!"

The stone mill demon shouted loudly.

Chen Ji waved his hand to disperse the wind and fire, and it was still the same village field in front of him, but there was no trace of magic power.

"The Taoist is skilled in magic."

The stone mill demon's eyes darted around, and he praised loudly.

"Since you keep your promise, I'll tell you... Bang!"

Before the stone mill demon could finish speaking, a muffled thud was heard, and it burrowed directly into the road, shattering hundreds of stones that scattered outwards.

"Oh, if only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have bothered."

Chen Ji sighed and shook his head.

He raised his hand and looked in one direction, slowly casting a spell.

"Hunting!"

An invisible force extended from Chen Ji's fingers, compressing the air and revealing a hazy shape, resembling a human hand.

It stretches out its five fingers in mid-air and probes into the ground.

"boom!"

Like pulling a radish, a gray shadow was pulled out from under the stone path and flew straight back to Chen Ji, revealing the soul of the millstone demon.

"Daoyou, we meet again."

Chen Ji smiled and spoke slowly.

"Yeah, what a coincidence!"

The millstone demon smiled awkwardly, thinking about what to talk about, when he heard Chen Ji slowly speak.

"Fellow Daoist, do you now realize the situation? Your cultivation and magic are inferior to mine, so don't even think about escaping."

"I wasn't sent by the so-called Blood Demon. If you don't believe me..."

"I believe!"

The millstone demon nodded vigorously.

"Fellow Daoist, this time I truly believe you, and I will definitely not run away."

"Oh? Why the sudden change?"

Chen Ji looked over in surprise and asked for a reason.

"The immortal's cultivation is too high. Capturing me is as easy as a villager capturing a chicken. The blood demon can't get such a powerful helper."

"Besides, someone of the Immortal's strength wouldn't stoop to doing such a thing."

"The millstone demon said hastily."

Chen Ji was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, but then shook his head with a smile.

"How did you, with your stone head and millstone-like mind, learn such flattering words?"

“The villagers have told it so many times that they’ve remembered it. If you’d like to hear more, I can say a few more words.”

"Never mind, I don't like it."

As Chen Ji spoke, he casually sat down on the new millstone and looked at the millstone demon soul, speaking softly.

“I came to see you not at the invitation of the Blood Demon, but to seek justice for the villagers. I have already heard about your case from the village elders.”

"Since the sorceress harmed you, why did you go and harm the villagers?"

"I'm so angry!"

The stone mill demon, who had been calm, became furious upon hearing this.

"I dare not conceal this from the immortal, but I will seek justice for this matter even if it means my death and the destruction of my soul."

“I was originally a stubborn rock on the mountain. I don’t know how long I absorbed the spiritual energy of the sun and moon. The villagers quarried stones from the mountain and brought me back to make a millstone. They also told stories and chatted with me, so that I could absorb human energy and share in the incense offerings.”

"This is the blessing of creating tools, enlightening minds, and offering incense; I will never forget it."

"But I don't think I've ever treated the villagers unfairly in my daily life."

The millstone demon suddenly raised its voice.

“They usually sit nearby chatting and talking about the past, and they feel cool and comfortable. It’s all because I’m spreading my spiritual energy and creating a gentle breeze.”

"They find the flour delicious because I used my spiritual energy to improve its texture and incorporated the essence of the sun and moon, which makes it healthy for them."

"Even when there are ordinary ghosts or demons causing trouble in the village, I am the one who drives them away. There have never been any reports of people in the village being scared out of their wits by seeing ghosts or weak people being taken away by ghosts."

“I have been doing these things for over a hundred years since I became enlightened, benefiting generations of people in the village. Now they listen to outsiders, ruining my body and damaging my cultivation!”

"I was just playing a prank on them to make them suffer. I haven't really done anything yet. I'm not afraid even if you take it to the local deity."

The stone mill demon said fiercely.

"The Taoist priest they invited some time ago also found my soul and asked me to explain, and that's what I said."

"They even consulted the local deity to verify the truth of what I said. If the immortal does not believe it, he can naturally ask him."

Chen Ji nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

No wonder those Taoist priests returned the money.

Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes. This matter involves a complex web of grudges and entanglements, including acts of kindness, gratitude for past favors, resentment over betrayal, and deception by wicked individuals…

These matters, taken together, would be difficult to resolve even for the underworld, let alone a Taoist priest.

but.

The millstone demon probably never imagined that Chen Ji had another identity.

Upon hearing him mention the underworld, he took out his seal as a day-roaming deity and left a mark in the void.

“Since you trust the underworld, I will take care of this matter. However, there are other things to do at the moment. After this is done, I will give you justice.”

The millstone demon stared in disbelief at the seal that symbolized the daytime wandering god of the underworld.

"The... the immortal actually has a background in the underworld?"

Chen Ji glanced at him, but did not explain. He only asked how he had become like this, and what about the Blood Demon and the witch doctor.

The millstone demon's spirit floated in the air, slowly recounting its story.

"This is a long story. The Blood Demon is a powerful demon near Fenshan Town. He cultivates by feeding on blood and does all sorts of things like demanding blood offerings from others."

"He does have some skill, but for some reason, he rarely leaves his cave dwelling. He usually just has his subordinate demons and his followers do these things."

"That sorceress was one of the Blood Demon's subordinates. She delivered a lot of blood food to the Blood Demon and received some rewards in return, so she has some skills."

“The little devils under the Blood Demon’s command were coming to the village to lure people out by collecting souls, and I happened to run into them and crushed two of them to death.”

"I made a point of cleaning it up at the time, but I didn't expect that the blood demon would still find my traces and send the sorceress here to check and know that I existed."

Chen Ji nodded.

However, he didn't ask how the Stone Mill Demon knew that the brat was a subordinate of the Blood Demon, or how he killed him.

Since he was able to cultivate to this level, he must have his own abilities.

So he was gestured to continue.

"After the blood demon learned about me, it did not come to kill me. Instead, it sent a shaman to try to recruit me to join them and cultivate together using blood food."

“But I have lived in the village since I was enlightened, how could I possibly agree? So I scolded the sorceress and drove her out, telling her never to come to the village again.”

Chen Ji frowned, but he didn't understand.

"You already know she's a subordinate of the Blood Demon, so why did you let her go back?"

“According to what you said, this sorceress is no good either. She has blood on her hands and lives. She deserved to be killed.”

"It's not that I can't, it's just that I dare not."

The stone mill demon sighed.

“We could have said we didn’t know about killing the little devils before, but this sorceress’s arrival has already revealed that she is a subordinate of the Blood Demon. If we kill her again, the Blood Demon will probably lose face and his demon subordinates will retaliate.”

“I may be fine, but I’m afraid none of the villagers will survive.”

"So how did it turn out like this later?"

Chen Ji asked. The stone mill demon immediately glared fiercely towards the outside of the village.

"The blood demon sent a few little devils to cause trouble. The sorceress is human after all, and she has some reputation in the area. When she stepped forward to capture the demon, it was easy for her to gain the trust of the villagers."

"But my cultivation had not yet reached the stage of transformation. I was afraid that if I revealed my true form, the villagers would think I was a real demon or ghost. So I watched helplessly as she set up a trap, summoning lightning to strike me during my transformation tribulation, which ruined my cultivation and seriously injured me."

“He killed another child in the village, causing the villagers to destroy my good deeds and incense offerings. I was unable to retaliate, which is why I ran into trouble.”

"After that, I don't know where she got the talismans from, but she suppressed my soul and body and tried to erase my memories. I just don't know what she's going to do next."

The stone mill demon truthfully stated.

Chen Ji nodded, pondering these matters.

This does sound like the same thing that happened to the copper toad, but since the sorceress intervened, not much news has spread.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the so-called "ruler" of the city god who ruled over the water.

It seems I need to go see the fortune teller to figure these things out.

This is not simply about resolving the issues in Ruyi Village.

The daytime wandering gods of the underworld are responsible for monitoring demons, ghosts, and evil spirits within their territory. Dealing with them as they come along is within their duties, and if they cannot handle them, they report them to the underworld.

So he looked at the stone mill demon.

Do you know where that sorceress usually goes?

"Of course I know. I've been trying to follow her ever since I escaped, hoping to get revenge!"

The stone mill demon said fiercely.

"We already know where she is staying in three villages. She should be not far from here today. I have already set up traps and am just waiting for her to return."

How did you prepare?

Chen Ji asked curiously.

“She travels between two villages and has to cross a cliff. I prepared a huge rock on the cliff so that I could roll it down and hit her when she passed by.”

"Although she knows some magic, it's all used to bewitch people. She's not very strong herself; she'd die if you hit her."

Chen Ji glanced sideways and looked closely, and sure enough, he found many burn marks on the millstone demon's soul.

He had previously thought that the millstone demon was avoiding sunlight during the day, but now he realized that it had been doing these other things during the day as well.

Ordinary people's souls cannot withstand the sun; if they are exposed to sunlight for too long, their souls will be scattered.

Even if a powerful demon's soul doesn't perish, it will feel like being scalded by boiling water under the sun, causing unbearable pain.

Not to mention that this stone mill demon is only a soul, so moving the stone would probably be extremely difficult for it.

He did all this under the scorching sun, all for revenge.

They really do have guts.

Moreover, he never went too far in handling village affairs, and he was extremely kind-hearted.

Even if it's not a matter for the underworld, we should still help such a monster.

Chen Ji stood up.

“Count me in, I’ll go with you to catch her.”

"what?"

The stone mill demon was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook its head.

"Immortal, you should let it go. After all, she has nothing to do with you, so there's no need to get involved in any karma."

"As for the relationship, maybe it is. We'll have to go and see to find out."

Chen Ji looked into the distance and spoke slowly.

The stone mill demon remained silent for a few breaths. Seeing that Chen Ji was serious, it agreed and bowed down to the ground again.

"If the immortal can kill this sorceress, I will be at your beck and call from now on!"

Chen Ji looked at the millstone demon, and a thought struck him. He realized that he was indeed missing a ghost messenger, and the millstone demon in front of him was indeed a suitable candidate in terms of character and cultivation.

However, it would be somewhat inappropriate to say it now, as it might seem like he was taking advantage of a favor, and Chen Ji was unwilling to do so.

Waved his hand.

"We'll talk about this later; it's still early."

After saying that, he looked at the millstone demon with a bit of curiosity.

"How have you been staying these past few days, fellow Daoist? It seems your soul has not been damaged?"

"And so it has remained inside this millstone ever since."

The stone mill demon truthfully stated.

"I am a stone mill demon, and I am not used to staying in other places. I only think about revenge and have no other thoughts. I have never cared about the soul."

"As for the villagers... I wasn't actually angry when I saw them. I only took action because they told me I was a monster. I just gave them a light punishment. They were all watching. No one was seriously injured. They'll be fine after some time."

"Fellow Daoist is truly carefree."

Chen Ji sincerely praised it.

He repays kindness with kindness and avenges wrongs with avenging wrongs; even the most carefree demons on Mount Sendai seem to have never been seen so unrestrained.

Bai was carefree and easygoing, but she always felt there was something else going on.

The little foxes still had the constraints of studying foxes, but Senior Huai was mature, Mr. Su had just broken free from pedantry, and even Baojie was not like that.

Upon careful consideration, among all the demons, ghosts, and humans Chen Ji knew, only Daoist Xi Yun and Yan Chixia behaved in this way.

So he smiled and looked at the stone mill demon.

"After we finish dealing with things in this village, I'll introduce you to two fellow Daoists. You two are compatible and should have a lot to talk about."

"Is it also a millstone demon?"

"..."

"No."

"Is that a stone demon?"

"I do know one, but not these two."

"Then there's nothing to say."

The stone mill demon shook its head, and the stone mill then began to make an empty grinding sound, creaking and groaning, making one's teeth ache.

“My cultivation is different from theirs, and my magic is also different from theirs. I also have a bad temper, so there may be other problems. Why don’t I talk to you, Immortal?”

"Besides, I'm already a demon. If I'm not carefree, I might as well become a human."

Chen Ji found it increasingly interesting and smiled slightly.

"There's no need to call me Immortal. I've only been practicing for less than half a year, so just call me Fellow Daoist."

"..."

As Chen Ji spoke, he saw the millstone stand up from the ground, its millstones split apart, like two wide-open eyes staring at him.

"Immortal... what did you say? You've only been cultivating for half a year and you've already reached such a level?"

"Yes."

"I'm so angry!"

The stone mill demon roared and manipulated the stone mill to rumble across the ground, plowing out a furrow as thick as an arm and half a foot deep.

"Immortal, you still say you're not an immortal? If this level of strength doesn't qualify you as an immortal, then what am I?"

"Never say such things again, I can't bear to hear them!"

"You can't even hear a single word! Huh?"

The millstone demon uttered a puzzled sound, then transformed back into its previous millstone form, becoming completely silent, just like a real millstone.

Chen Ji shook his head with a helpless smile.

This millstone demon's temperament is truly interesting.

No wonder it's a monster that has absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, and also has incense offerings and merits.

However, he also knew why the millstone demon had suddenly stopped talking.

Turn around and look.

In the darkness, a few lanterns appeared out of nowhere.

It was Zheng Yuan and the old man who had come to ask for help earlier.

Upon seeing Chen Ji, he looked around and then pointed at the ground with wide eyes.

"Master, what's wrong? Could it be that the millstone demon has returned and is causing trouble? Are you injured? Is there anything we can do for you?"

"No need to do anything, I'm fine. But how did you all get out here?"

(End of this chapter)