Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 134 Judge Lu Arrives Here
As soon as he finished speaking, a whirlwind swept across the ground, spreading a chilling aura, but it wasn't too cold; instead, it exuded a sense of solemn authority.

As the whirlwind subsided, a group of ghostly figures appeared on the ground.

Eight underworld officials led the way, all with blue faces and fangs, while four large ghosts carried a palanquin topped with black iron, their feet moving with the wind.

Upon closer inspection, Chen Ji realized that the magical artifacts held by these underworld officials were filled with eerie ghostly energy, even more ferocious than the master's sword in his own hand.

After the sedan chair came to a stop, Judge Lu lifted the curtain and stepped down.

"With such a discovery from you, fellow Daoist, how could I not come in person?"

As he spoke, he cupped his hands and looked at Chen Ji.

"If this calamity passes and you gain an opportunity, I might have to address you as 'Master.' If you do, I cannot bear the blame for not coming to obey your orders today."

Chen Ji knew that Judge Lu was joking, and shook his head in mockery.

"If that's the case, then we must have Judge Lu ask the Prefect for another pot of Moon Wine to drink to his heart's content."

"must!"

Lu Pan smiled and agreed, looking at Chen Ji with a sense of emotion in his heart.

When we first met and drank together, this person was just a novice cultivator. I never expected that in just over a month he would have become a wandering god in the underworld, and even be able to help with matters in the underworld.

Having just agreed to those words, I wonder when I'll have to keep them. I should hurry and go ask the Prefect for a pot of Moon Wine.

He then waved his hand to disperse the entourage.

Chen Ji was somewhat taken aback.

I hadn't realized at all that the black iron sedan chair I saw earlier was made by Zhaku.

Seeing that Chen Ji couldn't take his eyes off him, Lu Pan knew what he was thinking and smiled at him.

"Fellow Daoist, are you curious about how this thing becomes real?"

"Exactly."

Lu Pan laughed out loud.

"This is the difference between the underworld and the human world. Although the human world's 'Zhaku' is a blank sheet of paper, if one is sincere, burning it in the underworld is real."

"Moreover, it can be refined using underworld secret methods and then turned back into a zaku and stored away, which is very convenient."

Chen Ji couldn't help but feel a little envious.

If this method could be used in the human world, there would be no need to worry about sleeping outdoors in the future, and even making a paper house would be much more convenient.

He then explained his thoughts to Judge Lu.

Judge Lu was also taken aback upon hearing this.

“Fellow Daoist’s idea is indeed unique. However, these things cannot be preserved for long outside the Netherworld environment. Even I can only manifest in the human world by relying on the authority of the Netherworld.”

"If we weren't here on behalf of the underworld to handle some matters, we wouldn't have such a grand procession."

"Oh?"

Chen Ji then took a curious look.

This is the first time I've introduced this ceremonial guard since Lu Pan came to the human world.

"These are the clerks that the judge must bring along when he goes on patrol."

"The road-clearing ghosts, the sedan chair bearers, the civil and military officials... these are all things that will be used in the judgment later. If there are many cases, we will also need to use the Yin Division."

"They still want to do this?"

Chen Ji was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

"I initially thought that fellow Daoist only needed to judge cases in the underworld, but I never expected..."

Judge Lu shook his head.

"You yourself said that you think that if you don't have such leisure to do while you're alive, how can you be leisurely after you're dead?"

"These days, in order to investigate the things in the vicinity, I have run all over the city god temples in the prefecture, retrieved the life and death records of the past hundred years, and also had to do the things assigned by the prefect. I really haven't had a moment to rest."

"If it weren't for your blessing, fellow Daoist, that I would have been able to come to the mortal realm this time, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to come out now."

"..."

Chen Ji's eyebrows twitched, and he subconsciously asked about the Yin Si's rest period.

"It happens twice a month, on the new moon and full moon, which conveniently avoids the days when the moon palace attracts yin energy. Why do you ask this, fellow Daoist?"

"I just feel that if I really became colleagues with Judge Lu, I'd be so busy I'd be wishing I were dead."

"Better to live than die?"

Judge Lu laughed out loud upon hearing this.

"Fellow Daoist's assessment is quite apt, but once you arrive, you'll understand what's really going on. The life of a ghost is long, and there's no need to worry about even death; one always needs time to hone their skills..."

As he spoke, his gaze passed over Chen Ji and landed on the villagers, where he saw something.

"These are minor techniques. I will explain them to you in detail when you enter the Underworld. You should first think about how to explain them to these people in front of you."

"explain?"

Chen Ji was somewhat surprised when he heard this. He turned his head and saw the terrified expressions of the villagers nearby. He then realized that the villagers, being ordinary people, could not see Lu Pan.

"Who is the Taoist priest speaking to?"

Zheng Yuan mustered his courage, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked, his gaze falling on the location of Judge Lu and his group, but he saw nothing and dared not step forward, only bowing respectfully.

Chen Ji smiled slightly and helped him up to explain.

"It's a judge from the underworld investigating something. Tell them to disperse and don't crowd around, lest the yang energy disturb the officials of the underworld."

Zheng Yuan was startled upon hearing this, and took the opportunity to get up and look closely.

Sure enough, a faint halo of light could be seen emanating from the open space, even more obvious than the light emanating from the guard.

The old man was so frightened that he could not stand steadily and needed someone to help him to bow.

Zheng Yuan had already begun ordering his men to drive away the village officials, fearing they might interfere with Judge Lu's procession.

Unexpectedly, the villagers were even more excited when they heard that the judge of the underworld was there. They knelt down and begged the judge to bless them to live a few more years. Some even said that they did a good deed every day and wanted to check how much merit they had accumulated.

More often, people asked if they could ask Judge Lu to take a look at the current lives of the spirits in their homes.

The commotion, though none of it was excessive, did indeed trap the underworld troops, preventing them from leaving.

Chen Ji looked around before slowly speaking.

"When the underworld troops pass through, mortals who block their way will have their lifespans shortened. If you cannot disperse, you will not need to ask Judge Lu for help later; just go back with him."

As soon as he finished speaking, the villagers were all horrified. They exchanged glances and quickly dispersed to a distance, fearing that staying in the same place would taint them with the malevolent aura of the underworld's soldiers.

Zheng Yuan was taken aback, not expecting that he could shout like that.

However, it must be admitted that the effect was indeed excellent; in just over ten breaths, there were no villagers left.

The soldiers brought by Judge Lu stopped, lifted the sorceress's body, and moved her to one side.

Chen Ji was still curious about what these soldiers were going to do, and why they stopped moving after walking to the side.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Judge Lu ask a question.

"I remember you know the Wall-Opening Technique, fellow Daoist."

"Yes."

"I will also trouble you, fellow Daoist, to dig a well here."

"well?"

Chen Ji was taken aback for a moment, then realized that this was a euphemism for a coffin pit.

I just hadn't seen a traditional burial in a long time and had forgotten about it for a moment.

He nodded repeatedly after remembering it.

"This is simple."

Then he raised his hand and pointed to the ground, manipulating a magic sword finger technique. As the finger fell, the soil churned, quickly forming a square pit, just the right size to hold a coffin.

"how?"

"well done!"

Judge Lu looked at the well and nodded repeatedly.

"Fellow Daoist, you truly have the talent to be a colleague in the underworld. Even digging a well is so fast. If there is any need in the future, I'm afraid I will have to trouble you."

Chen Ji did not respond to these words, but slowly looked at the well opening, not understanding how Lu Pan wanted to take away the sorceress's physical body through this.

It's important to know that it's almost impossible for a living person to go to the underworld.

Although Judge Lu may have some methods, they mostly involve the power of the underworld, and he cannot bypass this rule.

Right now, this sorceress is just someone whose soul he extracted using the Soul-Binding Technique; her physical body hasn't died yet, and he really can't think of how to do it.

"Place the body out and bury it in the well!"

Just then, Judge Lu gave an order, and all the demons and ghosts around him sprang into action. They found a straw mat from somewhere, wrapped it around the sorceress, threw her into the well, and then used magic to move soil to pile it up, creating a tomb.

Lu Pan smiled slightly.

“Fellow Daoist is right. How can one go to the underworld while alive? The simplest way is naturally to die.”

"Before she was buried, she was a living person whose soul had left her body in the mortal realm, but now..."

Lu Pan smiled slightly.

"The death was suspicious, and there was a demonic aura about him. He happened to be by the roadside when I saw him. I can naturally investigate again."

"But we discovered that the body was not in good condition, and that's when we found out the problem."

"So good."

Chen Ji smiled slightly, finally seeing such a flexible and adaptable approach.

So they also offered up the spirit of the sorceress.

"it is good!"

After receiving the items, Judge Lu sighed and looked at Chen Ji.

"This is enough for me. I still need to check the situation in the vicinity later. I'll leave things here to you, fellow Daoist."

After saying that, he slowly sank into the ground.

Halfway through, he suddenly remembered something and shouted loudly.

"Fellow Daoist, your ghost messenger has returned to town and specifically asked me to inform you."

"Alright, thank you for your concern, fellow Daoist."

Chen Ji nodded slightly, then called Zheng Yuan over to explain the situation to the old man.

There happened to be several civil and military officials nearby interrogating wandering spirits.

Chen Ji remembered that he had previously concocted a method for Sister Sun to see ghosts, so he took out some of it and gave it back to the villagers.

"Is this what a ghost is?"

"Hiss! So many ghosts!"

"The ghostly army is passing through... and this is what they look like!"

The crowd crowded at a distance, gazing at the ghostly figure in the distance. Despite the noise, it didn't stop them from going forward to investigate. Most of the ghosts only glanced at it and went about their own business after seeing Chen Ji there.

The villagers only glanced at it before looking away, not daring to look any longer, for fear of being tainted by the yin energy that Chen Ji had just mentioned.

The old man and Zheng Yuan were the ones who understood the situation and directly sent everyone home.

Only then did he turn to Chen Ji to ask about what he had told Lu Pan and how to compensate the Stone Mill Demon.

"Compensation..."

Chen Ji thought about it.

This should have been discussed with the Stone Mill Demon before a decision could be made.

However, now that he is his own ghost messenger, and he has said that Chen Ji can handle human affairs himself, he can arrange something else.

After a moment, he slowly opened his mouth.

"Since the stone mill demon died because of the village, all its merits and cultivation accumulated over sixty years have been lost. The villagers have no supernatural powers and cannot compensate with precious spiritual objects, so let's use incense as a substitute."

How to replace it?

The old man asked earnestly.

Chen Ji then looked at a spot not far away.

"I also have some connection with this stone mill demon. Since it is worshipped in the village, we should set up a temple in the village to worship it. Just remember to offer incense morning and night."

"If you are sincere, you might become another earth god a hundred years from now, and you will surely receive your share of the benefits."

"I will definitely do it!"

The old man nodded vigorously in agreement.

Chen Ji nodded slightly, confirming that everything was settled, before returning to Tiejin Town by the wind.

With things on his mind, he didn't go out of town to take a detour, and landed right in the courtyard of the pharmacy.

The demons and ghosts in the courtyard are currently chatting with the stone mill demon.

It didn't seem like a group of demons questioning the Stone Mill Demon together; rather, it seemed like the Stone Mill Demon was chasing after other foxes, chatting incessantly, and even Miss Bai made an excuse to leave to cultivate.

After Chen Ji landed, before he could even say hello, all the demons and ghosts looked over and first heard the Stone Mill Demon's loud laughter.

"Fellow Daoist was right. With the Copper Toad's techniques, we can indeed properly study the fossilization method and the copper-smelting method. Now we don't have to worry about wasting money..."

Chen Ji was stunned, never expecting that the Stone Mill Demon could have such an understanding.

His intention was clearly to get them to cooperate so that they could have an inexhaustible supply of copper ingots in the future.

These two actually thought of using the same piece to practice their spells; they really are a bunch of demons and monsters.

With a sigh, the Stone Mill Demon suddenly stood up, cupped his hands, and looked at Chen Ji.

"Fellow Daoist, you've kept this from me for so long!"

"Ok?"

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow, wondering what he had kept from the Stone Mill Demon.

“Fellow Daoist, if you had told us earlier that you had such a wonderful place, and that so many fellow Daoists would have been able to discuss the Dao, and that you could have even guided demons and ghosts in their cultivation.”

"Even if I were to die long ago and come here to be your ghost messenger, let alone be killed by the sorceress, it would still be worthwhile."

Chen Ji listened with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

No wonder they say the stone mill demon has no heart; it's incredibly honest.

These words certainly don't sound like something an ordinary cultivator would say.

Now that one matter has finally been resolved, we're just waiting for Judge Lu's results. If there's still something else I need to do, then I'll go eat.

Now I can finally get a few days of rest.

Chen Ji also needed to test the little foxes' cultivation and knowledge, and he had some other plans as well.

So he invited Miss Bai to go back to the house together.

"Is there something you don't want them to hear, sir?"

When Miss Bai saw Chen Ji invite her inside to talk, she knew it was a private matter, but she was still curious and asked.

Chen Ji smiled slightly.

"I'd like to ask if Miss Bai still remembers the questions from the fox studies test?"

"Of course I remember that."

The young woman's eyes flickered, and she slowly spoke.

"But if you want to use the questions I asked back then to test today's little fox, I'm afraid many of them have already been changed."

"it's not true."

Chen Ji shook his head.

"I just feel that they have now mastered about 60-70% of the skills to test their knowledge of foxes, so they should try to test their knowledge of foxes themselves."

"Miss Bai must have heard of the stories of scholars who are usually very talented but fail the exams one after another. This is probably the reason."

"So if we want the little foxes to get used to the fox exam in advance, so that they won't be nervous when they enter the exam room, we should start by getting them familiar with the exam."

"Ok?"

Miss Bai's eyes lit up.

“This is indeed a direction we have never considered before. What you said makes perfect sense.”

"When I was studying fox studies, I heard that there was a peerless genius in my clan who was not only born into a noble family but also had extremely high talent. He was a potential candidate to become a nine-tailed celestial fox."

"Unfortunately……"

Miss Bai seemed to recall the past, and shook her head with a sigh.

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's first tell you how you plan to conduct this exam."

"If you want to simulate the real examination of foxes, you should naturally start with the examination process of foxes."

"I would also appreciate it if Miss Bai could tell me the whole process of studying foxes in detail, so that I can figure out how to make arrangements."

"it is good."

Miss Bai nodded and began to recount past events to Chen Ji.

A fox and a man, the bamboo shadows slowly fall by the west window.

(End of this chapter)