Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 139 The Fox and the Tapir
Bai Qi and his group's magic is now quite advanced, so building roads is not a difficult task for them.

But if there are demons or ghosts involved, then that's another story.

The four foxes specialize in civil engineering, but their combat skills are indeed average.

This can be seen from the fact that when they saw the fox clan instructor who had just transformed into the three of them, they still called out to Miss Bai and themselves.

As Chen Ji thought about it, he recalled the scene of seeing a ghost in the room when he first arrived at Sendai Mountain. Bai Qi and Bai Ba seemed to have no idea how to deal with it.

I never expected that even with all this cultivation, I still wouldn't know how to handle this situation. I don't even know how to put it.

It can only be said that he devoted all his cultivation to road construction, and didn't learn anything else.

This time, Miss Bai will have to take care of Bai Shijiu and also talk to the little foxes about cultivation and the fox studies exam, so she probably won't have the chance to go again.

Although there are quite a few demons in the pharmacy, it is not suitable to ask them for help. I should only bring the stone mill demon with me.

After all, he was his ghost messenger, and it was only right that he should provide him with incense offerings and a monthly salary, and go with him to see the ghosts and demons.

Thinking about this, Chen Ji realized that he hadn't asked the Stone Mill Demon what abilities it had.

You should ask about it when you get back.

They possess a considerable number of magical techniques, and if they can coordinate well, they should not be afraid of ordinary demons and ghosts.

"Dong dong dong."

There was a knock on the door.

Chen Ji looked up and saw Miss Bai appear outside the door.

"Miss Bai, you've gone back to the mountain too?"

Chen Ji was somewhat surprised.

Previously, Miss Bai said that Bai Shijiu had an epiphany and needed to find a place to recuperate. I thought he was looking for a secluded place, but I didn't expect him to return to Sendai Mountain.

“The atmosphere on the mountain is suitable, so I let her cultivate in the place where Baojiejun used to be. The spiritual energy is abundant, and it's nearby, so it's quite secluded.”

After explaining for a moment, Miss Bai looked at Chen Ji again.

"The mountain god just told me that if you encounter any demons or ghosts while you are repairing the road, please be careful."

"must."

After Chen Ji finished speaking, he suddenly realized something.

"Miss Bai, aren't you going to come and take a look with us?"

Miss Bai smiled gently and shook her head.

"The Mountain God's painting is conferred with divine power. The fox clan has already benefited from this. The teacher is a fox clan teacher and has taught Xiao Qi and the others how to build roads and bridges. It would be fine for him to go and supervise their studies. However, if I go in person, the karma would be too great, which would be counterproductive."

After saying that, he looked at Chen Ji again, intending to give him a hint.

“I have already asked the mountain god, and there are local deities in that village. There shouldn’t be any powerful demons or ghosts there. If you can handle it, there’s no need to ask any other demons or ghosts to come.”

"I understand, thank you, Miss Bai."

Chen Ji nodded, finally understanding why Miss Bai had appeared to remind him.

But I still have a lot of curiosity.

The old abbot had previously mentioned that helping the mountain god to be enshrined would bring them benefits, but he hadn't said what. Now that Miss Bai had reminded them, they were even more curious.

So he simply brought up the question the old abbot had forbidden him to ask, inquiring about the benefits of being granted the title of Mountain God by Miss Bai.

Miss Bai first looked to her left and right, as if confirming something, then her eyebrows relaxed before she closed the door.

All of a sudden.

The wind outside the window blew and the cicadas' chirping disappeared, leaving only Chen Ji's steady breathing inside the room.

"Ok?"

Only my own breathing?
Chen Ji glanced sideways and subconsciously looked at Miss Bai.

He hadn't noticed before, but when Miss Bai spoke, it seemed like her chest didn't rise and fall. Could it be that she wasn't breathing?

Unaware of Chen Ji's gaze, Miss Bai casually made a hand seal before slowly speaking.

“I used a secret fox technique to conceal the secrets of heaven for a moment, so you can speak with confidence, sir.”

"Although this matter is very good for the mountain god, there are still some impure thoughts involved, so it is not good to let the mountain god hear about it."

"Ok?"

Chen Ji was taken aback.

He naturally understood what Miss Bai meant by those words.

I also understand why there is not a sound from the outside in the room at this moment.

This is where things go wrong.

He was still a little confused as to what Miss Bai wanted him to say, and why the mountain god couldn't hear what she was saying, as if something was amiss.

Miss Bai looked at Chen Ji's behavior with surprise, her eyes revealing a strange expression.

"Sir, you don't know?"

"I don't know."

"Since you didn't know the benefits of helping the mountain god to be appointed, why did you mention the method to do so in the first place?"

“The mountain god just happened to ask, and I was thinking of repaying the favor to Judge Lu by obtaining the earth spirit wine.”

"..."

Miss Bai remained silent.

After a moment, she spoke slowly.

"Sir, please don't tell anyone about this in the future."

"Why?"

"One favor, and you've earned the position of a mountain god listed in the world's mountain and river register. I'm afraid that in the future, there will be many humans, demons, and ghosts in the nine heavens and ten earths who want you to owe them a favor."

"Well... I really didn't think that much about it at the time."

Chen Ji told the truth.

Bai-guniang squinted, and peach blossoms fell on Chen Ji. She carefully scanned him a few times, then sighed.

"Alright, it won't last long, so I'll tell you anyway."

"Those who are enlightened by mountains and rivers, cultivate themselves, and are enshrined in the Book of Earthly Deities will almost live forever. As long as there is no turmoil or disaster, they will eventually become Earthly Immortals, beings just like Heavenly Immortals."

“Those who cultivate have a limited lifespan, but if they receive the guarantee of the gods of the mountains and rivers, even the underworld can grant them an extra five hundred years of lifespan.”

"If you help them achieve official status, and you bear all the consequences, you will at least gain a glimpse of immortality. Even if it is weak, you can still obtain the true meaning of the earth element from the power of the five elements, and you will have no worries about cultivating related techniques in the future."

"You... really know absolutely nothing?"

After Miss Bai finished speaking, she still seemed somewhat skeptical.

Chen Ji was stunned for a moment before shaking his head.

"I really didn't know it could be like this."

Then, as if remembering something, he looked at Miss Bai.

“Miss Bai, the old abbot, and even Daoist Xiyun should also know this method, so why didn’t they explain it to the mountain god before? Besides… other demons and ghosts should also know it.”

Miss Bai sighed.

"The god of Sendai Mountain is cautious by nature; neither living beings nor demons can see him, let alone Taoist priests of Sendai Mountain..."

"As for me, my affinity with the Sendai Mountain God is not yet sufficient, and even if I knew, I could not tell him, otherwise revealing heavenly secrets would bring back all the consequences upon me."

"Sir, you are truly strange. It is a record in the Book of Strange Tales of the Human World, yet it led him to the righteous path by accident. This fate is far more wonderful than my technique of forming bonds."

He then glared fiercely at Chen Ji.

"If I had known earlier that you were not a fox, I would have suspected that you were some nine-tailed celestial fox in disguise, here to play tricks on me."

Jokingly, the hand seals in his hands silently dissipated.

Then the sounds of insects chirping, birds singing, and the wind drifted into Chen Ji's ears again.

When I came to my senses, the benefits of helping the mountain god to be appointed as an official were still in my mind, as mentioned by Miss Bai.

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

But knowing that this was not a situation where things were not under their control, they did not want to ask for more details. After thinking for a moment, they only vaguely asked Miss Bai what they should choose.

"That depends on you, sir."

Miss Bai frowned and thought seriously for a few moments, but still shook her head.

"This is a very important matter. You should make the decision yourself, sir. If you really can't think of anything, you can ask Bai Qi and the others for suggestions."

"Oh?"

Chen Ji was taken aback, not expecting Miss Bai to say such a thing.

Even if they were looking for someone, they should be looking for highly accomplished people like Senior Huai, Mr. Su, and the old abbot, not asking Bai Ba and the others.

"Do they still have the ability to offer a choice?"

"That's not the case. It just helps you pick out the unsuitable ones first."

"..." Chen Ji remained silent.

It turns out that Bai Ba was used in this way in Miss Bai's eyes, which is quite an unexpected discovery.

"I'll ask about it when I get down the mountain."

Chen Ji said with a smile.

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something.

"Is everything alright, Miss Bai? You didn't come all this way just to tell me to be careful on my way down the mountain, did you?"

"Of course not."

The white girl shook her head.

"Nineteen is still in a state of enlightenment. She has also consumed a few drops of the tapir blood that Lu Pan gave her earlier. I guess she has entered a mysterious state, but I can't say for sure what it is. She came back this time to look up the book."

"It's convenient to take you down the mountain. After all, I believe in your strength, sir. You can easily deal with ordinary demons and ghosts now."

"I see. Then we'll have to put in some effort."

Chen Ji wasn't too worried.

Bai Shijiu's talent for cultivating the Dream of Marriage was so good that even Judge Lu thought it was quite good, so entering a state of enlightenment would naturally not be a problem.

However, he was a little curious as to how there could be a question that even Miss Bai didn't know.

"It's not magic, but bloodline."

Miss Bai said leisurely.

“The blood of the Dream Eater can enter dreams and assist in the casting of spells, but Nineteen is already in a state of enlightenment and her soul is stable. She is not entering a dream. Moreover, the blood of the Dream Eater is not used out of thin air, but disappears from her body and a phantom of the Dream Eater appears on her body.”

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and frowned.

“This situation is usually related to bloodline, but I’ve never seen anything like it before. I don’t know who to turn to.”

"I see."

Chen Ji's eyes lit up as he looked at Miss Bai.

"Just find that dream-eating beast and have it take a look."

"Yes, how could I forget that you also know the origin of the Dream Eater's blood?"

Miss Bai relaxed her brows and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sir, you are now a day-roaming deity in the underworld, which makes you a colleague of that Dream Eater. He should give you face."

"We would also like to trouble you to write a letter and ask Mengmo to come up and take a look. If he can solve the problem, we will certainly not treat him unfairly."

“I’ll give it a try, but I’ll have to trouble Miss Bai to go to town and find the Stone Mill Demon.”

"I came in a hurry today; he was still discussing Daoist principles in the medicine hall, so he's not here."

"No problem, I'll be right back."

The young lady smiled and left, disappearing into the wind in an instant.

Chen Ji also hurriedly ground ink and wrote a letter.

It was similar to the secret letter I had written to Sister Sun before, only the content was somewhat different.

Blow away the ink stains and seal them with the aura of the Sun God.

Just as I was about to put it down, I heard footsteps outside.

Looking up, one could see that Miss Bai and the Stone Mill Demon had already landed outside the house.

So he cupped his hands and looked at the stone mill demon.

"I'll have to trouble you to deliver the message again, fellow Daoist."

"It's alright. Fellow Daoist, if you have something to do, just tell me. There's no need to be polite."

Chen Ji then explained that they had written a letter to Mengmo and instructed him to find Mengmo and invite him up.

"What if he doesn't come up?"

"The stone mill demon asked."

“I am merely a ghost messenger under your command, but this Dream Eater is also a Night Wanderer, just like you, and belongs to different judges. How can I get him to agree?”

"Just show him this."

Chen Ji took out the lampstand that the Netherfire Suanni had given him earlier and handed it to the Stone Mill Demon.

Earlier, after Judge Lu came up, he told some interesting stories, including about the Netherfire Suanni and the Dream Eater.

Because of the Netherfire Suanni's abilities, it needs to keep a certain distance from ordinary demons and ghosts, so there aren't many demons and ghosts in the underworld who are close to it. This is just the right opportunity for the Dream Eater to enter dreams and play with it.

Over time, the Netherfire Suanni and the Dream Eater developed an excellent relationship.

Seeing what this Suanni offers, and with promises of human benefits, they will surely come here.

"Then I will go there."

The stone mill demon took the item and burrowed into the ground without hesitation.

Chen Ji and Miss Bai went ahead to check on Bai Shijiu's condition.

A refreshing fragrance permeates the bamboo forest.

Just by getting close, Chen Ji felt a sense of peace, but there was an unusual mist in the air.

Chen Ji recognized it just by looking at it.

Mirage.

It was the ability of the mirage pearl that Bai Shijiu had obtained earlier; now, mixed in with the fog, it was difficult to guard against.

Chen Ji's consciousness was somewhat detached; if it were someone else, a human or ghost with a weak will, they would probably have already entered the dream world.

Sure enough, the phantom of the Dream Eater could be seen in the mist, and it certainly didn't seem to be something I had created.

According to the Qi Observation Technique, Bai Shijiu's vital signs were completely stable, and his strength even continued to increase.

Chen Ji and Miss Bai waited on the side without making any rash moves.

In less than 45 minutes, thick black smoke reappeared from the ground, and two heads emerged from the ground—it was the Stone Mill Demon and the Dream Eater.

"Eh……"

The Dream Eater poked its head out, about to say something, when it saw Chen Ji and was greatly surprised.

"Did you send me here?"

"Wait, when did you become a wandering god of the underworld?"

"And how did you come to have that Suanni creature?"

Mengmo had a lot of questions, so Chen Ji picked out the easier ones and explained them to Mengmo briefly first. After explaining, he immediately pointed to Bai Shijiu.

"My disciple has become like this because he received a few drops of your blood and practiced magic. I would like to ask if you know the reason?"

"Blood?"

The Baku was also somewhat surprised.

Without transforming into human form, it circled Bai Shijiu in its beast form, looked him over, and then said leisurely.

"This is a fox demon?"

"Yes."

"Have you cultivated the art of dream marriage?"

"Yes."

"That's not surprising."

The Dream Eater nodded slightly.

“My blood itself is an excellent medium for performing the Dream Marriage Technique. She must have had someone pull a living soul into the dream, which happened to trigger the Dream Eater's blood, and that's how she... merged with the Dream Eater's bloodline.”

"Nowadays, when people talk about her, she shouldn't be considered a pure fox, but rather a tapir fox."

"You don't need to worry about her. Just let her consume all my blood in her dreams."

There was a hint of a sigh in his voice.

"If I had known my blood was so precious, I shouldn't have given so much to Judge Lu. He really lied to me time and time again."

"..."

Mengmo spoke lightly, but Chen Ji found it hard to believe.

The fact that the fox could integrate into the bloodline of the dream-eating tapir was simply beyond his comprehension.

Can a fox spirit transform like that?

I don't know if it's because the blood of the dream-eating beast is too domineering or if fox demons are just like that.

Looking at Miss Bai, he found that she was not surprised, but was looking at the Dream Eater seriously.

"Fellow Daoist just now said that I, this junior, am now considered a tapir fox?"

"I wonder if there's any way to turn her into a tapir?"

(End of this chapter)