Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 18 Drinking Ghost Tea

Then Chen Ji and the big squirrel chatted all night without realizing it.

Talk about cultivation, talk about demon life, talk about life, talk about Xiantai Mountain and the world outside the mountain...

It was also the first time that Chen Ji knew that if the cultivation of demons also had levels, the fox demon was already at an upper-middle level.

The number of people who are more powerful than fox demons can be counted on one hand.

Apart from a few species with the bloodlines of divine beasts, there are also tiger monsters, wolf monsters, fish monsters and other monsters with special fortunes.

For other animals, since their souls are naturally insufficient, practicing cultivation is an extremely luxurious thing.

As for the squirrel monster, it is at the bottom among the monsters that are not as good as the flow.

And those who can practice cultivation are indeed very powerful.

Qingliang Mountain is actually a famous Taoist paradise with a radius of hundreds of miles. There are more than a dozen large and small palaces and temples in it, as well as many anonymous wandering cultivators.

Chen Ji also learned about the difficulty of practicing through the squirrel demon's narration.

Immortals have their own paradise, and capable practitioners also have temples and caves. Ordinary practitioners can only live in caves and huts, and the next level is the small demon cultivators like them.

You never know when it will become food for evil cultivators and powerful demons.

Most of these things are passed down orally between practitioners and demons and ghosts.

Naturally, this was not recorded in the book Chen Ji was reading.

Although Chen Ji didn't know how to teach the squirrel to practice, he taught the squirrel his own experience in observing qi and breathing techniques.

Although it may not be suitable for squirrels, it is at least a proven and feasible technique.

Until the sky turned bright, Chen Ji was still not satisfied and wanted to chat with the squirrel demon for a few more words.

He really has too many secrets in his hands.

In the words of the big squirrel, when traveling through the mountains, almost no monsters would notice a few intelligent little squirrels, and almost no one would think that squirrels could become monsters.

That's how many things sound.

Unfortunately, Chen Ji had to set off.

We only walked half the distance yesterday. If we don’t walk faster today, I’m afraid we won’t be able to get out of Xiantai Mountain.

"Take care on your journey, fellow Daoist!"

The big squirrel raised its paw towards Chen Ji.

"In fact, if I'm faster, it might only take me ten days, and if I'm slower, it might only take half a month."

Chen Ji said slowly.

Then the big squirrel scratched the air with its claws a few times, and the loose hair on its ears exploded.

"Can I still get the pine nuts back now?"

"It's too late! I've already eaten, but I will definitely find a cultivation method for you, fellow Taoist."

"Thank you, fellow Taoist."

The big squirrel didn't really want to come back, it was just a teasing to deepen the relationship.

After a night of conversation, he had a very special feeling towards Chen Ji.

At least, it was the first time that he felt respected by a Taoist priest, who respected him more than other monsters.

So the big squirrel also gave Chen Ji an axe that had been sharpened to a shine.

"Do squirrels need axes to pick pine cones?"

"I found it in the mountains a while ago. It must have been dropped by a woodcutter who came to chop wood. There's no use for it, so I just gave it to you."

So when the morning light was just beginning, Chen Ji split the sky and set out on his way down the mountain.

There are chirping insects and singing birds around, and occasionally the sound of clear springs in the mountain stream, but there are no thorns blocking the way, and the road is smooth.

It's just like running to a dead horse.

Looking at the hills not far away, Chen Ji walked from the dawn to the setting sun.

As dusk approached, Chen Ji climbed over a steep cliff and finally saw traces of the road and footprints left by passers-by.

Although it is an outer mountain, it already belongs to the human realm.

Chen Ji finally put his worries to rest.

Although he has magic skills, he is not afraid of ordinary monsters and ghosts when sleeping in the mountains at night.

The peace of mind that comes from seeing human presence is a completely different feeling than being in the mountains.

It was getting dark, but Chen Ji felt like he was coming back to life, and even his steps became lighter.

After walking a little further and crossing a mountain, several forks in the road suddenly appeared in front of us.

It was not yet completely dark, and I could already see the town outside the mountain in the distance. The mountain road where the forks converged had become much wider, and there were marks left by axes on the dead branches and old trees on the roadside.

This is much closer to the town.

"Someone came here to get firewood. It seems they are not far away."

Chen Ji had an idea, tightened his bag, put away his axe, and walked straight along the road, hoping to reach the town before nightfall.

Not far away, I saw a man sitting by the roadside to rest. His short shirt had several layers of patches on his shoulders, and next to him was a basket with six bundles of firewood. In his hand was an axe that had been polished to a shine. He looked like a woodcutter.

Hearing the noise, the woodcutter subconsciously gripped his axe, turned his head and saw Chen Ji, with some caution in his eyes.

"Are you a human or a ghost?"

"Nature is human."

"Then why are you coming out of the mountains now? Aren't you afraid of encountering demons and ghosts?"

"Reading the books of sages makes one brave, so he is not afraid." "You are quite a courageous scholar!"

The woodcutter praised him, put down his axe and made room for Chen Ji to sit down and rest.

"A few days ago, there were demons and ghosts in this mountain. A man who was collecting firewood with me died in the mountain. I heard that the demons took him away. I tried to go back early in the past few days, but I didn't expect to be delayed for some time today, so I'm here now."

"If you don't mind, scholar, how about we go back to town together?"

"How far is it back?"

"It's not far, only five or six miles at most. If we walk quickly, we can be there in half an hour."

"Then I'll wait until you've rested before leaving."

"I'm fine now. I sat there for quite a while when you weren't here."

The woodcutter stood up, put away his axe, picked up the firewood, and walked forward with big strides. The firewood on his shoulders swayed rhythmically.

He did not forget to turn around and remind Chen Ji.

"Scholar, I'm used to walking this road. You better follow me."

"it is good."

Chen Ji followed behind, the afterglow of the setting sun lengthening his shadow as he walked towards the darkness.

The road was boring, so naturally we started chatting again.

"What are you, a scholar, doing in the mountains?"

"Study."

"I've never heard of any good teachers in the mountains. Are you going to the academy in the provincial capital?"

"It is."

The woodcutter laughed heartily.

"Are all scholars as quiet as you? Or am I just being too crude?"

"It's just that I haven't seen anyone in a while, and I don't know what to say."

"Ah, that's just like me."

The woodcutter suddenly shouted.

"I used to go up the mountain with that good friend. Since he passed away, I haven't spoken to anyone in a long time."

"When I saw you just now, I felt that you were somewhat similar to my good friend. I unconsciously thought of you as my good friend, so I said a few more words."

"I hope the scholar will forgive me."

"It doesn't matter."

Chen Ji waved his hand and followed the woodcutter, neither too far nor too close.

"Hey, Aunt Sun, why haven't you gone back yet?!"

As he spoke, the woodcutter stopped and greeted an old woman selling tea nearby.

Chen Ji also noticed the water stall set up on the open space beside the mountain road. An old woman inside was slowly extinguishing the fire and closing the stall.

I saw the two of them nodded slightly.

"I was just about to close the stall, but I sprained my waist, so I was a little slow. You're back late today too."

"It has taken some time. How long will it take you to finish it at this speed? I'll help you."

The woodcutter unloaded the firewood and went forward to help the old woman put out the fire, put away the teapot and teacups, and poured everything out.

"Wait a minute, there's still some good tea in this pot!"

The old woman hurriedly called out to the woodcutter and snatched the white porcelain teapot from his hand.

"A businessman passed by today and ordered a pot of rose tea, but it was so expensive that you almost spilled it!"

As he said this, he held it in his arms and checked, only to find that half of it was gone.

He yelled that it was a waste of things and glared at the woodcutter.

"I can't take it back anyway, so I'll give you a bargain. There's still some water in this pot. You must be tired from walking, so I'll give you each a bowl of tea as a thank you for helping me close the stall."

The old woman placed two tea bowls, poured tea in them and pushed them in front of the two men.

"please."

The woodcutter picked up the tea bowl and drank it all in one gulp. The tea rolled down from the corner of his mouth and dripped onto the ground, leaving a long breath of fragrance.

“Good tea!”

After drinking, he found that Chen Ji was standing there motionless, and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

"Scholar, why don't you drink tea?"

The old woman also stared at Chen Ji with wide eyes.

"Young man, why don't you drink tea?"

Chen Ji looked at the woodcutter and then at the old woman. His heart was pounding and his palms were sweating. He felt that what the fox and the squirrel said was right.

There are monsters at the foot of the mountain, so be careful.

He had been down the mountain for less than an hour when he ran into a ghost.

The moonlight was bright at this moment, and the woodcutter and the old woman had no shadow at all in the moonlight, and there were no footprints where they had walked.

Under the technique of looking at qi, the liquid in the tea bowl exudes a black and red smell.

How can this be called a tea stall?
It's clearly a ghost shop!

(End of this chapter)