Meeting Me Is Your Good Luck (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Dining hall, breakfast.

A bowl of wild vegetable clear congee, unlimited servings, one egg per person. Aside from the wild vegetables still being a bit bitter, there were no other faults. However, there was also a plate of pickles in the middle, which were salty and cloying, even a bit difficult to swallow.

Only six people in total came to eat.

The rest had not yet woken up.

This place was too leisurely.

It was just that Lin Jue had not yet begun cultivating spiritual methods or learning spells, and he still had morning rituals to perform. At the same time, he was not accustomed to such a leisurely life. After finishing breakfast, he found himself with nothing to do.

"Are junior brothers and sisters free?"

"Eldest Senior Brother."

"Eldest Senior Brother!"

Two voices responded one after another.

"You've just arrived on the mountain and aren't used to mountain life yet. I'll find some things for you to do."

"Eldest Senior Brother, please tell us."

"Eldest Senior Brother, please speak!"

Both of them had very good attitudes.

"There will be visitors today. One of you will stay and receive them with me, which will be a good chance to learn how to receive visitors. We're also running low on firewood at the temple. The other person will go up the mountain to chop wood."

Eldest Senior Brother looked at them with a smile.

The junior sister looked at Lin Jue first.

"I'll go chop wood," Lin Jue said naturally. "I happened to bring a cleaver up the mountain."

"Good!"

Eldest Senior Brother was not surprised. He just said to him, "However, this is Mount Yi, and it's a bit different from other places. If you're going to chop wood on the mountain, I have a few things to tell you."

"About the Spirits and Monsters on the mountain?"

"It's partly about the Spirits and Monsters on the mountain. If you encounter any Spirits and Monsters, remember to say you are a disciple of Floating Hill Temple. Once you wear a Taoist robe later, no Spirits and Monsters will trouble you. At most, some might tease you. Remember to hold onto your true heart and not be tempted, and you won't lose your composure. The fierce beasts nearby have all been warned by Fourth Junior Brother and won't easily harm people."

"Understood."

"Also, when chopping wood on the mountain, you can't just chop down any tree you see. If it's a living young tree, you must let it go. If it's a living large tree, you can only chop the lower side branches. If there are no side branches below, you cannot chop it. It's best to find dry, dead trees; they burn well and don't need to be dried."

"Anything else?"

"The roads in the depths of Mount Yi are treacherous. Be extremely careful when walking. This mountain is very peculiar; it's mostly stone with little soil. Pine trees grow with great difficulty on the mountain and are favored by the mountain gods. Do not chop them. If you encounter any wooden stakes on the mountain along the way, do not sit down on them just because you are tired; they might be the seats of Spirits and Monsters." Eldest Senior Brother couldn't help but smile as he said this, a look of remembrance on his face. "These are things Master told me back then."

"I've remembered."

"Go on. It's okay if you don't chop enough firewood; picking up some pinecones is also good for burning."

"Okay!"

Lin Jue didn't say anything and agreed.

Nowadays, where could one learn without doing any work? Moreover, looking at the appearance of this Taoist temple, most of it was self-sufficient. Chopping wood was the simplest task, requiring nothing more than a bit of effort. If he didn't do it, should he leave it for the eighty-year-old master or senior brothers to do?

So, he turned back to get his cleaver, then went to find a backpack, a carrying pole with two ropes, and took the remaining tart cakes he had with him. He then headed in the direction Eldest Senior Brother pointed, towards Floating Hill Peak.

There were quite a few plants along the way.

Wild grass was naturally out of the question. Brambles and shrubs were lush at this time of year and not suitable for firewood. As for some large trees, their lower side branches had already been cut clean, and there wasn't a single dead branch.

This was normal.

Floating Hill Temple had been here for so many years; the firewood closest by would have been the first to be cut each year.

He had to go higher.

Go deeper.

Go further.

It was still the mountains, and it was early morning. The morning mist had not yet dispersed, so it was incredibly cool. Now, Lin Jue no longer had the worry of wandering the world, nor the confusion of not knowing where to seek guidance. With his mind at peace, his mood was naturally excellent. Why would he fear a long journey?

He gradually entered the depths of the white clouds.

Floating Hill Temple was located below the mountain peak. He hadn't felt it at the temple, but as he walked higher, the scenery of this place gradually revealed itself.

Occasionally, exposed granite could be seen, as well as ancient pines rooted in the crevices of the rocks. It was unclear whether the ancient pines happened to grow in the rock crevices or if the tree roots had split the rocks.

The sounds of unknown birds and unknown beasts often echoed in the mountains and in the clouds.

Do not harm ancient pines, carefully chop living trees, find more dead wood, chop more dead branches, and if you find fallen pinecones on the ground, pick some up too. Lin Jue gradually chopped some firewood.

The mountain path became steeper. Without realizing it, he passed through a dense forest. Looking back, it was already a wide-open view.

He saw layers of green mountains in the distance, forming shadows, countless layers upon layers. Morning mist gathered on the ground and in the mountain hollows, forming a sea of clouds. Compared to the ink-like green mountains, it appeared even whiter, a breathtaking sight.

Turning his head again, a stone peak was above him.

"Is this Floating Hill Peak?"

Lin Jue looked carefully and found a trace of the 'Floating Hill Peak' that the old Taoist had pointed out to them from a distance. Beside it were two other stone peaks, one of which had a gap like scissors.

It was so cool, his stamina and energy were full, and his mood was great, so he naturally got the idea to climb up and take a look.

But he had to chop wood first.

There were quite a few dead branches and dry twigs here. The side branches under the big trees hadn't been cut much, and some had grown back after being cut.

"Krak..."

The sound of chopping wood echoed through the mountains.

It continued to reverberate through Mount Yi.

Chopping wood was a task that didn't require much thought or effort; it just involved continuously doing the same thing. Since there was no rush and there were even rewards, it was surprisingly interesting.

Lin Jue worked at an unhurried pace. Before long, he had chopped a good amount of dry branches. He tied them into two bundles with rope, and also filled his backpack.

"Done!"

Next, it was time to climb the mountain.

He set aside his carrying pole and backpack, and with only a tart cake in his pocket and a cleaver in hand, Lin Jue began to climb.

Before he knew it, his clothes were damp.

It wasn't raining, but rather from sweat and mist.

The mountain was truly too high, already entering the clouds. Even though the sky was clear and rainless, entering the depths of the clouds would dampen one's clothes.

At the same time, the closer he got to the summit, the steeper it became.

The very top even required him to use both hands and feet.

Fortunately, it wasn't too far, and it didn't take much effort.

The young man soon reached the summit.

As soon as he stood up, he was stunned.

Before him lay the core region of Mount Yi. Stone cliffs connected, seemingly thousands of feet high, with strange peaks and bizarre rocks in countless forms. Many of the rocks appeared bare, yet ancient pines grew on them. The morning had not yet passed, and morning mist still gathered among these strange peaks, bizarre rocks, and resilient ancient pines, like a light veil draped over them by heaven and earth. As the wind blew, it transformed, creating a wondrous spectacle.

What a beautiful landscape painting.

Lin Jue was deeply moved and couldn't help but widen his eyes, trying to take in as much of this magnificent scene as possible.

From the foot of the mountain, one could never have imagined such scenery within it. He supposed that most people were deterred by the remote path, and few ever came here.

At this moment, only one thought occupied his mind—

In a mountain like this, there were likely Immortals.

Lin Jue gazed for a long time, unable to get his fill. He didn't notice the chill from the wind, only hearing the mournful cry of the mountain wind and watching the ever-changing clouds and mist. After the initial shock subsided, he finally managed to divert a little of his attention.

He happened to be hungry, so he took out the tart cake he had brought from his pocket and began to eat it there.

This tart cake was indeed much tastier than the food in the monastery.

But just then, he heard another sound carried on the mountain wind.

"Hmm?"

Lin Jue tilted his head slightly and listened carefully.

Indeed, there was a sound.

It was a whimpering noise, not like a human's.

It sounded like some kind of animal or a young animal.

It was quite pitiful to hear.

Lin Jue still remembered what his senior disciple brother had said, that there might be Monsters trying to trick him, and he had to hold onto his true heart and not be tempted. So, for a moment, he ignored it and continued to chew on the tart cake in his hand.

Ignoring it would never be wrong.

"Whoosh..."

The mountain wind blew in gusts, and the white clouds in the distance rolled like waves.

Facing this scroll, with the mountain scenery as his accompaniment, savoring each bite—this taste, this feeling, how could it not be the life of an Immortal?

But the crying continued unabated.

Not only that, it seemed to grow clearer, and even more pitiful.

"?"

Lin Jue frowned. He finally couldn't stand it anymore. He put down the tart cake, picked up the cleaver beside him, and walked towards the source of the sound.

It was very close to him, only about seven or eight zhang away.

Lin Jue slipped down a bit and saw—

It was indeed a young animal.

A little creature whose fur had just grown in, grayish-brown, looking somewhat like a dog, but not quite. It was at most the size of a palm.

The little thing was lying by the edge of a stone peak. It looked like it had been separated from its mother, turning its head left and right, calling out continuously. Seeing Lin Jue approach, it immediately fell silent and stared at him with wide, pleading eyes.

An animal's face is different from a human's, and it was impossible to tell if it was fear or confusion. Its eyes were just round and fixed on Lin Jue, silent, evoking pity.

"What is this...?"

Was it a cub accidentally lost by a wild beast in the mountains?

Or was it a trick by the Spirits and Monsters on the mountain to tease him since he was new here?

Lin Jue thought as he looked around, but he didn't see any other cubs, nor did he see any animals that looked like its mother.

"Where is your mother?"

Lin Jue held his cleaver and spoke to it casually, as if it were a person.

Naturally, there was no reply.

The little guy still stared at him with a pair of round, dark eyes, looking weak, helpless, and honest.

He didn't know what it was thinking at the moment.

Lin Jue frowned.

He couldn't leave.

He couldn't stay.

"Forget it. If you're truly a lost cub, it's one thing if you didn't meet me, but since you did, consider it fate, and consider yourself lucky."

Lin Jue said this, not daring to approach it rashly. Instead, he found a gentle slope not too far away and sat down, continuing to eat his tart cake, hoping its mother would return to pick it up.

"Hoo..."

After he stopped moving, the wind began to blow colder.

The little thing still stared at him silently, its expression unchanged.

Lin Jue was afraid it was hungry, so he broke off a piece of tart cake and walked over to offer it. However, he only placed it in front of it before returning to his original spot.

Seeing that it didn't eat, he didn't press the issue and continued to sit.

He felt it might still be a bit too close, so he moved a little further away.

From this spot, he could no longer see the strange scenery of countless oddly shaped rocks forming a forest, but he could see the mountain peaks on either side. They were covered in granite with cracks and patterns, resembling scissors or cloud gates. Ancient pines were rooted within them, and the view was still so beautiful it didn't seem like it belonged to the mortal world, but rather to the heavens.

Sitting in a place like this, no amount of waiting would feel too long.

Besides, he had come up here to enjoy the scenery in the first place.

Lin Jue was very patient, even leisurely.

Until time slowly passed.

The sun had already passed its zenith. The distant clouds and mist gradually dispersed, replaced by smoke rising from somewhere unknown in the far distance. Then, the sun began to slowly move westward again.

Lin Jue almost fell asleep here.

"..."

When he came to his senses, the little thing was still lying there honestly in the distance, appearing as a tiny speck. It neither moved nor cried out. He wondered if it was afraid that crying again would alert Lin Jue and cause him to eat it, or if it felt a little more at ease because there was another animal nearby. It just kept its round little eyes open, staring at him from afar.

The small piece of tart cake Lin Jue had broken off earlier had already been eaten by it.

Time was also getting later and later.

Unknowingly, the distant mountain cliffs were already illuminated yellow by the sun. The ancient pines cast long, slanted shadows on the cliffs. This mountain range began to fog up again, revealing its mysterious side.

"Little one, why haven't your parents come yet?"

Lin Jue once again approached the little thing with his cleaver, still unsure if this was a trick by the Spirits and Monsters of the mountain to tease him.

For example, they might have conjured such a small creature to evoke his pity, making him unwilling to leave, causing him to spend a whole day in the mountains, only to mock his foolishness? Or perhaps they would wait until sunset, when it got dark, to harm him?

Master said that Mount Yi also had mountain gods, and their rules were very strict. The Spirits and Monsters in the mountains all knew about the Taoist Priests of Floating Hill Temple. At least on Floating Hill Peak, that was unlikely.

The former was possible.

At least the yellow dog on the road could do something like that.

But now, looking down and meeting the little thing's gaze, seeing its bewildered, uneasy, and helpless eyes, wasn't this the same as himself more than a year ago?

"Sigh..."

Lin Jue couldn't help but sigh.

Seeing that the sky was getting darker, he reached out and picked it up, preparing to take it back to the Taoist temple.

As for whether it was a trick by the Spirits and Monsters—

If it weren't for truly evil Demonic Ghosts, why would they use human kindness as bait to lure people into a trap? If such a thing truly happened, he would accept it and let his cleaver do the talking!