Descending the Mountain to Exorcise Demons (Thanks to the generous patron "Wandering Star")

The wind stopped once more.

When Lin Jue turned around, he saw Fourth Senior Brother coming down the mountain with a flute in hand, surrounded by a pack of wild wolves. Seeing him standing there without moving, Fourth Senior Brother stopped and looked at him.

"Junior Brother, didn't you go to Immortal Source Temple to listen to Dao Master Wang Ji Zi preach? What are you doing here?"

"I've already come back. I came up the mountain to chop firewood, and to look for you while I was at it, Fourth Senior Brother."

"Looking for me? What for?"

"It's nothing now."

"Don't be so diligent. Loosen up a little. As Third Senior Brother would say, if you're going to work this hard, you might as well go to a temple and become a monk. Why be a Daoist?"

Fourth Senior Brother laughed and started down the path.

The pack of wolves followed him like a flowing stream.

Lin Jue lowered his eyes to the little fox beside him. It was sitting right at his feet, prim and proper, a small furry lump gazing at the wolves. Apparently sensing the eyes on its head, it lifted its chin to look up at him. Its eyes were clear, filled with curiosity, not fear of the wolves.

"Let's go."

Lin Jue chopped a few dead branches, clearing a little more space in the woods, then headed back as well.

That evening, the temple had an unusually good meal.

It was Seventh Senior Brother's turn to cook.

Lin Jue had assumed Seventh Senior Brother wasn't as skilled in the kitchen as Sixth Senior Brother. That might well have been true—Seventh Senior Brother couldn't stir-fry, and boiled everything in plain water, which was also common practice down the mountain. He especially liked tossing the rice, vegetables, meat, and whatever else he had into one enormous pot. Everyone ladled out a bowl when it was time to eat. It looked crude, and tasted crude too, but when it came to the flavor, it was hard to say it was any worse than Sixth Senior Brother's cooking.

Either way, it was edible, easy enough to chew, and filling.

But today, for once, he'd stewed a whole pot of chicken. They'd raised the chickens themselves on the mountain, and he'd simmered them in plain water with slices of ginger to remove the smell. He'd added just about the right amount of salt; it would have been hard to make them taste bad.

Third Senior Brother was delighted, too, and brought out some wine he'd brewed himself.

The Daoists carried the table outside. The summer daylight lingered, and the mountains were cool in the evening. Clouds still glowed in the sky, and swallows darted about. Before they'd even sat down, the scene already felt pleasantly tranquil.

Lin Jue sat down at the table first.

Junior Sister seemed to have taken a nap after returning. When she walked out, she was startled too.

When they asked, they learned it wasn't a special occasion, nor anyone's birthday. The Daoists had simply felt cheerful. They'd caught a wild chicken in the mountains and thought it was something worth celebrating. After a little thought, they'd gone to the chicken coop and caught two more old hens, then stewed them all together in one great pot for a rare treat.

There was no ceremony to it at all. They'd simply done as they pleased.

The senior brothers were carrying out bowls of chicken, rice, and chopsticks. Cloud Crane Taoist turned to Lin Jue and Junior Sister.

"What did you learn at Immortal Source Temple today?"

"Master, Dao Master Wang Ji Zi taught us the art of 'Summon Wind' today. My senior brother and I happened to be there, so we listened in too."

"Summon Wind? That's a fairly common spell. What did you take away from it?"

"I only understood half of it. I was just about to ask you for guidance, Master."

"What about the young Daoists at Immortal Source Temple?"

"They probably understood about as much as we did."

"Then you'll have to work hard."

"I will, Master." Junior Sister sat still, her expression earnest. "Dao Master Wang Ji Zi said he'll test us in a month. If I still haven't learned it by then, I'll bring shame on you."

"What about you, Lin Jue?"

The old Daoist leaned to one side and looked at Lin Jue.

"Master, I only understood it halfway too," Lin Jue answered truthfully. He paused, then continued, "But when I came back this afternoon, I went up the mountain to chop firewood. I'd intended to ask my senior brother about his insights into 'Summon Wind,' but a mountain breeze blew over. It felt so refreshing that I suddenly had an epiphany, and learned it."

The old Daoist's expression froze on the spot.

Junior Sister jumped in surprise and hurriedly turned to stare at Lin Jue, astonished.

"?"

Her eyes held not only shock, but blankness, confusion, and disbelief, as though Lin Jue had gone behind her back and done something.

Just then, a few of the senior brothers interrupted their conversation as they carried out meat and rice and laid out the bowls and chopsticks. They all looked quite pleased. Once the table was set, another cup appeared in front of each person.

The cups were all crookedly made, but on closer inspection, each had a certain charm.

Third Senior Brother carried the wine jar around, filling them one by one.

The wine was dark and cloudy, like the Thousand Day Wine from Mount Langtou. Bits of something like ants floated inside, and it still smelled of fruit.

"This is a new batch. I brewed it after the Thousand Day Wine from Mount Langtou. Naturally, I didn't have that many strange herbs, or Sun Moon Essence. You've all tried the original, so see how different this tastes."

Third Senior Brother sat down, picked up a piece of meat, then raised his cup.

"Come, drink with me."

The old Daoist and the others raised their cups and drank together. Only the two youngsters remained: one held up a cup and examined it, while the other was still too astonished to come around.

This wine looked quite different from Thousand Day Wine.

But seeing everyone drink it without a second thought, with a certain carefree ease, Lin Jue didn't hesitate either. He tipped his head back and downed it.

Junior Sister followed along in a daze.

The wine really didn't taste anything like Thousand Day Wine. But it was just as mild, just as richly fruity, and even sweeter. It was unexpectedly delicious.

"You really learned Summon Wind?"

After setting down his cup, the old Daoist still seemed unable to believe it. He turned to Lin Jue and asked again.

"If I haven't forgotten it."

"Try casting it."

Lin Jue first picked up a piece of chicken neck, bent down, and placed it in the little fox's earthenware bowl. Then he switched his chopsticks to his left hand and swept his right sleeve.

"Whoosh..."

A cool breeze stirred in the courtyard.

It wasn't weak at all—

The weather was already cool, with only a trace of heat from the steam. The breeze swept it away entirely, leaving them feeling thoroughly refreshed.

Junior Sister went even more blank.

"Excellent! Excellent!"

Cloud Crane Taoist clapped his hands and laughed. A trace of nostalgia joined the mirth in his eyes. "If those young Daoists at Immortal Source Temple hear about this, they'll probably be even more anxious than they were back then!"

At that, Lin Jue thought he understood something.

"Master, did you used to listen to Daoist teachings at Immortal Source Temple too?"

"Of course. Our two temples have always been on good terms, and we usually went out to recruit disciples around the time of the Grand Ceremony. When each temple took on just one disciple, we often visited one another and listened to Daoist teachings together, combining the strengths of both. But later, Immortal Source Temple started taking on a dozen or more disciples at once, so we were usually the ones visiting them to study." The old Daoist laughed. "Wang Ji Zi and I entered Mount Yi together. Whenever I went to Immortal Source Temple, I outshone him at every turn. That old fellow was anything but magnanimous, and I was young, hot-blooded, and loved to show off. Back then, I nearly drove him and his master to their graves with anger."

Even though it had happened decades ago, Cloud Crane Taoist laughed with hearty delight at the memory.

"So that's what happened."

Lin Jue understood now.

No wonder the two temples were on good terms, yet Wang Ji Zi from Immortal Source Temple hadn't seemed particularly friendly toward Cloud Crane Taoist.

They must have spent plenty of time competing with each other when they were young.

"I wasn't wrong about you. Your talent really is extraordinary, though it must also have something to do with chance and sudden insight. Whatever the reason, it's a fine thing to have gained so much from chopping firewood on the mountain." As he spoke, Cloud Crane Taoist turned to Junior Sister. "Why didn't you go up the mountain with your senior brother to chop firewood?"

"Master, I felt sleepy when I got back, so I took a nap," Junior Sister replied, still looking dazed.

"Did you gain anything?"

"I don't know about gaining anything, but I dreamed I learned a spell and could fly."

"Then perhaps one of your hairs fell in the mountains, and a bird carried it off to line its nest." The old Daoist shook his head knowingly. "The Ancient Book says: 'When a bird carries off your hair, you dream of flying.'"

After a few cups of wine, they were all light-headed and buoyant.

They'd been at Floating Hill Temple for so long, surviving on meals just enough to keep them alive, and this was their first gathering like this. The wine was homemade, the chickens raised themselves, and no one cared how much anyone ate or drank. They laughed and chatted to their hearts' content. When the wine took hold, Fourth Senior Brother brought out his flute and invited everyone to hear a little tune he'd composed. Second Senior Brother ate quickly, and once he was full, went to play the zither. No matter where you froze the scene, it was harmonious and natural.

Even Lin Jue felt wonderful.

Once they'd eaten and drunk their fill, everyone went back to their rooms. They even left the table to be cleared away the next day.

The next morning.

Lin Jue had planned to go out and practice his spells, but he saw some visitors in the outer courtyard: a few farmers.

Senior Brother was receiving them.

Lin Jue paused briefly and heard them mention Ghost Qi and ghostly shadows...

They must have heard of the temple's reputation and come up the mountain to ask the Daoists for help.

The world had been relatively peaceful in the past, so Floating Hill Temple had kept a low profile and focused on cultivation. Apart from occasional trips down the mountain to buy supplies, most people below didn't even know the temple existed. Now that the world had fallen into chaos, the Daoists went down the mountain and naturally couldn't help lending a hand when they encountered calamities, catching ghosts and driving away evil. As time passed, more and more people learned of this Daoist temple deep in the remote mountains.

Those farmers looked as if they'd come from far away.

Lin Jue couldn't help lingering to listen a little longer. When he saw Senior Brother lead them to Heavenly Elder Hall to offer incense, he continued on his way.

The little fox still ran along behind him.

Suddenly, Cloud Crane Taoist's voice came from behind him—

"Lin Jue."

Lin Jue stopped at once.

"Master."

He felt something soft bump his heel. Turning around, he saw the little fox cub sprawled on its back, its four legs kicking wildly as it tried to turn itself over.

"I remember you'd already learned the performance art Spit Fire before coming up the mountain, and that you'd dealt with monsters before, hadn't you?"

Cloud Crane Taoist looked at Lin Jue. He was extremely pleased with this disciple's talent and understanding. The only thing that worried him was Lin Jue's obsession with immortality. It was a difficult path indeed.

But difficult as it was, if it became the only thing in his heart, it might not be a good thing.

"Yes."

"There's some Yin Qi in the village below. It may have given rise to a few lonely ghosts, dispersing and gathering again." Cloud Crane Taoist explained, "Yin Qi and Ghost Qi are most afraid of Fire Qi and Yang Qi. Though your cultivation is still shallow, you happen to practice the Yin Yang Spiritual Law. Even without using any spells, your Yang Qi is a powerful weapon against evil. The world is growing more chaotic by the day, and our area isn't peaceful either. The Spirit Medium is very worried. There may be other matters that require your senior brothers' help. This matter is simple, so you'll go with the villagers and clear away that Yin Qi."

"Yes, Master."

"As for the lingering souls in the village, if they retain their wits, persuade them when you can, and submit a memorial when needed. Actually, I'll have Third Senior Brother go with you. He's unreliable, so you'll be the one to make the decisions."

"Understood."

Lin Jue agreed.

"Since you're taking Third Senior Brother, take Junior Sister along too. She can't do anything yet, but I don't have many years left. Once she starts going down the mountain, she'll have to deal with these things. Getting some experience early may be good for all of you."

"Okay."

"Your Daoist robes are ready in the town below. Remember to remind Third Senior Brother to pick them up on the way back. He knows where they are." Cloud Crane Taoist said, "Remember, we may be Daoists, but we don't exorcise evil for free. Make sure you collect payment before you leave."

"How much should I charge?"

"That's up to you." With that, Cloud Crane Taoist waved his sleeve and walked away, leaving only a final remark: "Do a good job exorcising those demons. If you do well, I'll teach you another spell when you get back—one that's both easy to learn and useful."

Lin Jue stood there, unsure what to make of it.

He turned his head and happened to see Third Senior Brother open his door and come out, rubbing his eyes, still bleary with sleep. Their eyes met.