Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

After listening to a lot of gossip from her own people and learning that Ren Yunzong might not be far away, Ling Ziling left. Staying any longer would only result in the same news, all from her own people, and the more she listened, the more uneasy she felt.

But before leaving, she couldn't resist Shiyilang's request and went to buy him some wine.

Although Goro always says that Juro steals sake, Juro doesn't always steal sake. He occasionally manages to make money, but because he can't maintain his human form, using his fox form to buy sake causes a series of troubles, such as being chased by people's dogs for several streets or being chased away by people shouting that he's a monster.

"Can't you just fix up a human figure properly?"

Why risk being chased by dogs for blocks just to come and drink? Why not focus on your cultivation? Once you have a human form, you can buy alcohol normally.

"Maybe I don't have the talent. Humanoids aren't easy to build. Anyway, I don't live in the city, so I don't really need them."

"You don't even have a proper human form, where did the money come from?"

Ling Zi Ling is curious, but without a human form, he can't integrate into human society. Let alone making money, Shiyi Lang can't even swindle money. Where did he get the money to buy alcohol?

"Pick it up."

"?"

"Although I can't cultivate into a human form, I'm still capable in other areas. It's easy for me to figure out where someone lost money and where their purse was lost."

To put it bluntly, it's about picking up scraps. After all, no one will specifically look down to see what the fox is picking up on the ground. In fact, many times people are in a hurry and don't look carefully, mistaking Shiyilang, who is weaving through the crowd, for a dog.

In this respect, the fox's appearance is more advantageous. Before others can react, Shiyilang picks up the money bag and runs away. He can check how much money is inside after he runs out of the crowd.

"Going to pick up money that other people have dropped... that's quite a unique method of yours."

This is similar to fortune telling and finding people, except that this kind of thing is usually used to help find things. But Shiyilang is good at using this advantage to pick up bargains. He really knows how to play the game.

Perhaps because it was rare for him to go through the normal process to buy alcohol, Shiyilang wanted to spend all the money at once. Although Ling Ziling helped him buy the alcohol, in other people's eyes, a young girl like Ling Ziling couldn't possibly carry that much alcohol.

"Young lady, are you sure you want this wine?"

It was rare to see a young woman come to buy wine. The wine shop owner came over to ask her personally. Ling Ziling wasn't interested in the wine; she was just repeating what Shiyilang had said. Shiyilang himself wasn't aware of this, and before he knew it, he had bought too much wine.

Ling Ziling didn't care; she could easily take all of these. But in the proprietress's eyes, it was a weight that no one person could carry.

She approached the girl because she noticed that the girl's attire was quite refined, unlike that of a girl from an ordinary family. Moreover, the amount of wine the girl wanted was enough to host a banquet. Usually, people who buy wine like this would bring someone with them to carry it.

There's only a little girl in front of me, and no one around who seems to be following me. How does the other party plan to take it?

"Master Lingzi?"

Ling Ziling stood out conspicuously here, and some people nearby came over out of curiosity, only to find that it was an acquaintance.

"You are... ah, the uncle who was surrounded by two wolves."

Ling looked in the direction of the sound and saw the butcher she had met in the village outside the city, the one who had confronted the wolf with a knife.

"...There's no need to use that description."

The butcher scratched his head, never expecting to see Ling Ziling again after the village ritual, especially at the liquor store. The woman didn't seem like someone who liked to drink.

That day, when the butcher returned home after finishing his work, he learned that Lai Zi had seen him and the woman. At that time, Lai Zi still had the lingering smell of blood on him. The butcher knew from the smell that the intestines he had thrown out that night had fallen on Lai Zi, who was peeping outside. This was probably one of the reasons why the other man was so frightened.

Fortunately, the incident with the stray dog ​​covered it up. The villagers thought that Lai Zi was scared by the stray dog. After all, the stray dog ​​was killed that night, and Lai Zi was not at home. In addition, Li Hualong, who had personally experienced the incident, told them about it. The villagers then filled in the blanks with their own imaginations.

With the wild dog dead, the threat in the mountains has lessened. The lady disguised as a pig demon might leave the village and return to live in the mountains. As for Lai Zi, who might cause trouble, the woman knew that Ling Ziling was capable, so she went to ask her personally to try and make Lai Zi unable to say anything.

Seeing that this was a good monster, Ling Ziling agreed. Lai Zi was just overly frightened. After comforting him properly and keeping him busy with other things, he would realize that it wouldn't benefit him if someone got into trouble like this, and gradually he wouldn't have to worry anymore.

"Taoist priest, are you here to buy wine?"

"I bought it for a friend."

As he got closer, the butcher noticed a fox perched on Ling Ziling's shoulder. Although the fox didn't make a sound, its eyes were very human-like, and for some reason, he felt that the fox looked somewhat familiar. However, based on some experience, the butcher didn't dare to ask.

"Buy so much?"

He did believe that the spirits could take things away on their own, but the number was indeed a bit too much.

"There's nothing we can do, he's a drunkard..."

"Finally found you!"

A boy in shorts rushed out in a flurry of activity; it was Goro. Judging from his expression, he hadn't been able to talk to Huang Jiulang when he got home.

"Hurry up, I have something to tell you."

This place is full of ordinary people. Huang Jiulang can't talk about his idea of ​​bringing his cousin and He Zixiao together here. He was anxious and tried to pull Ling Ziling away, but he couldn't.

"Wait until I bring the wine, or your cousin will cause trouble."

Ling Ziling paid the money, waved her hand, and no one could see what she did, but the wine she had prepared was gone. In the blink of an eye, Ling Ziling and the suddenly appearing boy were also gone.

"Huh? Where are the people?"

The surroundings were bustling with activity, but the girl who had just bought the wine was nowhere to be seen; this scene was truly magical.

"That fox..."

The butcher already knew that Ling Ziling was no ordinary person, so he wasn't frightened by this scene. He was curious about what the boy was saying. There was clearly only Ling Ziling in front of him, but the boy was referring to "you all".

Then, regarding the fox on Ling's shoulder, the butcher finally remembered why the fox looked familiar. Once upon a time, a fox sneaked into the place where he kept his wine while he was sleeping and drank all of his wine.

The fox got drunk and was caught on the spot. Although it eventually escaped, only the wine was gone, and nothing else was damaged. Not a single piece of meat was missing. This was a very strange incident, and the butcher remembered it vividly.

The fox perched on Ling Ziling's shoulder bears a striking resemblance to the fox that stole her wine back then; she wonders if it's the same one.

"Brother Li, do you recognize that girl from earlier?"

After their initial surprise, the people in front of the wine shop began to speculate about Ling Ziling's identity. Then they remembered that the butcher had taken the initiative to strike up a conversation, indicating that the two clearly knew each other.

"I know her. She's the Taoist priest who performed the exorcism ritual for our village."

"She is? I heard all sorts of amazing stories about her in your village. I thought she was some kind of venerable old Taoist priest."

"Why is it a young woman?"

Almost instantly, the people buying wine outside the wine shop surrounded the butcher and began asking him a barrage of questions. Strange and supernatural things always arouse people's curiosity.

On the other side, Goro led Ling Ziling and Shiyilang into a dark alley. Ling Ziling really wanted to complain about this, wondering why they had to go to a place like this. It made them look like bad people.

Neither Goro nor Ichiro felt anything was wrong with this. It was unclear whether they were used to it or, as foxes, simply preferred to plot in such cave-like, sheltered places.

"That bastard Huang Jiulang!"

Once he was allowed to speak freely, Goro immediately launched into a tirade of insults, no longer calling him "cousin."

"What nonsense is he spouting? He keeps praising that guy surnamed He, calling him a famous scholar and a sworn brother. He's just an ordinary person, and an ordinary person who ruined himself because of his lust. Why is he here to harm my third sister!"

Wu Lang hurriedly returned, but in the end he didn't say anything to Huang Jiulang. Firstly, the families had been on good terms for two generations, and Huang Jiulang himself was highly skilled and favored by his elders. He was also eloquent and thus received preferential treatment.

Secondly, Huang Jiulang was only tentatively asking, without specifying what he wanted to do, only inquiring about when his cousin San Niang would return. Wu Lang certainly knew what he wanted to do, but how he knew about it was unclear. Ling Ziling was a Taoist priest, and for a fox demon to say that he believed in a Taoist priest he had just met and then came home to confront his cousin made Wu Lang seem rather ignorant.

"Only we younger generation know about Huang Jiulang's relationship with He Zixiao. The elders have no idea. They think he met some high-ranking officials while studying in the capital... He has sisters of his own, so why would he want to harm my third sister?!"

"...Did my third cousin ever practice with a fox spirit?"

Shiyilang tilted his head, remembering something.

“My third cousin is devoted to cultivation and has even received guidance from a fox spirit. She has less demonic energy than us. He Zixiao died because his yang energy was corrupted by demonic energy. Could Huang Jiulang be interested in my third cousin because of this?”

"..."

Goro: I want to curse, I really want to curse.

The biggest difference between a fox spirit and a fox fairy is their cultivation methods. One is a wild, unorthodox demon cultivation method that uses all sorts of techniques, whether harmful or not. The other is a systematic cultivation method that follows the orthodox path, making it easier to ascend to the ranks of immortals.

As a fox demon, Huang Jiulang knew that getting close to He Zixiao would harm him. Because of this, he initially tried to stay away, but in the end, He Zixiao ignored his advice and killed himself.

Wulang's third sister, generally referred to as Third Sister, is said to have received guidance from a fox spirit. Although she is not the most powerful among the younger generation, she has the least demonic aura.

"My third sister is going on a trip with my aunt and will be back tomorrow at noon. That guy Huang Jiulang will probably do something tomorrow. Eleventh Brother, where have you been?"

When he returned, he found that Ling Ziling and Shiyilang were not there. Based on some experience, Wulang went to the wine shop and actually found them. However, Ling Ziling had just bought the wine and had obviously done other things.

"I discussed the philosophy of life with He Zixiao."

Before Shiyilang could answer, Lingziling spoke first.

"What philosophy of life?"

Can you really discuss life philosophy with that guy?

"For example, which is the real me, the one from the perspective of the public or the one from the soul? Is the son I had in someone else's body really my son? Is the so-called reincarnation a true return of the soul or just a delusion left behind by the original body that didn't die? And for example..."

"Stop, that's enough, that's enough."

At that moment, Goro instantly empathized with Shichiro, whom he had previously complained about having a headache, and felt like his head was about to explode. He looked at Shichiro, only to find that Shichiro hadn't understood either.

"Is this what you were saying before?"

Something doesn't feel right. Has he lost his memory?

"They're pretty much the same; the central idea is the same."

"You sound very skilled at this routine. Do Taoist priests need to learn these things?"

Goro still felt that there was something strange about what Ling Ziling said, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

"No, there are many such examples where I live, even more complicated ones, especially in father-son relationships."

The issue of who calls whom "father" is a perennial topic in the Bitter Realm, and its absurdity knows no bounds.

"Your third sister is coming back tomorrow and will pass by He Zixiao's house. Huang Jiulang will then pull your third sister into He Zixiao's house, and we can directly... What happened between you two?"

"...How do you know so much?"

Wu Lang only knew from his eldest sister that San Niang would be back tomorrow at noon. He hadn't had time to hear the details yet, but Ling Ziling had already "spoiled" it for him, including what Huang Jiulang would do.

This doesn't make sense, whose sister is she?

"Don't worry about the details, I won't hurt you anyway."

There's nothing we can do; that's the power of cheat codes.

There was no need to rush, but Ren Yunzong was very close by, and Ling Ziling wanted to quickly find a place to move. If the two of them ran into each other, her filming might be over.

“What Huang Jiulang did is infuriating. It’s better to resolve this sooner so you can all feel at ease. As long as Third Sister herself is unwilling, we can still sabotage him no matter what.”

“My third sister is aiming for immortality, she would never agree to this.”

The fact that San Niang was able to receive guidance from the fox spirit suggests that, besides her own luck and talent, she must also have had the desire to cultivate diligently.

"That's easy."

"But my aunts and the others..."

Huang Jiulang is eloquent and knows how to please elders. It is said that marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers. He Zixiao was once a famous scholar in the capital. Now he is in the body of a high-ranking official. If he has money and power, the disadvantage of being an ordinary person will be reduced. If Huang Jiulang can persuade his mother and aunt in the end, San Niang will probably still have to marry.

"Do your mother and aunt know that He Zixiao is a short-sleeved woman?"

"do not know."

Huang Jiulang was supposed to act as matchmaker for both sides, so how could he possibly mention this?

"If Huang Jiulang doesn't say anything, wouldn't that be considered deceiving his superiors and concealing the truth? I'll tell your elders that, in terms of status, I, Ling Ziling, am a descendant of Zhang Tianshi and a rising star who has ascended to the Dao."

Huang Jiulang also returned, and when he came back, he saw He Zixiao holding his head and deep in thought, looking like his soul was about to float away. Huang Jiulang didn't know what he was doing, so he called him back to his senses and told him about tomorrow's matters.

“I’ve found out. My cousin is coming back tomorrow and will pass by your house on her way. You pretend to be my brother. When I come to ask for a drink of water, lead her in. See if she agrees to the marriage. If she does, just say, ‘The donkey has run away.’”

He Zixiao agreed to Huang Jiulang's instructions, but in reality, his mind was still not clear, and the explosive question about Ling Ziling was still echoing in his mind.

"Jiulang, do you have any cousins?"

"Of course there are. The elders in the family are on good terms, the younger generation is also close, and there are many brothers and sisters."

Huang Jiulang was a little taken aback by the other party's sudden question, but he answered truthfully, after all, they would soon be family.

"Do you know a girl in pink, holding a whisk, with..."

He Zixiao recalled Ling Ziling's characteristics; her unusual headdress left a deep impression on him.

"It looks like there are two yin-yang symbols... in pink."

I've seen Taoist priests wearing Tai Chi symbols on their heads before, but the pink Tai Chi pattern on Ling Ziling's head was something I'd never seen before in my life; it was quite novel.

"I don't recognize this... wait a minute."

Just as he was about to fall asleep, Huang Jiulang suddenly remembered that when he went to ask San Niang about her return journey, she suddenly ran back, her words clearly indicating that she was wary of her cousin Wu Lang.

When I saw Goro and Shichiro in the city, there was a girl dressed like this with them.

"That girl, she's been here before?"