Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

With both runaway dragons captured, the Dragon Shepherd King felt much lighter, no longer needing to chase after these two mischievous children. To think that he had run all the way from Changbai Mountain's Tianchi Lake to Jiangnan to chase after these two brats—only a dragon could pull off such a feat, possessing inexhaustible ox-like strength.

On the surface, Lord Mulong had nothing important to do and could go back directly. However, before that, the two little dragons had caused a ruckus in the sky during the rainy day, extending the rain that was supposed to last only one day to several days and expanding the area covered by the rain. Lord Mulong was afraid that so much rain would really cause a flood, so he decided to stay a little longer.

Upon learning that the two newly acquainted Taoists knew Ling Ziling, they would inevitably bring up Ling Ziling and Ren Yunzong's stories during their conversations. For example, the merchant ship that was intercepted by a sandbar while sailing on the river, the vicious giant turtle that had plagued the people for many years and was finally punished, and the young man whose pure heart remained unchanged even though he was now a water ghost.

There were many interesting things that happened on the river, making the two of them regret not having tried taking a trip by water.

When Ren Yunzong was mentioned, Mu Longjun recalled the demonic energy he had unexpectedly sensed when he first met Ren Yunzong. His origins were rather special, and although his combat power was not strong, his perception of aura far surpassed that of people at the same level, which was why he was able to discover Ren Yunzong's special nature.

To be honest, Mu Longjun was also startled at the time, and almost thought he was mistaken. Just looking at Ren Yunzong's appearance, it was really hard to associate this young man with the word "demon".

The demons in Liaozhai are basically devils and yakshas. It's hard to find "good people" in this group. Here, "demon" and villain are truly inseparable.

Even if a truly virtuous person emerges, they will take various paths to become a different race. The most common methods are reincarnation as a human or diligent cultivation and conversion to Buddhism. In any case, this is the first time Mu Longjun has seen someone like Ren Yunzong who seems to combine both.

So surprised was he that he immediately pointed out that Ling Ziling and Ren Yunzong both reacted, which meant that Ling Ziling knew about it. When introducing the matter, Ling Ziling was completely on the side of her junior disciple. It is more likely that their entire sect, that is, the entire Dengdao Shore, knew about it.

Dengdao Anzhong: Actually, we didn't know at first either.

Since the two sides knew each other, Mu Longjun wanted to tentatively mention Ren Yunzong, but before he could explain in detail, the other party said that he knew about Ren Yunzong.

Actually, Mu Longjun's words were quite subtle. If it were in a time when no one knew about it, they would definitely understand what he was talking about. But now, not only are there few people here, but they also know that Ren Yunzong went out to find Ling Ziling. It would be perfectly logical for Mu Longjun to meet Ren Yunzong after meeting Ling Ziling, given the timing.

"Sword True Illusion's background is indeed very special, but don't worry, Lord Mulong, Ren Yunzong is an absolute pillar of the righteous path, although his background is not so upright... no."

Yuan Wuxiang tapped his hand with his silver fan, using a little too much force, producing a metallic clanging sound that drew Juan Shoutian's attention.

"If we trace their lineage, their family comes from a Buddhist sect, so they have impeccable lineage. Would the Buddha punish me for that?"

“Even the Buddha himself cannot hear you speaking here.”

"That's right, then it's alright."

"Wait a minute, does the Taoist priest mean that a demon was born into Buddhism?"

Although Mulongjun was depicted as a monk, he served in the Heavenly Court and was appointed to guard the little dragons at Tianchi. In fact, he was a half-Taoist. The monk image was just to make it easier for him to move around in the human world, and the alms bowl was also to make it easier for him to keep an eye on the little dragons after he caught them.

Mu Longjun himself had a very distant relationship with Buddhism, but that didn't mean he wouldn't react to Yuan Wuxiang's words. According to the logic in Yuan Wuxiang's words, it was like a demon from Buddhism entering Taoism and becoming a Taoist priest. What kind of trend was this, the unification of the three religions? Moreover, did Yuan Wuxiang mean the entire Buddhist system or just the "great, glorious, and correct" group? The difference between the two is huge.

"This is a really special case, as it involves a feud that spans thousands of years in our area, and it's quite difficult to explain clearly."

"Since we have nothing else to do, let's talk somewhere else."

"……also."

Then, Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang pulled Mu Longjun to a secluded spot to begin their explanation. Each of them was quite conspicuous, so if they wanted to give a long lecture, they first had to find a place where no one would bother them.

The Holy War and the Buddhist Era conflict were incredibly complex, involving various other forces and also stemming from issues of worldview. This entanglement dragged on until evening.

Mu Longjun's attitude reminded them that the world's perception of demons is entirely negative, with terms like "inner demon," "possessed by demons," and "monsters and devils" used to describe them. Since Mu Longjun could see through the other layer of identity beneath Ren Yunzong's Dao body, it's possible that other immortals also possess this ability.

The imbalance of information and understanding between the two sides can easily lead to misunderstandings. You see, no one has discovered that Shou Wanjie is also related to Taoism. Of course, there are also some very deceptive elements in this person himself, but if there is a misunderstanding, it will be troublesome if a fight breaks out in the end.

It's not that they're afraid of fighting, but they're afraid that if a fight breaks out, something might happen that could cause other damage, like smashing or splitting mountains, or unexpectedly altering the surrounding terrain.

Compared to the massive, chaotic world of the Bitter Realm, where even a cataclysmic event can be averted, movement here feels somewhat restrictive.

Moreover, since the Shuangxiu came out, Mulongjun is the second person they have met with whom they can chat freely without worrying about their identities; the first was the Ninth Prince.

Then Mu Longjun listened to a bunch of melodramatic stories, and felt his mind was in a mess. He desperately needed a pool to calm down, and also sighed that the place where the other party lived had suffered too many disasters. He even felt sorry for Ren Yunzong.

During their conversation, they also mentioned Jia'er. Yuan Wuxiang told Jia'er that if she had any more ideas, she could come back to him and Juan Shoutian. Mei had gone too far from her original place. Mu Longjun could tell from the medicine bottle that it was given by someone else. Besides looking for Xiaolong, he also wanted to see who made this magical spiritual pill.

The two people in front of him are the most likely candidates. Yuan Wuxiang admitted that he was the one who made the medicine, but he was not the one who made it.

"That medicine was made by a friend from the Daoist sect. If you are interested, Lord Mulong, we can show you the way."

They're out there operating, so don't rest either. Get up, someone's coming to deliver you.

Liu Qingyuan, who has rekindled his passion for fishing: I feel like someone is calling me.

By the time everything was over, it was already evening. Jia'er hadn't returned after going back, and the two of them were a little worried. After all, she was just a child of ten years old. The fox demon must be holding a grudge after her tail was cut off. What if she really got killed in retaliation?

Mu Longjun had already figured out the true strength of those foxes and told them not to worry. Jia'er was a smart child, and he had specifically advised them to hide, which the child must have listened to.

"That boy named Jia'er is full of vigor and will surely achieve great things in the future."

As he spoke, Mu Longjun tossed the alms bowl in his hand, which provoked a splash of water from the two little dragons inside.

"I wish you could be this carefree."

They're all rascals, incredibly strong, and even tried to break out of prison. Luckily, he's lived a long life and has a lot of experience, so he knows how to deal with these little brats.

Little Dragon: I won't listen, I won't listen, Lord Shepherd is chanting scriptures.

With guidance from three experts in different fields, Jia'er was naturally safe. After acquiring the fox tail he could use to disguise himself, he lay down to sleep peacefully. No foxes visited that night, and his mother did not go mad. The house enjoyed a long-awaited peace.

The next day, Jia ran out early in the morning and went to the tavern to buy a jar of fine liquor in advance. He then left it there. His family often bought liquor, and the tavern owner knew Jia and knew that his father often went out to do business. He was used to Jia coming to buy liquor alone and just thought that he was running errands for his elders.

Incidentally, people in the market are used to seeing Jia'er go out alone, mostly because of his father. Apart from being a merchant, Jia'er's father is actually not young. When he is at home, he sometimes worries about the servants' work and will ask his son to run errands.

Jia'er was always a sensible child at home. He knew exactly where the best deals were in the market. It wasn't until his mother was possessed by a fox and went mad that he started to go mad along with her.

But soon, he no longer needed to pretend to be crazy.

After storing the wine, Jia'er went to her uncle's house, who was a hunter. The two families lived not far apart, and the siblings had a good relationship. However, they had less contact because of Jia'er's madness. Out of politeness, they did not know that Jia'er's mother's madness was caused by a monster.

How is your mother's illness?

It was a rare occasion for him to visit, so Jia'er's uncle and aunt couldn't help but show concern. Their mother had gone mad, and their son must be having a very hard time.

"She's been getting better these past few days, but there are rats in the house gnawing on things, which has made my mother so angry that her condition has relapsed."

Actually, he only got better in the last two days. The reason is that Jia'er beat the fox so badly that it didn't dare to come. The rats and such were all lies. How could a few rats be as scary as a monster? Moreover, his symptoms weren't much better. He stopped making a fuss and just lay there stiffly, looking like he was dead.

Have you taken any medication?

"I bought rat poison, but it didn't work."

Upon hearing this, his aunt went to get him some hunting poison, the most widely used of which was poison for foxes, which was also the purpose of Jia'er's visit.

Because he said there were rats in the house, his aunt wouldn't give him much medicine. Jia'er took advantage of the fact that the other person was getting the medicine to see where it was kept. When his aunt learned that he hadn't eaten and was going to get him some, he secretly took some more medicine.

As for his uncle, after learning that nothing else had happened to Jia'er's family and that his sister and mother were safe, he went out hunting. Jia'er successfully obtained the poison for the fox.

Everything was ready, and now only the final step of the plan remained. Jia'er bid farewell to his aunt and hurriedly ran back to the tavern, pouring in all the poison he had obtained, fearing that it might not be enough to kill his enemy.

Finally, he hung the fox tail around his waist and covered it with the hem of his clothes. Jia'er, carrying this jar of fine wine, searched for the long-bearded servant from yesterday in the crowd.

"So they were already in action."

On either side of the bustling market street, there were two figures, one with gold and one with silver, watching Jia'er's movements below through the blind spot of the eaves.

Yesterday he was chasing a fox with a cleaver, and today he's running around making new plans. This kid's initiative is truly extraordinary.

"He deserves to be called a promising young man."

Juan Shoutian watched Jia'er's movements below. When searching, the other party would intentionally avoid some people and move back and forth in the crowd. With the tail that appeared and disappeared under the hem of his clothes, he really looked like a fox who was not good at transforming, and was tiptoeing to complete the "task" that he had been assigned.

"That might make it difficult to find."

Jia'er wasn't tall enough to see much in the crowd.

"Then let's help him."

Suddenly, a streak of light flew past Jia'er's eyes. Despite the strange phenomenon, no one around noticed it; it seemed that only Jia'er saw the streak of light.

This light not only appeared suddenly, but it also moved on its own, flying like a firefly. Jia'er looked around, but no one in the bustling crowd noticed this abrupt and strange light.

It seems that only I can see it?

Finding that Jia'er was ignoring him, the streak of light began to rotate, and then another golden light flew over, flying in the same way as a firefly, and rotated along with it.

The golden and white light had a very special shape, almost like a physical object. They rotated together like two fish, gradually turning into a pattern similar to a yin-yang symbol in Jia'er's eyes, except that it was composed of gold and white.

Wait a minute, one gold and one white, aren't those the two from yesterday?

Realizing that this might be a hint from the two immortals from yesterday, Jia'er reached out to grab the Tai Chi diagram, but the light scattered and then reassembled into a stream that flew in another direction.

This time, Jia'er did not hesitate and followed the light's guidance. Finally, she found her target in the crowd: the long-bearded servant she had seen in the garden yesterday.

Things went smoothly from there. Jia'er went up to talk to the fox spirit first, using the fake tail on her waist and what she had seen yesterday to pretend to be a fox spirit. She even said that she lived in a cave. The servant probably didn't expect such a bold child. In addition, the fox spirit group was indeed huge. There were many people in the group who had met before but didn't recognize each other.

Moreover, Jia'er was right about many things. For example, he was with two young men, and as a servant, it was indeed difficult to buy wine because he had no money.

Finally, Jia'er used the excuse of helping his clansmen to get the other party to take away the jar of poisoned wine. Since it was a hunting poison specifically used to poison foxes, it was naturally not to be discovered by the foxes. In addition, the fine white wine was very fragrant. If this penniless servant were to steal it, he would not be able to get such good wine at all.

Moreover, one of his two young masters had his tail cut off by a little kid and was in a bad mood. If he could bring back this good wine, he could at least suffer less.

Everything went smoothly, and Jia'er returned home satisfied. That night, her mother did not have a relapse of her madness. Thanks to that bottle of magical pills, her mother's complexion was much rosier, and her previous madness and haggardness were gone.

Another day passed, and Jia'er's father returned. He was quite old and looked like an old man. He had heard about what had happened at home on his way back and wanted to hurry home, but his boat was intercepted by a sandbar that appeared out of nowhere halfway there.

Now that he's finally back, he quickly checks on his wife and children. Surprisingly, his wife is calm and looks healthy.

The mother stopped having an attack, and Jia'er knew the reason. He told his father what had happened in the past few days, and the two of them went to Hejia Garden to check. They found the bodies of three foxes in the grass. Two of them died in the pavilion, and one died in the grass.

Among them, there was a fox in the pavilion with a broken tail, and another fox in the grass with many red scraggly hairs on its tail. A wine jar was lying on its side, with a little less than half a jar of wine left inside.