Chapter Seventeen How Can I Bear Sudden Rain and Furious Wind All Around

  In the vast mountains, it is unknown which generation of mountain people built a small temple to pray for warmth and peace. After many years of wind and rain, the small temple has long been dilapidated and can barely withstand the wind and rain. The weeds in front of the temple are lush, the paint on the pillars is peeling off; the broken walls and ruins are visible at a glance. Inside the temple, cobwebs hang horizontally, and dust and dirt cover the ground.

  At this time, the land in the temple had already been moved to one side, and a long shirt was spread flat on the altar table. The girl in green clothes was prostrate on the shirt, her face as white as paper, her eyebrows tightly furrowed, still unconscious.

  The ground in the temple was also cleaned up, and three blood-colored glass beads were placed on it, occupying the positions of the three talents. Each of the three glass beads sprayed out a thin stream of true fire, which poured onto a small bronze tripod floating in mid-air. This small bronze tripod was the product of Ji Ruochen's decomposition of the Wenwang Mountain River Tripod, and apart from being indestructible, it was unknown what other uses it had, so Ji Ruochen simply used it as an alchemy tripod. The true fire emitted by the three glass beads was enough to melt gold and bronze, but at this moment, after burning for a full incense stick, the small bronze tripod didn't even change color.

  Ji Ruocheng sat on the ground, his hands clasped around his knees, staring blankly at the small tripod rotating slowly in mid-air, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

  He thought for a long time and couldn't understand why he wanted to save this girl. In his heart, since he knew it was a desperate move, he would have launched a surprise attack, first using the two Heavenly Yang Talismans to kill half of the people on the spot, and then killing the remaining ones, leaving triumphantly.

  Ji Ruoxuan sighed softly, perhaps because she looked very similar to Gu Qing. Although the two had distinct auras, he accepted this excuse. With a flick of his hand, a dark yellow dan medicine appeared in his palm and was casually tossed into the copper cauldron. As soon as the dan medicine entered the Wénwáng Shān Hé Dǐng, it emitted a loud metallic sound, like a bronze ball made of brass.

  As soon as the elixir entered the cauldron, the crystal beads sprayed out true flames that immediately intensified by a factor of two. Under the intense heat of the true flames, the medicinal pellets slowly dissolved like real copper balls, eventually turning into a golden liquid. Ji Ruocheng pondered the Golden Elixir Great Way taught to him by Zi Yun True Person, and when he opened his left palm, there were three more small elixirs and several medicinal materials in his palm. He turned back to look at the blue-clothed girl, hesitated for a moment, then walked over to take her wrist, carefully feeling her pulse.

  Her hands were as soft as water, gentle and boneless.

  After about half a cup of hot tea, Ji Ruocheng already had a plan in mind. He put away one type of medicinal material and added two pieces of yellow jade instead. Then, according to the celestial timing and terrestrial energy, he carefully poured each ingredient into the Wénwáng Shān Hé Dǐng cauldron.

  This furnace of elixir, although only adjusting three flavors of medicine, has not changed the basic nature of the medicine, but in fact, there is a great deal of learning involved. The first dose of medicine had an immediate effect on humans, but it was absolutely toxic to demons. However, this current prescription, when taken by humans, would be fatal, yet for demons, it would have a greatly nourishing effect. Only someone like the Purple Cloud True Person, a master alchemist and scholar of the heavens, could teach Ji Rufeng such skills.

  As soon as the medicine entered the cauldron, it immediately dissolved into a golden liquid, and a strange fragrance wafted up. The girl smelled the fragrance and suddenly let out a soft "ah" sound, slowly waking up, murmuring: "So fragrant, it's really comfortable!"

  As soon as she moved, a sharp pain shot through her waist and leg, and she let out a cry. The pain was so intense that her eyebrows furrowed together again. But with this pain, she finally came to her senses completely.

  "Stop moving, the more you move, the more it will hurt. Bear with it for a moment, I'll pull out the arrow and it will be fine."

  The girl in the green dress also saw Ji Ruochen at this time, and immediately followed her words to lie still on the altar table, softly saying: "It's the young master. Thank you for saving me, young master. I have injuries on my body and it's not convenient for me to get up to thank you."

  Ji Ruochen couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, saying: "At this point in time, you're still so concerned with etiquette! Don't speak, the more you talk, the more painful it becomes."

  But she heard it and struggled again: "Uncle said that etiquette cannot be abandoned..."

  Ji Ruochen only felt a severe headache, and under duress could only say: "Alright, alright, etiquette cannot be abandoned, etiquette cannot be abandoned. However, I need to retrieve these two arrows now, and it's unavoidable that I'll see your body, so I'm warning you first."

  "Uncle said, in urgent situations, one must take liberties... Young Master, please..."

  Ji Ruocheng heard her breathing weaken and knew she couldn't delay any longer. He grunted, saying: "Whether you agree or not, I have to get the arrow out first. Bear with it, the pain will pass."

  He drew out the Xian sword Chi Ye, and with a flash of red light at the tip of the sword, he cut open her waist clothes without harming her smooth skin.

  Her skin on her waist was as white as snow, smooth and moist like jade; Her slender and delicate waist was perfectly curved, it could be said that adding an inch would be too much, subtracting an inch would be too little. Even Ji Ruochen, who had a strong willpower, couldn't help but feel a slight flutter in his heart after seeing her. Ji Ruochen calmed himself down, gently pressed around the arrow wound, and then plucked the arrow shaft.

  The girl let out a cry, but immediately bit her lip to prevent herself from making another sound. However, her eyes were already filled with tears, revealing that she had not experienced much hardship in life.

  Ji Ruochen plucked two arrow shafts, the first two were just a light touch, but the third one had already mobilized his true yuan! His fingertips touched the arrow shaft, and immediately issued a metallic sound, the feathered arrow shook violently, and all the reverse hooks on the arrowhead broke off at once!

  The girl let out a muffled groan, her left hand involuntarily grasping onto Ji Ruochen. Ji Ruochen pinched the arrow with three fingers and slowly pulled it out, took a look at it, then threw it to the ground.

  The girl let out a sigh of relief and after catching her breath, she weakly said: "Young master, actually... I'm not human."

  "I know." Ji Ruochen said lightly, starting to use a strand of Xuanjin silk to carefully pick out the remaining fragments of the hook from the wound.

  There were dozens of fish hooks, and the doctor's movements were extremely careful and gentle. It took a whole incense stick's worth of time to finally remove all the fish hooks. The girl in green was already in so much pain that her skin was covered in cold sweat.

  She gasped slightly and struggled to say: "Young master, I... am a demon."

  "I know."

  Ji Ruoxue had already cut open her skirt on the side of her leg and was treating the arrow wound. By the time she finished treating the arrow wound, she was completely unable to move, cold sweat had soaked through all her clothes.

  Ji Ruocheng beckoned with one hand, and the Wénwáng Shānhé Dǐng immediately left the true fire and flew into his hand. The golden medicinal liquid in the tripod slowly rotated on its own, full of profound meaning. Although the Wénwáng Shānhé Dǐng had been burning over the true fire for a long time, it was icy cold to the touch, without even half a point of heat.

  Ji Ruochen brought the Wén Wáng Shān Hé Dǐng to her front and said: "Drink it and you will get better."

  The girl in green used all her strength to lift her head, looked at Ji Ruochen and said: "Young master, the distance between humans and demons is like a chasm. Since you know I'm a demon, why do you still want to save me?"

  Ji Ruoxuan smiled and said, "I don't know either."

  The girl in the green dress gazed at Ji Ruochen for a moment, then lowered her head and drank the medicinal liquid from the Wenwang Shanhe Ding. The medicine was very effective, and as soon as she took it in, her pale face regained some color, and the two arrow wounds began to slowly close. Before long, she was able to sit up.

  Actually, the most suitable way to remove the arrow from her body is to use the Separation Incantation, which doesn't require so much effort. However, first, the spiritual energy released when removing the feathered arrow might make the wound even bigger; second, Ji Ruochen deeply understood that revealing the Separation Immortal Incantation in front of outsiders would be a crime.

  At this time, seeing her recover, Ji Ruofeng said: "I still don't know your name."

  The girl shook her head and said, "I lost my parents at a young age and was originally nameless. It's just that I like to wear green dresses, so the people in our tribe call me Qingyi Xiaoyao. I haven't had the chance to ask for your esteemed surname and given name yet."

  "Green Robe Little Monster?" Ji Ruochen murmured to himself a few times, smiling: "Good name. My surname is Ji, my name is Ruochen. Green Robe, who's your uncle and where does your clan reside? Let me see if I can send you back on the way. Your cultivation level is too low, walking in the realm of cultivators is really too dangerous, sooner or later something will happen."

  "The little demon in blue clothes said: 'Uncle doesn't let me tell others his name, please forgive me, sir. My clansmen all live on Tianxing Mountain and usually don't come out to move around.'"

  "Tian Xing Shan?" Ji Ruo asked casually, while dripping the last two drops of medicine from Wen Wang's Mountain River Tripod into her wound.

  Yes.

  Ji Ruoxuan nodded and put away the Wenwang Shanhe Ding. She patted her waist and said, "The injury has healed, get up!"

  He appeared calm on the surface, but was secretly shocked in his heart.

  The great way circulates, yin and yang are in harmony. Since there are grotto heavens and blessed lands, there must also be extremely yin and perilous land of absolute yin caves. The Daoist scriptures record that there are thirty-six grotto heavens and seventy-two blessed lands in the world, but then again, there are eighteen places of absolute land that are not known to ordinary people.

  This mountain bears the weight of heaven's sorrow, connecting with the underworld's veins below, spanning a thousand miles, and is where all the evil spirits in the world gather. Once a cultivator enters the range of Tian Xing Mountain, it becomes difficult to communicate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and their cultivation path will be severely hindered. Moreover, Tian Xing Mountain has existed since the Hong Huang era, and legend has it that there are many heavenly demons hidden within the mountain who have cultivated for over a thousand years. Even if a cultivator's cultivation is not affected, they would still find it difficult to be an enemy of these heavenly demons. However, the heavens have their rewards and punishments, and once these heavenly demons leave the range of Tian Xing Mountain, they will often invite heavenly punishment, resulting in their dispersal. Therefore, although there are many evil spirits on Tian Xing Mountain, they do not cause chaos in the world.

  It is said that every thousand years, the heavenly fire of Tian Xing Mountain will erupt, causing the earth to shake and triggering a catastrophic event that brings down the heavens. The entire mountain range becomes a purgatory on earth. While the collision between the earthly fire and heavenly energy has little impact on ordinary demons, it is a fatal calamity for those heavenly demons who have lived for over a thousand years. Most heavenly demons are unable to survive this disaster and turn to dust. This is also the will of heaven; if not, Tian Xing Mountain would be home to countless heavenly demons by now.

  The trend of the world, geography and humanities, is a compulsory course for every disciple of the Taoist sect. Ji Ruochen naturally also knows what the three words "Tian Xing Mountain" refer to. Among the demons in Tian Xing Mountain, which one would be easy to deal with?

  The little demon in blue clothes has an excellent temperament, but her own cultivation is extremely ordinary. She calls herself a little demon, which is not exaggerated at all. She can come to Yizhou alone, where the Daodezong sect is located, which is already a strange thing. But since this is a wicked plot, it's not that surprising after all.

  Ji Ruochen's medicine was indeed extraordinary, and the little green-robed demon was now moving freely. She climbed down from the altar table, bowed her head in respect, and said: "When humans and demons meet, it is always a battle scene. But not only did you lend me a helping hand, but also refined a divine medicine that can be used by our demonic tribe, truly having a heart to save the world."

  Qing Yi's excessive flattery left Ji Ruochen somewhat speechless and tearful. Although their trip down the mountain had not been long, along the way, Ji Ruochen had heard some unfavorable rumors about the Daode Sect, which seemed to be anything but a sect that valued compassion. Moreover, why did Zi Yun Zhenren have such a deep understanding of the medicinal pellets used to treat the demon tribe? Ji Ruochen also had some vague suspicions.

  In the eyes of Ziyun True Person, all living beings are equal and not divided into nobility or inferiority. Whether it is a stone, grass, demon, beast, or devil, they can all be put into the cauldron. Some demons must be alive to be used as medicine.

  But Qing Yi Xiao Yao seems to be completely without any ulterior motives, every sentence coming from the heart, so Ji Ru Chen also feels a bit embarrassed by the praise.

  Ji Ruochen gathered up all the alchemy equipment and said, "This place is not far from Lichou. After passing through Lichou and heading north again, it's Yunwu Mountain, where the demon clan also resides. I can only send you to the foot of Yunwu Mountain. Your cultivation is too low, so don't casually enter the territory of cultivators in the future."

  "The little demon in blue clothes asked: 'Where is the young master going?'"

  Ji Ruoxuan said: "After sending you off, I will go to Luoyang."

  Qing Yi immediately said: "Then I'll go to Luoyang with the young master too."

  Ji Ruoxuan looked at Qingyi in surprise and said, "What are you going to Luoyang for? The whole city is full of Taoist practitioners, don't you want your life?"

  He said that, but the blood-colored talisman between his left hand's middle and index fingers quietly disappeared into his sleeve. He was indeed somewhat unclear in his thinking; since the green-robed little demon had used a desperate tactic, he should have been playing right into her hands by offering to send her down Cloudy Mountain, so why did she not only refuse to agree but also insist on following him to Luoyang?

  The little demon in blue clothes smiled lightly and said, "Young master doesn't have to worry, my cultivation may not be enough, but I was born with the ability to conceal my own demonic energy. I won't cause any trouble for you."

  Ji Ruocheng smiled and said: "This is not the problem, but what are you going to do with me in Luoyang?"

  The little demon in blue clothes shook his head and said, "I don't know either."

  The small temple is over 400 miles away from Licheng, although it's all majestic mountains and steep ridges, but there are no ferocious beasts or evil spirits, which makes it a safe and prosperous path for those who cultivate the Tao. Therefore, by nightfall, Ji Ruochen had already arrived at Licheng City with Qingyi, and they chose a decent inn to stay in.

  When everything was settled, it was almost midnight. Ji Ruochen lay on the bed, taking slow deep breaths, preparing to meditate, when suddenly a soft knock at the door was heard, followed by the voice of the green-clad little demon: "Young Master, may I come in?"

  Ji Ruoxin's heart skipped a beat as she opened the door and let the little green-robed demon in. She stood in the center of the room, her eyes fixed on the corner, forcing out a faint smile: "Young master, there are people everywhere... I'm a bit scared."

  Ji Ruoxin's heart moved slightly again, and she smiled: "Then you can rest here."

  The little demon in the green dress was not polite, and immediately let out a cheer, jumping onto the bed. Then, with her finger, she drew a line down the middle of the bed, saying: "One person, one half, don't cross the line! Otherwise, you're a beast!"

  Ji Ruochen was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, for a moment she really didn't know if she was too deep in her thoughts or truly completely unaware of worldly affairs and the cruelty of human hearts.

  As for the three words "Huang Mei Diao", I forgot them for a moment.

  After a while, the two finally rested. Ji Ruochen actually didn't need sleep, he lay on his back on the bed with his clothes on, looking at the moonlight outside the window, but he couldn't calm down and meditate either.

  He had already had the intention to kill several times on this road. As a cultivator, eliminating a demon is equivalent to accumulating merit, let alone such a small demon that used tricks on him?

  Every time he saw her clear and transparent, innocent eyes, Ji Ruoxu's murderous intentions would quietly dissipate. Moreover, the more he interacted with her, the stranger Ji Ruoxu became - what kind of trick was this? The beauty trap was somewhat plausible.

  Ji Ruocheng's body leaned to one side, and a warm feeling spread over. It turned out that Qingyi was a bit cold, had already curled up into a ball, and was crawling down towards Ji Ruocheng's feet. She seemed to have dreamed of something again, and shouted: "No practice! I won't practice! I don't want to transcend the cycle of rebirth or roam the six realms! It takes 500 years to cultivate, no way!"

  Ji Ruocheng was shocked at once! Even a thousand-year-old heavenly demon couldn't transcend reincarnation, leap out of causality, this is already the realm of scattered immortals, although it's not as good as ascending to heaven in broad daylight, it's still not far off. What secret technique did the green-clothed little demon cultivate, and yet she only needed 500 years to reach this level, and she didn't even practice!

  Before he could finish thinking, Qingyi let out a soft sigh and muttered: "Alright, uncle, I'll practice. But those true immortals from the Dao De Sect aren't that formidable, why don't you just go to Xi Xuan Mountain and kill a few? What are you worried about?"

  After hearing her say this, Ji Ruochen calmed down instead.

  In the blink of an eye, the crescent moon has gone west, and the morning light is just beginning to show. Qingyi is still sleeping soundly, but seeing her sleep so greedily, one can tell that she's not a demon who is willing to put in effort to cultivate her powers.

  "Ah, this little demon..." Ji Ruochen gazed at her soft and beautiful profile, sighing silently to himself. At that moment, a strange thought suddenly popped into his head: "Those who cross the line are beasts, but I haven't crossed the line in one night... Could it be that I'm not as good as a beast?"