I want to embrace the moon for nine days

The moon is bright in the sky, the clouds are misty, and the valley is deep and empty.

Although the valley is empty, a large cave has been carved out on the cliff inside the valley, and the cave is well managed.

The nest was paved with licorice, which was neither too soft nor too hard. The entrance was dotted with flowers and words were carved on the stone.

This is the Spirit Snake Cave, which is quite famous within a radius of hundreds of miles. There lives an old snake here, whose cultivation has reached the third level. He is no less than two hundred years old and his name is She Wenbei.

The body of the green python was as thick as a bucket and coiled into a ball. There was some grayish-white color between the scales, showing its old age. On both sides of the snake's body, there was a pair of green-scaled claws, which made it convenient to turn pages.

He was born into the demon clan, and he followed the path of ancient demons when he was a child, so he has always looked like a python with two claws, but he loves reading very much.

The reason why his parents gave him this name was because he couldn't wait for his parents to tell him stories and insisted on reading the book himself. When he couldn't understand the words, he cried in frustration.

Now he has reached the age where he can tell stories to children. A dozen little snakes coiled around him, listening to him read.

"We worship the moon to cultivate our Qi. The techniques we practice are all very ancient. However, we are no longer in the ancient times where we could find elixirs everywhere. So if we only practice and play, it is easy to cause imbalance of internal Qi. We will either hibernate early and not wake up, or be struck by lightning and suffer burning pain all over our body."

"Although the stories in these books do not contain a complete set of cultivation methods, they also contain a lot of mental concepts. You have listened to them since childhood and absorbed them unconsciously. When you grow up, you can avoid a lot of troubles."

She Wenbei gave earnest instructions.

Some of the little snakes were very active and not all of them liked to listen to stories. At this time, several of them twisted their bodies and started yelling.

"We don't have good kung fu to practice in the countryside, but I heard that there are opportunities everywhere in big cities. If you really get into trouble in the future, you can go to a big city to ask people. Grandpa, have you ever been to a big city?"

The old snake sighed: "Living in the city is not easy. Big cities are not that fun."

"I used to have a lot of children, but I went to the big city and worked hard for more than 60 years. Occasionally, I encountered trouble and was the only one left alive. I was so disheartened that I returned to my hometown."

"If you only know how to practice these old techniques, the higher your kung fu skills, the more unstable your emotions will be. The closer you go to a city with masters, the less safe it will be."

When She Wenbei said this, he paused for a moment, a little distracted.

The snake hides during the day and comes out at night. In the past few days, when he was sleeping during the day, he could always vaguely hear the sound of reading.

There were many people reading aloud together, most of them were children. Just by listening to the sounds, one could imagine a large group of children with clear eyes, shaking their heads, drawing out their voices, and reciting articles.

When She Wenbei woke up every night, he could no longer hear that sound. During this period of time, he had searched the area within a hundred or two hundred miles, but still could not find the source of the sound. He knew in his heart that this must be the work of a master.

The master spread the sound of reading at will so that the monster could hear it in its dream, and it seemed that he had no ill intentions.

But if the monster has no good intentions and foolishly comes to you, it would be hard to predict whether it will be a blessing or a curse.

While She Wenbei was daydreaming here, the dozen or so little snakes had already started playing with the brushes rolled up by their tails, scribbling on the papers around them.

He sighed, went deep into the cave, found a jar of wine from a pile of jars, and started drinking.

Ever since the misfortune that happened that year, he was the only one in his family who survived. He fell in love with drinking and learned to make wine himself. He didn't care about any other tastes, he only loved strong liquor, and he often had to take a few sips before he could fall asleep peacefully.

Come to think of it, besides the sound of reading, there seemed to be the smell of wine in his dream.

She Wenbei drank more than usual today and fell asleep drunk without realizing it.

When the sun rose outside, he was sleeping soundly. He heard the sound of reading and sat up dazedly.

"Just read, can't you pronounce the words clearly? Are you holding a crab in your mouth? What the hell are you reading? It tempts me every day!"

He was itching to do it, so he swam out of the cave cursing, and his thick tail slapped the rocks, making a loud noise.

A small snake was awakened by him and called him quickly.

"I'm going out for a while. You stay in the cave. If I don't come back, don't look for me."

After She Wenbei came out of the cave and climbed to the top of the mountain, his body would often bounce off and glide over a hundred feet, crossing mountains and ridges.

It was not until that afternoon that he arrived near the source of the reading sounds, stood on the top of a hill and looked over.

Wow! So many calves!

Hundreds of calves are studying on the mountain, and thousands of cows are active in the valley.

The one who led them to study was a charcoal-headed creature with a crescent moon on its forehead. No one knew what kind of monster he was transformed from, but his cultivation was truly profound.

If a moon-worshiping monster can practice to the point where a natural crescent appears on its head and its face becomes as black as the night sky, it naturally means that its power is very pure.

At this distance, She Wenbei could finally hear clearly what they were reading.

"The colors of black and yellow are mixed, the shapes of square and round are divided, the sun and the moon are stacked like jades, to make the sky beautiful; the mountains and rivers are bright and beautiful, to make the earth beautiful. This is the text of Taoism."

"Looking up, I see the sun, looking down, I see the beauty; high and low are fixed, so the two principles are born. Only human beings can participate in it, and the spirit of nature is favored, which is called the three talents. It is the best of the five elements and the heart of heaven and earth. When the heart is born, words are established, and when words are established, civilization is established. This is the way of nature..."

This is "On the Origin of the Way" by a great ancient scholar. It says that articles come from the way of nature and should not be overly embellished.

Articles are only meaningful if they are used to record and explore the laws of the natural universe.

The founder of the Confucian and Legalist school emphasized that the laws of nature are constant, and that one should not blindly revere ghosts and gods, but should "control the destiny of heaven and use it", explore the heaven and earth, and then use it to better govern humanity.

Dongzhou Yuandao Ridge, named after Yuandao, originally inherited this kind of thinking. However, among the various fragments of mental skills excavated by the people of the Niu Yao village, this one, which laid the foundation at the beginning, was missing.

Bao Zheng knew that these bull monsters had their own understanding of the articles they had learned before, and what they valued was practicality.

Forcibly changing their concepts will only result in half the effort and twice the results, so we simply ignore what they have learned before and start teaching them from the basic chapters that they have not learned.

She Wenbei had read "Yuan Dao Pian" before, but it was the type commonly seen on the market, with only seven paragraphs and a total of more than 600 words.

Now the charcoal-haired man explained in a simple and easy-to-understand way, and what he talked about was far more than what he had read before.

In addition to discussing the relationship between articles and nature, he also talked about many examples. In addition to words, he also drew patterns in the air.

After all, She Wenbei also had the third level of cultivation, and he was quite shocked. He felt that a lot of what Black Charcoal Head said could be used to cultivate the soul.

His temperament is kind and gentle, his spirit is virtuous, his intentions are upright, and his thoughts are to ward off evil.

"Master, master! How can there be such a kind-hearted master?"

She Wenbei couldn't believe it and was overjoyed. He rubbed his eyes and looked again carefully.

This sight made him even more frightened. It turned out that among those hundreds of calves, there were quite a few "students" who were not cows.

There was a small white bear with wings and four ears, sitting closest to the black-faced Crescent Man. Although its entire body was snow-white, for some reason, its buttocks seemed to be quite red and swollen, and it was holding a cane with a bitter look on its face.

The old civet cat with black and white patterns and white eyebrows sat cross-legged and motionless like an old monk in meditation.

There was a black wolf squatting, with its big fluffy tail wrapped around its body.

There was a strong leopard with a leopard head and a human body, holding a huge piece of iron in each hand, squatting and lifting repeatedly while reading.

There are also wild boars with one eye, red-lipped boys with gills behind their ears, and so on.

She Wenbei knew some of them, and they definitely did not live here. He was probably attracted here by the sound of reading in his dream.

There were some others whom he didn't recognize, but they looked extraordinary and were definitely not ordinary country monsters. They were also listening to the book attentively.

"Oh! I shouldn't have hesitated for so long. I came so late. I don't know if they will accept anyone. Even if they do, I'm already behind these guys' seats."

She Wenbei glided down in a hurry and headed straight for the hill where the lecture was to be given.

However, while he was gliding, his mind was gradually attracted by another thing.

It was a smell, very faint and a little strange.

But he could feel that it should be... wine!

The aroma of wine!!
When he thought of this, She Wenbei felt a large amount of saliva flowing out of his mouth, and he quickly closed his mouth, fearing that the saliva would flow out.

What a fragrant wine! Although it was light and I couldn't tell if it was strong liquor, it was very similar to the scent in my dream.

It turned out that the aroma of wine in his dream, like the sound of reading, came from this area, not the wine in his own cave.

Should I go and see the teacher first, or...

She Wenbei was still a little hesitant in his heart, but unknowingly, he had already rushed towards the source of the wine aroma.

That hill was not far from the hill where the lecture was given. At the foot of the hill there was a stone tablet with three big characters engraved on it, "Little Penglai".

He quickly reached the mountain, held his breath, and watched carefully.

There was a large meadow on the mountain, which seemed to have grown recently. It was green and tender, but the grass leaves were tough and would not break even if pressed by a giant python like him, but would only sag slightly.

There is a spring in the middle of the grassy area on the top of the mountain.

There was a man with matted hair, a copper hoop on his head, but clear eyes. He was sitting lazily on the grass, with his back against a boulder, and a spring on the side. He picked up a branch and stirred the water.

There was also an old man in sackcloth sitting opposite the spring, with a bamboo stick across his knees, reading a book. There were also more than a hundred monsters around, of various kinds, and they looked unsurprised at the python's arrival.

"Is it Lao She?"

A beautiful lady with deer horns in a golden red dress walked out from the nearby woods and looked over with a chuckle.

"It's really you. It seems that you have a deeper connection with Penglai Jijiu, so you came here to pay a visit first."

She Wenbei recognized this person: "Master Lilu, this is... the Priest of Penglai?"

"I am Penglai Sanren, and I am also the chief lecturer of Yuandao Ridge."

Su Hanshan spoke, turning his head to look at him, "You came here in pursuit of the aroma of wine in your dream, so you are indeed destined to have a connection with my wine. So, do you want to learn how to make wine?"

She Wenbei's eyes lit up, he nodded repeatedly and was about to bow down.

"Wait a minute."

Su Hanshan added, "I accept disciples and charge tuition fees. The tuition fees vary from person to person."

"Li Lu'er, you know him, so tell him about it and see what kind of tuition he pays."

Fairy Li Lu smiled, and took the old python with her to recognize and learn from him.

"That golden-eyed tiger was fierce and ferocious. He paid for his tuition by killing thirteen evil tiger monsters."

"The tuition fees for those slender-legged cranes were paid together. They were the magical herbs they picked in the Yunwu Mountain area of ​​the East China Sea when they flew across the clouds."

"My tuition fee is the thirty-three golden fire hairpins I made with my own hands."

While She Wenbei was greeting the monsters, he also understood the tuition fee schedule.

He also saw that among the monsters present, there were actually several with low cultivation levels, almost like cubs. He couldn't help but wonder about the little snake in the cave, wondering whether he should bring them here to take advantage of the opportunity.

She Wenbei carefully inquired: "From what I hear, these masters are going to establish a sect here and stay here permanently?"

“It’s not about establishing a new sect, it’s about revitalizing Yuandaoling.”

Before Fairy Li Lu opened her mouth, a greedy and talkative big-eared monkey came over with a smile.

"You may not know this, but I heard that there was a big sect in this place that had been passed down for more than 3,000 years. It was not until 700 years ago that it was destroyed."

They were already more than two hundred feet away from the spring.

But at this distance, how could it be hidden from Ma Jiugong's eyes and ears? He couldn't help but look up and said, "This little monkey is too talkative again."

"It's okay for a child to be a little lively, just teach him a lesson."

Su Hanshan liked these little goblins very much and said with a smile, "Besides, if we really don't want them to hear what we say, they won't be able to hear it at all."

Ma Jiugong also laughed: "Those mature monsters are still a little wary of us, but these little monsters like you very much. Fortunately, they don't know that many monsters who smelled the aroma of wine in their dreams have been burned to death, otherwise how could they dare to jump out like this in front of you?"

"I used the Yin De dream method to deliver the aroma of wine and the sound of books, but they would be burned to death. This only shows that their Yin De is negative, and it is very negative."

Su Hanshan didn't take it seriously, "This is just a small thing I did while doing my work."

"At present, with so many monsters coming to surrender, Yuandao Ridge is thriving. When the 100-day deadline comes, it will be enough to trigger the back-up plan of the dean from 700 years ago."

One hundred days is neither long nor short. It is a very delicate period of time.

In Xuanmen Qi training, there is a saying that it takes a hundred days to build the foundation. This means that when people start practicing martial arts, they must first select a place, choose a skill, and persist for a hundred days without slacking off. Only then can they initially develop a habit and use their mind and physical energy on practicing.

Let’s not talk about what kind of strength he has developed in these hundred days.

Having this good habit is the real foundation that is necessary for the long journey of martial arts in the future, or even for any career or hobby in life.

In Zen Buddhism, there is also a saying that "enlightenment comes in a hundred days". If someone comes into contact with Buddhism and studies it for a hundred days, and then feels that he likes Buddhism rather than being forced to study it by others, then he is considered to have a connection with the Buddha and is truly enlightened.

If you still don’t feel love after a hundred days, then you are not destined to be with someone and should not become a monk.

In Confucianism, there is a saying that "it takes a hundred days to see the wind".

Go to a place with different customs to open a school, give lectures and recruit disciples. In just a hundred days, you can see the local response to your school and to you as a person.

It shows whether you can change customs, break bad habits, and eliminate the dross and retain the essence.

If you can achieve success in a hundred days, you will most likely achieve great success in the future.

If it is not accomplished in a hundred days, there will be difficulties in the future, or even counterproductive, causing local dissatisfaction and prejudice against such lecturers, and creating more obstacles for later generations, so it is better to withdraw directly.

Many people believed that Yuan Daoling was wiped out completely by the Qin Dynasty's army that marched eastward.

But the true identity of the dean from seven hundred years ago was a fox spirit who had devoted herself to Confucianism, and a fox fairy born with nine tails. He did not die easily.

After going through many twists and turns, the owner of the temple still left his legacy at the Yuandaoling site.

If there is hope of continuing the orthodoxy and reviving the reputation, when the hundred days are up, the new generation of abbot will naturally be able to reap the legacy of their predecessors.

"Brother Bao, it will definitely work!"

Ma Jiugong was very confident. "Recently, I have been able to feel that the things left behind by the White Fox Dean have gradually been awakened."

"This is the first step of the whole plan. With you, an unexpected strong reinforcement, here to take charge, there is no way anything can go wrong."

"Everything will go smoothly. After the hundred days are up, we just need to wait for the people from the Pure Fox Clan to show up."

Su Hanshan nodded and didn't say anything more.

His main interest now is still on the land veins of Dongzhou and figuring out new wine recipes.

But in this abyss world, the reason why divination is criticized is that since ancient times, countless powerful people have been trapped in this world. The various causes and effects of auras, direct and indirect involvements are too complicated for anyone to figure out.

Of course, Ma Jiugong had no idea what kind of people's attention would be attracted when the White Fox Dean's legacy was revived.

Also on Lingzhou, about 30,000 miles away.

There are majestic green mountains, numerous stone towers and numerous palaces. This is the location of the Yangpan Sect, a major force in Lingzhou.

Sect leader Yang Pan was drinking with his fellow apprentice in the garden when suddenly his expression changed. He stood up and looked into the distance.

"Brother, what's wrong?"

Although that junior fellow had horns on his head, he had a square face and a thick beard as hard as iron. He was intimidating without even being angry, as if there was always a huge rage hidden between his brows. He also had a title outside, called "Venerable Hou Ri".

Sect Leader Yang Pan and his junior fellow apprentice were friends for life and death, so after a little thought, he spoke out what was on his mind.

"Junior brother, do you still remember Yuandaoling?"

Reverend Hou Ri recalled for a moment: "Is it the branch of Confucianism that our ancestors once destroyed?"

"good."

Leader Yang Pan said solemnly, "Something has happened in Yuandao Ridge."

The Qin general who led the army to destroy Yuandaoling was not only a master of military strategy, but also a Confucianist.

His lineage of Confucianism has a most mysterious secret technique.

It is called "Nine lifetimes of grudges connected by a thread"!
Within nine lifetimes, when major changes occur to all living and dead people who have grudges against the family, the person who practices this secret technique will be able to sense it, act accordingly, and gain benefits.

Later, the Qin Dynasty collapsed. The descendants of this great general, who had made too many enemies, dared not act in their original identity. They relied on the method of reincarnation of human-demon hybrids and used their half-demon identity to establish the Yangpan Sect.

Their family's original surname was "Gong Yang". After they became a demon clan, they changed their surname to just "Yang", which did not arouse any suspicion.

"It's just a branch of Confucianism. All the members of the family died out back then. Even if something unexpected happened now, what can it do?"

Reverend Hou Ri didn't take it seriously, "Brother, if you are worried, I will go over and take a look."

"No!"

Sect Leader Yang Pan stopped him, "You really underestimated that academy. You may not have noticed some historical materials."

"The last head of Yuandaoling was not killed by the army, but left Lingzhou to take revenge on the entire Qin Dynasty. He even sneaked into the heart of the Middle Earth and waited for an opportunity to act."

"Later, he really waited for the opportunity and selected a strong man in troubled times. He used the secret method of the fox tribe to help him strengthen his reputation and gather troops. He was the King Chen in the era when the seven kings competed for the throne at the junction of Qin and Chu."

"With seven kings fighting for the throne, the Great Qin was already torn apart and on the verge of decline. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong person, and King Chen was eventually defeated in the army. This half-master king who had fought in the Great Wilderness many times and stirred up trouble only returned to Lingzhou with serious injuries after that, and we have truly lost contact with him."

"If what I sense is correct, he most likely used the fox clan's witchcraft incense-making secret method to preserve the eighth-level Great Void Secret Realm during his heyday. Although he is dead, the secret realm... I'm afraid it hasn't declined much to this day!"

(End of this chapter)