In order not to hurt Jiang Yu, Chen Ling cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "That's perfect. There's no ancestor at the breeding base. Xiao Lan can just stay there for a few days and take it as a vacation. Besides, everyone says that distance creates beauty. Maybe when he comes back, he will have a different opinion of the ancestor."
Zhao Xunchang was still unwilling: "What if..."
"If I can't come back, we can move to live near the breeding base. At worst, I can buy a car and I can go to work at Yuhe Mountain every morning."
"You can't move!" Zhao Xunchang's gloomy expression suddenly changed, and he repeated in a stern voice, "You can't move."
Chen Ling was startled and said hesitantly: "Master, I am much better now, and I have a certain ability to protect myself..."
"I said you can't move, you have to stay in Yuhe Mountain." Realizing that his tone was too cold, Zhao Xunchang took a deep breath.
After calming down, he changed the subject, his stern face suddenly changed, and he said amiably: "Let's not talk about this anymore, go call Lao Lin right away."
"Okay." Chen Ling took two steps towards the room and looked back at Zhao Xunchang.
The old man's face changed faster than turning the pages of a book. His smiling face changed again, and he was full of worry.
But in a flash, he walked back to the parrot stand with his hands behind his back, picked up the newly pecked feathers on the ground, and sighed distressedly. He wanted to reach out and touch the parrot's little head, but was afraid of being pecked.
Chen Ling thought that the improvement in the situation of encountering ghosts was probably just superficial, and he would have to live there for a while longer before there would be any fundamental changes.
That's why the master was so angry and anxious after hearing what he just said.
In order to prevent Zhao Xunchang from hearing the content of the phone call and becoming even more sad, Chen Ling hid in the room holding the phone and called the Forestry Bureau.
This macaw was introduced from abroad and artificially bred in China. It has been with Zhao Xunchang for more than a year.
By coincidence, more than a year ago, Zhao Xunchang was traveling in the southwest and accidentally entered a tropical monsoon forest. There happened to be a breeding base for rare birds in the forest.
Illegal hunting was rampant during that period, and some even dared to sneak into the base to steal birds. This purple-blue parrot was one of those stolen.
It was very intelligent, and before the thieves had time to lock the cage, it opened the cage and ran out. In the fight to escape, it pecked out one of the thieves' eyes.
The thief was so angry that he picked up his shotgun and fired a shot.
The purple-blue parrot's wings were hit and it fell straight down from mid-air, landing right at Zhao Xunchang's feet.
After being rescued, the macaw became attached to its savior. After being sent back to the base, it became depressed and even went on a hunger strike.
There was really no other way, the base staff could only call Zhao Xunchang, hoping that he could come to visit.
Zhao Xunchang was used to being alone, but after spending some time with the little guy, he felt unusually soft in his heart and agreed immediately.
After this visit, the macaw became even more inseparable from him, following him wherever he went. Sometimes, it was afraid that Zhao Xunchang would abandon it and run away again, so it pecked at Zhao Xunchang's trouser legs with its beak.
After several discussions, the base contacted the Forestry Bureau of Beicheng, hoping that they would accept this newly adult hyacinth macaw and foster it with Zhao Xunchang.
In addition, while performing its supervisory functions, the Forestry Bureau must also arrange local wildlife breeding bases to continue the breeding program for the Hyacinthus Macaw.
Whenever talking about this story, Zhao Xunchang, an old man who doesn't smoke, can't help but take a puff.
—He can brag about this for the rest of his life.
Director Lin's call was connected quickly, and the first thing he said was, "Xiao Chen, how is the parrot doing recently?"
"Not good." Chen Ling said, "It's in heat. You need to find someone to take it to the breeding base."
Upon hearing this, Director Lin laughed out loud, "The female in our North City base is also in heat. She's been having a bad temper these past few days. She'll peck anyone who touches her. She's really fierce."
Chen Ling: "What a coincidence."
"The mating season for the Hyacinthus macaw is relatively late, usually in July or December. It's just the end of July now." Director Lin said, "Brother Zhao, this is just his first mating season, so he may be quite aggressive. I have to send someone to bring a cage over."
Chen Ling glanced through the window at the little guy standing upright on the parrot stand in the yard: "Okay, you set a time."
"The day after tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. We recently caught a group of bird hunters, and the bureau is short of manpower and can't handle it."
Chen Ling was a little worried: "Then it should be okay if I don't take care of it for the next two days, right?"
"It's okay." Director Lin said, "It's not a problem in the early stages of estrus. It's the worst after three to five days."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Ling relayed the handover time to Zhao Xunchang.
Zhao Xunchang felt very reluctant to leave after hearing this, so he went to the kitchen and cut a lot of fruits that his pet usually liked to eat, and filled the food trough.
However, it was in a bad mood and didn't appreciate it at all. It turned its back and pointed its tail feathers towards people, then lowered its head and continued to peck at the fine hairs on its chest and abdomen.
Wu Weiwei couldn't help but flicked the purple-blue feathers with his fingers. His grin froze and he covered his head with his hands, trying to dodge. However, he was a beat too slow and the parrot suddenly turned around and pounced on him, hitting him on the forehead. He cried out in pain.
The bustle in the courtyard continued until night.
After dinner, Chen Ling went into the study to study as usual.
What he lacked in ability, he could only make up for with diligence. He first recited the commonly used spells over and over again, and then took out the Huangshen Yuezhang Seal, talisman paper, a brush, liquid cinnabar, and a brush washer and laid them out one by one.
Looking up at the yard, Zhao Xunchang and Jiang Yu were sitting on either side of the stone table, their mouths moving constantly with serious expressions. They must be discussing Taoism.
Chen Ling felt itchy and wanted to move closer to listen, but when he thought of his performance in the afternoon, he forcibly took his foot back and dipped the brush in the bright red cinnabar liquid.
Drawing talismans requires unity of mind and thoughts, returning heaven and earth to zero, and a calm mind, where one should ignore the surroundings, yet one cannot completely empty the mind. One needs to use all one's energy to silently recite the incantation that goes with the talisman over and over again.
He closed his eyes, silently recited the spell three times, and then began to write.
It starts with the word "Yu Li", and below it is written "by order of the ancestor", followed by the word "Lei" which represents the five thunder gods, and finally ends with "Gang".
With the brush raised, the writing of the Five Thunder Talisman was completed.
Chen Ling picked up the talisman paper and blew on it, and the red liquid cinnabar dried up at a speed visible to the naked eye.
After stamping the seal of Huangshen Yuezhang, he held the talisman in his right hand and silently chanted the Five Thunder God Mantra. The mantra was to invite the Five Thunder Gods to descend in the name of Yuanshi Tianzun. If one had enough power, one could really invite five thunderbolts.
As far as Chen Ling could remember, he only saw his master use it once.
That day, the originally clear sky suddenly changed into dark clouds, followed by lightning and thunder that fell from the sky with a force that seemed to split the heaven and earth apart.
But Zhao Xunchang only demonstrated it once and never tried it again.
The reason was that the spectacle of five thunders descending at the same time was reported in the news, and many forums on magic and metaphysics were discussing whether it was the arrival of the dragon god, or a great demon undergoing a calamity.
Chen Ling registered an account and went online to explain that he was not going through a tribulation. Not only did no one believe him, but he was also chased by trolls and scolded for being uneducated, short-sighted, and pretending to know what he didn't.
The talisman paper was clamped between two fingers, standing upright. The window in the room that was fluttering in the wind froze, the incense sticks on the table stopped burning, and the water in the pen wash that was dyed pink by cinnabar stopped shaking.
The sky with sunset glow darkened, and dark clouds came from all directions and gathered above the courtyard.
Zhao Xunchang was stunned, stood up suddenly and looked up at the sky.
Snake-like lightning flashed through the clouds, and a rumbling sound rang out between heaven and earth.
Jiang Yu looked at the half-open window behind him. The young man was holding a talisman with his eyes closed. There was a thin vertical wrinkle between his eyebrows. His rosy lips kept moving as he quickly recited in a clear and melodious voice: "The Jade Purity Begins to Green, the True Talisman announces the alliance, pushes the two Qis to move, and mixes them into one. Five Thunders, Five Thunders, quickly meet Huang Ning, the mist changes, and the roar is as fast as lightning..."
After three times, the dark clouds in the sky became darker and heavier, as if they were about to collapse at any time.
Zhao Xunchang's hands were shaking with excitement. Wu Weiwei jumped out of the kitchen without even finishing washing the dishes, staring at the sky in amazement. He had a premonition that something big was going to happen tonight.
With a loud bang, lightning with white light flashed down from the sky. From a distance, it looked like it had hit a mountain hundreds of miles away.
The forests near Yuhe Mountain were frightened, and the birds hiding in them flew out chirping and hid elsewhere. Before they could find a safe branch to hide, another bolt of lightning fell.
Chen Ling suddenly opened his eyes. The talisman paper in his hand started to burn at some point, burning his fingertips.
Without any hesitation, he pressed the talisman paper into the brush washer. As soon as the smoke came out, the dark clouds in the sky outside immediately dissipated, and the dim light became bright again.
Zhao Xunchang touched his head, walked over with his hands behind his back, and put his arm across the window frame of his little apprentice: "It's much better than the previous duds. It's quite good to invite one down this time."
It was more than good, it was very good. In order not to make his little apprentice proud, he chose to praise him more subtly.
Chen Ling still felt the burning sensation on his fingertips. He shook his hands and looked at his master eagerly: "Really?"
"That's right." Zhao Xunchang was afraid that he would be discouraged, so he changed his teaching strategy, "Much better than when Master was young. I was over 30 years old when I summoned my first thunder. If you don't believe me, you can go ask your uncles."
Chen Ling raised his hand and looked at the light. His fingers were burned red and he wondered if blisters would form.
He whispered, "My spiritual power is not enough. Before the talisman paper burned, I could actually feel that I had reached my limit."
Using one's own spiritual power to provide energy for talisman paper is indeed very dangerous, unless this body can become an ocean with rivers, lakes and seas as sources, so that the spiritual power can be inexhaustible.
Chen Ling puffed up his cheeks and blew on his fingers, then asked pitifully, "Master, do we have any burn ointment at home?"
The talisman fire should not have burned the person holding the talisman, but today was different. The young disciple was too strong and was burned by the fire, which was a precursor to backlash.
Zhao Xunchang tapped the young man's forehead distressedly: "Don't take such risks in the future, take your time, there's no rush, you have plenty of time."
"I'm already twenty years old. If my life span is counted as a hundred years, one fifth of it has already passed," Chen Ling joked.
Zhao Xunchang suddenly became serious: "Your life span is controlled by Master Zengfu. As long as you do more good deeds, your life span will naturally increase. Moreover, I knew from the first time I met your master that you are a long-lived person."
"Master." Chen Ling followed his master out and asked curiously, "Why did you accept me as your apprentice?"
Zhao Xunchang said without even turning his head: "It's fate."
Chen Ling thought, it was quite a coincidence.
During that time, his parents took him to visit many places and met many so-called masters, but none of them were useful. But just when he was discouraged, he went to a Taoist temple a hundred kilometers away from the north city to burn incense, draw lots, and prepare to eat vegetarian food when he lost his wallet.
The person who picked up the wallet was Zhao Xunchang.
After learning that he was a wandering descendant of Mount Longhu, Chen's parents did not believe it immediately. It was not until he took out his Taoist certificate, Mount Longhu documents, ID card and other documents that they excitedly held Zhao Xunchang's hand and begged him to save their precious son.
Just ask yourself, who would carry important documents with them and hang out outside all day long
If there had not been these proofs that day, Chen Ling was sure that his parents, who had been deceived many times, would have taken him away on the spot and might even have called the police.
Recalling this, Chen Ling remembered something: "By the way, Master, my dad sent me a message a few days ago, saying that he hadn't seen me for a long time and wanted to get together with you."
"Okay, let your dad set a time. I'm available anytime." Thinking of the fine wines that Chen Ling's father treasured, Zhao Xunchang licked his lips, "I haven't had a drink with Brother Chen for a long time."
Chen Ling mercilessly poured a basin of cold water on him: "The previous examination showed that your blood pressure is high, so you should avoid drinking."
Zhao Xunchang suddenly became listless. He weakly opened the drawer, threw out a tube of burn ointment, and started to shout at people: "Go, go, go, go quickly, I want to sleep."
Chen Ling: "It's just past eight o'clock."
"If you have high blood pressure, you should pay more attention to rest!" Zhao Xunchang took off his shoes and lay on the bed, with his back facing his little apprentice.
Chen Ling: "Old child, not childish at all."
"You!" Zhao Xunchang turned over and sat up.
There was no one in front of the bed, he had already run away, he laughed in anger, helplessly pointed out the window and cursed, "Stinky boy!"
Chen Ling sat on the small stone steps outside the room, holding the burn ointment. The milky white ointment was squeezed onto his fingertips and carefully spread. The coolness spread across his fingertips, relieving the burning sensation.
He closed the lid and stood up. When he glanced over the gate, he saw something flash past the crack in the door.
Chen Ling walked over lightly and slowly opened the door. At the right corner of the door, there were two shadows standing. Judging from their height, weight, and the vibration of the Sanqing Bells in their pockets, they should be the two Yin Gods from the Fourteenth and Forty-eight Departments.
Remembering what he had promised when he asked the ghost to come, he slapped his forehead, turned around and ran to the kitchen, took out half a roast chicken from the refrigerator, and went to the cellar to find the large amount of paper money that Zhao Xunchang had not used up when he asked the ghost to come last time.
The paper money for the dead was piled up in a pile and placed in the blackened brazier. Chen Ling held the brazier in one hand and the roasted chicken in the other, respectfully presenting them to the two ghost messengers.
"This is what I promised you before. I hope you don't mind. If it's not enough, I'll double it next time." Chen Ling squatted down, took out the lighter he brought with him and lit the cigarette.
The two ghost messengers were confused and it took them a few seconds to react.
Sisi Shisi: "Little brother, you misunderstood. We are not here to collect things..."
After a pause, the shadow suddenly shook, then straightened up, and his casual tone became righteous, "Besides, those of us who eat public food never take a single needle or thread from the people of the living world. Collecting souls and locking up ghosts, punishing evil and promoting good, isn't this our job?"
Chen Ling was stunned. This was different from what his master said.
Forty-eight Division: "Yes, yes, please don't harm us. We all work honestly and never accept bribes."
He waved his arm and blew away the wind, blowing out the fire that had just burned the edge of the paper money.
Chen Ling: “…”
The other party was so honest and fair that Chen Ling was afraid that he would be misunderstood as wanting to take shortcuts, so he suddenly had an idea and said, "It is definitely not a bribe, but a thank you gift for your willingness to go to the world of the living. I didn't expect that my first time to invite the Yin God would actually trouble the three of you all at once."
The two ghost messengers looked at each other and saw confusion in each other's eyes.
"Only the Fifty-Nine Divisions heard your call. We were not..." Fourteen was quick-witted and was about to deny it. Then, realizing something, he laughed dryly and said, "It shows that you are extremely talented, little brother. We heard your call after the Fifty-Nine Divisions, not right away."
"Yes, yes, that's right." Forty-Eighth Department nudged the colleague next to him with his elbow, his eye twitching.
Chen Ling saw his eye twitching, and subconsciously turned around, looking at Jiang Yu in surprise: "When did you come?"
"Just now." Jiang Yu lowered his head slightly, his eyes stopped at the toes of the two ghost messengers. The extinguished ghost money was still smoking. "Did you burn it for them?"
The bribe-taker, the bribe recipient, and the bribe money were all right under his nose, so any explanation would be far-fetched. Chen Ling kept his mouth shut and pretended to be dead.
Jiang Yu pursed his lips tightly and glanced at the two Yinchasers, "What are you doing here?"
Sisi wanted to bow, but remembered the meaningful look Jiang Yu had given them in the afternoon, and straightened his half-bent waist. "It's like this. According to the investigation, it has been confirmed that Zhu Peng's crime is true. According to the crimes of killing people and illegally embezzling other people's property, he can be punished in the following ways: hanging, car accident, suicide, falling from a building, death by falling... etc."
Jiang Yu didn't say anything.
Chen Ling was stunned: "Is this still a choice?"
"In principle, it's not possible." Sisi looked at Jiang Yu flatteringly and said with a smile, "But I have some friendship with the person next to you, so I came to ask for his opinion."
The 48th Division also followed up and said, "Yes, Mr. Jiang, do you have any request for this?"
Jiang Yu lowered his eyes and looked at the young man beside him, asking with his eyes.
Even if it is a small Yin God with a low status, to Chen Ling, he is still high above and must be treated with respect.
The other party asked a few questions casually for the sake of the old ancestor, but he couldn't take it seriously, so he waved his hand quickly and said, "No, just follow the rules, brothers."
Forty-Eight Division laughed dryly twice, looked at Jiang Yu, and saw him nod slightly, then said: "That's it, we'll leave first."
Only three to five seconds after the words were spoken, the two ghost messengers disappeared into the darkness.
Almost in the next second, the air pressure around him dropped, and Chen Ling just noticed that this man was a little unhappy.
He didn't like to keep anything to himself, so he asked directly, "What are you angry about?"
"Nothing." Having said that, the man's face didn't look very good.
The dim light from the yard shone from behind him, casting a shadow on his eyes, making it impossible to tell his emotions.
Chen Ling thought about it carefully, and it seemed that he had been feeling unwell ever since he saw the two Yin Gods.
"Do you mind if I burn something for them?" Chen Ling guessed.
Jiang Yu glanced at him and said, "It's good that you know."
Chen Ling: "I really didn't mean to bribe them. I just wanted to express my concern and gratitude for their hard work."
No one knew which word struck the other party, but Jiang Yu's aura changed completely. A thick yin energy rolled in the air, as if it were the black clouds brought out by the Five Thunder Talisman in the evening, so turbulent and thick that it made people scared.
Jiang Yu held the young man's shoulders and pulled him closer: "Whether they accepted bribes or not has nothing to do with me. What makes me unhappy is that you shouldn't burn paper for men other than me."
Chen Ling: “…Ah?”
The cold aura from Jiang Yu was entangled with Chen Ling's breathing, without conflict, harmonious and natural, so much so that when the other party pulled away, Chen Ling almost didn't react, always feeling that the hands on his shoulders were still there.
He raised his fist to his lips and coughed softly: "Maybe they are not men. I can't even see their faces. They may be women with more neutral voices."
Jiang Yu: “…”
In fact, he did not leave, and tried to understand the difference between the two: "..."
After spending so many days together, Chen Ling also realized that the old ancestor was a stubborn person and would not change his mind once he made up his mind.
For example, in the relationship between the two of them, he tried to be calm and just be friends, but Jiang Yu always looked at him from the perspective of the patriarch, helping him and protecting him.
So when it comes to burning paper, Chen Ling felt that it was natural for the other party to react like this after a brief moment of surprise.
In Jiang Yu's eyes, the current situation is similar to one of an engaged couple secretly sending flowers and gifts to a strange man.
Chen Ling wanted to talk to him, but when he met the man's eyes flashing with anger, he began to feel guilty, as if he was really a scumbag who was greedy while having his cake and eating it too.
He rubbed his brows and compromised helplessly: "Okay, I promise you."
Compromise does not mean doing it without expecting anything in return. Once you have made concessions, you naturally have to ask for something in return.
Chen Ling put his hands behind his back and stared at Jiang Yu inquiringly: "Tell me honestly, is your status in the Netherworld higher than theirs?"
"I guess so." Jiang Yu did not hide it, but he did not intend to say more.
Chen Ling pursed his lips and said, "Then why didn't you capture the soul yourself before?"
"Everyone has their own duties, and I don't interfere in the affairs of the living world." Jiang Yu paused, and said with an ambiguous meaning, "Except your affairs."
Chen Ling wanted to delve deeper into the other party's identity, but now all his words were stuck in his throat.
In the heat of the moment, he turned his eyes away and looked elsewhere, mumbling "I'll go in first", and then he slipped into the courtyard.
Jiang Yu followed in and smiled as he watched the young man hurriedly walk into the room. When he was about to pass by, he stopped, and his eyes passed through the narrow gap in the door, accurately catching the sight of the person peeking behind the door.
Chen Ling's cheeks flushed red. He closed the door and locked it with a click, then turned around and leaned his back against the door.
When the footsteps outside faded away, he quickly walked to the window and closed the curtains.
Sitting at the desk depressed, Chen Ling thought to himself, he is worthy of being an old ghost who has lived for thousands of years. He has never eaten pork, but he must have seen pigs running countless times, and he can say a lot of seductive words.
If I had this ability, I wouldn't be single until now.