Classic of Mountains and Seas says “On the southern slope of the Country of Green Mountains there is a great deal of jade while on its northern slope there are rich deposits of dark cinnabar. There is an animal that looks like a fox and has nine tails. It makes a sound like a crying baby and it may eat human. Whoever eats it, he will be free from the plague of a malign force. In addition, there is a bird called guanguan which looks like a turtledove. It makes a sound like those who are cursing each other. Whoever wears it in his belt, he will be immune from confusion. There is also a river that flows out of this mountain and is called the Yingshui River. With its water flowing swiftly to the south, it finally empties itself into the Jiyi Lake where there are many red giant salamanders. They look like fish, but they have a human face. They make a sound like those of mandarin ducks. Whoever eats it, he will not suffer from scabies.”
This may be the earliest record of the Country of Green Mountains.
When Lin Luoran was studying at Chuan University and doing research with Professor Qi, she consulted many mythological documents in order to find the clues of the Soul Wood. She still remembers that the Country of Green Mountains is in the north of Zhaoyang Valley and south of the kingdom of Heichi. Of course, both of the two places are in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Some scholars have verified that the Country of Green Mountains is in Shandong today. Lin Luoran originally did not believe them, but when she arrives in Shandong and sees Goldie’s speed falls sharply, she starts to believe that these experts may have a lucky guess sometimes.
Weifang is in Shandong Province.
As a “Garden City”, Weifang receives a large number of tourists every day. Though taking a hard journey, three of them still keep their noble temperament and choose a three-star hotel in Kuiwen District to stay. It has been over ten days since they follow up Sakurako Asada.
It’s actually very fast when using Sword-riding Spell. The main reason is that Sakurako is too slow. But why? It is because that cyan little fox is very fast and it picks up mountain roads deliberately to fool them. These Nihonese must suffer a lot.
When it arrives in Shandong, cyan little fox seems to play a game with these Nihonese. Lin Luoran knows this, so she decides to take a good bath in the hotel without a hurry. Weifang’s dog days are approaching which tells that the summer here is extremely sweltering. After having a good rest, they converge. They feel like Robinson when he comes back to urban society.
While Sakurako Asada is fooled by the cyan little fox, Lin Luoran and two teenagers also spend time in the mountains and forests these days and the only difference is that they are not in such a hurry. The portable space is convenient, but it can’t compare with the various kinds of gourmet in Chuan. When Lin Luodong comes to Weifang for just one time, he is already influenced to be a food lover. After knowing the safety of cyan little fox, Lin Luodong begs Lin Luoran to go out.
Shopping is a good way to relieve stress. Lin Luoran takes two teenagers out and buys a pile of wooden fish stones, which sounds like Chinese temple blocks when tapped. The stall owner says that it also called “phoenix egg”. Lin Luoran quietly asks the phoenix in the space and is despised by it.
Although these orange-yellow or purple-red stones with different-sizes are not real phoenix eggs, they are indeed a traditional medicine. In addition to the naturally-formed delicate shapes, they pick these local goods as gifts since these eggs are not expensive.
There are also shops selling inlay silver lacquer on the commercial street. Some of them are made with real redwood or sandalwood. Depending on the craftsmanship and the wood quality, the price differs. The inlays are all real gold and silver, so the price is not cheap. Lin Luoran sees that there are many people visiting the store. Pieces of lacquerware, under the soft light, look like the art in the museum. However, there were few people who really take action to buy them.
Lin Luoran actually buys some, such as screens with birds and beasts on them, a silver sandalwood makeup box, etc. As long as it fits her, she will buy it generously. It can only blame her for having two disciples who are good at making money.
Lin Luodong also wants to buy something, but his nest egg is very little. Seeing the prices already aches him. After thinking it over, he joins with Huang Weijian to buy gifts, and they choose a pipe for Mr. Lin, makeup boxes for Mrs. Lin and Li Xier’s. Poor Yuan Ye and Zeng Tian are out of consideration. Suddenly, they see a quaint silver plum-shaped kanzashi. Its petals are slightly red for its material sake. The plum petals are carved according to the wood’s original color distribution, which makes it look exquisite and unusual.
Although small in size, it is more expensive than a makeup box. Lin Luodong and Huang Weijian mutter for a while and decide to buy it for Lin Luoran finally.
“I won’t give you money again when you two run out of your pocket money in advance.” Lin Luoran pretends to be displeased. In fact, having been together for a long time, she also treats Huang Weijian as her brother. When they two send her a gift, she is happy.
Although they are blamed, Lin Luodong knows that his sister actually likes the gift when seeing her putting it on. Even the reserved Huang Weijian also smiles despite his thinner wallet.
After the crazy shopping, it is getting dark. Lin Luoran puts all the goods she buys into the space when no one is watching her. The three of them are going to eat local food while it begins to rain heavily.
They have no choice but to go to a restaurant on the roadside looking for shelter from the rain. The restaurant is selling stews.
Shandong province is famous for its stew food, so they decide to have dinner in this restaurant. It turns out that the baked wheat cake is also good. Wrappers are made by dough mixed with water and oil, and the diced pork is stuffed to make the stuffing. Each of the cake is as big as a Go stone. When wheat cakes are baked, they look golden in color and are crispy and delicious. After eating the stew, a small dish of radish skin is also served, which is crunchy and can cleanse the palate.
“This radish is not worse than what we usually eat!” Lin Luodong whispers.
Lin Luoran’s eyes crinkle up. What they usually eat is planted in the space and tastes good. There are few rivals in the world except for some delicacies and games.
Lin Luoran pretends to be curious and asks a waiter. It turns out that this is the famous “Weifang radish”, which can only grow in the Weifang among the entire Shandong area. Weifang in the past belongs to Kuiwen District where they are now.
“The radishes produced around the North Palace are of superior quality. Guest, this is our specialty! ”
Vegetables and fruits will taste good only in places where there is sufficient Reiki. The vegetables and fruits produced by space is proof.
Lin Luoran is deep in thought. There is still no sign that the rain will stop soon. Maybe she should go to the North Palace.
…………
At midnight, there are few people in front of the Weifang No.1 vocational high school. Shops are already closed, and even the late-night supper peddlers shut the shop because of the heavy rain tonight.
The school is the site of the so-called North Palace. Why can people grow fine Weifang radishes nearby? Lin Luoran is surprised to find that on the hillside behind the school Reiki is leaking out.
Is it Reiki that nourishes the land, so people can grow the Weifang radish that is famous for 300 years?
Where is the place that Reiki is leaking? Is it the entrance of the Country of Green Mountains? Lin Luoran makes a bold guess. Breath-holding Spell and Mini World have completely hidden the breath of them. Now they three are on the roof of the vocational school building, staring at the hillside.
The rain is still pouring down. Tonight, there is no moon at all. By three o’clock, when the roosters in the suburbs start to crow, a familiar figure appears on the hillside.
A small figure shivers in the heavy rain. Cyan little fox must suffer a lot in the past ten days. It looks overbearing, but in fact it is very obstinate who insists on solving by itself.
Sakurako and her followers also appear. Compared with cyan little fox, their clothes are more ragged. It is even not easy for the practitioners to pass through the thorns in the mountains, let alone these Nihonese.
“You have taken a very roundabout way, but you come here … this hillside. Is it the entrance to the Country of Green Mountains?” Sakurako smiles with great confidence.
After chasing all the way, she has discovered that cyan little fox is not as powerful as the legendary nine-tailed fox and has nothing special except that it is extremely fast.
She doesn’t need to be polite with a cyan little fox who is a “paper tiger”.
Goldie hovers in the sky and wants to dive down to help cyan little fox, but Lin Luoran has also ordered it not to take actions arbitrarily. It can feel that its master is just a few steps away, so it is not so anxious.
Four Nihonese men and Sakurako occupy a direction separately. Lin Luoran finds that they form a strange magic circle, and a black shadow floats out from the ring on Sakurako’s hands.
It likes a fox full of fierce light. Is the shikigami of Sakurako Asada is also a fox?
Cyan little fox seems confounded a moment: this woman actually summons a fox to deal with it?
It is so ridiculous that in this world, now even foxes dare to forget the reputation of the nine-tailed fox family.
“Sister, let’s help cyan little fox.” Lin Luodong can only see it is surrounded by a few Nihonese, and suddenly a big fox pops up, so he is a little worried.
Lin Luoran murmurs, “It is defending its home, we should believe it …”
The dark hillside suddenly lights up. It can be seen clearly even in the heavy rain, one, two … up to nine. Illusions of the eight tails of cyan little fox appear, plus its original one, so now it has nine tails just right!
The fox-like shikigami, who is just a low-level ghost, is curling up in this white light.
——This is the king of the fox family, the oppression of the nine-tailed cyan fox.
