Chapter 161: Demons emerge from the mountain, shocking!

The villagers saw the village chief and others go to Longyuan Mountain, but they had not returned for a long time, and they couldn't help but worry.

"Didn't the village chief say they were going to check the situation? It's been so long without returning; could something have happened?"

"Logically speaking, that shouldn't be possible."

After a brief discussion, the villagers decided to go together to see what was happening, but as they approached, the sight that met their eyes left them utterly astonished.

The village chief and his companions were actually sitting cross-legged on the road into the mountain, completely motionless, somewhat resembling the livestock.

Their hearts gave a jolt, and they hurried forward.

"Village chief! Village chief!"

Hearing the commotion, the village chief and his companions dazedly opened their eyes, saw the villagers' worried faces, and beat their chests and stamped their feet, saying, "It's a pity we still couldn't hear it clearly."

Wu Yuan and several other villagers also wore expressions of regret, obviously they had not heard the specific Dao sound either.

The other villagers looked bewildered, not knowing what had happened, and cautiously asked, "Village chief, what's wrong with you? Are you haunted by a nightmare?"

The village chief let out a slight sigh, explained the situation, and finally lamented, "That must have been the Mountain God's voice; it's a pity I couldn't hear it clearly."

He waved his hand and said, "Let's go back."

The village chief, Wu Yuan, and the others had a premonition that the faint male voice they heard might have come from the Mountain God, but unfortunately they lacked the luck to understand its meaning.

Now that the sound has faded, there's no need to linger, yet that profound and mysterious feeling leaves an endless aftertaste.

It seemed as if there were also some subtle changes within their bodies?

……

The mountain breeze swayed, and a low, pained tiger roar could be faintly heard, along with beastly howls, startling countless birds into circling above.

The path of cultivation has never been smooth sailing; some suffering must be endured, just as the plum blossom can only bloom in its full glory after proudly facing snow and frost.

Regarding the suffering endured by the Northeast Tigers, Ye Qin could have used spiritual energy to guide and alleviate their pain, but he chose not to do so and instead opted to observe.

If they cannot even endure this much pain, then later calamities will befall their cultivation; what will become of these animals then?

"If one has chosen to cultivate the Dao, then one's Dao heart should be steadfast and press forward; how could they be toppled by such a little pain and difficulty?"

"Otherwise, they might as well not cultivate and simply remain ordinary beasts."

The remaining animals showed a thoughtful expression, looked at the elixir in their hands, and swallowed it without hesitation, without any retreat or doubt.

Ye Qin nodded in satisfaction; these animals were highly malleable.

As the first batch of demonkind, they must necessarily set an example.

The Northeast Tiger was in so much pain it was nearly fainting, rolling almost all over the ground, with dust puffing up.

After an unknown amount of time, the wave of pain gradually subsided; it blinked open its eyes, a pungent stench rushed at it, nearly knocking it out on the spot.

The Northeast Tiger lurched to its feet from the ground; although still a bit sore, it was almost negligible, its tiger eyes darting around, yet it did not spot Ye Qin's figure.

Instead, it saw not far away a small black ball that, judging by the outline, ought to be a monkey, now only a pair of eyeballs exposed; seeing the little monkey's embarrassed appearance, the Northeast Tiger burst out laughing uncontrollably.

"Roar—"

The little black ball was precisely the earlier monkey; hearing the laughter beside it, it also began to laugh.

"Squeak—"

The Northeast Tiger was bewildered, but soon discovered something mysterious within those tiny beastly pupils.

Because of the reflection inside, there was, to its surprise, an enlarged version of the black ball!

No wonder the little monkey also joined in the mockery, since both were equally matched; moreover, because the Northeast Tiger's body was huge, its black ball appeared even more frightening.

Not only they, but the other animals were the same.

The impurities washed out from their bodies clung to their fur, and dozens of black balls of various sizes and shapes appeared on the ground.

The Demonic Transformation Pill, in a certain sense, also has the function of washing the tendons and purifying the marrow, causing all impurities within the animals' bodies to be expelled while simultaneously remolding their physiques.

Hence such a phenomenon occurs.

After the animals laughed at each other, they rushed to a water source, rolled in it, and their fur became fluffy and soft once again.

At the same time, they keenly sensed the changes occurring within their bodies, which could be described as a complete rebirth.

Meanwhile, Ye Qin had already returned to the center of the formation to rest; taking the Demonic Transformation Pill merely entails some hardship, not mortal danger, so there's no need to worry about these animals' lives.

This lecture on the Dao consumed a considerable amount of Ye Qin's mental energy, which is also why those animals gained benefits; he also contributed to the process.

Furthermore, after that he again refined pills; although his mental energy is vast as the sea, it cannot withstand repeated consecutive drains.

However, such things, even if exhausted, can be recuperated; for Ye Qin, it's no great harm.

Ye Qin slowly opened his eyes; a faint golden fleck flashed across his pupils, as if with a hint of doubt.

"Huh?"

He didn't know if it was his illusion, but he constantly felt that his soul seemed to have become more substantial.

During the previous Dao lecture he hadn't noticed, but upon releasing his mental energy and sensing carefully, his soul power truly had increased.

This turned out to be an unexpected joy; he hadn't expected that, by sheer chance, this Dao lecture could make his soul grow stronger.

Within his body, the Golden Core turned slowly, a continual trickle of energy like a stream gently wandering through Ye Qin's physique; each scale seemed to have absorbed enough mythic essence, flashing with dazzling light.

The Green Snake on the boulder inhaled and exhaled the essence of sun and moon, continually refining the mountain's spiritual energy; the hazy mist rolled in again, soon submerging that hint of verdant color.

As Ye Qin sat in meditation to recover his mental energy, the mountain's animals were not idle.

"Roar!"

Accompanied by a tiger's roar drifting through the forest, soon some animals gathered; although they didn't reach Ye Qin's extravagant level, their numbers were still considerable.

A bright yellow figure stood out conspicuously among the many small animals.

The Northeast Tiger held its head high and chest out; already full of vigor, after this Dao listening and taking the demon pill, the aura it emitted surpassed that of the other small creatures, as if it wanted to raise its tail to the heavens.

Besides the Northeast Tiger, the animals that had previously taken the demon pill had all assembled, though their beastly faces seemed to show a dissatisfied expression.

Nevertheless, the natural world is inherently a realm where the strong reign supreme; added to that, this tiger is cunning and base, so they had no choice but to submit to its domineering might.

The Northeast Tiger stood among the animals like a human leader delivering a speech, its bearing fully pronounced, and it immediately voiced its opinion: "Roar—"

Other animals weren't willing to be left behind either, 'Squeak squeak squeak?'

"Wah wah wah!"

Now most of them had opened their spiritual wisdom; although they were different species, communication posed no difficulty, and all the small animals seemed to be discussing something important, with various calls incessantly filling the air, sounding very lively.

Finally the Northeast Tiger settled the matter with a bang, slamming its palm onto the ground and leaving a deep imprint, after which its silhouette vanished ahead.

The other animals exchanged glances, then quickly followed after.

The direction they headed turned out to be the very road leading to Mountain Base!

In the early morning, thick mountain mist swirled about, unknowingly spreading toward the village; soon a layer of white gauze fell over Longyuan Village, making all scenery hazy and outlines indistinct.

Because the farm work wasn't finished, villager Lao Zhang wanted to catch up on progress; he got up especially early today, and after breakfast he grabbed his hoe and hurried to the fields.

He pushed open the door and saw that a thick haze filled the air, making things unclear; even the sky looked gloomy, as if not yet awake, and he couldn't help muttering a sentence.

"Why is there such a huge fog?"

Now the day-night temperature difference is large, and with the terrain issue, fog is normal; although it somewhat affects visibility, it hasn't reached the point of not seeing one's hand before one's face, so it doesn't really affect anything.

Upon arriving in the fields, the surroundings were quiet, yet a soft rustling could be heard not far away.

Lao Zhang originally thought he was the earliest, but he hadn't expected someone to be even earlier; he spoke up to greet: 'You're here this early to work?'

Because of the fog, he could only see a vague silhouette, unable to make out the exact outline, and didn't know which villager it was.

That person was also a tight-lipped sort, seeming not to hear Lao Zhang's greeting.

Lao Zhang rubbed his nose, didn't mind it much, perhaps thinking the other had risen too early and didn't want to talk.

He picked up his hoe and began tilling the field, but his gaze would occasionally flick toward the shadow in the mist, full of curiosity and inquiry.

"Whose field is next door? It seems to be Lao Li's family from the east end of the village."

"Strange, Lao Li said a few days ago that their farm work was almost done, and lately they haven't had much to do."

Precisely for that reason, they hardly ever come to the fields before afternoon; coming this early is a first for them.

Lao Zhang called out to test: 'Lao Li?'

That silhouette still didn't respond, silently continuing with its task.

Lao Zhang couldn't help devoting more attention to that silhouette, so even his own farm work became a bit distracted.

This time he looked closely and could tell the silhouette wasn't large in build, not matching Lao Li's family.

But if it wasn't Lao Li's family, who would be so kind as to come help at dawn?

The more Lao Zhang thought about it, the stranger it seemed; he moved closer without making a sound, wanting to see more clearly.

That silhouette seemed to notice his approach, slowly lifting its head.

In the next instant! Two clusters of eerie green ghostly fire flashed into view!

"Damn you little calf!"

Lao Zhang jerked backward, his hoe falling to the ground, and then he exclaimed in shock: 'My mother! A ghost!'

He didn't look back, running away at the fastest speed of his life.

He ran all the way to the village in one breath, fearing the monster would chase him, but accidentally collided head-on with the village chief coming toward him.

Seeing his panicked expression, the village chief couldn't help asking: 'Lao Zhang, what's wrong with you?'

"I ran into a ghost in the field! Right in Lao Li's family's field!"

The village chief was somewhat doubtful, sizing him up: 'You couldn't still be half-asleep, how could you see a ghost in broad daylight?'

Lao Zhang swallowed, 'Really, village chief, I'm not lying to you; if you don't believe me, come with me to have a look.'

The village chief followed him half-believing, half-doubting; since there was someone beside him, Lao Zhang wasn't as panicked, and the two walked together; along the way the fog thinned considerably, widening their view.

The two arrived at the fields, and sure enough they saw a shadow in Lao Zhang's field.

Lao Zhang's voice trembled slightly: 'That ghost is still here!'

The village chief glanced at him: 'Even if it really is a ghost, what can it do? We're under the protection of the Mountain God; could it still harm us?'

Hearing the village chief's words, Lao Zhang thought it over and was no longer so afraid.

The village chief narrowed his eyes; the silhouette had its back to them, carrying a wooden bucket and holding a ladle, moving with practiced ease, constantly weaving through the field.

However, due to the distance and the fog, although they couldn't make out the exact outline, from its movements there was nothing abnormal.

The village chief eyed Lao Zhang suspiciously: 'Looks pretty normal to you; you weren't seeing things, were you? Could a ghost do farm work this neatly?'

As the two kept drawing nearer, the village chief finally noticed something off.

The silhouette's hair seemed excessively luxuriant—no human would have that much hair, and certainly not a ghost!

And that silhouette also noticed their arrival, slowly turning around.

The two parties stared at each other, eyes wide.

At this moment, the village chief and Lao Zhang finally could see clearly what creature was busy working in the field!

It was actually a monkey!

At this moment it wore a bamboo basket on its back, a bamboo hat on its head, held a bucket in its left hand and a ladle in its right, looking the part; to the unknowing eye it truly resembled a farmhand laboring in the fields.

By contrast, the village chief and Lao Zhang, with empty hands, seemed somewhat out of place.

This time it was the village chief who showed a slight loss of composure, his face frightened.

"I, we didn't get it wrong, did we?"

Lao Zhang also felt that what he saw before his eyes was even more absurd than seeing a ghost.

Both sides looked at each other and, without prior agreement, rubbed their eyes.

The monkey, seeing someone arrive, wasn't frightened either; in fact, with an audience present it worked even harder.

The village chief and Lao Zhang felt the world had turned somewhat fantastical; could it be that they got up too early today and actually saw a monkey going down to the fields to work?

The key is that this monkey's farm work is done properly and skillfully, not at all inferior to theirs.

"This monkey couldn't have become a spirit, could it?"

The monkey busied itself for a while, arriving at Lao Zhang's field, chattering away without knowing what it was saying, and kept gesturing with its hands.

Lao Zhang scratched his head, not quite understanding, "What does it mean?"

The monkey pointed at the field, then pointed at Lao Zhang.

The village chief had a bizarre idea pop into his mind and, as if possessed, said, "It says it wants to help you work?"

The moment his words landed, the monkey jerked its head up, seeming somewhat impatient.

Lao Zhang stared at the fantastical scene before him, his gaze falling on the village chief, and blurted out, "Village chief, when did you learn monkey speech?"

Seeing Lao Zhang's admiring gaze, the village chief's expression instantly became extremely complex.

…

Meanwhile, villager Da Zhuang was heading to the neighboring village to drink, but delayed by an affair, he hesitated a moment and chose a small path.

Many years ago, he had also once gone to a feast and returned via this road, but he saw Hundred Beasts Worship the Moon, after which the mountains became even more mysterious.

Here, weeds grew thick, the place was desolate, no one had passed for a long time, yet it was the shortest route.

Da Zhuang looked hurried, failing to notice a flash of cold light beneath his feet.

The next second, a piercing pain spread from the sole of his foot.

"Ah!"

Accompanied by a heart-rending scream, Da Zhuang clutched his foot and fell to the ground, seeing the iron nail almost piercing through his entire sole, he couldn't help but show a regretful expression.

"Really unlucky; if I had known, I wouldn't have taken this road."

He had intended to take a shortcut, but he didn't know when the iron nail had been left here; a moment's inattention led Da Zhuang into trouble.

The nail's tip was extremely sharp, half of its shaft had sunk in; Da Zhuang gritted his teeth and tried to pull it out, but the nail was too deep to pull out for a while.

His face turned pale as he lay by the roadside, sweat pouring like rain, blood streaming from his foot, almost forming a small stream; let alone making it to the drink, even moving was somewhat difficult.

"Hey hey, it's me, Da Zhuang, I'm injured in the mountains, come pick me up!"

Da Zhuang shouted into his phone, but for some reason the signal in the mountains was extremely weak. Just as he was at a loss, the bushes nearby rustled, as if something was moving.

Da Zhuang's eyes lit up with hope, but when he saw clearly what creature it was, all color drained from his face.

It was actually a jackal!

This jackal was larger than usual, its fangs flashing with a cold light.

Normally he wouldn't have given a jackal a second thought, but now, with his movement impaired, even great skills were useless.

The jackal stared at his injured leg, its beastly eyes profoundly deep.

Damn! It must have been drawn by the Blood Smell.

Although over the years, under the Mountain God's protection, the mountain's animals had never launched an active attack on humans, not even harassment.

Humans and animals lived in great harmony; one could say well water does not offend river water.

But the jackal is a carnivore, and having caught the Blood Smell, its nature cannot change; it's like a huge slab of meat placed before it—how could it possibly not eat?

Da Zhuang's nerves were stretched to the limit; he instinctively clenched his fists, staring unblinkingly at the gray shadow, ready to throw a punch at any movement of the jackal.

But he had no confidence he could land a sure hit; given his leg inconvenience, if he missed the jackal, he would likely be the one to die.

The jackal glanced at him, its eyes rolling, wondering what it thought, then let out a howl to the sky.

"Whooo—"

The long sound drifted far away, but when it reached Da Zhuang's ears it sounded like a demon's whisper.

Could it be that it still wants to call for help?!

Compared to Da Zhuang's tension, the jackal appeared much more relaxed, squatting nearby and occasionally licking its fur.

Da Zhuang fared no better; his mind and body faced double torment.

The piercing pain under his foot constantly reminded him; he had wanted to pull out the nail, but the jackal was right there, so he dared not act rashly.

Moreover, his wound needed treatment; this was a rusty nail, and because it had gone in so deep, it kept bleeding.

Da Zhuang felt as if a blade hung over his head, ready to fall at any moment.

Could it be that, due to his own carelessness, he would meet his end here today?

In that moment, Da Zhuang's heart filled with endless regret.

With a rustling sound, the nearby bushes again stirred with movement—just as feared, what he dreaded came to pass.

Da Zhuang's pupils contracted sharply as he saw several more jackals appear; he muttered to himself that he hadn't checked the almanac before leaving today.

Had he known this would happen, he wouldn't have taken a shortcut—he wouldn't even have left the house!

These jackals came from different directions to surround him; as the saying goes, two fists can't fight four hands, and now, with his movement impaired, it seemed heaven itself wanted him dead.

In his panic, Da Zhuang didn't notice that the jackals seemed to be holding something in their mouths.

Seeing the arrival of its companions, the jackal that had been squatting on the ground finally moved, emitting a gurgling sound from its throat, occasionally casting its beastly gaze on Da Zhuang to signal something.

Several pairs of eerie green beastly eyes fell on him, sending a chill down his spine.

Obviously they were about to launch an attack.

Da Zhuang's face grew paler, his back nearly soaked with sweat, as if he could already see himself being torn apart.

"If you eat me, the Mountain God won't spare you!"

Da Zhuang glared ferociously at the jackals, wondering if it was his imagination, but he felt they were rolling their eyes at him, looking at him like a fool.

"Roar!"

Accompanied by a low growl, Da Zhuang felt a chill run down his spine, unable to think of anything else.

The jackals surged forward all at once; he swung his fists, but to no avail—they were so agile, as if they had anticipated his movements in advance.

Da Zhuang desperately closed his eyes, yet the imagined pain of being torn apart did not come; only the sensation of being crushed, unable to breathe.

Though the jackals seemed small, their strength was astonishing; no matter how Da Zhuang struggled, the jackals remained unmoved, making him feel like a monkey pinned under Five Finger Mountain, unable to turn over.

When did the jackals gain such strength?

Dazhuang felt it was utterly unbelievable, even forgetting that his life was still in the jackals' claws.

His hands and feet were pinned down by the jackals' fuzzy paws, and the jackals, showing restraint, did not bare their claws.

So Dazhuang was merely held in place, unharmed, though the stone beneath him was a bit uncomfortable.

Dazhuang felt a strange unease; logically, upon capturing prey, the first thing should be to feast, so why were they pinning him to the ground before he could figure out what the jackals were after?

At first, the lead jackal slowly approached his side and raised its paw.

Finally, they were about to act!

Dazhuang's pupils contracted sharply as he saw the shadow of death.

Yet the paw that looked capable of great harm merely rested lightly on his wrist!

Feeling the fuzzy touch on his wrist, Dazhuang jerked his head up, coming face‑to‑face with the jackal's sharp fangs and its deep, dark eyes, and he couldn't help but shudder.

What on earth is the jackal doing?!

Watching the jackal's behavior, Dazhuang inexplicably thought of the village doctor, Wu.

Doctor Wu examines patients exactly like this—taking the pulse, observing, listening, and asking.

The jackal's silhouette before him momentarily overlapped with Doctor Wu's.

As for the thought that had popped into his head, Dazhuang thought it was utterly absurd.

How could a jackal possibly practice medicine? Saying that would be pure fantasy.

"Oooo—"

Soon a low growl came from the jackals' ears, though he had no idea what they were communicating.

Dazhuang's heart was filled with anxiety, yet oddly, the deep‑seated fear and panic had lessened considerably, and he could feel a fuzzy paw constantly prowling near his foot.

Before he could figure out what the jackals intended,

A piercing pain surged up from the sole of his foot again, instantly draining Dazhuang's strength—he went limp like a deflated ball—then a cool sensation spread over the wound.

The icy feeling slightly eased the burning pain, a refreshing sensation like riding a roller coaster.

He looked up and saw the jackal that had taken his pulse earlier standing on its hind legs like a person, its forepaws deftly applying herbal medicine.

Even the jackal's formerly fierce beastly visage now bore an air of healing the world.

A layer of unknown green substance was smeared on his foot, apparently some kind of plant he didn't recognize; surprisingly, the bleeding was staunched, and finally it was bandaged with broad, soft leaves.

The jackal patted its paw and nodded repeatedly, clearly pleased with its handiwork.

"Roar!"

Another low growl sounded, and the jackal that had been pressing down on Dazhu finally rose, with the others retreating to the side.

Without looking back, the lead jackal disappeared into the nearby thicket.

Dazhuang stared blankly at the jackal's retreating back, then glanced at the ground and saw a bloody, rusty nail.

If Dazhuang had still harbored doubts earlier, he was now certain: the jackals were genuinely treating his wound!

Earlier, when they had held him down, they must have sensed his wariness and hostility, which is why they called for backup.

Thinking this over, Dazhuang's heart was shaken with shock.

Who would believe such a story if he told it?

The jackals not only refrained from hurting him, they even pulled out the nail and treated his injury.

The thicket swayed slightly as a young jackal went out and came back, this time giving Dazhuang not even a spare glance.

It casually picked up the nail in its mouth, apparently worried it might stab someone else's foot.

Seeing the jackals about to leave, Dazhuang finally snapped out of his shock and blurted, "Thank you."

The jackal paused, its tail swaying unconsciously, nodded at Dazhuang, then slipped into the thicket.

For a moment, Dazhuang wondered whether this jackal had once been human; otherwise, how could its behavior be explained?

Since the nail had been pulled out and the wound roughly tended, though his foot still ached, Dazhuang at least regained mobility and limped toward the village.

That meal was off the table.

And recalling the scene just now felt like a dream.

……

In the village.

Doctor Wu's front door was soon hammered with loud bangs.

Villagers came running, "Doctor Wu, my son's foot is injured—please come take a look right away."

"Uncle Yang, don't panic."

Doctor Wu grabbed his medicine box and followed Uncle Yang to their home; the young man lying on the bed was indeed Dazhuang, who, aside from looking a bit dazed in spirit, actually had a decent complexion.

Looking at Dazhuang's foot wound, Doctor Wu frowned, "This puncture is still quite deep."

Hearing this, Uncle Yang's heart leapt, "Won't there be any trouble?"

Doctor Wu shook his head, "Don't worry—the nail was pulled out in time, the bleeding stopped, I'll re‑dress the wound, prescribe some medicine for a few days, and you'll be fine, though it's best to get a tetanus shot in town."

Doctor Wu recognized the herb on Dazhuang's foot as a specialized hemostatic, found it odd, and asked, "Dazhuang, when did you learn to identify medicinal herbs?"

But Dazhuang shook his head, "I don't."

"Then who treated your wound?"

Doctor Wu grew more puzzled, since within a hundred li, few people know how to identify herbs.

Dazhuang hesitated, then said, "The jackals treated it."

Beside them, Uncle Yang and Aunt Yang heard this and gaped, "It's over—this kid not only got the nail in his foot, his head's been knocked silly too."

Dazhuang shook his head solemnly, "I'm being serious, Mom and Dad—though it's hard to believe, the jackals really did treat my wound."

Dazhuang recounted what had happened on that little path.

Both Uncle Yang's family and Doctor Wu were utterly shocked.

How could a jackal possibly take a pulse? Even being able to recognize herbs and bandage Da Zhuang's wound — this sounds utterly fantastical.

However, the unbelievable things didn't stop there.

As the village's heavy fog completely cleared, the number of animals coming to the fields increased; first it was monkeys, then more monkeys arrived, and even hyenas appeared.

Watching, the village chief and Old Zhang went from initial shock to eventually becoming numb.

Many villagers were also drawn here by the commotion; seeing the animals helping out in the fields, they all thought they hadn't woken up.

Even some villagers wanted to help, but the animals were unwilling, so they could only stand by and watch helplessly, ending up with nothing to do.

Even at the Mountain God temple, there were animals holding brooms and rags, cleaning until spotless, extremely clean.

Originally, just helping with farm work was already surprising enough; soon, the news that Da Zhuang had been rescued by jackals spread to everyone's ears, further shocking the villagers and finally confirming one thing!

"The animals in the mountains have been blessed by the Mountain God's light — they've all become spirits!"

"Our Longyuan Village, monsters have appeared……"

(End of chapter)