Chapter 178: Bestow Upon You a Fortune

Qingwei Daoist Priest gazed at the yellow talisman on the altar; his eyes lit up at once. Though versed in Daoist talisman arts, he found the script unlike any in the texts.

He considered himself well-read, yet these characters were something he had never seen nor heard of.

It appears haphazardly written, without any rules, yet close inspection shows a hidden rhythm in every stroke.

"This talisman—"

Qingwei Daoist Priest was about to speak when someone cut him off: "May I borrow this talisman for a look, poor monk?"

Who stole his line?!

Qingwei Daoist Priest turned around and saw that the speakers were actually those monks from Xiguangsi; their faces were flushed, their breathing hurried, appearing even more excited than he.

???

Qingwei Daoist Priest felt doubtful, not understanding why these monks were meddling with a Daoist talisman.

The monks realized they had been impolite, took a deep breath, and said, "Sorry, Daoist Priest, for making you laugh; we're excited because we found the talisman might be connected to the temple."

Now others were puzzled: how could an animal-delivered talisman be linked to Xiguangsi?

The monks weren't sure either, saying, "May we have a look? We'll explain then."

This talisman was brought by the animals; the village chief hesitated to decide alone, glancing at the northeast tiger beside him.

The northeast tiger understood their words, flicked its furry paw, and passed the talisman to the monk.

The monk felt grateful, received the talisman reverently, and the more he looked, the more familiar it seemed; after examining it repeatedly, they finally confirmed it matched Xiguangsi's.

Although the patterns differed, the script and that special aura could not be faked.

"Namo Amitabha, this talisman and those in the temple are definitely from the same person's hand."

After looking, the monk returned the talisman and began to recount what had happened in the temple: "This is a long story..."

The village chief and Qingwei Daoist Priest listened, dumbfounded: "There's actually such a strange thing!"

"Monks don't lie, so we only get this excited when we see the talisman."

Qingwei Daoist Priest's eyes flashed with realization: "No wonder, but according to you, this talisman wasn't drawn by Buddha or Zhi Dun; it must be that eminent person who discussed the Dao with Zhi Dun?"

Earlier, the eminent person left two talismans; one was used to deal with bandits, its power expended, leaving only one in the temple now.

The village chief stared at the yellow talisman, swallowed hard; as someone who had encountered the mysterious, he naturally believed the monk's words.

"Good grief, I thought it was just an ordinary talisman; I never expected such power—it can kill a person outright."

He touched the paper; there was nothing special about it—if not for the monk's word, nobody would dare believe it.

Other villagers came to watch: "Wow, I thought the talisman was just filler; turns out it's the showstopper."

Qingwei Daoist Priest showed an incredulous expression, but thinking this was Longyuan Mountain, everything seemed to become normal.

Hearing that, the northeast tiger beside him rolled its eyes; how could something it produced be ordinary?

"If the Great Master says so, and if the two talismans are from the same hand, and this talisman was brought down by mountain animals, does that mean the eminent person you spoke of is in Longyuan Mountain?"

For a moment, no one had thought that the eminent person in the temple and the Mountain God could be the same.

"Could it be that this eminent person knows our Mountain God, or is a guest invited by the Mountain God?"

"Our Mountain God truly has vast divine abilities, knowing such a formidable friend."

"The Mountain God is powerful; his friends are certainly not ordinary, likely celestial beings."

"This eminent person even discussed the Dao with the eminent monk Zhi Dun—doesn't that mean he's lived thousands of years? Does our Mountain God have such an age?"

The villagers chatted excitedly, faces full of curiosity and excitement, feeling honored to be part of it.

Perhaps the Mountain God's origin is even more extraordinary than they imagined.

The monk felt even more that the trip was worthwhile, having found a clue to the eminent person.

The heated crowd didn't notice the northeast tiger's inscrutable expression beside them; if these animals could speak, they would surely tell the truth.

After learning about Xiguangsi, the villagers and monks grew much closer, instantly feeling more affectionate.

After all, with Longyuan Mountain as a common link, this explains why both village and temple received protection—the eminent person had visited the temple and also come to Longyuan Mountain!

Qingwei Daoist Priest looked at the yellow talisman, feeling somewhat moved; talisman arts exist only in legend, and the drawn talisman hardly possesses the miraculous ability described in books.

Now that we finally have a real example, plus the monk's claim of talisman power, how could we pass up this research opportunity?

"Village Chief, I have a humble request."

"Daoist Priest, please speak."

Qingwei Daoist Priest, a bit embarrassed, said: "I've never seen such a miraculous talisman; may I borrow it to study a bit?"

He knew he could not replicate the talisman, but merely beholding it would satisfy him.

It would just be borrowed for study, not used, and not an offense to the Mountain God; the village chief wasn't stingy, nodding: "No problem."

Qingwei Daoist Priest showed gratitude: "Then thank you, Village Chief."

After the animals finished their offerings, they bowed like the villagers, their furry paws clasped; it really looked like they were doing it properly.

The northeast tiger pointed at the stove and gave a low growl to the village chief.

Seeing the white smoke rising from the stove, the village chief didn't ask, but lit a new bundle and handed it to the northeast tiger.

The northeast tiger broke into a bright smile, seemingly grateful to the village chief, but its gleaming, icy fangs made his body tremble slightly.

Although knowing the tiger wouldn't harm them, seeing up close such a ferocious beastly face still made them uneasy.

The animals' furry paws seemed clumsy, yet were actually incredibly agile; watching them offer incense, everyone fell silent.

Although we already knew these animals were exceptionally smart and quite human-like, seeing this scene still felt surreal.

The village chief, no stranger to storms, took the moment while the animals offered incense and knelt to whisper a few words to some villagers.

Not knowing what was said, the villagers' expressions were doubtful: "Can this really be done?"

"What's wrong with that? These animals are the Mountain God's attendants; it's normal for them to join the grand ceremony with us, and since they brought offerings, they naturally stay for the feast."

Seems reasonable; a few villagers nodded and quickly set up several more tables.

After the animals finished offering incense, the village chief showed a kind smile, gestured to invite, and said, "Since you're here for the Mountain God's grand ceremony, please all take a seat."

The animals entered the banquet in good order; jackals, hyenas, foxes and the like were fine, barely able to sit on the benches.

But in front of the Northeast Tiger, the benches were as thin as noodles; sitting would surely collapse them, so it simply stood there, its hulking form like a small hill, inadvertently putting considerable pressure on the surrounding crowd.

Seeing people occasionally sidelong-glancing at their tables, the Northeast Tiger behaved like a host, even generously waving its paw.

Such a scene fell into the eyes of the other villagers, who exclaimed in amazement.

I fear today's scene will be forever etched in their minds.

Sun Zhenbang showed a sigh, "Only in Longyuan could one see such an incredible scene."

Although hard to believe, there was somehow a sense that it made sense, as if anything happening around here would not seem strange.

Humans and beasts gathered together; it looked strange on the surface, yet was actually exceptionally harmonious. As the dishes were served, everyone began to feast heartily.

Amid the noisy crowd, occasional animal roars accompanied it, which actually complemented each other nicely.

Meanwhile, another table erupted in noise.

"You kid, you look quite unfamiliar; which family are you from? How come I've never seen you before?"

Originally, with so many people earlier, blending into the crowd went unnoticed, but now that everyone has taken their seats, being all locals, we basically all know each other's faces.

Suddenly seeing an unfamiliar face was very strange.

Zhao Jianhua never expected to be discovered; he remained calm and said, "I've just returned, so it's normal that no one has seen me."

"No way, our village hasn't had anyone return from elsewhere recently."

Our village hasn't either.

The crowd stared at Zhao Jianhua and couldn't help whispering to each other.

The commotion here quickly drew the attention of Longyuan Village; the village chief came over with a few villagers, asking, "What's going on?"

"That's how the village chief is; we noticed this kid looks very unfamiliar."

After hearing others' accounts, the village chief's expression turned doubtful as he sized up Zhao Jianhua from head to toe, asking, "I don't recall seeing you; which family are you from? Who did you come with?"

Faced with the villagers' questioning, Zhao Jianhua broke out in a fine sweat on his forehead; he hadn't expected the villagers' vigilance to be so high, yet this demeanor only made him look more suspicious in their eyes.

"Could this kid be a spy, Chief? Last time we even caught a few suspicious individuals."

"You brat, you're bold as brass, actually daring to sneak into the Mountain God's grand ceremony!"

"Regardless of what he's up to, this kid has shifty eyes—grab him first and ask questions later."

The more the villagers looked at Zhao Jianhua, the more suspicious he seemed; added to his hesitant manner, they were about to seize him, but he repeatedly waved his hands, saying, "Everyone, there's a misunderstanding—I have some connection with the Mountain God—"

The words rose to his lips but he couldn't utter them; he couldn't, in front of all these people, say that the Mountain God had once ordered him to steal something.

Moreover, the Mountain God had previously said this matter must be kept secret, so he had to keep his mouth shut even more tightly.

The villagers snorted coldly, concluding he had a guilty conscience: "Kid, why aren't you speaking? Keep making things up—let's see what you can fabricate."

Just as the villagers were about to lay hands on him, a sudden chittering sound came.

All that could be seen was a yellowish shadow blocking Zhao Jianhua's face—turns out it was a weasel!

Zhao Jianhua exclaimed excitedly, "Great Immortal! You're here too—wonderful, please explain to the villagers."

The weasel gestured with its paw, pointing at Zhao Jianhua; other animals also approached, having seen Zhao Jianhua before and knowing he was a human who works for the demon king.

Seeing this, the villagers began to believe a little: "Could this kid really have a connection with the Mountain God?"

After all, from the animals' behavior it was clear they knew Zhao Jianhua, and since they obey the Mountain God, they wouldn't take orders from just anyone.

Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, the village chief felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Little brother, we were mistaken earlier—don't take it to heart."

Zhao Jianhua waved his hand, "It's fine, Chief; you're just looking out for the village's safety."

Seeing the misunderstanding resolved, he also breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the banquet.

Zhao Jianhua felt something bump into him; turning his head, a furry beast's face filled his view—fortunately his mental fortitude was strong, so even seeing an enlarged tiger's face didn't frighten him.

The Northeast Tiger lifted the cup in its paw, clinked it against his, then drained it in one gulp.

Zhao Jianhua nodded and said, "What a capacity for drink!"

He wasn't about to be outdone; man and tiger, cup for cup, they began drinking like that.

A small incident pushed the grand ceremony to its climax; under the influence of alcohol, the villagers loosened up even more—if earlier they had been restrained around these animals, now they could be said to have let loose completely.

At the neighboring table, Uncle Zhang had already started finger-guessing with a monkey, while Uncle Li linked arms with a hyena, appearing like close brothers.

Among them, the animal most fond of was Hu Xiaocao, because the spiritual aura emanating from her was the richest, and the animals also sensed that her involvement with the demon king was the deepest.

One could see Hu Xiaocao with a fox on her left, a monkey on her right, several small squirrels in front, and even the Northeast Tiger came over to join the fun.

Although there was no space left, they squeezed in anyway.

Those animals kept piling food onto Hu Xiaocao's plate until an entire table's worth of dishes ended up in her bowl, leaving the other villagers laughing and crying in disbelief.

"Looks like little grass has good luck with animals."

"Don't forget to check her relationship with the Mountain God."

In everyone's eyes, Hu Xiaocao has always been a special existence, after all she was the first to discover the Mountain God, and the two share a close connection.

Beside them, Daoist Qingwei, seeing this, felt much emotion: "I never expected that little girl from before to have grown into such a figure."

Daoist Qingwei does not often come to Longyuan Village, and besides, Hu Xiaocao studies away at a boarding school, so the two have never met.

Now Hu Xiaocao exudes an air transcending her peers—her eyebrows like kingfisher feathers, her skin like congealed fat; merely sitting there, she seems as if a green mountain has stepped into the painting.

It's hard to imagine this is the same person as the once malnourished, yellow-haired girl whose hair was as dry as straw.

The village chief nodded, "Who would say otherwise? In the blink of an eye, so much time has passed—the kids have grown up, and I've grown old too."

Daoist Qingwei sized up the village chief, smiling and saying, "Chief, don't sell yourself short—these days you're only getting younger as you live."

This is no mere flattery, for the spiritual energy near Longyuan Mountain has been growing day by day, and the villagers have also reaped great benefits, their bodies continually nourished.

Now the village chief looks to be just over fifty, and the other elders in the village are the same; their true appearance appears younger than their actual age.

"We have to thank the Mountain God's blessings—before we always had minor aches and pains, our legs weren't very nimble, but now our bodies are no worse than those of young people."

A villager beside him chimed in, "That's right—even if the chief lives another ten years, he'll still be spry enough to catch a few spies with ease."

Everyone burst into laughter.

The village chief, embarrassed by the teasing, said, "Drinking that much alcohol still can't shut your mouth; say these pleasant words to the Mountain God."

Compared to the harmonious atmosphere here, Zheng Huasen, hiding in the distance, felt a huge wave surge in his heart.

He held the binoculars, incredulously watching the distant scene, then rubbed his eyes.

"I must be hallucinating, why am I seeing humans and animals together,"

Because of the distance, he couldn't see clearly; he only saw the animals holding something in their paws, then sending it to the altar and taking a seat at the table.

The key point is that no villagers nearby tried to stop them!

Although he couldn't see the villagers' expressions or demeanor, from their actions it seemed they weren't afraid of these animals.

But there's also a fierce tiger here!

Zheng Huasen stared dumbfounded at the bizarre, absurd scene in the distance; to him, this Mountain God Grand Ceremony was nothing but a carnival of humans and animals.

When the night mountain wind blew, a chill rose in his heart.

It's really too strange!

Why aren't these villagers afraid of these fierce beasts, and even let the animals take seats at the table like humans?

Zheng Huasen's heart filled with many doubts, and at the same time an indescribable fear; he felt this place was everywhere filled with eeriness.

"No, I must report what's happening here right away."

Zheng Huasen didn't linger; his figure vanished into the thick night.

……

The arrival of night didn't dampen the villagers' spirits; the feast continued, a bonfire had already been lit at the mountain foot, villagers sang and danced, and even many animals joined in.

Humans and animals living in peace—a scene that seems only possible on TV or in novels—yet now it unfolds in reality.

The firelight illuminated the villagers' faces, glowing red, the corners of their eyes and brows filled with joy; the animals' fur also took on a warm orange‑red hue.

"Roar!"

The low, rumbling tiger's roar carried a hint of pride.

The Siberian tiger watched another villager collapse drunk before it, raised a paw to show 'one,' then lifted its head proudly, its tiger eyes scanning the surroundings, as if asking who else dared to step forward.

This provoked many nearby people to burst into applause and cheers.

"As expected of the Mountain God's envoy, the Tiger Lord's drinking capacity is truly extraordinary!"

"The Tiger Lord truly leaves us in the dust."

Hearing the surrounding praise, the Siberian tiger could be said to be full of majesty, its arrogance at its peak.

Clutching a bottle of baijiu, it gulped it down directly, exuding the aura of 'one man holding the pass, ten thousand cannot get through,' leaving villagers who wanted to challenge it in awe.

Soon after, another empty bottle appeared on the table.

The Siberian tiger looked at the villagers; around it lay countless such empty bottles, and the other villagers exchanged glances—no one dared step forward to challenge it anymore.

"Uncle Wang, you go—you're the best drinker in our village; didn't you used to boast of being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk?"

Several youngsters looked toward the middle‑aged man nearby, exactly the Uncle Wang they were talking about.

Uncle Wang's face flushed, a bit embarrassed as he said, "That's not true; my drinking capacity is nothing compared to the Tiger Lord."

If it were before, they'd never have imagined—even if beaten to death—that a tiger could drink so much; now it has already drunk more than a dozen villagers under the table.

Meanwhile, at another table came Zhao Jianhua's resounding, vigorous voice: "We agreed not to go home until drunk; we'll fight till dawn!"

All they saw was him clutching an empty bottle, shouting nonstop, actually unable to stand, eyes bleary as he slumped on the wine table, gazing at a nearby weasel.

Before him lay overlapping shadows, making his vision dizzy.

Zhao Jianhua couldn't help muttering, "Immortal, when did you learn the clone technique? You've turned into three or four all at once—amazing!"

The weasel beside him wasn't faring much better either—its belly slightly bulged as it lay on the ground, not knowing how much it had drunk, letting out a hiccup, which served as a reply to Zhao Jianhua's words.

Zhao Jianhua clung to the bottle, unable to keep his mouth shut: "Immortal, back when we together stole from the British Museum, why didn't I see you use the clone technique?"

Sun Zhenbang's condition was still okay, but he had also drunk a lot; his eyes lacked their former sharpness and clarity, and his face was somewhat red.

The villagers dared not pour him more drink, but the animals had fewer scruples; Sun Zhenbang also found it hard to refuse, fortunate that his drinking capacity was decent—at least he wasn't like Zhao Jianhua.

Upon hearing the words 'theft' and 'British Museum,' he instinctively glanced toward Zhao Jianhua's side.

At that moment Zhao Jianhua's face was flushed red, as he boasted about his past exploits.

The villagers didn't pay much attention to online news, so they were unaware of the earlier news about the British Museum theft, and thought Zhao Jianhua was just bragging.

With a teasing smile, they asked, "What, you actually went and stole from the museum?"

Zhao Jianhua instinctively straightened his back: "Of course not! I am that hero who enforces Heaven's will! And I don't call it theft—I merely reclaimed what's ours; those relics all belong to our Great Xia."

The villagers weren't convinced: "The museum is heavily guarded—how did you get in? You're surely bragging."

Seeing the villagers disbelief, Zhao Jianhua furrowed his brows and put the wine bottle on the table.

"Then let me tell you exactly how I came and went freely in the British Museum!"

"Speaking of which, that was a night with dark skies and fierce winds—"

Zhao Jianhua gestured wildly as he spoke; due to his drunkenness, his tale contained many exaggerations, but the whole story could be described as dramatic and captivating, drawing many villagers in.

Even the animals listened, entranced.

Sun Zhenbang also listened to a few sentences, his expression somewhat doubtful.

Although Zhao Jianhua's account was exaggerated, some details were incredibly precise—only someone who had experienced it would know; outsiders wouldn't.

Combining the rumors and clues that had circulated online earlier, the British Museum theft was full of suspicions, and a yellow talisman had also been found at the scene.

Could it really be that Zhao Jianhua stole it?

Sun Zhenbang took a sip of wine; even if it really was him who stole it, what difference would it make? Tonight here there is only Sun Zhenbang, no Officer Sun.

It wasn't until the early hours that the ceremony finally wound down; both people and animals had drunk plenty, everyone still seemed somewhat unsatisfied, wishing they could keep drinking until dawn.

Daoist Priest Qingwei and the monks of Xiguangsi had already left long ago, since they had their own Daoist temple and Buddhist monastery, so their stay here wasn't long.

Sun Zhenbang and Zhao Jianhua had drunk a lot, so they definitely couldn't leave; the village chief simply let them stay overnight in the village.

"Officer Sun, you can't drive now; why not stay the night in the village and set off back tomorrow?"

Sun Zhenbang blushed and said, "Then thank you, village chief."

"Saying that makes you sound distant."

The moon hung high, its cold silver light gazing down at the bustle below, and the quiet night sky gained a special meaning.

Seeing that it was getting late, the animals one by one waved at the villagers to say goodbye, indicating they wanted to leave.

The villagers were still reluctant: "You're leaving so soon? Won't you stay a bit longer?"

The animals gestured, and the villagers actually understood their meaning: "All right, let's drink together again when we have time."

The Northeast Tiger nodded, accompanied by a low tiger roar; the animals received the command, stumbled down from the tables, and staggered back into the group.

But the formation was no longer as neat as when they arrived.

Because they had drunk too much, some fumbled, others nearly stepped on the animal in front's tail, making the front animals bristle with anger, adding a touch of endearing clumsiness.

Even those with low tolerance were unconscious, only able to be held up by companions, barely able to stand.

A few monkeys, probably drunkards in a past life, didn't forget to take a few bottles of baijiu as they left.

The villagers saw them off to the mountain foot and then stopped; watching the animals' backs as they went into the mountain, the relatively sober villagers began to clean up.

The bonfire had gone out; a bright moon hung in the treetops, looking from afar like a huge jade plate, its soft silver light shrouding the forest and the village.

……

A mountain breeze blew, the air fragrant with wine; Ye Qin watched the animals sprawled on the ground, unable to suppress a chuckle.

Although he hadn't taken part in the Mountain God Grand Ceremony, everything that happened at the mountain foot was within his perception.

Seeing the villagers and animals living in harmony, he felt greatly relieved; though the monster clan is powerful, its numbers are now scarce, and being on good terms with humans would benefit its future prosperity.

Moreover, the villagers of Longyuan Village are his most devout followers; letting them interact more will make future mutual aid easier and allow them to advance together.

"You are devout, offering me as your god; since that is the case, I might as well bestow upon you a fortune."

The night was deep; under the moonlight the green snake revealed its supernatural nature, and a hazy white mist, centered on it, kept spreading outward, soon covering the whole mountain peak and drifting down toward the mountain foot.

Longyuan Mountain loomed faintly in the white mist, appearing from afar as if floating in midair, like Penglai Fairy Island; the moonlight flowed silently, bearing witness to this marvelous sight.

Soon the white mist quickly enveloped the village above; all fell silent, and between heaven and earth nothing remained but the vast white mist.

The villagers had revelled all day, and with the extra drink they were already deep in sleep; logically they should have slept straight through to dawn.

The village chief faintly heard someone calling his name; he answered dazedly, "Who's there?"

He slowly opened his eyes, but all he saw was a vast expanse of white mist, so thick he could barely make out anything around him; he couldn't help muttering, "How did the fog suddenly arise?"

The village chief felt something odd; he instinctively went toward the source of the voice, which sounded like it came from the horizon, carrying an ethereal feel, an attraction that made him want to investigate.

"Is anyone there? Who's calling my name?"

But all around was utterly silent, no one answering, just as the village chief was at a loss.

A white skeleton slowly appeared before him, its black eye sockets filled with endless mystery, as if encompassing the universe; each bone seemed to glow, not sinister but full of holiness.

Upon seeing the white skeleton, the village chief felt no fear; instead, a sense of reverent worship rose in his heart, and he bowed from afar to the skeleton.

The white skeleton's hollow mouth opened and closed, saying, "Mountain God Grand Ceremony, the spirits grant blessings; you are fortunate across three lifetimes—come quickly and follow me!"

The voice was light yet thunderous; as the white skeleton's words fell, the village chief's body involuntarily trembled, his whole body becoming light, as if something had flown out of him.

The village chief couldn't help asking, "Where are we going?"

"Just follow me; you'll know when we get there."

The village chief instinctively looked back and saw someone with his own face lying asleep on the bed.

"Who else could this be if not me?"

"Could this be the soul wandering out of the body?"

"What a miraculous method!"

Ripples rose in the village chief's heart; the white skeleton's hollow voice suddenly rang out, "What are you waiting for? If you miss the time, you'll have to wait until next year!"

Hearing this, the village chief's heart tightened slightly; without further thought, he hurried out the door, "Please wait, White Bone Sir!"

(End of chapter)