Chapter 80: News Report, Mountain God Celebration (Third Watch)

As the villagers of Longyuan Village loudly proclaimed the existence of the Mountain God, the villagers of the neighboring village soon heard about it and came to see.

The neighboring village is small, with a slightly smaller population, but the two villages have always interacted, sharing some familial ties, and their relationship has remained good.

"Let me tell you, when the Mountain God first showed its traces, it started from one evening; two people from our village were returning from a feast at your place when they encountered a group of small animals."

The villagers of Longyuan Village vividly described the scene: "At that time I was right there; those small animals seemed to have become spirits, each staring at us."

"If these were merely coincidences, then afterward the Mountain God punished evildoers and saved the little grass maiden, also forming an unbreakable bond with our village."

Longyuan Village failed to convince the firefighters, but it did convince the people of the neighboring village.

Moreover, they already somewhat believed in such things, having heard rumors before; now the Mountain God fully revealed its divine traces, rescuing them from water and fire, and they became utterly convinced.

"Village Chief Liu, the Mountain God has bestowed great kindness upon both our villages; without him, we might have lost our homes now."

Liu Deming nodded repeatedly, "Village Chief Wu, you're right."

The neighboring Village Chief Wu first expressed delight, then after worshiping the Mountain God together with Liu Deming, looking at the small Mountain God temple before him, his expression showed some dissatisfaction.

"Village Chief Liu, you've always been steady in your actions; why are you so careless this time? The Mountain God resides in such a small room—don't you feel backaches and leg pains? It's petty; we need to replace it with a larger one!"

The small temple, after being eroded and washed by heavy rain, and after some time, its exterior bricks have faded in color.

Moreover, this small temple was originally built by a few villagers pitching in.

Back then, few people believed in the Mountain God, so no one thought much of it; but after Village Chief Wu said that, it now seems somewhat improper.

It simply does not befit the Mountain God's status.

"The Mountain God expended such great effort to save us; we must be grateful and give back! Even if we don't match the courtesy of city temples, this state is unacceptable."

Liu Deming nodded repeatedly upon hearing Village Chief Wu's words, his face showing a remorseful, regretful expression.

"Thanks for the reminder, brother; look at my old forgetful mind—I've been busy with the celebration these days and almost forgot. After the celebration, let's pick an auspicious day and build the new Mountain God temple together!"

Village Chief Wu nodded repeatedly, "At that time I'll also send people to help."

The two village chiefs quickly settled on the new Mountain God temple plan, announced it, and all the villagers expressed their willingness, eager to contribute funds for construction, with no objections.

As the preceding matters were gradually prepared, the village's celebration also drew near.

At the same time, the mountain fire was completely extinguished, with no chance of reigniting, and the firefighters also prepared to leave.

Before Qian Qixue and his companions departed, the villagers stuffed them with many good things.

"We don't have much to offer as gifts; these are home-grown cooked vegetables and fruits, hormone-free, safe and reassuring to eat."

Qian Qixue quickly waved his hands, "These are our duty; you really shouldn't give us anything."

But there was no resisting the villagers' excessive enthusiasm.

Qian Qixue could barely hold everything in his hands; looking at his teammates beside him, one held a chicken in the left hand, a duck in the right, and a string of chilies around the neck—all masterpieces made by the villagers.

The scene was inexplicably somewhat comical.

"You've also worked hard these days; if it weren't for your fearlessness in life and death, coming to help us put out the fire, we wouldn't know what would have happened—everyone saw it with their own eyes—"

Upon hearing this, Qian Qixue and the other firefighters were deeply moved, feeling quite touched.

This group of simple villagers, within their means, produced the best they had to express their gratitude.

However, the next second, the villagers' words left many firefighters laughing and crying at once.

"But the greatest hero is still the Mountain God; thanks to the Mountain God's manifestation, it sent down this timely heavy rain, which not only controlled the mountain fire but also alleviated the drought."

"By the way, are you really not staying to participate in the celebration?"

Faced with the villagers' renewed invitation, Qian Qixue helplessly shook his head: "No."

After bidding farewell to the villagers, Qian Qixue and his companions embarked on the return journey.

Outside the car window, the scenery continuously receded; looking around, the green mountains stretched continuously, among which two peaks were pitch black, appearing especially conspicuous.

These are the traces left by the mountain fire's rampage; to expect a full recovery of vitality, it's unknown how long it will take.

Yet the peak nearest to Longyuan Village is lush and verdant, completely unaffected, forming a stark contrast.

"Captain, do you think Longyuan Village really has a Mountain God? Those villagers' accounts sound so detailed and convincing."

Faced with the teammate's question, Qian Qixue fell silent, only after a long while sighing: "Who can truly clarify the affairs of the world? Regardless of whether it exists, we must maintain a certain reverence and respect, just as our people worship ancestors during festivals—does burning paper offerings really work? But why bother arguing about these things?"

……

Not long after, this matter was also reported by the TV station, while promoting fire prevention, it also aimed to highlight the local fire department's great achievements.

"According to our station's report, a heavy rain suddenly arrived, and the mountain fires that had persisted for days were finally contained, no longer spreading; with the joint efforts of firefighters and various departments, the mountain fire was finally extinguished."

The mountain fire tugged at the hearts of all involved; now that it's known the fire has been extinguished, everyone's hearts can finally be completely put at ease.

Worth mentioning, the TV station not only reported the extinguishing of the mountain fire, but also mentioned that Qian Qixue and others had been trapped in the mountains, yet escaped thanks to this heavy rain.

Including the later legend of the Mountain God in Longyuan Village, which was also mentioned, but the coverage was small, merely treated as an odd anecdote, brushed over briefly with little detail.

"How great, it's practically heaven's blessing—the mountain fire is finally extinguished; if it kept burning, who knows how much ecological damage it would have caused."

"Wuu wuu wuu, moving—watching the firefighters battle the raging mountain fire, several times I was anxious, fearing they might meet with mishap."

"For such a large mountain fire, according to on-site feedback, the death rate is still relatively low, and the chance of being able to extinguish it is almost negligible."

"Don't you find that heavy rain strange? It was supposed to be rainless, yet the villagers claim the Mountain God caused it—what nonsense is that?"

"The weather changes unpredictably; a sudden rain isn't strange, and as for the Mountain God, that's just feudal superstition—nothing to make a fuss about."

"Anyway, casualties are only in the tens, which can be considered a fortunate outcome amidst misfortune; I recall which year's mountain fire it was before—so many people died."

"Indeed, that mountain fire caused heavy casualties and destruction, and in the end it wasn't extinguished by effort; it simply burned itself out when there was nothing left to burn."

The internet buzzed with discussion, but the main focus was on the mountain fire being extinguished; they also saw the villagers' Mountain God tale, yet nobody took it to heart.

Because the report was brief, the official side merely brushed it over; the news lacked heat, and nobody specifically went to discuss it.

……

Regardless of how the firefighters or netizens feel, nothing can stop Longyuan Village's upcoming celebration.

This time, thanks to the participation of the neighboring village, the event is held more grandly and lively.

Unlike previous rituals, back then the weather was dry; they were praying for rain, and although the villagers appeared happy on the surface, they were also burdened with worries.

This time was different; the heavy rain checked the fire, so they didn't have to leave their homeland again, and then several more rains followed, completely relieving the drought.

The crops in the fields, moistened by the rain, revived, and everything was developing for the better.

Everyone was beating gongs and drums, livelier than New Year, because the neighboring village also came, so the crowd was somewhat large; such a scene had never before occurred in Longyuan Village.

The event proceeded with a parade first, then a sacrifice, and finally everyone sang and danced together.

The village chief called several young men from the village to form the dragon-dance lion troupe, and also asked Hu Xiaocao to be the leader, leading everyone forward to properly place the Mountain God's statue.

Because last time they feared the fire would consume the statue, Hu Xiaocao and her mother had also brought the statue out, and it has not yet been returned.

Hu Xiaocao and her mother still found this news somewhat unbelievable upon receiving it.

The woman wanted to refuse, saying, "How could little Cao possibly handle such a big matter? She's just a child; if anything goes wrong, wouldn't we become a laughingstock?"

The village chief rubbed Hu Xiaocao's head, smiling, and said, "Little Cao is smart; I believe she will surely do well, and this matter can only be done by her."

Hu Xiaocao had taken the statue out to prevent it from being burned by fire, so it should naturally be returned by her; moreover, she has a deep connection with the Mountain God and has seen his true form, making her naturally the most suitable choice.

After hearing the village chief's words, the woman also nodded, saying, "Little Cao, you'd better perform well and not disappoint everyone's expectations of you."

Hu Xiaocao's face flushed red with excitement as she nodded eagerly, "Don't worry, Mom!"

Once everything was settled, the parade was about to begin.

"The auspicious time has arrived; the ceremony begins!"

It was already five o'clock; the afternoon sun was not so big nor so fierce, hanging at the horizon, gilding the whole village with a thin golden edge.

The village was decked with lanterns and banners, and even a red silk strip was laid extending to the Mountain God's temple at the mountain's base.

The long parade procession set off, with Hu Xiaocao carrying the Mountain God's statue at the front, followed by the village chief and several venerable figures from the village.

Next came the dragon-dance lion performers, with the villagers closely following behind.

The parade route went from the village entrance to the exit, then looped around inside the village, and finally ended at the Mountain God's temple at the mountain's base.

The purpose of this was to hope to bring blessings to the village.

Crackling firecrackers sounded incessantly, and every household hung red lanterns at their doors, comparable to New Year.

Every villager's face was overflowing with enthusiastic, joyful smiles.

Hu Xiaocao walked on the road carpeted with red silk; this feeling was unprecedented, she instinctively straightened her back, tensed her little face, fearing any mistake that would bring shame to the Mountain God Grandfather.

The village isn't large; walking the full route round trip takes only about half an hour, mainly because everyone walks slowly.

Soon they arrived at the Mountain God's temple at the mountain's base; the village chief assisted Hu Xiaocao in reverently placing the Mountain God back.

Beside the temple, the sacrificial offerings had long been prepared—chickens, ducks, fish, meat, needless to say, plus a whole pig and so on—showing the villagers' sincerity.

"Our Longyuan Village managed to escape disaster this time entirely thanks to the Mountain God Elder's protection, so I've decided that after this ceremony ends, we'll relocate the Mountain God Elder to a larger place—any objections?"

Faced with the village chief's question, everyone replied in unison, "No objections!"

The village chief picked up incense and candles, knelt to the ground, and bowed deeply before the Mountain God's statue.

"I, Liu Deming, hereby thank the Mountain God Elder for reaching out to save us in the crisis and protecting our Longyuan Village from disaster."

At once, everyone knelt together and kowtowed in worship toward the Mountain God's temple.

"Thank you, Mountain God Elder, for your great kindness and virtue; we shall never forget it!"

Everyone's expression was devout and reverent, like pilgrims; although there were many people, the whole group remained orderly and quiet, with not a whisper of noise.

They kowtowed, burned incense, and worshipped the statue in one seamless flow.

The incense smoke curled upward continuously, gathering into a white river that drifted toward the horizon.

The clay statue of the deity inside the temple remained expressionless as it gazed at the crowd, yet under the evening sun's veil it seemed to possess an indescribable charm.

The people basked in the rosy light, their mood unprecedentedly relaxed and cheerful; the distant green mountains, also bathed in the sunset, took on a different hue, as if celebrating together with everyone.

After worshipping the Mountain God, the remaining time was for free activity; the villagers gathered together, and the village chief even brought out his long‑stored fine wine to drink heartily with everyone.

"I'm really happy today; we must drink until we're drunk and not go home!"

"Good! Not drunk, no going home—watch me not let you get drunk and fall over today!"

"Don't just drink; if you ate more vegetables, you wouldn't say such things."

By now the sky had grown somewhat dark, but it in no way affected the villagers' nature and enthusiasm; judging by the scene, the festivities would certainly last at least until the early hours of the night.

Just as everyone was waiting to feast heartily, a person stood out starkly, wearing a mask that covered most of his face, making him quite conspicuous among the villagers.

But now everyone was eating and drinking, and no one noticed his presence.

This person stood beside the Mountain God's temple, glanced at the statue, then his gaze fell on the nearby green mountains.

"Do Mountain Gods really exist in the world?"

This thought kept lingering in his mind, unwilling to leave, and it drove him to attend this celebration.

As night fell, the green mountains became as heavy as dark ink, their outlines gradually blurring, as if hiding many mysteries awaiting exploration.

The drunken villagers noticed this person's presence, patted his shoulder, and said, "Hey brother, why don't you come over for a drink?"

"I still have matters to attend to; you go ahead and drink."

Watching his hurriedly retreating back and his strange attire, the villagers rubbed their eyes, "What a weirdo—why wear a mask at this time?"

A companion nearby came over and said, "Not going to drink—what are you doing here?"

"Nothing much—I just happened to bump into a mask‑wearing weirdo."

He pointed casually, but could no longer find the weirdo's trace.

Others laughed, dismissing it as drunken talk: "I think you just can't hold your liquor and are making excuses to run away!"

"Who ran away? Let's go back and fight three hundred rounds!"

After muttering a few remarks, the villagers returned to the drinking table.

After that person walked away, he slowly removed his mask, revealing a stern middle‑aged face.

Sun Zhenbang glanced back at the endless green mountains, his expression somewhat complex, then quickly vanished into the night.

……

(This chapter ends)