Chapter 81: Premonition of a Great Opportunity in Heaven and Earth, Outsider Guests in the Mountain God Temple (First Update)

The firecracker sounds at the mountain base never ceased, and even drum and trumpet sounds could be faintly heard reaching the mountain.

Ye Qin stood on a high spot, from which he could just see the village at the mountain foot, lights blazing, looking extremely lively.

Inside the mountain, however, it remained utterly silent, only a thin, cold moonlight above accompanying it.

The mountain above and below seemed like two worlds, as if an invisible barrier separated the two areas.

"It seems those villagers are holding some kind of celebration."

Ye Qin didn't pay much attention to it, turned back into the deep forest, and had no desire to go down and investigate.

His heart was like a calm lake, unable to raise any ripples.

The village chief seemed to think of something, saying, "Got it, the Hu family's young lady's house has just been renovated, and there are no men there, so it would be convenient for you to stay there; I'll lead you over."

The people in the village even painted a layer of gold lacquer, making it look even more majestic and imposing, more fitting the Mountain God's aura, and far better than the clay figurine Hu Xiaocao made.

Being the temple keeper is an easy job, sheltered from wind, sun, and rain, yet no one envied it, and no one objected to the village chief's arrangements and decisions.

The young girl smiled, her eyes showing no contempt or disdain, "Liu Sister, what you're saying are all technical terms; even I get a headache hearing them, let alone outsiders."

Mountain valley moonlight flowed, a silver gleam sprinkled onto the earth, attempting to smooth the gullies and wounds left by the mountain fire.

A childish voice floated above; although she didn't know if the Mountain God Grandfather could hear it, Hu Xiaocao still wanted to express her gratitude.

Longyuan Village is tiny in area; compared to the population of towns, it has few inhabitants, and walking from the village entrance to the exit takes no more than ten or so minutes.

The woman nodded repeatedly, wiped the tears from her eyes, was about to kneel, but the village chief stopped her.

This formed a stark contrast with the mountain peak where Ye Qin resided.

But compared to before, it now looks excessively grandiose; after all, although the previous one was called a temple, its scale resembled a shrine more.

Even if its decoration were already extravagant, it had even been coated with a layer of gold lacquer.

"Mountain God Temple?"

There were still quite a few people inside the temple, because besides the villagers, folks from other villages also came to pay respects; amid the rising incense smoke, it indeed looked like that.

Now his Third Realm had stabilized, but thunder and lightning rarely appeared, so after finishing his qi practice, he usually continued to contemplate the Yin.

The visitors were three men and two women; their attire and bearing showed they were from the city, not here to visit relatives, and no one knew why they had come.

Besides that, Ye Qin also noticed that the surrounding vegetation grew more lush than before, becoming increasingly extravagant the closer it was to him.

After the new Mountain God Temple was completed, traffic to and fro became incessant, because besides the villagers, people from other villages also came, and the incense never ceased.

If Ye Qin had possessed the ability to summon wind and rain back then, he wouldn't have needed to resort to roundabout ways to attract heavenly tribulation for rain; only holding actual power in his own hands could set him at ease.

The mountain peak where Ye Qin dwells, including its living beings, are fortunate; with his protection, otherwise their fate would be no different from that of the neighboring peak.

The previous temple was merely a small one, similar to an Earth God Shrine, with the statue inside, and people could only worship from outside.

After the villagers unanimously consulted, they decided to entrust this task to Hu Xiaocao and her mother, while the villagers would collectively pay some wages or offer fruits and vegetables as thanks.

"Is the Mountain God a snake?"

The biggest change, naturally, is the statue; now that the temple is so large, the previous statue was too small and somewhat unsuitable, so everyone recast a statue over half a person's height, which stands in the center.

"Probably so; according to the data, the best observation point is right nearby, but this is too remote, isn't it?"

Looking at the house not far away, its exterior appeared especially imposing, differing from the other houses in the village.

However, because the location is rather remote, if they camped in the deep mountains and old forests they'd fear danger, so they thought to come to the village to borrow lodging.

This lunar eclipse is the greatest and most complete; unlike ordinary eclipses, to see such a spectacle again would likely require waiting twenty or thirty years.

Elsewhere it was the same; tiny green shoots replaced the former scorched yellow and black, the verdant vitality of life once again blanketing this mountain peak.

Even the neighboring village came to help.

Although this temple is small compared to the large monasteries in the city, it is indeed somewhat small.

Song Yufi surveyed the scene inside the temple, then saw the statue in the exact center, and fell into silence once more, somewhat incredulous.

The village chief waved his hand, saying, "Just a small favor, though the mother and daughter probably aren't home right now; come with me."

Moreover, at dawn and dusk, which are the times of day-night transition, Ye Qin can more easily capture the spiritual qi between heaven and earth.

It seemed as if heaven and earth were transmitting some kind of message to him.

After seeing the village chief, the crowd quickly told him their purpose.

"Wait, what exactly are the things you're talking about—lunar eclipse, Earth, moon—I just can't understand."

Ye Qin's cultivation also changed; besides continuing to contemplate the moon each night, he also absorbs heaven-and-earth qi in the early morning and evening.

……

It's just the two women's words; they need to be weighed carefully.

"Hey hey hey, Hu family's young lady, what are you doing? We're all fellow villagers; please don't do this, just relax and work hard."

"It seems heaven and earth are about to change, like a great opportunity."

They were still some distance from Ye Qin, seemingly afraid of offending or desecrating, so they only dared to look from afar, their upper bodies rising like a human's, forelimbs clasped before their chests.

Hu Xiaocao gazed into the distance, the continuous green mountains filling her view; she put her hand to her mouth, forming a trumpet shape, and shouted loudly:

This remark nicely eased the village chief's embarrassment and explained his doubt; it was clear the young woman was very thoughtful.

The temple isn't particularly large; if the two of them work together, it shouldn't be a problem, and their livelihood is also secured.

I don't know whether it's a squirrel or a field mouse or similar creature, freely running in the woods; the mountain breeze blows over its fur, making each hair seem to sparkle.

Several more days passed, and it seemed everything had returned to tranquility.

First, the two of them had previously been in charge of maintaining the small temple, wind and rain notwithstanding; moreover, their devout reverence was evident to all.

The human-like gesture was just like people bowing in worship to something.

Occasionally one could still see several charred, misshapen animal carcasses, everything looking utterly shocking.

Fortunately, this place is at the center, with hardly any human traffic; ordinary people generally wouldn't notice it, and there's no need to worry about causing any abnormality.

Even one drop fell on Ye Qin's body; he slowly opened his eyes, and just then saw the distant sea of clouds roiling, a red sun finally rising slowly.

She thought she was seeing things, but it was indeed a genuine, bona fide snake.

The trees on the mountaintop were shrouded in a faint, almost imperceptible halo of light, gradually awakening from their slumber; as the mountain wind blew, the grass on the ground trembled, and many dewdrops rolled down.

It was also to help the mother and daughter, to ease their living pressure; Hu Xiaocao's mother couldn't do heavy work, field labor was impossible, and besides, Hu Xiaocao was young and not very capable.

Several men looked refined and scholarly, while the two women—one was somewhat older, the other appeared to be in her early twenties.

"How did the quantity become so many?"

As days passed, Ye Qin continuously cultivated, absorbing the world's qi, and the surrounding mountains and forests benefited greatly.

"Thinking about this now is still premature; this vast mountain, no matter how it changes, would still be unremarkable, but perhaps it could become a spiritual mountain someday? The urgent task is to cultivate quickly and improve our strength."

Seeing the myriad small creatures around, even he couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.

Li Dashen, sitting under the big tree at the village entrance to cool off, saw a young woman walking toward him; her skin was as white as snow, forming a stark contrast with the villagers' dark complexion, and her features were exquisitely delicate.

Plants exposed to the mist seemed to have greener leaves, growing at a visible pace; in a short time they became noticeably more tender green.

……

If a relevant botanist were here, seeing this scene would surely astonish them.

The rustling sound never ceased—it was the movement of all things growing.

"Auntie, hello; we're looking for the village chief—could you please point us the way?"

The areas ravaged by the mountain fire likely won't recover until the year after next.

Although the world's qi is now thin, it does not mean it has completely vanished; it still exists in many places.

Morning light scattered over the mountains, signifying that a new day was about to arrive.

The animals that originally lived here either perished in the sea of fire or fled early; this place is like a land of death, devoid of any life.

The village chief and others seemed to take it for granted, saying, "Yeah, there's no rule that says the mountain god can't be a snake."

With everyone gathering firewood, the flames rose high; in the cooperative effort of all, the new shrine was completed in less than half a month, located at the mountain foot outside the village.

Under the mountain fire, not a blade of grass grew; all life was devoured. The once tall trees were reduced to charred stumps, and the once lush green meadow was now nothing but black stubble.

The bustling atmosphere of the mortal world is certainly interesting, but it also highlights how dull and tasteless the ascetic life in the mountains can be; yet Ye Qin has long ceased to belong to that swirling mortal realm.

Yet he had none of the arrogance of city folk; a faint smile revealed two dimples, and faintly visible were his tiny sharp tiger teeth, making him look cute, playful, and very lively.

At this moment the sky had just begun to lighten; a streak of rosy light shone through the clouds onto the earth, with mist rising and the glow spreading brightly.

However, the former small idol remains placed there for worship; after all, the villagers have been venerating it for a long time and have grown accustomed to it.

On the azure sky, a faint crescent moon could be seen; the sun had not yet fully revealed its face, appearing somewhat drowsy.

His brilliant smile stood out especially against the blue sky and white clouds.

Song Yufi curiously asked, "Village chief, what is this for?"

"What you say sounds somewhat reasonable."

The vast, boundless mountains are his true home; heaven and earth are his companions, sun and moon his friends.

Many temples house idols in human form; aside from the Five Immortal Families of the northeast, fully beast-shaped idols are exceedingly rare.

Until this day, a group of strangers appeared at the entrance of Longyuan Village, breaking the tranquility.

The summer heat has passed; as autumn begins, time flows away quietly.

Although it now appears fragile and insignificant, it is exuding vigorous vitality.

The bright moonlight now remains only a faint crescent, barely visible hanging high in the sky, about to retreat behind the scenes.

Know that the mountain fire ended only a month ago; such rapid sprouting is rare, yet though the emerging vegetation is tiny, its recovery is truly swift.

"It's good that it's remote; otherwise, if it were all skyscrapers, how could we observe anything?"

The village chief, hearing them say a lot, felt somewhat confused.

Now the mountain god's temple has grown larger; unlike before, it requires daily upkeep—cleaning above and below, handling incense ash, and so on.

As Ye Qin's contemplation entered a fine state, soon a faint rustling came from the surrounding thicket.

The village chief slapped his forehead in sudden realization, "Oh, it's the heavenly dog eating the moon! If you'd told me earlier, I'd have understood right away."

Song Yufi and Liu Mei, though they don't believe in these things, have never eaten pork but have seen pigs run.

There were also murals on top; the villagers didn't know what to carve, so they specially sought a craftsman from the town to carve the village, the green mountains, their previous rain‑praying rituals, and the designs for their festivities.

Building the mountain god's shrine was a task for all villagers; anyone whose household had little farm work would voluntarily come, whether to carry bricks and tiles or to haul cement—there was always something to do.

Therefore the 749 Bureau paid special attention, hoping to film the entire eclipse process to produce a dedicated detailed documentary.

Seeing that some animals' fur still bore scorch marks, Ye Qin quickly understood.

However, this is not really a big problem.

"Put simply, it's the heavenly dog eating the moon, but this astronomical phenomenon is rather special, so the 749 Bureau sent us here to observe."

Before the idol stood a huge incense burner, newly added; made of black‑lacquered bronze, with many incense sticks inserted without feeling crowded, only thin blue smoke curling up, winding around the shrine.

Even the children, after school, liked to come in a bustling crowd to play, but having been admonished by adults, they respected the mountain god's shrine and dared not misbehave.

Not to mention, it is still the mountain god.

"Is it around here?"

The woman who was cleaning saw the village chief approaching, quickly put down her tools, and went up to him, saying, "Village chief, why have you come? Is there something?"

All that could be seen on the scorched black ground was a faint stir.

Such places easily generate the world's qi; nature nurtures all things, and the living beings inhabiting this land also give back in return.

Ye Qin seemed to sense something; some vague change was occurring in heaven and earth, a feeling hard to describe.

That gleam of cold silver also withdrew.

Even those visiting neighbors or going to the fields, when they encounter rainy weather, can sometimes take temporary shelter in the mountain god's shrine, shielding themselves from wind and rain.

The village chief nodded and led the two inside.

The village chief, feeling honored, said, "This is our village's mountain god shrine!"

Meanwhile, down at the mountain base, after the festivities ended, the day for breaking ground on the mountain god's shrine soon arrived—a date the village chief had carefully selected as an auspicious day.

It turned out they were from the city astronomical bureau; they came this time to observe the lunar eclipse up close and in better detail.

Ye Qin slowly opened his eyes, only then returning from his meditative state; the white mist around him had already dissipated.

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Villagers could now go inside to pay their respects and offer incense, but because the space was limited, the temple interior could accommodate only a few people at most.

After Ye Qin made a round of inspection, fortunately, although other places had shown some variation, it had not reached an astonishing level; the growth was merely more pleasing, with plants growing a bit taller.

What the village chief said was reasonable and well-founded; Song Yufi was momentarily speechless.

If it weren't for the Mountain God, she would not have her current peaceful and tranquil life, and her mother would not have been able to live another year.

Everything here seemed unchanged, as if the raging fire that was about to sweep over was merely an illusion.

"There's a village here; let's go in and rest a bit. I suspect there's no place to stay nearby, so if we don't want to stay in the wilderness, we can only seek lodging in the village."

Everyone was working with great enthusiasm, drenched in sweat, yet they did so willingly.

The village chief led the two women, and along the way they learned their names through conversation: the older woman was called Liu Mei, the younger one Song Yufi.

As time passed, the moon rose high in the sky, and soon a thin layer of mist began to form around them.

When the village chief found Hu Xiaocao and her daughter and mentioned the matter, the woman almost burst into tears from excitement, feeling at a loss.

"This, how can this be? Everyone has already helped me so much; I don't know how to repay them."

Take this mountain ridge, for example: it possesses a splendid aura and beautiful scenery, with trees forming shady groves; moreover, human presence is scarce, so the environment remains largely undamaged—one could say it is essentially pristine ecology.

With the mountain fire and high temperatures now past, the villagers of Longyuan Village have returned to a peaceful life, working from sunrise and resting at sunset.

A coiled snake's body, its head raised high, its forked tongue flicking in midair, a pair of snake eyes watching the coming and going villagers—lifelike.

Even the trees in the mountains, bathed in the rosy mist, took on additional hues.

"Thank you, Mountain God Grandfather~"

A tender green sprout, after great effort, finally broke through the soil, pushing aside the surrounding scorched earth; under the moonlight it swayed its form.

It's a pity that no one could see this scene of vitality; only the bright moon in the sky bore witness to what could be called a miraculous existence.

Ye Qin returned to his usual cultivation spot; here the view was open and flat, the position somewhat higher, allowing him to better absorb the moonlight.

Entering the present-day Mountain God Temple, it was spacious and well-ventilated; everywhere had been decorated by the villagers, and it did not look out of place.

"This is not only my opinion, but also that of the elders; they all think you two are the most suitable for this, so don't let down everyone's goodwill."

The lightning power contained within the heavenly tribulation is extraordinary; it requires a certain amount of time to gradually absorb it, after all, you can't become a fat person in one bite.

The village chief was warm-hearted; he immediately solved their lodging problem—the village had plenty of spare rooms, and for the three men it was fine, after all, where the elders sleep is still sleep.

"But the perception is very vague; is it merely a kind of feedback between heaven and earth?"

Like a tiny seed of hope, it seemed to foretell that this land would revive once more.

When Hu Xiaocao realized she was to be the Mountain God Grandfather's companion, she was overjoyed to the point of near madness, running wildly across the hills and, in one breath, reaching the old temple.

"We came to see the village chief to take care of some matters."

Their arrival quickly drew the villagers' attention.

The moon in the mountains seemed to grow brighter and brighter, that silvery shine clear as water, illuminating them and making them appear tranquil and peaceful.

The scene before them looked like a dream, illusory.

A little squirrel poked its head out; this was like a beginning, and soon the number of small animals around increased, surpassing what it had been before.

Ye Qin returned to the cave; those small animals saw him off until he disappeared from sight, whereupon they each went their separate ways.

Although the new god temple had been built, the old temple was still preserved there.

Liu Mei and Song Yufi glanced at each other, seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.

Thus, not only did the incense offerings around the Mountain God Temple gradually flourish, but the populace also grew lively.

Although he didn't know exactly what it was, Ye Qin felt he should still prepare in advance; should some great heavenly boon arise, he would surely benefit greatly.

Besides that, all the small animals' faces showed expressions of extreme comfort, as if they were immersed in some wonderful dream.

Yet in such a small village, there stood a small temple, which to them seemed truly unbelievable.

"Filming a documentary in the city is a good thing; we absolutely support it, and we'll arrange it for you."

The village chief burned incense and then bowed devoutly; only then did the others begin digging the foundations.

Ye Qin speculated that, because he was absorbing the qi of heaven and earth, it had altered the surrounding environment, and this change would continue; as to what it would eventually become, he had no idea.

Leaving the village gate, he then went east for several dozen li and finally arrived at his destination.

Li Dashen was warm-hearted, saying, "All right, come with me."

This mist, centered on Ye Qin, kept spreading outward—a continuous, hazy white mist that looked ethereal yet contained an indescribable vitality.

When the mountain wind blew, it carried the white mist far away, continually spreading toward the neighboring mountain peak.

Lush vegetation exuded vigorous life; its emerald leaves, under the moonlight, shimmered with silver gleam, occasionally revealing eyes the size of mung beans.

After a month.

Earlier, when they passed by, they had noticed this special building at the mountain's base, though they didn't know its purpose; upon closer inspection now, it was even more extraordinary.

This suited them just fine, after all, having a man share a roof was still somewhat taboo; the two quickly thanked him, saying, "Then thank you, village chief."

The village chief also selected an auspicious time; one could say he left no detail overlooked, which allowed the villagers to prepare for construction.

She sized up the group and, somewhat gossipy, asked, "By the way, what are you seeing the village chief for?"

But the neighboring mountain peak was covered in withered yellow; even after being washed by heavy rain, the black patterns and traces could not be concealed.

Presumably these were small animals that had escaped the mountain fire by luck, having lost their homes, and so they came here.

This way, it wouldn't be considered offensive, and it would also serve as a commemorative gesture.

Soon the sky showed a fish-belly white hue; the horizon's clouds were resplendent, like various-colored rainbows spanning the firmament, ready to welcome the new day.

Even the children did not go frolicking across the hills; wanting to help, it showed everyone's dedication to this matter.

On this auspicious day we break ground here; we villagers are fortunate to receive the Mountain God's protection and enjoy his grace of rain and dew, to extinguish mountain fires and alleviate drought, therefore we hereby construct a shrine here, praying that the Mountain God's blessings spread to all directions, with no taboos—may the groundbreaking be auspicious.

The energy of the moonlight is gentle and nourishing; it just happens to complement each other, having a neutralizing effect, so with a two‑pronged approach, one contemplates while the other absorbs, which turns out to be particularly effective.

Compared to this small mountain village, it seems somewhat out of place.

But appearing in such a remote wilderness, it is indeed not common.

This time is different; it's the proper kind, with blue bricks and red tiles, the hall is that big, covering an area of forty or fifty square meters.

Most importantly, people come and go inside, an endless stream, making it seem quite lively.

The Mountain God Temple is clean and tidy, thanks to the women; before the idol there is also a bunch of unknown wildflowers, which Hu Xiaocao picks every morning when she goes out.

The village chief nodded in satisfaction; indeed, entrusting the temple's work to the mother and daughter was the right decision.