Chapter 404: Worshiping the Barren Mountain God

According to Ji Da, the large mountain opposite Ji Village is called Barren Mountain.

On its summit stands a small shrine enshrining a strange mountain god.

Next morning.

On the winding mountain path, a troop was marching mightily toward the mountain ridge.

Four horn-blowers cleared the way ahead, six sturdy men carried the three sacrificial animals close behind, while the villagers of Ji Village shouldered their burdens, supporting the elderly and carrying the young as they followed.

Every stretch, the white-haired Village Chief of Ji Village would shout at the top of his voice: "Worship the mountain god! Worship the mountain god!"

The troop's pace was not fast; everyone walked for two full hours before reaching the foot of Barren Mountain.

The troop stopped for a brief rest.

Zhang Xingyu spread a hide on a patch of grass, then sat down holding hands with Tang Yunxi.

Not far from them, a woman was softly sobbing.

The woman's arms were tightly wrapped around a five- or six-year-old girl, tears trailing like threads from the corners of her eyes.

The girl wore a brand-new floral outfit, and her dark, big eyes were also brimming with tears.

She didn't know why the woman was crying, but when the mother cried, she cried too.

Behind them, a short man in his thirties was pounding his chest with his fists. His eyes were filled with tears, his face full of anguish.

Zhang Xingyu found it strange, turned to Ji Da beside him and asked, "What's wrong with them?"

Ji Da shook his head and sighed: "To sacrifice to the mountain god, they need a boy and a girl; this month it's her family's child's turn."

Upon hearing that, Zhang Xingyu's anger flared instantly. At that moment, Tang Yunxi's gritted-teeth voice came from beside him: "If they use boys and girls for the sacrifice, that mountain god must be an evil deity."

Zhang Xingyu nodded, fixed his gaze on Tang Yunxi's eyes, and said: "Yunxi, rest assured; I will act later and surely destroy that evil god, both body and spirit."

"Zhang Xingyu, don't act rashly. The mountain god is immensely powerful. Thousands of years ago, an outsider cultivator tried to eliminate it, but instead was smashed to ashes by it." Upon hearing this, Ji Da hurried to dissuade him.

Zhang Xingyu's heart jolted at those words. Cultivators capable of reaching the Ancient God Forbidden Ground usually have considerable skill; it seems that evil god truly should not be underestimated.

"Don't worry, I'm not an impulsive person. Ji Da, tell me in detail what happened a century ago when that outsider fought the evil god."

"I'm not entirely clear on the specifics either. This is lore passed down by the elders. Thousands of years ago, several outsiders came to our village. Hearing about the mountain god, they voluntarily went to Barren Mountain, but never returned. The elders say that for those days, the summit of Barren Mountain flashed with lightning and thunder, and divine light pierced the heavens."

"And then?"

"Then? There's nothing after that. The anomalous phenomena at Barren Mountain's summit lasted three days. After three days, those outsiders never appeared again. The village's tradition of sacrificing boys and girls to the mountain god has remained unchanged."

After a quarter hour, the troop began ascending the mountain.

Barren Mountain lives up to its name. The summit is bald, nothing but black stone in every direction. No grass, no trees, no birds or beasts—only a mournful mountain wind wailing in the ears.

A sudden sense of danger rose in Zhang Xingyu's chest. He turned and whispered to Tang Yunxi: "Be careful later; this Barren Mountain is rather strange."

Tang Yunxi nodded.

The two clasped fingers tightly and followed closely behind the large group as they went up the mountain.

Fortunately, the journey was uneventful.

Three hours later, the troop reached the mountainside.

A massive cliff thirty to forty meters high and two to three hundred meters wide blocked the way.

This cliff looked as if it had been cleaved from the summit by an axe; its walls were vertical, smooth as a mirror, and in the center a huge character meaning 'wasteland' was carved.

Upon arriving, the troop halted. The sturdy men placed the three sacrificial animals before the cliff, the village elders lit three pillars of high incense, and the villagers all bowed and knelt, performing three kowtows with nine bows, praying that the mountain god would bless the village with no calamities, and the villagers with peace and health.

After the rites, the villagers helped the elderly and carried the young as they gradually headed down the mountain.

Zhang Xingyu and Tang Yunxi exchanged puzzled looks. "Are they worshipping the mountain god without even going to its temple?"

His gaze swept over the crowd and finally settled on the little girl in the new clothes.

At this moment, she lay quietly in her mother's arms, eyes shut tight, faint tear tracks at the corners of her eyes, her right hand gripping a crystal-clear candied haw.

Her mother pressed her forehead against the girl's, tears dripping steadily, pattering down.

Her father clenched his jaw, several times wanting to say something to his wife, but ultimately unable to utter a word.

Beside them, the Village Chief shook his head, sighed, and softly urged: "We don't have much time..."

The girl's father's eyes reddened, and he reached toward his wife's embrace where the daughter lay.

The woman held the girl tightly; his trembling hands could not pry her away.

Seeing this, the Village Chief again whispered: "We must not provoke the mountain god."

The girl's father's expression hardened. After a moment, he struggled to raise his right hand and struck a chop to the back of his wife's neck.

"Bang!"

With a clear sound, the woman gradually fainted.

He supported the woman, laid her on the ground, then lifted his own daughter and handed her to a sturdy man waiting nearby.

When that sturdy man received the girl, he turned, squatted on the ground, and began to wail loudly, "wu wu wu wu."

Zhang Xingyu felt his chest constrict with anguish.

He very much wanted to go console the child's father, but didn't know where to begin.

Unless we kill that damned mountain god, this tragedy will repeat year after year.

I cannot stand by and do nothing.

I cannot endure, I cannot retreat; I must destroy that evil god.

Zhang Xingyu silently said to himself.

Ahead, the Village Chief led the sturdy man around a rock beside the cliff.

The sturdy man's arms held the sleeping girl.

Zhang Xingyu took Tang Yunxi's hand and hurried after them.

Going around the cliff, the surrounding scenery underwent a tremendous change.

The mountain's body turned pitch black, and a two-foot-wide path led straight to the summit.

On both sides of the mountain path, mist hung hazy.

At the end of the mountain path, a small temple of blue-green bricks and tiles loomed faintly.

That was the Mountain God Temple.

"Young people, don't come after us."

The village chief walking ahead suddenly turned his head and softly said to Zhang Xingyu and Tang Yunxi:

"Village chief......"

Zhang Xingyu still wanted to persuade, but the village chief firmly stared into his eyes and said: "Young people, I know what you want to do. It's useless. Go back, don't lose your lives, and don't bring disaster to the village!"

After the village chief finished speaking, he turned and continued walking toward the mountaintop.

Until his figure disappeared at the edge of sight, Zhang Xingyu took Tang Yunxi's hand and said: "Let's go back."

"'Just go back like that? What about the mountain god? What about the little girl?' Tang Yunxi said, somewhat unwilling."

"'Rest assured, the little girl will be fine. We'll also get rid of that evil god. For now, let's go back and plan, see how we can eradicate that evil god in one fell swoop.'"