Chapter 28: The Affairs Within the Book

I heard the Mountain Lord here is seeking a shrine tablet—likely aiming to become a local deity. Since celestial immortals are especially harsh on demons and spirits, and the human court is likewise wary of them, this Mountain Lord is being extra cautious. His sniffing is probably to detect whether you carry evil qi, malevolent sha qi, or impure energies.

The old Daoist smiled at the two of them:

"Don’t worry."

Lin Jue nodded and hummed in agreement; the girl listened quietly, saying nothing, and kept walking forward.

The path here had long vanished; green grass grew thick, and every step sank uncertainly—no one knew if there’d be a pit or rock beneath, making progress extremely difficult.

Lin Jue scrambled and climbed, struggling to keep up.

He occasionally reached out to pull the girl up.

The old Daoist walked as if on level ground.

Until the wild boar led them to the mountain’s peak.

"Roar…"

The wild boar let out a low growl, then turned and walked away.

Lin Jue climbed to the very top, helped the girl up, stood, and looked ahead—his heart jolted.

They were now atop the highest peaks; the view stretched boundlessly, with distant rivers and mountains laid out below, while only the blue sky and white clouds remained above. On this high plateau lay a flat expanse—not vast, but dotted with a few ancient pines and patches of green grass, already taking on the shape of a banquet.

Demons. Many demons.

On the ancient pines ahead sat a monkey. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary monkey—just cleaner—but its posture and demeanor were far too dignified: eyes closed, seated cross-legged atop the pine. Even without any other supernatural signs, one knew it was no ordinary creature.

Only when they approached did it open its eyes.

To the right, on silken grass, a leopard sat calmly, while a wild deer stood beside it, their heads close together, as if whispering.

Only when they saw the group did they turn their heads.

To the left, a giant snake coiled beneath the shade cast by an ancient pine’s canopy, tongue flicking, silently watching the newcomers, its vertical pupils cold as ice.

There were also hawks, spirit cats, pangolins, black eagles, yellow oxen, and massive black bears.

All took the forms of birds and beasts—some slightly larger or smaller than normal, others identical—but even those indistinguishable in appearance betrayed their nature through their expressions.

They seemed to form a circle.

At the front stood a granite boulder, over a man’s height, like the Mountain Lord’s throne—upon it sat the only demon in human form—

a dark, muscular man, but with the head of a wild boar, his chest thick with bristles.

The scene was surreal; Lin Jue’s eyes widened.

Yet since this was the mountain’s peak—not a deep, dark forest—it was bright, not gloomy. The sun had not yet set; summer’s heat still blazed, and blue sky and white clouds hung overhead. Thus, the scene felt neither sinister nor eerie—instead, due to its order, it carried an air of solemnity.

As for this Mountain Lord…

Was he a wild boar that had cultivated into a spirit?

Of course. There were no tigers here; the Mountain Lord was naturally the one with the highest cultivation.

Lin Jue turned his head, glancing at the old Daoist and the girl. The Daoist’s expression remained calm—as if he’d seen this before. The girl’s eyes were wide, her face pale, but she kept her mouth shut, silent as ever.

"More guests?"

The Mountain Lord at the head waved his hand, speaking in human voice, deep and resonant: "My guests, make room."

The deer and leopard nearest them immediately shifted aside. The snake, cold-eyed, also moved—but unwilling to leave the shade, it only slid to the edge of the tree’s shadow.

Lin Jue paused briefly, then walked over and sat down.

The old Daoist came and sat cross-legged beside him.

Then the girl stepped between them, striving to remain composed—but as she tried to sit, her legs gave out, and she plopped down with a thud.

"Shhh…"

The silence was absolute. Her fall caused every mountain spirit and beast to turn their heads at once—dozens of mismatched eyes fixed on her.

"!"

Though her legs trembled, she was clever—she kept her mouth shut, lowering her head to stare at the green grass beneath her.

Lin Jue tensed too.

He didn’t know if mountain demons had special customs—but even among humans, showing fear before a host was impolite.

"My fellow Daoists, don’t be alarmed. This is my newly taken disciple—she hasn’t begun cultivation yet. Climbing this mountain has left her legs weak." The old Daoist chuckled, his voice drawn out. "Blame it on the Mountain Lord’s abode—it’s set too high, like the Mountain Lord’s spirit, dwelling among the clouds. Mortals can scarcely reach it."

The Mountain Lord, upon hearing this, beamed with delight and roared with laughter.

"Not an old acquaintance?"

"I am He Xianyu, Daoist Cloud Crane. I’ve long cultivated in distant mountains. Now that I’m old, and my days are few, I’ve come to visit an old friend one last time before I go." The old Daoist smoothed his robe’s hem. "To meet the Mountain Lord here is fate."

"I am Lin Jue. I’ve always longed to witness the wonders of immortals. Hearing the Mountain Lord held a banquet, I dared to come and observe."

"Fate is good! Fate is best!" The Mountain Lord was warmly enthusiastic, his demeanor seemingly simple. He glanced down. "Are there any other guests yet to arrive?"

A rustling erupted from the grass.

One wild boar trotted over to check.

Another, a hawk seated nearby, flapped its wings, stirring a gust that lifted it three or four zhang into the air. It circled once, then landed, and spoke in a voice both gravelly and shrill:

"No one else is coming up."

"Hawk Daoist truly has keen sight! Then let the banquet begin!"

"I have a treasure to offer the Mountain Lord."

The monkey atop the ancient pine immediately spoke, leaping down. He carried a bright red fruit, walked solemnly to the granite throne, and placed it reverently at its base.

"A while back, I caught a thousand-year ginseng. I’ve brought it to present to the Mountain Lord."

"I have something too…"

One by one, the demons and spirits stepped forward, offering their gifts.

Some spoke in human tongues; others, unable to speak, carried or dragged various heavenly treasures and rare herbs, placing them beneath the green stone, bowing to the Mountain Lord, then returning to their seats.

The scene grew ever more surreal.

Only Lin Jue’s group remained.

"I heard the Mountain Lord seeks to claim incense and divine worship. I’ve brought my disciple and a flask of divine water from Dan Sha Well."

"Hm?"

Some seemed unaware of its value, voices filled with confusion; others, knowing its rarity, expressed astonishment.

The Mountain Lord was among the latter—deeply astonished.

After his surprise came great joy. He thanked the Daoist profusely, called him courteous, and treated him almost as a honored guest.

"I’ve obtained a few peaches’ resin—gifted by a spirit peach tree. I offer it to the Mountain Lord."

Finally, Lin Jue stepped forward, holding the peach resin.

There was little reaction.

But no one spoke ill either.

The sun now neared the horizon, brushing the distant mountain edges. At the Mountain Lord’s wave, a troop of macaques scrambled up, each bearing food.

Some carried rabbits; others, half a lamb; some, bundles of fine fodder; others, piles of fruit—many kinds.

Another group of macaques hauled up several wine jars; others brought wood and stacked it.

Lin Jue watched, eyes fixed.

The wine jars were opened—inside, a viscous green liquid, emitting a rich aroma of wine and fruit.

Finally, a peculiar macaque stepped forward, holding flint. He bent low, struck and fumbled for a long while, then lit the wood into a fire.

No wonder the Mountain Lord used so many macaques.

Are all the macaques in this mountain here?

Do these demons lack fire-manipulation arts? Or do they consider lighting fire beneath them beneath their dignity, so they sit idle and let the macaque do it?

Lin Jue pondered this.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the girl had also shaken off her fear. Like him, she now stared intently at the surroundings, her expression thoughtful.

But what was she thinking?

As if sensing his gaze, she turned her head toward him—her eyes clear, clearly filled with curiosity.

"…"

Lin Jue smiled and looked away.

Before him now lay a banana leaf, piled high with raspberries and wild strawberries. The raspberries were enormous—each nearly the size of a thumb, deep red-black, the kind mountain children in Shu Village would gasp at upon finding. The strawberries were similar in size—each a rare gem, hard to find even after searching a full basket.

A few peaches, plums, and loquats, all in season, all exquisite in appearance.

The fruit’s fragrance filled the air, mingling with the wine’s aroma, intoxicating the spirit.

Lin Jue did not act rudely—he first glanced beside him.

The old Daoist and the girl had the same offerings before them.

So did the monkey atop the ancient pine.

Clearly, their treatment followed the monkey’s.

The fodder, raw meat, and fish were distributed to the other spirits, carefully avoiding their own species.

"Quite refined…"

Lin Jue murmured inwardly.

Yet few spirits paid attention to their food—nearly all stared at the wine jars in the center.

"Ah! My thousand-day wine—brewed once every ten years! Today’s the first batch!"

The Mountain Lord lazily rose, clad in coarse cloth robes, tied with a vine belt—simple, yet suited his rugged appearance.

He strode to the center, before the wine jars, and from his waist pulled out two small bottles—one black, one white.

"Since I’ve invited you all to this feast, I must add the essence of heaven, earth, sun, and moon."

“Boom…”

Many spirits could no longer maintain their composure, revealing their animal natures—some stretched their necks to stare intently at what he held, others fidgeted in place, unable to sit still, scratching their ears and rubbing their heads.

The Mountain Lord turned his wrist.

One bottle tipped over, pouring like molten rock, radiating blazing auroras, like the setting sun at this moment.

It poured into a wine vat.

Another bottle, dark as black silk, shimmered with countless points of light, like the Milky Way inverted across the heavens, also poured into the same wine vat.

“...”

The aroma of wine now carried an additional strange fragrance.

This scent seemed not merely sensed by the nose, nor merely perceived by any organ, but nourished at a deeper level—merely its aura drifting over brought comfort, making the fragrance feel less like an ordinary smell and more like a profound delight.

The Mountain Lord himself ladled the wine, filling each bamboo tube, and handed them to a host of macaques, who carried them to each guest.

These macaques walked with bamboo cups in hand, yet could not help constantly sniffing the air; the liquid within stirred their instincts with immense temptation, yet the Mountain Lord’s authority compelled them to continue delivering the wine—so they settled for this compromise, savoring the wine’s spiritual essence as they went. By the end, each of their steps had grown weak.

A cup was placed before Lin Jue.

The wine was emerald green, slightly viscous, filled with impurities—tiny black ants, countless fine grains of sand, each glowing faintly like myriad stars, with flickering flames swirling like twilight clouds on the horizon.

Lin Jue lowered his head; the wine reflected his own face.

He still felt a lingering sense of unreality.

The Mountain Lord hosted a banquet; spirits attended, offered treasures, and shared the wine—it was like a tale from village elders’ ghost stories, yet he had never imagined such wondrous things truly existed in the world.

And he himself was at the feast.