Chapter 447: with translation of chapter title

Lü, Lü, Lv Qianhu, you, you, you—what are you saying?

Wei Yuan's pupils contracted sharply, his face full of shock, his voice trembling, finding it hard to speak:

"Tang Imperial Attendant is the former Qingyang County Immortal Official; he, he, he—how could he possibly have done something that harmed the Shizi Ling Mountain God?"

The Daxia Immortal Officials and the Mountain Gods, Land Gods, River Gods, etc., within Daxia do not belong to the same system.

However, because they often interact, both sides obtain benefits from each other—a mutually beneficial win‑win.

Each Immortal Official has a good rapport with the Mountain Gods, Land Gods, and River Gods of his jurisdiction.

They have never even heard of a local Immortal Official harming the local Mountain God!

Upon hearing Lü Tu's words, compared with Wei Yuan's shock, the Zhang Family members in the great hall, the villagers of Zhang Family Village, and even De Ben, who was chatting with his family nearby, could not help but show a flash of anger on his face.

The previous Mountain God of Shizi Ling fell a hundred years ago; in the great hall, even the oldest person, let alone anyone who had ever dealt with a Mountain God, had never even seen the Mountain God once.

When the Shizi Ling Mountain God was gruesomely killed by a monster, the Mountain God statue in Zhang Family Village's Mountain God Temple shattered shortly thereafter.

It seems that learning the Mountain God's appearance from the statue in the Mountain God Temple is a very difficult task!

Their knowledge of the Mountain God comes from elders' words; they know that when the Shizi Ling Mountain God still existed, whether in Zhang Family Village or the nearby villages of Shizi Ling, they could all live good lives.

At that time.

The county office's patrol officers also frequently visited the villages surrounding Shizi Ling, and they already knew there were cheap gains to be taken nearby.

But since the Shizi Ling Mountain God fell, the benefits they received from Shizi Ling in Zhang Family Village and the nearby villages have dwindled day by day.

Their quality of life has plummeted; most hunters, in order to support their families, risk their lives in Shizi Ling.

In the past.

When Shizi Ling still had a Mountain God, Zhang Family Village and the surrounding villages did have hunters die, but it was rare.

Because of the Mountain God's protection, the produce of the whole Shizi Ling was extremely abundant; even on the outskirts, valuable medicinal herbs grew, so hunters did not need to risk their lives deep inside Shizi Ling.

Since the Shizi Ling Mountain God fell, there are no precious herbs growing on the outskirts of Shizi Ling.

Now that they learn the person who caused the Shizi Ling Mountain God to fall was the former Immortal Official of Qingyang County, how could they not harbor resentment in their hearts?

"I knew it—our former Immortal Official of Qingyang County is no good, just as bad as the current Immortal Official."

"They came to our Zhang Family Village one after another, doing nothing but trouble; I never expected that our Shizi Ling Mountain God fell victim to this former Immortal Official's poisonous hand—truly worse than beasts!"

"Hmph, my grandfather used to tell me that the fall of our Shizi Ling Mountain God was linked to the former Immortal Official of Qingyang County, and I didn't believe it!"

"But if the Shizi Ling Mountain God hadn't fallen, how could De Ben become our Shizi Ling's new Mountain God?"

De Ben originally didn't want to join this discussion, but when someone unintentionally steered the topic toward him, his expression grew despondent and he said:

"If possible, I'd rather our Shizi Ling Mountain God still be alive and well!"

For a moment, everyone fell silent, not knowing how to respond.

Who knows whether De Ben is being sincere or just saying it for show?

Cao Nainai stepped forward, glared angrily, and, to the person who had just spoken ill of the former Mountain God of Shizi Ling, said in an unkind tone:

"You think De Ben is just saying it? Have you forgotten how De Ben's parents died? Given De Ben's deep sense of loyalty and righteousness, if he could bring his parents back to life, would he even care about this petty Mountain God position?"

"It's my fault, I shouldn't have said that!" The Zhang Family Village resident who was glared at by Cao Nainai suddenly realized the situation; they are all fellow villagers, and most older people know De Ben's circumstances.

De Ben's father was a famous hunter in their village and the surrounding area, but he had to venture deep into Shizi Ling to support his family and never returned, rumored to have been killed by the monsters that dominate Shizi Ling.

De Ben's mother did not go looking for his father's corpse; she also perished in Shizi Ling, but she had to keep feeding De Ben's three siblings, so she had to venture step by step deeper into Shizi Ling—because Zhang Family Village has little land and many mountains, the cultivated food was insufficient for the whole family, forcing them to develop side occupations.

Because De Ben's father lost his life deep in Shizi Ling and his remains were never recovered, De Ben's mother, to support her three children, had to go deeper into Shizi Ling; having learned that lesson, she was especially careful when searching for herbs there.

But one who often stands by the river can't keep his shoes dry, can he?

In the end.

De Ben's mother, still deep in Shizi Ling, never returned, and her remains were never found.

"Brother, since everyone knows you are loyal, righteous, and stand tall, please show great mercy and save your brother‑in‑law and your nephew!"

Zhang Guilian suddenly ran over, knelt before De Ben, and cried out bitterly: "If you don't save them, they'll lose their lives!"

Not long ago.

This novel you have reached

When she realized she couldn't appeal to Zhang Chengze, she changed her target and confessed to her sister‑in‑law Li Ping, but Li Ping, the elder sister, didn't even acknowledge her at the banquet.

Others, when she begged desperately, also responded with sarcasm, saying all the nasty things they could think of.

She was deeply angry inside, yet she dared not show it.

She originally wanted to plead with De Ben, but the bad folk of Zhang Family Village seemed to know her intention and blocked her.

Not to mention those who tried to keep her away from her brother; some shrewish women, when they saw her open her mouth to ask for rescue, immediately covered her mouth.

De Ben wore a gloomy expression, didn't even glance at Zhang Guilian, who knelt before him.

All these years he never failed to look after the Du Family; he believes he has never wronged the Du Family, yet when the Du Family rose a little, they turned their backs on him.

They squeezed him insufficiently and also tried to squeeze his son Chengze, but Chengze isn't a pushover either, and they no longer support the Du Family's business.

Since then, the Du Family never visits their house during festivals, as if they have no elder brother‑in‑law at all.

Moreover.

He often heard his cousin Chengyong say that when he was training in the county town, neither Du Guan nor Du Wenxuan, nor even Zhang Guilian, would acknowledge him—whether at the martial arts hall or even on the road, they gave him no courtesy.

Now.

The Du father‑son duo became brazen, pried open his coffin, and stole his Mountain God Token; if not for a kind passerby who trapped the Du duo, they would have gotten away with it.

Without the Mountain God Token, not only could he not serve as the Mountain God of Shizi Ling, but if the Du duo or anyone else refines the token, he would lose even the chance of reincarnation.

At this moment, he harbored a belly of fury toward the Du duo; merely dealing with these two beasts would be enough, yet they still expect him to save his life?

(End of chapter)