Chapter 52: Reactions to the Mountain God

“Arise,” Jian Xiangping said calmly.

The trembling worshippers stood up, but uncertain of the mountain god’s temperament, they dared not look around casually.

“I prefer tranquility. From now on, only a few individuals are needed here for temple upkeep. Without my command, others shall not enter this place at will.” Jian Xiangping casually selected two men and two women.

Joy filled the faces of those chosen, while disappointment marred the expressions of the rest. Some wished to plead or beg, but as Jian Xiangping turned to walk into the temple, they could only grit their teeth and slowly depart.

“You, come inside.” As Jian Xiangping entered the temple, he pointed at Kim Tae-hwi, indicating that he should follow. Jian Xiangping could vaguely perceive the complex thoughts of these humans, and among them, the priest’s intentions seemed the most straightforward, hence the specific instruction.

Suppressing his delight, Kim Tae-hwi quickly straightened his attire and followed Jian Xiangping into the temple according to ancient protocol.

Temples in the Li Kingdom had distinct characteristics; they were not merely dedicated to single idols. Instead, they typically honored ‘mounds,’ where divine names were inscribed on tablets and venerated accordingly. Additionally, the layout of these temples was designed with living accommodations in mind.

In the Li Kingdom, deities like mountain and water gods were considered local earth spirits. As they resided within human realms to protect its inhabitants, their temples naturally needed to be suitable for living conditions.

Upon entering, Jian Xiangping found the interior clean and bright, with simple yet elegant furnishings that avoided monotony, leaving him highly satisfied.

“Sit.”

Gratefully, Kim Tae-hwi knelt before Jian Xiangping.

Jian Xiangping reached for the nearby teapot, but as Kim Tae-hwi instinctively moved to assist, Jian Xiangping waved his hand dismissively. With fluid grace akin to flowing clouds, he prepared and poured the tea, exhibiting an indescribable rhythm. Soon, a cup of clear tea was placed in front of Kim Tae-hwi.

Kim Tae-hwi glanced briefly at Jian Xiangping, then hastily picked up the cup and drank it all in one gulp.

After consuming the tea, disbelief quickly spread across Kim Tae-hwi’s face. His leg had been injured while hunting wild boar, and although more than half a month had passed, such injuries typically take a hundred days to fully heal. Moreover, due to his advancing age, kneeling in this position caused him considerable discomfort.

However, now he felt a gentle warmth spreading from the wounded area, gradually easing the pain. Most significantly, at his age, his energy levels were often depleted, but suddenly, he experienced a sensation as if his body had become five or six years younger.

This…this truly astonished him.

Kim Tae-hwi incredulously rubbed his legs before deeply bowing once more to Jian Xiangping.

As a former ash tree spirit, Jian Xiangping had ascended to deityhood by saving lives multiple times. Although he was a new god, his true form remained that of an ash tree. Trees absorb earth’s energy and transform it into spiritual liquid. Earlier, Jian Xiangping merely added half a drop of this liquid to Kim Tae-hwi’s water.

The first consumption of such spiritual liquid has the most profound effect; subsequent uses only provide ordinary health benefits with diminishing returns.

“After millennia, upon my return to the world, I immediately sensed how much everything has changed. Please enlighten me about these transformations.”

How could Kim Tae-hwi dare refuse? He promptly began outlining the rapid advancements and changes in the modern world, even pulling out his phone to show various news articles and novelties to Jian Xiangping.

Their conversation continued well into the evening.

”…Truly, oceans have turned to fields and vice versa,” Jian Xiangping mused, gazing pensively at dusk.

Kim Tae-hwi dared not interrupt further.

“From now on, I shall reside here permanently. You will be responsible for overseeing all matters related to this temple.”

Although Kim Tae-hwi had a family, his children were already grown and established with their own households, leaving him with little attachment at home. Instead, at this stage of life, he yearned to be closer to the mountain god. Perhaps someday, he could even secure a position as one of its attendants. Consequently, he promptly acknowledged Jian Xiangping’s instructions with utmost respect and carefully withdrew upon receiving a nod.

Once alone in the room, Jian Xiangping’s expression remained unchanged. His nature was tranquil, showing little interest in worldly affairs.

While Jian Xiangping disregarded such matters, others did not.

As soon as Kim Tae-hwi left, the two men and two women previously instructed by Jian Xiangping approached eagerly.

“Does Lord Mountain God have any commands?” asked Li Fu, a young man who stepped forward first.

Kim Tae-hwi straightened his posture, feeling exceptionally confident now. Before the sacrifice, he had harbored concerns—what if the mountain god didn’t appear? Or worse, what if it appeared but chose someone else instead of him?

But things were different now.

With a glance at the four individuals, Kim Tae-hwi spoke reverently, “Lord Mountain God embodies serenity and elegance, disfavoring mundane affairs. From now on, Jing Na and Xing Chi will be responsible for cleaning the inner courtyard twice daily, morning and evening. At all other times, they must not disturb the Lord.”

“Li Fu and Zhi Li will be responsible for cleaning the temple courtyard. Additionally, if anyone comes to visit, inform me first. Only after consulting with Lord Mountain God can we make any decisions, understood?”

The four young individuals were once considered prodigies of their kind. Although not solely defined by their lineage, their knowledge and appearance were undeniably exceptional. Now, having to take orders from a hunter left them somewhat discontented.

However, they managed to suppress their feelings, knowing that staying here was crucial for future opportunities to interact privately with the mountain god. If expelled now, they would lose everything.

“We look forward to your guidance, Mr. Shaman.”

Kim Tae-hwi finally nodded contentedly, planning to find accommodation in one of the temple’s side rooms before calling his family. After Kim Tae-hwi left, the four youngsters exchanged glances and quickly dispersed.

As exceptional talents themselves, they had immediately noticed a change when Kim Tae-hwi emerged earlier. His previously stiff movements were now fluid and steady, and he appeared significantly younger, with many of his weathered wrinkles visibly diminished. They firmly believed this transformation must be related to the mountain god, no matter what it took to convince them otherwise.

These observations needed to be reported back to their respective families without delay.

Meanwhile, at the Li Kingdom Pavilion…

On the projected screen, the latest image of Kim Tae-hwi appeared alongside a previous photo for comparison. The new picture looked almost as if Kim Tae-hwi had applied digital skin smoothing and beautification effects.

“Gentlemen, do you have any thoughts?” The elderly man at the top gestured with his hand and spoke calmly.

“It is now evident that the Mountain God truly exists, and He is not an evil deity but rather friendly towards us.”

“This is indeed good news. However, I am concerned about our slow progress in researching mysterious forces. If this Lord Mountain God were willing to assist us…”

“The likelihood seems slim. This Mountain God appears to be someone who prefers seclusion.”

The people in the building swiftly engaged in discussions. After approximately half an hour, the elderly man at the head of the table abruptly rapped his knuckles on it and declared, “Alright, now is not the time for debate. Kim Tae-hwi has just been contacted, but he outright rejected our proposal, stating that from now on, he will solely focus on serving the deity.”

Everyone present felt somewhat angered by Kim Tae-hwi’s actions.

His unexpected devoutness came as a surprise. Previously, during the Mountain God Festival, Kim Tae-hwi had indeed collaborated with Li Kingdom government officials. Now, however, he had blocked all previous contacts, expressing his intent to be nothing but a devoted worshipper henceforth. Despite their anger, it was clear that the Mountain God favored Kim Tae-hwi, leaving them with no recourse against him.

“Fortunately, Xing Chi and others were left behind. We hope Lord Mountain God will develop a deep bond with one of them,” the elderly man concluded firmly. For the moment, their priority was to establish goodwill with the Mountain God and gradually propose the idea of cooperation, hoping that the Mountain God would be willing to assist them.

At Xiangping Mountain, inside a police car, a large green cocoon made of vines was placed on the back seat. From within, continuous thumping sounds and muffled shouts could be heard, “Hey, hey! Bring a saw over here and cut me out—it’s really stuffy inside.”

The person trapped inside was undoubtedly Sanye.

Earlier, when the Mountain God appeared and ordered everyone to leave, Sanye, feeling overly confident in his abilities, tried sneaking in only to receive a swift lesson. He remained unharmed but found himself ensnared within a vine-formed green cocoon.

One of the officers, watching the swaying vines, couldn’t help but chuckle, “Please wait, sir. Orders from above state that we must take you to the hospital before opening this. It’s due to the Mountain God’s power, which holds research value.”

“Well, hurry up already! Damn it, I just took a few peeks, and now my old back feels like it’s about to snap. Seriously though, Lord Mountain God has truly divine looks; I bet our beauty trap plan wouldn’t have worked…”

Listening to Sanye’s incessant rambling, the officer rolled his eyes and decided to ignore him completely.

The emergence and residence of the Li Kingdom’s Mountain God at the Mountain God Temple captured global attention and caused widespread astonishment. Just as the commotion subsided at the temple, leaders from other countries began making successive phone calls, expressing their desire for shared resources.

Some went as far as proposing to send representatives to negotiate with the Mountain God, even suggesting research on its blood, hair, or skin tissue samples. Ideally, they hoped the Mountain God would willingly undergo X-rays and a full-body examination.

However, such demands were utterly unrealistic. Even the Li Kingdom itself dared not risk angering the Mountain God. Other nations, unconcerned since it wasn’t their deity, proposed audacious ideas without hesitation. This infuriated the elderly Prime Minister of the Li Kingdom, who felt like jumping up to burst their arrogant heads.

In Hanming Country:

Within twelve hours after the conclusion of Li Kingdom’s Mountain God Festival, extensive documentation and valuable footage related to the event were swiftly archived as top-secret files. Apart from Yang Kai, virtually no one within An City had clearance to access them.

These materials were provided by the Li Kingdom themselves.

The relationship between Li Kingdom and Hanming Country was indeed friendly, but this level of cooperation seemed unusually close. The reason behind it stemmed from ongoing negotiations over a highly significant matter.

The first Spirit Tide was approaching rapidly, and with nearly half of Li Kingdom’s territory bordering the sea, they would be unable to withstand its onslaught. Their only option would be to evacuate towards Yilan City. This required full cooperation and substantial assistance from Hanming Country, hence their extensive sharing of information about the Mountain God.

Amidst global unrest, most ordinary citizens remained blissfully unaware of the impending danger, continuing to fervently discuss the Mountain God phenomenon.

By now, hardly anyone could confidently claim disbelief in these mysterious events. The Little Peak Mountain incident in An City, the Gate of Sin and Virtue, and various occurrences popping up worldwide were undeniable evidence.

As a result, food prices skyrocketed uncontrollably during this period. Those with savings mostly stayed at home, too cautious to venture out. Meanwhile, the truly wealthy began seeking safe sources of mystical energy, realizing it was essential for their future protection.

Coincidentally, knowledge of Li Kingdom’s Mountain God had spread far and wide; everyone was talking about it. Ignorance on the matter would mark one as hopelessly out of touch.

Leaving others aside, Duan Wenxuan had already departed from the increasingly crowded Yilan City. Having completed his journey once, he casually marked several coordinates along the way, ensuring swift teleportation next time using those reference points.

At home in An City,

Duan Wenxuan knocked on Zong Cheng’s door before entering his own place, but there was no response. It seemed that during the time he was away, Zong Cheng still hadn’t returned. However, once Duan Wenxuan opened his apartment door, he noticed a white sheet of paper pressed under something on his dining table.

“Has Zong Cheng been here?”

Duan Wenxuan set down his luggage, picked up the white paper, and began reading it.