NOVEL FULL

Strange Stories

Chapter 108: Yishan Mountain God

Chapter 108: Yishan Mountain God In late autumn, it is already very cold in the mountains. Yishan is often foggy. Even on sunny mornings in late autumn, the mountain is often covered with thick fog. Lin Jue got up early, pushed the door open, and saw that the entire yard was shrouded in thick fog. The houses opposite were completely invisible, and even the ancient pine trees in the yard could not be seen clearly in the thick fog and the dim light of the early morning. Only their outlines could be seen. It’s really good to sleep in this season and temperature. Fuyao was originally sleepy and wanted to sleep a little longer, but Lin Jue went out to cook, so it had to shake its head and get up to follow him. I even stumbled when I walked, but there was no other way. Fortunately, the kitchen is warm and it is very comfortable to sleep in. Lin Jue walked along the eaves, but before he reached the kitchen, there was a knock on the door. "Who?" It obviously couldn't be a human this early. Even if you come from the village at the foot of the mountain or other Taoist temples in the mountains, you will have to set off in the middle of the night to reach the entrance of Fuqiu Temple so early.

However, Lin Jue was not afraid and went to open the door calmly. With a creak, the door opened. The mountain fog and forest mist outside are heavier. What came into view were two lanterns. When the wind blew, the fog dispersed a little, and then two monsters holding lanterns could be seen behind them: one was a clouded leopard as tall as a man, and the other was a tall and thin macaque. They stood at the door holding lanterns, without saying a word, staring at Lin Jue. Lin Jue knew it—— This was the messenger sent by the mountain god to pick them up. "So early……" But there is no time to waste. "Please wait a moment. I am not the only one going. I also need to call my junior sisters and senior brothers." Lin Jue said this and walked back. The clouded leopard and the macaque turned their heads and looked at each other, without saying a word, and continued to stand in the fog outside the door holding the lantern in silence, motionless. When they found that the Taoist priest had left behind a fox, squatting on the ground and looking at them, they lowered their heads in silence again and looked at the fox. As soon as Lin Jue walked back to the inner courtyard, the junior sister had already gone out rubbing her eyes. She had a similar schedule to Lin Jue, and she was going to light a fire and make breakfast. Lin Jue woke up his third senior brother again. The three of them packed up hurriedly and went out. The two messengers also walked back. The fog on the mountain was really thick. The sky was already dim in the early morning, and it was even more blurry and dim at this time. Fortunately, the two messengers were holding lanterns, and everything became clear wherever the lanterns shone. The two messengers took them deep into Mount Yi. At first, they took the road that the Taoists from Fuqiu Temple often took to go up the mountain or to Xianyuan Temple, but not long after, they took another road. The Taoists of Fuqiu Temple often went hiking in the mountains, and they knew very well which roads there were on every nearby mountain, as well as which places had no roads but were passable. However, the road that the messenger of the mountain god took them on was by no means any road they were familiar with, because this road had never existed before.

This is a straight road. The messenger held the lantern and kept moving forward. No matter where he went, wherever the light shone, whether there were thorns, ancient trees, or even weeds and dead branches on the ground in front of him, they all automatically made way. The places that were steep in everyone's memory became flat, the impassable places became passable, and even the places that were originally cliffs, cracks and abysses now had new paths. The three persons and the fox walked while looking around, looking at each other and exchanging eye contact. The messenger said nothing but was very patient. If he found that they could not keep up, he would stop and wait in the deep fog ahead with a lantern, and only continue to move forward when they got closer. There are often ancient pines in the mountains, some growing on the road, some taking root between huge rocks and cliffs. As the messenger of the mountain god walked, he occasionally brushed past the ancient pine trees beside him. Wherever the lantern shone, the ancient pine trees immediately turned from green to red, and their color was like pine flowers in spring and summer. Seeing this, the junior sister couldn't help but turn her head to look at Lin Jue—— Brother, do you think what I said before was right? Lin Jue noticed her gaze and naturally knew what this junior sister wanted to say at this moment, but he just smiled and did not answer. Gradually the sky became brighter and the fog thinned. Lin Jue and the other two reached the bottom of the valley, feeling a little tired. They could roughly tell where they were by the tall, slender, straight stone mountains that pointed up to the sky like bamboo shoots. I couldn't help but stop and look up at the mountains, which were all covered with ancient pines and jagged rocks. The blue sky and white clouds were faintly visible behind them, and they were so tall that people walking among them were too small in comparison, and there was a strong sense of oppression. "call……" All three of them couldn't help but gasp. If it were an ordinary person, he would have taken a break countless times after walking here. The three of them did not rest. Looking up, they saw the clouded leopard and the macaque standing on the road ahead holding lanterns, looking back at them sideways. The three of them looked at each other and continued to follow. Only the fox was not tired, jumping lightly among the strange rocks. Before I knew it, I had reached the halfway point of Lotus Peak. After passing through the pass between Lotus Peak and Lotus Rui Peak, the view opened up. This is a good place to view Tiandu Peak, but it was foggy today and could not be seen. The three of them had been to this place many times, and they remembered that there should have been a stone wall next to it, but now there was an extra passage. The passage seemed like a split in the rock, revealing stone steps that led straight to the Lotus Peak. There were ancient pine trees growing next to it, stretching out their branches as if to greet them. The mountain god's messenger walked forward holding a lantern. Passing through the passage, you will find a whole new world. It seemed like in the Lotus Peak, or above the clouds, a palace suddenly appeared between the majestic mountains that were guarded like petals. It had an ancient style, and a stone staircase grown on the granite led to the depths of the palace. There are lamp posts on both sides of the stone steps, like jade pavilions. There are also stone carvings of various mountain monsters. Until they came to a palace. "Squeak..."

The messenger held the wooden pole and extended the lantern over. When the light came on, the door of the palace opened. However, they stood at the door, turned to look at the three people and the fox, and did not go in. "Thank you both." The three of them thanked him and then went inside. The palace looked luxurious from the outside, but there was not much furnishings inside. There was only a long couch on the top with two people sitting on it. A middle-aged man in ancient Chinese clothes and a graceful woman in a figure-revealing and shiny green dress that looked like peacock feathers. On either side stood four monsters, all in human form, but not completely. They are the blue lion, white elephant, crocodile and black bear. These four monsters were not only extremely tall, like small mountains and giants, but the three of them had to look up to see them. The aura they exuded was also extremely terrifying, giving them a strong sense of oppression. It was conceivable that the fact that they did not completely transform into human form was definitely not because of their lack of cultivation. Even the usually courageous fox could only stare at them quietly. "I have seen the mountain god." The voice of the third senior brother came from the front. "I have seen the mountain god." "I've seen the mountain god!" Lin Jue and the other two then followed suit, one after the other. "No need to be polite." The mountain god's voice came from above, resounding like a landslide, yet somewhat peaceful. He asked, "Are you the Taoists on Fuqiu Peak?" "Exactly." "Hahaha..." The mountain god laughed, "Last winter, your temple cooked meat, and the taste was very rare. Who cooked the meat and what did you use to cook it?" When the three heard this, they were all stunned. I immediately thought of that cold, snowy night. Could it be that the one who came to the Taoist temple and knocked on the door to ask for meat that night was not an ordinary monster, but one sent by the mountain god? Just as he was thinking about it, two pairs of eyes were cast towards Lin Jue. "Reporting to the mountain god, I cooked it. I stewed it with some spices, so the taste is very rare and it is not often eaten in the human world below the mountain." Lin Jue said. “It tastes good.” The mountain god raised his head and laughed cheerfully, then got down to business: "I heard from you that there are changes in the human world below the mountain, and even strange things. Could it affect our Yishan?" "Yes, the imperial court is now corrupt, and it is almost time for the world to be in turmoil again." Lin Jue didn't know how long this Yishan Mountain had existed, nor did he know how long the mountain god of Yishan Mountain had existed, so he had to tell him the truth about what happened at the foot of the mountain. I won’t mention my own guess. After hearing this, the mountain god fell into deep thought. After a long time, another voice came: "If that's the case, it's probably not that simple. If it spreads to the entire Huizhou area, if you hadn't discovered it in time and left it alone, it might have affected our Yishan. You should be credited for your contribution." "Just inform the mountain god and hope we can respond as soon as possible to avoid any disaster." said the third brother.

"Thank you, mountain god." Lin Jue said. "Don't worry too much. Even if there is a demon king, unless he has reached the realm of ancient power, he will not offend our Yishan territory at will." The mountain god glanced at Lin Jue, then glanced at the third senior brother, thought for a moment and said: “But we have to be on guard. "Fuqiu Peak is at the outermost edge of Yishan Mountain. If it is affected, you will be in danger. In this case, I will give you a token, and you will carry it with you. If a monster invades Yishan Mountain, you can hold the token and chant my name, and I will become the mountain god of Yishan Mountain. My divine power will descend immediately. You can also be regarded as guarding the outside of Yishan Mountain for me." The mountain god waved his sleeves. An object flew towards Lin Jue. Lin Jue was a little surprised. He reached out to take it. It turned out to be a token as big as a palm. The token is made of metal, I don't know what it is made of. It seems to be heavier than ordinary steel, but not as heavy as gold or silver. It has the charm of mountains and rivers. "If you hold it and walk in the mountains, the forest will naturally open up a path. Even if you leave Yishan, it has my magical power to suppress demons and evil spirits." "Thank you, mountain god." "I am not a human being, so I don't need to follow the complicated etiquette of the human world." The mountain god took one more look at him, then looked at the fox sitting obediently beside him, and suddenly smiled: "You, the fox demon, are not an ordinary fox demon." "I don't know." Lin Jue was just asking, "Please give me some advice, mountain god." "Whenever the world changes, the throne and divine power change, there are always immortals who can prove the truth. Practice well and don't forget your original intention. Maybe they are among you." The mountain god's voice was full of emotion, as if he had seen it all. Then he waved his sleeves at them and said, "Go back." There was a little light behind me. The three of them looked back and found that the clouded leopard and macaque holding lanterns were already standing behind them. The mountain god did not tell him. Lin Jue had no choice but to bow: "Farewell." "Although I am not a human being, and I don't need to follow the complicated rituals of the human world, I am a god. When I have nothing to do, you can worship me." "Respect the law." The three of them had no choice but to follow the two messengers outside. When they reached the door and looked back, the mountain god, concubine, and four tall monster guardians behind them had all turned into stone sculptures. Lin Jue clenched the token in his hand. This mountain god is surprisingly kind. I suddenly remembered the words in the book - "It is said that there are gods in the Four Rivers and Five Mountains. The gods of the Five Mountains are wise and holy, and the gods of the Four Rivers are kind and benevolent. Now it seems that the gods of Mount Yi also have their own style." Lin Jue muttered to himself. This mountain god did not live as long as Mount Yishan, but he was also a spirit born in the mountain. After practicing for a long time and being worshipped by spirits and monsters, he became the god of the mountain. It is unknown how many years passed since then.

This kind of mountain god has infinite power as long as he is in the mountain. Unless one has the power to destroy the spiritual charm of the entire mountain, no one can do anything to him. But this is both divine power and confinement. The mountain god is the god of the earth and cannot leave at will. Although he can sit and watch the changing winds and clouds and the ups and downs of the world, he is also rooted here. He can only hear and see many things and cannot participate in person, which is mostly boring. No wonder they have such a long lifespan, yet they ask for their meat to taste and for sacrifices. When we walked out of the mountain, the clouds and mist had already dispersed, and the sky and the earth were open. …… It was already noon when I returned to Fuqiu Temple. I first told my fellow brothers and master about my meeting with the mountain god today. Then I placed the mountain god token in the temple and enshrined it in the Moving Mountain Hall. In this way, no matter who finds anything unusual, they can return to the temple and ask for help from the mountain god. Moreover, the mountain god said that this token can suppress evil spirits and demons. Although we still don’t know how to use it or how useful it is, it will not be a bad thing for anyone to carry it with him when he goes down the mountain to eliminate demons. It can be considered the blessing of the mountain god. (End of this chapter)