Everyone present, including Wu Chun, was taken aback by this statement.
Just a moment ago, it was said that there were ghosts on the mountain, and now they have turned into gods. Most of the people here are probably confused and puzzled by this sudden change.
Of course, someone immediately asked.
“Xian Gu if there are ghosts on the mountain, how can there be gods?”
“Nonsense!” Sun Xian Gu’s stick struck the ground once again. “For the past few years, I have not left the temple due to my health condition, and I have entrusted all matters, big and small, to my disciples. I never expected to hear about such an absurd thing today.”
As Sun Xian Gu spoke, she broke free from the support of Xu Shi Yao’s mother and walked unsteadily towards the pine tree. Then, in front of everyone, she knelt down in front of the pine tree.
“Great God, I apologise to you. Five years ago, when disaster struck here, I invited you. During those five years, you kept your promise to me and protected the village below from persecution. I never expected that something like this would happen today.” Sun Xian Gu spoke solemnly and banged her head on the ground three times.
The people present were as quiet as a pindrop and stared at Sun Xian Gu in silence.
After Sun Xian Gu finished hitting her head and got up from the ground, she looked at the crowd with raging anger.
“You are all fools! The god I invited five years ago humbled himself here to protect you all, and yet you treat him like this.”
“But, Sun Xian Gu, we always run into some situations when we try to cut down the trees at night,” someone in the crowd said.
“Foolish!” Sun Xian Gu tapped the ground again. “He lives here, and these trees are not ordinary. They have spiritual energy and should not be disturbed. He didn’t punish you; that’s already mercy.”
After finishing her words, Sun Xian Gu turned around, knelt on the ground, and banged her head against the pine tree three times.
In a surprising turn of events, almost at the same time, both Grandpa and Xu Shi Yao’s mother stepped forward and kneeled in front of the pine tree.
After that, something happened that shocked Wu Chun. Wu Chun saw that after a short period of whispering among the people present, one person took the lead and knelt down, followed by almost everyone, including the master.
In particular, the person who initially claimed to be a master almost crawled over to Sun Xian Gu’s side.
“Xian Gu, it’s all because of this person. He gave me money and asked me to pretend to be a master and help him cut down a tree. I thought it was just to cut down a tree, but I didn’t expect to offend the deity. Xian Gu, please help me plead with the deity not to treat me the same way.”
At this point, Du Zhengde could no longer pretend. Without saying a word, he lifted the axe and swung it at the pine tree.
Wu Chun quickly rushed forward and used his body to protect the tree.
However, the expected pain did not come. Wu Chun closed his eyes and heard a cry from behind him.
“The police are here!”
Wu Chun turned around and continued to protect the pine tree behind him. He saw the village chief leading two police officers toward them in the crowd, while Du Zhengde was already pinned to the ground by several stronger middle-aged men.
“I went to town for a meeting, and you caused such a mess.” The village chief scolded in a low voice.
This was the first time Wu Chun had seen the village chief with an angry face, and he immediately understood why someone so young could effectively run a village.
The police finally took Du Zhengde away.
The people who stayed behind knelt down and banged their heads against the pine tree while chanting incantations that Sun Xian Gu couldn’t understand. After that, they dispersed and went home, each busy with their own tasks.
“Thank you, Grandma Sun,” Xu Shi Yao’s mother said to Sun Xian Gu.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Pa’r cbatlcu.” Vec Wljc Xe kjnfv tfg tjcv. “Djmx atfc, Tjb Tjb rjnfv ws rlrafg-lc-ijk’r vjeutafg-lc-ijk ja atf mbra bo tfg bkc ilof. Yeg ojwlis bkfr sbe j ilof, rb atlr ojnbeg lr cbatlcu. Dea P’w j ilaaif mbcoerfv. Qts jgf sbe rb vfafgwlcfv ab qgbafma atlr agff?”
Qe Jtec kjamtfv jr We Vtl Tjb’r wbatfg ibbxfv ja atf agff yftlcv tfg klat j afcvfg fzqgfrrlbc jcv ufcais abemtfv la klat tfg tjcvr.
“I don’t know why, but when I see this tree, I have a strange feeling in my heart, as if a long-empty place has suddenly responded to someone.”
Wu Chun’s eyes became moist, but he managed to hold back the tears that were about to spill.
Wu Chun approached them and explained the reasons, although he left out the part about Xu Shi Yao. He simply explained that the trees on Shili Mountain had to be protected; otherwise, the villagers at the foot of the mountain would inevitably suffer again.
“Oh, I see.” Sun Xian Gu nodded. Suddenly, she burst out laughing, saying, “Young man, your idea is good, but the method is wrong. The people here are not highly educated and don’t understand profound theories. You have to adapt your approach to them. People here respect the gods. If you say there is a god here, not only will they not cut down the trees, but they will come every year to make sacrifices.”
“But, Grandma Sun, are there really gods in this world?” Wu Chun asked, and then he heard Sun Xian Gu let out a long sigh.
“That depends on you,” she replied.
“Depends on me?” Wu Chun was confused, not quite understanding what Sun Xian Gu meant.
“What kind of god you need and where you need a god depends entirely on you,” Sun Xian Gu said, pointing to the forest behind them. “If we say that there were ghosts here in the past, then from now on it will be a god—a god that protects the peace of Shili Village. If people need it, it will exist.”
Wu Chun suddenly had a moment of enlightenment, as if all the energy channels in his body were unblocked. A long-vacant knowledge in his mind was instantly filled, and he looked at the pine tree.
There are no rules about what a god should look like or what a spirit should look like.
In people’s eyes, God is just an intangible entity created based on the practical needs of their lives. Anyone can be that entity, something that cannot be grasped.
As long as he can fulfil people’s prayers and wishes to some extent.
That’s why we can say that Xu Shi Yao is a spirit, but Xu Shi Yao is also a god.
“Thank you, grandma.” Wu Chun bowed deeply and then said earnestly, “I understand.”
…
After everyone left, only Wu Chun remained by Xu Shi Yao’s side.
The weather was about to enter the scorching month of August, with the sunlight becoming more and more intense, yet it was unusually cool under the tree.
It seemed that from a certain moment on, the memory of feeling hot and sweaty had disappeared from Wu Chun.
There were so many things that Wu Chun wanted to say to Xu Shi Yao, but he didn’t know where to start. At this moment, his thoughts were like a tangled mess, and he couldn’t find a way through.
The sudden change in attitude of the villagers, who had previously hated this place, seemed unbelievable, but it was also understandable.
They were right.
Given the current situation, it would be useless to try to forcefully fill their minds with so-called knowledge.
For the people here, it is necessary to address their psychological needs accordingly.
Wu Chun leaned the back of his head against the tree trunk and looked up at the sky through the gaps in the pine branches.
Humans are truly the most difficult species to fathom in this world.
Wu Chun let out a slow sigh, and at that moment, a familiar voice came.
“Chun Chun.”
Wu Chun immediately sat up straight and saw his grandfather standing in front of him, holding two steamed buns and smiling.
“Grandpa.”
Wu Chun was about to stand up when he saw his grandfather wave his hand, signalling him not to move. Shortly after, another person appeared next to Wu Chun.
“You haven’t had a proper meal in a long time.”
“Thank you, grandpa.” Wu Chun accepted the steamed buns handed to him by his grandfather. The buns were still warm, and he hadn’t noticed it before, but he was a bit hungry now.
“This kid did it through his mother; I heard that you recognise someone as a godmother?”
Wu Chun nodded and kept silent.
Then there was a long silence. Wu Chun secretly glanced in his grandfather’s direction and saw a complex expression on his face, a mixture of worry and sadness.
“Grandpa, what’s wrong?” Wu Chun asked, and as soon as he finished speaking, his grandfather let out a long sigh.
“Kid, have you seen this kid?” his grandfather asked.
Wu Chun’s hand shook, and the bun in his hand fell to the ground.
“Grandfather, what are you saying?” Wu Chun stammered.
His appearance amused his grandfather, who chuckled and reached out to pat Wu Chun’s head.
“Who do you think your grandfather is? I can see through your recent abnormal behaviour, you know,” his grandfather said.
“No, it’s not that. I…” Wu Chun tried to explain, but he couldn’t come up with a good excuse.
At that moment, Wu Chun’s state of mind became somewhat confused, and yet it was his grandfather who said those words to him.
Wu Chun knew his grandfather very well, a person who had an unwavering belief in ghosts and gods.
“Stupid kid, your grandfather saw him too.”
Wu Chun was truly stunned this time.
He remembered that Xu Shi Yao had said that he was the only one who could contact him directly, the only one who knew of his existence. Even the fleeting white figures seen by the illegal loggers were just illusions created by Xu Shi Yao.
But just now, his own grandfather said that he had seen Xu Shi Yao?
Wu Chun’s brain had already stopped working. His mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were staring at his grandfather. He wanted to speak, but no words came out of his mouth.
Seeing him in this state, the grandfather reached out and placed a hand on Wu Chun’s shoulder, pulling him closer into his embrace.
“It was about four years ago, the first year after the disaster. It must have been one evening when the villagers dragged me out to cut down trees. You see, I live alone and don’t need much firewood. Normally I would refuse, but for some reason I went with them that evening. As I watched their actions towards those trees, I felt a sense of unease. It was around that time, near that pine tree, that I seemed to catch a glimpse of a figure. Long hair, dressed in white. He turned around, but it was only for a brief moment. The white figure disappeared in front of my eyes. It was a fleeting moment, but I was absolutely certain at the time that the child hadn’t left.”
As Wu Chun listened to his grandfather’s increasingly trembling voice, he clasped the old man’s hand tightly, feeling a pang of heartache. It was the first time in Wu Chun’s memory that he saw tears in his grandfather’s eyes. His emotions were so intense that Wu Chun didn’t want to interrupt him.
“At that moment, I had a sudden inspiration, so I shouted loudly, ‘There’s a ghost! A ghost with long hair and a white robe!’ Then I started running in all directions. It worked to some extent, because those people were frightened by my screams. I thought that scaring them might make things better. From then on, whenever people came here to cut down trees, I claimed to see ghosts. It made me even more certain that the child was still here, on this mountain. He protects the people of Shili Mountain. Since then, rumours of ghosts haunting Shili Mountain have gradually spread. It served as a kind of obstacle to the illegal logging incidents. When you came this year, did you know why I participated in the exorcism? It’s because I was afraid that those self-styled experts might accidentally harm the child if they met him.”
No wonder…
Wu Chun was still surprised at that moment, wondering why his grandfather would take such a role in this activity.
Wu Chun threw himself into his grandfather’s arms and buried his head in his grandfather’s chest, unable to hold back his tears.
It turned out that his grandfather had also been involved all these years, based solely on that uncertain figure under the moonlight that night.
Wu Chun lay in his grandfather’s embrace, sobbing softly while his grandfather gently stroked his back with his hands.
“Your grandfather still doesn’t know about you, just like your mother. Both of you are stubborn and refuse to believe in these things. With your recent unusual behaviour, planting trees, and inquiring about that child, your grandfather guessed that you had seen him. It’s been five years since his death, and he met you at the age of eighteen. This is probably fate.”
Wu Chun stepped out of his grandfather’s embrace and hastily wiped away his tears. “Grandfather, he…” But before he could finish his sentence, his grandfather’s hand covered his mouth.
“Child, there are some things that do not need to be said. Let them exist in silence.”
Wu Chun stared at his grandfather for a while and saw a smile gradually appear on the old man’s face. After a moment, the hand covering his mouth was removed.
Wu Chun watched as his grandfather stood up and brushed the dirt off his back.
“Grandpa will go tend to the sheep. Remember to come home for dinner tonight.”
Wu Chun completely wiped the remaining tears from the corners of his eyes and a smile appeared on his face. He replied with a smile, “Okay, Grandpa.”
…
Perhaps because someone shared the burden of this matter with him, Wu Chun felt incredibly relaxed that afternoon. He was full of anticipation for his encounter with Xu Shi Yao that night.
Wu Chun sat on the branches of the pine tree for the entire afternoon. It was only when the sun began to set in the distance, disappearing behind the mountain peak, that he jumped down from the tree. He tidied up his clothes and watched as the sun slowly disappeared. In his heart, he began to count silently, patiently waiting for Xu Shi Yao to appear.
Wu Chun had never felt so excited as he did at this moment.
The moment the sun completely disappeared behind the mountain, a cool breeze blew past Wu Chun from behind. A glimmer of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he quickly turned around, only to be hugged tightly by someone.
The scent of pine wafted through his nose, and a cool sensation washed over his entire body.
Feeling the tightening grip of the hands around his waist, Wu Chun reached out his own hands in response.
Time seemed to pass unnoticed, and all Wu Chun knew was that the sky had gone completely dark.
At that moment, Wu Chun heard Xu Shi Yao’s voice close to his ear, saying, “Thank you.”
A Soybean:
Good evening, everyone! It’s been so hot these days!
Dimple: Sorry for the late update~~ Happy reading!
Wow, this is amazing chapter!
Thank you for your translation 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛