“Our mountain has a mountain god.”
In the rainy mountain forest, an old man smoking a pipe sat on a small stool, looking out at the heavy rain. He uttered this sentence, somewhat casually.
The three men with backpacks sheltering from the rain in the temple exchanged glances. The older among them shook his head, while the other two muscular youths remained squatting together, pretending to be mute.
Surrounded by dense forests, the winding mountain ridges cleared of the thick fog. Just before the rain was about to fall, they arrived at this temple halfway up the mountain, where the stone slabs were newly laid, and the temple’s paint and decorations were very new, giving the impression that it had been built only a few years ago.
It’s unclear where the wealthy person who had nothing better to do came from to donate money to build a temple here.
The village below the mountain was relatively underdeveloped, without even a mobile phone. There was only an old man guarding the temple, who posed no threat to them. Moreover, the mountain god the old man mentioned seemed more like sheer nonsense to them.
The mountain rain soon stopped, and the lush green mountain peaks were shrouded in mist. Looking out from the temple’s entrance, the scenery was remarkably beautiful.
The three men with backpacks, seeing the rain had stopped, waited a little longer before preparing to depart. Before leaving, the older man lightly said to the old man guarding the temple, “Thank you.”
The old man’s dark, wrinkled face lifted as he took a puff of smoke and slowly exhaled.
“After passing this temple, the mountain becomes off-limits. Young ones, there’s a mountain god up there, this old man ain’t lying to you.”
“Got it, thank you, old man.”
The middle-aged man smiled faintly, then turned and left the small temple.
The old man watched them walk towards the mountain, shaking his head, gently tapping his pipe against the door frame.
“Alas, young folks never listen to advice… sigh…”
“Uncle Tai, what was that old man mumbling about?” asked one sturdy man, drenched in rainwater, as they entered the forest.
The middle-aged man called Uncle Tai shook his head. “Nothing, just feudal superstition.”
“Oh,” the man replied, then asked again, “Uncle Tai, do you think we’ll find anything worth hunting?”
Uncle Tai answered, “Of course, the information I received is accurate. There have been sightings of musk deer (an endangered species) in this mountain. Even if there aren’t any, with such a vast undeveloped forest cover, there are countless mountain monkeys and various rare animals, enough for us to make a trip.”
“You’re right.”
The young man fell silent, while the man beside him, who had been quiet all along, said coldly, “The timing is good. Just after the rain, animals will come out to forage. Let’s quickly set up the traps and once we succeed, we’ll go down the other side of the mountain, where someone will pick us up.”
After he finished speaking, the three men swiftly followed the traces of vegetation, skillfully revealing tools from their backpacks and split to begin setting traps around this vast mountain area.
Their movements were very swift. In no time, they had set up the animal traps and wire snares for catching small animals. The three men were highly skilled in wilderness survival. They found a good spot on an elevation which sheltered from the wind and rain, and started a fire to cook quietly while waiting.
After the rain passed, two brown musk deer, with short front legs and long hind legs, small hooves, and large ears, the size of sheep, bounced through the dewy grass. Their black noses sniffed the air, and their naive watery eyes reflected the forest they depended on for survival.
Apart from wolves and other carnivorous beasts, they had never encountered any other danger. They chased each other, emitting soft calls. The absence of the scent of predators in the air made them feel safe.
But suddenly, one of the deer fell to the ground with a cry of pain. The trap viciously caught its forelimb, its serrated teeth sinking into its flesh, straight through its bone!
The naive hornless musk deer wailed in agony, struggling fiercely, but the steel teeth dug in deeper. Its leg was almost severed, with flesh and skin hanging from it. Because of its struggle, thick blood dripped onto the lush green leaves.
The other musk deer, following its companion, panicked and ran away.
However, soon realizing there were no predators, it ran back. It knelt beside its companion, at a loss, using its head to support the injured one’s body.
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.
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The two small creatures emitted soft cries, their necks intertwined, trembling as they huddled together. The scent of blood was too strong; it would surely attract other predators.
But still, they didn’t separate…
As night fell, the three poachers glanced at the weather outside.
“Let’s go, check the traps. If there’s nothing, we’ll head towards the rocky area.”
“Alright.”
The three quickly made their way through knee-high bushes, spreading out to check the traps.
Half an hour later, they regrouped. The middle-aged man had empty hands but took out a transparent box from his backpack. Inside was a snake with beautiful patterns and bright colors, its head shaped like a branding iron. Even though it was confined in the box, it still opened its mouth threateningly, as if ready to strike.
“Wow! Such a fine ‘mountain treasure’! Uncle Tai, how did you catch this on a rainy day? That’s amazing!” The two young men showed surprise and admiration.
Uncle Tai smiled, “There’s a snake hole right by the cliff over there. I spotted it when I set the trap. It’s no big deal; you’ll learn when you’ve been around as much as I have.”
“How much do you think we can sell it for…”
The young men murmured to themselves, showing off their own catches.
One of the two sturdy youths had caught nothing, while the other carried a beautiful white fox with bloodstains on its fur. The fox was about the size of a medium-sized dog, and although its fur was damp, it was clear that the fur would be glossy after cleaning.
“Lao Er, where’s your catch?” The young man with a perpetually cold expression frowned.
Lao Er scratched his head, smiling sheepishly. “I trapped a wolf cub over there. Wolves hold grudges; it’s best not to mess with them. So, I strangled it and threw it away. Don’t worry, I covered up the scent.”
Uncle Tai didn’t say anything, while the cold-faced young man just snorted.
“Let’s go to the cliff, where we left some traps. But trying to catch musk deer on the first day is too naive. Looks like we’ll be staying in the mountains for a few days,” Uncle Tai estimated.
But when they saw two musk deer in the darkness, all three of them froze in place.
Their greedy eyes widened, filled with excitement as they watched the small animals interlocking their necks and leaning on each other. It was as if these two lives had turned into piles of cash stacked right before their eyes!
“Shush!” Uncle Tai lowered his voice, grabbing the two excited young men. “Lao Er, tranquilizer needle!”
“Got it!”
Lao Er moved cautiously, afraid of disturbing the ‘cash’ ahead. He took out an iron box from his backpack, and inside was a blowgun with tranquilizer darts.
The forest at night was eerie and terrifying, with tall trees casting only a few strands of moonlight down. Aside from adding to the eerie atmosphere, the moonlight was of little use.
The metal tube was aimed at the small animals cuddling together.
“Whoosh!”
The leaves behind them suddenly rustled without any wind, prompting the three to immediately look back in alarm.
Someone had appeared behind them without them noticing!
In the darkness, long silver hair cascaded down, with a few strands seemingly shimmering, and a red ancient-style robe swayed without wind. The person’s face, extremely pale and with long, narrow eyes whose pupils filled the entire eye sockets, had an eerie beauty that didn’t seem human. Most terrifyingly, the person’s eyes were a horrifying crimson color!
The bright red mark was vivid on their snow-white forehead, reminiscent of a red-clothed evil spirit or a mountain-dwelling monster that ate people! Especially when the three turned around and the person slowly raised the corners of their lips, revealing a smile…
The three pairs of black pupils instantly shrank to the size of needles!
It was at this moment that Uncle Tai remembered the words of the old man: Our mountain has a mountain god.
Before they could even shout, a pair of slender hands had already covered their vision…
“Crack, crack, crack.”
Bones emitted a pleasingly crisp sound.
The fabric was gorgeous, embroidered with ancient patterns. The red and black robes swept over the three men lying on the ground, passing through the grass and bushes. Water droplets fell onto the fiery robes but couldn’t penetrate them, rolling off onto the ground.
The startled musk deer jumped up and fled but didn’t go too far, staring at them with its round black eyes.
The mountain god—also known as Wen Fengjin—crouched beside the injured musk deer. Compared to humans, small animals are always more sensitive to danger and beings more ferocious than themselves.
This little musk deer was no exception. It obediently lay down, trembling slightly but not daring to struggle.
The steel trap was easily broken in the seemingly fragile hands of Wen Fengjin. He cut his palm, and his fresh blood fell onto the injured leg of the musk deer. In no time, the previously broken spot rapidly healed.
“Go on,” he said lightly, watching the small creature stand up and run towards its companion. Then he turned and walked towards the three men lying on the ground…
The next day, as the dawn broke, the door of the temple halfway up the mountain opened. The old man lifted his foot to step out but then retracted it.
He sighed as he looked at the three men lying at the temple’s entrance, who had only been there yesterday.
“Young bastards, never heed advice!” The old man scolded as he took a puff of his pipe and expertly brought out a brazier, lighting a fire. He threw something inside, and red smoke rose from it.
The villagers in the village below saw the red smoke from the mountain and laughed.
“It’s those three backpackers who climbed the mountain yesterday, right? They acted well, but I always thought they looked suspicious, like a bunch of thieves! Poaching sonsofbitches, caught by our mountain god!”
Other men joined in the laughter. Some went to report to the county police, while others followed the village chief to the mountain to apprehend the men.
In their conversation, such incidents had happened countless times before.
In just a few years, over a dozen poachers had been captured in this mountain range, attracting the attention of many. Even the reputation of the mountain god had grown steadily due to the locals’ marketing…
In the tomb palace, the man who had hastily returned from outside was accompanied by a chilling air. Expressionless, he swiftly passed through the long corridors and grand palaces.
As he arrived at a pavilion on a cliff, his expression softened, like a glacier melting, and warmth filled his heterochromatic eyes. A smile graced his lips, his silver hair fluttering.
A thick chain connected the platform in the middle of the void. The red acacia tree, which had been silently burning for thousands of years, stood there.
Suddenly, the head of a large red lizard appeared on the platform, carrying a small child wearing a tiny tiger hat on its back.
“Daddy! You're fat!” The child, with eyes as clear and sparkling as grapes, showed a joyous expression and called out to him, still missing some teeth.
“Hmm.” Wen Fengjin responded lightly, landing gracefully on the platform. He then scooped up the child, his features softening even further.
“How is your mother today?”
The little girl lisped, “Mother, tell me a story!”
You mean told a story?…
Wen Fengjin held the overly soft, milky-scented child in his arms and walked over to the side of a double coffin.
Inside lay a person lying on their side, with gentle and handsome features buried under layers of fabric. Their red robe was loose and disheveled, with black and red cords adorned with tassels and fish beads dangling haphazardly. Their long black hair flowed beautifully.
“Mother! I'm hungry!”
The child looked at the person in the coffin and called out in a childish voice.
Inside the coffin, Wang Xiaomie, still half-asleep, sat up drowsily. Without even opening his eyes, he reached out and found the little girl, pulling her close to his chest before lying back down.
A soft chuckle filled the air as Mu Yi, who had been taking care of the child, let out a tired yawn. Thoughtful warm baby.
Wen Fengjin sat at the edge of the coffin, leaning down with his cold silver hair covering the two figures inside. His pink lips gently pressed against Wang Xiaomie’s forehead as he slept in a daze.
As the man’s breath enveloped him, Wang Xiaomie mumbled a few words in his sleep but didn’t wake up. The little girl giggled, covering her mouth, and Wen Fengjin couldn’t help but laugh too. He playfully kissed Xiaomie’s eyelids with his lips, gently touching his long eyelashes.
After a while, the sleeping man finally woke up. Wang Xiaomie struggled to sit up with one hand holding the child, lazily leaning against the inner wall of the coffin. He gave Wen Fengjin a stern look.
“Don’t touch me in front of the child!” Wang Xiaomie pulled a face. “You’ve corrupted our Dog Egg!”
As soon as the words “dog egg” were spoken, the little girl, who had been blinking and smiling mischievously, instantly lost her smile, pouting as she looked at her vicious mother.
Wen Fengjin fell silent for a few minutes before saying, “…She’s a girl.”
“You’re the one who gave her that name,” Wang Xiaomie said mercilessly, looking at the baby. “Blame your father if you want to blame anyone. He was the one who first said it!”
Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes as she looked at Wen Fengjin.
“……”
Due to an inadvertent mistake in naming his adopted daughter two years ago, Wen Fengjin faced his daughter’s distressed gaze and his partner’s fierce smirk. His expression darkened, and he chose…to divert the topic.
His little daughter: “…” I’m looking for a stepfather.
“…Three days ago, I received news from An Xie. The purple-haired zombie buried together with him has successfully transformed into a red-haired zombie.”
“So fast! Didn’t he say it would take another three or four years?” Wang Xiaomie exclaimed in surprise.
Since the incident with Yi Yan, six years have passed. During this time, they had adopted a baby, and An Xie had returned to Qishan to live peacefully with his Little Purple Hair. However, he would still send messages every now and then.
As for Bai Yu…
In these six years, Wang Xiaomie had received only one letter from Bai Yu, which contained nothing except a photograph.
In the photo, Bai Yu sat smiling on a sofa in the bright living room, with a puppet resembling Xiao An on the right and another one resembling Yi Yan on the left…
One man and two puppets, all with cheerful expressions, smiled at the camera, as if they were the happiest family.
Seeing this photo, Wang Xiaomie’s hair stood on end, and he immediately had Wen Fengjin burn it.
Woah a baby…
Thanks for the chapter ♡♡♡♡♡
A baby appeared, so cute!! Hmm but why did Wang Xiaomie bring her to his chest when she said she’s hungry… breastfeeding??? 😂 (just kidding) On the other hand, Bai Yu really lost his marbles huh… Thanks for the translation!!