As Tao Ming led Lou Muge back home, Aunt Li and Tao Zhai were already asleep. He arranged Lou Muge in a not-so-spacious room, brought in some bedding, and, after settling things, returned to his own room.
Lou Muge, who had roamed the mountains and forests for most of the day, was now exhausted. His eyelids were engaged in a fierce battle, and in no time, he was sound asleep on the bed. Watching him for a moment, Wen Changchu, who had followed him all the way, also lay down, curling his tail around his body, and they slept together.
In the meantime, there was some commotion in the distant streets, but it quickly subsided. The thick clouds covered the moon, casting the village of Shan An into profound darkness.
Lou Muge slept until noon the next day, and when he woke up, his entire body felt limp. He hopped off the bed, stretched his body, and tidied up his disheveled hair before leaving the room.
Tao Ming had already washed off his stage makeup, revealing a handsome face. At this moment, he was sweeping the snow in the courtyard with a broom. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he stopped and turned to face Lou Muge. “Has Young Master Lou awakened? Did you sleep well?”
Lou Muge walked out, stretching lazily. “Slept like a log, even more comfortably than using Dream Soothing Incense.”
Tao Ming looked puzzled. “What is Dream Soothing Incense?”
“It’s a kind of sleep aid fragrance,” Lou Muge replied casually.
Tao Ming didn’t inquire further, pointing to a corner of the courtyard. “The well is over there. Young Master Lou can fetch water for washing up. After you leave, the whole street is filled with places to buy food. Since everyone at home has gone out, I can’t prepare a meal for Young Master Lou. Please make yourself at home.”
Lou Muge thanked him and washed his face with well water. The moment the winter well water touched his skin, it woke him up instantly. After finishing washing his face, Lou Muge touched his numb face, thinking that these mortals were quite impressive, managing to use such cold water for washing in the winter.
Rubbing his icy hands together, Lou Muge informed Tao Ming and stepped out of the door. Just a few steps away, he bumped into Wen Changchu who was approaching.
“Where are you going?” Wen Changchu had reverted to human form, standing in front of Lou Muge, towering over him with no trace of estrangement on his face.
Lou Muge, hearing the familiar tone, hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’m going to find something to eat.”
“I bought it for you,” Wen Changchu presented the items in his hands to Lou Muge as if offering treasures. “Go ahead, eat.”
Lou Muge took a look and saw fried pancakes wrapped in oiled paper. He looked at Wen Changchu with a puzzled expression, “Have we met before?”
Wen Changchu shook his head.
After a moment of contemplation, Lou Muge asked seriously, “Did you poison this?”
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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Lou Muge was just teasing him, unafraid even if there was poison. He pinched the fried pancake and brought it to his mouth. “How long have you been here?”
Seeing him eat, Wen Changchu’s expression changed instantly, and he happily followed behind him. “I arrived three days ago. When I came, only that guy named Zhang Rong was here. The two with the surname Ze arrived the day before yesterday.”
“Do you notice any problems here?” Lou Muge continued to ask.
“The biggest issue here is the lack of any demonic aura,” Wen Changchu replied.
Lou Muge looked around and found that Shan An village was even more prosperous than he had imagined. It was clearly a village hidden in the deep mountains, but it was lively with people coming and going. The clothing, food, and housing were no different from the towns outside, and it didn’t resemble a village at all.
The pedestrians on the street, upon seeing him and Wen Changchu, chose to ignore them, avoiding interaction. For quite a while, no one took the initiative to strike up a conversation.
Lou Muge walked while eating. After finishing his meal, he happened to arrive at a spacious area in the center of the village. Wen Changchu said beside him, “This is the village’s central square.”
In the middle of that spacious area stood a white stone statue, about ten feet tall. It looked quite old, with some faded colors around the statue’s feet, indicating its age.
Lou Muge approached and observed the statue more closely. He saw that the statue was meticulously carved, stepping on a auspicious cloud at the base. It wore luxurious robes, arms adorned with flowing sleeves, and its long hair partially cascading. The figure wore an intricate and colorful flower crown, with the left hand naturally holding a beautiful orchid finger gesture, while the right hand was half-raised, supporting a floating white bead in the palm.
The bead was about the size of an eyeball, but unlike ordinary beads, it didn’t have a glossy appearance. There seemed to be nothing particularly special about it, yet it could float without any external force.
“What is this statue supposed to represent?” Lou Muge asked, intrigued by the sculpture.
“Known by the village folk as the Water Goddess, the tale goes that fifty years ago, the lake near Shan An village surged, almost submerging the entire village. Later, when the Water Goddess descended to witness this calamity, she granted them a water-avoidance divine bead, halting the flood. In gratitude, the people of Shan An erected this statue in the village,” Wen Changchu spoke with disdain, “But it’s just a worthless bead, treated like a precious treasure.”
Indeed, Wen Changchu was right. The bead being held showed no trace of spiritual energy; it had long become a useless stone with no practical value.
Lou Muge paused briefly to observe and then continued strolling through the village. Wen Changchu, showing no signs of fatigue, patiently followed by his side.
As Wen Changchu had mentioned, the village was excessively clean, so much so that it seemed abnormal. Not even the slightest hint of demonic energy could be detected.
“When I encountered that group last night, they were singing amidst a graveyard. Do you know the reason behind it?” Lou Muge, tired from walking, found a secluded spot, chose a stone pedestal to sit on, and decided to take a break.
The people in this village obviously scorned them, but without asking around, finding the root of the issue was proving to be quite challenging by just wandering on his own.
“I don’t know; it was my first time seeing them last night,” Wen Changchu sat down beside him.
Lou Muge shifted his gaze to the street, observing the passing people. Suddenly, he fixed his eyes on someone and bellowed, “Halt!”
Several people on the street heard this and, although not stopping immediately, turned with confusion to look. Lou Muge pointed at an older woman among them and said, “It’s you, come here!”
Upon spotting the two, the old woman not only didn’t stop but hastened her steps, attempting to leave quickly. However, Wen Changchu leaped up in an instant, shouting, “Didn’t the boss tell you to stop?”
Advancing in two strides, they grabbed the old woman by the collar, presenting her in front of Lou Muge like lifting a chick. Sternly, Wen Changchu ordered, “Stay still!”
While Lou Muge was still puzzled about when he became the leader of this wolf cub, the old woman, now in front of him, wailed and trembled violently, “Don’t eat me! Don’t eat me! I’m all tough meat…”
Interrupting her plea, Lou Muge said, “Who said anything about eating you?”
His gentle demeanor, in stark contrast to Wen Changchu’s ferovillage, combined with his handsome face, somewhat eased the old woman’s fear. Taking two steps back, she asked, “What do you want?”
Lou Muge pondered for a moment, then suddenly stood up, glanced at the old woman, and swiftly raised his hands, revealing gleaming white teeth. “Ah—!”
“Ah—!” The old woman, caught off guard, let out a sharp scream. Following that, her voice abruptly ceased. She clutched her chest and covered her eyes, collapsing on the ground in a stunned stupor.
“Was it that frightening?” Lou Muge was momentarily surprised as he observed her lying on the ground.
Wen Changchu glanced at him in shock and remarked quietly, “At her age, it’s easy to be scared to death.”
Lou Muge, caught up in the moment, realized it had been a while since he had seen someone terrified by him like this. He almost forgot the awe-inspiring scenes when he was the Demon Lord, causing fear at the mere mention of his name.
In the past, just him standing there would be enough to terrify anyone.
Lou Muge crouched beside the old woman, conjuring a faint water-blue light at his fingertips. He touched the center of the old woman’s brow, and the light merged into her. In no time, the old woman slowly opened her eyes.
Standing up, he turned around to find Wen Changchu transformed back into a little wolf cub, joyfully frolicking on his left and right.
The old woman sat up, momentarily confused. Upon seeing Lou Muge, she recalled something and scooted back a few steps on the ground.
Lou Muge, however, had a serious expression. “You get up first; I have some questions for you. Once I’m done, you can leave.”
He walked back to the stone pedestal and sat down. “Last night, I encountered the Tao brothers outside the village singing by the graveyard. They even set up several tables with food. What was the purpose of such an act?”
The old woman adjusted her somewhat disheveled hair and, deciding to sit on the ground, scrutinized Lou Muge before slowly saying, “This is a matter concerning our village of Shan An. Outsiders like you need not get involved.”
Lou Muge’s patience wasn’t abundant; he was uninterested in niceties. “Speak quickly.”
At his feet, the wolf cub timely let out a couple of howls.
The old woman shivered, “Yes, a few days ago, the village chief dreamt of the Water Goddess telling him that Shan An had been tainted by impurity. To overcome this calamity, we must set up a feast, perform a splendid play to invite a hundred spirits, ensuring the peace of our Shan An people.”
“Inviting a hundred ghosts for peace?” Lou Muge chuckled, “You dare to worship anyone. Haven’t you heard that inviting ghosts is easy, but sending them away is difficult?”
“The Water Goddess said those ghosts are our ancestors. When descendants are in trouble, they naturally want to protect them.”
“Just a dream, and you believe in such absurdity?” Lou Muge shook his head, thinking, foolish.
Throughout history, he had never heard of people worshiping ghosts for protection. Some worshiped gods, some worshiped immortals, and there were even those who worshiped foxes, yellow willows, and gray ashes as ‘guardian spirits.’ But ghosts were a different matter; they easily held grudges, and most people, after death, went straight to drink Meng Po’s soup. Ghosts and immortals had no time to deal with mortal affairs.
“This is true,” the old woman emphasized, “The village chief’s dream is real, and the Water Goddess intends to help us overcome this calamity.”
“If that’s the case, why doesn’t she directly appear to save you?” Lou Muge countered.
“Well…” The old woman was momentarily at a loss for words, then said, “The Water Goddess has her own tasks. Being grateful that she takes the time to consider us amid her busy schedule is enough for us. Why would we dare to ask her to come in person?”
Lou Muge thought to himself that these immortals indeed didn’t seem too occupied.
After asking some unrelated questions, Lou Muge steered the conversation to the main point, “When did you start setting up feasts and singing?”
Thank You for the new chapter (o´ 〰 `o)♡✲ﾟ*｡
Thanks for the chapter!!
thanks for the chappy!
Also is this wen changchu going to be our second male lead? so far we’ve only heard the name of our actual male lead! when is he coming in action!