Chapter 439: The Origins of the Mountain God

The procession offering tribute to the deity passed by the Daoist, their music and drumming echoing through the mountain air.

The little girl watched them until they disappeared from sight, then turned her gaze back to her Daoist.

Yet, the Daoist remained unhurried. He tilted his head back and drank the last mouthful of porridge from his bowl. He even kept the bowl raised for a moment longer, letting the remaining thin porridge slide down the sides and into his mouth. Only after ensuring not a drop was wasted did he lower the bowl, looking perfectly content.

He then rinsed the bowl with clear water, scrubbing it until it was spotless. Since the meal had little grease—only a faint fishy aroma from the dried fish—the water easily washed it clean, leaving the bowl smooth enough to make a crisp sound when rubbed.

After drying it off, he tucked it away into his bundle.

Still unhurried, Song You picked up the Swallow Rice stalks that the old farmer had given him. One by one, he peeled back the husks, revealing the golden grains inside. Only then did he place them into his bundle, securing them onto the horse’s back.

“Sir, shall I go see where they’re headed?”

“No need.” Song You shook his head lightly.

The sounds of drumming and instruments still echoed through the mountains, though it seemed the procession had veered off the official road.

Stretching his neck, Song You glanced toward the left side of the mountain, following the direction of the sound. Sure enough, through the dense greenery covering a narrow mountain path, he spotted the figures of the villagers making their way uphill.

Tracing their route further upward, his gaze landed on a small temple hidden within the thick forest at the mountain’s peak.

“Let’s go.”

Leaning on his bamboo staff, Song You began walking forward. “We’ve been eating seafood every day lately—there’s hardly any real sustenance in it. But I still have some noodles in my bundle, and now we’ve been gifted Swallow Rice as well. Tonight, let’s have some chicken. I saw that the villagers were offering a rather large one to the Mountain God.”

“Seafood is so delicious!” the little girl protested. With a

whoosh

, she transformed into a cat, trotting beside him as she spoke. “And it’s free!”

“Chicken is delicious too. Also free.”

“Mm!” The cat’s expression immediately tensed. She then asked, “How do you need me to help you? And if I help you, do I get to eat chicken?”

“You’ll have to transform back into human form first.”

Poof...

“I’ve transformed back!”

“Have you smelled anything that resembles the stench of a rotten rat?”

“I haven’t smelled anything like a rotten rat...”

“Not at all?”

“Not at all!”

“Perhaps we’re too far away, or the wind isn’t carrying the scent in the right direction. It could also be that too much time has passed, and the smell has faded. Or maybe... Someone else was collecting incense for the State Preceptor.”

“What? What? What?” The little girl tilted her head up at him, questioning him repeatedly.

Song You, however, simply leaned on his staff, lowered his gaze, and smiled at her. “Have you guessed his origins?”

“Who?”

“The Mountain God.”

“The Mountain God’s origins?”

“You haven’t figured it out?”

“Have you figured it out,

meow

?”

“I have a general idea.”

“How did you figure it out?”

“I’m very smart.”

“...!”

The little girl stared at him seriously. Who would go around calling themselves smart every day like this...?

“In Yangzhou, certain individuals collect medicinal herbs for the State Preceptor to refine into elixirs. These are then transported from Yaozhou to Fengzhou. The imperial court wouldn’t casually enshrine an unknown 'deity' as a Mountain God, nor would the State Preceptor leave behind unfinished business—only to have people sent after his death to slay a court-sanctioned Mountain God.”

Song You continued walking as he spoke to the cat.

“Unless... it was never a true Mountain God in the first place. It was never worthy of the title.”

“I don’t understand...”

“You mean to say that this so-called Mountain God was originally a monster that gathered medicinal herbs for the State Preceptor?” the swallow flapped his wings, hovering ahead of them

“Precisely.” Song You nodded at the swallow.

“Hmm?” The little girl, still looking dazed, lifted her head and stared at the swallow.

“I-I was just making a wild guess...” The swallow quickly flapped his wings and flew a little higher.

“This place is indeed rich in spiritual qi. The State Preceptor must have seen value in whatever abilities this creature had, so he enshrined it as the Mountain God,” Song You explained. “By doing so, he could harness its talents while granting it the powers and authority of a deity, making it easier for it to search for rare treasures deep within the mountains on his behalf.”

He paused briefly before continuing, “But the State Preceptor must have already known its true nature—or perhaps he had another reason, such as silencing it. That’s why, before he even reached Fengzhou, he had already made arrangements. After his own death, a high monk was sent here to eliminate it.”

“...!” The little girl’s eyes widened abruptly. “You’re amazing!”

“Not as amazing as you, Lady Calico.”

“There you go again! Always saying that!”

“This Mountain God either had prior preparations or was naturally gifted. Not only did it survive against the high monk sent to subdue it, but it even kept that monk here,” Song You said. “In my opinion, it is either incredibly cunning or dangerously intelligent.”

“If I were to wait for it in the temple, it might sense the disturbance and be too cautious to appear.” He turned to Lady Calico. “But it wants children. And Lady Calico... You’re a child.”

“I’m a child!”

“Lady Calico, you possess vast divine powers and immense magical strength, and are smart and quick-witted. When the time comes, I will prepare a few talismans for you and use winter spiritual energy to hide your extraordinary aura. If the Mountain God comes, you will need to use both your intelligence and your magic to outmaneuver it.”

“You want me to pretend to be the child offered to the Mountain God?”

“That was the implication a few sentences ago.”

“

Meow

?”

“It’s the simplest and most efficient method.”

“You want me to kill it?”

“If it tries to eat you, then killing it would be the best outcome,” Song You said, pausing slightly. “But above all, the most important thing is your safety. And I trust you understand that best.”

“Of course!” The little girl nodded solemnly, following behind the Daoist.

By now, they had already left the Swallow Rice field, and without the tall stalks blocking the view, even with her height, a slight tilt of her head allowed her to see the group making their way through the mountains and the faint outline of the small temple in the distance.

“What about the cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep?”

“Those are too valuable. A mere Mountain God is just something trivial for someone like you whose cultivation is already near perfect. Since that’s the case, a single large rooster will suffice.”

“Mm...” Lady Calico felt reluctant in her heart but also thought his words made sense—not quite for the reason he stated, but still, it was reasonable enough.

Before long, the two of them and the horse left the official road and stepped onto the narrow mountain path leading upward.

The Daoist pursed his lips and fell silent. The little girl, too, said nothing.

This path was just a simple trail used by villagers to reach their farmlands in the mountains. It also marked the boundary between two plots of land. Though slightly wider than the usual field paths, it was still narrow. At this time of year, the wild grass had already begun to yellow. From the worn tracks on the path and the encroaching weeds, it was clear that many people used this road regularly.

Song You walked up the path at his usual leisurely pace.

At the end of the trail, the temple came into view—just as the villagers were finishing their offerings and prayers to the Anle God.

Several trees stood in front of the temple, their bases littered with the remnants of exploded firecrackers. Tied beneath them were a plow ox, a scrawny spotted horse, a goat, a small black pig, and a large yellow dog. The large red rooster was also bound by its legs and secured to the tree.

One by one, the villagers held incense sticks as they entered the temple, kneeling before the altar in prayer. Yet, their expressions were mostly troubled and heavy with worry.

Even the plow ox and the yellow dog—beasts with a certain degree of spiritual awareness—seemed to sense their impending fate. Their eyes carried a sorrowful look.

The little girl lifted her gaze, carefully observing the temple.

This temple was much larger than her first small shrine but still a size smaller than the grand temple she had lived in later. However, its decorations were exquisite and meticulous, and the ceremonial offerings inside were more complete.

Just then, a villager noticed them and came over to inquire. Hearing the voice, many villagers turned to look at Song You.

Lady Calico also turned her head toward the Daoist. Yet, his expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, “I am a Daoist from the northern side of the mountain. The villagers there also worship the Anle God. Recently, we received a divine message in a dream from Anle God—our deity has chosen a child to become his divine attendant, to serve at his side.

“After much deliberation, the villagers selected this child. However, they could not bear to personally bring her here, so they entrusted me with the task of delivering her instead.”

The villagers asked, “Don’t you have a temple there? Why have we never seen you come here to make offerings before?”

“You may not be aware,” Song You replied with an air of regret, “but this summer’s heavy rains caused a great flood in the mountains. Somehow, the waters swept away our temple to the Mountain God. Following divine guidance, we were led here—to the temple of Mount Jiurang.”

“Oh... I see...”

The villagers looked at the little girl beside the Daoist, their expressions filled with sorrow and reluctance. But standing before the Mountain God’s temple, who among them dared to voice their objections? Whatever they wanted to say could only be swallowed back down, turning into a collective sigh.

The little girl, however, turned her head and stared blankly at the Daoist, lost in thought.

After a moment, a cautious villager stepped forward and warned, “Daoist, you had better be telling the truth. Don’t even think about pulling any tricks. Even if we can’t do anything to you, the Mountain God will not forgive you.”

“You jest,” Song You replied with a composed smile. “The Anle God is immensely powerful. How could I possibly dare to entertain any improper thoughts?”

“Hmm... that’s true...”

With that, the villagers' suspicions faded.

Still, as they looked at the little girl standing beside the Daoist, so fair and delicate, she truly resembled a celestial child. Especially when she turned to look at them with those clear, intelligent eyes—no matter how hardened one’s heart was, it couldn’t help but soften at the sight.

Many villagers forced themselves to look away, silently lamenting the cruelty of fate.

Meanwhile, Song You continued to observe their reactions carefully. From what he could tell, the old farmer’s words were entirely true, without a single falsehood.

Then—

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The last round of firecrackers erupted.

The villagers began descending the mountain one after another.

However, ever cautious, they left a few men stationed on the lower mountain path, keeping watch. They were likely worried that the Daoist might be some wandering trickster aiming to steal the cattle, sheep, or horses.

At that moment, the little girl sniffed the air and suddenly whispered to the Daoist with a serious expression, “I can smell a little bit of rotten rat stink in this temple now!”

“Just as expected.”

“You really seem quite impressive!”

“Not as impressive as you, Lady Calico.”

“Mm...”

“I’ll be going now.” Song You’s tone was calm and gentle. “Remember, I won’t be far.”

“Got it!”

“I leave it to you, Lady Calico.”

“Got it!”

“Yan An, stay behind and keep Lady Calico company. It’ll be less lonely for her.”

“Got it!”

“...Understood...”

“Be careful.”

Unworried, Song You led his horse and descended the mountain.

Night slowly fell. The mountains were thick with dry branches and wild grass, casting shifting shadows. The eerie cries of night owls echoed in the dark, sending chills through the air.

The villagers keeping watch at the mountain’s base didn’t dare linger long either—they fled downhill as fast as they could.

Now, only a single little girl remained in the temple, and a lone swallow perched in the tree above.