Chapter 17: The Mountain’s Peculiarities and a Humble Earth God

“If I’m not back by noon, eat the flatbread. It might be cold, but it’ll still fill your stomach.”

“No.”

The Little Girl, usually so obedient, now pouted, turning her head away stubbornly, refusing to look at Qíngyǔ.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing the Little Girl’s cheeks puff out like a steamed bun, Qíngyǔ found herself both bewildered and amused, unable to resist reaching out to poke the girl’s chubby face.

Swatting Little Mom’s hand away, the girl declared earnestly, “Last time Little Mom went to the mountains, she came back sick!”

“Not this time.”

A soft laugh escaped Qíngyǔ as she reached out to ruffle the Little Girl’s hair.

“Stay home and be good. If luck is on my side, I’ll be back by morning.”

“Mmm…”

Seeing no other option, Qíngyǔ reached out to gently rub the Little Girl’s hair again. “Can you still climb the mountain today? If you can, you should come with me.”

“Of course I can!”

The Little Girl’s face immediately lit up with a joyous smile. She hugged her Little Mom, then scampered back to her room to retrieve a straw hat and put it on.

Hand in hand, the two stepped out, Qíngyǔ securing the large lock on the door. After tucking the key into her lapel and tugging on the lock twice to ensure its firmness, she slowly began to walk towards the edge of town.

In her previous life, she had also lived deep within the mountains. When her cultivation was still shallow, she often followed her master, foraging for wild mushrooms to sell in the villages below.

Yet, each time, it was she who was diligent, while her master remained nonchalant.

According to him, this was a way of guiding her, allowing the mountain spirits to remember her presence, thus making future journeys through the mountains easier.

Now, it was her turn to lead someone up the mountain.

‘Old geezer, you loved meat, but you barely gathered any mushrooms.’

“What is Little Mom saying?”

“Nothing.”

It was still exceptionally early, the rain having only recently ceased. The cooking smoke from the affluent households in town, shrouded by the lingering moonlight, had only just begun to rise.

As Qíngyǔ pointed out the still-twinkling constellations in the night sky to the Little Girl, she heard someone calling out to them from a distance.

“Hmm? Cangxuan!”

“Brother Jí.”

“Hello, Brother Jí!”

A figure, also carrying a back basket, spotted the two of them, quickened his pace, and seemed to “fly” towards them.

Jí Yào was indeed an extraordinary individual; after being persecuted by that demonic entity, he had not succumbed to despair. Instead, his internal energy had grown even purer.

“Are Cangxuan and Little Girl Qíng going foraging in the mountains?”

“We’re going to check out that dilapidated temple. And you, Brother Jí?”

“My Mistress’s illness requires a nameless herb that has caught the morning sun’s dew,” Jí Yào explained, tightening the back basket on his shoulders. “The Young Lady will likely be quiet for a couple of days, so I’m taking this chance to gather more.”

‘Your Young Lady will probably be quiet for five years.’

Qíngyǔ had also skimmed the two “Foundations of Immortal Cultivation” books provided by Zì Bùxiàn.

If the Young Lady truly studied diligently and sincerely sought immortality, then remaining indoors for these five years would be entirely normal.

“Allow me to consider your Mistress’s illness,” Qíngyǔ mused for a moment. “While I can’t promise a cure, I might be able to alleviate some of her symptoms.”

“Then I am truly grateful, Cangxuan.”

Hearing her words, Jí Yào quickly clasped his hands around his saber hilt in a gesture of thanks.

“It’s a minor matter. The Yang family has long accumulated good deeds and virtue, so it’s only natural that they receive ample assistance.”

“You flatter me, Cangxuan.”

Along the way, Qíngyǔ inquired about worldly affairs with Jí Yào and playfully teased the Little Girl, making the journey feel remarkably short.

In fact, they had encountered many other foragers on their path, but most of them, upon seeing Qíngyǔ and then the Yang family’s servant, had given them a wide berth.

The Yang family had always maintained a low profile locally, yet they were also a quintessential “nouveau riche” (TL Note: A term for newly rich individuals, often implying a lack of established social standing or refinement.) family.

After Master Yang’s demotion and return to his hometown, their already diminished reputation had taken another severe blow. Coupled with the recent rumors of the servant’s strange death, no one was willing to associate with them anymore.

Qíngyǔ led the Little Girl ahead, while Jí Yào searched everywhere for the elusive morning dew wild grass.

Before long, the moon’s faint glow gave way to a solar halo, its light filtering through the leaves and dappling the ground beneath the trees.

Sunlight danced through the foliage, scattering fragmented hues of red across the forest floor.

“Odd, how is it that I’ve walked for so long today and don’t feel tired at all?”

Jí Yào curiously rubbed his hair, then casually pulled up a handful of wild grass.

“You’re gathering a lot, that’s why you’re not tired.”

With one hand concealed before her, Qíngyǔ performed the Mountain Walking Incantation (TL Note: A magical art or spell used to traverse mountains with ease or speed.), while her other hand held a snapped-off branch, poking around.

Every so often, she would bend down to pick up a wild mushroom and toss it into her back basket.

Meanwhile, the Little Girl, full of curiosity, darted around, scaring off squirrels and red pandas. She then returned, laughing, with an armful of beautiful dead branches she had collected.

‘Strange.’

Qíngyǔ furrowed her brow; there was indeed something peculiar about this mountain.

A Mountain God clearly resided here, yet it remained unresponsive to her calls. Even though the morning sun had begun to rise, many dense fogs in the forest still lingered, refusing to disperse.

However, the malevolent energy had almost entirely dissipated.

She surmised it had been eliminated along with the demonic entity.

“Cangxuan, are you going to visit that temple?”

“Yes, I’m making a detour to go there.”

The dilapidated temple was still on the mountain, and Qíngyǔ planned to visit both the old and new temples today. If there were local City Gods, Mountain Gods, or Earth Gods, it would be good to greet them first.

“In that case, I won’t accompany you.”

Jí Yào showed no hesitation, candidly clasping his hands around his saber hilt.

“My family’s Mistress is still waiting for these medicinal herbs.”

“I’ll come by in the next day or two.”

“Many thanks, miss!”

Qíngyǔ nodded, bid him farewell, and, performing the Mountain Walking Incantation, watched as he took a few steps onto the treetops and vanished as swiftly as a bird in flight.

‘Alas, the immortal and mortal realms are truly separated…’

Even if this fellow cultivated further, in the eyes of an immortal cultivator, he would likely be nothing more than a slightly larger ant, destined to become a pile of dry bones a century hence.

“Little Mom, you look unhappy?”

The Little Girl reached out to tug at her sleeve, asking with a hint of confusion.

“This isn’t called unhappiness; this is called ‘wounding spring and mourning autumn’ (TL Note: A classical Chinese idiom referring to a melancholic mood often associated with the changing seasons, especially autumn, and feelings of sadness or sentimentality).”

‘Or perhaps, feigning illness to moan (TL Note: An idiom referring to complaining without a real cause, or making a fuss over nothing.).’

Qíngyǔ smiled faintly. The world was vast, mortals numerous, and the matters of birth, aging, illness, and death were far beyond her current capacity to manage.

“If Little Mom is unhappy, you have to tell me, okay?”

“How so?”

“I’ll find a way to make Little Mom happy!”

“Alright.”

‘The Little Girl is truly sensible and endearing.’

Qíngyǔ reached out to ruffle her hair, and after walking a bit further with the Little Girl, the dilapidated temple finally came into view.

Ancient texts referred to secluded mountain temples as Lanruo, and this one certainly fit the description perfectly.

Its wooden doors were half-rotted, and moss carpeted every step of its stairs.

Peering inside, most of the divine statues had toppled, with only the central deity barely standing upright.

“Little Mom, what strange people?”

The Little Girl curiously stepped over the threshold, pointing at the mostly toppled statues for Qíngyǔ to see.

“Don’t be disrespectful.”

Qíngyǔ spoke sternly, for she could still sense a trace of lingering spiritual energy emanating from the central deity’s statue.

Drawing the girl closer, Qíngyǔ respectfully bowed, then immediately extended her hand to form a spell incantation.

“Immortal! Immortal Elder! Ouch!”

Before she could finish reciting the decree to summon and invite the spirit, a small, old man-like spirit suddenly burst forth from the ground, appearing before the two of them.

“It wasn’t that this old man didn’t answer you; it was out of fear that the mortal might see, making it difficult to resolve matters later!”

The old man, however, bowed to the wrong person, performing a deep, drawn-out bow directly to the Little Girl.

Only after hearing her giggle did he finally notice Qíngyǔ, who was forming a magical incantation behind the Little Girl, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Oh dear, this old man truly has eyes but failed to recognize a true immortal.”

Scrambling to his feet and bowing again to the correct person, the spirit then cautiously peeked up at Qíngyǔ.

Observing the old man’s actions, Qíngyǔ composed herself and performed a formal bow, discarding the withered branch she held in her hand.

“And you are?”

“Immortal, you humble me! This old man is the local Earth God (TL Note: Tǔdì Gōng, a Chinese folk deity who protects a localized area of land and its residents.), and currently also temporarily manages the affairs of the Mountain God. Please, I beg you, do not recite that incantation anymore.”

The Earth God hastily returned the bow, his expression of respect appearing utterly genuine.

Qíngyǔ nodded, pulled the Little Girl closer, and then spoke again, “Allow me to ask you, why was a demonic entity harbored in this temple, and where has the original Mountain God of this place gone?”