Chapter 117 – Mountain God Festival

The Mountain God Festival was a rare grand occasion for Green White Mountain. Every household burned incense and set up offering tables to worship the mountain god. When night fell, bonfires were lit, and thousands of people gathered together to sing and dance.

At that time, it happened to be Green White Mountain’s turn to host the unified examination grounds. Students from other community schools had already arrived, and Medicine Mountain had attracted quite a crowd as well, making this Mountain God Festival unprecedentedly lively. Security was also especially tight — powerful auras lay hidden among the crowd, monitoring the scene at all times.

Zhan Changfeng was staying temporarily at Yu Sheng’s home. She had little enthusiasm for the Mountain God Festival and was content to tend to a potted plant — though calling it a potted plant was generous, as all one could see was dark, oily soil with a tiny green dot poking out from the center.

“It’s alive.” Zhan Changfeng gently touched the tender sprout. Catching Yu Sheng entering with freshly washed dishes from the corner of her eye, she picked up the pot and walked over. “For you.”

“Hm? Why are you suddenly giving this to me?” Yu Sheng set down the dishes. “Why don’t you just keep growing it yourself?”

“I can’t keep it alive. Oh, and I have another one back at my place — I’ll bring that one for you next time too.” Ordinary plants couldn’t withstand the pure yin energy that seeped out when she cultivated. There was no point in her keeping them.

Yu Sheng smiled and gently poked at it. “Is this an orchid?”

It was too small to tell.

“Something like that.”

Yu Sheng’s admiring gaze paused, and he laughed. “You’re not even sure what you’re giving me?”

Zhan Changfeng genuinely wasn’t certain. When she’d found it on Medicine Mountain, it had been nothing but a broken root. She’d thought it resembled an orchid and had been treating it as one ever since. “Either way, it’s a plant. As long as you enjoy growing it, that’s all that matters.”

“Thank you.” Yu Sheng kept many flowers and plants and loved tending to them — he only grew things he enjoyed growing.

He placed it on the windowsill alongside a pot of clivia, then extended an invitation. “It’s getting dark. The bonfire gathering should be starting soon. Want to go have a look?”

This was likely Zhan Changfeng’s first and last time attending a festival on Green White Mountain, so she didn’t refuse and headed out with him.

As it happened, a small group was walking toward them along the path. Zhan Changfeng and Yu Sheng stood by the fence gate, letting them pass first, since one of them happened to be the Headmaster of the Community School.

The two of them greeted him.

Teacher Yangming nodded in acknowledgment, then actually stopped to introduce the three people beside him. “These are three friends of mine — Luozhao-zi, Scholar yunguan, and Daoist qingshan. They had some free time today and came for a visit.”

Zhan Changfeng and Yu Sheng naturally paid their respects. Looking more closely at the three: Luozhao-zi had a long face with three strands of beard; Scholar yunguan was a serene-faced female Daoist carrying a fly-whisk; and Daoist qingshan wore a blue Daoist robe and was somewhat portly.

After the introductions, Teacher Yangming turned to the three with an apologetic expression. “Yangming has urgent matters to attend to. If the three of you don’t mind, my students here can serve as your guides.”

Daoist qingshan smiled. “Go ahead, Headmaster. We understand.”

Teacher Yangming gave the two students a few quick instructions, offered another apology to his three guests, then left them behind and departed.

Having been suddenly saddled with such a task, Zhan Changfeng and Yu Sheng could only marvel at the Headmaster’s boldness and leave it at that.

They had barely walked a short distance before Daoist qingshan spoke up. “I hear there have been recent deaths here. Why not take us to see where the incidents occurred?”

Seeing that Teacher Yangming had entrusted them to these two young students as guides, the three visitors assumed they were in the know and made the request directly.

What they didn’t realize was that these two were truly last-minute recruits. Still, Zhan Changfeng and Yu Sheng reacted quickly. Putting the pieces together, they understood Teacher Yangming’s intentions.

These three were likely newly arrived investigators from the Bureau of Patrol. Teacher Yangming probably feared that personally escorting them to the scenes would draw too much attention, so he’d found two students to lead the way instead.

The cannibalism cases had spread far and wide — the locations were no secret. Without asking unnecessary questions, Zhan Changfeng and Yu Sheng led them straight to the nearest site.

The five of them made a whirlwind tour of all eight crime scenes. Daoist qingshan glanced at the feng shui compass in his palm. “There’s no demonic energy here.”

“If it’s attached to a human body, it would be very difficult to detect even if one tried to conceal it.” Luozhao-zi stroked his beard, then turned to Zhan Changfeng and Yu Sheng. “Could you take us to meet the five survivors from the original hunting party?”

“I’m one of them,” Zhan Changfeng said. “May I ask what the Daoist masters intend to do?”

Zhan Changfeng had more or less figured out that these people were ritual cultivators. She just wasn’t sure how capable they were at subduing demons and exorcising evil.

The three exchanged glances. Scholar yunguan spoke. “Young friend, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

She produced a folded talisman from her sleeve pouch. “Keep this with you. If you encounter anything evil, the talisman will ignite on its own to ward it off, and I’ll also know that you’re in danger.”

Zhan Changfeng accepted it. “Thank you, Lay Practitioner.”

She thought for a moment. “I’m not sure if the others are home. Why don’t we just go and see?”

“That works. I’ve noticed that several of the incidents occurred inside homes. We can start by placing protective measures at their residences.”

At this point, Yu Sheng asked, “Have you already determined that the perpetrator will only target these five people?”

A glint of sharpness flashed through Luozhao-zi’s eyes. “At least based on the pattern from the previous victims, yes.”

They went to the Assembly Hall first. Cheng Zhigao was still holed up inside, not daring to step foot outside. The once tall and spirited young man had withered considerably.

Scholar yunguan gave him a talisman as before, then took out a brush with a white jade handle, dipped it in vermilion cinnabar, and drew talismanic symbols on both door pillars.

“This is a Truth-Guarding Talisman. Placed on a home’s entrance, it can ward off demons and evil. Don’t step outside this door for the time being.”

Cheng Zhigao, sporting dark circles under his eyes and not caring whether it actually worked, clutched at the lifeline like a drowning man and nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, yes.”

Before leaving, Zhan Changfeng suddenly asked, “How did your bait plan go?”

Cheng Zhigao blinked. “What bait — oh, you mean that? Nothing happened. They had Xiao Shaobai wander around outside all night, and nothing happened at all.”

“What’s this about?” Daoist qingshan asked.

Cheng Zhigao explained. Daoist qingshan looked thoughtful. “If this truly is the wolves’ revenge, Xiao Shaobai should be the primary target. Let’s go take a look at his home.”

“Alright.” Zhan Changfeng and Yu Sheng led the way. Yu Sheng said in a low voice, “What do you think is going on?”

Zhan Changfeng glanced back at the three behind them and said flatly, “Public morals aren’t what they used to be. The world is going to ruin.”

“Hm?” How did they end up on that topic?

The five arrived at Xiao Shaobai’s home. Peering in from outside, the door was open, and a single lamp was lit.

They knocked, and a little girl came out. She had a floral cloth bag slung over her shoulder, as if she’d been about to leave.

Seeing five strangers, she shrank timidly toward the doorway. “Who are you looking for?”

Scholar yunguan swept the interior with her spiritual sense and determined no one else was inside. She smiled kindly. “Don’t be afraid, little one. We’re guests of your village chief. We’ve come to place protective wards on your home.”

The little girl gave a half-understanding “oh,” then watched curiously as Scholar yunguan drew mysterious symbols on her door.

Yunguan chatted casually as she drew. “Are you going to the bonfire gathering, little one? By yourself?”

“I’m meeting friends.”

“Where’s your brother?”

“He went out with his friends.”

Watching the little girl skip away to join her friends, Daoist qingshan smiled apologetically. “I imagine you two were planning to enjoy the festivities yourselves. We’ve held you up. There’s only one more house left — just give us the address and go have fun.”

“Then we’ll leave it to you three.” Zhan Changfeng readily provided the address, and she and Yu Sheng departed.

“You didn’t even pretend to be polite about it.” Yu Sheng walked backward with his hands clasped behind him. The moonlight was bright and clear, casting a crisp shadow behind him.

“Words spring from the heart, and the Dao follows one’s words,” Zhan Changfeng said. “Trading empty pleasantries with a group of genuine Daoists would exhaust them, and it would exhaust me.”

“And if they were fake Daoists?”

“If they were fake Daoists, why would I bother being polite?”

Yu Sheng pressed his lips together in a smile, turned around, and fell into step beside her. “Do you know how to dance?”

“No.”

“Not even a bonfire dance?”

“No.”

And so Zhan Changfeng, who couldn’t dance, could only wander around and enjoy the sights.