It was the hour of the Rooster, when the sun set.
The sky grew late, the dying sun sank westward, and only a strip of dusky yellow remained on the horizon.
Qingping Mountain, which stretched twelve hundred li across, gradually faded into twilight. Its forests grew ever darker, birdsong thinned, and the chirping of insects dwindled. The entire mountain seemed to fall silent with the setting sun.
By the hour of the Dog, night had completely shrouded Qingping Mountain. From a distance, it was nothing but a black mass, like an enormous beast crouching upon the land.
As dark clouds gathered, the night wind suddenly rose. Cold gusts howled, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed among the forests, and before long, rain poured down in torrents.
On Qingping Mountain, shrouded in night rain and storm clouds, only the Mountain God Temple halfway up the slope seemed to hold a flickering glimmer of light, faintly visible through the darkness.
A young Daoist holding an oil-paper umbrella gazed toward the Mountain God Temple from afar and murmured to himself, "The creature must be here."
The Daoist's surname was Jiang, his given name Sheng, and his courtesy name Yuanchen. He was a newly promoted inner disciple of the Penglai Dao Sect. After successfully reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, he had descended the mountain to temper himself, as the sect's rules required.
All Foundation Establishment Realm disciples of the Dao Sect had to travel beyond the sect to cultivate and gain experience. Only after opening their Purple Mansion could they return.
During his travels, Jiang Sheng had discovered that Qingping Mountain held hidden mysteries and could be considered a blessed land. Some creature within the mountain had even gained a measure of fortuitous opportunity.
This was undoubtedly a boon fallen from heaven, and Jiang Sheng naturally had no wish to miss it.
Inside the Mountain God Temple, flames licked the firewood with crackling sounds, while wisps of gray smoke rose and curled beneath the roof.
Within the Mountain God Temple amid the night rain, two groups sat around separate campfires, neither speaking.
In the left corner sat a grandfather and his grandson. They sat cross-legged on a heap of withered yellow grass, paying no heed to the violent storm outside or their shabby surroundings. The old man held two flatbreads over the fire, while his little grandson stared at them with eager eyes.
In the right corner were five sturdy young men. They crouched on the ground, holding out their hands to warm themselves by the fire. Now and then, one would yawn, take a wine flask from his waist and sip, then smack his lips and resume staring at the flames.
Each group minded its own business without disturbing the other. Though silent, they shared a measure of unspoken understanding.
Just then, the Mountain God Temple's door creaked open. Both groups looked over together and saw a young Daoist carrying an oil-paper umbrella.
The group of young men visibly relaxed and went back to forcing themselves to stay awake, warming themselves and drinking. The old man resumed toasting his flatbreads, but his little grandson was very curious about Jiang Sheng's sudden appearance.
"The mountain rain came on so suddenly, and I have nowhere else to go tonight. I can only trouble you for a little shelter." Jiang Sheng bowed with an apologetic expression.
"You jest, Daoist. This Mountain God Temple has no owner, and we're only sheltering from the rain ourselves. How could you be troubling us? Please make yourself comfortable." The old man smiled.
Jiang Sheng noticed that when the old man said the Mountain God Temple had no owner, peculiar expressions crossed the young men's faces.
Ignoring the young men, Jiang Sheng walked over to the grandfather and grandson. "Sir, might I borrow a burning stick?"
Knowing that Jiang Sheng wanted to start a fire to warm himself, the old man smiled. "Daoist, if you don't mind, just share our fire."
"Then I'm sorry for the trouble."
Once Jiang Sheng had seated himself cross-legged, the old man began chatting idly. "Why did you enter the mountain so late at night, Daoist? Qingping Mountain isn't exactly peaceful after dark."
Jiang Sheng explained, "My travels brought me here. I meant to climb the mountain in search of a creature, but I never expected the night rain to block my way."
The old man was curious. "Oh? In search of a creature? You may not know this, Daoist, but Qingping Mountain is vast, and there are especially many venomous snakes and fierce beasts. If the creature you're seeking is seldom seen, you might encounter a mountain wolf or a venomous snake in a moment of carelessness. That would be very dangerous."
"If that creature is important to you, you'd best ask a local hunter to guide you. It would make your journey a little safer."
Jiang Sheng did not answer. He glanced at the wind and rain outside the Mountain God Temple, then suddenly said, "Sir, you should take your little grandson and leave first. This Mountain God Temple is no peaceful place."
The old man shook his head repeatedly. "The rain is fierce and the wind is strong out there. It's cold and wet, and the mountain paths are slippery at night. It isn't safe. Whatever else this Mountain God Temple may be, it offers shelter from the wind and rain. How could we leave?"
Jiang Sheng shook his head. "Sir, heed my advice. Leaving now would be best."
The little grandson looked at Jiang Sheng in bewilderment, while the old man was even more puzzled. "Look here, Daoist. I kindly invited you to warm yourself by our fire, yet you're telling the two of us to go out and get drenched. What sense does that make?"
Jiang Sheng sighed. Before he could explain further, one of the five young men suddenly spoke. "Hey, Daoist! Why do you say this Mountain God Temple is no peaceful place?"
Jiang Sheng gave a soft sigh and looked quietly at the young men. "Beneath Qingping Mountain lies Qingping Town, yet peace is hard to find in Qingping Town. These past days, several households there have hung white mourning banners, one after another. If peace is hard to find below the mountain, it is harder still to find within it."
"Daoist, have you discovered something?" However slow the old man might have been, he now knew something was wrong.
This young Daoist seemed to have squared off against those five young men!
Jiang Sheng nodded slightly. "I have discovered wronged souls wailing in this Mountain God Temple. I have also discovered an evil creature wreaking mischief here."
"Daoist! You make it sound so sinister, but where is this evil creature? Where are these wronged souls?!" one of the young men shouted angrily. From his expression, he seemed ready to step forward and strike Jiang Sheng if he could not give a proper explanation.
Jiang Sheng's gaze swept from left to right over the five young men and the grandfather and grandson, then turned toward the damaged statue of the Mountain God before him. "The wronged souls are lost in a veil of delusion, unaware that they are already dead. As for the evil creature wreaking mischief, it is right here before us."
As Jiang Sheng's words fell, the Mountain God Temple suddenly sank into deathly silence.
Looking at the five young men whose faces had abruptly gone blank, Jiang Sheng gave a sharp, quiet command. "Awaken!"
The command carried the power of a spell. The five young men immediately staggered and toppled about, clutching their heads tightly as they howled in agony.
"Aaaaah! Who am I? I'm Wang Da! I'm Wang Da! A tiger ate me!"
"There's a tiger! There's a tiger!"
"Help! Don't eat me! Don't eat me! Help!"
Bloodcurdling wails rang through the Mountain God Temple. At some point, the five young men had turned into ghostly shadows, reenacting the moments when a tiger had devoured them in life.
At the sight, the grandfather and grandson recoiled again and again, only stopping when they were pressed into the corner.
Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that merely taking shelter from the rain would lead them to witness something so horrifying!
Remembering Jiang Sheng's earlier advice to leave, the old man clutched his little grandson tightly, filled with regret. Had he known the Mountain God Temple was so terrifying, he would have taken the boy away even if it meant braving the heavy night rain and slippery mountain paths!
Suddenly, another chorus of resentful ghostly wails arose!
The five ghosts, who had been staggering about in agony, abruptly stood. Their faces were now wooden, their expressions sinister, and their forms gradually grew insubstantial. In the blink of an eye, ghostly energy spilled in every direction.
Chang Ghosts!
Those devoured by tigers remained under the wicked beasts' control even after death, reduced to ghostly servants of the tigers. These were called Chang Ghosts.
"Daoist, do you know that you have ruined the Mountain God's feast?"
Dear readers, this book has already passed the internal submission review. As a new author with a new book, I ask for your support. Please add it to your favorites. I would be endlessly grateful, endlessly grateful.
(End of chapter)
Sorry for the trouble, but please take a moment to share this website on Facebook so we can keep it running.
Before you continue