The True Face of Wushen Mountain

Within the Wushen Mountain lies a mountain peak called Xuanjing Mountain.

The clansmen said that this place has no name; it must have been named by the mountain god, but it was not officially recorded in the genealogy of Wushen Mountain, so it doesn't count.

However, Li Qi didn't care. Since the locals already had a name for it, he would just use that name.

At this moment, the Xuanjing Mountain God was paying respects to Li Qi, but Li Qi told him to leave to handle some business. However, the mountain god named Niu Huang did not leave.

"Hmm? What's the problem?" Li Qi asked again.

Niu Huang immediately knelt on his front legs, bowed his head and said, "This humble deity is ignorant and incompetent. Today, I have the opportunity to meet the Shaman the Ancestral Temple, which is the beginning of his efforts to spread civilization. I have Shaman with this position by the Lord of the Ancestral Temple and have been promoted to the post of a law-abiding official. This humble deity is overestimating his abilities and is willing to do his best to help the Lord of the Ancestral Temple to Shaman the discipline, open up new perspectives, and bring clarity to the new temple, so that all people, gods and demons may understand!"

Upon hearing this, Li Qi chuckled and said, "You want me to issue you an imperial edict? It seems like we've only just met today. Where did you get the audacity?"

Niu Huang immediately replied, "All the spirits and monsters on this mountain know my name, and all the demons and humans in the villages below the mountain worship me. The feng shui and earth energy of this mountain are well-ordered, and the changing seasons follow their proper order. The mountains, rivers, plants and trees are lush, and the villages and demon nests are prosperous. This is all due to my merit, so I was chosen as a god. However, in the past, I had no way to speak out, but now that I have met Shaman, I dare to recommend myself and hope that Shaman on my Dao Path enlightenment."

Li Qi nodded and replied, "Oh, so these things are your courage, but that's not enough."

Niu Huang immediately replied, "That is indeed true. I have heard the ancients say that a person with ability is like an awl placed in a bag; the point will immediately show and his talent will be fully revealed. I have only been short of a bag. Now that Shaman has come, he has given me a bag. If I sit and wait for Shaman to leave, I will never have the chance to show my talent again."

"I see. Then please, Mountain God, lead the way so I can examine the feng shui of this mountain," Li Qi said, standing up.

Niu Huang immediately stood up. "Then please let Shaman ride on my back."

"Why?" Li Qi asked again.

Niu Huang replied, "I have also heard Shaman preaching, and I know the principle of 'ascending and descending without going down the steps.' The steps are the steps of the master. If a filial son cannot bear to see his father go down or up the steps, then the Shaman is no less than the blessing of parents giving birth to a second child. I should treat him with the Propriety Affairs due to an elder. I also cannot bear to see the Shaman descend the steps himself. Please ride on my back, and I will take the Shaman to tour the whole mountain."

Li Qi smiled and shook his head, but did not refuse. Instead, he mounted the ox's back.

So Niu Huang took steps, not flying, but following Li Qi step by step down the mountain.

When Li Qi arrived, he flew directly over and only stopped at the mountaintop to admire the scenery, so he did not actually come down the mountain to see the sights.

Niu Huang strolled along, walking out little by little.

He walked along a mountain path and saw a group of weasels coming to pay their respects, calling out, "Mountain God, Mountain God, what brings you here?"

When Niu Huang looked up, he found that the Shaman on his back had disappeared completely, as if he had vanished entirely.

He was puzzled, but still replied, "I brought Shaman to see how you are doing."

"Where is Shaman?" the weasels asked, puzzled.

Niu Huang shook his head and sighed, "He was just on my back, but I don't know where he went. I'm afraid he saw something unsatisfactory and doesn't want to see the achievements to come."

"In that case, Mountain God, you should go and rest," the weasels said.

But Niu Huang shook his head. "Since I promised Shaman that I would travel all over the mountain, even if he doesn't want to see it anymore, I should still keep my promise."

After speaking, he bid farewell to the weasel den and continued his wanderings.

He walked across a river, where an old turtle was lying in the water. The turtle saw the Niu Huang and said, "Niu Huang, Niu Huang, I predicted that you would have fortuitous opportunity at the mountaintop today. Did you go?"

Niu Huang sighed, "I went, but unfortunately I missed it."

The old turtle shook its head. "I have been practicing the I Ching, but I still can't find a solution. Why don't you come and take a look at my shell again and see if there are any changes? Maybe you can find a new opportunity."

Niu Huang then went into the water and carefully examined the turtle's shell, but couldn't discern anything special. He had no choice but to bid farewell to the turtle and continue on his way. After crossing the river, he came to a village where people lived. The men farmed and the women wove, and everyone was strong and talented, capable of reaching a high level with just a little cultivation.

They are skinning and processing a wild boar of the ninth grade.

Seeing this, Niu Huang stepped forward and asked, "How many game animals has your village hunted now?"

When the people saw Niu Huang arrive, they greeted him, saying, "The God of Niu Mountain has arrived! This is the first one of the month."

Niu Huang instructed, "The one who died was the Zhu Shang Family from Nanchao. You are not allowed to go to Nanchao again this month."

The villagers immediately nodded. "We know."

Niu Huang then left the villagers and continued walking towards the mountainside.

As they approached a giant rock, it suddenly spoke, "Mountain God, I have stood here for two thousand years. When will I be able to Demon Transformation like you?"

Niu Huang asked, "Have you finished reading the book I gave you the other day?"

Stone replied in a muffled voice, "No, I can't read."

Niu Huang sighed, "If you understand the principles written in the book, Demon Transformation will be a piece of cake. If you can't read, I'll teach you."

So Niu Huang stopped and tried to teach Shitou to read, but Shitou had a stone head and couldn't recognize a single word even after a long time.

It took him several Chen to memorize just one word before he said he was tired. Niu Huang shook his head and said, "You'll probably have to stand here for another two thousand years."

After saying that, Niu Huang left and continued walking forward, but he suddenly felt as if he were carrying a mountain on his back. He was extremely tired and hungry.

So he changed direction and went to rest under a tree. The tree shook its branches and said, "Niu Huang, I'm about to bear fruit. It's the stamen of that old bastard from West Mountain."

Niu Huang replied, "Alright, when that time comes, I will bury your fruit in the Western Hills."

The tree shook its branches with satisfaction, then stretched out some tender leaves and shook them off the branches.

After chewing the tender leaves, Niu Huang regained his energy and continued on his way.

Not long after, he came across another grave on the road. The ghost in the grave said, "Mountain God, the sun is too strong now, it's giving me a headache."

Niu Huang replied, "The sun's movement is a natural phenomenon; there's no way to stop it. If you're truly afraid, then go and reincarnate."

After saying that, Niu Huang ignored the grave and continued on his way.

Soon, when he reached the foot of the mountain, he had finally finished climbing it.

He sat down at the foot of the mountain to catch his breath.

Having traversed the mountain and completed his task, it's time to continue fulfilling the duties of the mountain god.

Just then, a pigeon flew over and landed on Niu Huang's horn, saying, "Mountain God, Mountain God, is this Xuanjing Mountain? Are you the mountain god of this place?"

"Yes, what's wrong?" Niu Huang nodded in reply.

"Here is a letter for you," the pigeon said, transforming into human form.

But then the pigeon transformed into a handsome young man in white, about fifteen or sixteen years old, with rosy lips and white teeth, and a refined and dashing appearance. He took a cylinder from his lap, found the corresponding letter among a pile of letters inside, and handed it to the mountain god. "Here is a letter for you. Please sign for it."

"Uh... aren't we all using communication Technique Method now? Why would we still need paper and pen documents?" Niu Huang was very puzzled.

This was the first time in all his years as a mountain god that he had received a physical letter.

"We are messengers from the Ancestor's Mansion. The Ancestor's Mansion is responsible for forwarding various documents. Many of these documents are handwritten by powerful figures and stamped with their seals, so they each have their own unique properties. Only the original documents can be effective and granted authority. Messages can only transmit information; we are still needed to deliver the original documents," the pigeon said.

"So you're a passerby, thank you so much." Niu Huang quickly replied.

"It's nothing, just my duty. I'll head over there now. Take care, Mountain God. By the way, one more question: why hasn't the Mountain God Form Transformation yet?"

Upon hearing this question, Niu Huang smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Without imperial decree, I can freely Form Transformation. With my talent, I'm afraid my Dao Path is hopeless."

The pigeon nodded and did not reply.

There are too many things that cannot be officially conferred titles, and not everyone can be like him. Working in the Ancestor's Mansion and receiving an official title is a job benefit, and everyone gets one.

The pigeon's body swayed, and after another puff of green smoke, it transformed back into its original form and flew away at great speed, much faster than the Old Ma.

However, while Old Ma can carry people, a pigeon doesn't need to, so it's naturally much faster.

After watching the pigeons leave, Niu Huang opened the letter.

But it says on it:

"Xuanjing is the town, and you are the origin of the god. The joy of retreating is remembered by the people. When bandits, plagues, calamities, and leprosy occur, prayers for relief are answered. People exhaust their minds and bodies, and their wisdom and thoughts are worn out. All living beings have heard of the peaceful and inactive lifestyle. Your duties are related to the mountains, rivers, wind, rain, Yang Energy, and the order of qi. You deserve to be enfeoffed. I hereby bestow upon you the divine tablet to demonstrate your purity and retreat, and to benefit all living beings. I hereby appoint you as the Mountain God."

Niu Huang's eyes widened immediately.

This... this is an imperial edict from the Ancestor's Mansion?!

The Ancestor's Mansion and the Ancestor Temple are not the same. The Ancestor Temple is an archives and personnel management agency, while the Ancestor's Mansion is a legitimate agency with real power. It is the office of the clan members and is also responsible for the internal affairs and statistics of the entire Wushen Mountain.

Having this imperial decree is far more powerful than having Shaman bestow it upon you!

Only...

He immediately realized why he had received this imperial decree, so he knelt down and knelt in submission towards the mountain peak.

Li Qi, sitting on his back, tapped the Ox-Head and said, "You've worshipped in the wrong place. I've always been here. But never mind. From now on, please inform everyone in the mountain about the opening of the cave abode."

After saying that, Li Qi got up and flew back to his cave abode.

Niu Huang was stunned for a moment, then without saying much, he happily kicked off and ran off.

Meanwhile, Li Qi flew back to his cave abode, his heart filled with many emotions.

As for the matter of bestowing titles, he was, after all, just Shaman. If he were to bestow titles, it would be against the rules, and the one who would be created would be a wild god, similar to a weasel that begs for titles.

The weasel's request for a title is essentially a desire for recognition from a spiritual being; if it receives such recognition, it can Form Transformation.

While a self-appointed title is much better than that, it still lacks formal official certification.

Once the official document from the Ancestor's Mansion arrives, I will have an Orthodox God and will no longer be considered a wild god. My Dao Path in the future will be much smoother.

The difference between Orthodox God and wild gods is quite enormous.

Of course, there are already distinctions among the Orthodox God.

The Orthodox God appointed by the Wushen Mountain are the most free, while the Orthodox God appointed by the Tang Dynasty of the Human Path Tang Kingdom hold the most important positions and have the greatest power, but neither can compare to the true Orthodox God of the Heavenly Court, who are the genuine core of the divine path.

The difference between the Orthodox God of Heaven and these other gods is like the difference between Li Qi and an ordinary Shaman. As for those wild gods, that's the difference between Li Qi and a country bumpkin shaman.

However, this is not a place where gods reside, so those who cultivate gods must still abide by the Shaman Path.

Only...

Shaman Path.

Li Qi reached the summit and surveyed the situation at Wushen Mountain.

All things have a spirit, so when he wrote the imperial edict, he used the phrase "living things".

It's true, there are living beings like that.

The boundaries of all things seem to disappear in the Shaman Path.

Humans are part of nature, stones are part of nature, that old turtle is part of nature, and that big tree is naturally part of nature as well.

Their Dao Path of spiritual practice are also different.

The mountain god 'Niu Huang bezoar needs no further explanation; it is a divine being.

The pigeon is a traveler, or Shaman Path.

Those human villagers practiced the most common martial arts.

The old turtle's incomplete method of divination doesn't count as a diviner; it only possesses a portion of the power, but it is still a Shaman Path. Moreover, since he is a turtle, he can use his shell as a vessel, so his divination skills are not bad.

That old tree, and those weasels, are demons.

That giant rock, before it had even entered the Dao, was still ignorant and confused, but it had already been given sentience by the powerful Heaven and Earth Great Source.

Just like the Human Path Chang'an.

The territory of Wushen Mountain is also so magical.

If Chang'an is absolutely orderly, developed, and powerful, possessing the grandeur of a 'Capital of Ten Thousand Worlds', then Wushen Mountain appears even more wondrous.

All life seems to have blurred boundaries.

Life itself has no boundaries. Here, a chair may be alive, a stone may be alive, and no one is a tool, just someone in a different position.

From Human Path perspective, using a broom as a tool is perfectly reasonable; isn't a broom a tool?

But what if the broom gained sentience? What if it came to life? Would it then be a tool, or something else entirely?

Eating wild boar is a form of positioning, as are other interactions.

In Chang'an and at Wushen Mountain, Li Qi saw two completely different answers.

Is this the territory of the Shaman Path, and what scenery can be seen here?

Compared to Chang'an's 'Capital of Ten Thousand Worlds,' which was so magnificent and splendid, with even the floor paved with Law Treasure, Wushen Mountain seemed so backward.

But... are we really lagging behind?

Li Qi walked down from the mountaintop and asked the mouse beside him, "Are you full?"

The mouse suddenly spoke in human language, nervously saying, "Replying to senior, I'm... I'm full."

"So, what are you going to do next?"

The mouse replied hastily, "I... I just ate some fruit, and I need to go far away to pull it out and plant it."