Hundred Beasts Worshiping the Moon

Chapter 38: Hundred Beasts Worshiping the Moon

All living things possess spirits. Although they haven't attained sentience, they are drawn here by instinct.

Ye Qin didn't drive away these creatures because they had no impact on his cultivation. Once he finished, the animals would leave on their own, so he simply let them be.

The sky showed a hint of dawn, and the mountains welcomed the first rays of morning light. The light fell upon the stones at the highest elevation, which had been bathed in Moon Essence, and began to receive the cleansing and washing of sunlight.

At this moment, Ye Qin had already returned to his cave to rest. The animals had also vanished without a trace, leaving no sign of the previous night's spectacle.

The mountaintops were often shrouded in white mist. Amidst the rosy dawn clouds, the mist swirled. As the sun gradually rose, the sea of clouds churned, contrasting with the azure sky, resembling a masterpiece by a renowned artist. With a single stroke, it became the most exquisite sunrise painting.

Golden light enveloped the continuous mountain ranges. Amidst the radiant glow, it resembled dragon scales, emitting a brilliant luster. Even the nearby village was adorned with special colors.

Longyuan Village was located about a hundred meters from the foot of the mountain. Not far away was a large lake. Nestled between the mountains and beside the water, coupled with the favorable geography and climate, it was a picturesque location.

Despite its remote location, many people resided here, with nearly a hundred households. While it couldn't compare to the prosperity of a metropolis, each person had their own unique way of life.

Wang Dazhu and Zhou Niu were returning from a wedding banquet in a neighboring village. To take a shortcut, they chose a small mountain path.

Both men had drunk too much, and their progress was slow. By the time they came to their senses, it was already getting dark.

It was evening, and night had fallen again.

Zhou Niu tugged at Wang Dazhu, "We need to hurry. If we're any later, we won't be able to see the path."

It could be said that the villagers in this area, from the moment they could walk, had been running and playing all over the mountains.

However, the mountains at night were quite dangerous. Not to mention encountering venomous insects and snakes, it would be perilous if they accidentally ran into medium to large carnivorous animals.

Zhou Niu let out a drunken burp, "Brother Wang, did you take the wrong road? I feel like we've just been going in circles here."

Wang Dazhu scratched his head. "No way. I walked this path just a few months ago, so I shouldn't be mistaken. If we keep heading west, we should be able to get out."

As night unfurled, a full moon hung high in the sky, casting its silvery glow and illuminating the path through the mountains and fields. The two could barely make out their direction, preventing them from being completely lost.

Zhou Niu looked up at the moon. "It's a good thing there's a moon tonight. Our phones are dead, otherwise, we'd truly be walking blind."

Wang Dazhu found it a bit strange. "It's not the fifteenth of August today, so why is the moon suddenly so round? It looks like the big flatbread in my pot."

As he spoke, he wiped away some drool from the corner of his mouth.

Zhou Niu couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You ate so much braised pork knuckle at the meal just now, and you're still thinking about it?"

Wang Dazhu chuckled and patted his belly. "Well, we've been walking on this mountain path for quite a while, and it's all been digested. But that braised pork knuckle tasted really good."

The two walked on, one step after another. "But speaking of which, have you noticed that the moon is brighter than usual today?"

Precisely because of this, the surrounding environment didn't seem as dim. Mountain folk were accustomed to walking at night and didn't feel scared.

"And why is it so quiet today?"

Zhou Niu surveyed their surroundings. Normally, there would be the chirping of insects and birds, especially the croaking of frogs and the buzzing of cicadas, occasionally mixed with the calls of night owls.

But now, there was no sound at all. It was eerily quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps, which felt quite unsettling.

Although many animals were already resting, for some nocturnal creatures, this was precisely the time when they were most active.

Hearing Zhou Niu's comment, Wang Dazhu also felt puzzled and looked up at the sky. "That's right. When I used to walk at night, I always saw night owls flying by. Why aren't there any now?"

In the countryside, people commonly referred to owls as "night owls."

It seemed as if all the creatures on the mountain had fallen into a deep sleep. Not even a single Field Mouse, which was active at night, could be found. It was as if all these animals had hidden themselves away.

The overly quiet environment made them feel somewhat uncomfortable. Although Wang Dazhu and Zhou Niu didn't believe in supernatural stories, they felt something unusual was happening at this moment.

"Forget it, let's just hurry up. I have a feeling the mountains are a bit strange today."

Wang Dazhu, being rather carefree, didn't overthink it.

The two quickened their pace, but they didn't realize that the path they were taking was gradually changing, leading them towards the highest elevation.

Zhou Niu frowned. "Logically, we should have reached the foot of the mountain by now. Why are we still here? Could we have gotten lost again?"

Wang Dazhu, however, seemed to have spotted something. He beckoned to Zhou Niu. "Brother Zhou, come over and take a look. There seems to be something ahead."

The area ahead was indistinct. Zhou Niu pushed aside the bushes in front of him. However, upon seeing the scene before them, their pupils constricted sharply, and they froze on the spot.

Wang Dazhu gasped, about to exclaim in surprise, but Zhou Niu quickly covered his mouth. His eyes were wide open, and his face had changed dramatically.

The two leaned against a large tree, their breathing becoming heavy.

It made one wonder what they had seen!

Wang Dazhu lowered his voice. "Brother Zhou, did we just hallucinate? Why are so many animals gathered together?"

Zhou Niu shook his head, unsure if he had drunk too much.

He took a deep breath and pushed aside the bushes in front of him again.

Under the moonlight overhead, they could see more clearly this time.

They saw that the area not far away was filled with dense crowds of wild animals, stretching as far as the eye could see.

They were all small animals like Field Mice, rabbits, weasels, and foxes.

Although these animals were small in size, their sheer numbers were overwhelming.

Among these animals, many were natural enemies.

The fox and the rabbit stood together!

There were also weasels and field mice. Although they all had the character for "mouse" in their names, making them sound like relatives, they were completely unrelated. In fact, field mice were on the weasel's menu.

But that wasn't the most important thing.

The most important thing was that all the animals were maintaining the same posture!

Wang Dazhu swallowed hard, feeling as though his throat was on fire, incredibly dry. He spoke in disbelief, "Brother Zhou, do you think these animals look like they're..."

He couldn't finish the sentence.

Zhou Niu's face was ashen, large beads of sweat forming on his forehead and splattering onto the ground. He clearly understood what Wang Dazhu meant.

The animals' upper bodies were all erect, their forelimbs slightly bent. From their perspective, it looked as if... as if they were worshipping the moon!

Hundred Beasts Worshiping the Moon!

The sight sent shivers down their spines.

When the night mountain breeze blew, the two couldn't help but shiver, realizing their backs were already soaked with cold sweat.