The sight of the Hundred Beasts Worshiping the Moon was simply unheard of.
Never mind how these beasts managed to make movements like humans. Just the fact that they could suppress their instincts and coexist so harmoniously was something that should have been impossible.
When rabbits saw foxes, weasels, and the like, not running away would have been one thing—but how could they possibly stand there woodenly without moving?
Yet this incredible scene had unfolded right before their eyes.
Because Wang Dazhu and Zhou Niu were far away, and too many animals in front blocked their view, they failed to notice that on the distant mountaintop, where these animals were facing, there was actually a snake as well.
The animals appeared to be worshiping the moon, but in reality, they were worshiping Ye Qin.
It was just that the mountain was too high and Ye Qin too small, so they could not see him clearly from such a distance.
If they had known, they would have been even more horrified.
Wang Dazhu could not help rubbing his eyes. The scene tonight had utterly overturned his worldview.
"Brother Zhou, could we be hallucinating?"
Zhou Niu's expression was grim. "How could the two of us hallucinate at the same time?"
If it really was a hallucination, it was far too realistic.
Neither of them noticed that a shadow seemed to flicker in the tree directly above their heads.
Zhou Niu sensed something and instinctively looked up. Countless pairs of ghostly green eyes suddenly lit up among the treetops.
The scene was something he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Countless night owls stood on the treetops, staring wide-eyed at the two of them.
The color drained from both men's faces. They finally understood why they had not seen a single night owl earlier—it turned out that they had all gathered here.
Even the boldest person would probably have felt their flesh creep at the sight before them.
The night owls, usually dull-looking, now seemed exceptionally terrifying. Countless pairs of eyes stared fixedly at them.
Wang Dazhu was so frightened that his whole body nearly went limp. Zhou Niu's lips trembled as he desperately yanked him up by the hand. "Run, run!"
The two of them scrambled away on all fours and sprinted for their lives. As it happened, their misfortune had brought them good fortune. Their frantic, directionless flight truly led them to a path.
When they saw the familiar village not far away in the darkness, they felt as though they had survived a calamity.
The two of them nearly burst into tears of joy.
They had only just reached the foot of the mountain when they ran into the village chief and more than a dozen familiar villagers approaching with flashlights.
It turned out that all the villagers who had gone drinking with them had already returned. Only these two were missing. Since it was so late and they were worried that something had happened, they had come out to search for them.
They had not expected to run into them so conveniently.
Seeing the two men covered in dust, the village chief asked, "What happened to you two? Why are you rushing around like ghosts are chasing you?"
The two of them looked at the village chief and the others as though they had seen their own family.
"Chief, you have no idea! We encountered something even more terrifying than ghosts!"
The flashlight beams dispelled some of their unease and fear. Zhou Niu and Wang Dazhu chattered over each other as they recounted everything they had just experienced.
The village chief and several villagers exchanged glances. As soon as they approached, they had smelled the heavy stench of alcohol on the two men. Seeing their flushed faces, they wore suspicious expressions.
"The Hundred Beasts Worshiping the Moon? I think the two of you just drank yourselves silly. If you'd eaten a few more dishes of peanuts, you wouldn't have gotten this drunk."
The village chief and the others did not believe them at all, and Wang Dazhu immediately grew anxious.
"Chief, we're telling the truth! All those rabbits, foxes, and other animals were standing together. You should've seen it—it looked terrifying! And there were countless night owls staring down at us!"
The village chief wore an expression that said, I'll just sit here and watch you make this up.
"Very good. Very well told. Don't tell it again next time. Dazhu, how did I never realize you had such a vivid imagination?"
What Zhou Niu and Wang Dazhu said sounded extremely genuine. Though their words were somewhat incoherent, their expressions did not look as though they were joking.
The village chief and the others were half-convinced. However, they had lived at the foot of this mountain for most of their lives and had often entered the mountains, yet they had never seen or heard of anything like this.
There were plenty of folk tales, but honestly, they were all false. Most were used to frighten children or for idle chatter in the village. From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever actually encountered such a thing.
"Since you make it sound so eerie, take us there and let us see whether there really are beasts worshiping the moon."
Wang Dazhu was somewhat frightened. "Maybe we should forget it. I'm a little scared. Those animals looked awfully sinister."
The village chief could not help rolling his eyes. "Just look at how cowardly you are. They're all small animals—what are you afraid of? Besides, we're all here. Do you really think those weasels and foxes could eat you?"
Besides, this part of the mountain was close to the village, and no particularly large wild animals appeared there. They were basically all hidden deep in the mountains. With so many of them together, any animals they encountered would likely avoid them.
The other villagers laughed and teased them. "How could it be as supernatural as you say? Dazhu, you two just drank too much and started bragging. Those animals couldn't possibly have become spirits, let alone worship the moon."
Wang Dazhu and Zhou Niu grew angry when they saw the villagers doubting them.
"Fine, we'll go! Who's afraid of whom?"
With so many of them, surely nothing would go wrong.
Everyone once again headed up the mountain together. Relying on their memories, the two men searched their way through, and they really did find the place.
Seeing the familiar scenery and path, Zhou Niu and Wang Dazhu exchanged a glance and unconsciously lowered their voices. "A few more steps. There's a patch of bushes ahead. Once we push them aside, you'll be able to see it."
The entire way was frighteningly quiet. There were no insect chirps or birdcalls, exactly as Zhou Niu and Wang Dazhu had described at the beginning. They did not even see a single night owl.
Although the villagers also felt that it was far too quiet, they did not think much of it. They still remained skeptical of the two men's earlier claims.
However, influenced by their surroundings, they lightened their steps as well and slowly parted the bushes before them.
Everyone stood dumbfounded. They stared at the scene before them in disbelief, their eyes wide and their expressions all exactly alike.
Many small animals had gathered there, gazing up at the sky. Animals such as weasels could stand upright, so their forelegs were slightly bent at this moment.
The animals that could not stand upright were sitting on the ground, their heads tilted up toward the sky.
Everything was exactly as Zhou Niu and the others had described, without the slightest exaggeration.
"I can't believe it really looks like they're worshiping the moon!"
"My goodness, this is too amazing! Why have so many animals gathered here?"
Even Zhou Niu and Wang Dazhu were still indescribably shaken the second time they saw it.
"See? I told you we weren't lying."
This time, the village chief and the others finally believed them.
It was probably because they had brought too many people this time and made too much noise.
Those small animals seemed to notice their presence.
"Whoosh—"
In an instant, every animal turned its head in unison, eerie light gleaming in its beastly eyes.
The animals themselves were perfectly normal, but when so many of them gathered together and stared at you, the scene became rather strange.
At the sight, everyone's scalp went numb.
Although they were all small animals and could not cause them much harm, the group led by Zhou Niu still could not control the fear rising within them.
Even ants could bring down an elephant, and it was the unknown that was truly the most terrifying.
Everyone instinctively retreated several steps. The bushes in front of them fell back into place, blocking those eerie gazes.
But the intense sensation of being watched did not diminish. Instead, it grew stronger.
When they looked up again, everyone saw the densely packed night owls in the trees, staring at them without blinking.
The group fled in disarray. Only after they had run a good distance away did they dare look back. The scenery had already vanished, yet it was etched deeply into their minds.
Thinking of the bizarre scene from moments ago, no one dared remain there any longer. They hurried down the mountain.
I accidentally wrote "torches" instead of "flashlights." Too much fantasy writing. It has been corrected.
(The chapter ends.)