"I heard the Mountain Lord here is seeking a Temple Tablet. He probably wants to become an Earth God. And because the celestial immortals are especially strict with monsters and ghosts, while the Imperial Court is also especially wary of them, the Mountain Lord has been particularly cautious lately. He was probably sniffing you to see whether you carried any Evil Qi and Fiendish Qi, or Impure and Mixed Qi."
The old Taoist smiled as he spoke to the two of them.
"No need to worry."
Lin Jue nodded and murmured an acknowledgment. The girl listened obediently without saying a word and continued walking.
There was no path here anymore. Grass grew everywhere, and when they set down a foot, they had no idea whether there might be a pit or a rock beneath it. The going was extremely difficult.
Lin Jue scrambled and crawled, struggling to keep up.
From time to time, he even had to reach out and pull the girl along.
The old Taoist, meanwhile, walked as if on level ground.
At last, the wild boar led them to the mountaintop.
"Grr..."
The wild boar gave a low growl, turned, and left.
Lin Jue climbed to the very top, still pulling the girl up behind him. When he straightened and looked ahead, his heart gave a jolt.
They were already atop a range of mountains, with an expansive view. Mountains and rivers in every direction lay beneath them; only the sky and White Cloud still hung overhead. And on this lofty mountain was a flat stretch of ground. It was not very spacious, but there were a few ancient pines and a patch of grass, and a banquet was already beginning to take shape.
Monsters. So many monsters.
A monkey sat in an ancient pine ahead. Judging by its appearance alone, it was just an ordinary monkey, except perhaps a little cleaner. But its bearing and expression were far too dignified. It sat cross-legged on the pine with its eyes closed. Even without displaying any other strange signs, it was clear that it was no ordinary creature.
Only when it saw them approaching did it open its eyes.
On the silken grass to Lin Jue's right, a leopard sat while a wild deer stood beside it. They were huddled together, their heads close, as though talking about something.
They, too, turned their heads only after noticing the group.
To his left was a Great Serpent, coiled in the shade cast by the canopy of an ancient pine. It flicked its tongue and silently watched them approach, its vertical pupils looking especially cold.
There were also sparrowhawks, civet cats, and pangolins, as well as golden eagles, yellow oxen, and a great Black Bear.
They all looked like birds and beasts. Some differed in size from their ordinary counterparts, while others looked exactly the same. But even among those that looked identical, one could generally tell they were monsters from their expressions.
They had more or less formed a circle.
At the very front stood a granite boulder, a little taller than a person, like a seat for the Mountain Lord. Sitting atop it was the only monster that looked human—
A burly, dark-skinned man with a black wild boar's head and a chest thick with bristles.
The scene was so fantastical that Lin Jue's eyes widened.
And because this was the summit of a mountain range, not a deep, dark forest, it was already bright rather than gloomy. The sun had not yet set, and the summer sunlight still blazed down. With the blue sky and white clouds hanging overhead, the scene did not seem eerie at all. Instead, thanks to the orderliness of it all, there was even something solemn about it.
As for this Mountain Lord...
Did he seem to be a wild boar that had gained spiritual awareness?
Right, there were no tigers in this area. The so-called Mountain Lord was naturally whoever had attained the highest level of cultivation.
Lin Jue could not help turning to look at the old Taoist and the girl. The old Taoist still looked as composed as ever, as if he had seen such scenes many times. The girl was so frightened her eyes had widened and her face had gone pale, but she kept her mouth tightly shut and still did not make a sound.
"More guests have arrived?"
The Mountain Lord, seated at the head of the gathering, beckoned and spoke in a deep, resonant voice. "Make room for our guests, everyone."
The deer and leopard nearest Lin Jue's group immediately shuffled aside. The Great Serpent watched them coldly and moved over too, though it seemed unwilling to sit in the sunlight, for it only shifted to the edge of the shade.
Lin Jue paused briefly, then went over and sat down.
The old Taoist came over and sat cross-legged beside him.
Next came the girl. She walked between the two men, still doing her best to stay calm. But when she tried to sit down, her legs suddenly gave out, and she fell to the ground with a thump.
"Swish..."
It was quiet just then. The moment she fell, all the mountain spirits and wild monsters turned their heads in unison, dozens of different eyes fixed on her.
"!"
Though her legs had gone weak, the girl was clever enough to keep her mouth shut. She simply lowered her head and stared at the grass beneath her.
Lin Jue felt tense as well.
He did not know whether these mountain monsters and ghosts had any special customs. At any rate, even among people, it was impolite to visit someone as a guest and act terrified of the host.
"Fellow Daoists, don't be alarmed. This is the disciple I recently took in. She hasn't started cultivating yet, and after climbing all this way, her legs have gone weak." The old Taoist chuckled, drawing out his words. "You can only blame the Mountain Lord for setting his dojo so high. It's just like his lofty aspirations—perched among the clouds with the immortals, beyond the reach of ordinary people."
As soon as the Mountain Lord heard this, he was delighted and burst into laughter.
"Are our guests people we already know?"
"This poor Daoist is He Xianyu, Daoist name Cloud Crane Taoist. I've been cultivating in the mountains far away. Now that I'm old and likely have only a few years left, I thought I'd go see an old friend one last time while I can still walk." The old Taoist straightened the hem of his robe. "To meet the Mountain Lord here is fate as well."
"I'm Lin Jue. I've always been fascinated by tales of immortals and other marvels. I happened to hear that the Mountain Lord was holding a banquet here, so I took the liberty of coming to see it for myself."
"Fate is good! Fate is best!" The Mountain Lord was quite welcoming, and seemed honest and hearty in nature. After speaking, he looked down the slope. "Are there any other guests who haven't arrived?"
A sudden rustling rose from the grass.
A wild boar ran off to investigate.
An eagle already seated among the guests flapped its wings, raising a fierce gust. It lifted two or three zhang into the air, circled once, and landed again. Then it spoke, its voice a contradictory mix of roughness and shrillness.
"No one else is coming up the mountain."
"Daoist Eagle certainly has sharp eyes! In that case, let's prepare to begin the banquet!"
"I have a treasure to present to the Mountain Lord."
The monkey in the ancient pine immediately spoke, then leapt down from the tree. Cradling a bright red fruit, it walked straight to the granite boulder where the Mountain Lord sat and respectfully placed the fruit beneath it.
"Some time ago, I caught a Thousand-Year Ginseng. I've brought it to give to the Mountain Lord as well."
"I have something too..."
The monsters and ghosts came forward one by one, presenting the gifts they had brought.
Some spoke in human language. Others seemed unable to speak, and instead carried all sorts of rare treasures in their mouths or claws. They placed them beneath the stone slab, bowed to the Mountain Lord, and then returned to their seats.
The scene grew ever more fantastical.
At last, only Lin Jue and the other two remained.
"This poor Daoist heard that the Mountain Lord is seeking the Incense Godhood Path, so I brought him a jug of divine water from Danxia Well with my disciple."
"Hm?"
Some seemed not to know what it was, their voices full of confusion. Others appeared to know that the water was precious, and sounded mostly surprised.
The Mountain Lord was among the latter, and was deeply astonished.
After his surprise came great delight. He repeatedly thanked them for their generosity and treated the old Taoist almost like an honored guest.
"I happened to obtain a few pieces of Peach Gum, given to me by a peach tree with spiritual cultivation. I'll present them to the Mountain Lord as well."
At last, it was Lin Jue's turn, holding out the Peach Gum.
This caused little reaction.
But no one made any snide remarks, either.
By now, the sun had gradually reached the horizon, almost touching the distant mountain ridge. At the Mountain Lord's wave, a group of macaques immediately climbed up, all carrying food.
Some brought a rabbit, some half a lamb, some a bundle of fine fodder, and some a heap of fruit. There was a great variety.
Another group of macaques worked together to carry up several wine jars, while others brought firewood and piled it up.
Lin Jue watched without blinking.
The wine jars were opened. Inside was a turquoise liquid, somewhat viscous, giving off a rich wine-and-fruit fragrance.
Then the last macaque, which seemed a little different from the others, came up carrying flint. It bent down and struck away for a long time, fiddling with it until it finally lit the firewood into a bonfire.
No wonder he was the Mountain Lord, needing so many macaques.
Could it be that every macaque on the entire mountain was here?
Did these monsters not know Spit Fire or other fire-starting techniques? Or did they think lighting a fire themselves would be beneath their dignity, so they sat back and let the macaque do it?
Lin Jue pondered this.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the girl had also recovered from her fear. Like him, she was now staring at everything around her, deep in thought.
He had no idea what she was thinking.
As if sensing his gaze, the girl suddenly turned her head and looked at him. Her eyes were clear, and her expression plainly showed confusion.
"..."
Lin Jue smiled and looked away.
He saw that a banana leaf had already been placed before him, piled with a handful of raspberries and a handful of ground figs. The raspberries were very large, each nearly as big as a thumb, dark red and bright. They were the sort that would make the children of Shu Village cry out in delight if they happened upon them while playing or working on the mountain. The ground figs were about the same size, and each one was a choice specimen, the kind of fruit you might not find even one of in a whole basketful.
There were also a few peaches and plums, along with a few loquats. All were in season and looked excellent.
The aroma of the fruit had already wafted over, mingling with the fragrance of wine from the jars and making one feel intoxicated.
Lin Jue did not behave impolitely. Instead, he first looked to the side.
The old Taoist and the girl had the same food in front of them.
So did the monkey from the ancient pine.
It seemed the treatment of the three of them had been modeled on that given to this Monkey Demon.
As for the fodder, raw meat, and fish, those were provided to different spirits and monsters, with each guest's own kind carefully avoided.
"How thoughtful..."
Lin Jue murmured to himself.
But few of the spirits and monsters were paying attention to their food as he was. Almost all of them were looking at the wine jars in the middle of the clearing.
"Oh! My Thousand Day Wine is brewed once every ten years. Today's the first batch!"
The Mountain Lord rose lazily. He wore a coarse-cloth robe, with a vine for a belt. His clothes were very simple, but suited his rugged appearance.
He strode to the center of the clearing, in front of the wine jars, and reached to his waist. He took out two small bottles, one black and one white.
"Since I've invited everyone to this banquet, I naturally have to add the Sun Moon Essence of Heaven and Earth."
"Boom..."
The monsters could no longer keep up their composure. Their animal natures came out: some craned their necks and stared at the bottles in his hands, while others grew restless, pacing in place or sitting on pins and needles, scratching their ears and cheeks.
The Mountain Lord turned his wrists.
He tipped one bottle, and something flowed out like molten rock, glowing with scorching light like the setting sun.
He poured it into a wine jar.
The contents of the other bottle were like black satin. In the darkness, countless points of light shone like the Milky Way hanging upside down across the heavens. He poured that into the same wine jar as well.
"..."
The wine's fragrance was suddenly joined by another, wonderfully strange scent.
It seemed this scent was not perceived by the nose alone. It was not a sensation detected by any single organ, but a nourishment that reached deeper. Just having its fragrant air drift over made one feel comfortable, so the sweetness one smelled was more like a deeper kind of delight.
The Mountain Lord personally ladled out the wine into bamboo cups, then handed them to the macaques, who carried each cup to a guest.
As they walked, the macaques could not help repeatedly sniffing. The contents of the cups were an immense temptation to their instincts, but the Mountain Lord's authority urged them to keep serving. They had no choice but to compromise and savor the wine's spiritual resonance in this way. By the time they reached the guests at the far end, every one of them was walking on unsteady legs.
A cup was placed in front of Lin Jue as well.
The wine was turquoise and a little viscous, with impurities in it, like tiny black ants. Countless fine grains glittered faintly like stars, while firelight swirled through them like the sunset on the horizon.
Lin Jue lowered his head, and his reflection appeared in the wine.
He still felt that none of this was quite real.
The Mountain Lord holding a banquet, spirits and monsters attending, presenting treasures and sharing wine—it was like one of those tales of the strange told by village elders. He had never expected such wondrous things to truly exist in the world.
And he was at the banquet.
Before you continue