Welcome the River God

The water was silent, with only a few fish visible near the riverbank, though none dared approach River God Village.

As the sun set, the river lay as calm as a mirror, undisturbed.

Li Mo sat in the Ancestral Hall with his eyes closed, resting. Water Spiritual Qi seeped into his body through his mouth and nose, most of it absorbed by the protective layer of his Multi-layered Dantian, while a small amount condensed into a Low-grade Spirit Stone in his chest.

He couldn't help but feel helpless—cultivation truly required finding the right place.

The Misty Spiritual Energy in River God Village was pitifully scarce.

Even if Li Mo couldn't fully grasp the workings of River God Village, he had no intention of staying long.

After all, meditating here was nearly futile, at most strengthening the Dantian's protective layer. He might as well focus his efforts on the Spiritual Root Transformation of his internal organs.

Li Mo waited for a long time, and the night gradually deepened.

Moonlight seeped through the window along the river's flow, wrapping the Ancestral Hall in a blue glow. A few withered duckweed leaves drifted past him.

As long as Li Mo didn't maintain his focus, the illusions would affect his perception, and River God Village would revert to its ordinary, unremarkable appearance.

But he hadn't been idle during his meditation.

Specks of dust had already drifted with the current, scattering across various parts of the river.

Miasma Spiritual Power was versatile—even after leaving Li Mo's body, it could persist in the outside world for an hour or two without fading.

Li Mo opened his eyes and muttered to himself, "It's here."

"Clang-dong-clang, clang-dong-clang-dong-clang-dong-clang..."

At the same time, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly rang out in the water, and lantern after lantern emitted a fiery red glow.

Soon, villagers began leaving their houses, their faces still painted with heavy makeup, looking as festive as if they were welcoming the New Year.

They danced as they gathered toward the village entrance.

"Welcome the River God, welcome the River God!!!"

Wang Baoshan, wearing an awkward Big-headed Doll Mask, shook his body violently, churning the surrounding river water into mud.

"Huh?"

Li Mo's expression turned subtle, because he noticed five people in lion dance costumes quickly leaving their homes and joining the celebratory procession.

When the villagers bent down, they transformed into a spirited beast—a "Waking Lion"—prancing with head raised and tail wagging, advancing toward the Ancestral Hall amid the crowd's escort.

The Waking Lion resembled a Tiger Beast in appearance, but instead of the usual two-person team, it was made up of five.

The fiery red, ruffled costumes formed the lion's legs, while the villager holding the lion head acted as the beast's head, mimicking every movement of a wild animal.

Li Mo licked his lips.

He hadn't expected that Zombie Ghosts could borrow the power of the Mountain Lord Bizarre Beast.

Li Mo activated Paint Green Clothes. The Ghost Tiger poked its head out from the shadows of the Ancestral Hall, allowing him to climb onto its back before slipping out through the window.

The lion dance continued.

Now it was time for Wang Baoshan to deliver the Blessing Speech.

Wang Baoshan's face was filled with sorrow, as if he were about to face death. He tied a Red Rope around the lion's head and shouted loudly.

"My Sworn Brother asks me what hour it is—the hexagram Kan points to Jia Yin."

"Born in the seventh month, on the twenty-fifth day of autumn, at the hours of Zi and Chou—Geng Shen, a hair's breadth off."

"The Five Directions Brothers have all arrived."

"HEH!!"

The five men playing the Waking Lion responded with hoarse, desperate cries, their movements growing more forceful, as if pouring their very lives into the act.

Wang Baoshan walked to the door of the Ancestral Hall with strange, unsteady steps.

In a daze, he saw the makeshift temple fair on the hilltop, the reverent gazes of the watching children, and the nostalgic expressions of the elderly.

"My Sworn Brother asks me—where does the lion come from?"

The villager holding the lion head answered in a trembling voice: "The lion comes from River God Village—nine layers of stone, nine layers of mountain, a name passed down for ten thousand years."

His voice grew increasingly blurred, and his hands shook uncontrollably. Though the lion head was made of cloth, countless Flesh Roots began to sprout from it.

The Flesh Roots pierced into the villager's neck. The lion head came alive—its hollow eyes turned vicious, sharp teeth grew from its mouth, and a Barbed Tongue emerged.

Wang Baoshan's voice was mournful as he cried out, "Farewell to the Five Directions Brothers!!!"

Screams rang out without end.

The Waking Lion fully activated, transforming into a Green-eyed, Red-striped Mountain Lord, moving through the water in an eerily unnatural posture.

It tried to break free from the Red Rope's restraint, but Wang Baoshan remained unmoved.

With a single tug of the Red Rope, the lion writhed in pain. After several attempts, it no longer dared to bare its fangs.

"Zi Shi has come, Zi Shi has come..."

Wang Baoshan, utterly dejected, led the lion and tied it to the withered tree outside the Ancestral Hall. In an instant, he seemed to have aged a dozen years.

The villagers' gongs and drums still hadn't stopped—but now, they were bidding farewell to their companions.

The Waking Lion opened its mouth to spit out bubbles, sweeping the villagers with a venomous glare as its limbs strained to break free of the Red Rope—but to no avail.

"This Humble One has delivered the Sinister Beast for you, True Man."

Wang Baoshan pushed open the doors of the Ancestral Hall, only to find it completely empty inside.

He fell into a brief daze, muttering under his breath in a sound that was neither crying nor laughing, reciting the Blessing Speech from the Lion Dance.

The instruments stopped abruptly, and the villagers stood frozen in confusion.

"Elder Wang, why bother?"

Li Mo's voice came from the corner of the wall behind the Ancestral Hall, but only his words were heard—his figure unseen.

Carried by the Ghost Tiger on a full circuit around River God Village, he had already figured out the cause and effect.

Wang Baoshan, as if clutching at a lifeline, knelt and said, "True Man, the demon has been delivered. You need only take its head to settle the account."

"And the true body?"

Wang Baoshan's face turned pale as he hastily explained, "True Man, we've been trapped here by the demon, unable to move. If not for being able to catch fish, we wouldn't have lasted this long."

"But once the demon emerges, we are but mortal flesh and blood—the entire River God Village would surely be destroyed."

Li Mo sighed. "Elder Wang, how long have you been trapped here?"

"It's... been about two years."

Li Mo made no comment. From the skeletal remains he had investigated, it was far more than two years—the villagers had likely become Zombie Ghosts nearly a decade ago.

"So whenever a True Man arrives, you summon the Mountain Lord's demonic proxy, letting the True Man return to the Yamen to report success?"

"This humble one deserves death, deserves death..."

Wang Baoshan tried to kowtow in apology, but his body was held up by Miasma Spiritual Power.

"It's alright, Elder Wang. You've all been far too weary."

Li Mo withdrew the Ghost Tiger and stepped out from the shadows, a tuft of Tiger Hair clutched in his hand. His tone was calm as he said, "Elder Wang, have you heard of Zombie Ghosts?"

"Of course—they say they're souls transformed after being slain by the Mountain Lord..."

Wang Baoshan opened his mouth, muttering in disbelief, "Zombie Ghosts."

He understood what Li Mo meant, and his legs gave way, collapsing to the ground.

Forgotten memories flashed through his mind. It seemed that ten years ago, River God Village had already been wiped out under the Mountain Lord demon's assault.

Wang Baoshan realized how absurd his stubborn defense of the village had been—merely the obsession of a Zombie Ghost unwilling to accept death.

He let go, saying, "True Man, we..."

Li Mo cut him off with a smile. "I was born in Niu Family Village. I've heard that every five years during the Spring Festival, you go to the Morning Market to perform the Lion Dance. Would I be fortunate enough to see it?"