Willow Deity

"My hand slipped. Just a slip of the hand."

Shi Hou gave an awkward chuckle and shook his hand. The wind scattered the fine stone powder in a drifting cloud, making Ermeng cough beside him.

A deathly silence fell over the gathering.

Slipped, my fucking ass!

Whose hand slipped hard enough to grind a granite cauldron weighing over a thousand jin into dust? That thing was harder than a vicious beast's skull!

"Skinny Monkey!"

An iron-vise hand suddenly clamped around Shi Hou's arm. Shi Shoushan's eyes were bloodshot as he stared fixedly at his son, pressing and squeezing the bones in his arm so hard that even his voice changed pitch.

"Tell me the truth. Your bones... aren't broken?"

Beyond the worry in his eyes lay an even deeper fear, as though his own son had suddenly become a stranger.

"Dad, ease up. You're hurting me." Shi Hou grimaced. Though explosive power filled his entire body, outwardly he was still that same scrawny boy.

Five thousand jin of blood-and-qi strength lay dormant within him, immovable as a mountain when still, capable of bringing mountains crashing down and splitting the earth when unleashed.

"This isn't freakish strength."

The clan chief, Shi Yunfeng, tottered over and crouched down. He pinched up a little stone powder and sniffed it, and his clouded old eyes suddenly blazed.

"It's vital essence! The vital essence in that pot of soup was too overpowering. Skinny Monkey's body couldn't contain it, and the escaping force shook the stone until it crumbled!"

So he had eaten his way to this strength!

Understanding dawned on everyone. When they looked at Shi Hou again, their gazes had changed completely, their fear replaced by unconcealable fervor.

One bowl of soup had such miraculous effects. If they drank it every day... Stone Village's future would be beyond imagining!

"But this pot..." Shi Linhu stared at the Stone Pot, which had returned to its plain, unassuming form and was hanging beside Shi Hou's ear again. His expression was grave. "Its origins are far too strange. Who knows whether it brings fortune or disaster?"

"Ask the Sacrificial Spirit!"

Shi Yunfeng made his decision at once, striking his cane hard against the ground. "This concerns our clan's rise or fall. Everyone, come with me to pay homage to the Willow Deity!"

Shi Hou's heart lurched.

Shit.

I could fool the villagers, but the Willow Deity was a towering Immortal King. Before her, I probably couldn't even keep my underwear hidden, let alone these little secrets.

Before he could find an excuse, Shi Shoushan hoisted him onto his shoulder and strode toward the village entrance without allowing a word of protest.

At the village entrance, beneath the charred lightning-struck wood, all the villagers knelt with solemn expressions.

Shi Hao knelt at the very front, his little back straight as a rod.

"Honored Sacrificial Spirit above."

Shi Yunfeng spoke reverently. "Today, a child of our clan, Shi Hou, obtained a wondrous treasure, a stone pot. By performing the Primordial Sacrificial Dance, he can cook spiritual food that strengthens blood and qi. This object's origins are unknown, and we fear it may carry great karmic entanglements. We humbly beseech you to dispel our doubts!"

As his words faded, the wind stopped.

The insects nearby, the beasts roaring in the distance, even everyone's heartbeats-all their sounds vanished eerily at that moment.

It was as though someone had pressed a mute button on the entire world.

The only thing still moving was that emerald willow branch. Its soft glow grew brighter and brighter as an indescribably vast will slowly descended.

Shi Hou felt as though an invisible mountain had settled on his soul. Instinctively, he bowed his head even lower and clenched his teeth, the muscles in his back tightening like solid stone.

Don't kill me, don't kill me. I'm just a cook. I wouldn't hurt a soul...

That will lingered over him for a long time, as though piercing space and time to see that his soul came from another world. It also swept over the knife and pot beside his ear.

At last, a gentle, ancient divine thought sounded in everyone's heart.

"An object not of this realm."

Shi Yunfeng jerked his head up, his face deathly pale. "Could it be... an object of great evil?"

Shi Hou's heart nearly stopped. I'm done for!

Yet the Willow Deity's divine thought sounded again.

"There is no baleful aura. Instead, there is a trace of... lingering warmth from ages past."

"It does not belong to this age."

The villagers were lost in a fog of bewilderment.

Only Shi Hou suddenly unclenched his tightly balled fists upon hearing those words.

"Honored Sacrificial Spirit!"

Shi Shoushan urgently kowtowed. "Then will this object harm Skinny Monkey or Little One?"

The willow branch swayed gently, scattering drops of green light that fell on Shi Hou and Shi Hao, bathing them in warmth.

"It is harmless."

"Since this object has chosen him, it was destined. Use it well, and it may grant you another chance at survival in this Great Wilderness."

As those words faded, the vast will receded like a tide. The wind and insects sounded again, as though everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

"Phew-"

Shi Hou went limp and nearly collapsed. The beast-hide clothing on his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

I passed! Even the Willow Deity personally gave her stamp of approval. From now on, who would dare say a word against me setting up my pot and dancing?

"Did you hear that? The Willow Deity said it herself! This is an opportunity! A chance at survival!"

Shi Yunfeng was so excited that tears streamed down his aged face. He rose from the ground, waving his cane.

Then he caught Shi Hou to steady him and scrutinized him sharply. "Skinny Monkey, tell Grandpa honestly. Does performing that sacrificial dance and cooking spiritual food do much damage to your body? Just now, you looked as though your vital essence had been drained dry."

The surroundings instantly fell quiet. Everyone watched anxiously.

Shi Hou's eyes shifted. He knew what they were thinking and weighed things for a moment: ordinary ingredients gave Shi Hao too little benefit, while he would still need the village adults to obtain superior ingredients.

Having made up his mind, he forced a look of utter exhaustion onto his face, turning a few shades paler. He shook his head weakly. "It's not too bad. Just... a little tiring. It feels like my body's been hollowed out. And... it seems I can only use this skill once a day."

"Only once..."

Everyone sighed with regret, but they were mostly understanding. A divine art like this would have been unnatural without limitations.

Looking at their hopeful yet worried gazes, Shi Hou spoke hesitantly:

"But... Grandpa Chief, I only used one little piece of meat today. If... if there were more ingredients, perhaps... I could hold on and make more in one go..."

"Good! Good boy!"

Shi Yunfeng's eyes grew moist, and he patted Shi Hou hard on the shoulder. "You take responsibility! A true child of our Stone Village!"

"From now on, Shi Hou gets first pick of the hunting team's best ingredients! Let him make as much as he can in one go! First, we'll strengthen the children's bones and constitutions. If there's anything left, we adults will share it! That's settled!"

"Yes!"

The villagers answered in a thunderous chorus, hope shining on every face.

Shi Hao even threw himself forward and hugged Shi Hou's leg, clamoring in his babyish voice, "Skinny Monkey, I want Fire Rhinoceros leg tonight! The kind roasted all crispy!"

Amid the rejoicing, something suddenly changed.

Boom!

A deep, drumlike boom came from the depths of the dark sea of trees outside the village, and the earth shuddered violently.

The sound was heavy and rhythmic, as though a mountain-sized behemoth were approaching Stone Village one step at a time.

Boom!

Another boom rang out. This time, everyone clearly felt the ground shaking beneath their feet and a stifling pressure in their chests.

"To arms!"

The smile vanished instantly from Shi Linhu's face. He drew the broadsword from his back and let out a fierce shout that shook the heavens.

"Something huge is coming!"

In an instant, every able-bodied young and middle-aged man in the village flexed his bulging muscles and formed a battle line, bristling with killing intent. They shielded the women and children firmly behind them, their bloodshot eyes fixed on that dark forest that swallowed the light.