Bound Ghosts and Gods

From halfway up the mountain to the Mountain God Temple.

In that short stretch of less than a few hundred meters, Li Boyang fully witnessed just how outrageous the "infestation" Xiluo had mentioned really was.

Wherever there was grass or vegetation, those Sleepy Bugs could be found.

It was as though they had no natural predators.

The Sleepy Bugs found everywhere had driven away every snake, insect, rat, and ant, leaving all of Flying Peak in an eerie silence.

These Sleepy Bugs weren't originally native to Flying Peak, were they?

Through the Spirit Rhinoceros Horn, Li Boyang's rather awkward, halting words were directly translated into something Xiluo could understand.

"Of course not. My big sister put a lot of hard work into breeding these Sleepy Bugs."

"Unfortunately, I didn't know how formidable these little fellows were at first, so I let them roam free. Now there are barely any living creatures left on Flying Peak."

Her tone carried a faint trace of regret and helplessness.

Although Xiluo didn't know what a "biological invasion" was, what had happened on Flying Peak was enough to prove how terrifying these Sleepy Bugs were.

If not for the layer of mist outside blocking them, once these little insects flew out, they would deal a dimensional reduction strike to the ecology of the entire Hundred Lands Mountain Range.

And you still dared tell me to raise them?

His little eyes abruptly widened, and Li Boyang's suddenly raised voice made Xiluo laugh again.

"That's because I believe in your abilities, of course!"

"These Sleepy Bugs like attaching themselves to powerful creatures. I'm sure you can tame them!"

Li Boyang rolled his eyes outright. He didn't believe a word of Xiluo's explanation. She clearly just wanted to see him make a fool of himself.

That twisted sense of humor of yours... you're beyond saving!

As they conversed like this, the group finally arrived at the entrance to the Mountain God Temple.

He hadn't felt it when observing through the Heavenly Eye.

But only when he actually stood before the entrance to this Mountain God Temple did Li Boyang realize with a start just how enormous it was.

The entire Mountain God Temple had been built along the mountainside.

Using craftsmanship far beyond this era, someone had created an enormous complex of buildings.

It contained a complete arrangement of main halls, covered corridors, side rooms, and rear courtyards, stretching farther than the eye could see.

On the cliff face, clay statues of deities Li Boyang didn't recognize looked down upon the Mountain God Temple, inspiring awe while also evoking a sense of the uncanny.

Looking up at those gigantic, lifelike statues, Li Boyang even saw chains wrapped around them.

It felt as though those statues were living creatures, exuding a savage, terrifying air.

"Little brother!"

She climbed down from Xiluo's back.

For the first time, the usually fearless Big Girl tightened her grip on the carrying strap in her hands.

Faced with those statues of ghosts and gods that seemed to look down upon the mountains, Big Girl felt shock and fear many times greater than Li Boyang's.

"Don't be afraid. They're just a bunch of ghosts and gods bound to Flying Peak."

Xiluo's words only made Big Girl more frightened.

Even Li Boyang, who had initially thought little of it, turned to look at Xiluo in shock.

Ghosts and gods?

You mean those things are all alive!?

Curling her lip disdainfully, Xiluo answered irritably.

"Obviously. Who else do you think would have nothing better to do than carve these stone statues into sheer cliffs?"

Hearing this, Li Boyang very much wanted to say that, in his previous life, there had indeed been rulers with nothing better to do who enjoyed doing exactly that.

But remembering this world's backward tools and relations of production, Li Boyang sensibly fell silent.

At the very least, Li Boyang decided not to argue with Xiluo about this until he understood the circumstances of this era.

Just what kind of damned era is this?

After they formally entered the main hall, the first thing everyone saw was the enormous Goddess of War.

The Goddess of War held a sword in her right hand, perpendicular to the ground, as though ready to strike at any moment.

Her left hand held a book, lending her a languid yet scholarly air.

Beyond that, beneath her robes, which were not particularly luxurious, lay a suit of armor made from an unknown material.

This Mountain God... isn't alive, is she?

With that earlier lesson in mind, Li Boyang asked very cautiously.

As he asked this, Li Boyang's gaze also inadvertently drifted toward the red leopard crouching at the Goddess of War's feet.

Clearly, that clay red leopard was Xiluo, who stood before him.

Then this Goddess of War was most likely just a clay statue too... right?

"What do you think?"

Smiling inscrutably, Xiluo did not answer Li Boyang's question directly.

What do I think?

I can't figure it out. Tell me or don't, whatever.

Li Boyang glanced at Xiluo with black lines all over his face, knowing her twisted sense of humor had surfaced again.

So Li Boyang didn't continue dwelling on the question. Instead, he cut straight to the point.

Now that we're at the Mountain God Temple, shouldn't you tell me why you came looking for me this time?

Hearing this, Xiluo blinked, then curled her lip in disappointment.

Just as Li Boyang had expected, Xiluo had wanted to tease him some more, but it seemed she wouldn't have the chance now.

"You're such a boring fellow..."

"I did bring you to the Mountain God Temple for something important this time. It concerns Black Cloud Marsh."

She leaped onto the head of the clay red leopard.

Having turned back into a leopard cat, Xiluo looked down at Li Boyang below and spoke.

"All this time, I've been searching for a way to resolve the Black Cloud Marsh crisis once and for all."

"And just today, someone gave me a reminder. Perhaps the key to solving this problem lies with you."

This time, it was Li Boyang's turn to blink in some confusion.

But he didn't immediately refuse. Instead, he raised his head with great curiosity.

What way?

He was just like Xiluo.

For the safety of his parents in this life, Li Boyang also wanted to eradicate the threat of Black Cloud Marsh completely.

Besides, Li Boyang had a vague intuition.

If he really left Black Cloud Marsh alone, the evil ghost inside would come looking for trouble with him sooner or later.

Having lived two lives, Li Boyang was quite mature psychologically.

He didn't want to be like those movie protagonists from his previous life, waiting until the villain came knocking before staging a desperate counterattack.

Reality didn't offer so many lucky coincidences or escapes from certain death.

Striking first to gain the upper hand was what a normal person would choose.

"Ultimately, that evil ghost in Black Cloud Marsh is relying on nothing more than favorable terrain."

"Just like the mist on my Flying Peak, as long as we can dispel Black Cloud Marsh's black fog, the danger it poses will plummet."

"And if we want to find a way to dispel that black fog quickly, we'll have to use what my big sister left behind."