Chapter 59: Rainstorm Wild Temple 21
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After experiencing the loss of his own phone and being teased when borrowing a phone from someone else, Yan Shixun, who had accumulated a burning anger, finally managed to borrow a phone from An Nanyuan. He realized that he had forgotten to open the split-screen live broadcast feature. In his frustration, he smashed the god statue in the main hall on the spot.
After calmly explaining to the split-screen audience, Yan Shixun looked at the barrage of comments on his phone that all read “healthy” and “positive,” nodding in satisfaction.
However, when Yan Shixun broadcasted Zhang Wubing’s call, the continuous busy signal on his phone made his face darken.
“Brother Yan, it might be the heavy rain here affecting the signal.”
An Nanyuan, who was unintentionally frightened by Yan Shixun’s expression, hurriedly reassured him, “This area is already in the outskirts, and the signal base stations are probably scarce. It hasn’t achieved high-intensity coverage yet. Plus, with the rain, the signal might be poor. The director and the crew went to stay at a villager’s house for the night, right? They’re probably asleep by now. You can try calling again tomorrow.”
After hanging up on yet another busy signal, Yan Shixun’s brows furrowed tightly. He didn’t feel relieved at all due to the reason given by An Nanyuan.
On the contrary, An Nanyuan’s words made Yan Shixun wonder: if the current lack of signal was due to heavy rain, why did he manage to get through when he contacted Zhang Wubing earlier?
Just when he was trying to call Zhang Wubing to confirm the situation due to the disappearance of the trailing car, the first two calls didn’t go through. However, suddenly, the call got through, and Zhang Wubing casually mentioned that he would be staying at a villager’s house, reassuring Yan Shixun not to worry about the trailing car…
After observing the anomalies in the Mountain God Temple and realizing the problems related to the god statue and scenes depicted in the main hall mural, Yan Shixun suddenly had a realization. With all the villagers and villages being showcased as trophies by the malevolent deity on the mural, using their souls as markers, it was highly likely that all the villages near Wild Wolf Peak were now deserted and devoid of inhabitants.
So, where was Zhang Wubing going to find accommodation?
Even the villagers who had led them to the Mountain God Temple in the first place were on the mural. Where did the real villagers come from?
Or perhaps he should ask—
Was it really Zhang Wubing who was on the phone with him?
Yan Shixun’s handsome face darkened terribly. An Nanyuan, who was standing beside him, silently took two steps back, feeling like his aura, unintentionally emitted by Yan Shixun, was about to cut him.
The man who was already unhappy that Yan Shixun had used someone else’s phone raised an eyebrow when he saw this scene. His face, initially cold as ice, now had a hint of a smile.
“Yan…” The man took a long step and stood beside Yan Shixun. The syllables rolled off his tongue, but the surname was swallowed down, making it sound like he was calling Yan Shixun’s name. “Shixun, do you want to make a call? I can help you fix the signal.”
“No.” Yan Shixun sneered and declined the offer, not falling for it again. “You, someone who doesn’t even have a phone, can fix signals? Next time you lie, come up with a better excuse.”
After coldly rejecting the man’s help, Yan Shixun beckoned An Nanyuan over. “You just said that when you were hiding from the rat, you saw a room filled with Mountain God introductions? Where is it? Tell me the details.”
“Ah? Brother Yan, aren’t you coming with us? What if we encounter danger?” Brother Yan was somewhat confused but still recounted their experience carefully because of the unconditional trust he had in Yan Shixun.
“Is there a force protecting you…” Yan Shixun contemplated.
He had felt a similar sensation when he was in the main hall. The god had first signaled its presence by making sounds, and later, it even went as far as making sounds when danger was near, even if it meant self-destruction.
In a Mountain God Temple occupied by an evil god, the only force he could think of as protective was the old god’s statue— or rather, the Mountain God in its rightful place, which should have protected the area.
If that was the case, what was likely protecting An Nanyuan and the others was the pile of written introductions to the Mountain God stored in that room. Due to the devout and reverential writings and carvings of past worshippers, some residual power of the Mountain God was preserved in the old artifacts. When it sensed someone was in danger, it didn’t hesitate to self-destruct to protect the living.
That’s why the statue had cracks, and the ink on the paper suddenly had water stains that devoured the text for no apparent reason.
It was proof that the old Mountain God was weakening.
If the old Mountain God’s power completely disappeared from the Mountain God Temple, the entire temple would be under the complete control of the evil god. At that point, whatever they wanted to do would likely become even more challenging.
With these thoughts in mind, Yan Shixun’s expression turned serious. He raised his phone toward An Nanyuan, indicating that he wanted to borrow it temporarily.
“If I stay here all the time, it’s equivalent to handing over the initiative completely to those hidden rats in the shadows. We can only passively wait for their attacks, be led by their rhythm, and eventually suffer a complete defeat.”
Yan Shixun calmly addressed the anxious onlookers, “Hiding here blindly won’t make the danger disappear on its own. Shrinking back will only bring about more painful consequences.”
—The most effective way to deal with a storm at sea is to sail towards it!
“Moreover, I’m live streaming with a split screen, and you can see me anytime. You can also directly inform me if anything happens.” Yan Shixun motioned with his phone to the people around him.
His voice was calm and deep, carrying a reassuring sense of composure.
The group of people couldn’t help but relax their tense nerves, even though they had just experienced danger. However, they were willing to trust Yan Shixun.
If it hadn’t been for Yan Shixun before, they wouldn’t have escaped from the situation surrounded by giant rats. So, this time, no matter what they encountered, Yan Shixun would surely save them again!
Moreover, what Yan Shixun said was right. Doing nothing here was just waiting for death.
While everyone expressed their support for Yan Shixun to do what he thought was right and reminded him to stay safe, the only one who had previously eagerly wanted to see what the “Ghost” looked like, young master Song Ci, stood aside without saying a word. He had a dazed expression as if he had been frightened.
Yan Shixun’s gaze slid past Song Ci, and he raised an eyebrow, not at all surprised by Song Ci’s reaction.
He had encountered too many people who, out of curiosity or bravado, claimed they wanted to see the Ghost. To this day, he hadn’t seen anyone who was truly as brave as they claimed to be.
——That cold, eerie chill could spread through the meridians and blood vessels deep into the body, rendering one motionless and unable to escape. It felt as if even the soul had been wounded, a terrifying sensation with hair-raising fear, the kind one could only experience when facing ghosts.
This was far from what the young master usually felt while listening to Zhang Wubing’s stories.
Just as Yan Shixun paused due to Song Ci’s interruption, the tall and sturdy man who had approached blocked Yan Shixun’s view of Song Ci.
Yan Shixun raised an eyebrow and silently inquired with his gaze: What are you doing?
The man’s posture was relaxed, and he didn’t feel like he was obstructing anyone’s view. “I’m curious about the rats too. I want to go see with you.”
“If you get scared out of your wits, I won’t be responsible for dragging you back. I might as well feed you to the rats right here,” Yan Shixun quipped, gesturing towards Song Ci in the corner. “However, if you end up looking like that due to fright, I’ll remember to take a photo for you.”
The man chuckled. “I look forward to it.”
……
The room An Nanyuan mentioned was on the edge of the Mountain God Temple.
The iron door looked like it had been there for many years, now marked with irregular scratches and small holes from a recent attack by giant rats, making it appear even more worn.
“Squeak—”
The door hinge, long neglected, emitted a grating sound.
After pushing open the door, Yan Shixun saw a room scattered with miscellaneous items and a musty smell. It seemed to be a room where junior monks had lived during the heyday of the Mountain God Temple, and remnants of the past were still visible. However, these items had been eroded and decayed over the years, becoming dilapidated and unpleasant.
There was no trace of any living presence.
Yan Shixun thought about the image of the Mountain God he had seen in the main hall, the continuously burning incense and the magnificent temple, and the contrast with the dilapidated shack before him was striking, evoking a sense of nostalgia.
Without wasting much time, Yan Shixun found a paper document casually placed on the room’s table, containing information about the Mountain God.
The parchment paper, covered in dust and even spiderwebs, had stuck together due to roof leaks and humidity, causing Yan Shixun to furrow his brows at the unpleasant sensation when he touched it.
He had originally intended to carefully read through the introduction of the Mountain God Temple and the Mountain God himself to understand what had happened in the past, leading to the Mountain God, who should have held a prominent position in the temple, being supplanted by an evil god.
However, it seemed that this task was now quite challenging.
These pieces of paper were extremely fragile due to improper preservation. Applying even a little force would cause them to break into pieces. Moreover, some of the haphazardly rolled-up parchment had fallen to the ground, picking up mud and rainwater, making the ink smudged and almost unrecognizable.
From the color aging and the depth of the ink, it could be inferred that these parchment pieces were not written all at once but had been continuously added to over many years, detailing the origins of the Mountain God and Wild Wolf Peak.
Yan Shixun bent over, using the light from his phone to patiently clean the stains on the parchment and separate the stuck pieces of paper. He didn’t feel impatient despite the tediousness of the task. His sharp eyes and calm demeanor seemed to show respect for the old Mountain God, making even the process of reading the old Mountain God’s history appear patient.
Even the viewers in front of their screens seemed to be infected by Yan Shixun’s current calm aura, and they watched the messy and damaged introduction to the Mountain God with rapt attention.
[Although I find it a bit challenging to read, from the clearly positive vocabulary used here, is it saying that the Mountain God here is very benevolent? Providing the villagers with a lot of food?]
[What’s going on with this Mountain God Temple? It makes me angry. My hometown also has a Mountain God Temple, but in our place, these Mountain God introductions are carefully framed and displayed on the walls of the side halls, so that young children who come to worship can know what the Mountain God has given them and what we adults have done for the Mountain God. Although it might be different from the present era, I think this kind of education is quite good; it teaches children gratitude.]
[It’s a bit strange. If the Mountain God here is a good deity, why is the village treating it this way? Even the belongings of the Mountain God are left lying around so casually; it’s too disrespectful.]
[Uh… don’t you guys feel that this room looks very oppressive like someone’s crying, very sad.]
The man wasn’t interested in the history of the Mountain God, even though he had voluntarily joined Yan Shixun. At this moment, he leaned against the door, his originally cold eyes now carrying a hint of a smile, as if his purpose was to observe Yan Shixun.
Yan Shixun’s gaze fell on a particular line of text on the parchment.
Even if it’s blurred by water stains, you can still guess the original words and sentences from the remaining radicals and components.
“In the year of Xinsi, under the Wild Wolf Peak, villagers are digging trees, and people are eating the mountains…”
Yan Shixun originally had his hand resting on the edge of the paper, but he stopped.
In the year of Xinsi, which belongs to the Metal element in the Five Elements, the snake hides in winter.
Disturbing the earth, great disaster, and bloodshed.
Digging trees leaves holes that become graves.
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