Chapter 75
âWhat happened?!â
Tang Mianmian was shocked. The shaking here seemed to be even greater than the previous major earthquake⦠Could it be a landslide?
Xiao Tangqiu was keenly aware of the increase in demon energy around him. Ever since he was scratched by a low-level demon, his sensitivity to demon energy had grown. For example, now he could vaguely feel the magic fluctuations in the air.
Kisaragi rushed into the shrine without hesitation and Xiao Tangqiu chased after her without even thinking about it. He had just stepped into the shrine when he became keenly aware of the increase in demonic energy in the air. It even made it difficult to move for him⦠Such a terrible demonic coercion, it was even more terrifying than Lippin.o.bertâs!
Although he didnât have any specific comparisons, he could guess that they were facing a very difficult big guy this time. He felt even more certain after he chased Kisaragi into the main hall.
But the strange thing was that when they entered the shrine, the violent tremors subsided.
Like Hundred Ghost Villageâs shrine, Hundred Ghost Townâs main hall also enshrined a wolf-shaped idol in the center. But this wolf-shaped idol was several times larger than the Hundred Ghost Village idol, and it was also more strange and terrifying. It stood condescendingly in the center of the main hall, looking down at everyone from above with a gloomy and cold gaze like a cold-blooded beast.
No matter how you looked at it, this statue was more like a demon G.o.d than a mountain G.o.d.
âWho are you? Donât intrude upon the shrine without permission!â A voice suddenly rang behind the idol.
It turned out that someone was hidden behind the idol. After that person stood up, Xiao Tangqiu discovered that it was a Hundred Ghost Town villager he had met before. The villager looked at them vigilantly and seemed to recognize them.
âItâs you! Outsiders! Leave the shrine immediately! You do not belong here!â
Hundred Ghost Town residents were actually hiding in the shrine!
Xiao Tangqiu was very surprised, but he wasnât sure whether this villager was a normal human being or not. Nevertheless, he tried hard to obtain information, âCan you tell us⦠what happened here?â
The villagerâs expression gradually turned frightened, âOutsiders! Leave the shrine immediately! Leave Hundred Ghost Town immediately!â
Xue Junli said solemnly, âWe will leave soon, but before that, can you tell us⦠what is going on here?â
âLeave immediately!â The villagerâs expression became more and more frightened, and his voice became more and more urgent, âOutsiders! Get out of here!â
His hostility was very obvious. But at this moment, an elderly low voice rang out, âEnoughâ¦â
The lady elder was helped by a few villagers and came out from behind the statue. She sharply looked at Xiao Tangqiuâs group. Although her tone was calm, she was full of spurning, âOutsiders, leave here quickly. This is not the place where you should be. Now the mountain G.o.d is angry. If you still refuse to leave, I am afraid the mountain G.o.d will soon judge you for your sins!â
Xiao Tangqiu quickly asked, âThe mountain G.o.d is angry? Why is that?â
The lady elder glanced at Xiao Tangqiu coldly, âOutsiders, this is not the place you should be, and this is not something you should knowâ¦â
The previous villager exclaimed in agitation, âThe mountain G.o.d is angry because of your offense! The mountain G.o.d has condemned Hundred Ghost Town! Itâs all your fault!â
Xiao Tangqiu was stunned. At this moment, Kisaragi suddenly spoke coldly, âIt is not the mountain G.o.d that condemned the Hundred Ghost Town, but the living that you sacrificed. The deceased have a deep grievance that cannot be resolved. They will not dissipate for a long time and it has affected the mountain G.o.d⦠The mountain G.o.d of today is no longer the mountain G.o.d of before!â
âYou speak nonsense!â The villager immediately retorted angrily.
Kisaragi asked coldly, âThen I ask you, where did the other villagers go?â
The villager stammered, but he couldnât say anything.
Kisaragi sneered, âIt doesnât matter if you donât say it. Anyways, I already know that the villagers have become monsters under the influence of the mountain G.o.d!â
âNonsense! How can they change⦠become monsters under the influence of the mountain G.o.d!â
âReally?â Xiao Tangqiu raised an eyebrow, âbut your expression doesnât say that.â
âNonsense! Youâre all talking nonsense! Itâs just nonsense!â The villager was full of anger. âWe of Hundred Ghost Town wors.h.i.+pped the mountain G.o.d for generations, and the mountain G.o.d has always protected our Hundred Ghost Town. How can the mountain G.o.d turn the villagers into monsters?â
Xue Junli asked, âSo where are the other villagers?â
The villager choked and could not speak for a long while.
The lady elder heaved a long sigh, âForget it, we canât cover it up anymore! The other villagers of our Hundred Ghost Town have indeed become monstersâ¦â
Her originally hobbled and rickety figure seemed more and more worn and aged. With the support of a few villagers around her, she looked at the idol enshrined in the center of the main hall with dim old eyes. The idol appeared darker and darker under the dim candlelight in the shrine, mysterious and unpredictable.
âIn fact, this matter started a few months agoâ¦â
In the beginning, someone discovered that Hundred Ghost Town had suddenly lost a villager.
The Hundred Ghost Town was not big, and there are even fewer villagers. Including the swaddled baby, there are only a hundred villagers in total. Everyone knew each other and the relations.h.i.+p was considered harmonious. One day, someone suddenly realized that one of the villagers had disappeared.
At first, a few people were sent from the town to look for them, but they searched all over the mountains and in the end, they didnât find the person. They guessed that the person might have fallen off the cliff and died, and the matter was considered over.
Although the disappearance of that villager brought a shadow to Hundred Ghost Town, birth, old age, sickness and death were commonplace. They didnât put too much heart into it and the days went on as before until the second villager also disappeared unknowingly.
The town sent people to look again, but they still couldnât find them. This time, the people in the village began to worry, and it was then that the unusual âwild beastsâ began to appear near the village.
Unfortunately, some villagers who were alone were taken away by the âwild beastsâ and disappeared. Once another villager disappeared, the number of âwild beastsâ would increase.
Some villagers who witnessed the âwild beastâ went mad and shouted, âThatâs not a beast! Thatâs a monster! They have all become monsters! Those missing villagers have become monsters!â
Naturally, the other villagers didnât believe it, thinking that this guy was just being overly frightened and went mad. As a result, the madman disappeared shortly afterwards⦠And the âwild beastsâ seemed to increase again.
The villagers disappeared one by one, and there were unidentified âwild beastsâ nearby. Hundred Ghost Town became more and more panicked and could only wors.h.i.+p the mountain G.o.d more piously. Then one day, someone discovered that after they âpresented sacrificesâ to the mountain G.o.d in accordance with the ancient sacrifice ceremony, no villagers would go missing for a long time.
Their pious wors.h.i.+p finally received the blessing of the mountain G.o.d!
The villagers were overjoyed and believed in the mountain G.o.d more and more devoutly. For a long time, no villager disappeared⦠until a group of outsiders broke into Hundred Ghost Town, breaking the hard-won peace of Hundred Ghost Town.
âSince you left that dayâ¦â
The elder woman looked at Xiao Tangqiu with deep eyes, her voice hoa.r.s.e and weary, âVillagers have disappeared again, and this time⦠an entire half of the villagers have disappeared!â
Half of the villagers disappeared?
Xiao Tangqiu frowned because he clearly realized what it meant.
âThose villagers have all become cannibals. They pounced on their former relatives and friends with their teeth and clawsâ¦â The lady elder gave a long sigh. âThe rest of us could do nothing but desperately hide and escape. So we came back to the shrine with our pious faith, looking for the protection of the mountain G.o.d.â
âThe mountain G.o.d showed its powers. Those monsters dare not approach the Holy Mountain and the shrine. We are temporarily safe.â
âItâs all the fault of you outsiders!â The previous villager was very enraged, âIf it werenât for you, they wouldnât have become monsters at all! Itâs all your fault!â
Xiao Tangqiu frowned. He felt that something was wrong. If the vanished Hundred Ghost Town villagers were all affected by the mountain G.o.d, then why did the monsters that the villagers turned into not dare to approach the Holy Mountain and the shrine?
Duan Hongzhen scoffed, âHow the h.e.l.l is this our fault! Even without us, your weird village will become a real Hundred Ghost Town sooner or later! Just talking about your weird old customs, are the old people abandoned by you not resentful enough? The grievances in your village are already serious enough!â
The villager defended, âThis is the tradition we have always pa.s.sed downâ¦â
âDo you think that laws are not the fault of the public? I think you all did this to yourselves,â Duan Hongzhen sneered, âIn two words: well deserved!â
The lady elder stopped the agitated villager, âThere is no need to argue with outsiders. The most important thing now is to solve the current problem.â
She looked fixedly at Xiao Tangqiu and asked, âDo you have a way?â
Xiao Tangqiu raised his eyebrows. Was this an NPC quest?
Before he could speak, Tang Mianmian rushed to shout, âWe accept this task!â
Xue Junli suddenly spoke, âEven if the price is to eliminate your mountain G.o.d?â
The lady elderâs expression sank, âWhat a joke! The mountain G.o.d is the G.o.d that we have always wors.h.i.+ped in Hundred Ghost Townâ¦â
Tang Mianmian said solemnly, âItâs clear that this matter is caused by your mountain G.o.d. No matter how much of a delusional fan you are, you canât make it all our problem! Do you take us pa.s.sersby as blind!â
The lady elderly, ââ¦Although I donât understand what you are talking about, the mountain G.o.d is our Hundred Ghost Townâs faith! The mountain G.o.d has always protected us! Those monsters dare not approach the Holy Mountain and the shrine!â
âYes, why donât those monsters dare to approach the shrine?â Tang Mianmian subconsciously turned his head and looked at Xiao Tangqiu.
Xiao Tangqiu was silent for a while, and then said, âAlthough those monsters are ferocious, maybe⦠there is something more ferocious than them in the shrine.â