"Mountain god?"
Yue'er's words surprised both Zhang Dabiao and me. Although we were both feng shui masters, we knew little about the legendary mountain gods. I had only seen brief mentions in books, which were quickly glossed over. It seemed that mountain gods were a taboo subject, something not to be spoken of.
Since Yue'er could identify it, she must know quite a bit about this uninvited mountain god. I couldn't help but ask, "Yue'er, do you know anything about it? If you do, please tell us, so we can broaden our horizons."
Zhang Dabiao nodded in agreement. "Qingyun is right. Yue'er is knowledgeable. Telling us will help us learn."
Seeing us eager to learn like schoolchildren, Yue'er nodded with satisfaction. Then, as if by magic, she produced a lollipop and popped it into her mouth before speaking slowly, "Well, mountain gods are generally appointed directly by the underworld. They are mainly concentrated in areas with large populations, where they can protect humans from evil spirits and, at the same time, accumulate incense and virtue for their own cultivation.
However, some lingering spirits, due to unfair treatment or immense grievances in life, cannot have their wrongs righted even in the eighteen layers of hell. Therefore, these spirits do not enter the cycle of reincarnation. Coupled with their strong obsessions, one or two always manage to escape from the underworld.
To evade pursuit from the underworld, they hide in deep mountains and old forests to cultivate. Because their hiding places are so remote, and even if they were captured, it wouldn't solve the fundamental problem, they are allowed to claim the mountains as their own and rule as kings, as long as they don't cause trouble for humans from the mountains."
After Yue'er's explanation, I was somewhat stunned. I never expected mountain gods to have such a convoluted origin. This fellow before us was definitely not a legitimate mountain god, but rather a self-proclaimed king of the wild.
This gave me a headache. Such mountain gods were usually not weak. How could someone who escaped the underworld's pursuit be weak?
As we were talking, the black mist surrounding Li Zuoquan began to change. It gradually shrank until it was about the size of a person, then stopped.
As the black mist dissipated, I finally saw what was inside. It was a large mountain demon, clad in armor, wielding a three-pronged fork, and with a hairy face.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Dabiao blurted out, "Damn it, isn't that just a giant mountain demon? This thing can be a mountain god?"
As soon as he spoke, the mountain god's gaze fell upon our location. Its pair of blood-red eyes shot towards us like searchlights.
The moment our eyes met, I felt as if my entire body had plunged into an ice cave. Its gaze was not only cold but also filled with bloodlust and brutality, as if its very existence was for the purpose of slaughter.
Seeing this, Zhang Dabiao quickly covered his mouth, regretting his outburst. Fortunately, it only glanced in our direction, seemingly uninterested in us.
However, whether it was my imagination or not, it paused on me for a moment. Although brief, I still caught it.
The mountain god withdrew its gaze, licked its lips greedily, and a cold, hoarse voice echoed in my ears.
"Heh heh... sweet blood, it's been a long time since I tasted it. And a feng shui master, too. This really brings back memories of the old days."
I stumbled, almost falling to the ground, and stammered, "Th-this guy, it eats people?"
Zhang Dabiao's expression turned grim, and he remained silent, only the veins on his hand gripping the mountain-splitting saber bulging.
Yue'er appeared calm on the surface, but the fact that she was gnawing on her lollipop indicated she was quite angered.
Fearing that Yue'er might impulsively draw more hatred, I said to her, "Miss Yue'er, if you have anger, save it for after he finishes fighting Li Zuoquan. Otherwise, we'll be in trouble."
"Hmph!" Yue'er snorted, her lollipop making a crunching sound. Although she still looked defiant, she said nothing further.
Li Zuoquan, seated in his sedan chair, was unable to move, yet he exuded an aura like a lion about to break free from its chains, a powerful, sea-like presence radiating from him.
At this moment, a peculiar scene unfolded. From the mountain god's side, a black scroll appeared, with menacing skull heads of various animals and humans faintly visible. The animal skulls were more numerous, all opening their mouths in silent roars.
On Li Zuoquan's side, a faint, hazy green aura appeared. It looked weak but was precisely enough to counter the mountain god, making their auras appear evenly matched from the outside.
"This old geezer, his strength is still this great."
I had always suspected Li Zuoquan was hiding his strength. When I communicated with the Fifth Prince in the Soul Crystal, the Fifth Prince had mentioned that Li Zuoquan was a formidable opponent, not only patient but also possessing considerable strength.
It seemed the Fifth Prince's judgment was spot on. If I hadn't accidentally summoned the mountain god, I would have believed Li Zuoquan's threat to us was firearms. Now, it was clear that wasn't the case at all; he himself was a very potent weapon.
"If you want to resist, I'll break your magic first, and then I'll eat you piece by piece."
As soon as he finished speaking, the mountain god waved its hand, and the grotesque skull heads behind it, like unleashed wild horses, surged towards Li Zuoquan.
Facing the densely packed, oncoming skull heads, Li Zuoquan was not flustered. Instead, he took out a small bronze mirror from his embrace. The mirror was about the size of a palm, covered in patina, looking worn and tattered, as if it could break at any moment.
Li Zuoquan muttered incantations, and a green light shot out from the mirror. Initially, the green light was just a faint speck, but after half a meter, it expanded several times, becoming as large as the sea of skulls summoned by the mountain god.
There was no sound of impact, no violent explosion. The black sea of skulls met the green light, and like snowflakes encountering sunlight, they all dissolved into golden specks, vanishing into the air.
Witnessing this, the mountain god, which had been arrogant moments before, was startled and leaped back several steps. Its blood-red eyes had lost their haughty gaze.
"What kind of treasure is this? How could it break my sea of resentful bones?"
Li Zuoquan did not respond to the mountain god's question. Instead, he raised the bronze mirror and shone it towards the mountain god, causing it to jump and dodge frantically, appearing quite disheveled.
After being illuminated over a dozen times, the mountain god managed to evade it. Once, it was almost hit but managed to block the light with the three-pronged fork in its hand.
The mountain god roared in anger but dared not approach Li Zuoquan, utterly helpless against him. I felt a pang of anxiety watching this.
Why are you so stupid? Can't you just throw things at him from a distance? Rocks, wood, anything! I don't believe Li Zuoquan can handle everything thrown at him.
Whether it was my murmuring that had an effect or the mountain god finally catching on, after dodging the green light once more, it finally knew to counterattack.
It grabbed a tree stump about the size of a human head and hurled it at Li Zuoquan. However, its aim was a bit off, and it flew past Li Zuoquan's head.
Even so, it startled Li Zuoquan, whose face changed color. While he continued to shine the green light at the mountain god to prevent it from throwing more objects, he shouted at us.
"Still watching from the sidelines? If it takes me down, you won't escape either."
Facing Li Zuoquan's threat, I curled my lip. Stubborn to the end, still trying to drag us down with him.
"He's right. We can't deal with the mountain god. We have to help him drive it away."
I looked at Yue'er in surprise, never expecting these words to come from her. Didn't she detest Li Zuoquan the most? Why was she going to help him now?
Seeing my confused expression, Yue'er glared at me. "What are you thinking about? Hurry up and go save him, or don't blame me for using my methods on you."
I had experienced her methods before and had no desire to experience them a second time.
"I also agree with Yue'er's point. Let's resolve the external conflict first; internal conflicts can be dealt with later."
With a two-to-one vote, I was completely outvoted. After applying the Heavenly Skill Seal to Zhang Dabiao and myself, we charged out.
As soon as we emerged from the cave, the mountain god waved its three-pronged fork, and countless skull heads lunged at us. Seeing this, Li Zuoquan bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of pure yang blood onto the mirror.
Instantly, the aura surrounding Li Zuoquan doubled in size, enveloping me and Zhang Dabiao within it and shielding us from the skull tide.
The mountain god, seeing this, plunged its three-pronged fork into the ground and began grabbing and throwing things at us.
"Hurry and get me into the cave, or we'll be smashed to death!"