C49 Mountain God Temple

"What?!" I frantically glanced around and indeed saw numerous vague black shadows drifting slowly toward us.

"Chang... Changsheng, there's no need to be scared. Today... Today, you'll witness the power of our Pond Collecting Talisman," Deaf Zhang said, his voice steady as he pulled a black Talisman from his bag.

This Talisman was unlike any I had seen my adoptive father draw. The Pond Collecting Talisman, with its black background and white characters, stood in stark contrast to the typical yellow background and red characters of ordinary Talismans. It resembled the black gauze worn on the arm during funerals.

The most astonishing thing was that when the Talisman was tossed into the air, it didn't emit golden or dazzling white light, but rather a sinister purple glow.

Ghosts cannot stand the sting of light. Weak ghosts flee from it, while malevolent ones attack furiously. The dozen or so ghosts around us were all of the latter kind. Confronted with the purple light, they charged at us with a menacing Yin Qi.

I had expected the Pond Collecting Talisman's power to obliterate these ghosts, but to my surprise, numerous black hands emerged from the Talisman, ensnaring the dozen ghosts.

After all the evil spirits were subdued, the black Pond Collecting Talisman gently fell to the ground. Deaf Zhang picked it up, his brow furrowing.

"Mr. Ergou, what's the matter?" I inquired.

Deaf Zhang replied with astonishment, "Usually, as Pond Collecting Men, we honor cooperative ghosts as if they were our ancestors, and when they've accrued enough merit, they reincarnate and return to the Underworld. But not one of these ghosts would yield to me. They preferred to be destroyed rather than collaborate. The spirits in these mountains... they're different from the ones I'm used to encountering..."

"How so?"

"They're all extremely volatile, particularly upon seeing us... Changsheng, we must find a safe haven quickly, or we won't get a wink of sleep tonight," Deaf Zhang explained.

Weary, I nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We've barely slept these last few days. If we don't get some proper rest soon, we'll collapse long before we ever find the Evil Taoist."

We continued our trek along the mountain path, not knowing how much time had passed. The fog that surrounded us showed no signs of lifting, creating an almost dreamlike atmosphere.

My eyelids began to droop heavily, and just as sleepiness was about to overcome me, Deaf Zhang let out a sudden, loud cry.

I snapped awake, half-expecting to see a ghostly apparition. Yet, looking around, I saw no dark shapes nor felt any chilling presence.

But I noticed Deaf Zhang staring ahead, his face etched with astonishment. Following his gaze, I saw a structure emerging from the fog not too far ahead—a house.

Deaf Zhang made a beeline for it, but I quickly grabbed him, whispering urgently, "Mr. Ergou, hold on. It's odd to find someone living out here in the wilderness. That house might not be meant for the living."

"Changsheng, look closer. That's not just any house; it's a small temple. See the words 'Mountain God Temple' inscribed above? Even the fiercest of spirits wouldn't dare cause trouble in the presence of deities," Deaf Zhang said, tugging at my arm as he rushed toward it.

As we approached, it indeed was a Mountain God Temple, but the space inside was so cramped that Deaf Zhang and I couldn't walk in side by side.

Shining my flashlight on the deity enshrined within, I recoiled in shock. The Mountain God Master here was bizarrely depicted...

Typically, a Mountain God Temple would enshrine a benign Mountain God Grandpa and Grandma, their expressions peaceful like other divine figures. However, the Mountain God Master before us bore the visage of a wolf's head on a human body.

That wolf's head, in the faint light, appeared even more menacing, its eyes a blood-red hue...

"Mr. Ergou, with all the places you've been, have you ever seen a Mountain God Master like this, with the head of a wolf and the body of a man?" I called out loudly. Deaf Zhang shook his head.

"I think we'd be better off finding somewhere else to stay the night. This place feels even more perilous and eerie," I said with a wry smile. But just as I was about to turn and leave, I suddenly noticed an additional shadow on the ground—one that hadn't been there before!