"Everyone, let's pick up the pace! I had someone buy twenty catties of pork bone from town yesterday. Today, everyone's coming back to the village committee for pork bone noodles," Tian Mengyao said with a smile to the villagers.
"Alright!"
"As soon as I heard about pork bone noodles, I felt energized again."
"Secretary Tian, don't always dip into your own pocket to improve our lives. Let's talk about it after our medicinal herbs are sold."
The villagers thanked Tian Mengyao for her kindness, and those who knew her character felt quite embarrassed, knowing she was paying out of her own pocket again.
"It's fine, a bowl of pork bone noodles won't bankrupt me."
Tian Mengyao's heart warmed, and she smiled freely.
She looked back, and Lin Fan was nowhere to be seen.
For a moment, Tian Mengyao felt a pang of loss.
—
"Master, have you figured anything out?"
Xu Zixin clasped her hands together and asked the old monk before her.
"Amitabha, Benefactor Xu, to be honest with you..."
The old monk hesitated, as if he had something difficult to say.
"Master Yuan Guang, please speak freely."
Xu Zixin took out a thick red envelope from her pocket. "This is a small token of appreciation from a disciple to Buddhism. Please accept it." She then tried to stuff the red envelope into the monk's yellow robe.
"No, no, ascetics are pure and detached from worldly affairs. How could this old monk accept it?" the old monk refused.
Despite his burly physique, his arms were completely weak, unable to resist Xu Zixin. He could only accept the red envelope with an innocent expression.
"Benefactor Xu, on behalf of the temple, this old monk thanks you for your support of Buddhism."
Master Yuan Guang bowed respectfully.
"Master, you are too kind."
After returning the bow, Xu Zixin asked anxiously, "You've been sighing. What is it about?"
Master Yuan Guang looked troubled, gazing at the majestic main peak of Mount Luofeng in the distance, and replied, "Benefactor Xu, it is not I who am sighing, but this mountain that is sighing."
"Master, please stop being cryptic. Just tell me what's on your mind." Xu Zixin urged.
"Amitabha, Benefactor Xu, this mountain is filled with malevolent energy. Ordinary people cannot feel it, but for this old monk, even breathing is difficult." Master Yuan Guang repeatedly patted his chest to catch his breath.
He was an old man, and earning a little extra income wasn't easy.
After walking for so long on the mountain path, his legs were sore and tired.
"Master, why would a perfectly good mountain have malevolent energy? Is it because the former mountain god's temple was demolished, and its lingering resentment has turned into malevolent energy?" Xu Zixin guessed.
A hint of cunning flickered in Master Yuan Guang's eyes. He quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes. Decades ago, a great calamity struck, affecting both Buddhist and Taoist realms, and even various mountain and wild spirits were affected. It was truly tragic."
"The mountain god's temple on Mount Luofeng was demolished, and the statue was destroyed, and it was done by the very people who had always revered him. Naturally, there was immense resentment."
"Benefactor Xu's earnest desire to rebuild the mountain god's temple is a deed of immeasurable merit for both this mountain and the people below."
"The only problem is, if the malevolent energy does not dissipate, even if the mountain god's temple is rebuilt, the deity may not be willing to return. Then all your efforts will be in vain."
Xu Zixin nodded repeatedly and then asked, "Master, do you have a way to dispel the malevolent energy of this mountain?"
Master Yuan Guang sighed, "There is a way, but it is not something this old monk can do alone. I would need the help of my fellow monks in the temple, and it would take a very long time and be extremely troublesome."
"Master, I don't fear trouble. How much will it cost? Just name your price." Xu Zixin said with a resolute expression.
Hearing this, Master Yuan Guang's lips curved into a faint smile. The main event was here!
"As long as... Ouch!"
Suddenly, Master Yuan Guang clutched his bald head, doubling over in pain like a shrimp.
"Master, what's wrong? Don't scare me!"
"Is the mountain god angry?"
"Blood..."
Xu Zixin saw blood seeping through Master Yuan Guang's fingers and panicked.
"It's nothing. I suppose the mountain god is showing his displeasure, giving this old monk a little warning."
Master Yuan Guang switched hands to cover his head, then looked at his bloodied palm, feeling quite flustered.
He had a change of heart. This injury shouldn't be in vain!
"Benefactor Xu, this old monk will do his best to fulfill your request, even if it costs me this mortal coil."
Master Yuan Guang performed a Buddhist salute, then looked around, trying to see what had injured him.
"Master, I will certainly not mistreat you and your esteemed temple." Xu Zixin said gratefully.
"Ouch!" Suddenly, Master Yuan Guang felt a sharp pain in the back of his head again.
He reached up and felt something like a needle.
"Benefactor Xu, please help me see what has pricked my head." Master Yuan Guang, disregarding his image as an enlightened monk, turned around and said in a panic.
Xu Zixin saw a pine needle stuck in the back of his head and carefully pulled it out.
"A pine needle!" Master Yuan Guang turned back and exclaimed in disbelief.
If not for the blood on the pine needle, he would never have believed that he had been injured by a mere pine needle.
"Lord Mountain God." Xu Zixin scanned the surroundings, looking for the mountain god.
Master Yuan Guang's scalp tingled, and he nervously scanned his surroundings.
The previous injury to his head could have been explained as a pinecone falling from a tree.
But a soft pine needle had pierced the back of his head, nearly killing him. This couldn't be explained away as an accident.
"Benefactor Xu, this place is not safe. You should come down the mountain with me, and we can discuss this further." Master Yuan Guang cowered, looking quite disheveled.
"I'm not leaving. The Mountain God will not harm me." With that, Xu Zixin slowly knelt down and kowtowed devoutly to the surrounding forest.
"Benefactor Xu, listen to me... Ouch!" Master Yuan Guang's words were cut short as he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his backside, jumping up like a startled frog.
"The Mountain God doesn't welcome me. Benefactor Xu, this old monk will descend the mountain first. I'll wait for you at the foot of the mountain."
Master Yuan Guang, one hand covering his head and the other his backside, fled in a hurry.
The forest was silent, leaving only Xu Zixin. She muttered something under her breath, her gaze occasionally scanning her surroundings.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Two sounds of air being broken echoed.
Xu Zixin's delicate body trembled. She shouted, "Lord Mountain God, protect me. Your humble servant Xu Zixin has no intention of offending you. Master Yuan Guang is an enlightened monk I invited to resolve your resentment..."
As she spoke, her eyes widened to their maximum.
About a meter in front of her, two vibrant green pine saplings erupted from the earth in the blink of an eye. Then, at an incredible speed, they grew taller, extending branches and buds.
"Lord Mountain God!" Xu Zixin's eyes shone with fervor. She didn't know how to express her excitement and could only continue to kowtow.
The two pine saplings grew taller and taller, soon reaching a height of nearly two meters!