Chapter 1, Worshiping the Deities

On this day, Lin Laoshi went to the neighboring village to help out. Helping out essentially means that after finishing his own work, he assists families that lack labor by doing some of their tasks. Although the work is not unpaid, he can earn a few small coins each day, but meals are not provided. This is not due to a lack of care from the villagers; rather, they are all poor families, and everyone lives their lives with careful budgeting.

The Li family's mountain is not particularly tall, standing at about one hundred to one hundred and ten zhang in height, with a gentle terrain. Compared to the towering thousand-zhang peaks nearby, it is more aptly described as a small mound rather than a mountain. Interestingly, despite its small size, this mountain is quite unique. The majestic mountains beside it do not block the sunlight, and a small river meanders below, with both sunlight and water in abundance. However, the entire mountain is shrouded in a dense, gloomy atmosphere. The trees are all stunted, and even the weeds are shorter than those in other areas. Strangely, the阴性 herbs on this mountain grow exceptionally lush and possess strong medicinal properties, creating a stark contrast with the nearby grand mountains, as if they belong to two different worlds. This is why it is called the Two Realms Mountain. The villagers refer to this small mountain as the Little Yin Mountain, while the adjacent one is called the Great Yang Mountain.

Li leaned against the wall, and as soon as it became quiet, he felt an even greater chill enveloping him. He was clad in only this one set of clothes, which had long been soaked and clung to his body, leaving him to rely on his body heat to gradually dry them. At that moment, a fierce wind swept through, flinging the temple doors wide open. Outside, a small tree was struck by lightning, igniting a blaze that blazed fiercely. Li was startled and, using the light from the fire, looked around the small temple, only to see countless malevolent spirits painted on the walls, each with a different form, all looking extremely ferocious.

After paying homage to the deity, Li took the food from the bamboo basket, placed his portion at the foot of the statue, and respectfully set down a jar of clean water. He then retreated to the corner, secretly wondering whether this meager offering would satisfy the divine being

Li began her busy day early in the morning. First, she prepared breakfast for Lin Laoshi, and after he finished eating, he left. She tidied up the house and then had to prepare lunch to send to him. The neighboring village was not close, requiring a round trip of over ten miles. Once the meal was ready, Li packed it in a basket, brought along two jars of water, and set off leisurely towards the neighboring village.

After the passing of Old Master Li, his two elder daughters returned to fight over his meager inheritance, driving out their younger sister. The third daughter had already made a marriage pact with Lin Laoshi, so she followed him back to Huai Tree Village, enduring a hard life together. Lin Laoshi was a caring husband, and over time, Li Shi empathized with him, finding nothing wrong with their situation. The couple lived a down-to-earth life; although they were poor, they enjoyed peace and happiness. However, there was one downside: after ten years of marriage, Li Shi had not conceived even one son or daughter.

Although Lin Laoshi did not speak of it, he wore a frown all day long. As the saying goes, there are three unfilial acts, and the greatest is to have no descendants. The Li family was also extremely anxious. Whenever they had free time, they sought medical advice and remedies. They spent all their savings on folk prescriptions, leaving no spare change, yet there was still no sign of improvement. In desperation, they turned to the gods and sought blessings. Over the years, they truly worshipped at every temple they encountered and prayed to every deity they met.

Once, Mulan's mother suddenly had a whimsical idea: to play a trick on the monks by serving them vegetarian food while secretly preparing dog meat. She ordered the making of 360 dog meat buns, claiming they were vegetarian, intending to offer them at the temple. Mulan learned of this and tried to persuade his mother, but she would not listen. He hurriedly informed the abbot of the temple. The abbot then prepared 360 vegetarian buns and hid them in the sleeves of each monk's robe. When Mulan's mother came to offer the food, she distributed a dog meat bun to each monk. As the monks recited prayers before their meal, they discreetly swapped the dog meat buns with the vegetarian ones from their sleeves and ate them. Seeing that all the monks had eaten her buns, Mulan's mother clapped her hands and laughed, saying, "Today the monks have lost their minds! The monks are eating dog meat buns!" The abbot joined his hands in prayer, repeatedly saying, "Amitabha, this is a sin, a sin!" Afterwards, the 360 dog meat buns were buried in the ground behind the temple.

In this village, there was a family with the surname Lin, whose head was known as Lin Yao Liu. He was simple and honest, and the villagers referred to him as Lin Laoshi. Over time, his given name was seldom used. Lin Laoshi's ancestors had been impoverished for eight generations, and his own situation was even more dire, relying on a few acres of meager land rented from the landlord Zhao Decai to make a living. Unexpectedly, he married a wife whom everyone in the ten-mile radius envied. Not only was she skilled in needlework and knitting, but she was also literate. His wife, from the Li family, originally came from a scholarly lineage and was a minor official in the previous dynasty. After the Mongols seized power, the ancestors of the Li family harbored deep resentment towards them, leaving behind a family decree forbidding their descendants from serving as officials under the Mongols. Over the decades, the family gradually fell into decline.

This is a statue of a deity carved from bluestone, the identity of which remains unknown. It appears to be relatively young, seemingly in its twenties, adorned in a colorful robe and wearing a royal crown. A long sword is slung across its back, its face pale and beardless, with a slight smile. On either side of its body stand two green-faced ghostly attendants, serving with lifelike precision. Despite the fact that the Li family has been well-educated since childhood, they cannot discern the true identity of this deity. In the midst of the thunder and lightning, the two ghostly attendants appear even more menacing.

The path is a mountain road, a narrow trail, and a *map* book. The Li family has traversed it countless times, and logically, they should not have gotten lost. However, the day started off gloomy, and by noon, it unexpectedly began to rain lightly. Fearing that the rain would spoil their food, the Li family turned towards the mountain, hoping to find a nook to shelter from the rain

Over the years, Li has sought to bear children, and has almost worshipped every deity she encountered. Now, thinking that she could take shelter from the rain here is also a matter of fate. At that moment, she respectfully knelt down and murmured: "O deities above, please bless this humble woman with a son and a daughter, fulfilling my wishes. I vow to return and make amends. My family is poor, and I dare not speak of the heavy golden statue, but during every festival, I ensure that offerings and incense are never lacking by even a little. I only ask for the deities' protection..." She continued to murmur: "O deities above, please bless this humble woman with a son and a daughter, fulfilling my wishes. I vow to return and make amends. My family is poor, and I dare not speak of the heavy golden statue, but during every festival, I ensure that offerings and incense are never lacking by even a little. I only ask for the deities' protection..."

In the glow of the fire, these malevolent spirits appear vividly, some with sharp beaks and fangs, some completely naked, some in a fit of rage laughing maniacally, and others feasting on human flesh and marrow... A myriad of them, all alike. Although the mural is ancient, it is unclear what kind of pigment was used to create it; aside from a layer of dust, the colors remain extraordinarily vibrant. This layer of dust adds to the hazy effect, as if a hundred demons have gathered, bursting forth from hell to descend upon the mortal realm

Once upon a time, there was a village called Huai Shu Village. The name may seem unremarkable, but it has a significant history. It is said that the notorious killer Wang Huangchao camped here for three days. The large huai tree at the entrance of the village is where Huangchao tied his horse. Decades ago, this village was known as Huangwang Village. After the Mongols unified the world, they ordered the renaming of all places with the character 'Wang' or 'Huang' in their names. Since then, Huangwang Village has been called Huai Shu Village.

To this day, there remains a saying in the folk tradition that Huang Chao killed eight million people, and that one cannot escape from disaster

Regarding Huang Chao, there has long been a legend in the village that in ancient times, there was a young man named "Mu Lian" who was well-known for his skills in both literature and art. He was naturally inclined towards Buddhism and was a kind-hearted person. He was extremely filial to his mother; however, Mu Lian's mother, being a goddess, had a violent temperament and was known for her capricious nature.

Upon learning of this matter, the Jade Emperor in heaven was greatly enraged. He cast the mother of Moliang down to the Eighteen Layers of Hell, transforming her into a vicious dog, condemned to never attain rebirth.

The sky was filled with layers of dark clouds, blocking out any light, making it seem as if it were night in broad daylight. The rain began to pour down rapidly, and the temple appeared rather gloomy. Mr. Li hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to enter, when suddenly he heard a creaking sound as a gust of wind swept by, causing the temple door to open on its own. Startled, Mr. Li calmed himself, just as a flash of lightning illuminated the scene. Amidst the rumbling thunder, he glanced into the Buddha hall, which was pitch black and empty, save for a statue that smiled and gazed at him amidst the wind and thunder.

By the time of the Li family’s generation, the Li family had become no different from ordinary families. Old Master Li had no sons, only three daughters. The eldest and second daughters were already married, leaving the youngest daughter. Originally, they planned to recruit a son-in-law, and they had their eyes set on Lin, a straightforward and honest man. Everything had been agreed upon, but before Lin could visit, Old Master Li fell seriously ill and passed away.

Lin Laoshi, being honest and unassuming, did not notice any abnormalities in his wife. After finishing his work, he returned home with Li Shi. The couple exchanged some casual conversation, and Li Shi soon forgot about the matter of worshiping the gods. Lin Laoshi had to help out again the next day. Li Shi prepared dinner and attended to Lin Laoshi as he went to sleep. She had originally planned to wash a couple of pieces of clothing, but felt mentally exhausted, her body heavy and somewhat dazed, so she lay down. In a state of drowsiness, suddenly there was a knock at the door, and a thin, cold voice screamed: "Li Shi, Li Shi... Hurry, open the door!..."

The trees on Xiaoyin Mountain are low, and the rain gradually intensifies and begins to pour. The autumn chill is already oppressive, leaving Li in a state of despair as he protects the bamboo basket with his body, searching anxiously around him. In his panic, he does not even know where he has wandered to, when he suddenly sees a dilapidated small temple ahead. This temple has undoubtedly weathered countless storms of life, its broken structure long lost to time, with not even a plaque in sight. Nestled among the thickets, the temple appears truly worn down, its roof tiles incomplete, lacking even a courtyard. The two wooden doors, their red paint long since peeling away, are ajar.

In the end, Lin Laoshi had resigned himself to his fate, but Li Shi was still unwilling to accept it. Unfortunately, her body was uncooperative, and the days passed by one after another.

Mu Lian was a filial son who learned that his mother had fallen into hell. He practiced day and night to save her and opened the gates of hell. Mu Lian's mother and all the evil spirits escaped from hell and caused chaos in the mortal realm. The Jade Emperor was furious and ordered Mu Lian to descend to the mortal world and take on the identity of Huang Chao. He summoned each of the escaped evil spirits back to hell, and later the saying "Huang Chao killed eight million people" is said to refer to the collection of this group of evil spirits that had escaped from hell

Li was puzzled; who could be knocking on the door at this late hour? Could it be that something has happened in the neighborhood and they need my family's help? She turned to look at her husband, only to find him sleeping soundly, snoring loudly. The knocking at the door grew more urgent, prompting her to quickly get up, put on her clothes, and go to open the door. When she opened the door and looked outside, she saw a green-faced little ghost grinning at her.

Li let out a sharp scream, hurriedly rushing out of the small temple. Strangely enough, just moments ago the wind and rain had been fierce, but as she stepped outside, the dark clouds in the sky began to roll away, and it gradually started to clear up. At this moment, Li realized that she had worshipped an evil deity, feeling both frightened and anxious. She quickly walked away with her bamboo basket, and along the way, things went smoothly. She found Lin Laoshi and brought out the meal, yet she still felt somewhat unsettled.