In ancient times, they secretly became gods in the deep mountains.

Chapter 26 Seven Hundred Years Later, the Demon Core Revives at Seven Emperor Mountain
The rat demon became more and more agitated as he spoke.

He lost his previous humility and began to curse the false god.

"And you, you false god, what's the difference between you and me? You deceive and trick mortals into worshipping and believing in you—do you really mean it out of kindness? I eat people and refine souls for cultivation, for immortality. Aren't you also doing it for cultivation? Do you dare swear to heaven?"

"I don't accept it! I don't accept it!"

The shattered meridians caused the rat demon's demonic energy to leak out, and he roared to the sky.

"Why is it that mortals are not guilty of eating my descendants, but I am guilty of committing heinous crimes when I eat their descendants? They were the ones who ate my descendants first."

"A year ago, that hypocrite Luo Yousong led the mortals of Yunwu Town to burn countless of my descendants to death. Why were they not punished? I was merely giving them a taste of their own medicine. What right do you have to kill me?!"

Gu Yuexi said, "Huowa, go and bring Luo Yousong here. Today I'll make sure he dies knowing why."

"Yes."

The Fire Boy transformed into a streak of fire and flew away.

Luo Yousong was leading a small number of servants to pack up the offerings for the worship ceremony that had been held on the mountain a few days prior.

"Be careful not to damage them. These peaches were brought from Jiangnan by my younger brother," he instructed in a trembling voice.

"Master, all done. The chickens and ducks are ready. I wonder if the Empress will eat them cooked or alive. I've heard that immortals eat chickens and ducks that have been bled."

Luo Yousong said, "Prepare a few, both cooked and live."

Looking at the generous offerings, he smiled with relief: "Fortunately, I have a younger brother who travels between the north and south to make a living, otherwise, in this year of disaster, let alone helping the people in the town, even our own family would have starved to death."

He sighed: "Although there are no starving people in Jiangnan, my brother said that the south is often plagued by floods, and now that His Majesty has sent troops to Baiyue, the people in the south are also having a hard time."

The Great Xia of today is a far cry from its former prosperity and stability, the glory of all nations coming to pay tribute. It is now plagued by war, drought, and floods...

He shook his head: "When will this suffering ever end!"

People's lives are hard.

"Luo Yousong!"

A child's voice rang out, and Luo Yousong looked up to see a fairy child standing in front of him.

Why did the fairy boy leave and then return? Could there be a monster in the house? Luo Yousong's face turned deathly pale.

"This humble one greets the celestial child." He quickly bowed and kowtowed.

Huowa helped him up: "Our goddess summons you. It concerns the rat demon. We'll trouble you to go."

It's good that they didn't come to exorcise demons; it proves that there are no monsters in their house.

As for the Empress's summons, Luo Yousong didn't even hesitate: "This humble subject will prepare the horse immediately."

"No need to bother."

Fire Boy grabbed his hand and vanished from the spot in an instant.

After a moment of hazy vision, Luo Yousong opened his eyes again and was suddenly greeted by a lush, vibrant landscape. Trees and flowers swayed in the wind, and he wondered if this was a fairyland.

Suddenly, he looked up and was even more shocked.

A palace in the sky, surrounded by clouds and vegetation.

This is where the fairy goddess lives.

"what!"

There were screams in my ears.

Looking ahead, Luo Yousong's legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground, his face filled with fear. He pointed ahead and said, "The rat demon... how come he's still not dead?"

"Luo Yousong".

The ethereal, gentle voices appeared all around, just as before.

Luo Yousong quickly knelt down and bowed: "Your Majesty, what important matter do you have summoned me for?"

"The rat demon said you ate his offspring?"

Gu Yuexi told Luo Yousong about the rat demon's resentment.

She asked, "Did you lead the people of Yunwu Town to eat his descendants?"

"This..." Luo Yousong said somewhat ashamedly, "Your Majesty, there is indeed such a thing."

He didn't hide it.

But the truth is...

A year ago, it marked the third year of the severe drought.

The people's food reserves were exhausted, and they suffered from unbearable hunger. The town was littered with corpses of the starved, and the tragic scene of people eating each other appeared.

Master Luo was a renowned philanthropist. Before the drought, he was a prominent and wealthy household in Qinyang County, owning thousands of acres of fertile land.

His younger brother traveled north and south as a merchant, and his family's goods from all over the country piled up like mountains.

His mother was the late emperor's wet nurse, and the family was supported by the government. The Luo family accumulated immense wealth.

The Luo family is wholeheartedly devoted to good deeds.

Seeing the people's suffering, Luo Yousong opened the granaries and distributed grain without hesitation.

Each household received enough food to last three months, including dried fruit brought from the Western Regions by the second master of the Luo family.

The day after everyone received their grain, a rat infestation suddenly struck the town. Thousands upon thousands of rats roamed the streets and alleys, stealing grain from people's homes. Every household lost about ten kilograms of grain in one night.

The people were suffering terribly and had no choice but to turn to Luo Yousong again.

Luo Yousong then assembled a rat-catching team.

The rats were driven to the desolate mountains outside Cloud Mist Town.

Luo Yousong did not go so far as to kill them all.

But less than a month later, a rat infestation struck.

Helpless, he ordered his men to bring torches and drive the rats to a place to burn them to death. He then instructed the people to take the roasted rats from the ashes and eat them. Unexpectedly, the group who ate the rats died on the spot.

People from the entire town of Yunwu and the nearby villages were involved in this.

A month ago, children began to go missing from villagers' homes. To this day, dozens of children have gone missing in the town. If it weren't for Gu Yuexi's intervention, the children would all have become food for the rat demon.

The rat demon's lies were exposed without any attempt to disprove them.

The people did not actively catch and eat the rats; the rats stole their grain. The rats in the plague were highly poisonous, and the people only ate rats once.

"How can you believe what he said is true?" the rat demon persisted.

Suddenly, his mind began to churn.

"what!"

Gu Yuexi used the Soul Searching Technique to thoroughly understand the cause and effect of the matter.

Her voice was sharp as an arrow: "You not only devour people to refine their souls, but you also steal the merits of others, you rat demon. I saw it all in your memories."

"Soul Searching Technique!"

The rat demon was horrified, and cold sweat poured down its back.

Ancient texts say that only legendary ancient demons possessed the art of soul searching.

Could she be an ancient demon?

Gu Yuexi didn't waste any more time with him. She used her spiritual power to shatter his body, and the rat demon turned into fragments and dissipated in mid-air.

All that remained was a seven-hundred-year-old demon core and a ball of golden light of merit.

She accepted the demon core.

The merit and golden light returned the item to its rightful owner.

"Luo Yousong, your merit in helping disaster victims is immense, and you will surely have great fortune in the future." The golden light of merit was placed into Luo Yousong's body.

Luo Yousong suddenly felt his body rapidly regain its strength, and his mind became clear.

Gu Yuexi said, "This is the merit power stolen by the rat demon. I, the Empress, will return it to its rightful owner. Fire Boy, take Luo Yousong back."

Having witnessed the rat demon turn into fragments and disappear, Luo Yousong kowtowed tremblingly and was sent back the way he came by Huowa.

"A seven-hundred-year-old demon core is just enough to restore all the vitality of Qihuang Mountain. The villagers will no longer need to travel two or three hours to the mountain to dig for wild vegetables." Gu Yuexi refined the demon power, and the rat demon's seven hundred years of cultivation turned into vast spiritual power, which she placed in every corner of Qihuang Mountain, instantly reviving the plants and trees.

The villagers were just about to go down the mountain back to their village.

"Look!"

Grandpa Zhou stared wide-eyed at his surroundings and exclaimed in surprise.

The once dry and cracked land began to become moist and soft, and slowly, flowers and plants grew from it, emitting a faint fragrance.

The deadwood shattered into pieces with a snap.

The dark gray ash was absorbed by the soft soil, and the trees grew rapidly into large trees that were over ten years old, with their crowns spreading out to both sides.

What a miracle!
"This...this...this is the Empress's divine intervention..."

Everyone was so shocked that they couldn't even finish their sentences.

Zhang Gousheng shouted, "The vegetation on Qihuang Mountain has sprouted!"

"Oh my, I see wild vegetables! We don't need to go up the mountain to dig for them anymore; we can eat them right here at our doorstep!" Gou Sheng's mother exclaimed excitedly, clasping her hands together. "Your Majesty is so merciful!"

Someone is running through the mountains.

"Village chief! Great news! The rivers down the mountain have all overflowed! Hahaha..."

"It's all thanks to Her Majesty's grace!"

(End of this chapter)