Mythology Returns! Starting with Folklore and Strange Tales

Under the intimidation of the fierce beast, the weasel completely lost the ability to struggle.

But this was the first time Zhang Wei had fought so closely with demons and monsters, and his mind was completely filled with fear.

He was afraid that he couldn't beat the weasel and would be countered by it.

He feared that the various points mentioned at the beginning of [Silhouette] would cause changes to the direction of [Silhouette] after his resurrection.

He was more afraid that he would perish in this newcomer's silhouette before he could achieve his goal. Death was not a big deal, but losing the identity of the traveler and the only opportunity he could grasp was even more frightening. He was afraid of the helplessness that would arise in his heart when he returned and saw Zhang Ma, who was in tears every day.

Because he was afraid, he had no way out.

Therefore, he wanted to completely destroy this nasty thing in front of him!

After a while, Zhang Wei stood up and exhaled.

His entire body was covered in blood, his clothes were torn, and more than a dozen deep scratch marks were exposed to the air beneath the fluttering cotton wool on his back and waist. Bloodstains flowed down his skin, soaking his cotton-padded coat.

Perhaps it's the effect of adrenaline, or perhaps the nerves in the tongue are more developed than those in the back.

Zhang Wei, who wasn't feeling much pain, was staring at the subtitles in front of him, which were even more vibrant red than before, flashing before his retina:

[Eliminating evil: The fake mountain god. Reward: Calling out his name in disgrace]

[Calling the name causes despair: Calling the name three times shakes the three souls; calling the name seven times suppresses the seven spirits.]

Is he now in a state of disgrace and ruin?

Looking at the description of the effects following the blessing, Zhang Wei scratched his temple with his blood-stained fingers. This spell is a bit like the underworld. Knowing the name is like a death sentence. After seven times, the three souls and seven spirits will be locked. Without the control of the soul and spirit, people or things will be no different from walking corpses, frozen in place and at the mercy of being beaten and killed.

While names have limitations, then again, a name isn't your real name. Whether it's a nickname or a pet name, as long as you acknowledge it, you're already under a spell, and then... then you can just wait to die!

Just thinking about it made Zhang Wei feel a little hopeless for his future enemies.

Of course, he was happy. With such a fierce and domineering spell, he no longer needed to fight the weasel in close combat like before, which was bloody and messy. Although his own ferocity allowed the evil energy he had accumulated over the past few days to condense into the Yazi True Meaning and completely suppress the weasel, it was a close call.

But if it can be solved with magic, why fight?

He's not some madman or some kind of perverted fetish. He doesn't need a bloody victory to be satisfied. If you walk by the river long enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet eventually.

Civilization, elegance, and a clean exit are the goals he strives for!

Once the matter was settled, Zhang Wei quickly climbed up the tree and picked down the old village chief, whom he had previously kicked into a branch to calm down.

Because of the height and the haste of the fight, Zhang Wei didn't pay much attention to the old man. The old man had inhaled the weasel's magic twice and was still foaming at the mouth and unconscious. Zhang Wei didn't have any good solutions for this, but it didn't matter. He only took the old man down for the firecracker in the old man's arms.

Before going up the mountain, they agreed to use firecrackers as a signal. If the fireworks went off, it meant everything was going smoothly and Wang the Blind could come up the mountain to clean up the mess. As for the old man's condition, Wang the Blind should be able to wake him up. As for whether there would be any aftereffects... well, we'll do our best, right?

Zhang Wei will help where he can, but he won't take on anything beyond his capabilities.

Now, it's time for the post-event treasure hunt!

He couldn't make out the weasel's mangled body; he'd have to wait for Blind Wang to come up the mountain to gather materials. But he could still explore the ruins of the small temple ahead...

With an excited heart and trembling hands, amidst the ruins, pockets were overflowing with gold and silver.

A few small yellow croakers, more than ten large silver ingots, and two dried plants of unknown species protected in wooden boxes were all he had collected on this trip.

"This is aged astragalus root, at least thirty years old. This Huang Yao is quite knowledgeable and has stored it well. Regular astragalus root tonifies qi and yang, strengthens the exterior and stops sweating, promotes diuresis and reduces swelling, generates fluids and nourishes blood... It mainly treats all symptoms of qi and blood deficiency, let alone this aged stuff, its effect of tonifying qi and blood is absolutely excellent!"

"This one must be an old ginseng that the weasel brought from beyond the Great Wall. This stuff is really old; judging from the appearance of the roots, it should be about a hundred years old. I'm not a proper doctor, I just know a little bit of incantation, so I can't really tell the difference, but it's definitely good stuff. Whether your child eats it himself or you offer it to the Kitchen God, it's top-notch!"

Soon after, Blind Wang came up the mountain, introducing the herbs in the box as if they were treasures.

Don't be fooled by the stories in folk tales that feature thousand-year-old ginseng spirits and ten-thousand-year-old snow lotus monsters. In reality, in the common folk, anything that's thirty to fifty years old is considered a treasure, especially medicinal herbs that primarily replenish qi and blood, which can be life-saving in critical moments!

If this is true for ordinary people, it is even more important for those in their line of work.

He was alright; he was a fortune teller, not someone who raised ghosts or worshipped immortals. Even if he had these medicinal herbs, he only kept them for emergencies to save his life; under normal circumstances, he hardly needed them. Those who worshipped immortals and raised ghosts were the ones who valued these things as if they were their lives. After all, how could a person live well when living among demons and ghosts? Everyone had some kind of weakness in their blood and qi, or the pain of yin energy entering their body.

If it were those who use underhanded magic to worship demons and immortals, they might have some wicked ideas.

But Wang the Blind is different. These two things are good, but he has already obtained what he deserves. Since they don't belong to him, he can't be greedy, and he dares not be greedy!

After glancing at it a couple more times, Blind Wang handed the box back to Zhang Wei and asked several of his cousins ​​to help wrap it up and carry it on their backs.

While the gold and silver were indeed genuine and without any illusions, they were mixed with a lot of underworld artifacts unearthed from the ground, tainted with the malevolent energy of corpses. Although Zhang Wei had already refined the evil energy from them, Blind Wang advised that it was best not to mix them with the old medicine.

After cleaning up all that, the only remaining spoils were the fake mountain god—the weasel itself.

As a spirit that has been around for nearly a century and still carries the scent of incense, although it cannot speak and has not completely taken over the position of the mountain god, its remaining corpse itself has become a treasure.

Its fur, which is dozens of times larger than that of a normal weasel, can be used to make a vest to keep warm and prevent cold in winter.

The essence of flesh and blood, stewed with medicinal herbs, certainly can't compare to the taste of the Wild Boar King, and the inherent stench of the weasel can't be completely dispelled. But if you can tolerate the taste, it's still not bad. It will definitely taste even better after the sacrifice. However, Zhang Wei's main quest only lasts seven days, and he's not sure if he can save a day to perform another sacrifice after completing the quest. So, it's better to deal with anything uncertain as soon as possible.

All that's left are bones, which can be used to make some trinkets for exorcising evil spirits and dispelling illusions. If there were a sorcerer or shaman specializing in this, they could also figure out one or two magical artifacts. But firstly, it would be time-consuming, and secondly, neither Zhang Wei nor Blind Wang had any connections in this area. More importantly, this weasel is not over a hundred years old and has not refined its transverse bones. It is just a spirit and cannot be considered a demon. Its foundation is limited, and the upper limit of what it can make is also locked.

"Alright, after we get down the mountain, pack up. Then we'll leave the village chief and the villagers with the sorceress and see what she says!"

After cleaning up the mess and tidying up the area, Zhang Wei walked briskly ahead, with Blind Wang beside him. Several of Liu's cousins ​​carried the packed weasels on their backs and helped the old village chief, who had been temporarily revived. Behind them was Zhang Wei's uncle's family.

My uncle, aunt, two younger cousins, one older cousin, plus my maternal grandparents.

Logically speaking, there were two other aunts on the maternal uncle's side, but they had already married and moved to other villages, so naturally they wouldn't be in the procession.

Although these people were also close to Zhang Wei, firstly, they had only known each other for a short time and hadn't quickly developed a relationship like they had with Liu Jia Village when Zhang Wei first arrived and faced difficulties; secondly, he only had a day and a night left to stay in this silhouette, so he didn't have much time to show affection for his relatives.

He would naturally not tarnish Gou Dan's identity if he could take care of him, but there was no need for him to act like a child and fawn over him.

Time was tight and the task was heavy. After going down the mountain, he still had to process the weasel and the two old medicines he had obtained, eat them and refine them into Qi. He also had to go to Pig Forest, which was dozens of miles away, to check on the situation there. With all this going back and forth, he even felt that there wasn't enough time.

Therefore, everything should be kept simple.

After descending the mountain, he entrusted the village chief to the villagers, explaining that the mountain god had departed and that they should ask the shaman to see if she would help them despite past grievances.

Although the two medicines in Zhang Wei's arms were old medicines for replenishing qi and blood, any one of them, when combined with a prescription, should be able to solve most of the illnesses in Xiakou Village, but why should he pretend to be a good old man when they are not related by blood?

He didn't ask for a single penny, helped get rid of the monster, and even used his own spoils to help the whole village. He seems a bit like a treacherous villain.

Of course, given the existence of gods and monsters, the game "Three Realms" may also have hidden mechanisms such as karmic merit and virtue, but for Zhang Wei at present, these hidden mechanisms are not as important as improving his own strength.

Not to mention that people are always greedy. In a village, there are many people and a lot of gossip. If someone with ulterior motives tries to stir up trouble while you're just spreading good intentions, they might even blame Zhang Wei for the losses caused by the weasel. The old village chief has also seen the gold and silver that Zhang Wei has collected.

Rather than being caught in a dilemma and causing unpleasant consequences, it's better to make a clean break and not give it a chance, thus avoiding trouble...

"..."

"That sly little brat!"

On the edge of the village, outside the courtyard wall, the old woman with a cane watched the two donkey carts part ways before dawn, and shook her head with a smile:

"Alright, alright, I'm a magnanimous old woman, I'll save them this time, and while I'm at it, I'll take some food coupons and travel money to pack up and go home."

The Taihang Mountains are far from peaceful, and the old woman is too frightened to endure all this. It's best for her to return to her roots sooner rather than later!