Reborn in the 1980s: Nine Stunning Beauties Get Pregnant Before Marriage

Not long after, Chen Yongqiang arrived at a fork in the road at the foot of Qinglong Mountain.

Before the Hu family arrived, he put the double-barreled shotgun back into his spatial storage and replaced it with the more powerful Type 56 rifle.

"There are a thousand bullets left. Hopefully, that will be enough."

Footsteps could be heard from not far away.

Chen Yongqiang looked up and saw the Hu family group walking towards him, a total of five or six people.

Hu Chuyao, dressed in shamanic attire, walked at the front of the procession, while a man at the back led two black goats.

"We need to get to Wind Howling Valley before noon to set up the altar there," Hu Chuyao said as she walked to Chen Yongqiang's side.

"Follow me, I'll lead the way." Chen Yongqiang shouldered his gun and took the lead.

The mountain road was rugged, and he kept looking back.

The Hu family members were all very fast walkers and kept up closely behind, with no one falling behind.

"Are those two sheep offerings?" Chen Yongqiang couldn't help but ask.

Hu Chuyao's expression was solemn: "The Xi Beast craves blood. Offering sacrifices might persuade it to retreat."

Chen Yongqiang's gaze swept over the intricate ornaments and colorful patterns on her body: "Do you often deal with these kinds of things?"

"It's just a duty passed down from our ancestors. Some things can't be avoided, so it's better to learn how to deal with them. And you? You've always made a living by hunting?" Hu Chuyao asked in return.

"This is also a family heirloom craft," Chen Yongqiang replied briefly.

Having said that, neither of them went any further. The group remained silent and continued their journey deeper into Qinglong Mountain.

Upon arriving at the mountain god temple halfway up Qinglong Mountain, Chen Yongqiang, as usual, went in to offer incense to the mountain god.

The Hu family members waited outside but did not enter the temple.

In most traditional contexts, a true shaman would not voluntarily enter another temple unless absolutely necessary.

Chen Yongqiang took out three incense sticks and respectfully lit them in front of the mottled lacquer statue of the mountain god in the temple.

As wisps of smoke rose, he spoke in a low voice: "Mountain God, tonight is New Year's Eve, we must go to Wind Howling Valley to deal with the Night Beast."

As soon as he finished speaking, the smoke from the incense stick in his hand suddenly rose straight up, gathering and not dissipating.

The God-Slaying Whip moved on its own without wind, trembling a few times in the statue's palm before flying into Chen Yongqiang's hand.

A prompt sounded in his mind:

[The God-Slaying Whip can temporarily assist the host. The host is still a mortal and lacks magical power. To activate the artifact, 200 points of Blessing must be deducted.]

Chen Yongqiang was surprised that the mountain god seemed to sense his presence. He held the god-slaying whip in both hands and bowed again before the statue.

"Thank you, Mountain God, for lending me this magical artifact. I will keep it safe and will not use it unless absolutely necessary."

After getting up, he subtly moved his mind and put the magical artifact into his personal space before turning around and walking out of the mountain god temple.

"We can go now." Chen Yongqiang greeted the Hu family and continued walking deeper into Qinglong Mountain.

Hu Chuyao glanced back at the mountain god temple, then turned and followed.

After passing the mountain god temple halfway up the mountain, the number of living creatures in the mountains increased significantly.

Many wild animals began to appear, and Chen Yongqiang now roughly understood why the Hu family wanted to cooperate with him.

The Hu family's specialty lies in sacrificial communication, but they have limited ability to protect themselves from wild animals in the mountains.

At least Chen Yongqiang had a rifle with him, so dealing with ordinary jackals and wild boars shouldn't be too difficult.

Because their destination was clear, the group did not linger on the road.

Chen Yongqiang led the Hu family members to the entrance of Wind Howling Valley before noon: "We've arrived."

Hu Chuyao observed the surrounding terrain and pointed deeper into the valley: "We need to go a little further in."

Chen Yongqiang didn't ask any more questions and continued to venture deeper into the valley.

After walking another kilometer along the mountain path, Hu Chuyao quickly walked to a rock wall.

Brush away the snow covering a large rock with your hand. Some faint, ancient carvings are revealed on the rock's surface.

"This is it." She didn't choose the location randomly.

Sixty years ago, Hu Chuyao's grandmother led her clansmen to set up an altar here. However, due to the passage of time, the traces of that time have been eroded by wind and snow, and the altar needs to be restored and rearranged.

I never imagined that sixty years later, it would be her turn to come here to offer sacrifices.

Chen Yongqiang took the initiative to ask, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Hu Chuyao pointed to a sparse grove of trees not far away: "We need a lot of firewood. The sacrificial fire must burn all night without interruption."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Hu family members who had followed her began to act in unison.

They cleared away the snow, moved scattered stones from the surrounding area, and, following the remaining carvings on the stone surface and Hu Chuyao's guidance, began to restore the ancient altar that had been silent for many years.

"Alright, leave the firewood to me." Chen Yongqiang turned and walked towards the woods, which were mostly filled with hardy pine and hardwood.

He selected a naturally dead tree, took out an axe from his spatial storage, and the sound of chopping soon echoed through the valley.

Soon the tree withered, then the branches were removed, and the trunk was cut into long sections for easy transport.

"We need to remember this location; we'll need to come back here next spring to replant saplings."

Just as he was hoisting a piece of firewood onto his shoulder, Chen Yongqiang keenly noticed an unusual sound coming from the bushes behind him.

He quickly put down the firewood, and almost simultaneously gripped the Type 56 rifle on his back, pointing the muzzle at the trembling withered grass.

The bushes parted, and out emerged a rather large wild boar with short, thick tusks, its body covered in mud and snow.

Its small eyes stared warily at Chen Yongqiang, the uninvited guest, and white breath came out of its nostrils.

Chen Yongqiang's index finger rested lightly on the trigger guard, his gaze meeting that of the wild boar for a moment.

"Alright, I won't kill any animals today."

The wild boar seemed to sense that the danger had subsided. It grunted twice, turned and darted into the denser woods on the other side, disappearing from sight.

Only after the commotion had completely subsided did Chen Yongqiang sling his rifle over his shoulder, pick up the firewood, and head back towards the altar.

He returned to the vicinity of the altar, first setting up several pieces of dry pine wood, then lighting them with matches to start a small bonfire.

The orange-red flames flickered, dispelling some of the chill in the valley.

On the other side, Hu Chuyao had already entered a certain state. She took out various objects from her bag: a pottery jar with simple and ancient patterns, a bell with dull colors, and a leather drum.

There are also several pieces of animal bones that have undergone special treatment.

Using the large, incised stone as the center, Hu Chuyao carefully cleaned the ground and placed the sacrificial artifacts she had taken out in specific positions.

She murmured indistinct syllables, and the wind in the valley seemed to grow even more still as she prepared.

Chen Yongqiang made several trips back and forth, and the pile of firewood was already quite high, enough to burn all night.

Hu Chuyao's arrangements were nearing completion. Centered on the altar, she used ground ochre powder to draw intricate patterns on the ground, connecting the altars into an invisible array.

The wind rushes in from the valley entrance, passing through the jagged rocks, emitting a mournful sound that is sometimes low and sometimes sharp, hence the name "Wind Howling Valley".

Chen Yongqiang glanced at Hu Chuyao, who was still making her final inspection, and then looked into the deeper shadows of the valley, knowing that night and the so-called "Evening Beast" were fast approaching.