Calabash Fairy

Before long, a commotion erupted from Yang Dongdong's house...

"Alright! So that's why the usually well-behaved Bai family girl has disappeared! Turns out it was you who led her away!"

"You brat! It's one thing for you not to study properly, but you're dragging others down with you!!"

"Father!! I was wrong!!"

Accompanied by the sound of the rattan cane striking, cries of pain from young children rang out...

In the courtyard, Yang Xiaochuan looked at his third brother beside him with a strange expression. The brother was drinking tea and eating pastries with a satisfied look on his face, as if listening to celestial music.

He strongly suspected that his third brother had deliberately come to let the cat out of the bag today...

"Second brother, don't look at me like that. I definitely didn't say that on purpose because my nephew hit me with a stone when he threw it at the bird's nest."

...That's really true...

..............................

Several days later, at the City God Temple in Gudu City.

At this moment, below the plaque in the temple that reads "I am selfless," an elderly man in a wide, crimson robe, exuding an air of authority, is looking at the two people in front of him.

"Lu Zhang, how did you feel when you met that mountain god?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhang, dressed in a white scholar's robe, pondered for a moment and then said:

"Your Majesty, that mountain god is named Fang Yan, and he is a gourd immortal."

"When I met him, Mr. Fang Yan was very easygoing."

"I observed that his aura was ethereal and otherworldly, unlike that of ordinary people, and coupled with his speech and demeanor..."

"If I hadn't known his identity beforehand, and if I hadn't known that Lord Fang Yan's divine aura was genuine, I would have thought that he was a true Taoist cultivator."

Lu Zhang's words prompted the man beside him, dressed in black armor and looking like a military general, to ask with some curiosity:

"A true Daoist cultivator? You mean this Fang Yanshan God has some connection with the Daoist sect?"

Lu Zhang did not answer, but his expression was quite certain.

Little did he know that many years ago, Shuyu had already lamented about this matter.

Shu Yu once said frankly that, unlike himself who was enlightened by that Taoist priest back then, Fellow Daoist Fang Yan was simply a born seed for cultivation.

After listening to Lu Zhang's words, Zhang Chenghuang nodded slightly, a thoughtful look on his face. After a moment, he looked at Lu Zhang and said seriously:

"Is this person trustworthy?"

"It's acceptable."

Seeing Lu Zhang nod solemnly without hesitation, Zhang Chenghuang, who had always trusted Lu Zhang's judgment for hundreds of years, softened his expression and nodded, saying:

"Very well then, let's raise the position of the Mountain God of Qingfeng Mountain once again."

..............................

Time slips away unnoticed, and soon, four years have passed in a flash.

The summit of Qingfeng Mountain.

Xu Hu, whose face already bore the marks of time, was leading a group of craftsmen, looking at the vermilion temple in front of them with excitement and pride.

Compared to the previous mountain god temple, the current mountain god temple has not only expanded in size, but its magnificence is also far greater than before.

Under the eaves and above the door, a plaque with six large golden characters reading "Qingfeng Mountain Temple" hangs there, giving people a solemn and dignified feeling at first glance.

The temple was renovated using redwood as the main material. The red walls, green tiles, carved beams and painted rafters were painstakingly crafted and carved by these craftsmen over a period of more than half a year.

Before that, the villagers had been collecting various materials and experimenting for more than half a year...

But for them, being chosen to build a temple for the mountain god was the greatest honor.

"Hopefully, the Mountain God will be satisfied..."

A young man who looked no more than seventeen years old murmured with longing in his eyes.

For their generation, they all grew up listening to the legends of the Mountain God. In order to participate in the construction of the Mountain God Temple, the students in the academy put in their best efforts and kept studying the craftsmanship techniques in the books. In the end, only two or three people were selected.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone, their mountain god was standing not far away with four little demons, quietly watching this scene.

Fang Yan smiled gently and looked up at the temple in front of him, quite satisfied with it.

He had seen many temples in his previous life, and this temple was considered quite good.

Especially for villagers living deep in the mountains, this is already an all they have...

With the completion of the new mountain temple, the incense offerings on Qingfeng Mountain became increasingly abundant, and specks of golden light rose up continuously, transforming into a hazy golden light that landed on Fang Yan.

"The fifteenth golden light of merit, today is a double celebration."

As life has improved over the years, many families in Xiahe Village have gradually become more prosperous, and the amount of incense offerings he receives each year continues to increase.

If this continues, the Mountain God Seal within him will break through again in less than ten years.

Judging from the amount of incense offerings needed for this breakthrough, once the divine path is broken through, things will definitely be very different from before.

Fang Yan, however, always went with the flow and was never in a hurry.

The villagers worshipped him sincerely, and he protected them.

It was so before, and it will be so in the future.

He looked at the villagers in front of the temple, their faces beaming with excitement because the temple was now built and the mountain god could have a new home. With a gentle smile in his eyes, he slowly walked into the temple.

..................................

Down the mountain, Qiu'er, who had matured and become more composed, sat on the edge of the field, staring blankly at the peach trees with their delicate pink blossoms blooming beside the village fields.

Three years ago, she and Xu Hu led a group of people to Hongmu Village again and brought back a lot of timber. It just so happened that there were peach trees bearing fruit around Hongmu Village. Although they ate them all on the way, they still brought back some peach pits.

No one knows whose peach pit it was that was scattered in that spot, but three years later, it grew into a tree and blossomed.

"You little rascal, you've been spacing out more and more lately."

Upon hearing this, Qiu'er quickly came to her senses and saw her grandmother, with her gray hair, slowly walking towards her.

"Grandma~ Why aren't you resting inside? Why are you out again~"

Qiu'er quickly got up and was about to go forward to help her, but Granny Zhang waved her hand and refused.

"Don't worry, Grandma is still in good health. Besides, when you get old, if you don't move around, you'll be in even worse shape."

Upon hearing this, Qiu'er's eyes dimmed.

Now, Grandma only has six years left to live...

When she was little, she thought six years was a long time, but now...

Six years... I can count the years on my fingers...

Most of the elderly people in the village didn't have enough to eat or wear when they were young. Not only did their bodies not develop properly, but many of them also suffered from serious health problems at that time.

Even though life is better now, and the spiritual energy of Qingfeng Mountain can keep them free from illness and allow them to live out their old age in peace, most of them still don't live long.

Grandma Zhang looked at her granddaughter and shook her head, saying:

"You silly girl, stop thinking about finding some more health-promoting foods for Grandma."

"Thanks to the protection of the mountain god, everyone is able to eat their fill and stay warm. Grandma is very satisfied with her life now."

Qiu'er smiled but didn't say anything. Instead, she naturally stepped forward and took her grandmother's arm. In the warm sunshine, they strolled slowly along the ridges of the fields...