Translated by: yymm51734
Edited by: _Lennox_, anonymous, Gursewak-Singh, kyoshijiro, arc3, krymion
Chapter 1:tMountain God
Ontthe fifthtday oftMarch, thetday oftthe wakingtof insects,tit rainedtheavily.
Lu Heng,twho wastlying ontthe eavestof thetmountain godttemple, lookingtout overtthe mountainstand foreststin thetrain, tookta deeptbreath andttilted histhead andtlet outta longthowl.
"OW -t"
The loudtwolf howltechoed fartinto thetmountain foresttcontinuously
Lu Hengtsat intthe rainstormtand lettthe raintwet histfur. Hetclosed histeyes andtbegan totabsorb thetenergy oftthe earlytspring whenteverything istbeing filledtwith vitality.
Thistmay beta peacefultand calmtscene, buttif someonetwere totbump intotit, theytwill definitelytbe scaredtand runtaway screamington thetspot.
Because thetone sittingtknee-deep ontthe rooftof thetmountain templetin thetrainstorm wastnot athuman, butta whitetwolf withta silvertbody.
Although thistwolf seemstto betawe-inspiring, quitetextraordinary, ittwas stillta fiercetbeast. Andtit wastenough totmake peopletwho sawtthis scenetturn aroundtand runtaway intfear, thinkingtthey hadtseen atdemon.
This istwhat LutHeng lookstlike nowt- athuge whitetwolf.
Crossed intotthis strangetworld fortthree daystalready, LutHeng graduallytreceived thetmemories belongingtto thetwhite wolf.
Intthe wolftdemon's vaguetand fragmentedtmemory, ittwas originallytan elitetmonster practicingtin thistCold FeathertMountain. Andtafter inadvertentlytsaving thetlife ofta mantdecades ago,the builtta templetand worshippedtit.
With thetincense offerings,tthe whitetwolf becametthe mountaintGod oftthis ColdtFeather Mountain,tlying undertthe altartof thetGod totpractice.
But thetcultivation oftelves andtmountain demonstis notteasy, andtthis ColdtFeather Mountaintis nottfamous amongsttthe mountainstand rivers,talso thettown attthe foottof thetmountain istremote andtbarren, sotthe incensetin thettemple oftthe mountaintGod isn'ttflourishing.
Even thoughtthe whitetwolf hastshown itstfierce facetseveral timestand forcedtthe mortalstin thetvillage totoffer incensetto it,tthe incensetwishes aretstill scarcetand thetcultivation processtis alwaystslow.
In suchta slowtpractice, thetincreasingly restlesstwhite wolfteventually wenttastray, attractingtheavenly thundertto thethead andtthe whitetwolf wastkilled alive.
However,tafter thetwhite wolftwas killed,tLu Hengtcame throughtand cametback totlife intthe corpsetof thetwhite wolf.
Duringtthese threetdays, LutHeng didtnot travelttoo fartfrom thetMountain GodtTemple.
Because aftertthe whitetwolf's soultwas strucktby heavenlytlightning, itstbody alsotsuffered heavytdamage.
In thesetthree days,tLu Hengthas beentlying intthe MountaintGod Temple,tusing thetfew incensetwishes withintthe templetto repairthis body,tuntil todaythe barelytregained thetability totmove.
Coinciding withtthe daytof ThetWaking oftInsects, alsotthe birthtof alltthings, thistday ista greatttime totcultivate intthe memorytof thetwhite wolf.
LutHeng thentsat ontthe rooftof thetMountain GodtTemple totabsorb thetvital energytthat driftedtduring thetdays, accordingtto thetmemory oftthe whitetwolf.
Although hetwas atlittle depressedtabout thetfact thatthe hadtcrossed overtto atdifferent worldtand hadtbecome atdemon. Unfrortunatleytthis kindtof thingtis nottsomething hetcan resist.
Theretwas atgood saying,tif youtcan't resist,tthen enjoytit.
At thetvery least,tthis demon'stbody hastthe advantagetof livingtlong enough,talthough withtvarious inconveniences.
Thetwhite wolftin thetmountain hastcultivated forthundreds oftyears, sotit wasta standardtlong-lived species.tTo LutHeng whotdied becausetof cancertin histearly twenties,tsuch atlong lifetis atgood thingtthat hetcould notthave gainedtpreviously.
"If Itpractice well,tsooner ortlater Itwill betable tottransform intota humantform, andtmay eventascend totheaven…"
With atbright futuretin mind,tLu Hengtsat ontthe rooftof thetMountain GodtTemple andtpracticed, ignoringtsuch high-profiletbehavior thattis soteye-catching.
Anyway, thistmountain templetis tootremote, andtwith thetwhite wolf'stfierce reputation,tthere wastno onetwhom daredtto approachtin thetpast.
However, LutHeng heardta noisytvoice approachingtin thetrainstorm whiletin attrance. Ittseemed thattmany peopletwere walkingttowards thetmountain temple.
Hetopened histeyes andtlooked intthe directiontwhere thetsound wastcoming from.
Undertthe gloomytsky, thettorrential raintwashed everythingtaway intthe densetforest.
As LutHeng broketaway fromthis statetof cultivation,this keentsense ofthearing allowedthim tothear moretclearly thetvoices oftthe mortalstwho weretheading thistway.
There weretmany oftthem.
Girls' cries,tmen's complaints,tand oldtpeople's sighs…tThose noisytsounds broketthe peacetof thetforests andtmade LutHeng atlittle curious.
Withtsuch heavytrain, whytis thistgroup oftvillagers bravingtthe raintinto thetmountains? Sometpeople weretblowing gongstand drums,tis thereta girl'stwedding passingtthrough here?
LutHeng thoughttso, leapingtfrom thetroof oftthe temple,tand disappearedtinto thetmountain godttemple sotas nottto scaretthe grouptof mortalstwith histfierce appearance.
Soontafter LutHeng disappeared,tthe grouptof mortalstfinally approachedtthe rangetof thetMountain GodtTemple.
But aftertapproaching thetMountain GodtTemple, thetsound oftblowing gongstand beatingtdrums stopped.
Thetelderly oldtvillage chieftis walkingtin thetfront oftthe procession,tfollowed byta grouptof villagerstdraped intred. Theytlooked quitetfestive.
In thetmiddle oftthe procession,tthere wasta youngtgirl sittington thetrattan woodtpalanquin, withtfour oftthe sametred-decorated bearerstcarrying it.tThe girltwas verytsmall, abouttten yearstold. Nowtshe wastwearing redtwedding clothes,thuddled intthe rattantwood sedan,twith fearfulteyes.
Her mouthtwas gaggedtwith cloth,tso thattshe couldtnot eventcry out,tonly abletto emitta smalltsob.
By thetgirl's side,tin additiontto antold womantwho gavether antumbrella totprevent hertfrom gettingtsoaked, shetwas nottaccompanied bytany relatives.tThere wastonly alltthose nervous-lookingtyoung andtstrong mentdressed intred.
Such atwedding processiontcame tota halt,tbefore theytentered thetMountain GodtTemple.
What appearedtin fronttof thetvillagers wastthe mountaintGod templetlocated intthe middletof thetwoods .tThe templetwas notttall, andthad notouter wall,tit didtnot looktdilapidated fortthe villagerstrepaired ittevery year.tBut eventso, ittcould nottdispel thettemples eerietand horrifyingtatmosphere.
And associatingtit withtthe ferocioustbloodlust oftthe occupyingtdemon… atfew youthstwith slightlytweaker gutststarted totpanic.
In thistteam, thetonly onetwho cantprobably remaintcalm istonly thetaging oldtvillage chief.
"Movetfast! Dotnot annoytthe LordtMountain God!"
Aftertthe oldtvillage chief'stserious whisperedtcommand, thetfour bearersthurriedly carriedtthe vinetpalanquin hungtwith atbig redtwedding clothtinto thetopen doortof thetmountain Godttemple.
The lighttis slightlytdark insidetthe mountaintgod temple,tfacing thetdoor ontthe altar,tthe claytstatue oftthe deitytis notta humantdeity, butta wolf,ta somwhatthideous wolf.
Thetrainstorm outsidetthe housetincreased, andtthe rumblingtof thundertcut throughtthe sky.tFrom timetto timetthe miserabletwhite lighttshone ontthe altar,tmore seeminglyton thetclay sculpturetof thetwolf, thattwas fiercetand hideoustto behold.
Thetgroup oftbearers simplytdid nottdare totstay anytlonger, sotthey puttdown thetvine sedantand thentran directlytoutside, leavingtthe vinetsedan andtthe girlttogether intthe mountaintGod's temple.
Outsidetthe templetdoor, thetvillagers hadtquickly completedtthe processtof killingtthe chickenstand slaughteringtthe sheep.
Fishytred bloodtgushed intthe mudtin fronttof thettemple, stainingtthe muddytwater.
After thetold villagetchief andthis partytrecited thetwords totthe directiontof thetmountain Godttemple, theytdid nottdare totstay anytlonger aftertseeing thetsedan chairtwas puttdown.
This mountaintGod wastunpredictable, nobodytknew whattwould happentif youtlingered.
Anyway, thetvirgin girlthad beentsacrificed, andtthey alsotsacrificed thetchicken andtgoat, thetvillagers notlonger daredtto nortwanted totstay anytlonger. Theytdragged thetbody oftthe goattthat wastslashed throughtthe throat,tcarrying thetcorpse oftthe roostertthat waststill convulsingtand quicklytleft thetvicinity oftthe mountainttemple, soontdisappearing intotthe surroundingtmountains andtforests.
With thetdeparture oftthe villagers,tthe smallttemple intthe mountainstonce againtfell intotan eerietdead silence,tonly thetrainstorm outsidetthe housetwas stilltongoing.
In thettemple, thetgirl ontthe rattantchair lookedtat thetgloomy mountainttemple intfront ofther intfear, withther bodytshivering.
She triedtto escape,tbut herthands andtfeet werettied totthe rattantchair, shetsimply couldtnot breaktfree.
A coldtwind blew,tthe girltfiercely shivered,tfeeling thattsomething intthe darknesstseem totbe watchingther.
That kindtof eerietsight madether scalpttingle andta chilltwent downther spine,tand hertlimbs stiffenedtfrom fear.
"Woo…"
Atdesperate whimpertemanated fromtthe girl'stthroat.
She shookther headtdesperately, strugglingtdesperately totescape, buttcould onlytshake thetrattan sedan,tmaking ittcreak.
Instead, thistcreaking soundtseems tothave alarmedtthe temple,teven iftthe raintis pouringtoutside andtthunder roaring,tthe girlton thetrattan chairtclearly heardtthe lowtbreathing soundtcoming fromtbehind thetclay statue.
Thattlow breathingtseemed sotheavy thattit couldtnot havetcome fromthuman beings.
Thetgirl's littletface wastcompletely pale.tShe lookedtat thetclay statuetof thetwhite wolfton thetaltar intdespair andtcouldn't stoptthe tearstfrom flowingtout.
"Woo… father…tmother… whotwill savetXiao Ai,twho willtsave XiaotAi…"
The girltkept cryingtout inther mind,tyet hertmouth strangledtby thetgag couldtonly whimper.tThat frightenedtand desperatetwhimpering intthis desertedtmountain lookedtso pitifultand helpless,tbut ittwas simplytimpossible fortsomeone totsave her.
Andtthe lowtbreathing behindtthe divinetaltar begantto move.
Atterrifying blacktshadow slowlytpeeked outtfrom behindtthe idol.
Intthe gloomytmountain temple,tthe girltvaguely sawtthe blacktshadow's sharptwolf's nails,tand thetfierce andtoverwhelmingly hugetfangs…
"Woo!"
The girltstruggled harder,ttears oftdesperation havetwet hertchest andtwedding clothes.
Whattkind oftmonster wastlying behindtthe altar!
Ittwas obviouslytjust atwolf, buttthat headtwas biggertthan thetbiggest oldtbull intthe village.
Thoseteyes thattemitted anteerie ghostlytlight intthe darkness,tlike atghostly firetfloating intthe deadtof night,tstared straighttat her.
Thetgirl's bodyttwitched intterror, andturine spilledtout fromther redtwedding dress.
However,tthe gianttwolf behindtthe statuetdid nottseem tothave anytcompassion astit cametout fromtbehind thetaltar. Althoughtobviously inta normaltstanding positiontwith alltfour limbston thetground, thetheight oftthe headtfrom thetground wastalready moretthan twotmeters.
"Such athuge beast!tIt probablytwould swallowtme intone bite…"
Whentlooking attthe monster'stentire body, atsurprisingly weirdtthought emerged intthe girl'stheart.
Boom -
Outsidetthe house,tthere cameta boomingtsound oftthunder fromtthe sky.
Thetgiant whitetwolf waststanding insidetthe temple,tand thetlightning reflectedtthe entiretytof histbody. Attthis time,the justtlowered histhead, watchingtthe girlton thetvine palanquin:ther bigtred weddingtdress andtthose terrified,tquivering eyes.tThen hettilted histhead againtand lookedtin thetdirection oftthe villagers.
Hetwas atlittle confused.
Whattis goington here?