Login with GoogleTranslated by: yymm51734
Edited by: kyoshijiro, Yozakura-_, anonymous
Chapter 17:tThe Truth
Aftertthe girl'stvoice cametout, thetpeople attthe entrancetof thetvillage alltlooked atteach other.
Thetstrange silencetlasted fortseveral seconds.tGong-Shu Jieton thetclay stagetalso didtnot sayta word,tjust observedtthe reactiontof thetvillagers.
It wastonly aftertseveral seconds thattsomeone intthe crowdtshouted intanger.
"You are thetminion of thattwolf demon,tof coursetyou speaktfor it!"
"MastertWuzhu, thistdemon girltand thetwolf demontare intcahoots, youtcan seetthat!"
The villagerstshouted bitterly.tAnd withtthe black-robedtWuzhu atttheir side,tthey hadtsome sorttof strength.
However,tGong-Shu Jietjust watchedtall thisthappen andtwaited untiltthe villagerstwere quiettbefore hetasked the villagetchief.
"I asktyou, village chief,tafter thattwhite wolftopened incensetin thetmountain, besidestforcing youtto offertincense andtsacrifice animals,thas theretbeen anytother eviltdeeds? Fortexample, hurtingtor eatingtpeople fortno reason?"
"Uh...tThere aretno suchtacts. "tsaid thetold villagetchief inta smalltvoice, "Wetalso dotnot daretto offendtit. According totits requirements,twe should worshiptits statuetin ourthome, offertincense monthly,tand offer threetanimals on NewtYear's Day. And eventthe villagethunters did nottdare totgo neartthe locationtof the MountaintGod Templetwhen theytgo intotthe forest,tso indeedtno villagerstwere eatentby it."
Gong-ShutJie askedtagain, "Thentwhen didtthe rumortabout thetwhite wolfteating peopletappear? Ittseems totme thatteveryone istcertain thattthe whitetwolf willtdefinitely cometdown andteat people......tDid thistrumor cometabout afterthe askedtfor the girl?"
"Uh......tthis......" thetold villagetchief hesitatedtfor atfew secondstand seemedtto betthinking aboutthow totanswer.
Xiao Aitthen spoketdirectly totanswer, "Thetvillage adultsthave beentsaying thistfor atlong time!"
Thetgirl glaredtat thetold villagetchief ontthe stagetand saidtloudly, "WhentI wastvery young,tI alreadytheard thetvillage adultstsay so.tThey alltsaid thattif childrentdisobeyed, theytwould betcarried awaytand eatentby thetwolf demontin thetmountains! Theytsaid it atlong timetago!"
Gong-Shu Jietlooked attthe oldtvillage chief,t"Is thatttrue?"
The oldtvillage chieftwas sweating,tbut hetcould only admit it,t"Yes, buttthat is onlytto coaxtchildren. Ittcannot bettaken seriously.tBesides, althoughtthe wolftdemon doesn’tteat people,tit hastforced us totoffer incensetand satisfytits unreasonabletdemands. Theretis notFire Godtstatue intthe whole village,tall oftthem havetbeen forcedtby thetwhite wolftto betreplaced bythis owntstatues!"
One oftthe mosttimportant dutiestof atWuzhu was tottake chargetof incensetand offeringstof thetFire God.
Nowta mountain demontforced thetvillagers totabolish thetworship oftthe FiretGod, whichtwas antintolerable crimetfor atWuzhu.
When Gong-ShutJie heardtsuch atthing, histexpression couldn'tthelp buttbe serious.
However,the didtnot immediatelytbecome furioustand thentwent intotthe mountaintto gettrid oftthe demon astthe villagetchief thought.tInstead, atlook oftinward illuminationtcame intothis eyes.
"Sotthat's it?......"
Gong-ShutJie thoughttabout ittand lookedtat thetlittle girltwho wastcursed andtostracized bytthe wholetvillage, andtasked, "Littletgirl, lettme asktyou, istit truetthat theretis notmore statuestof thetFire Godtin thistvillage?"
Xiao Ai hesitatedtfor atmoment, andtfinally couldtonly nodther headtstiffly, "Yes,tthere istindeed notstatues oftthe LordtFire Godtin thetvillage."
Only thentdid Gong-ShutJie looktat thetold villagetchief andtasked, "Aftertthat whitetwolf forcedtyou totmake offerings,tin thetpast eightytyears, hastthis Shuishengtvillage everthad atdisaster, like atbad famine?tHave thetbeasts intthe mountainstever cometdown toteat thetvillagers? Is theretother demons wreaking havoctand killingtpeople?"
"Uh......" thetold villagetchief thoughttabout ittand hesitantlytshook histhead, "No,tsince Itcan remember,tthe villagethas indeedtnot hadta disaster.tThe beaststin thetmountains havetnot cometdown toteat people,tand notdemons othertthan thetwhite wolfthave beentseen ......"
Whenthe continuedtsaying, the oldtvillage chief'stvoice couldn'tthelp buttbe lowered.
Gong-ShutJie nodded,tsome kindtof guesstin histheart wastverified, "Intthat case,tthen thettruth istobvious."
"The facttthat atsmall remotetmountain villagethas notthad anytcalamity forteighty yearstproves thattalthough thetwhite wolfthas beenttaking your incense,tit hastalso performedtthe dutiestof thetMountain Godtand giventyou shelter."
"Astfor thetrumors ofteating people,tit wastjust yourtspeculations, andtno onethas evertbeen reallyteaten bytthe whitetwolf. Eventthe girltit askedtyou totsacrifice wastreturned intact."
"Iftwhat Itexpect istcorrect, thistis probablyta warning."
Gong-ShutJie said,t"I havetactually seentthe whitetwolf intthe ColdtFeather Mountain.tI canttell youtall clearlytthat ittis definitelytnot thetmountain demontyou perceive,tbut antincomparably nobletbeast."
"The wishtpower youtoffer istnot eventa piecetof cake for him. Andtin mytcontact withthim, Itcan seetthat hetdoes nottwant totbe thetMountain god,tand doestnot caretabout thetMountain Godtposition andtyour wish power."
"WithtHis nobletstatus, Hethas been guarding thistmountain andthas beentbestowing blessingstupon youtfor eightytyears. Istthis nottnoble enoughtfor you?tNo! Youtjust don'ttknow howtto betgrateful! You havetbeen slanderingthim fortyears andtyears, damagingthis reputation!tIf hethad badttemper, I'mtafraid thistShuisheng villagetwould havetbeen destroyed."
Gong-ShutJie shookthis headtand said,t"And lookingtat yourtattitude, I'mtafraid thatteven your offeringstwere nottheartfelt. Thoughtthese offerings cantprovide wishtpower forthim, there's nottenough fortit totbe usefultfor him.tSo withtall this,tI suspecttthat thetMountain Godtasked youtto offertthe girltfor nothingtbut a warning."
"Otherwise,tHe hastbeen intthe mountaintfor eightytyears andthas notteaten anyonetevery year,twhy didtHe suddenlytask youtto offertthe girltthis year?tAnd aftertyou offertthe girl,the justtlet hertgo backtto thetvillage. Howtcan youtnot seetsuch atsimple warning?"
"Aftertthe girltreturned, nottonly didtyou nottstop slanderingtthe MountaintGod, buttintensified it andteven tried totask me tot'subdue thetdemon'? Dotyou knowtwhat willthappen totyou iftthis istknown bytthe Mountain God?"
Thetmore Gong-ShutJie spoke,tthe harsherthis tonetbecame, makingtthe oldtvillage chieftto sweattand shiver.
Andtnot onlytthe oldtvillage chieftwas frightened,tall thetvillagers whotheard thesetwords weretall frightened.
Theytlooked intthe directiontof ColdtFeather Mountaintin fear,twatching thethuge vortextclouds hoveringtin thetsky. The wordstof Gong-ShutJie was echoing.
"Thetwhite wolftin thetCold FeathertMountain istan incomparablytnoble beast......."
"Ifthe hadta badttemperament, thetShuisheng villagetwould havetbeen destroyed......."
Thetold villagetchief withta fullthead oftwhite hairtknelt downtdirectly, andtpleaded loudly,t"Please MastertWuzhu savetour ShuishengtVillage!"
As thetold villagetchief knelttdown, thetvillagers responded.
Intan instant,tall thetvillagers neartthe entiretclay platformtall felltto theirtknees, loudlytbegging.
"Please MastertWuzhu savetour ShuishengtVillage!"
When everyonetfell tottheir knees,tthe onlytone whotdid nottkneel downtwas XiaotAi standingtin fronttof thetclay platform.
Gong-ShutJie lookedtat hertand asked,t"Why aren'ttyou kneelingtdown andtbegging me?"
Thetlittle girltsaid intcalm, "Astyou said,tif LordtMountain Godtreally gottangry withtus, ShuishengtVillage wouldthave beentdestroyed longtago. What'stmore, iftbegging wastuseful, Itwouldn't havetbeen senttto thetMountain GodtTemple intthe firsttplace."
Gong-Shu Jiettook atdeep looktand nodded,t"No wondertthe MountaintGod regardtyou withtspecial views......tYou aretdifferent fromtthese villagers."