Before their identities were clear, the group exchanged subtle glances.
"Take your deity statue and leave," Wang Jiu said, his tone unpleasant, yet his hands, cradling the mud-made mountain god, were exceedingly careful.
Just as Jiang Yue reached out to take the mountain god, Yan Shao preempted her, cupping it in both hands. With a gentle smile, he inquired, "It's getting late. May we stay in your village for the night? We'll be gone first thing tomorrow."
Wang Jiu's face remained stern. "No, our village does not allow outsiders to stay overnight. You must leave immediately."
Yan Shao flicked a meaningful look at Jiang Yue.
Jiang Yue, understanding the cue, put on a pitiful and fearful expression. Trembling, she stammered, "W-when we were coming here, we encountered a pack of wolves on the mountain. If we hadn't run fast enough, we might have been eaten."
As she spoke, Jiang Yue secretly pinched her thigh, forcing out two tears. She looked up pitifully, "Please, let us stay in the village for just one night, only one."
Jiang Yue, the only girl in their group, cried with a torrent of tears, appearing utterly forlorn.
Unfortunately, Wang Jiu's eyelids didn't even twitch. With a face as grim as a coffin, he declared, "You will leave the village now, immediately. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite."
The villagers, who had been busy with their farm work, stopped their tasks and cast sinister glances at the group.
Yan Shao feigned timidity and took a step back. "I, I won't leave. As long as we don't stay overnight in your village, that should be fine, right? You can't drive us away if we're outside the village."
Wang Jiu did not answer, but his silence was tantamount to consent.
Having received the answer he wanted, Yan Shao signaled for the others to leave the village.
Wang Jiu and the villagers watched them depart from Qing Shen Village until they were out of sight, then closed the wooden gates at the village entrance.
The group walked to a mountain stream not far from the village.
Jiang Yue, finally able to vent her frustration, put her hands on her hips. "Hmph, what kind of person is he? I was so pitifully begging him, and he didn't even spare me a glance! This makes me so angry!"
Lu Zhi silently mused that it was likely because her acting was too overdone.
"Mountain God, may I see it?" Lu Zhi asked.
Yan Shao nodded and removed the red cloth covering the mountain god.
It was a very simple statue, fashioned from mud.
In villages situated in remote mountainous areas, the custom of worshipping mountain gods was common. Those living in the mountains depended on the forests for their livelihood throughout their lives.
People who frequently entered and exited the forests sometimes got lost or encountered dangers.
This gave rise to a sense of reliance, where they would worship the mountain god for safety.
"This is just a piece of mud, isn't it?" Shi Yu mumbled. "It's similar to the mountain god worshipped in my hometown."
Lu Zhi inquired, "Oh? Your hometown also has the custom of worshipping mountain gods?"
"Yes. But in our place, every household has a mountain god statue." Shi Yu took out his phone and flipped through his photos. "Look."
"Are you sure it's a mountain god?" Lu Zhi glanced at the faded white stone in the photo, wrapped in red cloth. It resembled a steamed bun, quite crudely made.
Shi Yu chuckled. "We don't make such a fuss about it. It's a form of spiritual solace. Mountain gods are ubiquitous in the mountains, and any rock or stone can be a manifestation of the mountain god. So, the mountain gods we worship are chosen by picking a stone from the mountain, placing it next to our doorway, building a small shrine, and offering it to the mountain god."
Lu Zhi was speechless. It was indeed casual, but strangely, she found some logic in it.
"Don't you find this mountain god statue a bit odd?" Li Le interjected. "It looks like an unfinished piece."
Lu Zhi nodded. "Indeed, it only has one foot."
"Hm? One foot? Let me see." Jiang Yue squeezed in from behind Shi Yu and suddenly her eyes widened. "Wait, are you sure this is a mountain god and not a mountain spirit?"