"It's time for the parade! Make way, everyone, don't block the path, lest you offend the deities!"
Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, raising their arms.
The people standing around, whether they knew the situation or were just going with the flow, all made way for the procession carrying the sedan chair.
Those who didn't understand the situation had no choice but to comply.
There were simply too many people, packed so closely that one person's movement forced everyone else to move.
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox were also unsure of what was happening. They exchanged glances and decided not to act rashly. With so many people present, it wasn't the right time for anything else.
They, too, moved with the crowd, clearing the path for the sedan chair bearers.
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had initially thought they were gathered for some kind of event. To their surprise, the procession carrying the sedan chair was actually parading, with onlookers following closely.
It was a grand and lively spectacle.
The sedan chair indeed didn't seem like it was meant for a person to sit in, as the cabin was too small. A young child might barely fit, but even then, there would be little room left, filling the cabin completely.
If a young child were inside, the scene would be like a horror story.
Coincidentally, there was a legend about boxes in horror stories, known as the "box girl," but it was too frightening. Ye Tiancheng preferred not to dwell on it, leaning towards the belief that whatever was inside the sedan chair was not human, or perhaps not even alive.
Not all the tourists who came to watch the evening event were privy to its details. Some were completely unaware, or had only heard about it without participating, and had come to join the excitement.
Most could be easily identified. Those who were less informed looked rather bewildered, following along out of curiosity.
However, the more informed individuals were far more apparent. Their faces revealed a chilling fervor that was deeply unsettling. Ye Tiancheng felt his hair stand on end. Some uninformed tourists, seeing such fervent individuals, would instinctively distance themselves.
After all, they looked rather abnormal, and getting too close could lead to unfortunate consequences.
In such a crowd, Ye Tiancheng couldn't communicate with the little fox. Their actions were primarily based on tacit understanding. Ye Tiancheng tugged at the little fox, signaling his intention to act. Although the little fox didn't understand Ye Tiancheng's plan, he cooperated with Ye Tiancheng's movements within the crowd to avoid separation.
Ye Tiancheng identified a target and laboriously moved closer to the person.
He deliberately exclaimed near the person, "It's so lively! I wonder what this is all about… Excuse me, sir, do you know what's going on here? I'm from out of town and don't quite understand the situation."
Ye Tiancheng slightly raised his voice to ensure he could communicate with the person and strike up a conversation.
The person heard Ye Tiancheng speaking but only caught a vague outline due to the overwhelming noise.
He also shouted back to Ye Tiancheng, "What did you say?"
Ye Tiancheng repeated himself, "Sir, I was wondering if you know what this event is? I'm from out of town and don't quite understand the situation!"
Ye Tiancheng raised his voice a little higher.
He hadn't chosen the person randomly. Ye Tiancheng had seen this person before while exploring the village, getting the layout, and gathering information, but he hadn't spoken to him then.
This was a local villager, born and raised here, who now appeared with a fervent expression. He wasn't particularly ill-tempered, making him suitable for conversation.
Not every villager in this community was fanatically devoted to the so-called "Mountain God." Some villagers, who were less interested or had other reasons, kept their doors shut and did not venture out at this time.
All the villagers who were present, whether out of genuine fervent belief or for some benefit, were gathered here. They were most likely the informed ones.
As it was a local "Mountain God," it was naturally the locals who understood it best.
Ye Tiancheng had observed carefully, so his choice of person was quite accurate. After hearing Ye Tiancheng's question, the villager indeed provided an explanation.
The villager told Ye Tiancheng, "This is our Mountain God parading."
"The Mountain God parades once a year to respond to everyone's prayers and wishes, and to observe the people, to see if anyone needs help."
Ye Tiancheng subtly pulled at the corner of his lips, his emotions unreadable. He had his own thoughts, but he certainly wouldn't voice them to a villager fanatically worshipping the "Mountain God," as he intended to glean more information.
Therefore, Ye Tiancheng smiled and said, "That sounds like a very down-to-earth deity who cares for the people. It sounds quite interesting. Sir, what kind of deity is this Mountain God of yours?"
Mountain Gods in different regions indeed had their own unique characteristics, not all being cast from the same mold, and their abilities varied. This was why Ye Tiancheng asked the question.
All Mountain Gods in the world were different.
The villager replied to Ye Tiancheng, "Of course, it's the Dragon God!"
Ye Tiancheng almost blurted out, "What the heck?" but he managed to hold back, only letting out an "Oh" to indicate he understood and nodding.
Inwardly, he couldn't help but wonder if this was some evil deity using another's name. Such deities were not uncommon. Strictly speaking, they weren't deities at all, merely occupying the title of a god and enjoying its worship.
Although Ye Tiancheng had already suspected that this "Mountain God" might not be a true deity, adopting the identity of a dragon seemed excessive.
Their entire nation considered themselves descendants of dragons, but whether dragons truly existed was debatable. There were many legends about dragons, but no one had ever seen one with their own eyes. Ye Tiancheng leaned towards dragons being a composite fantasy creature rather than real.
Of course, this was just his personal opinion, and he would change it if he were wrong and saw a dragon.
But regardless of whether dragons existed in this world, Ye Tiancheng was certain of one thing: whether dragons were good or evil, they likely wouldn't be confined to such a remote corner, causing trouble without being ostentatious, unlike this village's "Mountain God."
It wasn't that dragons wouldn't harm people; legends spoke of evil dragons, so Ye Tiancheng didn't believe the "Mountain God" wasn't a dragon simply because it had harmed people.
Ye Tiancheng simply felt that if a dragon were to cause trouble, it wouldn't be limited to such a remote corner, without making a spectacle.
As he was contemplating these matters, his phone suddenly vibrated twice, indicating a new message. Ye Tiancheng took out his phone and saw it was from Nie Chongyang.
After Ye Tiancheng had enlisted the help of their special operations team, Nie Chongyang had assisted him in investigating many things, uncovering several unsolved cases, particularly many missing person cases that were intricately linked to this village. Consequently, the authorities had taken notice and initiated their own investigations.
However, Ye Tiancheng, uncertain of the village's strength and wishing to avoid unnecessary casualties, had asked Nie Chongyang not to send people. Nie Chongyang and his team had accepted this consideration and agreed.
This did not mean, however, that Nie Chongyang and his team would sit idly by, waiting for Ye Tiancheng to clear the path and uncover all the facts before claiming his findings.
Although personnel couldn't be dispatched immediately, they were still utilizing their resources to conduct investigations from the outside.
Through meticulous investigation, even detaining certain key individuals suspected of involvement, and subsequent interrogations, Nie Chongyang and his team had managed to extract some information from the outside, including the clue Ye Tiancheng had just obtained – the Dragon God.
After sending Ye Tiancheng a summary of the new investigation results, Nie Chongyang couldn't help but send him a message.
He asked, "Do dragons really exist in this world?"
The people of their entire nation referred to themselves as descendants of dragons and held a special sentiment towards them. Upon hearing of the existence of a Dragon God, it was natural to be curious. Even someone like Nie Chongyang couldn't help but ponder and inquire further.
"I don't know," Ye Tiancheng replied truthfully to Nie Chongyang. "Legends of dragons have existed since ancient times, but I've never heard of anyone who has actually seen one."
After a moment's thought, Ye Tiancheng sent another message to Nie Chongyang: "In any case, I'm here now. Regardless of whether dragons exist in this world or if this village's 'Mountain God' is truly a dragon, I'll know once I see it with my own eyes. I'll be sure to tell you then."
Nie Chongyang was very eager to know about dragons, but he also understood that Ye Tiancheng was in a complex and dangerous situation, and it was not appropriate for him to disturb him further. Therefore, he sent Ye Tiancheng a final message.
"Okay."
Seeing that Nie Chongyang likely had no further matters to discuss, Ye Tiancheng put away his phone and refocused on the situation at hand.
The little fox, who had been accompanying him, remained silent for a long time. Seeing that Ye Tiancheng had temporarily paused, he asked Ye Tiancheng what was going on.
Ye Tiancheng looked at the little fox and roughly explained everything.
While the little fox might not have heard everything, he had clearly heard the villager Ye Tiancheng had spoken to earlier say that their village's "Mountain God" was a Dragon God, as he had been standing right beside them.
Ye Tiancheng asked the little fox, "Little fox, do you think dragons really exist in this world?"
The little fox pondered for a moment and replied, "I can't say for sure. I always have a feeling that they do, but I've never seen one with my own eyes. Perhaps I saw one before I lost my memory, but who knows?"
"Anyway, regardless of whether dragons exist or not, if we follow along, we'll eventually find out the truth."
Ye Tiancheng said, "That's true."
He thought for a moment, wanting to understand more. Seeing that the villager who had answered his question earlier seemed quite approachable, he decided to approach him again and try to gather more information.
Fortunately, the parade seemed to be continuing for quite some time, and the procession was moving very slowly. On one hand, the people carrying the sedan chair were inherently slow, as they were reportedly carrying the "Mountain God's" statue. On the other hand, the crowd following along, due to its sheer size, couldn't move any faster.
Furthermore, this village wasn't particularly small. Although the number of local villagers wasn't exceptionally large, being nestled in the mountains, the actual village area was quite extensive, further slowing down the parade.