The long duration of the parade provided Ye Tiancheng with ample opportunity to gather information.
The villager Ye Tiancheng approached was genuinely amiable. Perhaps it was because they were accompanying the "Mountain God" on a parade, which meant fewer restrictions, such as the rule against whispered conversations among believers. Thus, the villager was willing to answer any questions Ye Tiancheng posed that he could.
Through the villager, Ye Tiancheng learned that the "Mountain God" of their village was not just a dragon, but reputedly a Lake Dragon King.
It made sense, as dragons typically had territories, and they wouldn't just reside on mountains but also near water.
However, Ye Tiancheng observed the surging river beyond the layers of mountains and steep cliffs, and it seemed highly unlikely to be the territory of this Lake Dragon King.
The territory of a Lake Dragon King would naturally be a lake, yet Ye Tiancheng had not seen any lakes here. In fact, over the past few days, the three brothers had scouted the area extensively and had not encountered any trace of a lake.
But when Ye Tiancheng expressed his doubts, the villager explained.
The reason Ye Tiancheng and his companions hadn't seen a lake was that the "Mountain God's" territory was a forbidden zone. Even the "Mountain God's" followers were not permitted to tread there lightly, and certainly not within the village's boundaries, nor in more remote, desolate areas.
It was unlikely for ordinary people to find it even if they tried deliberately, as there were illusions surrounding the lake's periphery. The "Mountain God" did not wish to be disturbed.
However, there truly was such a lake here. The villager informed Ye Tiancheng that it was recorded in their village chronicles.
Although the "Mountain God's" territory was a forbidden zone, the "Mountain God" was benevolent. On several occasions, when natural disasters or calamities caused famine, the "Mountain God" had opened up the territory, allowing villagers to fetch water and fish to survive the hardship.
Hearing this, if the situation was indeed as described, Ye Tiancheng felt that this "Mountain God" did not seem like a malevolent entity. How could it then be responsible for the harmful actions it was currently committing?
He couldn't quite understand it, so he temporarily set aside his doubts and did not delve deeper.
What the villager had recounted, in Ye Tiancheng's opinion, was impossible to verify. It was merely a legend, and it was difficult to say whether it was true or false. It was possible that someone had fabricated it to enhance the "Mountain God's" reputation.
Most of the villagers in this settlement did indeed have a strong faith in the "Mountain God." It was said that the "Mountain God" was very kind and had benefited the entire village, having lent a helping hand multiple times, allowing the village to endure and not perish in the long river of history.
This was truly a village in the truest sense of the word, possessing a very long and profound history. Its ability to remain preserved was entirely due to the "Mountain God's" protection.
However, Ye Tiancheng also learned another piece of information. During the parade, Ye Tiancheng noticed that quite a few villagers were not participating. When Ye Tiancheng inquired about this, the villager elder informed him that there was actually another hidden reason.
The "Mountain God" of their village had not previously manifested frequently. It would only appear when villagers truly needed help, assisting them in overcoming difficulties, which is why it became a deity greatly revered.
In recent years, with societal changes, the number of people who believed in deities had been gradually decreasing. However, because this village was particularly remote and isolated from the outside world, the situation was better, and there had not been a significant loss of faith.
But in recent years, for reasons unknown, the "Mountain God" had begun to manifest frequently, even holding a parade once a year and responding to the prayers of believers. The situation had begun to change.
It wasn't that the "Mountain God's" frequent manifestations had caused a loss of faith among some villagers. Rather, those villagers who were indifferent to the parade believed that the one manifesting frequently now was not their Dragon God at all, and perhaps some disreputable entity was impersonating it.
There was even a theory that their Dragon God had long since achieved enlightenment and ascended to heaven, no longer residing here, thus allowing some foreign, corrupt entities to exploit the situation.
However, there were indeed some people who would believe as long as the entity claimed to be their Dragon God. They had indeed benefited greatly from the current "Mountain God," tasting sweet rewards, and were willing to believe regardless of whether this "Mountain God" was genuine.
As for the villager elder Ye Tiancheng had asked, he turned out to be a moderate.
This villager elder was well aware of the situations and views of both those who believed in the current "Mountain God" and those who did not. However, he himself was unsure which side was telling the truth. He genuinely believed in the Dragon God, so he cooperated with all activities but did not participate in the prayer portions.
He reasoned that his respect and worship, his faith, were for the true Dragon God. If the current "Mountain God" was fake, then not praying to it would not cause any major issues.
And if the current "Mountain God" was real, then he had shown his respect by participating in the activities as much as possible, so he would not be neglecting the Dragon God.
Ye Tiancheng found it a bit speechless, but people's thoughts were indeed difficult to define. A slight difference in thought could lead to vastly different outcomes, even to some peculiar ideas, which was not entirely strange.
Instead, Ye Tiancheng felt that the villager elder's approach was quite good. By not getting involved in the act of praying to the gods, even if the current "Mountain God" had problems, people like him would not easily fall into a trap.
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had not expected such a complicated situation.
Ye Tiancheng was keen to investigate the matter of the Dragon God and find out where the Dragon God's territory was. However, since the villager elder had already stated it was a forbidden zone and difficult to find, he naturally could not provide detailed answers. Whether he knew or not, he would not elaborate.
After all, the villager elder himself had said that he sincerely believed in the Dragon God and would naturally not betray the Dragon God.
Ye Tiancheng then thought that he would likely have to find a way to search for it himself, to see if this Dragon God truly existed, whether such a Dragon God was real, and if it had indeed been impersonated.
If it had been impersonated, and these villagers believed in it so fervently, why didn't it appear and speak out?
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox discussed the investigation in general terms. After thinking for a moment, the little fox proposed an idea.
The little fox said to Ye Tiancheng, "In the past, people couldn't figure out the location of the lake because there were illusions around it, and they had no other means to investigate, so they couldn't find the lake. But now that technology is so advanced, why don't we ask Nie Chongyang to look at satellite imagery? Perhaps we can find out where the lake is?"
"Although that Dragon God doesn't live among humans, if it can respond to believers in a timely manner, it at least shouldn't live too far away, right? Although these mountains are vast, they still have a boundary. If we can look at satellite images, is it really that difficult to find a lake?"
After hearing the little fox's idea, Ye Tiancheng found it outlandish and was speechless.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Little fox, you are truly a genius. How could I not have thought of such a method?"
The little fox replied, "Isn't it because you've been contacting Captain Nie so often to ask for his help lately, that it's broadened your horizons?"
"I was thinking that we were having some trouble here, and it was difficult to find, so I thought about how Captain Nie and his team could help us from various angles, which is how I thought of satellite imagery."
Ye Tiancheng also carefully considered it and felt that it did make some sense. Moreover, he hadn't had the habit of asking for help with everything before. It was only when he felt it was truly necessary that he did so, and naturally, his thinking had been limited. But the little fox's idea was indeed feasible.
Even if the Dragon God was that powerful, and the illusions around the lake could even affect satellite imagery, these peculiar supernatural methods, when colliding with modern technology, would also produce some subtle results. It would always be possible to notice something amiss, and these traces could be used for deduction to find the true location of the lake.
Ye Tiancheng then said, "You're still the smart one."
"Now that it's confirmed that Nie Chongyang and his team will definitely be involved, there's no harm in asking them to contribute more. There's no need to be polite. I believe they should also be very interested in matters related to dragons, and will be very willing to help us."
The little fox chimed in, "Exactly, exactly. Who wouldn't have any thoughts about dragons?"
Without delay, Ye Tiancheng immediately took out his phone and briefly explained the situation to Nie Chongyang.
As expected, Nie Chongyang readily agreed and immediately mobilized his subordinates. While investigating other matters in the village from the outside might be inconvenient and slower, looking at satellite imagery was something they could do immediately and resolve much faster.
Looking at satellite imagery didn't require a large mobilization, and they had the necessary permissions. Nie Chongyang assigned just one team member to find the satellite images and determine the lake's location.
The team member was quite excited to learn that it was an investigation related to dragons and immediately set to work.
However, after retrieving the satellite images and examining them, he became very confused.
The satellite images showed overlapping mountains surrounded by rivers, but there was no lake within the mountains.
He then took his laptop to Nie Chongyang and said, "Report, Captain, I've found the satellite images, but no matter how I look at them, it doesn't seem like there's a lake here."
"Could this just be a legend, or... because of the changes in time and the vastness of the world, the lake has completely disappeared, and thus it's not found by anyone? This then leads to the rumor that the Dragon God created illusions to prevent villagers from finding the lake's location?"
Nie Chongyang was also quite busy and had other investigated data to organize. The satellite images were considered a relatively urgent matter, so he allocated some attention to listen to his subordinate's report.
After hearing the team member's response, Nie Chongyang paused his work and thought carefully before replying, "We cannot rule out this possibility. However, regardless of whether the lake has dried up or disappeared for some other reason, there should still be some traces left behind, and it's impossible for it to have completely evaporated without leaving any clues."
"Furthermore, Ye Tiancheng and his team also mentioned that illusions created by supernatural powers might indeed fool current machinery, but there should still be some unusual signs, so we cannot be too hasty."
"Take another closer look. If you can access real-time dynamic images, that would be even better. Observe carefully. If there's anything suspicious, you should be able to spot it. I assigned you this task because you are usually meticulous, and I believe in your observation skills. If there are any abnormal situations, you should be able to discover them."
Upon hearing Nie Chongyang's words, the team member realized his mistake.
He indeed had a limited perspective. They had only recently transitioned to being responsible for special events, and their understanding of certain special powers was still weak. Many aspects were not immediately apparent to him, but now that Nie Chongyang had pointed it out, he could understand.
Therefore, he fully immersed himself back into his work.