strictlysupreme Chapter 96 The Village Guardian
Chapter 96 The Village Guardian
The edge of the ridge is dimly lit, and the mountains along the edge are separated by clouds.
The sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking from the houses had already blended together, and the bustling village of Shili was awakened by the clanging of the night. Sparse figures were walking along the village road.
'Thump...thump...thump...'
The clamor of gongs and drums startled the women and children who were taking a nap. This caused the children to cry and the women to curse, and it also made passersby stop and stare angrily.
There stood a handsome man, dressed in rags, covered in mud, and emitting a foul odor, energetically striking a gong.
"If you don't run, I won't run... The goddess sits down and we gather together; if you don't leave, I won't leave, we'll be brothers inside the soul banner..."
His hoarse voice drew a barrage of curses, and some even grabbed farm tools, ready to teach this madman a lesson.
After all, every household has women and children soundly asleep, and the man's actions have disturbed the peace of the entire Shili Village.
Although the man was mad, he wasn't a fool. When he saw the group of people carrying farm tools and eyeing him menacingly, he quickly took off running.
"This is the fourth time this month! What is he trying to do? Why don't we kick him out? My baby is only a month old, and last time he scared him so much that he got very sick!"
Among the groups of farmers, some grumbled in dissatisfaction, some were indignant, and some even jogged after them.
"Hmph, if it weren't for the fact that Shili Village remembered him knocking on every door during the last flash flood, all of this would have been enough to drive him away long ago..."
"Yes, at first I thought something big was going to happen again. But months have passed and there's still no sign of it. I originally thought that the beating and scolding last time would make him much more obedient."
But little did anyone know that he would only remember the beating for three days...
"When he returns from work, we'll make sure he remembers his lesson!"
As the group talked, Fang Hongxuan, who had been standing in the corner, silently retreated and headed in a certain direction. With his bloodshot eyes, he could clearly see the path the madman was taking.
In the shadows behind him, a weasel crouched, its head tilted as it peered in...
As for his affinity with the Dao, it was probably the natural way of practicing Buddhism. At this moment, he was fast asleep on his bed, showing no sign of being with Fang Hongxuan.
Fang Hongxuan neither spoke nor chased the weasel away from them, but instead observed it from the sidelines.
...
About three miles west of Longjian, there is a long-abandoned stone temple. The statue enshrined here was unearthed from the mud when Shili Village was founded. It looks like a human, and the finger pointing to a flower is clearly visible.
The people, seeing this, believed it was the Bodhisattva's blessing, so they raised money to build a small temple for Him to reside in.
At first, the weather was fine and the family was happy. But at some point, all the children in the village started crying incessantly at midnight.
The entire village of Shili was searched but no suspicious points were found until someone remembered the stone statue that was rarely worshipped in the past.
Desperate people would seek any cure, and not only mistook it for an evil spirit, they also smashed it in two.
After that, Shili Village returned to peace. As for the upper body that resembled a Bodhisattva, it had vanished without a trace, leaving only the lower body, which had been sitting cross-legged on the high platform, overturned to the ground.
...
Fang Hongxuan stepped through the faded threshold and found the madman kneeling intently and devoutly worshipping the bust that had been put back on the platform.
He looked completely different from the madman he had been before, showing no trace of his former madness.
However, he had no money, so all he offered were wild fruits that he had picked himself, and even the three offering plates were broken and dilapidated.
"Strange, according to the records... statues of gods that are not consecrated cannot receive incense offerings; those that are incomplete are devoid of deity and surrounded by evil spirits... how come it is completely the opposite here..."
Fang Hongxuan, who was extremely sensitive to evil spirits, could not detect anything amiss, and even Cuo Jin showed no reaction.
Instead, upon entering this place, he felt a vague sense of disgust and unease.
This is strong evidence that there are deities in this place.
What is divine thought?
Naturally, it is a product of what one thinks about during the day and dreams about at night, combined with the power of the thoughts of all beings and special conditions.
If one's mental power is positive, then one becomes a local deity who protects the area. Based on this, one can be granted an official title by the imperial court or a master of divination, and thus be able to reside within the image.
Further on are mountain gods, city gods, and earth gods...
Conversely, the only difference between various lewd and evil gods and righteous gods is the difference in their "thoughts".
In a daze, Fang Hongxuan seemed to see the divine consciousness residing within the statue. It only had a lower body, yet it gave Fang Hongxuan an unusual sense of familiarity.
"I feel like I've seen this somewhere before..."
While he was pondering, he was startled awake by the madman who was getting closer to examine him.
The belt around his waist was almost bursting out of his body, but the foolish man just chuckled.
"Kind person, hurry and leave! Disaster is about to befall this place; the Goddess of Fertility is coming..."
Salty liquid was overflowing from the corners of the man's mouth, thick phlegm mixed with snot was solidified around his lips, and even his facial features looked extremely distorted and grotesque.
Seeing his appearance, the words "village guardian" suddenly popped into Fan Hongxuan's mind.
After calming himself down a bit, Fang Hongxuan finally asked the question.
"I am a devout Buddhist and I visit temples whenever I come across one or two places to pay my respects."
I had long heard that the Goddess of Fertility was incredibly efficacious, especially in granting wishes for children.
I have come with a devout heart, seeking only an audience with Your Majesty... I wonder if you could introduce me to her.
To everyone's surprise, the man's smile vanished instantly upon hearing this. He stared blankly at the swordsman, his anger gradually spreading away from his brow.
Even his former idiocy had vanished, replaced by a robust man with bristling hair and beard, displaying an angry expression.
At the same time, the broken statue behind the man also shone brightly, as if responding to the man's anger.
Outside the temple
The weasel, which was secretly observing, was curled up in a ball, trembling.
"How could he have offended the guardian deity of this place? Evil spirits encountering gods are like mayflies trying to shake a tree... It seems he truly served the wrong person before..."
Although the weasel was trembling all over, it did not dare to flee the place. However, it was praying in its heart that it would not be affected.
"The evil aura emanating from you is so pure; you are certainly not a good person. Killing you with a cane would not be considered a violation of my precept against murder..."
"Such a drastic change... What's wrong with this person...?"
The sword, Cuo Jin, was drawn half an inch from its sheath, ready to bare its fangs as the man charged forward.
A short stick with eyebrows and whiskers arrived with a strong gust of wind, causing the surrounding air to explode with a loud bang.
"Clang!"
The blade and the stick were locked in a fierce struggle, their quality vastly different. After only a few dozen rounds, the short stick was riddled with chips.
However, Fang Hongxuan was not having an easy time either. The burning pain went straight into his palm, and wisps of smoke rose up.
This scene enraged the man even more.
"How dare you! You fiend, you dare to wield the sword of righteousness! Die!"