36: Mountain God Festival (3)

"Whoa there! Don't come so close, kid! This is the Blood Substitution Technique!" Jiang Zhen had a cigarette in his mouth, blew a smoke ring, and his face was full of mockery.

"Blood Substitution Technique!!!" Daoist Master Yunsong looked at Jiang Zhen with vigilance and quickly pulled Jiang Yi back a few steps. "This is a kind of evil sorcery. It requires rooster-comb blood as a primer, and then you have to draw the scapegoat's birth date and time. If the caster suffers a heavy blow, the scapegoat dies in their place."

"Looking at the cinnabar's color, it's so bright; it must have been drawn three days ago."

"Hey, brother, you really know your stuff!" Jiang Zhen gave Daoist Master Yunsong a thumbs-up.

"Brother Jiang Zhen, isn't it a bit inappropriate to use this kind of sorcery in town?" Du Wenqing asked, appearing casual.

"Hah! Spiritual energy has revived now, and things are so chaotic outside. The reason our town can remain so peaceful is all thanks to the tricks used by Old Man Gu at the coffin shop." Jiang Zhen let out a big yawn.

"But having a living person substitute..." Before Du Wenqing could finish, she was interrupted by Jiang Zhen. "Sister Wenqing, don't say that. We live in a society ruled by law now. Although things are a bit chaotic outside, both the state and the Underworld still have great authority. We wouldn't deliberately harm living people; we use paper effigies cut by Old Man Gu as substitutes."

"So that's how it is. Brother Zhen, do my sister and I have little paper effigies too?"

"As long as your household registration is in Jiang Family Town, you have one." Jiang Zhen patted Jiang Yi's shoulder. "Don't worry, brother!"

"Thanks! Brother Zhen!" Jiang Yi wrapped his right arm around Jiang Zhen's shoulder and hooked his left pinky finger toward Star.

Star spoke in a coquettish, disguised voice: "Brother Jiang Zhen, how much longer until we reach the Mountain God Temple? I'm about to collapse from exhaustion!"

"Almost there, almost there! We'll be there in another half hour!" Jiang Zhen stubbed out his cigarette and strode forward.

"Big Brother, tell us about the Mountain God Festival! I asked AYi, but he doesn't know anything." Star kicked off her high heels, jumped onto Jiang Yi's back, and whispered into his ear: "Carry This Old Lady up the mountain!"

"Oh!" Jiang Yi replied with a bitter face.

"Hahaha! Of course you wouldn't know if you asked AYi! Virgin boys aren't qualified to participate in the town's Mountain God Festival!"

"The Mountain God Festival is an old tradition passed down for hundreds of years. The Mountain God will bless the crops in the fields to grow strong and ensure favorable weather for Jiang Family Town."

Jiang Zhen looked at the sweet young couple, smiled honestly, and continued: "The town holds a small festival every four years and a grand festival every twelve years. Tomorrow happens to be the day of the grand festival."

"Is that so? I'm actually a bit curious. This Mountain God Festival... what exactly is the process?" Star smiled and gently tapped Jiang Yi's Adam's apple. "Virgin boy!!!"

Jiang Zhen thought for a moment: "The process is quite simple. First, the Temple Master presides over the ceremony, offering the bride, and then everyone prays together, asking for the Mountain God's blessing. Finally, there are song and dance performances; it's very lively!"

"A bride? Are people still used for sacrifices nowadays?" Star raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Hah, it's just symbolic! Girls in town who have served as a bride for the Mountain God can still get married later. Plus, they receive the Mountain God's protection, so many families scramble to have their daughters marry the Mountain God!"

"If they marry the Mountain God, they can't marry anyone else later. There must be two brides for a small festival, and four for a grand festival. How can Jiang Family Town afford that?"

Jiang Zhen shook his head and said: "The Mountain God taking a wife is a huge event in our town. Not only the bride, but the bride's family also gets to share in quite a bit of good fortune."

"That sounds pretty good!" Star's eyes lit up.

"Hehe, you'll be able to see it tomorrow. However, you must be careful; there might be some dangers on the mountain." Jiang Zhen warned.

"But kid Yi, Brother Zhen doesn't know if you're still a virgin boy? Can you watch tomorrow?"

"Brother Zhen, don't tease me."

"Hahahaha!"

...

Daoist Master Yunsong timed it right, estimating they were close to the Mountain God Temple. With a swift strike, he hit the back of Jiang Zhen's head. Jiang Zhen was immediately knocked unconscious, falling to the ground with his limbs splayed out.

Seeing this, Star and Jiang Yi rushed forward, efficiently dragged Jiang Zhen into the dense forest, and then the four of them quickly found a place to hide.

"Brother Zhen is too strange. I've never heard of any 'Mountain God taking a wife' before. It feels like someone deliberately made up a story full of holes to cover the entire Jiang Family Town." Jiang Yi sat down listlessly and rubbed his chin as he spoke.

"Song, tell me the truth. Is it true that besides us, there isn't a single living person in this town?"

"You're overthinking it!" Daoist Master Yunsong's eyes flickered, not daring to look Jiang Yi in the eye.

"Tch! Spare me that. Daoist Xuan Wei said you have seven parts insight and three parts spiritual power."

"Daoist Master Yunsong, just give Brother Yi a straight answer! He's really worried about Grandpa Jiang." Du Wenqing shook Daoist Master Yunsong's arm, acting spoiled.

"Alright, alright! I'll tell you, okay? Stop using the beauty trap on me!"

"This Daoist has kept his virginity for over twenty years; I can't let it be broken just like that."

Upon hearing this, Du Wenqing immediately let go and squatted down. "Hurry up and tell us, Daoist Master."

"Actually, the moment we stepped into Jiang Family Town, we entered a legendary Ghost Domain." Daoist Master Yunsong channeled his spiritual power and tapped his finger on Jiang Zhen's shenting acupoint.

Good heavens, this living person turned into a 'paper effigy' in the blink of an eye. However, the paper effigy was made so realistically that, without looking closely, it was really no different from a real person.

"This, this, this... this is made too realistically!" Du Wenqing couldn't help but remark. "This is simply a master-level artist!"

"Uh! Sister, your focus is really unique!"

...

"Actually, I think Grandma is quite friendly! And rather kind. Didn't she warn us that unmarried women in town were going missing?"

"Could it be that the big boss behind the scenes is the Mountain God, wanting to take a live bride for sacrifice? And then the townspeople weren't happy, so they imprisoned everyone in town?" Du Wenqing scratched her head. "It feels like that's exactly what's going on; isn't that how it's played out in TV dramas?"

"Who knows! We'll see once the Mountain God Festival starts tomorrow." Daoist Master Yunsong waved his hand. "You have to eat your food one bite at a time, and the truth must be investigated bit by bit."

"Everyone, stop thinking about finding the truth! We aren't the main characters; how can we turn danger into safety every time?" Star slapped at a mosquito while sounding slightly annoyed. "Once tomorrow comes, we'll use the God-Summoning Talisman, and I guarantee Department Head Hei Jing will beat that big boss behind the scenes until they're crying for their parents. Then we can just ask; how simple and easy!"

"Huh?" Jiang Yi feigned surprise. "Will that work?"

"Why wouldn't it? For a group of newbies like us to survive two nights is already very impressive! Plus, the footage has all been secretly recorded." Star smiled proudly. "With a salary of over ten thousand, I'm not going to risk my life!"

"Professional matters should be left to the professionals!"

The three of them looked at Star with anticipation. "Alright, we've just been waiting for those words from you, Brother Gang Zi!"