Chapter 274 Ancient Moon God
Hujia Village?
Those three words were like a pebble thrown into a lake, stirring ripples in my heart. The voice came from behind the counter, and I immediately looked in that direction. Asahi looked in that direction at the same time.
Hujia Village is the place the winter train is going to. Although it is not related to our purpose for this trip, Hujia Village is the location of strange events in the Yueyin Mountain area, and it is hard to guarantee that it will not affect us.
Furthermore, the Winter Cart may very well have already formed a strange connection with us under the gravitational pull of its jinx-like nature. In other words, whether we like it or not, any strange events that become associated with the Winter Cart will likely end up being related to us as well. Therefore, when relevant clues appear, we should all be prepared to investigate thoroughly.
On a positive note, since Hu Family Village is located in the Moonlit Mountain area, it might be related to Yin Yue and Chang'an, whom we are looking for. The reason why the Hu Family Village clue has suddenly appeared might be due to Ma Zao's strange luck, bringing clues related to Chang'an and Yin Yue to us.
The people from Hujia Village seemed to be regulars sitting at the tables near the counter. My sudden glance in our direction caught the attention of him and the shopkeeper. They stopped talking and looked at each other, clearly wondering why we had reacted that way.
"Excuse me, did you just mention Hujia Village?" I asked.
"What's wrong, young man?" the shopkeeper asked. "Is there something bothering you?"
"Can you tell us about Hujia Village?" I asked.
The shopkeeper frowned, glanced at a regular customer, who shook his head. It was clear they didn't want to answer my question.
Since they're talking about Hujia Village in such a public place, it means it's not some secret topic that can't be discussed openly. I think their uncooperative attitude is mostly because they find it troublesome.
When I investigated paranormal events across the country, I often encountered local customs and traditions, requiring me to consult with locals. Some were hospitable and helpful, while others were too lazy to waste their breath. Besides, I still look like a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy. Even when I was fifteen or sixteen, I was often ignored when investigating strange occurrences. They probably just wanted to brush me off.
It's not fair to complain about their unfriendliness; it's human nature to find things troublesome. On the contrary, it's naive of me to expect them to answer everything I ask just because I casually asked.
In the past, I would have racked my brains over how to get the other person to speak, but now I have a much easier way.
I took out the fake moon reflected in the water and handed it to Ma Zao. She understood and took it, then channeled her magic into the fake moon reflected in the water.
A surge of spiritual energy spread out.
Then, I repeated my question. This time, the shopkeeper "miraculously" changed his attitude and cooperated by telling me about Hujia Village.
Hujia Village is a small village located on Mount Yueyin, and it is also the origin of the town of Yueyin Mountain City.
Over a hundred years ago, our country was in a period of war and chaos, and countless people were displaced and became refugees. At that time, a group of refugees chose to escape the war and went into a deserted mountain forest, which was the distant Moon Hidden Mountain.
However, the villagers soon discovered that Moonshadow Mountain was not an ideal place for seclusion. It was unsuitable for farming, the water quality was poor, and there were many poisonous insects. Every winter, the temperature would become excessively cold.
Since Moonshade Mountain was no longer an option, finding another place was naturally the best choice. However, most of them had lost the willpower to continue trekking through mountains and rivers, and were also terrified of the war in the outside world. Although some did leave the mountains, many chose to stay. Moonshade Mountain had many flaws, but as a hiding place, it was first-rate.
Even so, their plight of hunger and cold remained unchanged; they were trapped in a state of slow death, constantly enduring excruciating pain. Then one day, a turning point arrived.
What happened next was only recounted by the shopkeeper, who was not a witness, and thus could only be described as some highly dubious legends—it was said that the refugees at the time encountered gods.
The deity in the legend is an ancient moon goddess with the power to grant any wish.
With a wave of her hand, she conjured an inexhaustible supply of food; with another wave, she conjured an inexhaustible source of water. Today, there is a freshwater river outside Moonshadow Mountain City, which, according to legend, was created by that same deity.
Even the harsh climate of Moon Hidden Mountain became spring-like all year round under the influence of her divine power, and the refugees were freed from their desperate fate of hunger and cold overnight.
The ancient moon goddess also made her own demands of them.
The requirement is very simple: just have a sincere faith in her.
How could the refugees possibly miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? They bowed down in worship to the gods and established a village in the Moon Shadow Mountain, naming it "Ancient Moon Village".
However, as time went by, the fervent faith eventually faded.
The newly arrived villagers had never experienced war or famine, nor had they ever witnessed the appearance of gods. In their eyes, the ancient moon goddess that the elders often spoke of was nothing more than a beautiful legend; Moon Hidden Mountain had always had this climate, and the creation of the river was merely a embellishment of the discovery of the water source.
After the wars outside subsided, they had no reason to continue living in seclusion. Most of the villagers left the mountains and forests, some went to other cities, and others started their own new villages step by step in the plains at the foot of the mountains.
After the new village expanded, it became the present-day Moonlit Mountain City, while the ancient Moon Village on the mountain was called "Hu Village" or "Hu Family Village" by the people at the foot of the mountain. As for whether anyone in Hu Family Village actually has the surname Hu, that is another matter.
As the shopkeeper finished his story, a regular customer chimed in, "But there seems to be another version... I heard it from my parents. They say the reason the villagers of Guyue left the mountains wasn't because they didn't want to continue living in seclusion, nor because they disliked the Guyue god's worship, but because of fear..."
The shopkeeper seemed to have made a connection to something, but still asked in return, "What are you afraid of?"
"Well... I've only heard a few snippets, and my impression isn't very clear. I just heard that they seem to be very afraid of something..." the regular customer said vaguely.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com