At the foot of the barren mountain.
Grandma Gongsun had already gathered the villagers of Linjia Village here. Beside her were the composed Xu Rurong, the reluctant County Magistrate Chen, the unusually silent Luo Yong, and the ever-vigilant demon hunter Wang Qing.
Of course, there were also several familiar constables behind them, all of whom had visited the residence that day and witnessed the Goddess of Fertility.
They noticed that some of the villagers from Linjia Village were carrying furniture, and others were carrying iron pots.
"Grandma, what's going on here..." Xu Rurong felt very strange and asked.
Grandma Gongsun gave him a deep look and said slowly, "Your Excellency, the villagers of Linjia Village are repairing their houses on the barren mountain. We are going to move to live in the barren mountain in the future."
"Move to live in the barren mountains? Why? Don't you want the fields outside?" Xu Rurong didn't understand.
Even if it's just to worship the Mountain Goddess, there's no need to give up so much.
“This winter is exceptionally cold. Most of the villagers’ grain has been used to pay taxes. With grain prices so high in the county town, they certainly can’t afford to buy grain with the money they have.”
"When most people are not fed or clothed, riots will break out. This is our way of preparing for it in advance."
Grandma Gongsun didn't explain much, but she did point out the key points.
Xu Rurong's heart skipped a beat. He thought of the soaring grain prices in the county town and the cries of the people who were suffering.
Grandma Gongsun is right. Where there is oppression, there is resistance. These people are starving to death, so what is there to care about?
In recent years, the imperial court's taxes have indeed become increasingly heavy. Xu Rurong learned about this when she first transmigrated, but she was powerless to do anything about it.
I never expected this old lady from ancient times to be so clever; she saw through it at a glance.
In a short period of time, Xu Rurong thought about many things, and his expression became increasingly serious.
"Don't worry, ma'am, I will definitely resolve the grain price issue before the harsh winter arrives!"
Xu Rurong had been thinking of a solution, and now he has decided to take special measures.
Old Lady Gongsun only reminded him because she saw that the county magistrate had the courage to come in person, but she didn't expect that he would actually intend to do something practical.
However, no matter what the magistrate planned, the imperial court's tax collection remained heavy and demanding, and how could a mere magistrate possibly change it?
"Okay." She sighed inwardly, nodded, and continued walking towards the barren mountain.
A group of villagers from Linjia Village followed behind. Several children looked over curiously, but their parents quickly turned their heads away.
"Miss Wang, do you have any plans?" County Magistrate Chen leaned closer and asked quietly.
Wang Qing nodded: "My master has already sent a message saying he will arrive as soon as possible."
If it were morning, her master definitely wouldn't be able to get here in time, but it's already afternoon now. If she can hold on for a while, she'll definitely be able to wait for him.
"Did you bring all your yellow talismans?" Wang Qing's lips moved a few times, but no sound came out.
The voice echoed directly in Magistrate Chen's ears, and he looked over with a complicated expression.
"Of course I brought it! I need to bring enough things to save my life!"
Before coming, he brought all the yellow talismans he had collected over the years, and it took him a long time to draw them!
His voice echoed directly in Wang Qing's ears as well. The two exchanged a glance, their conviction growing stronger.
The people from Linjia Village ahead were walking very fast; they seemed to be in excellent physical condition.
Especially those women with special abilities, who don't need much rest and are still full of energy even when they're halfway up the mountain.
Not only that, even the 110-year-old Granny Gongsun didn't even pant, much stronger than the county magistrate behind her.
Xu Rurong was exhausted, but in order to find out the truth and for the future of Huangxian County, he gritted his teeth and persevered.
"Are you all tired? Would you like some water?" He turned his head and noticed that Luo Yong and Wang Qing were not out of breath or red in the face.
Even Magistrate Chen was only slightly sweating.
Xu Rurong withdrew her hand from the water pouch and silently took a sip of water.
Looking further ahead, he saw that Grandma Gongsun threw her cane, which accurately hit a row of bright red fruits above, allowing the old man with the ability to levitate to catch the fruits.
"This is good. It's fully ripe and there aren't many signs of birds eating it. We'll offer it to the Mountain Goddess later; she'll surely like it!"
Grandma Gongsun muttered to herself.
Xu Rurong fell completely silent. So, in this large group, he was the only weakling? Even an old lady of that age was so strong, and he was tired after just a few kicks…
"Grandma Gongsun, are all the offerings for the Mountain Goddess here?" Wang Qing glanced at the grains and the fresh fruit in the basket without making a sound.
The group of people who gained the ability did not experience any problems; in fact, their physical fitness improved. There were no bloody items among the offerings, so it seems that this mountain goddess is indeed as the people of Linjia Village described.
So, does such a benevolent, almost demonic being truly exist in this world? What exactly does this being want? Is the Mountain Goddess a legendary deity?
Wang Qing gripped the long whip at her waist, her slender fingers tapping it unconsciously.
Perhaps only her master could answer the questions in her heart.
When the group arrived at the mountain god temple, they found that the wooden coffins had already been placed nearby.
Wang Qing took out a small bamboo tube from her bosom, dripped the water inside into her eyes, and looked at the wooden coffin again.
These wooden coffins are all the same as they were this morning, so it seems the mountain god didn't do anything to the bodies inside.
"All who come are guests. Guests, now that you have come to the Mountain God Temple, please offer incense to the Mountain Goddess." Old Madam Gongsun first led the villagers of Linjia Village to bow to the statue of the Mountain God, and then walked over with her cane, speaking solemnly.
Wang Qing nodded; she understood this principle, after all, they were on someone else's turf.
The group entered the mountain god temple and found that the temple was not large and the environment inside was extremely simple. Even the statue of the mountain god was made of clay.
They were all momentarily stunned.
After the group finished offering incense, Old Madam Gongsun slowly explained the reason.
Wang Qing and County Magistrate Chen were both incredulous, while County Magistrate Xu Rurong's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
So, the mountain goddess was preventing the villagers from repairing the mountain temple so that they could live better, store more food, and get through the cold winter?
In that instant, both Wang Qing and County Magistrate Chen began to doubt their past memories.
Do such "evil spirits" really exist?
To be precise, is this still considered evil?
"Let's go out and see the Mountain Goddess praying for these women."
Grandma Gongsun was not surprised at all by the shocked expressions on these people's faces, after all, the protagonist of the story was the benevolent Mountain Goddess!
The little old lady proudly raised her head.
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