Old Zhou said that immortals lived in the mountains, which immediately reminded me of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden buried here. I eagerly asked, "Who are these immortals you're talking about?"
"These are all stories passed down from our ancestors; there aren't any specific people involved."
Old Zhou didn't notice my change in mood and said quietly, "Legend has it that there is a mountain here called Sanbao Mountain. There are golden roosters, golden sheep and golden oxen in the mountain. As long as you can open Sanbao Mountain, you can get the treasures in the mountain!"
Legend has it that during the Republic of China era, a wise man passed through this area and saw the secrets of Sanbao Mountain. While passing a watermelon field, he spotted a huge watermelon! The wise man found the watermelon farmer, gave him a silver dollar to reserve the watermelon, and instructed the farmer to guard it carefully and not let anyone touch it! He also said that when he returned, he would pay two more silver dollars to buy the watermelon!
The monkey interjected, "Master Zhou, I heard that your Qingyun Town was built in the 1980s. During the Republic of China era, there was hardly anyone here."
Old Zhou explained, "It's true that Qingyun Town was built in the 1980s, but when we came here, there were already villages here. It is said that their ancestors were hunters in the mountains. It was precisely because they lived here for so long and never experienced flash floods or earthquakes that the county planned to include Qingyun Town here!"
Jiang Man and I exchanged a glance and nodded at the same time.
If Lao Zhou is right, then the previous village was probably a branch of Ping'an Village. Although it is unknown why they separated from Ping'an Village, these people should be the villagers who stayed behind to guard the Immortal Palace.
In order not to disturb Lao Zhou's train of thought, I let him continue.
"Back in the Republic of China era, one silver dollar was no small sum. It was enough to buy not just one melon, but an entire field of melons! The melon farmer couldn't understand why this person would be such a sucker, but he couldn't refuse the money that was already in his hands, so he readily agreed!"
Old Zhou puffed on his pipe: "When autumn came, the expert indeed returned. He saw that the watermelon was still there, paid for it happily, and stood there motionless, guarding the watermelon until dark."
Unfortunately, the weather turned bad. It was a cloudy day, and it rained heavily that night. Seeing that the expert was getting soaked in the rain, the melon farmer took him to his shed where he guarded the melon field and treated him to sorghum liquor!
The expert was probably frustrated. After a few drinks, he got drunk and told the melon farmer that the watermelons in the field were the key to unlocking Sanbao Mountain. As long as he found the location according to the Big Dipper and recited the incantation, he could open Sanbao Mountain and get the three treasures inside. Unfortunately, there were only two days left to open the mountain this year. If the rain didn't stop by then, the opportunity would be missed!
The melon farmer, a native of the area, had already heard the legends of Sanbao Mountain. He figured the story of the expert willing to pay three silver dollars for the watermelon couldn't be unfounded! In a moment of impulsiveness, he strangled the expert while he slept.
The next morning, the torrential rain that had been falling all night stopped without warning. The melon farmer was overjoyed and called his wife over. Together, the two of them dragged the expert to a ditch and buried him!
That evening, the melon farmer picked the watermelon and, following the method the expert had described and guided by the Big Dipper, actually found a crevice at the foot of Sanbao Mountain. He recited the incantation the expert had given him and then smashed the watermelon on the ground.
As the watermelon split open, the valley crevice slowly opened up, gradually turning into a passage! The watermelon farmer was overjoyed at the sight, so he left his wife outside and entered the crevice alone with a torch!
Not far along, the melon farmer spotted a large, gleaming golden rooster. He quickly picked it up and carried it close to his chest. A short distance further, he saw a golden goat! And so, carrying the rooster and leading the goat, he continued deeper into the cave!
It was at this moment that his wife suddenly noticed the crack was beginning to close and quickly warned him to leave. But the melon farmer had already gone too far, his mind preoccupied with the golden ox, and he remained oblivious, continuing deeper into the valley. By the time he realized something was wrong, the mountain had already closed!
"Well, after all that talk, it's just a simple folk tale!"
The monkey was greatly disappointed: "Stories like this can be found all over the country, and they're all just advice to not be greedy and to do good!"
"That's pretty much the idea, but my story isn't over yet!"
Old Zhou paused for a moment: "After the old farmer died, his wife went back to the village to find people to help her rescue him. When everyone heard her story, they went up the mountain together, but the mountain was perfectly sealed and there was no sign of cracks. Everyone thought she was talking nonsense and went down the mountain!"
As the peasant woman was descending the mountain, she passed a mountain god temple and was horrified to discover that the mountain god enshrined inside was none other than the reclusive master she and her husband had buried in the wilderness! This discovery terrified her to the point of madness. And that mountain god temple is right on our path; you'll see it again soon!
After listening to Lao Zhou's story, Jiang Man asked me, "Do you think this story has anything to do with the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace?"
I tried to understand it: "Most local folk tales are derived from real stories. I don't know if the so-called master who opened the mountain is true or not, but the so-called golden animal is still worth paying attention to. Perhaps there are a lot of burial objects in this mountain, which means that there really is a tomb here."
Led by Lao Zhou, we quickly reached the mountainside.
Old Zhou pointed to a dilapidated ancient temple in the distance and said, "Boss Duan, do you see the courtyard ahead? That's the mountain god temple I told you about!"
I walked over and saw the courtyard built in the woods.
The outer walls of the courtyard were made of irregularly piled-up rocks, and inside was a small temple without a door.
The temple is not large, but its roof is covered with blue stone tiles, and many immortals are carved on the roof ridge.
There is no incense offering in the temple. On the stone altar is a clay sculpture more than one meter tall. Over the years, the paint has been severely eroded.
The monkey glanced at the temple's eaves and clicked its tongue in amazement: "Young Master Duan, this temple looks quite old; it seems to be in the architectural style of the Qing Dynasty!"
"Judging from the patterns, it is indeed a Qing Dynasty building, but the workmanship is rough and it has little cultural value."
I went into the temple and stared at the statue: "This statue doesn't seem to be a mountain god."
Old Zhou chuckled and said, "We country folk don't recognize these things. In the old days, some villagers would come up to worship, but their prayers for rain never came, so gradually no one came anymore."
Jiang Man looked at the small temple and asked in a low voice, "You said this statue isn't the mountain god, but can you recognize who it is?"
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