Mountain God

Lu Qiancha gazed at the wooden spoon held to her lips, a flicker of resignation in her eyes.

In the end, she obediently opened her small mouth and swallowed the warm soup.

It was actually quite delicious.

The broth was rich and perfectly seasoned, with the subtle sweetness of carrots skillfully blended in.

The stewed meat was so tender it melted in her mouth, and upon savoring it, a faint, lingering aroma of green onion wound itself around her tongue.

“It’s good, right?”

Shangguan Yunzhu’s voice held an undisguised anticipation.

The glacier on her face had long since melted away, leaving only a smile as bright as a spring breeze.

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

Lu Qiancha nodded honestly.

Compared to the half-cooked, bloody roasted chicken from before, this bowl of soup was a delicacy.

“Then eat up, don’t be shy.”

Shangguan Yunzhu’s smile widened, her eyes sparkling.

She focused on feeding her, spoonful by spoonful, watching the small lips in her embrace swallow the soup.

Her heart felt as if it were being filled by the warm sun, breeding an endless sense of tenderness and satisfaction.

After the last mouthful of soup in the bowl was finished, Shangguan Yunzhu asked softly, “Little Qianqian, would you like some more? There’s still plenty in the pot.”

Lu Qiancha subconsciously rubbed her slightly full tummy, her delicate brows knitting together.

“I really… can’t eat anymore.”

With her body having changed to this size, her appetite had shrunk accordingly.

To avoid wasting food, Lu Qiancha had practically forced herself to swallow the last two spoonfuls.

With warmth in her belly, Lu Qiancha leaned back in her chair, quietly sorting through the bizarre events of the day: the strange depletion of spiritual energy, the guards’ lies, the villagers’ placidness, the beast attacks hidden beneath the paradise’s facade… The clues were numerous and jumbled, yet they still lacked the main thread that could tie everything together.

As she was deep in thought, Shangguan Yunzhu’s cheerful voice suddenly rang out.

“Oh, right, Little Qianqian! It’s a full moon tonight!”

She winked playfully.

“I heard that little wolves howl at the full moon… do you think you’ll be able to resist?”

“I won’t…”

Hearing this, Lu Qiancha’s mouth twitched.

She was a person, not a wolf.

How could she possibly howl at the moon?

That would be so foolish…

Wait a minute!

A thought flashed through her mind like lightning!

She had entered this Peach Blossom Spring with the genuine appearance of a wolf demon.

Yet neither the passersby nor the guards like Li Qiang…

Not a single person had shown the slightest surprise or revulsion at her demon clan identity.

It was as if a wolf demon strolling down the street was as natural as seeing a neighbor’s child.

This… was far from normal!

The mystery in her heart deepened, like a lake into which a stone had been cast, sending ripples far and wide.

Lu Qiancha sighed silently.

“Sigh.”

“What’s wrong, Qianqian? Why the long face?”

Shangguan Yunzhu leaned in with concern, her amber eyes reflecting the candlelight.

“Was… the soup not to your liking?”

Lu Qiancha shook her head, looking up at the concerned face before her.

After a moment’s hesitation, she finally asked, “Sister Yunzhu, in the time you’ve been living here… have you noticed anything… unusual?”

“Unusual?”

Shangguan Yunzhu tapped her chin with her index finger, deep in thought, then suddenly remembered.

“Ah! There is one thing!”

“Oh? Please tell me in detail, Sister Yunzhu!”

Lu Qiancha’s spirits lifted, her blue eyes locking onto her.

“The villagers here,” Shangguan Yunzhu lowered her voice, a hint of annoyance from being excluded in her tone, “organize a ceremony to worship a ‘Mountain God’ every month! I was curious and wanted to go see, but the old village chief said something about ‘the aura of an outsider would disturb the great Mountain God’ and flat out refused to let me in!”

She paused, her tone a mix of dissatisfaction and bewilderment.

“But isn’t this strange? Later, a few other newcomers arrived, and the village chief actually let them go to the worship ceremony! So I’m the only outsider? Hmph!”

Worshipping a Mountain God?

Differential treatment?

Alarm bells rang in Lu Qiancha’s mind.

Her intuition and the clues instantly coalesced—the focal point of all the problems was very likely hidden within that mysterious “Mountain God.”

“Sister Yunzhu,” Lu Qiancha said, perhaps having gotten used to the name, her voice unconsciously taking on a hint of obedient affection, “when is… the next worship ceremony for the Mountain God?”

“Hmm… it should be within the next few days.”

Shangguan Yunzhu calculated, though she wasn’t entirely certain.

“Okay, thank you, Sister Yunzhu, for clearing up my confusion.”

Lu Qiancha thanked her solemnly.

“You’re welcome~”

Shangguan Yunzhu was immediately placated, the smile returning to her eyes.

“Alright, bedtime story is over—”

As she spoke, she opened her arms and, without allowing any refusal, lightly scooped Lu Qiancha up.

“It’s—time—for—bed—!”

“Bed?”

Lu Qiancha looked around the simple, rustic cabin in confusion—there was only a single cot covered with a plain, coarse linen sheet.

“But if I sleep here, where will you sleep, Sister Yunzhu?”

“Pfft,” Shangguan Yunzhu saw the serious look on the little one in her arms and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Of course we’ll squeeze in together! This bed isn’t small, you know!”

“…Actually, I can just go meditate nearby.”

Lu Qiancha suggested weakly.

She was a little afraid that if her identity was ever exposed, Shangguan Yunzhu might just draw her sword and cut her down.

After all, she had been quite ruthless when she killed Qingfeng… one strike through the soul, another through the heart, leaving no chance for even reincarnation.

“No way!”

Shangguan Yunzhu was resolute.

She gently placed her on the bed, put her hands on her hips, and glared with her serious amber eyes.

“Thinking of staying up all night at such a young age? It’s bad for your liver and depletes your qi, and your skin will get bad! And—”

She drew out her words with a tone of absolute authority.

“You won’t grow tall!”

Won’t grow tall?!

Lu Qiancha’s little ears perked up in alarm, then slowly drooped in disappointment.

Sigh… She’d almost forgotten, she was already at the Nascent Soul realm… This body’s growth was already fixed…

Just as she was lost in thought—

A rustle of fabric!

Lu Qiancha looked up in astonishment to see that Shangguan Yunzhu had already nimbly untied her outer robe.

The bright red outer garment was slowly sliding down her smooth shoulders.

“Ah—! Wh-what are you doing!”

Lu Qiancha’s fur stood on end in an instant!

Her paws shot up to cover her eyes, her ears pressed tightly against her hair as she curled herself into a ball like an ostrich.

“See no evil! Hear no evil!”

“Changing into my nightgown, of course,” Shangguan Yunzhu said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, looking strangely at the pretty pink little dress on her.

“Aren’t you going to change, Little Qianqian? It must be so uncomfortable sleeping in your outer clothes.”

“I… don’t have a nightgown.”

Lu Qiancha lowered her head, her voice muffled with guilt.

“Oh… so that’s how it is.”

Realization dawned on Shangguan Yunzhu.

With a flip of her fingertips, several storage rings floated up.

Her fingers tapped quickly across them, as if opening a sealed treasure trove, and pieces of clothing of various styles and even different sizes floated out in a soft glow, spreading out before her.

There was crimson silk, cyan cotton linen, and goose-yellow embroidered fine cloth.

Shangguan Yunzhu picked up a few pieces, gently holding them up in front of Lu Qiancha to compare size and style.

“Little Qianqian,” she said with a beaming smile, pushing a few of the most suitable-looking ones toward Lu Qiancha—among them, a moon-white soft silk nightgown with fine lace trim was particularly conspicuous.

“See any you like? Pick whichever one you want!”

Lu Qiancha stared at the dazzling array of nightgowns before her, feeling a bit dazed.

She couldn’t help but ask in a small voice, “Sister Yunzhu… why… why do you have so many… clothes that don’t fit you?”

“Because,” Shangguan Yunzhu’s eyes shifted, a soft, nostalgic light filling them, “a lot of these… were prepared for me by my mother, from the sizes I wore as a child all the way to my coming-of-age ceremony. She was afraid I would be wandering outside, so she was very thorough. She filled several storage rings to the brim…”

She seemed afraid Lu Qiancha would find them distasteful and quickly added, “But don’t you worry, Little Qianqian! Every single one of these is brand new, inside and out. I’ve never worn them even once!”