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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 195: Mountain God Temple
"Sino-American Joint Expedition?" I murmured to myself. Although it might not be exactly as I imagined, this expedition team certainly wouldn't be as simple as it appeared on the surface. After all, places related to that tribe tend to lead people to think in a skewed manner.
Despite the cold weather and the ground covered in white snow, when I looked up, I could see an endless expanse of white snow with patches of black earth occasionally peeking through. Along the way, we encountered quite a few local Tibetan people, most of whom were dressed in loose robes characteristic of Tibetan culture. The older individuals greeted us with warm smiles and friendly waves. Although we mostly couldn't understand them, we returned their greetings.
The homes of the Tibetans were spacious, with large yards. Everywhere I looked, both inside and outside the houses was vibrant and colorful, just like their clothing, creating a lively atmosphere.
In the primitive natural worship of the Tibetan ancestors, the veneration of mountain gods was particularly prominent; it could even be said to be the foundation of Tibetan primitive worship.
The ancestors believed that every mountain peak in the Tibetan region housed spirits. These deities and spirits governed people's fortunes and misfortunes, a belief shaped by the unique geographical environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau where the Tibetan people have lived for generations.
We know that the objects of natural worship are those natural forces and phenomena directly perceived by human senses. This is why the Tibetan ancestors held a special reverence for mountain gods. Even later, when Buddhism spread to Tibet during the period when political and religious authority were unified across Tibet, mountain gods remained a primary object of faith among the people.
In the hearts of the Tibetan ancestors, mountain gods held significant power; they governed wind, rain, thunder, lightning, hunting, and gathering abundance or scarcity. However, this power was gradually expanded as social life developed.
During the formation of primitive religion, due to the unpredictable climate of the plateau and frequent disasters like hailstorms, Tibetan ancestors believed that these were punishments or gifts from mountain gods related to hunting and gathering.
Even today, certain taboos among Tibetans still relate to the moods of mountain gods. For example, when traversing high mountain valleys, cliffs, and primeval forests, one must not shout or make loud noises.
The place we are heading to now is a Mountain God Temple located not far from the foot of Mount Kawagebo. Pei Zi mentioned that this Mountain God Temple has been around for a long time and has a strong following; it has not ceased for hundreds of years, largely due to the influence of Qinglong.
This Mountain God Temple now stands three stories high. Both its architectural features and colors are authentically Tibetan.
I wasn't sure what Pei Zi discussed with the temple staff since they spoke in Tibetan, which I couldn't understand at all. Afterward, Pei Zi led us directly to the third floor where we each found a place to sit. Pei Zi then said to us: "I've already informed the elders in advance, so they should be here shortly."
Hearing this made me feel somewhat nervous yet very excited at the same time.
The elders of Qinglong... I wondered how many there would be this time? How much confidential information would we learn?
Time passed quickly in my excitement until three elderly men dressed in traditional Tibetan attire walked through the door. We all hurriedly stood up to greet them. One elder with a long beard warmly urged us to take our seats while sizing us up with an appreciative nod: "Indeed, you youngsters are impressive! Seeing you reminds me of my own youth; however, you've all achieved so much more than I did back then!"
"Wolf Elder," another slightly younger elder scolded him for his lack of decorum in front of us younger generations while his eyes scrutinized us deeply.
“Xue Er, take this young lady to visit our temple,” another elder said, his tone calm yet firm.
“Yes, Elder General,” Cold Snow nodded.
There were only two women in the room; besides Cold Snow, there was Snow Princess. Upon hearing the elder's words, Snow Princess showed no signs of discontent and left with Cold Snow. After that, Black Bear, Wuma You, and Big Dragon also took their leave one after another. In the room, apart from the three elders who had just entered, only I, Lime, Xianxian, and Pei Zi remained.
The atmosphere was slightly cold. The first elder, referred to as Wolf Elder, smiled and said, “I heard from Pei Zi that you found a map this time?”
“Yes,” I nodded and glanced at Lime. Shortly after we came out, I had handed the map to Lime. Although he didn’t say anything, I knew he wanted to keep it with him; it was indeed more necessary for us.
Upon hearing our conversation, Lime remained still like a statue on the sofa, not moving an inch or even lifting his eyelids. His meaning was clear: just because you asked doesn’t mean I will take it out.
The other three elders showed no dissatisfaction with Lime's attitude. After sitting across from us, Pei Zi began introducing them one by one: “This is Wolf Elder, this is Qu Elder, and this is Elder General. Since we of the Azure Dragon have no hierarchy among ourselves, there is no order among the elders either.”
“Hello, Wolf Elder! Hello, Qu Elder! Hello, Elder General!” We greeted them in turn; however, it felt as if we were a bit late.
“Hehe, hello to you all,” Wolf Elder replied warmly. However, I knew that anyone who could become an elder of the Azure Dragon wouldn’t be as simple as they appeared! Otherwise, why did Wolf Elder’s gaze seem to be constantly fixed on Lime? That sharp gaze was indeed a bit frightening.
Similarly, Qu Elder looked at Lime as if he were a hungry wolf eyeing a piece of fat meat, ready to pounce at any moment. Although Elder General’s gaze wasn’t as overtly predatory, I sensed that since they entered, his eyes had subtly swept over us one by one.
“This young brother looks very familiar; have we met somewhere?” Wolf Elder suddenly spoke to Lime.
We turned to look at Lime and saw him lazily lift his eyes to glance at Wolf Elder before casually saying something infuriatingly dismissive: “I don’t remember.”
“Hehe…” Wolf Elder chuckled awkwardly while being ruthlessly mocked by Qu Elder before he added, “It does seem somewhat familiar.”
You old men can keep pretending! Don’t you know that Lime is Immortal Body? It wouldn’t be impossible for you to have seen him before.
I inadvertently caught sight of Pei Zi; he looked like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to start. I couldn’t help but furrow my brows—hadn’t Pei Zi informed these elders about Lime? If he hadn’t told them anything at all, then their behavior and expressions would make sense. Uh-oh, I almost misunderstood them just now.
“Elders, our League of Shadows sincerely wishes to cooperate with your organization. I believe this would be mutually beneficial!” Xianxian spoke for the first time with a tone that was neither servile nor overbearing as if facing just an ordinary organization.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, the elders showed slight interest. Qu Elder smiled and said, “Oh? Mutually beneficial? How does this young brother predict future events that haven’t occurred yet?” The implication was clear: no one knows what will happen in the future; just because you say it’s mutually beneficial doesn’t make it so. Moreover, one side has been established for thousands of years while the other is a newly formed organization less than a year old; from any perspective, it seems the smaller organization stands to gain more in this deal.
"The reasons are three!" Xianxian held up three fingers and continued, "First, the four of us have been chosen by the Demon Clan!" As she spoke, her gaze flicked towards me, Lime, and Pei Zi.
"Second, we not only have The Dead in our hands but also a map. I believe this gives us a better chance of finding the Divine Sign." Xianxian raised her eyebrows, her aura not belonging to those three elders. I straightened up and smiled slightly as I listened to Xianxian. Lime, as usual, was indifferent to the elders.
"The third reason, and the most important one!" Xianxian pointed at Lime, her eyes firm and serious as she said, "Lime from our organization is currently the only known Immortal Body! This means he can resurrect infinitely. Even if we can't find the Divine Sign in our generation, I believe he will find it someday!"
"Immortal Body?!" The three elders were astonished and then sighed deeply: "Indeed!"
"No wonder a mysterious and powerful person appears every period, and they all look very similar; it turns out they are indeed the same person!" Elder Qu exclaimed with both surprise and joy.
Elder Wolf stroked his beard and looked at Lime, saying, "I can't be mistaken; that mysterious young man I saw in the tomb when I was young must be you."
The three elders were not ordinary people and quickly accepted this fact. They then turned their attention to me and asked, "So, The Dead is in your possession?"
"Yes," I nodded.
"Your abilities must extend beyond this?" Elder Qu looked at me and asked flatly.
I met his sharp and bright eyes and suddenly felt as if everything about me was laid bare before him.
What did he mean by that? Could it be...
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