In ancient times, they secretly became gods in the deep mountains.

Chapter 87 Grand Ceremony of Sacrifice to the Gods
A notice was posted on the low wall in front of the Xiping County government office. A group of people gathered around it. Most of them were illiterate, so they could only ask the officials guarding the notice for help.

"Sir, what does this notice say?"

The people were puzzled. The last notice posted was an order to execute Zhang Heng, the son-in-law of the Wu family's cloth shop. Could it be that someone else was going to be killed this time? They looked on with curiosity.

More and more people gathered around to look at the notice. The official explained simply: "From the first day to the end of next month, our Xiping County will hold a grand ceremony to worship the gods. The magistrate posted this notice to inform you that anyone who has time can go to Peach Blossom Village at the foot of Qihuang Mountain to participate in the ceremony."

The people were talking a lot.

"So it's a grand ceremony to worship the gods. We should properly offer sacrifices to the gods. We suffered terribly during the three years of drought. It's a miracle that the drought is finally over. It's a blessing from heaven!"

"I heard that the drought here ended because a deity appeared in broad daylight. The deity just waved his hand and it started to rain. Many people say they saw the deity."

"Yes, yes, my niece who married into Ping'an Town hasn't been back to her parents' home for several years. She came a few days ago. I heard that there was a demon monk causing trouble in Ping'an Town before. The sky was shrouded in black fog, and the people in the town fell ill with a strange disease. They thought it was a plague after the drought, but it turned out to be a ghost. If it weren't for the gods saving people, there would be no one left in the whole town."

"Oh my god! Really?"

"Is this a lie? Putting everything else aside, Ping'an Town used to have over 100,000 people. This time, my niece told me that there are only a few hundred people left in the town. They were all fed to the demon monks. Although her family was lucky enough to survive, more than a dozen of their neighbors died."

"This...this is too terrifying!"

"Who says otherwise? Sigh!"

"So, there really are gods in this world?"

"It can't be fake, didn't you see the magistrate is about to perform a sacrifice to the gods?"

An elderly man with white hair squeezed to the front and asked tremblingly, "Sir, may I ask which deity we are worshipping?"

"The notice also says that the Golden Saint Goddess is the mountain spirit of the Golden Saint Mountain Range. She awakened before the drought and resides in the Seven Emperors Mountain. It is this goddess who has solved our drought problem," the official said loudly, pointing to the notice.

"The Golden Saint Mountain Range, isn't that the infamous Monster Mountain Range that everyone knows about?!" The old man felt as if he had been struck on the head and cried out in pain.

The official waved his hand and began chatting with the people in a serious tone: "Hey! It's true. Our boss said that he went with the county magistrate to Qihuang Mountain to arrest the Wu family's son-in-law who was beheaded a few days ago. It is said that the goddess has two powerful fairy children by her side. With a flick of their fingers, they went from the county office to Qihuang Mountain. There is also a heavenly palace on Qihuang Mountain that covers the sky and the sun. The Golden Saint Goddess lives in it."

The people listened to him speak with great surprise.

The official kept babbling, "I heard that the palace of immortals is glittering with gold, and there are cranes flying and calling in the nine-colored glow."

"When Lady Jin Sheng speaks, it's as if the entire Seven Emperors Mountain is speaking!"

"Oh my God!"

"There really are gods in this world!"

"Worshiping gods is a tradition passed down from our ancestors, which has lasted for thousands of years. Finally, we've met the gods!"

"I want to go! I want to see for myself what immortals really look like!"

"I'll go too. I've never seen a deity in all my years."

"Oh dear! I beg the gods to bless my children so they can be safe and sound!"

The official chuckled, "Go ahead, all of you go ahead. I can't guarantee whether you'll see the gods, but I've heard that the eight villages at the foot of Qihuang Mountain were blessed by the goddess. After the drought, they've grown countless grains. The magistrate's idea is that the people who participate in the sacrificial ceremony can eat and drink for free there."

"Such a good thing! We should definitely go!"

When the crowd learned of the notice's contents, they secretly memorized the official's words and spread the news among themselves.

"The magistrate is about to perform a sacrificial ceremony!"

Within three days, most people in several towns in Xiping County knew that at the beginning of next month, the county magistrate would be offering sacrifices to a deity called Jin Sheng Niangniang.

Someone was horrified, their face contorted with fear as they stammered, "The Golden Saint Mountain Range is infamous as the Monster Mountain Range. I've heard that not only is the terrain treacherous, but it's also infested with countless mountain monsters that eat people!" "How could immortals possibly appear in the Monster Mountain Range?"

"Could it be that even the magistrate has been misled?"

Some people believe it exists, while others don't.

He Jinzong has already started getting busy.

After posting notices and preparing offerings for the gods, he joined forces with wealthy households from several towns in Xiping County, and everyone was extremely busy.

County Magistrate He Jinzong presided over the main procedures.

Luo Yousong of Yunwu Town was in charge of the sacrificial offerings for the grand ceremony. He had a younger brother who traded between the north and south. The offerings included fruits and pastries from the south, dairy products from the Western Regions and other ethnic groups, delicacies, and even several good-looking prisoners of war from the border military camps.

Wu Family Cloth Shop worked through the night to weave various kinds of divine banners.

Other well-off families also consciously shared the burden of the county magistrate, preparing various sacrificial items, rehearsing sacrificial dances, selecting sacrificial music troupes, and inviting learned scholars to write sacrificial inscriptions...

The Lu family rice merchants didn't manage to snag any jobs, but in order to promote the sacrificial ceremony and spread the name of the Golden Saint Goddess throughout the sixteen prefectures of the Northwest.

They distributed the previously stockpiled old rice to the people of various towns free of charge in the name of the Golden Goddess.

"Master, Madam, the Liu family's Master and Madam have arrived. They say they want to see the young master."

That day, the Lu family returned home after making donations. They had just rested for a short while when they heard a message from the steward.

Old Master Lu sneered, "What face do they have to see Xing'er!"

"Let them go!"

"My dear father-in-law, you have quite the airs! We are a family of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Our son was a scholar before, and now he's a graduate. Instead of welcoming us, you're spouting nonsense and telling us to get out!"

"I wonder if my father-in-law can bear the charge of disrespecting a scholar."

Arrive before anyone arrives.

The old master and matriarch of the Liu family forced their way in with their men. Their purpose in coming today was to take away their grandson.

Old Master Lu was furious: "You're trespassing! Steward, throw them out! What kind of scholar or graduate is this? Your Liu Sheng is nothing but a scheming villain!"

By trespassing on private property, did they even respect the owner?

“Father-in-law, we’re here today to take my grandson away. Your daughter can stay; we don’t need her. But you must return Xing’er to us!”

Previously, Old Master Lu felt that he should indeed respect his in-laws, after all, they were ranked last among the social classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.

But his daughter had suffered so much, being controlled by Liu Sheng's evil magic for many years, so he never gave these two arrogant in-laws a kind look.

"Xing'er won't go back with you. After a while, we'll go to the magistrate to get Jinxiu and Liu Sheng divorced, and then we'll have nothing to do with each other anymore."

Madam Liu exploded: "Our Liu Sheng is a scholar who passed the imperial examination. How can he be divorced by a merchant's daughter? Do you even respect my son?"

"What scholar or graduate? I've already said it, that Liu Sheng is a treacherous villain!" Old Master Lu chuckled and coldly declared, "If you continue to pester me, I'll go to the county magistrate and accuse Liu Sheng of imprisoning my daughter. Then his career will be over!"

"you……"

The two old men, Mr. and Mrs. Liu, looked ashen-faced.

The magistrate can even kick out his childhood friend, who is a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), from the county school. His son is only a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial imperial examinations), and he is not familiar with the magistrate. If he is framed by the Lu family, his career will be over.