Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 30 Suppressing the Mountain
The mountain road was crowded with people, their mouths never idle, exchanging words here and there, spreading rumors in an almost fantastical way.

Some say it was a celestial being who passed through and casually cleared away the troubles in the mountains;
Some say it was the mountain god's anger that intimidated the wild beasts and evil spirits;
Even more outrageous were those who loved to make up stories, claiming that the tiger and bear couple left behind from that year had now lost their temper and were determined to clear the name of the mountains and forests and clean house.

One matter, three hundred mouths, each speaking as if it were a serious matter.

Jiang Yi noticed something was amiss.

The footprints and bloodstains along the way did not all come from the wild beasts whose corpses littered the fields.

There were several deep, long marks, stretching towards Liu Family Village.

My eyelids twitched, and a vague idea began to form in my mind.

The "Mountain Guardian" in my memory was not a paper tiger made of clay in a temple; he had his own sphere of influence and was responsible for protecting the territory.

Two years ago, the hunter deliberately went deep into the mountains, died, and was told his fate was sealed. No one else is to blame.

But the situation was different in the last two months.

The wild beast was restless, cautiously probing forward into the mountainside, its steps unhurried yet steady.

In particular, that gray wolf, which seemed to be possessed by spirits, dared to injure people within the area of ​​the front mountain, which was crossing the line and breaking the rules.

Thus came this thunderous strike, clearing the mountains overnight, killing everyone clean, leaving blood and flesh strewn everywhere, as a warning to others.

Jiang Yi's thoughts were in turmoil. He avoided the crowd that was busily collecting corpses and butchering flesh, and walked alone into the deeper part of the forest.

Not far away, we spotted a wild boar, about the size of a calf, lying sprawled on the ground.

His body was clean, except for a hole in the middle of his abdomen that ran from front to back and was as thick as a child's arm.

The wound had clean edges, as if it had been pierced through by some kind of refined iron, leaving no time for the victim to struggle.

Jiang Yi stood there without saying a word, but the image of that 120-pound steel fork floated into his mind.

He stared at the man for a long time, his eyes narrowed, and he became even more convinced.

Without any hesitation, he stepped forward, squatted in a horse stance, and with a burst of strength, hoisted the wild boar onto his shoulder.

Those wild boars have thick skin and heavy bones, making them a true mountain delicacy. After being grazed in the mountains for several years, their tendons and fat have been fully developed.

Liu Xiulian then followed several familiar village women, taking a longer route to search for rabbits and foxes with small fur that were easier to carry.

Just as they were busy sorting the food, several screams suddenly came from the forest.

"ah!"

The sound broke the silence, startling a flock of birds on the branches.

Jiang Yi turned his head sharply and saw a group of women in complete disarray.

A gray wolf, still breathing, suddenly leaped up from the pile of dead beasts, its fangs bared and stained with blood, looking like a madman.

The women screamed and scattered in all directions, some even rolling on the ground in their panic, creating a chaotic scene.

Jiang Yi's heart tightened, and he was about to throw down the pig carcass and rush over.

But Liu Xiulian did not escape.

Although her face was pale, her eyes were unusually calm, as if she had already gone through this experience in her mind.

With a gentle inhale and a slight shift in his footing, he raised his hand and threw a punch at the wolf.

The punch was like an arrow, carrying a concentrated, heavy force from the lower body, and landed solidly on the wounded wolf's waist and abdomen.

The beast came on fiercely, but left like a tattered sack, and was sent flying backward by a brutal beating.

It crashed into two small trees, fell to the ground with a thud, twitched twice, and then fell silent.

Seeing this, Jiang Yi slowly exhaled from his tight chest.

I was too nervous; my concern clouded my judgment, and I misjudged the situation.

Although Liu Xiulian was peaceful and did not like to be aggressive or violent.

But over the years, he has had no shortage of medicinal food at home and has been constantly learning martial arts. He has been practicing with his family every day and has long since transcended his mortal form.

Even if the wolf were fully charged and injured, it might not come out unscathed.

"The Liu family has excellent skills!"

"Wow, that fist is incredibly hard!"

"My goodness, that wolf was killed by her with just one punch!"

Several women, having regained their senses, surrounded Liu Xiulian, both surprised and delighted, chattering amongst themselves.

Liu Xiulian just smiled, lowered her head, shook off the wolf blood on her sleeve, and remained silent.

Jiang Yi stood to the side and smiled, but didn't say anything.

He quietly switched the wild boar on his shoulder and waited for Liu Xiulian to finish packing before they went down the mountain together.

Since that day, Liangjie Village seemed to have suddenly emerged from its hard times.

Every day, the cooking smoke carries the aroma of meat, and even the dogs are kept more carefully than people. The wild animal carcasses they collect vary in size, but they are all genuine products from the mountains; their fur, bones, and internal organs can all be exchanged for money.

Some people are curing meat, some are making soup, and some are inviting relatives over for a meat feast.

Curing more meat at home will not only ensure a prosperous New Year, but also give you more confidence for farming next year.

Just as everyone was basking in the joy of this unexpected good fortune, someone noticed something was amiss.

Several experienced hunters who spent their days gathering herbs and hunting in the mountains returned to the village and exclaimed:
"The wild animals and poisonous insects in the mountains have retreated! They've retreated a full twenty li!"

This sounded strange, but the group of people talked about it one after another, and they all made perfect sense.

According to them, the area in front of the mountain is now eerily quiet; not even a snake can be seen, and wild rabbits dare not roam freely.

The whole thing seemed to be "suppressed" by something.

"The mountain god has appeared to us!"

Someone slapped their thigh, their voice booming:

"The gods are enraged and have wiped out those beasts!"

His words resonated with everyone, who nodded vigorously in agreement.

Liangjie Village was henceforth designated as a place blessed by the gods, receiving divine protection.

Those families who originally planned to move out have all given up now.

They started asking about the incense money at the mountain god temple, how many coins should be burned to show respect.

As a result, within just a few days, the incense at the mountain god temple became extremely popular.

Every day, a pile of paper money was burned, and every night, a handful of incense and candles were burned, making the clay statues of gods in the temple glow red.

Jiang Yi felt a chill run down his spine.

This time, I've really seen the world.

The methods of the Mountain Guardian are such that when he does strike, it is with overwhelming force.

Overnight, the blood flowed like a river in the twenty-mile-long mountains and forests, and the roars of tigers and howls of wolves became the last sounds.

The slaughter terrified the beasts, who scattered and fled, not daring to approach.

This is what it means to "suppress the mountain," and this is what it means to be worthy of the title "Grand Protector."

Jiang Yi looked down at his own fist, its knuckles clearly defined and calluses on its tiger's mouth.

Having practiced punches and kicks regularly, I felt I had developed a solid foundation.

But now, upon closer comparison, his skills are so insignificant compared to those of such a figure that they probably wouldn't even make a ripple.

The mountain breeze dissipated the fishy smell.

Life seemed to have returned to normal.

But after this turmoil, the most miraculous change in the village was not in the mountain god temple, nor in the cooking smoke.

It was in those children.

To be precise, it was Jiang Ming's "Ancient and Modern Gang".

Many women witnessed Liu Xiulian punching a wolf away on the mountain that day.

Back in the village, these women, who were quick to judge and speak without thinking, started to talk nonsense.

"Xiulian's punches, wow, they're really powerful!"

"The wolf flew as if it had wings, and disappeared in a flash!"

"She's radiating an aura of merit! She might be some female general who has descended to earth!"

They talked back and forth, so much so that even the village children were afraid to snore.

The original intention was to praise Liu Xiulian, but the villagers, with their peculiar way of thinking, somehow managed to steer the conversation towards Jiang Ming.

Jiang Yi has always been clear that he doesn't accept apprentices, and no matter how much you plead, he won't budge.

But Jiang Ming's Ancient and Modern Gang doesn't have so many rules.

The parents who had previously expressed some dissatisfaction with Jiang Ming for disrupting the school have now completely changed their attitudes.

They personally stuffed fruit and snacks into their own children's pockets, urging them to "surrender" to the Ancient and Modern Gangs.

I just hope to please the leader so he can teach me a move or two.

Jiang Ming had never seen anything like this before.

Suddenly, even their backs straightened, and they started using the phrase "gang rules" in every sentence, almost wanting to hang a wooden sign at the entrance that read:

"The Ancient and Modern Gang is recruiting new disciples. Applicants must be under ten years old. Preference will be given to those who are good at eating melon seeds, candy, or peaches."

(End of this chapter)