Zhongshan Shenzhu Chi

After shedding its skin, six bony protrusions appeared on the snake's face, extending all the way to the back of its head. Its once smooth face instantly became three-dimensional, its outline both majestic and ferocious.

A surging blood aura enveloped his body, solidifying to the point of almost transforming into a tangible wave, churning and surging along with the opening and closing of the deep crimson scales.

If the villagers of the new village hadn't already revered the giant snake as a deity, its appearance alone would have been enough to terrify anyone.

The giant serpent, from its twenty-year life in its previous life to its current thirty-plus years as a serpent, had never been surrounded by so many people.

A quick glance revealed approximately three hundred people.

They knelt densely on the rain-soaked earth, their backs bent low and foreheads touching the ground, like a field of wheat bent by the wind.

But Huai Nian does not consider himself the god of Zhongshan.

It was merely the child of the serpent god, one of the myriad creatures of Zhongshan, possessing only some strength.

The giant serpent tried to refute, but was interrupted by the rising cheers.

"The God of Zhongshan—"

The voices were not in unison, but they were devout to the point of obstinacy, as if they were shouting out the fear and unease in their hearts.

It seems that as long as one is devout enough, one can entrust all one's hopes for a peaceful future to the gods.

The giant snake flicked its tongue, unable to think of a good way to deal with the kneeling humans before it.

To say that I have no desire for the position of the Righteous God of Zhongshan would be a lie.

Desire certainly exists, but Huai Nian will ensure that it is the driving force that propels him forward, rather than a shackle that binds his actions.

But it doesn't know what "mother" truly means to Zhongshan today.

If he were to ascend to godhood, it would shake his mother's foundation and even endanger her life... Huai Nian would never take a single step down that path.

Moreover, it will personally thwart any attempt by any creature that dares to covet the position of the mountain god of Zhongshan.

Moreover, even now, with the Snake God in power, Zhongshan has four distinct seasons, and all things live in peace.

And it doesn't need to think much; it can simply focus on its practice.

"This is troublesome..." The giant snake was irritable, and the tip of its tail kept slapping the ground.

Just as they were about to leave without saying a word, the portly merchant, whom they had met once before, suddenly stood up and addressed the merchants and villagers present:

"Everyone, go back to your homes."

"The mountain god prefers peace and quiet, and the village chief has distributed statues of him to everyone so they can worship him at home!"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yan also stood up.

Seeing that the red snake neither left nor tried to stop him, he called out, "Fellow villagers, go back home. The mountain god has given me instructions..."

Come to think of it, I seem to have assigned this fat merchant a task: to report on the situation in Xia'an City every ten days.

The giant serpent recalled what it had said to the two people in front of the mountain god's temple. It slowly retracted its body, its scales interlocking, coiling itself in place, waiting silently like a rock.

With the gods present, the villagers dared not make a fuss. Zhong Yan coordinated things very smoothly, and soon only he and Wen Shuyan remained in the open space in the village.

Wen Shuyan held a book in his hands and carefully walked up to the giant serpent, which was as solid as a rock.

"Lord Mountain God, besides the dispute between the Crimson Immortal Sect and the City Lord's Mansion, I wonder what other information you require..."

"So I personally took charge and recorded everything that has changed in Xia'an City, from the time you gave the order until now, from the people to the officials."

"Please take a look." The clerk held the book high above his head.

"No need." The giant snake flicked its tongue, tapping the ground with the tip of its tail. "Are those dozen or so cultivators from the Crimson Immortal Sect? What is their status?"

"The woman's name is Meng Heng, the one with the knife is Huo Yufeng, and the young scholar Shen Yan has some connection with an elder of the Crimson Immortal Sect."

"The three of them are the backbone of the Crimson Immortal Sect's presence in Xia'an City," Wen Shuyan replied immediately.

"Are they strong?" the giant serpent murmured. A human city with over a million inhabitants could be suppressed by these three people.

It's hard to believe.

"The Foundation Establishment stage, beyond the Opening of the Mansion realm, is indeed no different from immortals for mortals like us. But what the City Lord truly fears are the headquarters of the Crimson Immortal Sect and the Four Laws Immortal Sect located in Yongning City," Wen Shuyan replied.

Zhong Yan couldn't get a word in edgewise on this matter and could only nod in agreement.

"I heard that the Crimson Immortal Sect has dispatched an elder to oversee Xia'an City, but the veracity of this news cannot be confirmed yet," Wen Shuyan added.

"Elder..." the great serpent hissed.

Today, with swift and decisive action, the cultivators who attempted to massacre the village and frame the Serpent God have incurred the wrath of the Crimson Immortal Sect...

No, the two sides had already become enemies long before they tried to seize the mother's things and extinguish the family line in Xia'an City.

"Mountain God, if you need information about that elder..." The giant serpent remained silent, the atmosphere tense. Wenshu Yan, who had been bowing and staring at the soil, gritted his teeth and said firmly, "I will do everything in my power to gather information once I return to the city!"

"I will definitely cooperate fully!" Zhong Yan immediately stated his position upon seeing this.

Upon hearing this, the giant snake looked at the two people standing in front of it with some surprise.

It switches its perception, transforming into the illusory perspective of a snake sensing the temperature of everything, and can clearly see their pounding hearts.

Time passed second by second, and silence slowly descended. The giant snake still did not sense the slightest fear in their hearts, as if what they had just said were their truest thoughts.

I don't know what their mother promised them, but they actually... switched sides so completely.

"No need for that, just leave everything as usual," the giant snake replied.

Upon hearing this, the fat businessman breathed a sigh of relief.

Leaving aside Meng Heng and his two companions, the fifteen cultivators who accompanied them were all figures that a merchant like himself could never hope to reach in his entire life.

If he really had to search for someone who might be a Golden Core cultivator... then Wen Shuyan could only send his family to Zhongshan and leave himself alone in Xia'an City to his fate.

However, it's time to make plans early.

He has already sided with Zhongshan, Xia'an City, and Chixianmen. He needs to find an opportunity to quickly move his family out of the city and into Zhongshan.

"Yes," Wen Shuyan and Zhong Yan replied in unison.

Silence lingered for a long time.

The two remained bowed, not daring to raise their heads, quietly awaiting the mountain god's new decree.

Time passed slowly, and the two of them felt a little sore, but no sound came out.

Suddenly, the tranquil atmosphere that had enveloped the new village dissipated, and the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking returned to Zhong Yan's ears.

The rain clouds dispersed, sunlight spread out, and warmth returned to the world.

But there was no shadow in front of him.

Zhong Yan cautiously raised his head. The giant snake had disappeared. Looking around, he heard the fragmented yet real sounds of the new village surging in and surrounding him.

It felt like returning to the human world.

"Boss Wen, the Mountain God has left." The old man quickly approached and helped Wen Shuyan up.

"After today, we need to speed things up." Wen Shuyan rubbed his aching back and slowly moved to the edge of the open space to sit down.

"Not a single restless or untrustworthy person can be left in your village. I must also return to the city immediately to organize the family genealogy."

"So soon?" Zhong Yan frowned.

"The Mountain God never descends the mountain, but today he made a special trip down to kill these dozen or so cultivators from the Crimson Immortal Sect. This shows that a battle has already broken out up above."

The Wen family's "Shuwen Shanhaige" plaque has been passed down with difficulty for 250 years, but it has never been able to break free from the shackles of being a mere merchant.

Now, the opportunity has finally arrived.

No matter what, we have to give it a shot.

Wen Shuyan leaned against the wall, gazing at the sky, his tone a mixture of confusion and hope for the future: "Soon, the city lord will take action, which will inevitably affect the Crimson Immortal Sect, and may even affect the main city of Yongning Continent."

"Chaos is coming... the faster the better."