After Transmigrating into an Evil God - Chapter 13

At the entrance of Li Manor, Li Chi looked up at the pine tree that had split through the giant rock.

Its branches were gnarled and twisted, its needles all fallen.

The old tree was dead, yet its trunk still stood upright.

“How many years has this tree been here?” he murmured.

“Unknown. When the Li clan established their manor here twelve hundred years ago, this old pine was already here,” Hou Li replied. “At that time, the Li clan was planning to relocate. When the family head was walking through the mountain forests, he saw this old pine breaking through the rock, lush and verdant, so he decided to build the new residence here.”

It was just that in the years before the Li clan’s mysterious decline, this old pine also gradually yellowed year by year, and no matter what, they could not determine the cause.

Hou Li looked up at this old pine. In the past, when the old pine was still green and vigorous, its leaves seeming to brush the clouds, whenever there were great windstorms in the mountains, the fierce winds would shake the tree, and the old pine would sing by itself, its voice continuous and melodious. But in those few years when the old tree was dying, the tree’s voice became low and lingering. Later, when the old tree’s main trunk lost its vitality, new branches still sprouted from its roots and stem area. However, they attempted to grow several times, yet died repeatedly. Though the Li clan members tried to save it, they saw no results.

Later still, the old tree completely lost its vitality. When it encountered violent snowstorms again, though the tree body still stood, its voice was desolate.

After the old tree died, the Li clan also encountered tribulations. The Li clan was resilient, like the old tree, but also like the old tree, they failed at self-rescue several times and were ultimately forced to leave.

Looking at this old pine, Hou Li’s emotions surged and were difficult to calm.

Li Chi placed his hand on the trunk. Indeed, there was not half a trace of life left within the tree; all the roots and stems had withered, beyond salvation.

He remained silent for a moment, then said, “I wish to carve a qin from this wood.”

“For it, this would also be a good destination,” Hou Li replied.

The old tree was ancient, its wood dense and hard. Though it had been dead for several hundred years, its body had not yet fallen, but after all, its life had passed, and it would eventually gradually rot with the passage of time.

If it were carved into a qin, using its dead body to produce new sounds again, it might not be a bad thing.

Li Chi’s hand slowly caressed the tree trunk. Finding the tree’s waist, he released divine power as a subtle force, severing the part above the tree roots within the giant rock. The old tree slowly toppled toward Li Chi, supported in his palm.

The remaining withered branches and dried fruits on the tree scattered down, covering the ground.

…..

Before the qin body was finished, Ding Qin had already mastered her divine arts to about seventy or eighty percent.

After being enlightened by the Manor Spirit Hou Li, she quickly grasped the method of using spiritual essence, performing various spells with decent form. To improve further from here on would require her to gradually deepen her understanding of spiritual essence—this was slow work.

Li Chi checked on Ding Qin’s progress and made the decision. “We’ll go to Liquan Village today.”

With spring planting approaching, the farmers in Liquan Village were all busy to the point of exhaustion—weeding, turning soil. Almost all the laborers had gone to the fields, leaving only some children playing in the village.

Those who went out to work all wore crude wooden talismans carved with the symbol of Great King Yishan. Light blue demonic qi floated over Liquan Village, allowing this small village to continue existing peacefully among the mountain wilderness demons and ghosts.

Roosters crowed and dogs barked, insects crawled and birds flew. Amidst the bustle of old and young, a little child squatted on the ground, toying with a large beetle.

These beetles had glossy black shells that cast blue-green iridescent light in the sunlight—quite beautiful. The child extended soft fingers, tapping the beautiful shell repeatedly. The beetle suddenly spread its wings and flew to a nearby spot with a whoosh.

The child got up from the ground, walked over and squatted down, holding a small branch in hand to poke at the beetle again. After poking it a few times, the beetle flew up again, though not far, landing nearby once more.

After several rounds, the child unknowingly approached the village edge.

The blue-black beetle spread its wings and flew into the forest with the buzzing sound of its wingbeats.

The child looked up, following the beetle’s flight path, and saw a figure vaguely standing under a tree at the forest edge, though its appearance could not be made out clearly.

“Who are you?” the child asked.

The figure didn’t answer, but asked in return. “Who are you?”

The blue-black beetle that had flown away somehow flew back, quietly landing on the child’s hair knot.

The child was confused for a moment and said, “My name is Tongdou.”

“Tongdou,” the figure under the tree called, “I’m Mother!”

When the child looked again, the blurry figure suddenly became clear—it was Mother!

“Come, Tongdou, come to Mother,” the figure under the tree beckoned.

The beetle perched on the child’s hair knot spread its wings, making a buzzing sound.

The child grinned, laughing cheerfully while stepping forward, calling out, “Mother, Mother!”

She ran out of the range covered by the light blue demonic qi and threw herself into the arms of the figure under the tree.

“Good child,” that figure picked up Tongdou, turned and entered the mountain forest, the figure gradually disappearing. “Mother has been looking for you for so long…”

……

“Tongdou——” Calls rose one after another through the mountain forest.

The villagers went into the mountains in groups of three, carrying wooden talismans and farm tools serving as weapons.

Tongdou, the little daughter of the Zheng Liang family, was missing. They had searched the entire village without finding her.

This meant she had left Great King Yishan’s protection range. Outside, there were man-eating demons!

The villagers wore consecrated wooden talismans when leaving the village to search. These talismans carried Great King Yishan’s demonic qi and could protect them. But even so, they could only search while it was still light. When sunset came, they would still have to return to the village.

The mountain forest after dark was far more terrifying than during the day. If they weren’t careful, they might trap others as well.

“Tongdou——”

“Can we still find her?” someone asked quietly when they stopped to rest.

“Even if we found her…” another person didn’t finish speaking, just shook his head heavily.

Demons captured people to eat them—why would they keep raising them?

“Do you think that child… might have been lured away?” All the children in the village had been raised hearing warnings from birth. Everyone knew not to leave the village—there really were demons that ate people. How could Tongdou have run out?

“No outsiders entered the village.”

“What I mean is…” that person lowered his voice two more notches, saying vaguely, “Demons.”

“Stop talking nonsense!” another person glared.

The village was protected by Great King Yishan. If demons had really entered the village…

After finishing their rest, the group continued searching deeper into the mountain forest. They could still faintly hear the calls of other villagers searching for the person in the distance.

The echoing calls of “Tongdou” reverberating through the mountain forest inexplicably made one feel desolate.

The three people were walking forward, staying alert for wild beasts and demons in the mountain forest, when they suddenly saw two people walking out from deep in the forest.

A young girl carrying a basket on her back, and someone in wide-sleeved robes, white clothes and black hair…

All three villagers were stunned. They had never seen such people before—like unreachable clouds in the sky, sunlight spilling over cloud layers, the vast sky soaked in radiant magnificence.

That was not an appearance belonging to the mortal world—it was a deity descended to the human realm.

“Are… are you demons or ghosts?” the leading villager asked, his mind going blank.

“What nonsense! This is my family’s High God!” Ding Qin said indignantly.

God?

The villagers looked at each other. This indeed looked like an immortal, but… they couldn’t just believe it like that.

Gripping their wooden talismans until they sweated, the leader boldly asked, “Are you… really an immortal?”

“We temporarily reside in a mountain dwelling and are not demons or ghosts. Moreover…” Li Chi raised a finger. The spare protective talisman the villager kept in his chest flew out on its own, landing in Li Chi’s palm for him to examine. “You’re carrying this—what could you fear I might do?”

That protective talisman could sense the aura of foul demons that devoured vital essence and blood, and would automatically counterattack. Seeing that he could handle the protective talisman without harm, the villagers also relaxed.

In this world where demons and ghosts ran rampant and deities manifested, occasionally encountering immortals wasn’t too unusual. When they went to the nearby Shuigu Town for the big market, they often heard storytellers tell various tales of encountering gods.

“We are villagers from Liquan Village at the foot of the mountain. We have offended the High God—please accept our apologies.” The villagers bowed respectfully, feeling quite anxious inside.

Legend had it that immortals had various temperaments—some gentle, some violent. Take their Great King Yishan, for example—he had quite a good temper. Even when mischievous children reached up to touch the divine statue, he didn’t mind too much. It was just that sometimes he could be stubborn, and every offering must include tender green seedlings as sacrificial items.

Li Chi asked, “Why are so many of you on the mountain today?”

Halfway through their bow, the villagers felt a force supporting them, preventing them from bowing further, so they stood up and said, “We’ve lost a child from our village, nicknamed Tongdou.”

They looked at Li Chi carefully and pleaded, “High God, in your mercy, could you help us find Tongdou? She’s only five years old. We’re willing to set up offerings and sacrifices to repay your kindness.”

Hearing this, Ding Qin’s face showed compassion. She looked up at Li Chi but worried about causing trouble, so she dared not speak.

Li Chi looked at her, then said to the villagers, “Sacrifices won’t be necessary. Find someone with close blood relation to the child, and I’ll help you search.”

The villagers were overjoyed. They discussed among themselves—Tongdou’s family had many brothers, but her brothers had all gone up the mountain to find her. Even her father Zheng Liang, who had a leg disability, had limped up the mountain. Finding them in the mountains wouldn’t be easy, but Tongdou’s mother was still in the village.

So they quickly told the one with the fastest legs to go down the mountain back to the village and bring Tongdou’s mother up, while the other two remained here.

That person was about to run down the mountain when Li Chi called out to him, “If you’re returning to the village, let me give you a ride.”

Li Chi flicked his sleeve at him, and wind and clouds suddenly arose.

The man only felt himself lifted by a force. Before his eyes, clouds and mist swirled around him. When he opened his eyes again, he was already at the entrance of Liquan Village.

He stood dazed for a moment, then ran into the village as fast as his legs could carry him.

They had truly encountered a real immortal!

In the ancestral hall, Tongdou’s mother was kneeling before Great King Yishan’s tablet, weeping and pleading, her forehead already bruised blue-black.

How could she not understand that the lost child’s fate was grim? But what else could she do? In this world where demons and ghosts ran rampant and deities manifested, how small was the power of mortals?

The villager who had come down the mountain rushed into the ancestral hall like a streak of smoke. Upon seeing Tongdou’s mother, he called out, “Auntie, come with me quickly! We met an immortal on the mountain who can help us find Tongdou!”

This statement came out of nowhere. Just as others were about to hold him back to ask more, Tongdou’s mother only heard the four words “can find Tongdou” and immediately stood up and rushed over.

That villager pulled her outside to run. The others couldn’t hold them back in time. When they chased after them, they only saw two small dots moving rapidly into the distance.

“How… are they running so fast?” the others said in amazement.

Tongdou’s mother only felt a wind wrapping around her, her body light and floating, being pulled forward by the person ahead as if flying. But with her heart full of finding Tongdou, she paid no attention to any of this.

“Where is Tongdou?” she asked the clear and noble deity before her, her voice sorrowful and urgent.