Time Travel: The Survival of Li Zhi

Chapter 289: Mountain God Protecting the People

After hearing what Hong Fan said, Li Zhi and Mingyue's eyes involuntarily followed his guidance and slowly moved towards the statue of the mountain god standing in the center of the temple.

On one side of the statue, a stone tablet stands quietly.

The material of the stone tablet is simple and heavy, and the erosion of time has left mottled marks on its surface. It is obvious that this stone tablet has existed for a long time.

On it, four large characters "Protecting the People with Merit" are engraved in a simple and vigorous font. Every stroke seems to contain endless power and stories, deeply embedded in the stone, as if telling the glory of the past.

Li Zhi's eyes lit up, and he asked curiously, "What is this?"

Hong Fan raised his head slightly, his gaze lingering on the stone tablet for a long time, as if he was lost in deep memories of the past.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, his tone calm but solemn: "This is the imperial calligraphy bestowed by my great ancestor..."

There was a hint of awe for the profoundness of history in his words.

"Oh?"

Li Zhi was slightly startled, with a look of obvious surprise on his face. He could not imagine that such a small mountain god who lived in a remote corner and was unknown had the honor of receiving a calligraphy from the emperor of a country.

This is equivalent to national certification. With the blessing of a country's fortune, even a small god can reach the sky in one step.

However, because of this, Li Zhi became even more confused.

After all, with such an honor, this mountain temple should be a popular pilgrimage site, crowded with pilgrims and filled with smoke.

Why has it come to this point, with almost no worshippers left?

Hong Fan glanced at Li Zhi, and seemed to see the doubt in Li Zhi's heart, so he sighed softly, and slowly opened his mouth and said in a low voice: "This is a long story..."

 …

It turns out that more than a hundred years ago, the one in power was the great-grandfather of the current emperor Zhao Qi - Emperor Zhao Sheng.

It was a turbulent time, and an extremely serious rebellion broke out in the territory of Yong State.

The rebellion was like a raging storm, sweeping across most of Yong State with overwhelming force. Its destructive power was so great and the situation was so critical that everyone once thought that Yong State was about to see a change of dynasty and a change of rulers.

In that turbulent and panic-stricken period, all the practitioners in the world, regardless of their level or sect.

Demons, ghosts and the like, regardless of the strength of their magical powers, or their good or evil habits.

Even the gods who are high above, fearing the complex and heavy cause and effect, choose to hide themselves in silence and remain dormant.

They knew very well that such a major cause and effect as the change of dynasties was like a dangerous road full of thorns. If they were not careful, they would be deeply trapped in it and unable to extricate themselves.

After all, once you are involved in such a matter of cause and effect, the consequences will be extremely tragic. Even if you don't die, you will be skinned alive. It can be said that there are only harms and no benefits, so no one dares to get involved in it easily.

However, at that time, there was a little mountain god who was still in his infancy and unknown, but he made a shocking decision.

He was full of compassion, and could not bear to see the people around him suffer so much in the war. He resolutely ignored the huge cause and effect that was enough to change the color of the world, and stepped forward to protect the local people with his divine power.

During those difficult years of rebellion, he always stood firm and never gave up. He was like a bright light, providing a peaceful sky for the people in the dark abyss.

Finally, after countless people fought bloody battles and the complex game of various forces, the rebellion gradually subsided and the country of Yongguo was preserved.

The then Emperor Zhao Sheng was deeply moved and filled with emotion after hearing the deeds of this little mountain god.

In order to commend his act of protecting the people and highlight his achievements and virtues, Zhao Sheng specially bestowed the four characters "Protecting the People with Merit" on him.

This imperial calligraphy instantly made this little mountain god famous, and his temple also ushered in a glorious period of great popularity.

There was an endless stream of people coming to worship and pray, and the curling green smoke filled the sky above the temple.

Unfortunately, because of his involvement in the dynasty turmoil, this mountain god was inevitably contaminated with extremely heavy karma, causing him to suffer a nearly devastating blow.

Although the abundant incense in the temple continuously nourished him, dispelled his pain and restored his divine power, the power of cause and effect was too strong like a maggot on the tarsal bone. Even with the support of the incense, his injuries were still difficult to heal.

Because of this, as time went on, the mountain god whose divine power was damaged gradually lost the ability to continue protecting the people in this area.

Gradually, many evil spirits began to appear frequently in this place.

For a time, people's lives once again fell into dire straits.

After experiencing all kinds of hardships and disappointments, the people gradually discovered that even though they devoutly offered sacrifices and worshipped this god who once protected the people, they could no longer obtain the peace and protection they once had.

As a result, fewer and fewer people came to the mountain temple, and the temple that was once bustling and filled with incense gradually became deserted.

Until now, if it were not for the luck contained in the imperial calligraphy that was still supporting him, the mountain god would probably have already disintegrated, his throne collapsed, and disappeared completely.

 …

Li Zhi listened quietly to everything Hong Fan said, his eyes flickering with light, and it was obvious that he was also touched.

I never thought that this seemingly ordinary mountain god living in a remote corner actually had such a dramatic experience behind him.

Although this mountain god has fallen into silence now, Li Zhi could not help but admire his great feat of sacrificing himself to save others.

Li Zhi slowly turned around and faced the majestic and burly, yet somewhat lonely statue.

Then he slowly raised his hands, folded them in front of him, with a solemn expression on his face, and bowed deeply.

Mingyue witnessed Li Zhi's actions from the side, and his clear eyes also revealed a trace of emotion and respect.

After Li Zhi finished his salute, he hurriedly followed suit, standing upright and respectfully in front of the statue, and then bowed solemnly to the statue.

Hong Fan quietly watched the actions of Li Zhi and Mingyue. His eyes flashed slightly, showing both recognition of their respect and emotion for the fate of the deity in front of him.

He sighed softly and said in a low and slow voice: "This kind of god is indeed respectable, but mortals are so ignorant. If we continue to worship sincerely and nurture it with the power of strong incense for a hundred years, this god may be able to come back to life, or even go further. What a pity..."

Li Zhi nodded slightly, but he also understood.

After all, the life span of mortals is only a few decades. How many people can spend their entire lives sincerely worshiping and offering sacrifices to a god who may never wake up?

But...it's really a pity for this god.

Li Zhi suddenly thought of something, and he said: "This god was once praised by the emperor's ancestors. If he has the blessing of the national fortune of each generation, I think he can also help him recover."

Hong Fan shook his head helplessly and said, "Since His Majesty came to power, he has been busy cleaning up the mess everywhere. How could he have the energy to care about this little mountain god? As for the late emperor and others... Oh, let's not talk about it..."

Li Zhi knew in his heart that the two biggest prodigals since the founding of Yongguo were the grandfather and father of the current emperor.

Rather than expecting these two to think about such things, it would be better to expect them to step down and make way for others.

If Zhao Qi had not emerged with great difficulty, it would be hard to say whether Yongguo would still be Yongguo.