Dragon Tamer
Chapter 1353 - 1357: Wild Mountain Goddess

Chapter 1353: Chapter 1357: Wild Mountain Goddess

"Sixth Lady is right; being a monarch is truly difficult. Below, I must care for the common people; above, I must curry favor with the Immortals," the man replied.

"Why not come with me to Mount Luoxiang? We can play the qin and the flute, recite poetry and drink wine, tossing aside all mundane worries. Perhaps you’ll even reach true enlightenment!" the female spirit coaxed seductively.

"Indeed, I am an Immortal God. Yet, why have I chosen to linger in this filth-ridden mortal world? Sixth Lady, do you truly wish to retreat into the mountains with me to cultivate and ascend together?" The man asked with anticipation.

"Of course, wherever you go, I will follow," she replied.

As the two exchanged these sickeningly saccharine words, Zhu Minglang paid attention to the face of the man who had had his soul harvested.

This man... seemed familiar!

It couldn’t be—wasn’t this the very monarch of that mortal mini-state who sent me to the Ghost Door Sect!?

Why is he involved with a fairy spirit again!?

The fairy evidently hadn’t completely absorbed the Guardian King’s soul. She’d only left him in a dazed, addict-like state, incapable of rational thought.

Now, wherever she said to go, he would follow.

For someone who is supposedly a cultivator with a cultivation base above average for mortal standards, he’s utterly brainless. His kingship was clearly inherited from his father, and it’s likely that the mini-state under his rule is in complete disarray.

Instead of managing the court, he’s dolled himself up like a youngster and come here to rendezvous with the fairy spirit. The Wei Dynasty truly must have had scant virtue among its ancestors to end up with such a monarch.

"We should disguise ourselves as devotees and head to Mount Luoxiang," suggested the Weaver Star Fairy.

"Understood!"

...

It turns out that this matter is not only related to my Moonlight opportunity but also falls within the domain of the Weaver Star Fairy’s divine duties.

On one side, we have a mortal monarch, and on the other, an ancient female fox spirit from Tianshan. If forbidden love blossoms between them, it could undoubtedly cause great upheaval in the mortal realm.

Moreover, that ancient female fox spirit calling herself "Sixth Lady," leading the Guardian King up the mountain, must have ulterior motives. If she merely intended to harvest his soul, she could’ve done so earlier and drained it completely.

"Shouldn’t we follow them closely? What if we lose them?" Zhu Minglang asked.

"The melody I played earlier has already implanted a mental suggestion in the man. He won’t escape my observation, so we don’t need to concern ourselves with him for now," the Weaver Star Fairy explained.

"Oh, I see." Zhu Minglang finally understood why she’d played the melody earlier.

...

Changing their attire, the two gods disguised themselves once more as mortals and appeared at Mount Luoxiang.

Mount Luoxiang is the area of Tianshan closest to the Celestial City of Humans. As Tianshan is a gathering place for numerous spirit beings, Mount Luoxiang has naturally become a hotspot for frequent human-spirit interactions.

Of course, the mortals were completely oblivious to this.

Disguised as a pair of young travelers from a remote region coming here to pray, Zhu Minglang and the Weaver Star Fairy ascended the long staircase toward Mount Luoxiang. Along the way, however, they found the place far more bustling than they had imagined. At every mountain pavilion, there were several vendors selling goods, rivaling the popularity of some famous Buddhist temples.

The Weaver Star Fairy appeared utterly puzzled by the sight.

"Auntie, if Mount Luoxiang does not host the Star and Moon God, why then are so many devotees coming here?" the Weaver Star Fairy gently asked the fruit vendor.

"Young lady, you mustn’t say that! A truly remarkable Goddess resides here on the mountain. Her mana is vast, her divine skills incomparable, and if you’re sincere, nine out of ten of your prayers will be granted," the fruit vendor auntie explained.

"I don’t understand. If one seeks a god’s blessing, shouldn’t they go to one of the Earth Temple Gods instead?" the Weaver Star Fairy asked again.

"Oh, we common folk—how long would we need to save just to make a single trip to the Divinity City and afford an incense offering there? Sure, we know those proper Earth Temple Gods are more powerful, but their blessings rarely reach us anyway..." the auntie replied.

"Miss, aren’t you here because someone recommended you come? Believe me, you should hurry to offer prayers while the surrounding people remain unaware. The Goddess on the mountaintop came from the Heavenly Lake and is meditating here temporarily. She’s blessing us impoverished folk across hundreds of miles for merit. If you’re late, she might leave, and you’ll miss a golden opportunity," added an old man descending from the mountain with a walking stick.

"Many people have benefited, then?" the Weaver Star Fairy asked.

"Indeed! And she favors us poor peasants specifically. Even wealthy nobles must walk the mountain trail and perform the same rituals to receive blessings. Just last month, the blockhead from our village got his wish fulfilled—a beautiful wife. And my neighbor, who hadn’t been able to have children for eight years, came here and returned with a healthy son! They’ve even named the child Chen Luoxiang after the mountain. You see, young lady, the blessings are real!" The old man’s wrinkled face lit up with excitement as though he’d discovered a hidden treasure and eagerly wanted everyone to follow his lead.

"Thank you, sir. We’re here because of a small trouble ourselves, and upon hearing of the Goddess, we rushed here," Zhu Minglang replied.

After the conversation, Zhu Minglang realized that the Goddess of Mount Luoxiang was clearly infringing upon the Weaver Star Fairy’s divine jurisdiction.

The number of worshippers here was staggering, rivaling the popularity of the Goddess Temples in Divine Cities. What’s more, this so-called Goddess was likely illegitimate.

...

As they continued up the mountain, Zhu Minglang noticed that the Weaver Star Fairy’s expression remained filled with confusion, as though she questioned whether her divine name had somehow lost its resonance.

In recent days, Zhu Minglang had also observed that the Weaver Star Fairy showed little interest in the mortal world and was not particularly enthusiastic about spreading her faith. Given her youthful appearance, it seemed she struggled to understand many of the behaviors of mortal citizens.

"Ah, humans are peculiar creatures. They love placing their faith in dubious remedies," Zhu Minglang commented.

The Weaver Star Fairy lifted her elegant face, watching Zhu Minglang, awaiting his interpretation of this phenomenon.

"Dubious remedies always prevail. Take medicine, for instance. Everyone inherently believes that licensed doctors can cure any illness; if they fail, they’re branded as quacks. People’s expectations for professional physicians are unrealistically high. Yet, in truth, no illness under heaven is guaranteed to be curable. Even the most skilled doctors wouldn’t dare make absolute promises to their patients."

"As for dubious remedies, those Jianghu doctors target small ailments with their practical experiences. From the beginning, people approach such remedies with mere curiosity: if they fail, well, it was just a dubious remedy—not surprising. But if they work, they’re amazed, treating them as miraculous cures. They spread the word far and wide to ten, then a hundred people, eager to proclaim their cleverness in discovering a remedy that cures all woes."