In ancient times, they secretly became gods in the deep mountains.

Chapter 53: A Buddhist Holy Land or a Hell on Earth?

Upon hearing Huowa and Shuiwa's promise, Li Danian excitedly kowtowed.

"Thank you, two celestial children!"

Looking up, the two celestial children had vanished without a trace. They had appeared and disappeared without a trace. It was truly the work of a deity. Li Danian found it unbelievable that he had actually met a deity.
The deity also promised to help him solve the epidemic in the town. Li Danian excitedly went to his parents' house, intending to tell his seriously ill parents the good news.

"father!"

"mother!"

"I...I...I saw a god! The god promised me that he would help us get rid of the plague!" Li Danian gasped for breath, excitedly rambling on.

"We are finally going to get rid of the torment of the epidemic!" Li Danian cried and laughed at the same time.

Li's father and mother also contracted the disease.

As they got older, the elderly couple had difficulty getting out of bed.

The two elders expressed disbelief upon hearing their son's words.

“Oh, Da Nian, there are no gods in this world. If there were gods, how could we be suffering so much, with drought and epidemics? Alas! Heaven is not letting people live!” After saying this, Li’s father coughed weakly.

Li's mother's face was deathly pale: "Da Nian, your father is right, we can only wait to die."

The imperial court did not send anyone to treat the illness, and the county magistrate made no offer whatsoever. They had already concluded that Ping'an Town had been abandoned, and the only fate for the townspeople was to learn to accept their destiny.

Knowing they wouldn't believe him, Li Danian told his parents the whole story of how he met the fairy child.

“Father! Mother! I’m not lying to you. You heard it too. Someone knocked on the door. When I opened it, I suddenly saw two snow-white, plump children. Considering the three years of drought and everyone’s lack of food and clothing, where did such lucky children come from? They must be monsters.”

"I took off running, but the girl outside the door blocked my way in the blink of an eye. I thought she was going to eat me, so I quickly knelt down and begged for mercy. She casually waved her hand in the air and I stood up."

"They explained that they were attendants of the Golden Saint Goddess, the spirit of the Golden Saint Mountain Range. The goddess sent them to investigate the situation because she saw that there was a disaster in our Ping'an Town."

"That means two celestial children have come to our house!"

“They asked about the situation in town, and I told them what I knew. The fairy boy casually pressed on me, and I felt that the pain caused by the epidemic was greatly reduced.”

“Father and Mother, listen to me. Doesn’t my voice sound less hoarse and unpleasant these past few days? It’s almost the same as before the epidemic.”

"This is the power of gods."

"They said that once we report the situation in the town to the Golden Saint Goddess, the benevolent goddess will help us solve the epidemic problem."

Anticipation, excitement, and exhilaration filled Li Danian's heart, an emotion he could not express.

Mr. Li exclaimed in surprise, "It does sound true, your voice has really improved a lot."

"Of course, Dad."

"Ah! Waaaaah—"

Suddenly, a loud wail rang out.

It turned out that Li's mother was crying. She was crying so hard that it was as if her heart was breaking.

"Mother, why are you crying?" Li Danian was puzzled. Even the people he had met were not this excited. Could it be that his mother believed him and believed that the goddess would save them, and was crying tears of joy?
Apparently he misunderstood.

“My son! You said you were much better, even your dry, hoarse voice was better, and you were talking nonsense about some kind of deity. This is clearly a sign of a final burst of energy before death!” Mother Li cried as she explained the reason.

"What?!" Mr. Li sat bolt upright in bed: "A final burst of energy before death?"

After thinking about it, he realized that his son's behavior really did seem like a final burst of lucidity before death. He subconsciously thought about it more, and his face turned deathly pale.

He was in a panic: "My Li family only has this one son. Back when there was war and conscription, I, Old Man Li, would rather pay a hundred taels of silver than let my son go to his death. He survived three years of drought. Could it be that God is going to cut off the Li family line now?"

The thought that everyone in the town was facing death, including his son, filled him with unspeakable sorrow and grief.

Do they have to experience the heart-wrenching pain of a parent outliving their child?

"Good heavens! How can anyone live like this!" Old Man Li was devastated.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

"Bang, bang, bang." The two elderly people pounded the bed with their hands and cried uncontrollably.

"Father, Mother! Oh dear, what are you thinking about?"

Li Danian was utterly speechless. He was clearly almost recovered, but his parents acted as if he were about to be buried.

He really wanted to shout:
You've really misunderstood!

"My son, don't be afraid, your father and mother will go with you." Mother Li wiped away her tears with her sleeve.

“Even when we reach the netherworld, we’ll still be one family,” Old Man Li chimed in.

Li Danian had a terrible headache. He couldn't tell his parents. He could only wait until they saw the two fairy children with their own eyes before they would believe what he said.

“That willow coffin of mine was bought when our family was prosperous. It was originally meant to be used for my burial after I pass away, but now it’s for Da Nian to use. I’ll just throw it away when I die.” When his son had a moment of lucidity, Li’s father felt that he wouldn’t last more than a few days. He helplessly buried his head and wept bitterly.

Li Danian: "..."

Fire Boy and Water Boy went to Qingchan Temple.

The entrance to Qingchan Temple was cold and silent, with no birds or insects chirping. The temple, ravaged by the epidemic, was desolate and dilapidated, with cobwebs covering the gate and dust settling all around, creating a bleak and silent atmosphere.

"Look!"

Shuiwa let out a shocked sound.

Huowa looked in the direction she was pointing and immediately frowned: "Is this a Buddhist holy site for saving all living beings, or a ghostly hell on earth?"

Above Qingchan Temple, the ghostly aura was even stronger than in the town. The stench and putrid smell permeated the surroundings, and the chilling atmosphere made it feel like being in an icy hell. The lonely temple stood like a giant beast lying prone, sending shivers down one's spine.

Shuiwa asked, "Shall we go in?"

Huowa pondered, "The Queen told us not to act rashly before we ascertain the strength of the enemy. Let's secretly go inside and take a look, hoping we won't disturb the ghosts inside."

“I suspect that the abbot was refining ghosts and monsters. He let the ghost energy leak out and was inhaled by the townspeople. The living people’s life force was dispersed by the ghost energy, which is why they developed a strange disease similar to an epidemic,” Shuiwa analyzed.

"What you said makes sense."

The two children flew into Qingchan Temple.

The outside is like hell, and the inside is even more like hell.

Who would have thought that this sacred Buddhist site would be covered in blood and dismembered limbs, as if a massacre had just taken place?

The scene was so horrific that it defies description.

The stench of blood and decay attracted strange, dark birds that flocked together to peck at the flesh and blood on the ground, making satisfied noises in their throats. If any mortal were to witness this scene, it would surely become a lifelong shadow in that mortal's heart.

"what!"

A bloodcurdling scream rang out, and Fire Boy and Water Boy concealed themselves and searched for the direction from which the scream came.

"The mass grave on the back hill!"

The previous chapter has been revised and edited.
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(End of this chapter)