I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 27 Earthly Deities in Three Classes: Upper, Middle, and Lower

The banquet was filled with gods and ghosts.

Tigers lay coiled all around, snakes and pythons stretched for tens of feet, and there was also a huge bluebird. The tigers had glaring eyes, white foreheads, and mouths like blood basins. Li Bai was startled when he saw them, and it took him a few breaths to calm down.

Let out a breath slowly.

A few days ago, I was quite engrossed in discussing ghosts and spirits with the old mountain god. Now, standing here in person, seeing that all the guests and attendants are demons and ghosts, I feel rather terrified.

He moved even closer to Mr. Jiang.

The Earth Deity hurriedly replied, "I only briefly mentioned some methods to break free from chaos."

After a pause, the black hairs on its cheeks stood up. The Earthly Demon Mountain Goblin hesitated for a moment, its eyes filled with anticipation.

Question: "How is the minor deity's cultivation at the Immortal Temple?"

The words are spoken.

Only then did the guests realize that the man in blue robes, who was being treated with such respect by the mountain god, was actually an immortal.

The tiger, its paws clenched, looked startled and flustered, a look of astonishment appearing on its massive head, almost like a human's. The bird also tilted its head, cautiously observing. All four groups of spirits reacted similarly. The mountain demons suddenly rose and bowed, saying:

"We are ignorant of the immortal's face—"

"I've seen an immortal!"

Jiang She was sizing up the Earth Deity. The other party unconsciously became nervous.

This earth spirit is a mountain demon, resembling a human in appearance. It is as tall as two giants, with black hair on its face, a monkey-like body, and backward-facing heels.

That was the mountain demon the villagers were talking about.

The story was passed down orally among the villagers and recorded in books by scholars. Legend has it that the mountain demon roams the mountains, fears firecrackers, and is adept at stealing. It is said that people with speech often call its name in the mountains, and those who respond often fall seriously ill. Sometimes it also sneaks down the mountain, enters people's homes at night, and steals children to eat.

The one before us was established as a deity by the county magistrate countless years ago. He was granted the title of Earth God, and his aura is pure and ethereal.

It's a mountain demon with some skill.

Jiang She smiled under the other party's tense gaze.

"Not bad, you've already gotten the basics."

Upon receiving this approval, the Earth God breathed a sigh of relief, and the black hair on his cheeks smoothed down again. The Earth God busied himself welcoming the deity to his head seat and quietly summoned the spirit bird to bring more wine.

They then called someone over to redo the dishes.

"Remove these peaches and bring the century-old vermilion fruit."

In the bamboo forest, the guests all quieted down and stopped chatting as before. Only after Jiang She led Li Bai to his seat and they took a sip of the spirit wine offered by the spirit bird did they relax a little.

"Good wine!"

Li Bai's eyes lit up. He held the wine cup and examined the clear liquid inside, which faintly shimmered with gold.

The aroma of the wine was irresistible, and one drank it until thoroughly intoxicated.

"What kind of wine is this?"

The Earth Deity said, "This is pine wine, different from ordinary wine. It is brewed for a hundred years using pine resin, pine pollen, and precious spring water from the mountains. There are only a few jars left, and I wish to share them with you."

Li Bai said, "Thank you, Lord Mountain."

The local deity said, "If the spirits and demons of the mountains drink this, it will be equivalent to a month of meditation."

Li Bai asked, "What about people?"

"Even ordinary people can drink this to cure serious illnesses and prolong their lives," the old deer mountain god said with a smile, stroking his beard. "Young friend, you are quite lucky."

"So miraculous?"

Li Bai was astonished.

Jiang She also sipped the spirit wine, drinking half a cup. No wonder Li Bai was so amazed; the taste was indeed excellent, cool and smooth, with a delightful aroma.

As the liquor entered my throat, its spiritual essence vanished like a drop of water flowing into the East China Sea, disappearing in an instant.

But it is still fine wine.

Perhaps I could ask the local deity for the recipe and try brewing it myself sometime.

The wind rustles through the bamboo grove, carrying the sounds of stringed instruments. The earth spirits and mountain demons, fearing to be neglected, incite the mountain spirits in the forest to play music. The sounds are clear and elegant, drifting and lingering, harmonizing with the moonlight.

At the banquet, there were no ordinary meals or vegetables, only rare and exotic wines, meats, and fruits from the mountains and fields, all of which were delicacies.

It can prolong life for ordinary people.

Many of the guests watched from afar as the head of the table took the lead. The monkey involuntarily loosened its grip on the wine jar, and for the first time, it lost its appetite for the delicacies and fruits before it.

He gazed from afar at the blue-robed man drinking with his head down, sitting with the Earth God, the Mountain Demon, and the White Deer Mountain God. Many of the demons and spirits possess keen senses; even from a distance, they could see the White Deer Mountain God speaking to the immortals. Though they couldn't hear their voices, they could see the respect in their expressions.

A white-clad attendant followed the immortal, also raising a cup and chatting.

The monkey murmured involuntarily, "A true immortal is before my eyes, a true immortal is before my eyes..."

"It's actually an immortal..."

The spotted tiger glanced at it, then covered its huge mouth with its paws to make itself look less inconspicuous and less terrifying.

The tiger lowered its voice.

“The mountain god of Lumen Mountain, the master of Heishigang Mountain… these days they have been preaching to us in the mountains. When did we become acquainted with such figures?”

The monkey and the fox standing nearby felt a sense of awe.

During the gathering, a mountain deer that had transformed into human form, resembling a young man, appeared to have some connection with the old deer mountain god. He carefully observed it and blurted out, "I've seen this before."

The nearby spirit hurriedly asked.

"when?"

"Tell us quickly!"

"Who is that person?"

The young man pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I remember this wise man taking shelter from the rain in the temple. Yes, I've also seen the one in white. He comes to the mountain quite often!"

"Is that so?"

Why do immortals need to avoid the rain?

The young man didn't know that he was a descendant of the Old Deer Mountain God for countless generations, his bloodline had long since faded, and he was only fortunate enough to take human form at a young age.

I thought about it carefully, but I still couldn't figure out the reason.

But then he remembered something else important, looked around, put down his chopsticks, and lowered his voice.

"Our ancestor is nearing the end of his life and is seeking ways to prolong it. He has been less active these past two years, let alone preaching." He said cautiously, "I heard that our ancestor has extended his life by another ten years and is now in a more open state of mind. He has been sharing many teachings with us these past few days."

"To be able to extend one's lifespan, one must wonder what kind of profound Taoist magic it is. It must be related to that immortal."

After achieving success in spiritual cultivation, one can see one's lifespan and vaguely know that death is approaching. Some practitioners, seeing that their lifespan is about to end, will choose to walk the path of the Yin spirit.

It could be the City God or a spirit of the underworld.

This is the way of ghosts and spirits.

However, the Deer Mountain God is not included in this category. He is a mountain god and earth deity, and cannot prolong his life through divine means. Unless he is willing to become a ghost, enjoy the yin energy, and become an official in the underworld.

That was something the Old Deer Mountain God did not want to see.

The path of cultivation for mountain spirits follows the earth's veins. Once they abandon the earth's veins and turn to the path of ghosts, their past cultivation will vanish and they will have to start all over again.

The bluebird couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "It can extend one's lifespan?"

The spirits, like the bluebird, loosened their grip on their wine cups and chopsticks, their eyes flickering thoughtfully.

"Shh!"

The young man warned, "Don't think too much about the noble status of immortals and gods. Even my ancestor, who was appointed by the emperor, was respected and honored."

"If you act rashly and run into the hands of immortals and gods, they won't hesitate to show leniency towards the earth deities. Be careful, and get rid of those thoughts, or don't blame me for not warning you!"

The python hissed and flicked its tongue: "There are such divine beings in the world... We understand."

The tiger nodded in agreement, its head bobbing up and down.

……

……

On the other side, the local deity poured wine for Jiang She.

His gaze seemed to hold a sense of expectation.

"Born an anomaly, cultivation is difficult. I'm considered lucky, having received official permission to establish a temple and embark on the path of cultivation, yet I still lack the right conditions and have been cultivating haphazardly on my own... Could the immortal possibly offer some guidance..."

The voice became lower and lower.

"I'll see."

The local deity was overjoyed upon hearing this.

Li Bai and the Old Deer Mountain God ate and drank wine on the side, watching from the sidelines.

Jiang She stopped eating.

Before the Earth God, Mountain Demon, and Pine God could even react, he looked at the Earth God and asked in a leisurely tone:
"The superior earth spirits can move the earth's veins without harming the people and things. The middle ones protect the land and water. The inferior ones merely enjoy offerings of blood and food."

Who are you?

　Thinking of chapter titles is always so difficult...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)