Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 162 Peach Blossom Village

After entering Peach Blossom Village, Han Yi walked around, taking in his surroundings.

"This is the symbol of our Peach Blossom Village, Peach Mother!"

When they reached the center of the village, Tao Gu suddenly stopped and proudly began to introduce the village.

In the middle of the village, there is an old peach tree that is quite old. It is seven or eight meters tall and four or five people cannot encircle it. Around the tree, there is a protective fence made of fine blue bricks, which is in stark contrast to the dilapidated wooden fence outside Peach Blossom Village.

On the blue brick floor, there was a gilded incense burner with three thick brown sandalwood sticks inserted inside. The burner was filled with ash, some of which had even drifted to the ground in the wind. On the ground, there was also a clear ring of marks left by long-term kowtowing and burning of paper money.

In addition, this old peach tree has rough bark and dense branches. Although it is winter and there are no green leaves, the branches are covered with red ropes for praying for blessings and longevity, making the branches heavy.

Upon closer inspection, the red ropes hanging there varied in age; some were mottled with most of the red color faded, while others were brand new, as if they had only been hung up in the last few days.

"Peach Auntie? May I ask, Aunt Tao, is there any special custom here?"

Han Yi had a sudden inspiration and asked.

"That's a long story..."

Tao Gu, impatient with her explanation, began to clarify.

Long ago, there was a drought in Peach Blossom Village. The rice was wilting and the leaves were turning black. If it didn't rain soon, the harvest for the year would be lost!

With no other options, the villagers initially went to the nearby Dragon King Temple to collectively kowtow, burn incense, and make wishes, praying for the Dragon King and Dragon Queen to send down abundant rain, but to no avail.

Later, everyone pooled their money and spent a lot of money to hire a theatrical troupe to come to the Dragon King Temple to perform. They beat drums and gongs, hoping to startle the Dragon King and make him "come out of his cave," entertain him, and make him happy. If the Dragon King was in a good mood, he would naturally bestow rain upon the human world.

As a result, nothing came of it, but the villagers of Peach Blossom Village were in an uproar and could no longer hold back.

Those with meager means would roll up their trousers, kneel on the pebbles in front of the Dragon King Temple, thread wires through the flesh of their arms, hang a pair of guillotine blades on them, burn incense and kowtow while blood drips from their bodies and they cry out to heaven and earth.

But the Dragon King was very hard-hearted. Even with this act, the sky remained cloudless and extremely clear!

The villagers tried everything they could, but to no avail. In a fit of anger, they simply demolished the Dragon King Temple and carried out the gilded Dragon King statue, leaving it to bake in the sun! At this point, an old man in the village said that worshipping gods was not as good as worshipping oneself. Peach Blossom Village was formed because of this old peach tree, so why not pray to the old peach tree?

Desperate, the group had no choice but to burn incense and pray to the old peach tree. They couldn't just watch their crops die from the heat.

Unexpectedly, on the very night after the prayers were offered, several low-pressure clouds appeared in the sky. Then, thunder roared and rain poured down for a day and a night, relieving the crops from their predicament!

Since then, the villagers in the vicinity have been worshipping the old peach tree. They come to pray for rain and wind, for weddings and funerals, for building houses and breaking ground, and for seeking children and cures. On the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, there is no shortage of fruits and vegetables, and incense and paper money are burned. During major festivals such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Lunar New Year, they even raise funds to set up opera troupes, beat gongs and drums, and make it lively.

Even more miraculously, not long ago, some villagers had a dream in which an old man who called himself "Tao Momo" (his face was unclear) asked them to build a temple and erect a monument for the old peach tree!

After this person woke up, he spread the story, and that's how the nickname "Peach Mommy" came about.

“Build a temple and erect a monument? Aunt Tao, with that spare money, why not repair the wooden fence around the village? Wouldn’t that make it safer? Or fix the leaky house in your home? Wouldn’t that make it warmer this winter?”

Han Yi couldn't help but speak up.

“Young man, you are mistaken. Without Peach Granny’s care, how could our Peach Blossom Village have the wonderful life we ​​have today? Building a temple and erecting a monument for Peach Granny is the greatest wish in the hearts of every one of us in Peach Blossom Village!”

Tao Gu said with a devout expression, her hands clasped together.

“…..”

Han Yi was speechless for a moment. As an atheist, he didn't know how to respond to this kind of thing.

"Ok?"

Just then, he felt his collar being tugged. He turned around and saw Bai Sanren gently shaking his head at him. Han Yi instantly understood and began chatting with Tao Gu about everyday things like the weather and food.

Soon, the three of them walked past the old peach tree and arrived at a large courtyard.

This courtyard is much more impressive than the mud huts of other villagers, with its white walls and green tiles standing out, and a brick wall made of glutinous rice and lime mortar surrounding it.

There are only a few dozen households in the entire Peach Blossom Village, and this household should be the richest one.

At this moment, Tao Gu stopped and called out to the children who were playing and frolicking under the big tree, "Da Mao, stop playing and come home for dinner!"

The child squatted on the ground pretending to be a horse, seemingly having a great time, and didn't hear Tao Gu's voice.

"Big hair!"

Tao Gu's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, completely different from her previous soft, gentle, and mild manner.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Da Mao suddenly stood up straight.

"Hey, Da Mao, you're being lazy! You said the loser had to be the horse!"

The child who was about to jump off the horse was knocked to the ground by him, falling flat on his back, which made the other children laugh.

"I'm not playing anymore, I'm not playing anymore, my mom's calling me! I won't cheat, I'll be the horse again next time!" Da Mao took off running towards Tao Gu, running as fast as he could. Tao Gu's words were like heavenly music to him, who was about to be the horse.

"Please excuse my child, sir. He's just a boy from the countryside, uneducated and a bit rough around the edges..."

Seemingly remembering something, Tao Gu turned around, glanced at Han Yi behind her, and looked somewhat embarrassed.

"It's alright, kids will be kids, it's normal for them to play around and be energetic! I was even more mischievous than him when I was a kid!" Han Yi smiled and said understandingly.

Tao Gu smiled and reached out to touch the hair at her temple.

It wasn't intentional on her part, but rather because her movements were too exaggerated, causing the loose collar of her shirt to droop, revealing a large expanse of her snow-white chest and the deep, unfathomable cleavage.

She wasn't wearing an undergarment... Han Yi glanced at her, then looked away.

Tao Gu adjusted her collar, squatted down, took out a handkerchief from her bosom, and vigorously wiped Da Mao's face clockwise until his dirty face was clean.