Transmigrating to another world, starting as a mountain god

While Li Yuan was assigning tasks to the villagers, the Anshan Animal Tree Planting Team was still working diligently.

Big Grey and Little Grey dug with their paws until they were practically smoking, creating a very regular pattern of holes on a hillside.

The two pheasants remained as listless as ever, pecking and pecking at the seeds they carried...

The little rabbit collected some plump insects and dried fruit, and, following Li Yuan's instructions, placed them on the top of Anshan Mountain.

The old trees and grass swayed in the wind atop Anshan Mountain, as if cheering each other on.

The skinny wild dog got tired from patrolling the mountain and sneaked to the cave to drink water. It was almost taken away by the villagers who came to fetch water.

Fortunately, Li Yuan sensed it in time, which prevented the extra meal from happening.

The little green snake, who was sent out to search for underground water, has yet to be heard from again.

The Anshan Animal Tree Planting Team has worked diligently and has successfully planted over a hundred trees.

Li Yuan personally took meticulous care of them, and looking at these pits, he felt as if he could see the future lush forests covering the mountains.

Although less than half of them successfully sprouted, it was already a bright spot in the barren mountainside.

The villagers, who were in their prime, left the barren desert to purchase supplies and saplings, and it took them half a year to make a round trip.

During this time, Li Yuan once again became that idle mountain god.

Bored out of his mind, he decided to take advantage of the time to teach the children in the small village at the foot of Anshan Mountain.

A makeshift classroom was set up right in front of the mountain god temple.

They taught Li Yuan some basic knowledge about the world before he traveled there.

Although it is basic knowledge, it is also a piece of experience that has been verified by generations of people.

The elderly people in the village were moved to tears and kept kowtowing to Li Yuan.

They themselves were like flickering candles, barely able to burn, yet they still felt pity for these children!

The desert is desolate and life is hard. People here are like wild grass, whether they live or die.

No one pays attention, no one knows.

The children cherished this opportunity and studied very hard.

Having never been taught any knowledge, they were like saplings yearning for water and sunlight, greedily absorbing it.

The basic condition for survival is water, and the knowledge Li Yuan taught is sunlight.

Under Li Yuan's guidance, the children learned a lot.

What is propriety? What is benevolence? What is loyalty? What is righteousness?

Why can't we eat or touch some things? And why can't we learn some things?

Six months have passed in the blink of an eye.

The villagers' trading group returned safely, and Li Yuan also finished teaching the children.

The next few days will be very busy, and I'm afraid I won't be able to find time to educate the children.

In the simple classroom where Li Yuan taught the children for the last time.

The children cherished the moment and were reluctant to see these days come to an end.

They were filthy, dressed in tattered clothes, a group of children, without even a usable pen.

But they were full of enthusiasm, using charcoal as pens and the ground as books, writing poetic dreams on the earth.

They are wild grass, flowers, seeds, and pure souls yearning for all things.

The children suddenly cried as Li Yuan left.

With tears in their eyes, they knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times in reverence.

This time, I wasn't kowtowing to a deity, but to my revered teacher.

For some reason, Li Yuan's eyes also reddened.

Perhaps it's a sentiment from a 'past life,' or perhaps he's just a sentimental person by nature.

"Children, the class will not end."

"In the days to come, whenever I have free time, I will continue to teach you!" Li Yuan promised.

He is the mountain god, and his lifespan is eternal.

When his body was as hard as a rock, he watched the bitter scenery below the mountain year after year.

Watching the flame of humanity burn brightly, watching mortals grow old, get sick, and die.

Over a thousand years have passed; Li Yuan should have become numb by now.

If it weren't for saving Anshan and himself, Li Yuan shouldn't have had any contact with these 'ignorant and foolish' mortals.

But looking at the children's innocent smiles and clear eyes, Li Yuan could still feel a heart beating in his chest.

It's not just about ethereal beauty.

His body was that of a god, but his heart was that of a human.

Putting aside these emotions, Li Yuan called on the returning villagers to start planting trees on Anshan Mountain.

It is worth mentioning that some villagers never returned after going there.

But no one has brought it up on their own initiative.

When Li Yuan asked worriedly, he saw the other villagers' flushed faces and guilty expressions, and suddenly understood something.

They had enough water to get out of the desolate desert and reach the outside world, and enough money to live a comfortable life.

Ultimately, some people chose to escape from here, treating it as hell, and never wanting to return.

Everyone has their own aspirations, and he doesn't force them.

Those who stayed were people who genuinely wanted to change their lives.

They wanted to change this place where generations of ancestors had suffered.

Under the scorching sun, the villagers toiled, burying fragile saplings or tree seeds into the dug pits.

The sun was blazing and the temperature was very high.

But the villagers were full of energy, and even when Li Yuan told them to rest, they refused.

Even the old men with gray hair from the village joined in, insisting on taking action.

He said that while he was still young and had some energy, he should plant a forest!

They have suffered in this desolate desert for decades, and now they see hope for changing everything!

How could I not cherish it!

Everyone worked enthusiastically, and smiles gradually appeared on their faces—smiles that were open and proud.

Especially when they see the children helping out so thoughtfully, the adults' tired bodies seem to be filled with energy again in an instant.

Li Yuan planned the area for planting saplings, trying to arrange them as evenly as possible, and often took time to teach the children, keeping him busy every day.

In this region, everyone from mountain gods to mortals and even small animals with limited intelligence is working hard.

More than a year later, some of the saplings began to bear small fruits.

The villagers knelt down excitedly in the mountain god temple, calling out to Li Yuan with gratitude.

Li Yuan also appeared with a smile, and then accompanied them to taste the unripe fruit that had grown.

As a result, it made many people sick with its sour taste.

The children were so sour that their facial features were almost unrecognizable, and even an old man lost a few teeth from the sourness after taking a bite of the fruit.

Seriously sour it'll make your teeth fall out.

However, afforestation is not a matter of a day, and human life is ultimately finite.

More than two years later, the old man with gray hair collapsed.

When he left, he was resting by a sapling, a smile on his face, and departed peacefully.

That carefree smile, I wonder if it foresaw the future lush green mountains.

Several more years passed, and the children grew into strong teenagers.

The old man who used to be literate has also passed away.

As if he foresaw his own end, he prepared a pit well in advance.

Year after year, day after day.

By the time one side of Anshan was covered with thriving saplings, all the elderly people in the small village had already left.

The children are now composed and steady young people, while the middle-aged villagers who once protected them are silently growing old.

The animal tree-planting team has also dwindled to almost nothing.

The dog must have bred somewhere, because it came back and had a litter of puppies.

The dog that had been running rampant across the mountain and assigned to patrol it eventually chose to rest in peace under the old tree.

Of the litter of puppies, Li Yuan kept only one and gave the rest to villagers to raise.

The three gray mice, known as "model workers," huddled together in their burrow and quietly passed away.

The little rabbit that was collecting food also collapsed, and before it died, it nibbled on the little grass next to the old tree.

Li Yuan was both amused and exasperated, and could only marvel at the rabbit's incredible obsession.

However, the two pheasants miraculously survived, though their eyes remained vacant and their movements became slow.

The ferocious blue snake still hadn't returned, but Li Yuan felt that there would be a time when they would meet again.

Looking at the vibrant greenery on the mountainside, Li Yuan didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

Most of the familiar people and animals have passed away, and those once vibrant faces have finally sunk into the yellow earth.

This touch of emerald green is hard-won.

It is witnessed by time and nurtured by life!