The mountain god temple felt extremely strange to Ye Tiancheng. The ground inside was spotlessly clean, as if it had been swept regularly for many years, without a single weed or patch of moss. This was particularly odd considering the temple's roof was so dilapidated that sunlight streamed through the cracks, exposing it to the elements. It defied logic that such an exposed structure would remain free of vegetation and wear. Ye Tiancheng found this deeply perplexing and wanted to understand what was happening.
Just as he was contemplating this, the air was suddenly torn apart, and a powerful, dark force began to press in on him from all sides.
Instinctively, Ye Tiancheng activated the power of his divine stone to defend himself. However, he was violently thrown back, crashing outside the temple. He landed face-first, a humiliating fall. In all the time since he had gained the divine stone's power, he had never been in such a sorry state. Astonished, he looked back at the temple, but saw nothing. Everything that had just happened felt like a dream. He rubbed his aching thigh and elbow, then yelled at the temple, "What kind of ghost are you? Get out here, or I'll tear you down!"
"Insolent child, speaking to this venerable one with such disrespect! If it weren't for the Nuwa Stone and the Fuxi fragment you carry, I would have splintered your bones!" From somewhere within the temple, coiled atop the broken roof, a large green snake appeared.
Ye Tiancheng was instantly stunned. He looked at the green snake in disbelief, then scratched the back of his head. "Was that you talking to me? How can a snake speak human language? Am I dreaming?"
"Of course, you are not dreaming. You are truly experiencing my words. I am the mountain god of this mountain," the green snake introduced itself, making gestures that Ye Tiancheng found very strange. He had always thought of mountain gods as mere legends, mythical beings that didn't exist in the human world. He wondered if he was reading a novel.
Seeing Ye Tiancheng's disbelief, the green snake chuckled, a mocking smile on its face. "I think you're a fool. If the Nuwa Stone and Fuxi fragments exist, why wouldn't a mountain god like me?"
"Even if I believed you, so what? I want that alchemy furnace. Move aside, or don't blame me for being harsh." Ye Tiancheng was about to resort to force. The green snake, seeing Ye Tiancheng's intent to act, knew that Ye Tiancheng's Nuwa Stone and Fuxi fragment possessed little power against its own divine might. In its current state, the green snake could easily overpower Ye Tiancheng.
Thus, the green snake lunged at Ye Tiancheng, intending to teach him a lesson. However, the result was that Ye Tiancheng was the one who was taught a lesson.
"Alright, alright, stop fighting! I surrender," Ye Tiancheng said, though he looked very reluctant. Ultimately, he had to acknowledge the green snake's power. The ancient saying, "The strong are respected," held true. What right did one have to speak arrogantly before a superior? Submission was the only option.
"Oh, now you're being good," the green snake cackled, its tone eerily similar to how Ye Tiancheng used to speak when he defeated weaker opponents.
This annoyed Ye Tiancheng. Why imitate his tone? It was clearly mocking him.
Ye Tiancheng was unhappy but helpless. What could he do when the other party was so powerful? He had no recourse.
"Don't look so glum, like your father just died. I can take you with me and help you achieve the supreme Dao, eventually reaching the Sanqing Realm."
The green snake's demeanor truly angered Ye Tiancheng. But he was powerless. He had no choice but to submit to the snake's will. Despite having just used the word "I" (老子), Ye Tiancheng's defiance was merely verbal. Inwardly, he actually felt a degree of respect for the great snake. Even with the divine stone and Fuxi fragments, he was no match for it. This realization made Ye Tiancheng curb his arrogance. He immediately changed his tone and began to flatter the green snake. "Since you are a mountain god, please show some mercy and give me that alchemy furnace. My fortune and my future wife depend on it. Without it, this business deal will surely fail. You must give it to me."
"You brat, why should I give you this? Only if you let me accompany you to the prosperous world to enjoy its endless splendor will you get anything from me, not even a single hair!" The green snake was incredibly arrogant and unyielding.
"Isn't it just taking you to see the prosperous world? That's easy, easy to say. As long as you give me the alchemy furnace, anything is negotiable," Ye Tiancheng agreed without much thought.
Ye Tiancheng's swift agreement greatly surprised the green snake. It had expected him to hesitate, but he readily accepted its request.
"What the heck, you have no integrity! According to worldly customs, you should have refused politely several times. Someone with such a lack of integrity, I don't know if you'll betray me in the future."
"Hahahaha, that's absolutely impossible. How could I betray a friend? I would never betray a friend. You're overthinking it."
"Alright. Anyway, I also want to visit the prosperous world. Because your body has special properties that can accommodate my immense power, I'm willing to make a concession." As the great green snake finished speaking, it slithered into Ye Tiancheng's body with a hiss. Suddenly, with the green snake's entry, Ye Tiancheng felt a peculiar surge of power. Indeed, this great green snake was worthy of being a mountain god.
At this moment, Ye Tiancheng noticed that the large furnace that had been placed in front of the mountain god statue had disappeared.
He searched everywhere, curious, but it was nowhere to be found. He clearly remembered the furnace being there just moments ago. Seeing Ye Tiancheng searching for the alchemy furnace, the great green snake burst into laughter. "You foolish human! The alchemy furnace is inside me. It's my life-bound magical treasure. Wherever I go, it goes. So, when I entered your sea of consciousness, this thing followed me into your sea of consciousness."
"Damn it! Why didn't you say so earlier? You scared me to death! I thought it had vanished into thin air." Ye Tiancheng was relieved to hear the great snake's words, as his worry about the furnace disappearing had been immense. If he had failed to find the alchemy furnace this time, it would have been a major failure in his life. Thus, he cared greatly about the furnace's whereabouts.
"However, without the mountain god temple, your sea of consciousness is my new home. From now on, we will be a community of fate. I have nowhere else to go, because leaving would mean severing ties with you."
"Oh my god, you mean you're just going to stay and not leave?" Ye Tiancheng's body contained a divine stone, and now it also housed a great green snake. It was bound to be chaotic. The divine stone was a chatterbox, and coupled with the lonely mountain god, would they often chat and disturb his peace? Thinking of this, Ye Tiancheng regretted his decision. He should have just bought an alchemy furnace from the antique street. Why did he have to come here? He was practically asking for death…
The great green snake seemed to read Ye Tiancheng's thoughts and laughed heartily. "Do you think immortals are that bored? Of course, they won't disturb your peace. We will cultivate in your sea of consciousness and complete our mortal destinies."
He hadn't expected immortals to have unfinished mortal destinies. This made him feel quite lighthearted. Generally, those who became immortals had no lingering attachments or unfulfilled wishes, let alone mortal destinies. Thus, this was a topic that surprised him.
"What strange thing have you brought into my sea of consciousness, child? You've acted without my father's consent." The divine stone suddenly woke up. It had been sleeping soundly until it sensed the presence of something strange within. Upon seeing the great green snake coiled in its sea of consciousness, it finally opened its eyes.
"So, you were napping? This is our new friend. His name is Da Qing Shan. Get along with him, don't make me angry, or I'll get serious with you."
Ye Tiancheng naturally hoped for their peaceful coexistence and didn't want their conflict to become a greater burden for him. That's why he spoke to the divine stone this way. However, the great green snake was not one to be trifled with. It wouldn't listen to any of Ye Tiancheng's opinions or suggestions. Especially upon seeing that the divine stone was the Nuwa Stone, an ancient artifact, it became even more agitated.
"You piece of broken stone, before you gained divine power, you were nothing but a broken stone. You're not even as good as me, a mere mountain god." The great green snake was extremely displeased by the divine stone's words. After all, no matter how insignificant, it was still a mountain god.
As a mountain god, it naturally desired respect from others, not to be seen as incompetent as it was now. Thus, the mountain god became extremely angry.
"Alright, you two, stop arguing. I'm very busy and have many things to do. Your constant bickering here will affect my safety. If either of you disobeys me, I'll kick you out of my place and disturb my rest and peace. This is simply outrageous!"
As he said this, Ye Tiancheng was filled with indignation, his eyes bulging like eggs. He was truly angry. Time was of the essence, and if he missed this opportunity, he would lose a chance to make money. For ordinary people, money was as essential as magical treasures and elixirs were to cultivators. Ye Tiancheng yearned for money, and if anyone disrupted his money-making plans, he would fight them to the death and would never forgive them.
"Did you hear that? He's angry. If he truly gets angry, we'll suffer too. It's best not to anger this child," the divine stone said, rolling its eyes at the great green snake. The great green snake naturally said nothing more. If it responded, it would only lead to more trouble and further arguments. The snake was quite temperamental and didn't want to upset Ye Tiancheng. If Ye Tiancheng was unhappy, it would mean troublesome consequences. Therefore, it did not retort to the divine stone but swallowed its indignation.
Ye Tiancheng, with the great green snake, returned to the thatched hut at the foot of the mountain. It was already noon. Those who had gone to work had arrived at Ye Tiancheng's home and were waiting for him.
They couldn't find him for a while, and when they called his phone, he didn't answer. This was because during his confrontation with the great green snake, the snake had activated a barrier, making it impossible for anyone to see them fighting.
"What is Ye Tiancheng doing up in the back mountain? He's not answering his phone. Didn't we install a telecom tower in the back mountain for convenience? Yet, he's still so engrossed in fooling us. He doesn't know how serious the situation is; we're all anxiously waiting."
These people felt a sense of impending crisis and began pacing, hoping Ye Tiancheng would return like a deity. Just as they were complaining about Ye Tiancheng not answering his phone, they suddenly saw him returning. Everyone swarmed him like madmen, bombarding him with questions. Ye Tiancheng couldn't make out what they were saying amidst the cacophony. He quickly silenced their discussion and asked seriously, "Speak one by one, don't make a fuss. Your wife can't understand anything like this."
"Therefore, even the most important matters should be taken slowly. This chaotic way is meaningless. Everyone should speak one by one and clarify their points." The speaker was Hou Dabao.
Hearing Hou Dabao's words, the others quieted down. They then surrounded Ye Tiancheng and clearly explained their concerns. Ye Tiancheng gathered that someone wanted to contract their land at a high price to build an industrial zone.
"Someone actually wants to cause trouble on my territory? This person must be backed by the Feng family, trying to sabotage my business. Do they think it's that easy? Have they considered what will happen if I don't agree? Are they really trying to oppose me, Ye Tiancheng?"
A murderous aura flickered across Ye Tiancheng's face. His expression was as if he were about to devour someone, and everyone felt an immense sense of danger.
"I think you shouldn't get angry. Anger will only make you more troubled. So, let's discuss everything calmly and resolve this matter, won't that suffice?"
"Nothing in this world is that easy. If you think this matter will be resolved so effortlessly, then you are truly laughable. Since others are confronting us directly, let me ask you: if you drink water and forget the source, are you not ungrateful? Even if the other party offers a high price for acquisition, this industrial zone will cause pollution. We would rather have green mountains than golden mountains. Don't you agree? Look at the places with heavy pollution; how many people have cancer?"
After Hou Dabao's speech, the crowd exchanged glances, appearing hesitant. After all, the conditions offered were extremely tempting: 30,000 yuan per mu as compensation, plus 1,000 yuan paid monthly on time, and various insurances, including lump-sum payment of pension insurance.
Seeing their hesitation, Hou Dabao continued angrily, "I won't say much more about this situation. If you have any brains, you won't go against Ye Tiancheng; you'll support him wholeheartedly."
Ye Tiancheng was truly grateful to Hou Dabao. At this critical juncture, he was still standing by his side. He hadn't forgotten his promises or interests. It was during times of great difficulty that a person's true character was revealed. Thus, Ye Tiancheng walked over and patted Hou Dabao's shoulder. "People act based on their interests. How they choose is their freedom. No matter how much I say, it's useless. Whoever is willing to do this, I don't object. Whoever is willing to follow me, I wholeheartedly agree. Since you want to turn this place into a chaotic mess and a polluted zone, then I have nothing more to say. If the carrots are gone, we'll still eat the white radishes."
With such compensation per mu, his capital would be depleted. If they chose to split ways like this, Ye Tiancheng would have nothing more to say. He would decisively sever ties with them and find another small mountain village to continue his path to prosperity.
"I say, we should still trust Ye Tiancheng. He's reliable. If those people go back on their word, and we are deceived later, we'll suffer a great loss."
The speaker was someone who had a good relationship with Ye Tiancheng. However, some people were envious of Ye Tiancheng's income and felt unbalanced. These individuals still held opposing views and were willing to accept the Feng family's proposal.
"There's nothing we can do about it. They've already made such good offers. If you can't meet this standard, Ye Tiancheng, it's truly regrettable. Don't blame us for being heartless, because the current cost of living is very high. The little money we earn can't meet the income standards. Children grow up and need to buy houses, get married, and the bride price alone is over a million yuan, not to mention buying a house and car in the city..."
An old man in his fifties, with a face full of wrinkles, said this. In reality, at his age, he shouldn't look so aged, but he had toiled day and night for his children, making him look like a man in his sixties or seventies. Moreover, he suffered from many illnesses, and it was questionable whether he would live for another three to four years.
"The problem is, I'm unwilling to spend that much money. Business people always act for the sake of money. If what I'm doing is a losing venture, then what's the point of doing business?" Ye Tiancheng was unyielding. This world was heartless, and it was constantly playing out tragedies like that of the little match girl. If he were to pity everyone, he wouldn't be able to pity all the pitiable people in the world. Such was the nature of the world and human hearts; coldness was its essence.
"Why are you speaking so impolitely, child? You've lived here for three years; you should be courteous. We are all family. Let's talk things through." Hou Dabao, seeing Ye Tiancheng's displeasure and his intention to leave, became very anxious. If Ye Tiancheng left, this place would truly be ruined. Feng Zhongke, that scoundrel, would definitely not uphold his promise. This was clearly a deceptive trick. Some people just couldn't see through it and always sought small advantages. If you seek someone else's advantage, you will be taken advantage of. This is an ironclad rule. Those deceived old men were precisely because they sought advantages from others that they fell into a great trap.