Infinite Professions

Chapter 366 - 192: Mountain God

Before long, Song Ying had searched the entire village, bringing out over a hundred old folks, women, and children, all of whom were family members of the mountain bandits or women they had captured.

In addition, there were several boxes of gold and silver jewelry, which were the spoils accumulated by Black Cloud Village over the years from their raids and plundering.

Though they were called gold and silver, there was not much real gold, mostly copper coins, yet even so, the total of these boxes amounted to over ten thousand taels of silver.

This made Song Ying very pleased, and Song Wu couldn’t help but beam with joy.

Even though Little Huang Village had been productive over the years, with the protection of the Land God leading to bountiful harvests and prosperous livestock, it was just a village with only a few hundred people and acres, so there were limits to how much could be harvested.

And for the village’s development and the spread of the Land God’s faith, the Song Family had spared no expense over the years, recruiting tenant farmers, setting up private schools, and building medical centers, dock fortresses, and workshops in the village, along with grand land ceremonies; the money and grain flowed away like water.

Not to mention a village of a few hundred people; even a town of two to three thousand people, with decades or a century of accumulation, couldn’t withstand such consumption.

Although Little Huang Village had the Land God’s support, its resources were depleted after several such expenditures. After purchasing refined iron and other items months ago, there was very little silver left, with just enough grain to subsist on.

Grain might be essential, but sometimes money is even more critical. The future development of Little Huang Village and Little Yellow Mountain can’t progress without gold and silver paving the way and finances to bid.

Thus, this assault on the mountains and banditry suppression also sought to gather wealth and replenish Little Huang Village’s coffers with gold and silver.

"Fourth Brother, you watch them; I will bring over Second Brother and the others."

"Alright!"

Song Ying stayed to guard the captives while Song Wu left the mountain, leading Second Brother Song Cai and several accountants up the mountain.

Oldest Brother Song Wen was the village chief, overseeing village affairs, and Second Brother Song Cai was the scribe in charge of counting money, grain, and population.

Now that Song Cai was up the mountain, he was there to register the captives of Black Cloud Village, delegate land and assign labor tasks, and re-establish Black Cloud Village.

It must be said that these bandits did have an eye for locations. With many venomous snakes and fierce beasts in the mountains, habitable places were few and far between. Black Cloud Village had a solitary peak fortress and was built to resemble a camp, so it would be a shame to leave it abandoned. It was better to transform it into a civilian village, from which to expand and develop.

Of course, whether a village or a camp, one necessity cannot be neglected.

"Invoke the Mountain Monarch Idol!"

In the Juyi Hall, Song Cai led everyone, including the captives from Black Cloud Village, in inviting the divine to descend into the mountains and offer incense in the hall.

Black Cloud Village originally worshipped the Five Immortal Evil Gods and a host of evil spirits, but now their memorial tablets and altars had been smashed and incinerated in the kitchen, leaving only a tidy offering platform.

Two Yellow Turban Warriors carried up a mountain god idol covered in red silk with utmost respect and placed it on the offering platform.

After the red silk was lifted, the idol’s appearance was revealed, bearing little difference to the Land God statue in Little Huang Village, except donned in official robes to signify the Ninth Grade Mountain God position.

"Worship the Mountain Monarch God!"

Song Cai and three others knelt in front, followed by a group of strongmen, along with the captives from Black Cloud Village, each holding three sticks of incense, all reverently bowing to the Mountain Monarch idol.

Suddenly...

Amidst the Yin-Yang Boundary, dots of golden light sparkled, setting up a Divine Dao Realm with incense offerings.

Shen Hex sat on the dais, feeling his power expand. Every mountain and stone, every plant and tree on Black Cloud Peak was within his grasp, available for his Divine Power to command.

Though he had once expanded his Land Realm into the mountains, breaking through the Ghostly Realm entrenched by the Five Immortal Fierce Ghosts, it had merely been an opening, not a lasting one. For consolidation and authority, establishing faith and dominion was necessary.

Now, Black Cloud Village was under his rule, using Black Cloud Peak as the center, wielding authority over a wide area, enhancing the Mountain-Moving Skill and Mountain Suppressing Technique, allowing the movement of "Black Cloud Peak" to crush opponents and fend off formidable enemies.

Yet a solitary Black Cloud Peak was clearly insufficient for Shen Hex.

Therefore...

"Fourth Brother, you stay with twenty people while the rest come with me."

Song Wu instructed Song Ying and twenty strongmen to guard the village while he took the remaining people away from Black Cloud Peak, heading to attack Black Mountain and Black Wind Two Villages.

Despite the numerous bandit groups in Little Yellow Mountain, the hundred-mile mountain range simply couldn’t accommodate too many bandits, totaling about a dozen villages.

Black Cloud Three Villages were at the forefront, serving as the southern passage into the mountains. Capturing these three villages would allow one to occupy the natural fortress, defending southward and northward, gradually clearing out the mountain bandits until the entire mountain range was pacified.

Shen Hex didn’t expect to clear the entirety of Little Yellow Mountain in just a few days.

Two to three months, possibly even half a year, wouldn’t be surprising.

Unlike the Five Immortal Evil Gods or the Fierce Ghosts entrenched in Black Cloud Village, Black Wind Village and Black Mountain Village were clearly weaker, with only evil spirits at most reaching Tier Three, lacking any Tier Four Fierce Ghosts or Entry-Level Evil Gods.

Such strength was no match for Shen Hex’s military power, the outcome of which was predictable.

"Attack!!"

Song Wu led the charge courageously, heading the numbers of Yellow Turban Warriors, storming in like fierce wolves and tigers.

The elite forces and bandit leaders of the second village had long since been decimated in the Battle of Little Huang Village, leaving only minor figures who were no match for Song Wu with martial arts skills and divine protection. The village gates were quickly breached, with the remaining bandits surrendering en masse, and any evil spirits resolved to a last stand were swiftly slain by the accompanying Yellow Turban Warriors.

After taking the two villages, Song Wu wasted no time, immediately dispatching two squads of strongmen to leave the mountains and rendezvous with Song Wen and the people of Little Huang Village, while he and the remaining warriors stayed to guard against counterattacks from other villages.