Chapter 3: Divine Powers

He Kun and his men felt a chill run down their spines, their scalps tingling as if they were being eyed by a ferocious beast, ready to tear them apart and devour them whole.

Liu Xiao'er, his legs giving out beneath him, collapsed to his knees the moment the girl turned her gaze upon him. Memories of the skeletons stripped clean of flesh filled his mind, causing him to tremble uncontrollably, cold sweat dripping from his chin.

But what accelerated his heartbeat even more, making him wish he could faint, was the sudden voice of the boy they had previously scorned.

"Mountain Spirit, it's those bad people causing trouble," Mu Bai's clear voice echoed in the hall as he pointed at the men. "They want to capture this big sister."

"Even worse, they kicked the door and tried to destroy your statue!"

Mu Bai's small chest puffed up with indignation, his chubby cheeks trembling with each word, making him irresistibly pinchable.

Bai Luan glanced oddly at the enraged little boy. This kid had an uncanny ability to focus on the important issues.

Capturing her was a minor matter compared to disrespecting the Mountain Spirit. She couldn't tell if he was naturally insightful or just intuitively clever.

Regardless, it worked in her favor. Bai Luan's mind finally broke free from fear and anxiety, her eyes reddening as she turned to the girl on the altar, pleading, "Mountain Spirit, please have mercy and save me."

Noticing the plate that had been completely cleaned of food within minutes, Bai Luan's voice faltered. "I will spread your name far and wide, gather followers, and bring you countless delicious offerings." Seeing the girl's eyes brighten, Bai Luan's resolve strengthened. "Lots of them!"

Ling Ji leapt down from the altar, the bell around her neck ringing clear and crisp with her movement.

She narrowed her eyes, licking her lips. "How would you like to die?" she asked, contemplating various gruesome methods of execution.

"Mercy, Mountain Spirit, I won't dare again," Liu Xiao'er stammered, a warm stream soaking his pants and filling the hall with a pungent stench.

Those around him quickly backed away, leaving him in an empty circle.

Ling Ji wrinkled her nose in disgust, losing her appetite for him instantly.

She waved her sleeve, a gust of wind sweeping the foul smell out the window.

The windows creaked open, letting the sound of rain and a damp chill into the hall. Strangely, despite the downpour, not a single drop entered through the open windows, as if an invisible barrier kept the rain at bay, leaving the hall dry.

Noticing this, He Kun's pupils contracted, recalling the bullet that had been stopped mid-air. His heart sank.

He gripped his gun tightly, struggling to accept that the soft, delicate girl before him could be a Mountain Spirit. Yet the inexplicable phenomena forced him to acknowledge the truth.

They had kicked the hornet's nest today.

He Kun shot a resentful glance at the trembling Liu Xiao'er. He should have warned them about the Mountain Spirit. But He Kun forgot that Liu Xiao'er had mentioned the deity on Fengling Mountain; it was his own greed that blinded him.

Seeing the girl's gaze fixate on him, He Kun's survival instincts kicked in. He fired his gun as he backed toward the window.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang."

Four sharp gunshots rang out almost simultaneously as He Kun shot while moving. Grabbing the windowsill, he prepared to escape.

He had been calculating his escape route since noticing the girl's strangeness. The front door was blocked by people and Liu Xiao'er was in the way, making it hard to escape. Luckily, Liu Xiaoer's panic had led him to the window, giving He Kun a chance to flee.

He jumped out the window into the pouring rain, vanishing into the night.

"Mountain Spirit, he's getting away," Mu Bai said anxiously, seeing the deity's attention absorbed by the floating bullets.

"Don't worry, he won't escape," Ling Ji replied without shifting her gaze. She didn't consider the fleeing man a threat. The entire mountain was her domain; he couldn't escape without her consent.

Besides, it was raining outside.

He truly had poor timing.

"But..." Mu Bai's large eyes filled with concern.

If you keep watching, the others will also run away.

As if hearing his thoughts, or finally losing interest in the peculiar iron pieces, Ling Ji waved her hand. The bullets flew into the chests of the fleeing men, striking their hearts.

Five men collapsed, blood foaming from their mouths, staining the stone floor red.

Seven men had come, and within a minute, five were dead from the bullets, one had escaped, and one was unconscious of fright.

"Little Mu," Ling Ji called to Mulin, who was standing by.

"Yes, my lady."

"Clear away the bodies. I'll go catch the runaway. We'll eat together when I return."

"Understood, my lady."

Mulin responded without hesitation, as if he didn't find the situation unusual.

Bai Luan bit her lip, struggling with herself before choosing to remain silent. Those men deserved to die.

A recent university graduate, Bai Luan had been traveling with friends when she was kidnapped and taken to this remote place. She had been sold to Liu Xiao'er, who was nearly forty and unmarried.

From their actions, it was clear this wasn't their first time. Countless women and children must have suffered because of them, ruining countless families.

They had almost destroyed her life and would have killed the kind grandfather and grandson.

Without the Mountain Spirit, no one would have survived today.

So they deserved to die. They were beyond redemption.

Twenty minutes later, Ling Ji returned empty-handed, her face clouded.

Mulin, having just moved the bodies to a corner and cleaned the blood with rainwater, noticed her expression. "My lady, did you not catch him?" It seemed unlikely, given her abilities.

"I did, but I couldn't eat him," Ling Ji puffed her cheeks, irritated. "A group of people interrupted."

"Did they see you?"

"No." Ling Ji had returned before they arrived. "But they're coming to the temple now, looking for someone."

Bai Luan's face lit up. "Were they wearing navy blue uniforms and carrying guns?"

Seeing Ling Ji's puzzled expression, Bai Luan explained, "Like the thing the man who escaped was holding."

Ling Ji nodded.

"They're the police," Bai Luan said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. But seeing the bodies in the corner, she hesitated. "My lady, you can't eat these men. You need to move the bodies outside."

Ling Ji's expression darkened instantly.

Bai Luan stole herself. "It's best to place the bodies near where He Kun is. We can say they fought each other."

"The bloodstains also need to be cleaned," Mulin added, understanding her concern.

If the police hadn't come, the Mountain Spirit could do as she pleased. But now they have to be cautious.

"Dead bodies aren't good to eat. I'll bring you better food later," Bai Luan promised, using her trump card. "All kinds of dishes, enough to satisfy you."

"Really?"

"Really."

Ling Ji's expression softened. She stacked the bodies and disappeared.

Bai Luan looked at the bloodstains on the floor. "Grandpa, we need to clean up before the police arrive."

Mulin nodded, and even Mu Bai grabbed a cloth, scrubbing the floor earnestly.

A minute later, Ling Ji returned, finding them scrubbing the floor. "Move aside."

"Don't mess up, we don't have time," Bai Luan replied without looking up. "If the police find the blood, you and Grandpa will be in trouble."

Ling Ji blinked. "No one can trouble me. Those who try, I eat."

Mulin suddenly realized something and slapped his forehead. "Oh, how foolish of me." He pulled the scrubbing pair away and stepped back. "My lady, please."

Please use your powers.

Bai Luan and Mu Bai, confused, stood aside. They gasped as water flowed from Ling Ji's hand, flooding the hall and washing away the blood, merging with the rain outside, leaving no trace.

The hall was spotless, dry, and clean.

"My lady, could you also destroy these bloodstained cloths?"

Bai Luan swallowed, realizing the extent of divine powers. In the silence, she heard herself speak.

---