"What kind of offerings do we need?" He Yunsong nodded.
Since they were going to take something from the domain of the Dragon God, it was only right to pay their respects.
"If you are going to the Descending Dragon Cave, more offerings will definitely be needed. Besides incense and candles, three animals and five kinds of fruits are indispensable. It's best to have both large and small three animals," Shuanzi said seriously.
"What are the large and small three animals?" Duan Lingyue was very curious.
"The three animals are divided into large and small. The large ones are pig, cattle, and sheep, and the small ones are chicken, duck, and fish. Chicken, duck, and fish are easy to handle, but pig, cattle, and sheep are a bit more troublesome. These livestock consume quite a lot of food in a year."
Shuanzi extended his fingers to calculate.
"Just tell me, can you get it ready today?" He Yunsong asked him with a calm look.
"Today, it's really hard to say..."
Shuanzi hesitated.
Another stack of money was placed on the square table.
He gulped and quickly changed his tune: "The time is a bit tight, but we are the most hospitable people in our village. Of course, we are willing to help the old man! I will arrange it for you right away."
"And that Uncle Qin as well."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely talk to him! Honey, you take good care of the old man and the distinguished guests, and bring out the peanuts and walnuts from home."
As he spoke, Shuanzi carefully put away the money and ran out happily to make preparations.
He Yunsong and Duan Tiankui smiled faintly.
These two were savvy individuals who had seen all kinds of situations, big and small. Shuanzi's little scheming, which even Lu Fei could see through, was no mystery to them.
They don't care about such a small amount of money. Anything that can be solved with money isn't considered a problem.
The entire afternoon.
In Bālóng Village, they slaughtered pigs and sheep, with the whole village mobilized, creating quite a lively scene.
By dusk, Shuanzi finally returned, drenched in sweat, accompanied by an uncle around fifty years old.
"Old man, all the offerings are ready! This is Uncle Qin, the one I told you about. Let's go pay our respects to the Dragon King before it gets dark."
Uncle Qin nodded to everyone. His skin was dark, and he was a man of few words. His attire was no different from that of an ordinary farmer, making him indistinguishable among the villagers.
"Alright, let's go."
He YunSong stood up.
"Oh, right, besides the offerings, no other animals are allowed near the Dragon God Temple." Seeing the black dog at Lu Fei's feet, Shuanzi quickly waved his hand.
"Why?" Lu Fei was puzzled, "My dog is very well-behaved. I guarantee it won't run around or bark."
"On one hand, it's to prevent the livestock from offending the Dragon God, and on the other hand, it's to avoid the Dragon God taking them as offerings. Once, there was a child in our village who didn't understand this and secretly brought his little dog to pay respects to the Dragon God. Later, the Dragon God ate it..."
Shuanzi, realizing he might have said too much, quickly stopped himself.
"Ate it?" Lu Fei was startled.
"It means the little thing drowned in the water, and we guessed that the Dragon God took it away. Little brother, you should not take this risk, okay?" Shuanzi laughed awkwardly.
Although Lu Fei found it strange, he did not want to risk anything happening to his little dog. He rubbed the furry head of Xiaohēi and comforted him softly.
"Xiaohēi, stay here and wait for me. We will be back soon!"
The black puppy whimpered twice in protest but still obediently sat where it was, not following along.
"Let's go!" Shuanzi waved at the people outside the courtyard.
The strong men of the village carried the offerings at the front, followed by Lu Fei, He Yunsong, and others. The group made their way out of the village, heading towards the Dragon God Temple in the southeast.
"Brother Lu Fei, do you think the Dragon God Temple is very impressive?" Duan Lingyue squeezed next to Lu Fei and asked in a low voice.
"Xiaolingyue, this is my first time here too, don't worry. We'll know when we get there." Lu Fei smiled.
Jing Jian said, "No matter what the temple is like, there must be real dragons in this world. My half-teacher, Zuo Daoren, has told me many stories about dragons."
In fact, it's not just Duan Lingyue.
Shuanzi had made the story of the dragon so magical that everyone was full of anticipation for the Dragon God Temple.
Following the winding path through the mountain and passing through a grove, an old small temple came into view by a babbling stream.
"Huh? It's so tiny! Is there really a Dragon God?" Duan Lingyue was greatly disappointed and muttered in a low voice.
The Dragon God Temple was very small, with no grandeur at all, and could even be described as simple and crude.
"Shh! Girl, you shouldn't talk carelessly!" Shuanzi raised his finger nervously, "Disrespecting the Dragon God will bring great misfortune!"
Duan Tiankui glanced at Shuanzi unhappily.
Lu Fei stepped forward, shielding Duan Lingyue behind him, and smiled, "The little girl didn't mean it that way. A temple need not be large; it is divine if it has a deity. It's getting late, Brother Shuanzi, let's start quickly."
Shuanzi asked everyone to unload the offerings.
Pig, cattle, and sheep heads, whole chickens, ducks, fish, as well as flowers, fruits, and eggs, were neatly and fully arranged in front of the temple.
The small temple, scarcely larger than a hand, only enshrined a single bone.
It was grayish-white, looking like an animal's spine, as large as a car tire, seemingly petrified, with a red cloth covering it to block the dust.
Villagers, regardless of age or gender, knelt down in front of the small temple, lighting incense and burning paper, their faces full of piety.
"The more sincere your hearts, the more the Dragon God will bless you!" Shuanzi reminded.
Lu Fei and his group also followed the rules and offered incense to the Dragon God.
Afterward.
Old Man Qin stepped forward, bowing to the giant spine inside the small temple.
"Lord Dragon God, guests from outside the mountains wish to enter the mountains to seek treasure. The sincerity is shown through the three animals and five kinds of fruit. We hope for your gracious approval."
He finished speaking.
He threw two turtle shells on the ground.
He cast three hexagrams in succession.
"The Dragon God has granted permission!" he said, his face filled with joy, nodding to Lu Fei and He Yunsong behind him, "Aren't you going to thank the Dragon God?"
"Thank you, Dragon God!"
Everyone followed his words and bowed to the small temple again.
"Alright, alright, with the Dragon God's permission, you can enter the mountains with peace of mind tomorrow." Shuanzi glanced at the darkening sky and began to urge them on.
"Let's hurry back to the village. The Dragon God doesn't like to be disturbed at night."
After dark, the mountain paths become difficult to traverse.
Without asking further questions, they left with the villagers right away.
Lu Fei was walking quickly when the black umbrella on the side of his backpack suddenly fell to the ground.
"Strange? It was placed properly, how could it have fallen out?"
By the time Lu Fei picked up the black umbrella, he had already fallen behind the group.
Rustle—
There seemed to be some strange noise behind him.
Lu Fei turned around to look.
The stream murmured, and the small temple stood alone in the darkness.
Among the offerings placed in front of the temple, one of the pig, ox, or sheep seemed to be missing a head!
"Eaten by the Dragon God?"
Lu Fei was filled with shock and doubt.
However, the light in the woods was dim, so he couldn't see very clearly and wasn't sure.
"Little brother, what are you still doing back there? Hurry up!" At this moment, Shuanzi's voice came from the front of the group.
"Coming!"
Lu Fei responded, withdrew his gaze, and quickly caught up with the group.
The figures of the people moved farther away.
In front of the small temple, another head of the sacrificial animals was missing.