NOVEL NEXT Chapter 454: No Private Ownership Allowed!
Although considered a mere background character, it didn't stop Yun Ran from overhearing what the Mountain Guardian Ba Ji was saying.
It turned out that the sealing of the Evil God in this deep mountain had been in place long before their family became the Mountain Guardians. No one knows who sealed that Evil God here or when it happened.
Their ability to form a contract with the Mountain Spirit was purely accidental.
His ancestor, back then, was just a woodcutter with a basic understanding of the Xuan Sect.
During a woodcutting trip, he fell off a cliff, assuming he was doomed.
Unexpectedly, he fell near the source of the Mountain Spirit and was saved by it, leading to a muddled contract formed between them.
Later, their family became the Mountain Guardians of this mountain.
However, as the Mountain Spirit grew weaker, there was less they could do. Now, he could almost no longer empathize with the Mountain Spirit.
The reason Ba Ji was less friendly towards Yun Ran and the others was because decades ago, Xu Wen and his group broke in and destroyed the sealing.
The area covered by Death Energy kept expanding. If not for the contract mark with the Mountain Spirit on him, one would think the Mountain Spirit had long vanished.
As Ba Ji finished speaking, he looked eagerly at Xuan Chu, as if believing that everything here would be saved with Xuan Chu's presence.
"The flowers, plants, trees, and animals here are innocent. If someone must bear this Death Energy, I am willing to take it on alone."
As Ba Ji spoke, his hand instinctively touched his chest, though it was unclear what exactly was there.
However, Yun Ran could roughly guess that perhaps that was where the mark of their family's contract with the Mountain Spirit was located.
"I am the last Mountain Guardian, and this is the only thing I can do for the life here..."
Ba Ji's face was weathered and wrinkled, making it hard to discern his expression, yet Yun Ran could still see the fleeting bitter smile.
Xuan Chu remained silent for a moment before looking at Yun Ran: "What do you think?"
Yun Ran raised an eyebrow, oh, have they finally remembered this background character?
Rolling her eyes internally once more, Yun Ran finally spoke: "Let's first check the source of that Mountain Spirit. If I am not mistaken, the main force sealing the Evil God should be the Mountain Spirit."
If the Mountain Spirit weren't growing weaker, this Death Energy wouldn't dare to be so rampant.
Before coming here, they didn't know there was a Mountain Spirit and a Mountain Guardian.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have focused all their attention on the broken sealing and Xu Wen and his group.
Ba Ji glanced at Xuan Chu, then at Yun Ran, finally believing that Yun Ran indeed had some ability.
"I'll take you there!"
Saying this, Ba Ji patted the head of the tiger.
The tiger obediently crouched down, waiting for Ba Ji to sit on it again before standing up and turning towards the source of the Mountain Spirit.
The Little Papermen knew it was time to work, flying over immediately and starting to clear the snow.
The path was still a bit slippery, but much better than walking on snow.
Like Yun Ran, the Little Papermen bore small grudges and cleared the snow after Ba Ji and his group, not wanting to help them out.
"The creatures you keep hold grudges as you do."
Yun Ran gave Xuan Chu a sidelong glance: "I get the job done, but am I not allowed a little temper? I'm no Saint."
The Thunderbolt Team watched Yun Ran and Xuan Chu walk away, leaving the two of them, while the other four quickly followed.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the place, which just looked like a somewhat old village.
If not led here by Ba Ji, who would have thought the source of the Mountain Spirit lay here?
In the village, there were a few people who, seeing Ba Ji bringing others back, cowered fearfully behind their doors.
"Village Chief, you've returned!"
A middle-aged man came over from the other side of the village, eyeing Ba Ji's followers with some wariness.
"Hmm, these are important guests from the mountain below. Go arrange for their reception."
The middle-aged man was very obedient to Ba Ji, and his wariness quickly disappeared, revealing a simple and honest expression.
"Alright, I'll go right away."
Ba Ji then turned to Yun Ran and the others, "They are all ordinary people. Since my family became the Mountain Guardians, we have also served as the village chiefs."
"Let me take you to see the source of the Mountain Spirit."
There were people in the village, and upon entering, no significant amount of snow was present nearby, evidently cleared regularly.
Judging by appearance, the village wasn't large, with only a dozen households. Yun Ran could sense the living numbers here were just over twenty.
Soon, they arrived at a place exuding an ancient aura, with a plaque that read "Ancestral Hall."
When the large door was pushed open, a creaking sound made Yun Ran doubt if it was about to collapse.
"After my ancestor formed a contract with the Mountain Spirit back then, he brought it here to the ancestral hall for easy care by family members."
Just when Yun Ran wondered what kind of Mountain Spirit's source needed human care, she spotted a lazy lynx lying in a corner of the courtyard.
However, its aura was so weak it was almost unnoticeable, as if it were about to die.
After entering, Ba Ji's gaze never left Xuan Chu and Yun Ran. Seeing their eyes on the lynx in the corner, he pressed his lips tightly, knowing the rest was self-explanatory.
Yun Ran couldn't help but laugh, "Truly a long-lived surprise, the Mountain Spirit possessed a lynx."
The Ginsengfruit's eyes lit up upon seeing the lynx.
Even as a System, it couldn't resist the allure of something fuzzy.
Seeing its expression, Yun Ran knew what it was thinking and directly refused: "This is a protected animal, not for private keeping!"
The Ginsengfruit's gaze immediately turned wistful.
"However, before we leave here, you can protect it for a while."
If her previous guess was correct, the sealing did indeed have something to do with the Mountain Spirit's source.
Then, soon after discovering the Mountain Spirit's source, someone would come, intending to eliminate it.
The Ginsengfruit's wistful expression vanished instantly, happily running towards the lynx.
It picked up the lynx and held it in its embrace, and after just a few pats, said worriedly, "Why does it feel a little cold?"
Yun Ran reached out and touched the lynx; indeed, its body temperature was abnormal.
Earlier, seeing the lynx's appearance, it was thought to be asleep. Now, Yun Ran was certain it was genuinely on its last breath.