As they approached the temple, a wave of exotic fragrance mixed with smoke enveloped them, invigorating their spirits.

"This is..."

"Huangshan wood?"

The man’s gaze met the scholar’s, both showing a hint of surprise.

This temple was unexpectedly made from the renowned Huangshan wood.

It had been said before that Huangshan is a famous mountain, rich in various rare natural treasures, among which this Huangshan wood is one.

This wood carries an exotic fragrance, not only soothing the soul but also calming the mind. It is said that sleeping on a bed made of this wood for one night invigorates the spirit, and after three sleepless nights, one remains energetic.

Thus, this wood is worth a fortune and considered an exquisite tribute, used only by nobility.

But that’s just on the surface.

Being from a noble family, the young man knew the secrets. The Huangshan wood itself was not extraordinary; its miraculous effect was entirely due to the divine power of Lord Huang Yue and the condensed incense fire will power of the people, exemplifying "the mountain is not high, with presence of a deity it becomes sacred."

Simply put, this Huangshan wood is a special product of Lord Huang Yue’s Dao Field. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Among the Three Mountains and Five Peaks, Huangshan is one of the three. The Divine Monarch’s rank and authority are undeniably high, comparable to the Capital City God of Jinling Prefecture, both being standard third-grade Great Gods.

This Huangshan wood is a special product of his Dao Field, not only worth a fortune but also priceless, unattainable by ordinary people.

If this Mountain God Temple was truly built with Huangshan wood, the possibilities are merely twofold.

One is that the Song Family has connections and could acquire this exceedingly rare divine wood.

Or...

"Are you visiting for the first time?"

At that moment, a middle-aged Daoist dressed as a temple priest emerged from the temple, interrupting the two men’s thoughts.

The young man snapped back to reality, realizing the three of them were blocking the entrance. He immediately stepped aside and spoke to the temple priest: "Indeed, the three of us are visiting your temple for the first time. We were momentarily dazzled by the exotic scent, seemingly from Huangshan wood, and lost focus. Please forgive us, Daoist!"

"I see!"

The temple priest smiled faintly and said: "The wood used in this temple does bear some resemblance to Huangshan wood."

"Oh?"

The young man’s eyes narrowed: "So it isn’t Huangshan wood?"

"You jest, sir."

The temple priest chuckled lightly: "Huangshan wood is a tribute, not only hard to procure but reserved for royal use. How could this temple possess it? The wood used here is local wood from Little Huang Mountain, sharing the same origin as Huangshan wood. Although they grow in different locations and have different characteristics, their properties are somewhat similar, hence the exotic fragrance."

"Local wood?"

The young man’s eyes narrowed further, his surprise deepening.

It was said before that there are two possibilities: one is that the Song Family has exceptional connections to procure the elusive Huangshan wood for the temple’s construction, and the other is that the Huangshan wood isn’t genuine.

Which is more shocking?

Definitely the latter!

Although the first suggests extraordinary connections to acquire court tribute wood for temple construction, in reality, it’s not such a big deal. After all, the production of Huangshan wood isn’t low; while it’s a royal possession, numerous noble families have access to it, and using it to build temples isn’t rare; the Song Family is no exception.

But the latter...

"Similar to Huangshan wood?"

"This Little Yellow Mountain God can already produce such divine wonders?"

"Lord Huang Yue is a standard third-grade Great God, worshipped by the masses, with royal promotion over generations. It’s natural that his Dao Field produces divine wood, nothing surprising about it."

"But this Little Yellow Mountain God is merely a seventh-grade Little God. How can he produce Huangshan wood? Where does he find the divine power for transformation and incense prayers?"

"Even if it’s an imitation, the gap from the genuine article is significant, yet it’s still remarkable!"

"This god..."

The young man’s gaze transformed from suspicion to tranquility before asking the temple priest: "We are traveling merchants, new to this area and haven’t paid homage to the gods. Could you please explain a little to us?"

"Naturally!"

The temple priest didn’t refuse, raising his hand to invite: "Come, follow me."

With that, he led the three into the temple.

Inside the temple, the incense was even stronger, the smoke curling around a god statue seated on a high platform, depicting a middle-aged divine being. With a black scarf on his head, clothed in dark yellow with pale green underneath, he exuded authority without anger, appearing even more divine.

"This temple venerates the Little Yellow Mountain God, Lord Song Xiang Boyu!"

The temple priest introduced in a solemn voice: "In life, the Divine Monarch served as the County Instructor of Dongping County, educating and nurturing, contributing greatly. Thus, he was deified posthumously, initially serving as the Village Land God of Little Huang Village, later ascending to the Mountain God of Little Yellow Mountain, protecting Little Yellow Mountain and surrounding counties, overseeing mountains and land, enforcing orthodox technique, distinguishing good from evil..."

The temple priest narrated solemnly, not exaggerating or fabricating a grand identity, focusing instead on his duties.

Overseeing mountains, managing land!

Enforcing orthodox technique, distinguishing good from evil!

Emphasizing duties over identity; despite being only a seventh-grade Little God, excessive fabrication would inevitably invite criticism.

Though lacking a distinguished identity, being the Local God with authority, even without connections to those Great Gods or a background as Crown Prince’s relative, it does not hinder the faith and incense offerings of the masses.

"The Divine Monarch oversees Little Yellow Mountain, manages the surrounding counties’ lands, enforces orthodox technique, distinguishes good from evil, protects the faithful, vanquishes monsters and wrongdoers, having once purged thousands of ghosts from Little Yellow Mountain, banishing them into the Eighteen Layers of Hell..."

The temple priest recounted, detailing the divine authority and achievements.

The three listeners had no objections to this.

Until the temple priest finished, the young man spoke, glancing around: "Then these other statues in the temple are..."

There are, in fact, several other statues and altars, alongside the central Mountain Monarch statue, sharing incense offerings and honoring various divine beings.