I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Book 2: Chapter 61: Divine Manifestation

Vol 2 Chapter 61 – Divine Manifestation

Zheng Fa and his companions arrived in Jingcheng around 9 PM.

By the time they reached the area where the nursing home was located, it was already close to midnight.

Since it was too late to head up the mountain, they decided to stay the night in a village at the foot of the hill.

The village was close to Jingcheng and seemed to attract occasional tourists from the city, so there were a few guesthouses and farm stays available.

They picked the one that looked the most well-renovated.

—

The next morning, the three of them got up early, preparing to set out.

The guesthouse owner was already awake as well. He stood in the courtyard, adjusting a selfie stick, seemingly trying to find the right angle.

"Morning," he greeted as he noticed them coming down the stairs.

"Morning," Zheng Fa replied, then glanced at the man’s actions. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, this?" The guesthouse owner waved the selfie stick. "Trying to find a good background for my live stream."

"Live stream?"

"Yeah, just some online promotion. This place is too unknown; I need to advertise it a bit," the owner said. "Look, if I stand here, I can capture my guesthouse in the frame, along with Hong Mountain in the background."@@@@

"Hong Mountain?"

Zheng Fa turned to look at the small mountain behind the guesthouse—where the nursing home was being built.

"Yeah, we villagers all call it Hong Mountain. It’s kind of a local tourist spot," the owner said casually.

Zheng Fa thought about it and decided there was no need to rush up the mountain. Since he might be staying here for a long time to cultivate, it wouldn’t hurt to learn more about the area.

"Boss, what’s your surname?"

The guesthouse owner paused, glancing between Zheng Fa, Old Bai, and Tang Lingwu, as if confused about why Zheng Fa seemed to be the one leading the group.

"No need for formalities. My surname is Mu."

"Are you a local?"

"Yeah, born and raised here," Mu replied, still looking at him suspiciously. "I used to work in the city, but things didn’t work out, so I came back."

Zheng Fa glanced around at the guesthouse.

It was a two-story building, decorated in a modern, minimalist European style—a design that had been popular in recent years.

It wasn’t cheap, that was for sure.

"Boss, if you say you ‘couldn’t make it’ out there, you’re being modest," Zheng Fa said with a smile. "Looks to me like you came back in glory."

Mu immediately waved his hands, but there was a hint of pride in his expression.

Beside them, Tang Lingwu picked up on the mood and asked,

"Boss, does Hong Mountain have any interesting history?"

Being praised by Zheng Fa and then asked a question by such a pretty girl, Mu seemed even more eager to talk.

"Hong Mountain? Now, that’s something only locals like me would know!" he said mysteriously. "If you walk up the mountain and go to the back, you’ll find a temple—the shrine of Hong Mountain Lady." rἈNǒꞖËs

"......"

The three of them exchanged glances. They had no idea about this.

"Hong Mountain Lady?"

"Yep! According to local legend, a few hundred years ago, a rainbow suddenly descended upon the mountain. From it, an immortal maiden emerged, healing the sick and helping the villagers," Mu explained. His storytelling seemed well-practiced, almost like he had rehearsed it. "Over time, people began worshipping her, and the mountain became known as Hong Mountain. I tell you—that shrine is really effective!"

"Effective my ass!"

Before they could respond, a sharp elderly voice interrupted them.

An old woman, seemingly in her seventies or eighties, had walked out of the guesthouse.

Mu winced and called out helplessly,

"Grandma! It’s just a local legend!"

"You’re always spreading this nonsense online!" the old woman snapped. "It’s all fake!"

"Come on, it’s just a historical story! It’s part of the local attractions!" Mu argued.

"Attractions, my ass! If the Wang family brat hadn’t gotten rich and insisted this mountain had good feng shui, they never would’ve rebuilt that shrine! The new temple isn’t even as old as your son!"

"......"

—

After leaving behind the somewhat embarrassed Mu, Zheng Fa and his companions made their way up the mountain.

Their first stop was the nursing home.

The main building was almost completely constructed.

Entering through the front gate, they followed a white stone pathway.

To the right, a grove of transplanted trees swayed in the breeze.

To the left, a natural spring had been redirected from the mountain, forming a clear pond.

Even though it was broad daylight, with the summer sun blazing overhead, the radiance around him was dazzling.

Suddenly, Zheng Fa stopped.

With a flick of his right hand, two Awakening Talismans shot into the air.

One talisman flew toward the highest peak of the mountain—the "Turtle’s Back".

The other flew toward a slightly lower hill—the "Serpent’s Head."

As the talismans soared, the starlight surrounding Zheng Fa followed them—

To Old Bai and Tang Lingwu, it looked like the talismans were tiny kites, with glowing threads connecting them to Zheng Fa.

The talismans flew too fast for the naked eye to follow.

But in Zheng Fa’s vision, he could see them reach their destinations and shatter, dissolving into fragments of light that seeped into the mountains themselves.

At that moment, he felt something change.

He had the strange sensation that he was now connected to Hong Mountain itself.

The spiritual energy in his dantian suddenly boiled like a raging storm, surging out of him in waves of glowing clouds.

—

Meanwhile, down in the village...

At the guesthouse where Zheng Fa had stayed the previous night, Boss Mu was live-streaming to promote his business.

"Yes, yes! Two days and one night, only 198 yuan! Three days and two nights? Minimum 248 yuan!"

"Limited-time deal! Only ten slots! Once they’re gone, they’re gone!"

"What’s there to do here? Fresh mountain air, delicious farm-style meals, scenic hiking trails! What more do you want?!"

"And let me tell you—Hong Mountain has a legend..."

He repeated the same story he had told Zheng Fa earlier.

His livestream chat wasn’t very active—most of the few viewers were dismissing it as "cliché" and "unbelievable."

But Mu didn’t get discouraged.

He smoothly transitioned into talking about the local cuisine.

Then—

"Host! HOST! TURN AROUND!"

A comment suddenly popped up in the chat.

"Turn around?"

Mu looked confused.

"Hong Mountain Lady has appeared! She’s manifesting!!"

Mu hesitated for a second, then slowly turned his head—

And froze.

A massive rainbow bridge arched across Hong Mountain, its colors vivid and breathtaking.

"...But it hasn’t rained in days..."

Mu muttered to himself, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing.

And then, an even more shocking sight unfolded—

A massive flock of birds erupted from Hong Mountain, filling the sky.

They swirled around the rainbow, their chirping echoing joyfully through the air.

Mu stumbled forward, wanting to get a closer look—

But then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something even stranger inside his house.

His grandmother...

She was kneeling before a makeshift altar, muttering prayers under her breath.

"...Grandma?"

"Lady of Hong Mountain, I didn’t mean to offend you!"

"......Grandma??"

"If you must strike someone down, don’t smite me—"

"Smite that old Wang bastard instead! He was the one who led the charge to tear down your temple!"

Mu’s mouth fell open.

"......What?"

"I don’t care if he rebuilt it later! His grandson is a greedy little bastard too!"

"Don’t let him fool you!"

Mu stood there, speechless.