I Contracted This Mountain Peak

Chen Ji was a corporate drone trapped in the endless grind of a 996 job.

Ten years after his grandfather’s passing, he found himself unexpectedly bound to the 8839 Cultural Relic Protection System. It forced him to quit his high-pressure job in the big city and return to his hometown, where he inherited an entire mountainside—and a crumbling Mountain God Temple.

The local villagers were tormented by mischievous spirits, but Chen Ji stuck doggedly to scientific principles. Gritting his teeth, he employed a few pseudoscientific tricks to bring peace to Little Azure Mountain and even managed to rebuild the dilapidated temple.

One villager rushed up to him in a panic. “Master Chen, save us! I think we’ve offended a Yellow Immortal—our chickens keep turning up dead, bitten to pieces!”

Chen Ji wiped a hand across his face and hauled out an iron cage. “When trouble hits, don’t panic. First things first: let’s set a weasel cage and catch the culprit.”

Another villager arrived, face pale with fear. “Master Chen, our pig’s possessed! It… it sings opera in the middle of the night!”

Chen Ji kept his composure. “Easy now—that’s a good omen! Grandpa Mountain God has chosen your pig. Call the butcher today to slaughter it proper. Tomorrow, I’ll set up the altar and offerings for Grandpa Mountain God. Once that’s done, we’ll all tuck into a proper pork feast!”

In the eyes of Little Azure Mountain’s villagers, their new temple priest was a figure of profound mystery. Ever since he took charge, the Yellow Weasels had stopped terrorizing the coops, the rats quit their midnight dances around the houses, and the pigs no longer raved through the night like they were at a club. Peace and prosperity bloomed across the mountain.

Yet the very same Chen Ji, held in reverent awe by the villagers, now grappled with a fresh nightmare. He had personally added a touch of golden red to the corners of the Mountain God’s eyes on the statue…

And with a sudden shimmer, those eyes snapped open.

This was a problem—a big one.

After racking his brain, Chen Ji pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

“Hello, 110? I’ve got something I need to turn over to the state.”