Qing Ze didn't care about this, just let Yu Su handle it.
But make it clear not to ask it to work; it absolutely won't.
Yu Su suppressed a smile; Qing Ze must have been scared by the villagers' hard work, fearing that he would be deceived into working too.
"Don't worry, you're the Mountain God, how dare I let you work."
"When I come back from Iron Village, I'll think about how to organize this ceremony for the Mountain God."
"By the way, does the Craftsman God in Iron Village really exist?"
Yu Su couldn't help but ask curiously.
Qing Ze nodded, looking up at the sky.
Yu Su was surprised; it really existed.
He felt a bit of awe and didn't bring up the matter again.
Since he came to Deer God Mountain, besides telling stories to Qing Ze, it's time for meditation and cultivation.
He could feel that he was not far from reaching the eighth level of Qi Refinement, just lacking a bit of accumulation.
So, for the next period, apart from returning to the village daily to teach Yu Zhou to read, check the fields, salt fields, and the village's expansion, the rest of the time, he would focus on meditation and cultivation on Deer God Mountain.
Just before setting off for Iron Village, Yu Su finally successfully advanced to the eighth level of Qi Refinement.
This time, Yu Su planned to take Yu Zhou out to see the world, so there was one more person besides Lu Yan.
Yu Zhou just celebrated his sixth birthday last month; now, he has grown a bit taller, not as thin as before, and has become more lively.
Carrying his luggage, sitting on the back of the snow wolf, he set off with Yu Su.
The little guy curiously observed the scenery on the roadside, full of energy. Occasionally, he would secretly urge the snow wolf to run into the woods and then come out.
Seeing him having fun, Yu Su didn't bother him, just reminded the snow wolf to be safe.
On the other side, Lu Yan suddenly asked Yu Su, "Are you fifteen?"
Yu Su responded with a sound.
Lu Yan asked again, "Then when is your birthday?"
Imitating Yu Su's words, he asked about Yu Su's birthday.
Yu Su shook his head, "I don't know. Dad and the village chief said I was born on the first day after the snow melted. I don't know the specific date, but it should be one or two months earlier than Xiao Zhou."
Hearing this, Lu Yan was somewhat regretful. Seeing his expression, Yu Su couldn't help but ask, "What about you?"
Lu Yan also doesn't remember his birthday. When he left Iron Village, he was still young, and many memories had long since blurred. He didn't even know how old he was this year.
Yu Su said, "We can check bone age. Wait a moment, stand still, don't move."Lu Yan was puzzled but stood still.
In his mind, Yu Su instructed the comprehensive spirit to scan Lu Yan. The conclusion was that Lu Yan is nineteen years old this year.
Yu Su raised an eyebrow; this guy is four years older than him.
"It's done," Yu Su told Lu Yan he could move and informed him that he is nineteen this year.
Lu Yan felt he was around that age too, so it wasn't surprising.
The discussion about age concluded, and Yu Su and the others were mainly there to attend the ceremony, so they didn't have a caravan accompanying them, making the journey much faster.
Yu Zhou lay on the back of the snow wolf, feeling the exhilarating speed. Initially, he was a bit scared, but later, he excitedly screamed.
When they arrived at Iron Village, it was just one day before the village's ceremony.
Iron Village warmly welcomed their arrival, providing them with the best accommodations as usual.
"Tomorrow is the formal day of the ceremony. You can stay for now, and early tomorrow, you can attend the ceremony."
"Okay."
Seeing Iron Village's people busy preparing for the ceremony the next day, Yu Su told Iron Eagle and the others not to accompany them, emphasizing the importance of the ceremony.
"I won't be polite then. Being here is like being at my own home. Feel free." Iron Eagle smiled, looking forward to tomorrow's ceremony.
"We are used to it; you don't have to worry about us. Go and do your tasks," Yu Su replied.
Iron Eagle didn't insist and continued with his tasks.
Yu Su, Lu Yan, and Yu Zhou went out to see how Iron Village was preparing for the ceremony.
They noticed a large altar in the village square, with a prominent totem in the middle—a hammer depicted with flames, a symbol of the Craftsman God.
Besides, many items surrounded the altar, with iron tools being the most important.
Yu Su noticed that the iron tools he provided, crafted according to the blueprints, were also displayed prominently. It seemed like they wanted to show the Craftsman God the remarkable achievements of the past year.
"Brother, is that a plow?" Yu Zhou wondered.
Yu Su nodded, "Yes, those iron tools were crafted by Iron Village. They are the result of their hard work."
"Hehe," Iron Eagle walked over, lifted Yu Zhou onto his shoulder, and said, "These are the changes your brother brought. Isn't your brother amazing?"
Yu Zhou, a big fan of his brother, nodded without hesitation, "Amazing!"
...
The next day, the people of Iron Village were up early preparing.
Except for the shaman Iron Cang, everyone had special paint on their faces, depicting the totem symbolizing Iron Village. Each person was dressed neatly, gathered in front of the altar.
Yu Su and the others, as guests, stood on the edge of the square to observe.
The atmosphere became solemn, and the guests refrained from speaking.
Iron Cang had torches lit around the altar, especially the tall pyres on both sides of the steps.
After the flames were lit, he held a wooden staff, put on a mask, and stepped onto the altar. First, he knelt before the totem, solemnly reciting sacrificial prayers.
Listening briefly, Yu Su understood that it was an expression of respect for the Craftsman God, followed by a report on Iron Village's iron achievements in the past year. Yu Su noticed Iron Cang even touched the various iron tools placed in front, including those crafted from the blueprints Yu Su provided.
The villagers of Iron Village devoutly followed, bowing in worship.
After the lengthy prayer, Iron Cang stood up and began to perform the Dance of the Sacrificial God.
This was the first time Yu Su had seen such an ancient sacrificial dance, and he watched with fascination.
As Iron Cang danced, he also sang something that Yu Su couldn't understand—it was probably a more private prayer passed down through generations among the shamans of Iron Village.
In his mind, Yu Su asked the comprehensive spirit, "Do you have records of this type of sacrificial dance?"
[I have records of many types of sacrificial dances, but not this one. During the heyday of magical arts, even the forging sects would offer sacrifices to the Craftsman God, but they no longer perform dances.] The comprehensive spirit also found it intriguing, enjoying the dance while recording it for its database.
Yu Su and the comprehensive spirit were both curious. Could the Craftsman God really see or hear such dances?
In the end, they didn't find an answer and hesitated to ask Iron Cang. They maintained a serious demeanor throughout the entire ceremony. Finally, the lively celebration ensued, lasting for three days.
Three days later, Yu Su and the others bid farewell to the people of Iron Village and returned to Yu Village.
Back in Yu Village, the village chief immediately pulled Yu Su aside to actively discuss the arrangements for the village's ceremony.
Referring to Iron Village's ceremony and consulting the information provided by the comprehensive spirit, Yu Su briefly outlined the process to the village chief. The village chief was delighted, considering Yu Su a worthy successor to the Mountain God, knowledgeable in all aspects. He happily went to make preparations.
Just as Yu Su breathed a sigh of relief, the comprehensive spirit reminded him, "Master, which sacrificial dance do you plan to perform?"
"...?"
[This era's ceremonies must include a sacrificial dance. Without it, the ceremony is incomplete. Try expressing to the village chief the consequences of not performing a dance.]
"..."
Yu Su was dumbfounded. He was focused on organizing a ceremony and didn't even think about the sacrificial dance.
He tried to gauge the village chief's opinion and found that the chief indeed expected him to perform a sacrificial dance.
Even the villagers were looking forward to it. Every time they saw him, they would ask what kind of dance he planned to perform, whether he could invite a god, and so on.
Even Jian Yun Chuan couldn't resist asking, with a fervent expression.
Yu Su asked Lu Yan, "Are you also looking forward to it?"
Lu Yan nodded vigorously, "Looking forward!"
Yu Su: "Why?"
Lu Yan instinctively felt that if he truthfully said he just wanted to see Yu Su dance, Yu Su would probably be unhappy. So, he said, "The sacrificial dance at the ceremony is both an offering and a prayer."
A prayer?
Yu Su suddenly realized. No wonder everyone was so eager.
Because a well-performed sacrificial dance meant the god would be pleased, and prayers offered to the god during the ceremony would surely be heard. Out of hope for a better future, everyone naturally wished for Yu Su to excel in the dance.
Yu Su sighed inwardly, telling the comprehensive spirit, "It seems like I really have to dance."
Since he had to dance, Yu Su didn't plan to just go through the motions. Otherwise, it wouldn't be worth the sacrifice.
But what kind of sacrificial dance to perform required careful consideration.
[How about this one?]
"Isn't this usually performed by female priests?"
[Then, how about this?]
"This is for the Fire God! Qing Ze governs water and wood; at least filter according to the attributes."
[Let me find again.]
The comprehensive spirit searched for a while, but every suggestion Yu Su either found too unappealing or inappropriate.
[
Then, let me use my ultimate move.]
"What ultimate move do you have?"
[I have a database filled with useless clutter, as well as many treasures. Can I search and pick something out for you?]
"You can search for all information, so why can't you search in that database?"
[Every system has a trash database, and so do I. Is that strange?]
Yu Su had a puzzled expression. Was this guy going to search for information in the trash?