Mutual Aid Society

  Lin Xu, as the head of the family, walked in front, followed closely by his two wives, who stepped out slowly from the small door behind the front hall.

  Seeing this, all the deputy generals present stood up collectively to welcome him, bowed and said:

  "A humble servant greets the great master and has seen both madams."

  He waved his hand to signal everyone to take their seats, and Lin Xu walked up to the main seat and sat down. The two beauties stood by his side with great self-awareness. Scanning his subordinates whom he hadn't seen for some time, Lin Xu spoke:

  "Come, let's get acquainted first. The one with the dark face and whiskers is Deputy General Zhang Xin, the one who looks younger than his age is Deputy General Wang Liang, the scoundrel with the rat-like eyes is Adjutant General Mi Long, and the guy with arms as thick as other people's thighs... apart from this rough fellow Bai Tianxia, there isn't a second household in our entire Shanshen Temple..."

  Then, he introduced the ten deputy generals under the Mountain God Temple one by one. The subordinates also stood up and paid their respects to the two ladies. After introducing them all, Lin Xu signaled Qingyu and Meng Yanran to withdraw.

  When they were left alone in the front hall of the council chamber with only his trusted generals, Lin Xu smiled and said:

  "Alright, you all sit down too!"

  "Thank you, sir."

  Although Lin Xu had already allowed the attendants to sit down, who would be foolish enough to do so when others were still standing? As a result, a group of people stood there like wooden stakes, waiting for Lin Xu to introduce them to the two ladies. Now that only Lin Xu was left, the attendants relaxed a bit, thanked him and turned back to their seats.

  Lin Xu counted on his fingers while asking:

  "Have all the guests who came to attend the ceremony left?"

  After the wedding, Lin Xu has been keeping a low profile and has not appeared in public again. All social interactions have been politely declined.

  Those who were preparing to find an opportunity to talk to Lin Xu, some of whom felt that the timing was not right and left early, but there is always a part of the unusually patient guests who have been delayed until now and have not left the Mountain God Temple.

  At this time, Wang Liang, who had just been promoted to deputy general, stood up and said:

  "Reporting back to the great master, there are still a few revered gods remaining in the temple."

  At the sound, Lin Xu rubbed his chin and smiled:

  "Oh, so they have other plans?"

  This matter is of great importance, and Wang Liang also did not dare to say it was hopeless, but only said very smoothly:

  "I'm too stupid and ignorant, I really don't know what you gods think, why don't you ask the master himself?"

  Upon hearing this, Lin Xu burst out laughing again and patted his thigh, saying:

  "Hmm, well, since they've dragged this out for so long and still won't leave, I suppose there's something important that they must discuss with me. In that case, I'll go meet these gentlemen."

  Compared to Lin Xu's curiosity about other land gods, those deadbeat guests who lingered on and refused to leave were even more interested in this sudden emergence of Huo Mountain God.

  It's well-known that the Heavenly Court above has long since stopped intervening, and without the heavenly mandate being bestowed, the natural emergence of earth spirits is slow to the point of being frightening. Cases like Lin Xu becoming a god in just a few years, followed by advancing to become a Mountain Lord, are probably rare occurrences that haven't happened in nearly a thousand years. Nowadays, this realm is undergoing an unprecedented upheaval in thousands of years. The situation is treacherous and unpredictable, like a derailed train running wildly out of control, with no one wanting to become the unfortunate passengers who get thrown off.

  Born with the fate! Whenever a major turning point occurs in an era, some special figures with aura will appear between heaven and earth. They may not be the best among their peers, nor may they be the strongest, but they must have an incredibly good fortune.

  Currently, in the eyes of the gods, Lin Xu, this newly emerged superstar, has a rather prosperous and flourishing momentum. If possible, others wouldn't mind hitching a ride on his coattails.

  Lin Xue walked alone out of the front hall and headed to the west wing, which was used for receiving guests. As he stepped into the grand hall, he happened to see those bored gods playing mahjong with a wager: losing a round meant drinking a cup of wine, brazenly relying on their divine bodies' basic function of being immune to intoxication after a thousand cups.

  As soon as they sensed Lin Xu's arrival, these gods immediately dispersed the card game and proactively came forward to pay their respects to the host family.

  Lin Xu greeted each of these guests one by one and said warmly:

  "Xiao brother! Long brother! Zhang Fu Zhu! Oh, Ao brother you're also here. You guys are having a great time, aren't you? May I ask if you all were old friends from the past or is this your first meeting at my place?"

  Wushan Jun Xiao Bo Lang, Taihang Mountain Sheng Long Shi Er. Hongze Water Jun Zhang Yuhe and the Yangtze River Dragon Jun Ao Ping. The four of them just happened to be a perfect combination of heaven and earth, water and land, and today they came together to form a table of mahjong, which is indeed a match made in heaven.

  After listening to Lin Xu's words, Da Jiang Long Jun Ao Ping waved his hand repeatedly and explained himself:

  "Haha, Lin Shanjun, you're being too cautious. We've met before, but we can't say we're familiar with each other."

  Lin Xu also burst out laughing and cupped his hands together in greeting, saying:

  "That's just right, recently I've been busy with family matters at home and couldn't fulfill my duties as a host, so today let Lin take the lead, you all must drink until you can't return home, how about that?"

  Upon hearing this, the other gods remained silent. The mountain god of Taixing, Long Shier, was the first to jump out and respond:

  "Drinking is a small matter, but talking about one's heart is a big deal. Mr. Lin Shan, can you please point out a clear path for us? Where is this world ultimately headed?"

  It's not allowed to joke among gods, and one must be careful with words, as every move is being watched by the heavenly way.

  Lin Xu was really unable to think of how among the gods there would still be such an irresponsible fool. He looked up and down, left and right at Long Shi Er several times, and said with a bad temper:

  "If I say I don't know, you probably won't believe me either. It's better not to mention it and avoid an unpleasant dispersal."

  Born with a face similar to Garfield, the chubby flower cat's round face made people laugh. When Hong Ze saw Lin Xu and Long Shi Er talking in discord, he immediately came out to mediate, laughing and persuading them:

  "Ah, Lord Linshan, you're being too serious. Everyone present is a fellow deity, even if we don't have deep relationships, but we all share the same breath and support each other. If you, Lord Linshan, have some profound insights, why not share them with us?"

  These four earth gods from all over the world have different purposes, and among them, the one who is most familiar with Lin Xu's temperament is none other than his old neighbor, Da Jiang Long Jun Ao Ping. This lecherous dragon, who has a reputation for being reckless, can be said to have a history of not getting along with Lin Xu, but later they also participated together in the anti-invasion war against the Tianjin God of Eastern Japan. It was precisely because of this shared experience that Lin Xu and Ao Ping were able to put aside their past grievances from their previous fight. This time, Ao Ping came specifically to congratulate Lin Xu, not just to get a few free drinks.

  Not long ago, the mighty Tianjin Sheng's invasion had scared Ao Ping half to death! It can be imagined that if it weren't for his decisive decision to "retreat" after losing the initial battle, he would probably have been buried in a grave overgrown with weeds by now.

  If this goes on, another group of alien gods will come up with the same idea one day, and Ao Ping can't guarantee that he'll be able to escape with such good luck next time.

  It is said that distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors. Although the four seas dragon tribe has a vast and intricate network of power, they are after all far apart, and it is inevitable to be affected by external forces when one becomes too powerful. Therefore, in Ao Ping's opinion, as long as Lin Xu's place is taken care of, Huo Shan can become a very safe hiding place for his "Three Burrows Plan".

  Not wanting to see Lin Xu turn against him, Ao Ping also chimed in at this time:

  "Gentlemen, as you all know, three hundred years ago, our predecessors fought a bloody battle with foreign enemies and won, but if we win again this time, I'm afraid there will be nothing left of this world. In my humble opinion, the only way for us to protect ourselves is to unite and work together. Although this method may seem like gathering chicken feathers to make a pillow, it's still better than fighting separately. What do you gentlemen think?"

  As soon as Ao Ping's remarks came out, Lin Xu blinked and didn't respond. Zhang Yu, who was used to following the stick, immediately spoke up in agreement, singing a eulogy:

  "Mr. Da Jiang Long's proposal is very good, I am willing to raise both hands in support."

  Then, Wushan Jun Xiao Boluo, who had no chance to speak, finally got the opportunity to make a speech, accompanied by strong gestures, with a momentum of spitting out three thousand feet. Long Shitou, who almost messed up the big deal, knew that he was clumsy and awkward, and at this moment, he was very low-key, just echoing a few words casually. When the guests finished their speeches, their eyes all focused on Lin Xu.

  At this scene, Lin Xu let out a sigh and said:

  "Alright! Since you all think it should be done this way, I agree with the proposal. However, everything must have a rule, without rules there is no square or circle. What do you all think about this point?"

  Twirling those few sparse and long cat whiskers, Zhang Yu narrowed his eyes and said in a soft voice:

  "Reward and punishment must be distinct, and handling affairs must be fair. If one's own family doesn't contribute a single hair, but instead demands selfless dedication from others, isn't that just becoming a bandit or a thief?"

  Upon hearing this, the earth deities all nodded in agreement and chimed in with their opinions.

  "Brother Zhang's words are reasonable, of course we need to consider this. However, our jurisdictions are divided between the north and south of the Yangtze River, separated by thousands of miles, and if there is no rule governing in between, isn't it just like a plate of loose sand?"

  "Who wants to be controlled by others? I guess no one!"

  As they listened to the debate, Lin Xu interjected a sentence, and the scene immediately fell silent. Everyone looked at Lin Xu, unsure whether he was for or against it. The stalemate lasted for a while before Ao Ping broke the deadlock, saying tentatively:

  "What do you mean, Lin Shanjun?"

  "Mutual benefit and mutual support, that's what we need. Who will be the leader, who will set the rules, it's too absurd to discuss these things. In my humble opinion, let's not choose a leader, let's just discuss and agree on something, and then execute it."

  The ancients said, "All the hustle and bustle in the world is for profit." When it comes to major issues involving personal interests, even the gods on the altar cannot remain aloof. The chaotic quarrels at the scene are no less intense than those of the petty commoners haggling over every penny in a vegetable market.

  After a fierce discussion, the gods who refused to suffer losses finally reached a consensus and concluded an alliance using Lin Xuan's existing oath system.

  Article 1: The five land gods present establish a mutual aid association. Members of the association respect each other's reasonable rights and interests, and cannot undermine each other's foundations or engage in activities that harm their allies behind their backs. Those who violate this will be punished according to the oath.

  Article 2: On the premise of not violating Article 1, all parties to the agreement shall provide convenience and assistance to other participants as much as possible, such as harmless passage during peacetime, and other necessary help within their capabilities.

  Article 3: If a member who signed the agreement is attacked by an external god, the other parties have the obligation to provide assistance. Those with money contribute financially, and those with strength contribute physically.