Siduri hung the "Temporarily Closed" sign at the tavern entrance, and then as promised, she took Luo En to Abi Mountain.
Along the way, she repeatedly advised:
"Once we’re on the mountain, don’t speak hastily. I’ll try my best to help you reject this marriage proposal."
Luo En nodded, accepting Siduri’s kindness.
After all, his purpose here was to find Ishtar, not necessarily to marry this terrifying figure from the Divine Era.
Seeing that Luo En wasn’t stubbornly insisting, Siduri couldn’t help but feel relieved.
She was trying hard to prevent him from marrying Ishtar for two reasons.
On one hand, their identities, personalities, and status didn’t match. As a friend, she really didn’t want to see such a talented person dragged down by a marriage destined for unhappiness;
On the other hand, Ishtar not only had character flaws, but was also at the center of a huge vortex involving Babylon’s struggle for divine authority—a matter so obscure even Siduri was unwilling to delve into it. If the shepherd beside her got involved, it would likely end badly.
So, it was better to give Utu some face, go to Abi Mountain for a symbolic visit, and then gracefully end this matchmaking.
If, after it’s all over, the shepherd had nowhere to go and no city-state to find refuge in, she just happened to need hands in her tavern.
"We seem to be there."
The ponderous whisper in her ear interrupted Siduri’s thoughts, and she looked forward.
In the distance, the massive undulations between heaven and earth were what was once called the "Holy Peak," Abi Mountain.
Yet, as the distance closed, the anticipation and mystery gave way to disappointment.
Due to recent heavy rains, the river waters surged.
Muddy torrents washed away soil and rocks from the slopes of Abi Mountain, exposing its jagged skeleton. Coupled with sparse vegetation, it appeared exceptionally desolate.
Continuing up the mountain path, the sense of ruin was everywhere.
Totem pillars on both sides were shattered by some immense force, the magic formulas meant to adorn and protect the road had mostly dissolved and extinguished.
Paving stones were covered with prints and filth from beasts of the mountain, some stepped on or shoved aside.
Even at the pavilion halfway up, the four pillars were fully snapped, the structure collapsed entirely, losing its function to shield from wind and rain.
In some places, stagnant water reached ankle-deep, with a stench of decaying and fermenting plants spreading.
And the culprits were in the farthest reaches of their sight.
Seven or eight magical pigs, about two meters tall, with bristles as hard as steel brushes, surrounded several semi-collapsed stone pillars, gnashing and rooting around mindlessly.
Under the ravaging of these beasts, the reinforced divine patterns on the outer side of the pillars were unrecognizable, their gilded surfaces washed away into the murky river below by prior rain.
At this moment, the magical pigs noticed the two intruders in their territory, and guided by their ferocity, charged with tusks bared.
"Ishtar has been lazy again."
Siduri shook her head helplessly, raising her right hand slightly, writing swiftly in front of her with her finger as a pen.
A few golden wedge-shaped divine patterns shot out like cannonballs, piercing the brains of these magical pigs accurately, causing them to scream and explode with red and white substances, dying on the spot.
Having dealt with these beasts that ran onto the road, Siduri had just breathed a sigh of relief when she felt a violent tremor underfoot, a dense deathly spirit surrounding them.
"Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!"
The sharp screaming seemed to pierce through the human eardrums and soul, a hundred white monsters, transparent and twisted in appearance, crawled out from the cracks beneath, wielding swords and spears condensed from dead spirits, swarming toward her and Luo En.
Siduri’s face darkened further.
These were notorious evil spirits within Babylonian mythology from the Netherworld. They were slender and tall, equipped with weapons at their waists, adept in combat and slaughter, often transformed from warrior souls, typically acting as Underworld Guards.
Yet the ones before her, emanating a sinister red-black aura, were clearly polluted vicious spirits!
Such entities were rare, yet so many appeared now.
And at broad daylight!
How was Ishtar supposed to guard the earth vein?
Seeing the hundred Galura Spirits roaring toward her, Siduri snorted coldly, immediately opening the Magic Circle Diagram, taking out a jug of malt wine and smashing it directly into the ground.
The sealed ceramic jug shattered instantly, the golden wine splashing outward, the rich aroma quickly permeating.
Meanwhile, atop the mountain in a resplendent temple.
The figure sleeping soundly in bed abruptly sat up, twitching the nostrils, sniffing the faint scent wafting through the air, her eyes lighting up.
Wine! Top-quality malt wine!
At least a gold coin per cup of high-end goods!
"Only two jugs left now..."
The familiar and melodious voice sounded from the mountain path.
The goddess in the temple suddenly realized where the wine aroma in the air came from, showing a pained expression on her face.
Such a waste, this was high-quality malt wine, fine gold coins!
Moreover, according to the tradition of visiting without empty hands, these should have been her gifts.
"Not coming out yet?"
After the question, came another sound of the jug smashing and regretful statement,
"Now there’s only one jug left."
With a mournful cry echoing through Abi Mountain, a golden stream of light like the Morning Star pierced the mountain mists, descending onto the mountain path at blinding speed.