In the far east, there is an ancient and mysterious village called "Liulin Village". Liulin Village is surrounded by mountains, with four distinct seasons and beautiful scenery. However, the village hides many little-known folk anecdotes.
Legend has it that deep in the mountains of Liulin Village, there is an ancient willow tree. This willow tree is thousands of years old and has a thick trunk and lush foliage. The villagers say that this willow tree is the patron saint of the village and has magical powers. When night falls, the moonlight shines on the willow trees, and mysterious patterns appear on the trunks of the trees, as if telling ancient stories.
One day, a young hunter in the village, named Xiao Yang, came across this magical willow tree deep in the mountains. Curious, he approached the willow tree and noticed that the pattern on the trunk seemed to lead him to a place. Xiao Yang's heart was full of curiosity, so he walked in the direction that the pattern pointed.
Deep in a dense forest, Xiao Yang discovers an ancient village hidden in a cave. The houses in this village are made of stone and wood and look old. When the villagers saw Xiao Yang, they warmly invited him to the village as a guest. Xiao Yang found that although these villagers lived a simple life, they lived a very happy life.
Led by the villagers, Xiao Yang visited all corners of the village. He discovered that there was a special custom in the village: every year on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, the villagers would hold a grand sacrifice to pray for peace and a good harvest in the village. And the object of sacrifice is the ancient willow tree.
Xiao Yang curiously asked the villagers about the legend of the willow tree. Villagers told him that the willow tree was originally the patron saint of the village, but hundreds of years ago, a sudden flash flood destroyed the entire village. At that critical moment, Willow exerted his divine power and moved the villagers to this hidden cave, thus saving the lives of the villagers.
In order to thank the willow tree for saving its life, the villagers hold a festival every year to pray to the willow tree. And Xiao Yang also deeply felt the magic and greatness of this willow tree, and he decided to bring this story back to Liulin Village, so that more people can understand the legend of this willow tree.
After returning to Liulin Village, Xiao Yang told the villagers about his adventures in the mountains. The villagers were fascinated by the story and said they wanted to go to the hidden cave and pray to the willow trees. Since then, the villagers of Liulin Village and Hidden Village have visited each other every year to hold a grand festival together.
However, with the change of times, the villagers of Liulin Village and the hidden village gradually lost their reverence for willow trees. They began to forget the importance of the rituals, and some even began to cut down the branches and leaves of willow trees to use as firewood. The divine power of the willow tree gradually weakened, and the branches and leaves that were originally lush became yellow.
Finally, one day, Liulin Village was hit by flash floods again. This time, however, the willows were powerless to protect the villagers. The flood was raging, and the village was submerged in a sea of water. The villagers panicked and fled in all directions. They finally realize that their former ingratitude led to this catastrophe.
In the aftermath of the disaster, the surviving villagers decided to renew their reverence for the willow trees. They began to replant the willow trees and resume the ritual activities to pray for the peace of the village and the forgiveness of the willows. Thanks to their efforts, the willow tree was revitalized and flourished, becoming the patron saint of the village.
This story has been passed down to this day and has become a folk anecdote passed down from generation to generation by the villagers of Liulin Village and hidden villages. Whenever this story is mentioned, the villagers are filled with emotion and remind themselves to cherish the gifts given by nature and always maintain a sense of awe. And the willow tree has also become the eternal guardian saint in their hearts, witnessing the rise and fall of the village.