Chapter 11 Twin Paintings: Life and Death Indistinguishable. Mu Sha heard the rest...

Upon hearing this, Mu Sha's expression darkened, but because Liu Taohua and the other two were present, he quickly regained his composure and said, "Distinguished guests, I have some matters to attend to and cannot accompany you any longer. I hope you understand."

Jiang Yu waved his hand and said, "The Imperial Advisor is very busy, there's no need to worry about it. The three of us can just stroll around on our own."

Mu Sha nodded, gave a slight bow, and said, "Then I shall take my leave now. See you at the Crescent Moon Terrace tomorrow."

After Musha left, the three of them sat there in silence for a while.

After Jiang Yu finished the last bite of noodles and patted his belly contentedly, Liu Taohua spoke first: "The song those children were singing earlier, could it be that the new saintess after Mei Ling's death is Mei Xi?"

Lianxi and Jiangyu agreed wholeheartedly. Lianxi said, "If everything in the ballad is true, then the saintess after Meiling must be her twin sister, Meixi."

Jiang Yu was puzzled and said, "That's not right! Even if the new Holy Maiden really is Mei Xi, it's been over a hundred years. Could she still be alive?" Thinking of this, Jiang Yu felt a chill run down her spine and said, "If it really is her, and she's still alive, then she's either an old woman with white hair or..."

He didn't say the last word, but the three of them already understood.

Liu Taohua said, "Based on the content of the song and what Lianxi said earlier, their relationship doesn't seem to be good because they are twins. Yezi gives women great respect in marriage, but he still can't escape the common practice in this matter. But this can't be said to be good or bad."

Jiang Yu said, "Since ancient times, the selection of the Holy Maiden of Yezi has always been determined by the divination of the direction by the successive national teachers and the current Holy Maiden at the Crescent Moon Platform. For hundreds of years, it has always been the same person. Yezi's ancestors did say, 'If twins are born, Yezi will be in danger.' The birth of twins is the first time, so it will naturally be regarded as an ominous sign. But to condemn the lives of two women based solely on the prophecy of an ancestor is too arbitrary."

Lianxi sneered and said, "When people's own interests are threatened, they will instinctively choose to eliminate the threat. Why wouldn't a ruler sacrifice one or two people to prolong his rule and prevent the century-old foundation from being destroyed in his hands?"

"Of course, some people will make the opposite choice. It's not that it's noble; it's just a matter of personal choice. Right and wrong are in the hearts of individuals and in the mouths of the world."

Liu Taohua looked at Lianxi. She knew the young man before her must be someone of extraordinary status, but she had never investigated further. Now, for the first time, she was interested in his identity, because they surprisingly shared similar views on certain aspects.

Liu Taohua asked, "If it were you, what would you choose?"

Lianxi was taken aback, then laughed and said, "I am not a saint, and I can't care about so many people. I only stick to what I believe in. The distinction between good and evil is irrelevant to future generations' judgments."

"good."

A voice came from behind Lianxi; it was a child.

The boy said, "Big brother, what you said is so true!"

Jiang Yu said "Oh," and then asked, "What's good about it?"

The child took out a piece of candy and said, "If I like it today, it's good. If I don't like it tomorrow, it doesn't mean it's bad. What choice you make, what result you get—how can you distinguish between good and bad? Since you can't distinguish them, isn't it better to stick to doing what you think is right?"

After saying this, the child stuffed the candy into his mouth, smiled happily, and said, "Big brother, do you think it is or isn't?"

Jiang Yu laughed and said, "You're right."

Liu Taohua took out a dried apricot and gave it to the boy, saying, "You're absolutely right. Here, have some dried apricot."

The child happily accepted it and wanted to say something more, but was stopped by the woman who came looking for him, who said, "What nonsense are you talking about, you little kid!" After saying that, the woman nodded to the three of them and hurriedly pulled the child away.

As Jiang Yu watched the mother and child walk away, he seemed to see an invisible chasm, but at this moment, his mood was as pleasant and carefree as if he had just eaten a delicious bowl of dried meat noodles.

Jiang Yu nudged Lianxi with his elbow and said, "Lianxi, wouldn't you say you've met a kindred spirit in a foreign land?"

Lianxi chuckled and ignored him. Seeing Liu Taohua lost in thought, she asked, "Taohua, what are you thinking about?"

Liu Taohua said, "I've been thinking about what that child said just now, and what's happened these past few days. I feel like I've overlooked something."

Lianxi said, "Tell me about it?"

Liu Taohua said, "If everything is as the ballad says, and considering the things she's been rumored to have done, Mei Xi's reputation must be bad. I once heard people talking about the Holy Maiden's deeds at a tavern, which shows that although no one has been coming and going in Yezi for many years, what happens here is not completely closed off. Strangely, people outside only hear about the events, but not about the specific people involved, as if it's been deliberately covered up."

"The Holy Maiden of Night has always been praised by everyone, but almost no one mentions her here. The reason is nothing more than fear or unwillingness because of her actions. But today, a group of children are singing such songs in the street, right in front of us, as if they were singing them for us on purpose. This is very contradictory. We cannot yet conclude what kind of person Mei Xi is, but judging from the current situation, some people are trying their best to hide, while others are trying their best to make a big fuss."

Lianxi twirled the cup in her hand with three fingers, a half-smile on her face, and said, "Doesn't this sound interesting? If this were just about one person, it would be too boring. This way, it's obviously much more interesting."

Jiang Yu, suddenly seized by a surge of fighting spirit, exclaimed excitedly, "No one can escape my discerning eyes! I want to see just who this Holy Maiden and the person behind her really are!"

Looking at the two brothers in front of her, Liu Taohua noticed they both seemed quite knowledgeable and exceptionally handsome. One had a youthful appearance, yet possessed a composed and natural air, casual yet measured. The other, on the other hand, appeared carefree, but was actually quite shrewd. Despite being the younger brother, he looked slightly older than his older brother and could sometimes appear a bit silly. What an interesting pair!

Lianxi looked at Liu Taohua and said, "How about it, Taohua? Want to come along?"

Liu Taohua said, "Haven't we always been together?"

The three strolled around the city. Because of their duel at the Crescent Moon Terrace the previous day, their appearances were now known to everyone overnight. So wherever they went, they were greeted by enthusiastic people who invited them to their homes or shared their own good things with them, including food, drinks, and other necessities.

At first, the three of them greeted each other freely. Jiang Yu accepted all the gifts from the people without any hesitation, and had Yicuo Mao carry them all. Lianxi initially reminded him not to take too much, but Jiang Yu didn't care, thinking that no matter how much more he took, it wouldn't be much more.

But as more and more people arrived, the group gradually became overwhelmed, and Yicuo Mao's burden grew heavier and heavier. Jiang Yu underestimated the enthusiasm of the people and overestimated Yicuo Mao's endurance. But even the strongest donkey can't withstand such enthusiastic commotion, and with a couple of complaining brays, it stood still and refused to move.

They were surrounded by layers upon layers of people, making it impossible for them to leave.

Looking at the densely packed crowd before her, Liu Taohua felt dizzy and rubbed her temples, trying to clear her head. Seeing this, Lianxi grabbed Liu Taohua's hand, shielding her behind her, glared at Jiang Yu who was looking bewildered, and said, "You caused this mess, so deal with it yourself." With that, she pushed Jiang Yu forward and led Liu Taohua out.

Jiang Yu cried out, "No! Brother!! Peach Blossom!! Don't leave me here alone!!!"

As soon as Liu Taohua came out, she felt the air around her flow smoothly. She sat down on the ground with a thud, breathing heavily, and said, "Lianxi, thank you for earlier. The people of Yezi are so hospitable."

Seeing that she looked unwell, Lianxi looked at her with concern and asked, "Are you alright?" As she spoke, she squatted down and gently patted her back until she finally caught her breath.

Liu Taohua lowered her head, shrugged as if relieving herself, and said, "I'm much better, don't worry." After saying that, she looked up and forced a smile to indicate that she was alright.

When Lianxi saw that her face was a little pale, her worry deepened. She said, "Is there anything else that's bothering you? Let me take you back to rest."

Upon hearing that he wanted to go back, Liu Taohua grabbed him before he could make a move, her voice urgent, "No! We've only been out for a short while! I'm really fine!" Perhaps it was because Lianxi's words had stimulated her, but she had been listless just moments before, but in the blink of an eye, she became energetic again, and her complexion had become much rosier.

Lianxi was genuinely taken aback by her sudden change of expression. She felt a little helpless and amused, but still worried, and asked, "Are you sure you're really okay?"

Liu Taohua stood up, dusted herself off, and suddenly leaned close to him, winking at him with a smile, saying, "See, am I all better now?"

Lianxi's eyes reflected her face so close to hers, her eyebrows curved, her smile somewhat playful. Lianxi was momentarily stunned by her gaze, her feet stopped, and she couldn't move.

Liu Taohua then turned around and looked around, only to find that they had entered an alley with hardly anyone around. Suddenly, a faint fragrance wafted through the air, smelling like incense offered at a temple. She then noticed that at the end of the alley behind Lianxi, there was a temple.

Liu Taohua said, "Lianxi! Look, there seems to be a temple over there!"

Lianxi turned to the side and said, "Let's go take a look."

The two arrived at the temple, a square, two-story building, no different from the houses where ordinary people lived, only larger. Built in this secluded place, it would be difficult to find without specifically looking for it. The faint fragrance from before had become increasingly strong as they approached the entrance. There was no plaque in front of the temple; if it weren't for the incense, no one would have guessed it was a temple.

Liu Taohua said, "It seems I was right. Those two female shopkeepers really are Yezi people. Don't you think there's a tavern that looks a lot like this temple?"

Lianxi said, "It is very similar."

Liu Taohua rubbed her hands together and said, "Then let's hurry inside and take a look!"

The two entered through the archway. The temple was unattended and devoid of worshippers, yet spotless, suggesting regular cleaning. The interior walls were adorned with lifelike murals: one depicting the natural scenery and daily life of Yezi, the other portraying the kings and saints of Yezi throughout history. However, the saint's image at the end of the murals appeared newer in color compared to the others, though the painting was somewhat rougher and less refined. On the altar in the center, only one incense stick was burning; there was no statue of a deity, but rather a blank memorial tablet with a painting hanging above it.

It was a finely crafted black-and-white portrait. The woman in the painting was dressed in gorgeous clothes, holding a long sword, her hair tied with a snake hairpin, her eyebrows and eyes like sharp blades, exuding a strong sense of oppression, as if if you looked at her for even a second longer, she would burst out of the paper. And at one end of the portrait, the two characters "Mei Ling" were clearly written.

It was Mei Ling, the saintess who died fighting for her country but was to be expelled from the register.

Suddenly, Liu Taohua remembered something and hurriedly went to check the crudely painted portrait of the saintess. The portrait was painted in color, and her appearance was eight parts similar to Mei Ling's.

The mural depicts Mei Xi.

Liu Taohua hurriedly called to Lianxi, saying, "Lianxi, come quick! I remember that besides the Noba on their foreheads, the Yezi people have another custom: portraits. 'The living are painted in black and white, the dead in color.' But the one painted in black and white is Mei Ling, while the one in color is Mei Xi. What's going on?"

Lianxi stared at the mural in front of her and said, "Perhaps, Mei Ling is not dead yet."