Chapter 20
"So what do we do now?" After spending most of the day figuring out what had happened, Koji finally understood what had occurred.
This was so vicious that it left a shadow in his heart. However, he was a patriotic and concerned young man who cared about the world. After his worries subsided, he blinked his big eyes and asked a question with great righteousness.
"I do have a way!" The old man seemed to have become young again, or as if prey had been delivered to his door. His eyes still gleamed, and there seemed to be an unconcealable excitement about him.
Xiao Long was too young to know what the old man was up to. He would ask follow-up questions after hearing what the old man said.
"What method?"
"Over the centuries, we have persevered and have finally found a way to break the Reincarnation Curse, but this method..."
"What's wrong with this method?" Xiaolong continued to take the bait.
The old man succeeded: "This method is rather unorthodox... We need to set up an altar, hang banners, and light lamps. We need to write 'invitation talismans' in cinnabar and burn them in a cauldron to summon the directional deities. At that time, hundreds of our clansmen need to kneel here and pray for three days and three nights without sleep. When the seven constellations of the Black Tortoise in the north appear together, we will offer the remains of our ancestors and chant for another night. Only then can the ceremony be completed."
Isn't this just a common sacrificial ritual?
"What's so difficult about that?" Jia'er asked, puzzled. He felt that the old man was making a big fuss about it.
At this point, the village chief paused even further, as if there was something he found difficult to say, but Xiaolong was waiting for him to speak.
"It's not difficult, but... but in this process, we need to offer a pure and innocent child as a gift..."
Is it necessary to offer a young child as a gift?
"What?"
Jia'er was shocked; he sensed a dangerous aura.
"Am I a child?" he asked, pointing to himself.
The old man nodded, of course.
"So……"
Then it's obvious—if one is a child, then one will be offered up as tribute, which is unacceptable.
Xiao Long grabbed his mother's hand.
"Let's go."
He pretended to be leaving casually.
"Wait!" the old village chief exclaimed anxiously.
“Please wait, Your Majesty. I have been observing the celestial phenomena lately and have seen unusual movements in the Purple Palace and auspicious signs in the four directions. This is a warning from Heaven that a person of extraordinary ability will appear to save our clan from this calamity. I have been waiting here day and night and have called on the entire clan to perform rituals and pray. As a result, you two have arrived… Isn’t this the will of Heaven?”
lie!
He spoke with great conviction, making it sound as if it were the truth.
"Mother, let's go." Little Dragon continued to walk away.
But someone in front of him blocked his way.
"Young... young master, don't be afraid. We haven't heard the specific instructions yet."
Jia'er, being forgetful, was also curious:
"So how exactly do we do it?"
"Here's how it is. When all seven constellations of the Northern Black Tortoise appear, we must kneel outside the ancestral hall and perform a ritual for three days and three nights, reciting the Unbinding Incantation together. During this time, you must remain seated before the ancestral tablets to seek communion with heaven and earth. If our sincere hearts can reach the spirits, then our clan's prayers will be heard, the Reincarnation Curse will be broken, and the Jade Stream will be restored to its former glory of flowing water. In this way, our clan's century-long drought will be alleviated."
Upon hearing this, Jia'er was deep in thought.
The old man stared at him longingly.
Suddenly, Xiaolong grabbed the leg of the person next to him:
"Mother, does this mean I have to sit on that platform for three days and three nights without eating or drinking, without doing anything or going anywhere, and be treated like an offering?"
Yinglong feigned seriousness: "Hmm~"
Seeing the troubled look on her son's face, her expression was incredibly varied.
She found it amusing; who told this fool to keep asking so many questions?
She decided to add fuel to the fire, and deliberately asked the old village chief, "Have any people starved to death using this method before?"
Upon hearing his question, the old man was first shocked, then pondered, and finally hesitated to speak.
That expression, that demeanor, clearly indicates something's wrong.
Jia'er felt a tingling sensation on his back, and then everything went black.
"Mother, let's go!" he said, feigning nonchalance.
“Hey, young master, don’t be afraid. I haven’t said anything yet. As far as I can remember, in the past hundred years, no children in our village have ever starved to death because of the sacrificial rites. This is unprecedented.”
It seems so. The old man is quite old and looks like he doesn't have a good memory—but he probably doesn't.
"What do you mean by 'it really shouldn't exist'?" The clear voice was filled with utter incomprehension.
"It's almost there," the aged voice said confidently.
"..."
Jia'er had nothing to say, and with one last innocent thought:
"Do I have to make offerings for you to succeed in getting water?"
"Yes!" The old man answered without hesitation, as it concerned the future of the entire clan.
...
Alright, alright, please give me water. If my father finds out, you'll really have water here.
Jia'er thought, if her father found out, and he came out of the East Sea, this place would most likely be flooded...
"Please think about it again. This matter will benefit the present and future generations. If it succeeds, our clan will be eternally grateful and will place your sculpture in the ancestral hall for generations to come..."
I don't want to!
"Let's go, let's go," Jia'er continued waving.
"Hey, esteemed guests, don't go! I observed the celestial phenomena last night, and you are indeed the sages of our clan! Hey, don't go..."
The old man shouted hoarsely behind them, while Jia'er struggled with his short legs, calmly grabbing his mother's hand and walking away quickly.
...
*
As dawn breaks and the first rays of sunlight pierce through the clouds, all living things, large and small, begin to awaken on this earth.
In the morning, the Muyun people worked honestly and diligently in the village.
With spring planting in full swing, everyone is very busy, constantly planting crops, from one plot to another, as if there's no time left, and everything has to be done in these few days.
The sounds of farm tools clanging and clattering came from the neatly arranged plots of land. People moved about in the fields, and occasional chatter broke the silence.
In the distance, the mortise and tenon joints creaked and groaned as bamboo tubes scooped up river water and poured it out, the splashing sound mixed with the rustling of moss peeling off.
Hearing the sound of water, the villagers' anxious hearts gradually calmed down, and some even stopped to rest. These past few days, the villagers had been somewhat restless. Perhaps it was because it was springtime, and everyone was rushing to plant, so they were all quite tired… But while tired, they also felt that something was wrong with their surroundings—why was the village so quiet?
In the past, there were no strange or awkward things happening in the village that made people feel uncomfortable. Occasionally, when people had a moment to spare, they would ponder the reason why something was wrong. After thinking about it, some people would suddenly realize, "Oh, it seems like it's been a long time since we've seen the uninvited guests in the village—that mother and child, one big and one small."
As for the mother and son, they each had their own things to do.
Jia'er didn't go out today; he was sitting on a secluded tree in the village—high up on a branch, gazing into the distance alone.
These past few days, he and his mother have been going out every day, and each time they go out, they go to the plain at the foot of the mountain to take a look.
However, he dared not step into that village again. He and his mother only wandered around the village. He did not know what his mother was looking at. He only knew that the village was surrounded by a very desolate place. There was no wild vegetation to be seen, let alone small animals.
The lifeless scene was so oppressive, as if a thousand heavy stones were pressing down on him. Combined with the scorching heat, it was unbearable. So every time he returned to the Muyun tribe and was greeted by beautiful scenery and a more pleasant temperature, Jia'er would feel instantly relaxed and all his discomfort would lessen.
Today, his mother went out on her own and left him here alone. Since there was no one to play with, he came up to this tree and gazed into the distance.
The surroundings were quiet and peaceful, the environment was just right, perfect for being alone.
The scenes he had witnessed in the past few days were too tragic, and Xiaolong stared into the distance, lost in thought.
In the distance lies a vast wheat field, stretching to the horizon in an endless expanse. Surrounding the wheat field are low-lying plants, lush and green, growing vigorously. Looking further out, the entire area is enveloped by trees and flowers, undulating in various heights. A gentle breeze stirs the leaves on the treetops, making them sway gracefully, as if they have come alive.
What greeted his eyes was a lush, verdant green. Although Xiaolong saw this beautiful scenery, his mind was filled with images of devastation.
The wind and sand seemed to form the main color of the scenery outside, and the blackened and suffering faces in the village were so pitiful!
As he looked around, he couldn't help but start to think: why, even though they were in the same realm, couldn't the places outside be as beautiful and comfortable as the Muyun Clan's place?
In the far distance, some rolling green hills stood there silently. The longer Jia'er looked at them, the more compassionate and tender feelings spread through his heart.
He also felt sad for himself, recalling what had happened a few days ago, how he had been disliked... indeed, no one wanted to play with him.
The atmosphere of loneliness grew heavier.
Jia'er spent the whole morning in the treetop without feeling the passage of time. He only felt that a little while had passed. Just as he was still immersed in this faint sadness, he suddenly felt a vibration under his buttocks.
Someone was kicking the tree roots from below.
"Tap tap".
Seeing that he didn't move, the tree trunk shook twice more, and then some leaves fell down.
Jia'er looked down curiously and saw a crowd of people gathered below!
A few small figures, somewhat familiar—he was sitting too high to see clearly.
The shaking sensation beneath my buttocks continued unabated, and the people below showed no signs of stopping; it was as if they were about to kick the tree down.
He kicked and kicked, saying, "Why aren't you coming down yet?"
Upon hearing this, Jia'er thought something had happened, so he straightened up and quickly went downstairs.
Xiaolong is now an excellent tree climber; he can scramble up and down trees in no time.
Upon reaching the ground, before he could even stand still and had just turned around, he was already surrounded by people.
The group approached aggressively, pressing forward relentlessly. Without realizing it, Jia'er put his hands behind his back and leaned against a large tree.
Looking at the five faces in front of him that were about the same age as him, Jia'er blinked.
Oh, it's them...
When the five people saw him come down, they all surrounded him and watched him silently.
Jia'er was suddenly surrounded in the center of the circle. He stood there with his hands behind his back, twisting his fingers, looking bewildered and somewhat confused about what was happening.
His gaze swept around, and no one spoke. Xiao Long looked at them, bewildered. After a while, he stammered, "..."
Are you here to arrest me?
Xiao Long pouted, his expression a mixture of composure and confusion.
He didn't seem surprised by everyone's intentions.
The spell my mother cast on this village has not yet worn off; the river in this village remains frozen to this day.
The old clan chief was initially extremely anxious and searched everywhere for ways to break the curse, but to no avail. In desperation, it tried to beg its mother to stop, but its mother ignored it.
It seems there's some unresolved agreement between them; Mother won't thaw the river until she achieves her goal...
Therefore, Jia'er and her mother were still universally hated in the clan... but no one dared to.
Because her mother was so powerful that no one could mess with her, and over time, Jia'er could clearly feel that all the attention here seemed to have shifted to him.
He was a smart man, and with just a little thought, he knew that the tribesmen here wanted to capture him and hide him so that they could use him to threaten his mother and force her to thaw the river!
The intelligent dragon had a strong sense of the impending crisis. Koji knew that this day would come sooner or later, but he didn't expect it to come so soon!
The five little ones in front of him were still looking at him with serious expressions.
Seeing this, Jia'er spoke softly:
"You can't catch me, I'll run away on my own!"
That's true. He's had some experience following his mother, so he can easily sneak out on his own.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment after hearing his words—what was this little dragon talking about?
Now everyone knows he is a dragon, according to the clan leader.
The clan chief said that the mother and child were dragons from the deep sea, far away from here... As for why they suddenly came to their clan and suddenly froze the river in their clan, all of this is unknown.
They are still young, and there are some things they can't understand yet, so they simply choose not to think about them for now.
They came to see the little dragon today for something else.
"How did you get up in this tree?"
Where have you been these past few days?
"Why aren't you here to sow grass seeds with us?"
Everyone started talking at once, asking the same question all at once.
Jia'er was a little confused. He didn't know which one to answer first. Everyone pressed him harder and harder, until he was almost pressed against the tree.
"Hmm..." Xiaolong scratched his head, feeling that he couldn't tell anyone that he had gone out with his mother.
I struggled with this for a long time.
"What do you want from me?" Xiaolong asked uncertainly, deciding to change the subject.
"I came to find you! Why didn't you come with us to sow grass seeds?"
The fierce-looking girl named Xiaomian was questioning him in a very loud voice, her tone revealing a lack of understanding.
Sowing grass seeds? People don't like him joining in sowing grass seeds, do they?
Remembering her sad memories, Jia'er pouted and, after thinking for a while, found an excuse that would make her feel less embarrassed:
"Ugh, I've got something to do these past few days. My mother wants me to go with her..."
We shouldn't say too much; that's enough.
"So you can stop coming to us to sow grass seeds?" The little cotton tree got louder and louder, sounding quite righteous. The tallest one next to it, named Qingye, tugged at it, signaling it to watch its tone.
Jia'er felt like he was being scolded again. Sowing grass seeds was wrong, and not sowing grass seeds was wrong too. He longed for someone to speak up for him, but apart from this little cotton, the other four remained silent. They all agreed with him, and not one of them spoke up for him!
How could this happen? He pouted again, twisting his fingers in bewilderment.
Seeing him like this, the five little ones all had the same thought: they were all a little worried and... unhappy.
It's no wonder no one spoke up for him; Xiao Long was too capricious. He used to show up on time every morning, but suddenly one day he stopped coming without even saying goodbye, leaving everyone feeling empty... The atmosphere within the small team suddenly became very heavy. One day, when everyone realized what was happening, they decided to go look for him—a large group set out to search for him, but they couldn't find him anywhere, even turning the entire village upside down!
How could you make friends like this? How could they suddenly disappear?
It was only then that everyone realized that Xiaolong was not only a person without perseverance, but also a person without sincerity. He seemed to really enjoy sowing grass seeds, but after being rejected just once, he said he didn't like it and never came back!
They didn't even bother to come and didn't even say hello. They have absolutely no conscience!
Then she went missing...
Although there are no truly vicious villains in this tribe, the area is vast and rugged, with the border near snow-capped mountains. Getting lost here could be quite dangerous.
With that thought in mind, everyone hurriedly began searching, looking meticulously and leaving no corner unchecked. They practically turned the entire Muyun Clan upside down. However, they completely overlooked the fact that Little Dragon hadn't been in the clan for the past few days; he'd gone out…
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