Chapter 48 Red Eagle 5 "All your wishes will be granted."
Li Qiuting's movements were very skillful. A quarter of an hour later, an 'Eagle God' with feathers on his face suddenly appeared, and Zhu Song's original appearance was completely unrecognizable.
Without further ado, Zhu Song was ready to leave immediately, but Wen Fengxuan was worried about him and said, "I'll go with you."
Zhu Song disagreed, saying it was too risky and rejected his idea, saying, "You stay here and observe the situation, just in case."
Wen Fengxuan disagreed, "Qiuting, stay. I'll go with you."
The two of them were in a stalemate for a while, but Zhu Song finally couldn't resist him and agreed to go together, while Li Qiuting stayed behind.
At this time, Xie Ningyuan had been in a stalemate with the savages for an hour. The savages knelt in front of him and remained unmoved no matter what he said.
“Please ask the angel to make the Eagle God appear.” “Please ask the angel to make the Eagle God appear.”
Xie Ningyuan gritted his teeth, but didn't dare show any impatience. He simply explained once more, "The Eagle God is out subduing demons and hasn't returned yet. When he returns, I will definitely convey your request to him."
"Please, divine messenger, let the Eagle God appear!" the leader shouted, and everyone behind him followed suit. "Please, divine messenger, let the Eagle God appear."
This was the scene Zhu Song and Wen Fengxuan saw when they came over. Zhu Song winked at Wen Fengxuan and said pretentiously, "Are you the ones looking for me?"
As he spoke, Xie Ningyuan looked over. When he saw Wen Fengxuan, he frowned, and when he saw Zhu Song, he almost couldn't hold back his laughter.
After Xie Ningyuan finished his congratulations, he immediately said, "Your Excellency has returned from conquering the demon. Why don't you pay your respects?"
As soon as the words fell, the savage bowed to Wen Fengxuan, "Greetings to the Eagle God." "Greetings to the Eagle God."
Zhu Song coughed lightly and said, "You are worshipping the wrong person. I am the Eagle God."
The leader replied calmly, "Don't be ridiculous, Divine Envoy. We, the Kusha tribe, have worshipped the Eagle God for hundreds of years. How could we not recognize our own deity?"
Zhu Song was speechless. His eagle feathers were all white?
Wen Fengxuan responded quickly and said to Zhu Song, "Don't tease me." Then he looked at the wild man and said, "I was passing by while subduing demons and found that the divine messenger had been captured by you. What's going on?"
Zhu Song looked at Wen Fengxuan. He was usually aloof and cold, and had a natural air of an ethereal being. Now he didn't need to pretend deliberately, as he looked just like that. When he looked down at himself, he looked like a weird monster.
The leader replied, "Forgive us, Eagle God. We didn't know he was a messenger of God. We just thought he was an intruder into our territory."
Wen Fengxuan did not pursue the matter any further and said, "The Messenger of God has never appeared in the world. I cannot blame you for not knowing."
Zhu Song took the opportunity to ask, "There are two divine messengers coming together this time. Where is the other one?"
The chief replied, "Eagle God, calm down. The other envoy is still with the tribe. I will send someone to release him immediately."
Wen Fengxuan said, "I haven't been to the mortal world for many years. Today I will go to your tribe and take a look at what the human world is like now."
When the savages heard that the Eagle God was coming to their tribe, they cheered immediately, and the leader said, "Eagle God, please come this way."
With the warm hospitality of the savages, the group entered the Kusha tribe, a very primitive tribe whose houses were all earthen forts.
Next to Zhu Song was a young man who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. His eyes were as pure as the sky after the rain.
Zhusong spoke to him and he was flattered and said everything.
During the conversation, Zhu Song learned that the leading person was the high priest and the leader of the Kusha tribe.
Wen Fengxuan symbolically walked around the clan and commented, "Not bad, not bad."
The high priest was so happy to be praised that he could not express it in words. "Eagle God, please come this way. This is my residence."
The group arrived at the high priest's house, a round earthen fort that looked poorly built and had rough walls.
Zhu Lingye had been released and was sitting in the main hall. His hair was disheveled, his eyes were dark blue, and his beard was untidy, but he didn't seem to have any injuries.
Zhu Lingye was stunned when he saw the few people being warmly welcomed in. He rushed to Xie Ningyuan and asked anxiously, "Brother, are you okay?"
Xie Ningyuan felt a little uncomfortable being looked at by him, but he still replied, "It's okay."
Zhu Lingye felt something was wrong with the voice and was just beginning to wonder when he heard the man covered in eagle feathers say in his brother's voice, "Stop making trouble."
Zhu Lingye knew what they must have done to make these savages so respectful, so he obediently stepped aside without saying a word.
The high priest stepped forward and said, "Eagle God, please take a seat."
Wen Fengxuan sat down as he was told, and the others followed suit.
Wen Fengxuan said, "If you serve sincerely, I will ensure that you are free from illness and disaster, and have enough food and clothing."
Upon hearing this, the high priest knelt down and said, "Thank you, Eagle God." The people behind him also knelt down and said, "Thank you, Eagle God."
It was not suitable to stay here for long, so Zhu Song asked about Yi Kangning. "Looking at the sun, I'm reminded of the drought that hit the human world forty-three years ago. I wonder if the high priest still remembers it?"
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the high priest trembled all over and said, "Eagle God, please forgive me."
Zhu Song coldly pressed, "What crime have you committed? To be more specific, the Eagle God loves honest people. If anyone tells even a single lie, he will unleash his boundless wrath and bring disaster back to the world."
"No, no, no, Eagle God, please don't be angry. I'll tell you what I'm saying." The high priest waved his hands quickly, then sighed with a dejected look, "I knew this day would come."
Zhu Song interrupted him sharply, "Stop talking nonsense."
"Yes." The high priest replied fearfully, then began to speak, "Forty-three years ago, there was a severe drought and several people died from the heat. We then held an altar to pray for rain, using a young child as a sacrifice each time. We performed this ritual for a month straight, and there was never a single problem.
On the thirty-second day, Dasuo of the Eli family was chosen by the Eagle God to become the thirty-second sacrifice.
But that night, Dassault was let go by his brothers and sisters.
By the time we discovered it, several days had passed and we couldn't catch it.
The sacrifice escaped, which was a huge mistake, but please, Eagle God, spare us this time after we later sacrificed all of Dasuo's brothers and sisters."
Zhu Song was shocked when he heard this, but he suppressed it. Then he snorted coldly, "This isn't the only time the sacrifice has escaped."
The high priest broke out in a cold sweat in the scorching heat and replied in a low voice, "Yes, there was an outsider ten years ago, and he also ran away."
Zhu Song cursed loudly: "Idiot!"
The high priest was so frightened that he trembled all over and bowed his head, saying, "Eagle God, calm down."
Wen Fengxuan replied lazily, "It's just a small matter that the divine messenger will handle."
The high priest turned to Zhusong and said, "Please, God, give us another chance."
The purpose of intimidation had been achieved, and Zhu Song no longer wanted to scare him. He said in a cold voice: "I ask questions and you answer them. If you say anything untrue, this divine messenger will punish you."
The high priest quickly responded, "I would never dare to deceive the envoy of God."
Zhu Song asked, "How old is the escaped Dasuo?"
The high priest said, "He was four years old when he escaped. Forty-three years have passed, and he is now forty-seven."
Zhu Song then asked, "How many brothers and sisters are there in Dasuo's family?"
The high priest replied, "Six in total."
"All sacrifices?"
The high priest replied, "Yes, we sacrificed all six of the Eli children to the Eagle God the day we discovered Dasuo's escape."
Zhu Song suppressed his anger and asked, "How old were those six children back then?"
The chief priest couldn't remember clearly and turned around to ask others. It took a while for him to get the answer. "The eldest is fourteen, the youngest is twenty-two, the third and fourth are nine, the fifth is eight, and the sixth is six."
Zhu Song frowned and asked, "Since we are from the same mother?"
The high priest replied, "No, sir. Two women in our tribe lost their husbands and had children, so no one wanted them. They were taken in by Eli. Only Daso is Eli's biological son."
That's about right.
Zhu Song asked again, "Where's Eli?"
The high priest replied, “The first disaster that year was the heat.”
Zhu Song frowned, "What about the two women he picked up?"
The high priest replied, “The six children hanged themselves at home on the day they were sacrificed to the Eagle God.”
Zhu Song frowned even more deeply, "How did they help Dasuo escape?"
The high priest said, "They took advantage of the night to climb up the cliff and set Daso free. Lao Liu, who was of similar build to Daso, was tied up in his place. That's why we didn't notice they had escaped right away."
Zhu Song asked again, "With so many eagles on the cliff, how could Dasuo escape unscathed?"
The high priest replied, "That year, the eagles all flew away, so we assumed the Eagle God was angry, and we offered sacrifices every day, begging for forgiveness."
There was a severe drought, and people had nothing to eat, let alone the eagles, so they all left. Zhu Song cursed in his heart, thinking that such a simple truth was not known by them and that they thought the Eagle God was angry, harming so many innocent children.
The high priest said something else, but Zhu Song didn't care. He just looked at Wen Fengxuan and asked him with his eyes if he had any questions.
Wen Fengxuan didn't give Zhu Song an answer, but waved lazily at the high priest, "It's time for my lunch break, you guys go out and wait."
His movements were so natural that the high priest had no doubts. He responded respectfully and led his men out. When they reached the door, he added a blessing, "The Eagle God likes quietness. Please stay away and don't disturb him."
"yes."
After the high priest walked away, Wen Fengxuan winked at Xie Ningyuan. Xie Ningyuan hurried over to close the door and stood by the door, watching the movements of the high priest and others.
Zhu Song said, "We have to leave quickly. They insist on seeing the Eagle God, so they must have something to ask for."
Wen Fengxuan nodded, "Are the clues now enough?"
Zhu Song analyzed, "Now we can confirm that Yi Kangning is Dassault, but I don't know the answer to his question."
"Where did they go?" Wen Fengxuan thought about Yi Kangning's question, "Does he know that they are dead?"
Zhu Song made a reasonable guess, "Even if he didn't know it back then, he should have guessed it later."
Wen Fengxuan frowned, his expression serious. "If you know, the answer is death. What number can represent death?"
The answer is obvious.
"age."
Now that I have found the answer, the only question left is how to leave.
Zhu Lingwang thought simply, "They are all gods, so they might not dare to stop us."
Zhusong said, "Because they are gods, they must want something. The people here are stubborn and unintelligent, but they are not fools. Just in case, we should come up with a plan."
After some discussion, several people made a plan.
Xie Ningyuan went out and said to the high priest, "The Eagle God cannot stay in the mortal world for long. Tell us what you wish for, and the Eagle God will grant it to you."
All the savages were overjoyed, "Thank you, Eagle God." "Thank you, Eagle God."
Xie Ningyuan said, "To prevent the secret from being revealed, the high priest collected everyone's wishes and presented them to the Eagle God."
The high priest nodded hurriedly, "Yes."
Xie Ningyuan warned: "Hurry up, Eagle God doesn't have much time. If you miss it, you'll have to wait until next time."
The high priest replied, "Very quickly."
After Xie Ningyuan finished speaking, he turned and left.
A short time later, the high priest hurried in and knelt on the ground as soon as he entered the room. "Eagle God, we want to live forever, be free from illness and disaster, and have enough food and clothing."
Wen Fengxuan lowered his eyes to look at him with a compassionate expression, "All your requests will be granted."
The high priest said repeatedly: "Thank you, Eagle God, thank you, Eagle God."
Wen Fengxuan continued, "This place is desolate and extremely difficult. Proper food and clothing are difficult to come by. Go back and tell them to find unused items in their homes and place them outside their doors. Tonight at midnight, the divine eagle will use its Midas touch to transform these items into gold. You can use this money to settle down in a prosperous land."
Zhu Song began to paint a rosy picture: "Clothes will be provided to you, food will be provided to you, you will have endless silks and satins to wear, and endless delicacies to eat. You will have slaves everywhere, and beautiful wives and concubines in droves."
The high priest was very excited when he heard this. "Thank you, Eagle God. I will go and inform them right away."
Wen Fengxuan added, "The divine eagle doesn't like to see people. After you put your belongings away, close the door and keep quiet. Don't disturb it. If you disturb it, it will get angry and I won't be able to stop it."
The high priest responded repeatedly: "Yes, yes."
Wen Fengxuan said: "Let's get ready."
"yes."
The high priest left in a hurry, and Xie Ningyuan stared at him secretly.
After the high priest spread the news, the savages quickly returned home, busy as a whirlwind. Wen Fengxuan and his entourage started wandering around under the pretext of inspection. The savages initially greeted him, but then they all got so busy moving things that no one paid any attention to him.
So, taking advantage of darkness, the group quietly left the Kusha tribe without disturbing anyone.
He hurried out of the Savage Forest. The horse he had ridden was still there, and his heart instantly settled down.
It was already the next morning when they rode back to the inn. Zhu Song went back to the room and took out the cipher box. Because his wrist was injured, he asked Zhu Lingye to turn the cipher.
"Fourteen, twelve, nine, nine, eight, six"
But he got stuck on the last password. "Only six people died that year, but the password is seven digits."
Wen Fengxuan made a reasonable guess, "The last one is Yi Kangning himself."
Zhu Song knew that the last one was Yi Kangning himself, but the question was when did Yi Kangning set the time of death for himself?
"It can't be fifty-seven. Yi Kangning had already made this cryptex before he was arrested. He wouldn't have anticipated his own death at that time."
Zhu Lingye had a different opinion. "That's not necessarily true. Didn't Abbot Liaoji predict someone's death? If Yi Kangning had also been predicted by someone, he would know that he could only live to 57."
While speaking, Zhu Lingye glanced at Wen Fengxuan. This was a ready-made example.
His words inevitably reminded Zhu Song of Abbot Leji's prediction about Wen Fengxuan. His mood instantly soured, and he replied firmly, "No."
Wen Fengxuan said, "I think what Ling Ye said makes sense. Yi Kangning must have handed over the cipher box before he died. He knew when he would die before he died."
Zhu Song didn't argue too much, "Then give it a try."
Just as Zhu Lingye was about to screw it on, Li Qiutong suddenly asked, "Is there a limit to how many times this cipher can be used?"
Zhu Song said: "Usually there are three chances."
Since there were three chances, there was no need to hesitate. Zhu Lingye turned the last number to fifty-seven.
Everyone held their breath, but nothing happened and the cryptex was not opened.
Zhu Lingye cursed, "It's not fifty-seven."
After a moment of silence, Zhu Song analyzed, "The last code should be the time of Dassault's death, not Yi Kangning."
Yi Kangning was a later replacement identity. When he abandoned Dassault's identity, Dassault died.
Now we need to find out when Dassault replaced Ikoning.
Everyone in the group looked at each other. Zhu Lingye said, "Of course, it must have been when he was six. Yi Kangning was found when he was six."
There are not enough clues to support it, so I can only try them one by one.
But six is not right either.
There were only three chances left, and this was the last one. Zhu Lingye frowned, "This is ridiculous. Even six is not right."
Wen Fengxuan said, "That means he wasn't found right away."
Zhu Song lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before looking at Li Qiutong. "Is there a big difference between four and six years old?"
Li Qiutong replied, "The younger a person's age, the greater the differences in their facial features. There's a big difference between a birth and one or two years old, but the difference gets smaller as time goes on. The difference between a four-year-old and a six-year-old isn't particularly big."
Zhu Song asked, "At least the parents can recognize it?"
Li Qiutong said, "The changes in facial features aren't that big."
Zhu Song had a bold idea. "In fact, Dasuo met the real Yi Kangning as soon as he arrived in Ganning. Yi Kangning was a spoiled young master who died shortly after being raised in such a difficult environment. Dasuo then assumed Yi Kangning's identity, but he didn't go back because his body shape and appearance were very different from Yi Kangning's at that time, so he deliberately waited for two years."
Zhu Lingye disagreed, "What if Yi Kangning lived for a year and died when Dassault was five?"
No one can guarantee that all the people involved are dead.
But Zhu Song trusted his judgment.
Wen Fengxuan also said: "I think it's four years old too."
Zhu Lingye compromised, "Four years old then."
When the combination reached number four, everyone stared at the combination tube intently, not daring to make a sound.
There was a click.
It’s open.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Zhu Lingye gave Zhu Song a thumbs-up and said, "Brother, you're really awesome."
The cryptex was opened, and Zhu Song was in the mood to joke with him, "You're kidding, who am I?"
Zhu Lingye sincerely praised him, "He is the youngest and most capable case-solver in the Dali Temple."
Zhu Song smiled and said, "It sounds good, I like to listen to it, and I will talk more about it."
Zhu Lingye couldn't wait to stare at the inside of the cipher tube, "Take it out and see what's written on it."
Inside the cipher box was a rolled-up piece of white paper tied with a golden thread. The thread was tied into a knot that couldn't be untied, so it was finally cut open with scissors.
Zhu Lingye unfolded the paper and placed it on the table, and everyone gathered around to take a look.
'There are many cabbages growing in the garden. Pick out the best ones, tie them with gold thread, and sell them for a good price.
A tiger has lost its treasure and is crying all the time. Give it some cabbage and it will give you a gift in return.
With the tiger's baby, they finally arrived at the forest.
So many beautiful pleurotus ostreatus mushrooms, so beautiful!
Pick one, pick two, pick three...
Don't worry about picking it, it doesn't matter if you get caught.'
Several people frowned at what they saw, and Zhu Lingye cursed out loud, "Oh my god, another mess of metaphors like this! It's not enough to just write it directly. You have to guess again. It's so annoying."
"It looks like this should be the specific transaction between Yi Kangning and his backers in Beijing." Zhu Song said as he subconsciously looked at Wen Fengxuan, only to see Wen Fengxuan staring straight at the paper, his eyes filled with shock and ecstasy. The strong emotions made his hands tremble uncontrollably.
"Young Master, what's wrong with you?" Zhu Song asked in confusion.
Wen Fengxuan quickly recovered, clenched his fists, and explained in a gentle voice, "Oh, it's nothing. I just thought about what Yi Kangning did in Jizhou and I was quite angry."
Zhu Song had no doubts, "The matter has been completed. I plan to return to Beijing soon."
Wen Fengxuan nodded and said nothing.
Zhu Song said: "But before leaving, we must fulfill the wishes of the Kusha tribe."
Zhu Lingye asked curiously, "Hmm?"
Zhu Song ordered him, "Go inform the authorities and lead the troops to wipe out the Kusha tribe."
Zhu Lingye perked up upon hearing this and stood up impatiently, "I'm willing to do that. I'll lead the troops myself and show them what a true divine army descending from the sky looks like."
Zhu Song warned: "Remember to cover up the traces of the young master."
Zhu Lingye patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."
"Go ahead."
Zhu Lingye turned around and left without saying a word.
Zhu Song said: "You have worked so hard for so long, go back and rest first."
"good."
No one objected and everyone went back to their rooms.
Zhu Song had just laid down when there was a knock on the door. He yawned and asked, "Who is it?"
"I'm Li Qiutong."
Zhu Song stood up and opened the door for him. "What's going on?"
Li Qiutong replied, "It's time to change the medicine."
"Thank you for your hard work." Zhu Song stepped aside.
Zhu Song sat on the chair while Li Qiutong changed the bandage on his wrist. Zhu Song's gaze naturally fell on Li Qiutong's face.
She really looks like Su Li.
Zhu Song couldn't help but recall the scene when Su Li treated his calf in Jizhou before. It was exactly the same.
Zhu Song asked curiously, "Do you have any brothers at home?"
Li Qiutong replied, "I entered the palace when I was young, so I don't remember."
Zhu Song asked, "Who taught you medical skills?"
Li Qiutong replied, "No one taught me. The young master was in poor health and there was no imperial physician to treat him. To survive, I stole a few medical books and learned by trial and error."
Li Qiuting said these words without changing her expression, as if she was talking about someone else's business, but Zhu Song felt extremely distressed and was in no mood to ask anything else for a while.
Whether he is Su Li’s brother or not is not that important.
I slept until the next morning, and all the fatigue in my body was gone, and I felt refreshed. When I went out, I saw Zhu Lingye sitting in the lobby downstairs eating, with a group of yamen runners beside him, praising him vigorously. Zhu Lingye was as proud as a giraffe, his neck almost stretched to the sky.
Zhu Song went downstairs, and Zhu Lingye called him, "Brother."
The yamen runners came over and started praising Zhu Song again. Zhu Song raised his hand to interrupt their flattery and asked Zhu Lingye, "What's going on?"
Zhu Lingye replied confidently, "I took them to the Kusha tribe. I stunned the high priest with a single arrow. They were so impressed by my heroic spirit that they insisted on following me."
Zhu Song ordered them to leave and said to the yamen runners, "Now that this matter is settled, you can all go back."
The yamen runners looked embarrassed. Zhu Song saw that there was something hidden. "Tell me, what's going on?"
The yamen runners replied, "The magistrate asked us to ask Lord Zhu what to do with the people we captured."
Zhu Lingye retracted his neck and asked in disbelief, "Is this what you came for?"
The yamen runners shrank their necks and remained silent. Zhu Song asked, "Where is the magistrate?"
Zhu Lingye took over and replied, "I fell off my horse and had my bones fixed."
Zhu Song frowned and said to the yamen runners, "If you have no ideas, please write a letter to the prefect, the governor, or the governor-general."
The yamen runners looked at each other in bewilderment. Zhu Song knew they were worried about failing to complete their mission. "Just say it was me who said it. If he has any objections, tell him to come to me."
The bailiffs then thanked him and left.
Zhu Lingye looked at their backs and sighed.
Zhu Song didn't give him time to grieve over the passing of time. "Get ready and return to Beijing early tomorrow morning."
Zhu Lingye was a little surprised. "So soon? Didn't you ask the magistrate to come and question you? I think he fell so badly. I don't think he can even leave the clinic today."
Zhu Song looked at him as if he was a fool. Zhu Lingye was a little uncertain, "Are you lying to them again?"
Thinking that he was his brother after all, Zhu Song patiently explained to him, "Sacrificing a living person and murdering an important official are both serious crimes punishable by extermination of the entire clan. However, there are so many people in the Kusha tribe, and the county magistrate would naturally submit a petition to the prefect if he couldn't make up his mind. However, this matter has passed through our hands, so he's only asking us out of courtesy."
"oh."
Seeing that Zhu Lingye seemed to understand but not quite, it didn’t matter since Zhu Song had already explained it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
