Chapter 74 Listening to cicadas is sometimes a bit too much... an addiction...
"It must be the work of ghosts! We can't go any further!"
The middle-aged man said with certainty.
The chirping of cicadas echoed through the mountains and forests. Several people gathered in the pavilion, sometimes whispering and sometimes looking up into the distance. The middle-aged man, as the leader of the group, stepped forward and summarized their views.
Jiang Geyun neither confirmed nor denied it.
She left the pavilion and took a few steps toward the distance where everyone's attention was focused.
Seeing her move forward, the middle-aged man seemed to feel a sense of dread, and immediately took a few steps back. After thinking for a moment, he didn't move his leg, but loudly reminded her, "Sir, please be careful."
Jiang Geyun did not respond. She steadied herself against a nearby tree and observed the situation carefully.
She was standing on the edge of a cliff, no, strictly speaking, she was still three to five meters away from the actual edge. She was still holding onto something. The scene before her was far different from her experience at Bailong Temple that day.
Lianzhou is a really nice place, with beautiful mountains and clear waters.
After the wedding, she did not leave Mirror Lake, but stayed temporarily at the Cheng family's main residence, intending to resolve the backlog of issues before making any further plans.
However, not returning to Beijing does not mean she can escape from her work.
Generally speaking, not all suspicious matters are handled by the Night Watchers. The Night Watchers are a rare elite force in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, and they certainly wouldn't be mobilized at the slightest sign of trouble.
The White-Clad Ghost case was caused by the involvement of a human life, and after a preliminary investigation, it was confirmed that an evil spirit was at play. Therefore, the Xuandu Supervisor assigned the Zhenyi Division to suppress it. Now, Jiang Geyun, who is staying at Mirror Lake, needs to do that "preliminary investigation".
However, if there are any problems, she needs to address them as well.
Zheng Yi was "very considerate" of his subordinates, allowing the Xuandu Supervisors stationed here to take a good vacation during this "opportunity," and all matters arising therefrom were to be handled by Jiang Geyun.
Is this what happens when you take leave for your wedding...?
Jiang Geyun remained silent.
She wasn't averse to these jobs; on the contrary, she was quite happy to do them.
Collecting and reviewing various reports from the public every day that seemed to involve ghosts or spirits gave her a clearer understanding of the concept of Night Angels, broadened her horizons, and increased her experience in dealing with people.
However, things that are truly backed by mysterious forces are ultimately only a minority.
The same applies to the current situation.
Jiang Geyun turned around, and several people in the pavilion were watching her nervously.
The person who reported the incident claimed that there was a ghost in the area seeking a substitute.
It is said that people passing through this area sometimes have their belongings swept away by the mountain winds. If the items fall directly off the cliff, the person would certainly not risk their life to retrieve them. However, many times there seems to be no danger at all, and the items are clearly placed some distance away from the cliff.
—Just like where Jiang Geyun is standing now.
However, at this distance where accidents should have been absolutely impossible, someone still encountered an accident.
Survivors described the experience with lingering fear: the hat that was right in front of them suddenly became extremely far away, and the seemingly distant cliff suddenly became much closer. For a moment, it felt as if something was pulling them back.
There's no mistake, it must be the person who fell off the cliff looking for a scapegoat, just like the water ghost, who can only be freed by dragging the person down. The mountain wind may not be a real mountain wind either, it must be the work of a ghost!
After noon, it wasn't so hot anymore. The few people in the pavilion were by no means delicate or afraid of the sun; in fact, they usually had to deal with the sun quite often. The main reason they were gathered in the pavilion was because they were afraid of it.
It is human nature to feel fear about the unknown.
Jiang Geyun smiled, turned around, and returned to the pavilion.
Everyone's eyes followed her back, nervously waiting for the official to deliver her "sentence."
Jiang Geyun said, "I've figured it out. There are no ghosts or monsters here."
The group exchanged glances, their eyes still lingering with suspicion.
Jiang Geyun certainly wouldn't leave after saying that. She continued to patiently explain, "The terrain here is complex, and with the influence of fog and sunlight, it's not uncommon for people to misjudge distances. Plus, the geological structure at the edge of the cliff isn't very stable..."
She thought for a moment and then changed her words, saying, "The soil on the edge of the cliff is relatively loose, and there have been rockfalls and landslides in the past, right?"
Everyone nodded.
She said, "The word spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, which is how the saying 'scapegoat' came about, but that's not actually the case."
People will summarize their experiences with danger. Even if Jiang Geyun didn't come to explain today, people will try to avoid this cliff in the future. It's just that people don't know the reason behind it, and as it is passed around, it only increases other panic.
In this world, panic is a real and dangerous thing that can lead to strange occurrences. Therefore, she had to explain things clearly and calm everyone down.
Despite the explanation, the people in the pavilion looked at each other, their fear undiminished.
The middle-aged man said, "Well, sir, it's not that we don't trust you... but, alas, this road is still too eerie. We all think it's best to seal it off... Is there any other sir who can come and take another look?"
He rubbed his hands together, a hint of embarrassment in his eyes. He felt that this adult was probably not very capable, looked quite young, and was a girl...
Hearing him say that it would be better to seal it off, someone in the pavilion looked displeased, but the situation was beyond their control. She was also very worried about the evil thing, so she didn't say anything in the end.
Jiang Geyun calmly said, "I haven't finished speaking yet, why jump to conclusions so early?"
The middle-aged man was stunned.
Jiang Geyun slowly said, "This has never happened before, but as you all have said, this place is indeed filled with evil spirits, which can easily breed ghosts and monsters. Please help me fetch some things so I can perform a ritual to suppress this place."
Before the middle-aged man could answer, many people in the pavilion were intrigued and hurriedly asked Jiang Geyun what she needed.
Jiang Geyun casually made up some things that were easy to obtain and not too expensive, such as cinnabar and honey. Upon hearing this, the people in the pavilion volunteered, saying that they had one of these items at home and could fetch it right away. The group divided the items and went down the mountain full of anticipation.
Only the middle-aged man hesitated for a long time; while everyone else had left the pavilion, he remained motionless.
Jiang Geyun suddenly asked, "I've heard that your family runs an inn, is that true?"
The middle-aged man's heart tightened, and he replied, "Yes, yes, sir. If you have time, I will be happy to have tea and wine with you anytime."
Jiang Geyun did not respond to these words, but gave a faint smile.
The middle-aged man felt that the cicadas were chirping louder than before, and the afternoon temperature seemed to have risen as well, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.
“This road was originally built by the villagers themselves. Later, even the imperial court only made minor repairs without making many changes,” Jiang Geyun sighed. “After all, people will always choose the path that is most suitable for them. Forcing a change in will is meaningless, don’t you think?”
The middle-aged man was filled with unease, unsure whether the woman before him knew his thoughts. Upon hearing her question, he hesitated for a moment before replying, "You're right, sir!"
Jiang Geyun continued, "Even if a new road is opened, it may not be as people wish. Cutting off the business of the shops on this road and transferring it to the shops on the new road will inevitably cause enmity between the two sides. Even if there are no cliff ghosts on the new road, it is hard to say whether there will be other ghosts in the future. What do you think?"
The middle-aged man understood Jiang Geyun's implication. He stammered a few words, unable to say anything coherent, and only said that he was going to go home to get some things before leaving in a hurry.
...
Since things have come to this point, any further actions should be left to the magistrate here to handle.
Although this county magistrate will most likely be replaced.
With everyone gone, Jiang Geyun was happy to have some peace and quiet. She sat alone on the edge of the pavilion, enjoying the breeze and the lush green mountains.
From the start of wedding preparations, Cheng Xi's concern for her became increasingly...close.
She had thought that Cheng Xi would gently let her "rest" a little longer in the mansion, even if she wasn't really willing.
During those kinds of things, aside from knowing she was genuinely tired, her feigned exhaustion would only elicit a gentle peck at her ear as he whispered, "Just a little longer, okay?" When she finally agreed, and then couldn't hold back any longer under his ministrations, he wouldn't change his position. He would simply remain in the same place, whispering, "Geyun did a great job. Isn't it over already? Is it really not okay?"
It's really...
Jiang Geyun rubbed her face to make sure her temperature was still within the normal range.
Based on this experience, she was prepared to remain steadfast as the Night Watcher no matter what, and even thought about how she would deal with him if he used the same tactics of retreating to advance and taking advantage of her.
To her surprise, Cheng Xi agreed without any apparent change in expression. When she expressed her astonishment, he politely said things like, "How could I possibly restrict my wife's freedom?"
Jiang Geyun traced the jade pendant of the Night-Shining Envoy hanging by her hand, pondering to herself.
Actually, he's just a little too... obsessed with certain things. He'll give a good answer to such important issues, won't he?
A gust of wind blowing in one direction was mixed in with a gust of wind blowing in a different direction.
The noise level is extremely low.
Jiang Geyun's hand, which was caressing the jade pendant, did not stop, as if she was completely unaware.
...
After a while, the people who came down the mountain returned one after another. These people did not have any special abilities or bodies that had undergone special tempering, yet they still had such physical strength, which made Jiang Geyun admire them greatly.
After most of the people had returned, Jiang Geyun took a few things and mixed cinnabar with honey, white wine, and other substances to make some "ink" that she herself didn't know how to describe. She then drew some talismans with protective effects.
After finishing the talisman, she performed a show in front of everyone, where the talisman rose up without wind, was guided by a strange beam of light, automatically arranged in the air, shone brightly, and then disappeared after a few seconds, leaving everyone stunned.
Of course, Jiang Geyun did not forget the most crucial thing.
She drew a line with the talisman along a row of trees on the cliff edge, warning everyone not to step behind the line, and to remember it.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Once all the matters had been settled, the middle-aged man's expression returned to normal, as if he had let go of his ulterior motives and stopped saying anything instigating others. The sky was gradually darkening.
After bidding farewell to Jiang Geyun, the group descended the mountain in twos and threes.
Jiang Geyun watched everyone leave.
The sky was painted with a rich tapestry of colors, the cicadas' chirping gradually subsided, and the green of the surrounding trees slowly deepened from clear to lush. In the distance, wisps of smoke rose straight up from the foot of the mountain.
Jiang Geyun rested alone in the pavilion for a while.
After resting for a while, she got up and prepared to go down the mountain to go home.
However, whether it was due to a sudden gust of wind or being caught by the overgrown vegetation, the jade pendant at her waist rose in an arc and floated down... outside the line restricted by the talisman.
These lines were drawn by her own hand; she understands the underlying principles best.
Without hesitation, Jiang Geyun deftly stepped over the restriction and walked towards the jade pendant on the ground.
She bent down and picked up the jade pendant from the soft soil.
Suddenly, the soil beneath her feet loosened, reaching right up to where she was!
Jiang Geyun looked alarmed and exclaimed!
Before she could react, her clothes fluttered as she plummeted straight down the cliff, her back to the bottom.
Just before she fell, a familiar figure appeared and suddenly grabbed Jiang Geyun.
The person suddenly appeared, standing at the edge of the spell formation, and firmly grabbed Jiang Geyun's arm, trying to pull her back.
After exerting enough force to pull her, the person found that Jiang Geyun was not pulled, but instead, he was grabbed by her.
The person paused for a few seconds and struggled symbolically.
Seeing that she couldn't pull it, she wisely gave up.
The wind was strong at the edge of the cliff, blowing Jiang Geyun's hair and clothes wildly. The rosy light fell on her, gilding her silhouette and revealing an unspoken holiness.
She smiled and said, "Long time no see, Clerk Zhang."
"—Why did you come to Mirror Lake?"
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Author's note: Sister Zhang is just a very conscientious worker, don't make fun of her.
Also: The previous chapter was taken down by the censors in a flash. Seeing the red lock for the first time startled me. I managed to fix it, but I didn't change anything crucial, as long as the adults can understand… And this chapter is so subtle, I hope it won't be taken down! (And since I'm a little late, this chapter also has a red envelope [gold ingot]).
Youyou: It'll definitely be there tomorrow! We're almost at the plot point!!
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