Chapter 60060 Yunshui River Prequel: To Save or Not to Save...
I regretted it the moment I said it. Transformation is no simple matter. Nezha showed no interest in this at all. After informing us of our return to the past, he was about to return to Heaven. After all, he still held the position of Marshal of the Three Altars in Heaven, so he couldn't stay with us in the mortal realm forever.
"I'll come back someday when I have a day off." He nodded at us and then rode off on his hot wheels. He came and went so quickly.
Lady Yunshui looked at Nezha as he left, her face filled with longing. "Is this the righteous god of heaven?"
I asked her curiously, "Haven't you seen him?" Doesn't Nezha visit the human world from time to time? And Yunshui River is right next to Baihu Ridge. It makes no sense that he hasn't seen him, right?
Niangniang Yunshui shook her head and asked me, "Who is he? Come to think of it, they look almost exactly the same..." She looked at Xiaolianhua, with doubts growing in her eyes.
I glanced at Little Lotus, then said to Lady Yunshui, "They are all Nezha."
Little Lotus sat on the shore with her legs bent. After hearing what I said, she picked up a stone and threw it into the Yunshui River.
Lady Yunshui was very confused, "Are they all Nezha?"
I nodded. "It's a little complicated, but it's not important. What's important is you."
"Me?" Lady Yunshui tilted her head.
"Yes, we are here for you."
After all, this isn't an infinite dungeon; there are no instructions or completion requirements. The so-called appeasement of Ah Mei's grievances is just our own assumption, so we'll just act on instinct. Since Yunshui Niangniang is the source of everything, it's the most appropriate place to start. And doesn't this also coincide with the goal of appeasing Ah Mei's grievances?
The confusion in Yunshui Niangniang's eyes deepened. I patiently told her that we came from the future and told her what happened in Yunshui River in the future.
Her face was filled with astonishment. "Is it... so?"
She believed it, really believed it!
Although I tried to make my words more truthful in order to make her believe me, I felt very uneasy when I saw that she believed me without even a doubt.
"I remember it was around the end of June in the year of Renyin..." The time written on the diary found in the temple was the year of Renyin, but I actually don't know which month it happened. The diary was not detailed, and some of the handwriting had become blurred because too much time had passed. Therefore, I don't know the exact time when Yunshui Niangniang died.
Lady Yunshui murmured, "This year is the Year of the Tiger, and it's already April."
At this time, Little Lotus said, "If my estimate is correct, Lord Plague should be here soon..."
"Yes, it should have started in May." It might have been even earlier. Once a large-scale epidemic occurs, it means that people have already been infected.
Little Lotus looked at Lady Yunshui and asked a pointed question: "Now that you know your own fate, will you save Yunshui Village or not?"
A look of surprise flashed across Lady Yunshui's face.
She hesitated, and I felt relieved. That's great. Even after hesitating, she wasn't that saintly!
"Speaking of which, what's your name? They call you Lady Yunshui, but Lady Yunshui shouldn't be your real name, right?"
Lady Yunshui thought for a moment, then said sheepishly, "Maybe not."
"Maybe not? What does that mean now?"
Even I, who have lost my memory of my past life, know that my name is A Yu.
Lady Yunshui cast her gaze upon the shimmering river, her voice as gentle as a breeze: "I was born with spiritual wisdom, but like a blank slate, my earliest memories begin with this Yunshui River. The villagers call me Lady Yunshui, so I took it as my name. Perhaps I had a name before I even gained spiritual wisdom."
After hearing her words, I suddenly understood. I'd been reborn as a small carp, carrying the memories of my past life. Though I'd forgotten many things, my name seemed etched in my bones, unforgettable. But she was different. Born with spiritual intelligence, no one had ever given her a name. It was simply because of this Yunshui River that the villagers later called her Yunshui Niangniang.
I couldn't help but feel thankful that I still remembered my name. It seemed that as long as I still called it by that name, I would still be the same Ah Yu.
——Even if he is no longer a human being.
It’s just inconvenient without a name.
I looked at Lady Yunshui and asked, "Would you like to give yourself a name? I think your life shouldn't be limited to the Yunshui River."
She didn't answer me, so I moved closer, gazing into the sparkle in her eyes. She seemed a little surprised that I was so close to her, tilting her head slightly, her cheeks flushed. "I, I can't read."
I smiled and said, "It's okay, I can teach you. Once you can read, you can give yourself a name."
During the Shang Dynasty, I was illiterate. After all, I didn't understand oracle bone script or bronze inscriptions. But now, traditional Chinese characters are no problem. And even if I really can't recognize something, I still have Little Lotus.
etc……
My face changed, and I suddenly thought of something very important, which concerned Xiao Lianhua.
Thinking about it, he immediately stood up, pulled the little lotus who was playing with stones aside, and asked seriously: "Can you read?"
When Little Lotus heard this, he couldn't help but sneer. He placed his hands on the top of my head, bent down slightly, and looked at me at eye level. "I can read, of course. How could you ask such a question?"
"I'm talking about now."
Little Lotus came from the time after the fall of the Shang Dynasty. Can she still understand the current text?
His hand paused slightly, curling his fingers awkwardly, then he put them to the tip of his nose and coughed softly, as if to hide something.
I understood it just by looking at his expression.
I smiled and patted his shoulder, "Let's learn to read together."
…
We were going to the Hexian Temple, and before we left, I reminded the Goddess of Cloud and Water that if anyone came asking for medicine, we should not give it to them yet.
She nodded with a complicated expression, perhaps not understanding why the villagers would repay kindness with enmity.
As night fell and the stars began to appear, Little Lotus and I walked along the winding path towards the Hexian Temple again.
The day's bustle had died down, leaving only the chirping of insects and the rustling of wind. As we approached the temple, a faint, almost intangible aroma gradually filled the air.
The Ha Tien Temple stood alone in the night, even more silent and desolate than during the day. The temple door was ajar, letting in a faint, flickering glow. We pushed it open and entered, its creaking sound resonating distinctly in the empty courtyard.
The temple was indeed empty, save for the statue of Goddess Yunshui, which stood silently within. Her face appeared even softer and more compassionate in the dim light, her eyes cast downward, as if gazing intently at the thin wisp of smoke rising from the incense burner below.
"In fact, she doesn't look like Goddess Yunshui at all." I said, looking at the face of the statue.
The incense burner was made of copper and had a simple style. It was quietly placed in the center of the altar in front of the statue.
Inside the censer, three incense sticks burned quietly. A dark red light flickered from their tips, and wisps of green smoke rose, initially straight, rising to mid-air before being carried by a gentle breeze and slowly dispersing, like a transparent veil, blending into the dimness of the hall.
The incense smelled pure and soothing, like a natural incense, completely different from the strong smoke of the villagers who might burn it during the day. The area around the incense burner was clean and tidy, and it was obvious that someone was taking good care of it every day.
Is that you, brother?
I saw you coming out of the woodshed before. Maybe you work here?
Suddenly, I heard the sound of light footsteps behind me, interrupting my thoughts. A young man in a neat grey cloth came out from the back of the hall, holding a clean, soft cloth in his hand.
It’s indeed my brother.
My brother at this moment was no different from the one I remembered. He was probably in his early twenties, with delicate features, and a gentle expression with a hint of barely perceptible melancholy. When he saw us, he was obviously stunned for a moment, and then showed some wariness.
"Who are you?" He paused, questioningly, his voice gentle. "It's getting late, and the temple should be closed. I wonder if there's anything you two need that brings you here at this hour?"
His eyes moved between us, and when he saw me, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
I quickly stepped forward and explained, "We came here during the day and have great respect for the Empress. With nothing to do this evening, we thought we'd come back to calm down. Please forgive me for any intrusion." I glanced at the cloth in his hand. "Your Excellency is..."
The man relaxed a little, put the soft cloth on his arm, and nodded slightly: "I am the temple priest of this Hexian Temple, you can call me Yunqiao." His tone was calm, "Since you are here to meditate, please do as you please. Just don't disturb the queen's peace." As he spoke, his eyes unconsciously drifted to the incense burner, and he was relieved to confirm that the incense was burning normally.
Yun Qiao...
It turns out my brother's name is Yun Qiao...
Before in Shanhe Sheji Tu, I never paid attention to his name and always called him "Brother".
Little Lotus quietly looked at my brother, then at the incense burner, and suddenly said to me in a low voice without thinking, "This incense burns very purely, he must be a wise man."
Yun Qiao seemed to have heard what Xiao Lianhua said. He glanced sideways, and there was a bit more inquiry in his eyes when he looked at Xiao Lianhua. But he didn't ask any more questions in the end. He just walked to the incense burner silently and gently wiped the non-existent dust on the edge of the incense burner with the soft cloth. His movements were gentle and focused, as if he was taking care of an extremely precious treasure.
No one spoke in the hall for a moment. Only the three incense sticks were still burning quietly, and the green smoke curled up and slowly flowed between the three of us under the compassionate gaze of the statue.
I can't help but wonder, what is the relationship between Yun Qiao and Lady Yunshui?
"Does everyone in Yunshui Village have the surname Yun?" Little Lotus suddenly asked.
Yun Qiao put away the soft cloth and nodded, "Of course. Yunshui Village was built along the Yunshui River, so naturally everyone has the surname Yun." This surname comes from the Yunshui River.
"I see." Little Lotus nodded, then looked at the sky and said, "It's getting late now. I wonder if there's any place to stay in the temple? It's not good to always disturb the Empress, don't you think?"
I looked at the little lotus in surprise.
Yun Qiao frowned slightly, but the hesitation soon disappeared from his eyes and his expression returned to normal. "There is a wing room, but..." He paused, his eyes moving between the two of us, his tone filled with some consideration and embarrassment.
Upon hearing this, Little Lotus, standing beside him, curled up the corners of her lips into a faint smile. The red mole between his eyebrows stood out in the dim candlelight of the temple, making his already handsome face even more striking.
"It's okay, we can just stay in one room."
Yun Qiao did not ask what our relationship was. He took us to the wing room of Hexian Temple with a subtle expression.
There was only a bed, a table, and a wardrobe in the wing room, not even a chair. The furniture was old and covered with a layer of white dust, obviously it had not been cleaned for many days.
Yun Qiao said, "No one has stayed here for several days, so it hasn't been cleaned yet. Please make do with it."
"No problem."
Yun Qiao nodded, "Then you two should have a good rest tonight."
After saying that, he left with the lantern.
Xiao Lianhua waved her hand, and the furniture in the house looked brand new, and the entire room was tidied up.
"What are you thinking about?"
Little Lotus waved her hands in front of me.
I came back to my senses and shook my head, "I'm just curious about his relationship with Lady Yunshui."
Brother and sister.
Yun Qiao and Lady Yunshui.
Speaking of which, is Yun Qiao really my brother? Or maybe they just look alike?
"What's there to worry about? You'll know when the time comes. Now just take a good rest."
"Yeah." I just responded when I remembered that there was only one bed in the room.
Hmm? How do you sleep?
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