Old Ma and An Moxue were talking about the Nalan family.
An Moxue discovered that whenever the Nalan family was mentioned, Old Ma always had endless things to say, recounting the Nalan family's glory, their loyalty and bravery, and their tragic fate.
An Moxue listened intently, realizing how wise her ancestors were. Compared to them, she was just a tiny shrimp, not even a small fish, which was truly pathetic.
Engrossed in the conversation, An Moxue thought of the shaman high priest and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Uncle Ma, do you know anything about the shaman high priest?"
Why did you suddenly ask that?
"It was during the winter fishing season that I saw the sacrificial ceremony organized by the town, and that's when I thought of asking about it."
"Remember, don't tell anyone or ask anyone about this outside."
"Why?"
"What is said without malice may be taken to heart by the listener, easily leading to trouble."
"Oh! That's what I was asking you, sir."
"This isn't a secret, but there are many things that can't be told to outsiders, things only family members know, like the Nalan family's ancestral graves. Do you understand? Oh, I forgot to ask, have you ever been to the ancestral graves?"
An Moxue nodded and said, "I'm going."
"They're inside?"
"Yes, they're inside."
"Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine, don't worry! The graves are all in good condition, and I've filled each one with fresh soil."
When did you go?
"We haven't been here for very long."
"As expected, the legend is true. Only those of the Nalan family bloodline can enter. You've fulfilled your mother's unfulfilled wish."
"Uncle Ma, you really haven't been there all these years?"
“We went there, but once we got to that black pine forest, it was gone. We couldn’t find the cemetery.”
"Can't you see the lake?"
"No, when you get there, there's a large area that's like a ghost wall, you can't go in, but you can come out by turning around and walking back."
"Oh, I see!"
"Keep this to yourself, don't tell anyone."
"So this is what happens when you go there? Has no one ever suspected anything? I've never heard anyone in the village mention this."
"Firstly, the locals believe in the supernatural phenomenon of being trapped in a maze. Secondly, this place has been around for a long time, and no one can say when it started. It seems to have been like this from the beginning, and it gradually became a taboo known to the locals. They generally don't tell outsiders for fear of incurring the wrath of the spirits. Although now we say we're destroying the Four Olds and not allowing superstition, how can we stop things passed down from our ancestors? A lot of things are done secretly, as long as outsiders don't know about them, that's all that matters."
"But you haven't mentioned the High Priest yet!"
"I don't know much about this either, just some unimportant information. I only know that the Nalan family had several very powerful priests in their ancestors, but I don't know exactly how powerful they were. This thing, I think, is like our ancient martial arts, mysterious and powerful. I think it exists."
"Didn't they exist by my maternal grandfather's generation?"
"No, there are only the ancestors and guardian spirits worshipped. So I don't know much about them."
An Moxue thought that perhaps there were some things that only the core members of the family knew.
"Do you think the things that the foreign enemies were looking for back then are the same things that the group of tomb raiders were looking for this year?"
"It's hard to say. There are too many mysterious things about this land that can't be explained. Who knows if they're looking for treasure or something else, but their ambitions are certainly not small."
"Uncle Ma, why do you think those people arrested me?"
"It all comes down to profit. As long as you don't give up, you'll eventually find clues and catch the mastermind. But you must protect yourself during this time; they might become increasingly reckless. Since ancient times, wealth has been a powerful motivator, and profit can drive people mad. Your future path will be difficult, so you must persevere!"
"Uncle Ma, I will."
"Did no one give you a hard time in Kyoto this time?"
"It's alright, the one who made things difficult for me was sent to the Northwest by me."
An Moxue wanted to tell Old Ma the whole story of her mother's mission several times, but in the end she didn't. One reason was that she was afraid of upsetting the old man, and another was that she wasn't sure if the incident was accidental or orchestrated.
"Have lunch here this afternoon! Your aunt is making soup dumplings tonight. Your mother loved them when she was little. Your grandfather used to tease her, saying that she didn't like fine grains and meat, but only liked these coarse grains. You probably haven't tried this before. It's a special kind of noodle dish from northern China, made from corn. Try it and see if you like it."
"Sure! Is it good?"
"You'll only know after you try it. The medicine won't affect you!" Old Ma said irritably.
An Moxue glanced at her watch and asked, "Is my aunt coming back soon? It's already 1:30."
"Okay, I'll definitely be back before 2 o'clock."
"Uncle Ma, it's been half a day already. Get up and stretch your muscles; your legs must be stiff." Without waiting for a reply, she pulled Old Ma up by the head.
"Ouch! Ouch! You little rascal, slow down! These old bones of mine! It's not like I can't get up."
"Give me a break! You've been busy ever since I arrived, I haven't seen you take a single break. How old are you? Don't you have any self-awareness?"
"Oh my, Mo Xue is back!" The sound of the kitchen door opening came from the kitchen, followed by Aunt Ma's voice.
"Yes! Auntie, I've missed you so much." An Moxue let go of the old horse's head and walked towards the door.
Old Ma muttered to himself, "I can't afford to mess with one, and now another one's come back. Forget it, I'm not doing this today."
An Moxue turned around and asked, "Uncle Ma, what did you say?"
Old Ma said, "I was thinking that now that your aunt is back, I should ask her if the noodles she made this morning are enough for the three of us."
At this moment, Aunt Ma came into the house and said, "That's enough, how could it not be enough! Why did you weave so much again? Didn't I tell you not to keep weaving? Why didn't you listen! It's clear that your joints are better this winter, right? Your legs and feet aren't so uncomfortable anymore, right?"
"No, it's much faster with Mo Xue's help. Look, I'm out of ideas now!" He said, giving An Mo Xue a wink.
An Moxue ignored him and began to complain to Aunt Ma: "Auntie, my Uncle Ma is lying to you. He just got up, and I had to drag him up."
"Hey! Hey!! What's wrong with you, girl? Don't eat at my house, go home! Why are you stirring things up!"
An Moxue took Aunt Ma's arm and asked, "Auntie, will you let me stay for dinner?"
"They absolutely have to stay! As for that old geezer, he can go wherever he wants! Mo Xue, when did you get back?"
"How have things been these past few days?"
"It's fine, Auntie."
"What do you mean, 'good'? It's freezing cold, it's not that easy to go out. You're just lying to your auntie."
"Oh my, Auntie, you're so clever! You didn't fool me. That's why I came to find you as soon as I got back. Auntie, my uncle said you'd make something I've never tried before, so I can broaden my horizons."
Aunt Ma led An Moxue to sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). Seeing the package box on the kang, she said, "It's nothing fancy, but it's fine as long as you don't mind. It's good that you're back safe and sound. Why waste money on these useless pastries! They must be quite expensive!"
"Auntie, it's not expensive, it's just a small amount. Besides, it's so far away, I can't return it!"
Aunt Ma's eyes were filled with helplessness and joy.
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