Chapter 10 A Century-Old Grudge: Suspicion Over True Identity - Jiang Yu's Thoughts Growing More and More...
Jiang Yu felt something was wrong the more he thought about it. How could Ye Zi's wedding and funeral rites be completely reversed!
He was just about to go find Lianxi and Liu Taohua when he saw the two of them come out of their respective rooms. Lianxi looked at Liu Taohua and said, "Taohua, good morning."
Liu Taohua smiled and said, "Lianxi, good morning."
Jiang Yu was anxious and had no time for their early morning greetings. He hurriedly stepped forward, grabbed one of them with each hand, and went into Lianxi's room.
Liu Taohua was puzzled by the tugging and said, "What's wrong with you so early in the morning? Did you see a ghost?"
Jiang Yu was shocked and exclaimed, "It's a ghost!!!"
Lianxi asked, "What happened?"
The three sat down at the table, and Jiang Yu said, "As far as I know, the wedding and funeral rites of Yezi follow the principle of 'weddings in the daytime, with colorful clothes and smiles, funerals at midnight, without smiles.' But last night, that procession was solemn, wearing white headscarves, they were having a wedding. And I just saw another procession, dressed in colorful clothes, they were having a funeral! Isn't this reversal of yin and yang rites strange?"
Lianxi poured Liu Taohua a glass of water and said, "When we arrived, the owner of the inn with the wine shop warned us not to be blinded by the scenery of Yezi. Yezi is beautiful, but with the Three Ghosts Forest before us, what is so surprising about this?"
These words reminded Liu Taohua, who said, "Those two female shop owners might be Yezi people."
Lianxi smiled, took a sip from the cup in her hand, and said nothing.
Jiang Yu asked in confusion, "You're saying they're Yezi people?"
Liu Taohua took a sip and explained, "When I returned to my room last night, I smelled a strange fragrance. I also smelled it in a guest room at a tavern, but it wasn't a fragrance."
I took the opportunity to inquire and learned that Yezi had a rule: "Incense must be lit when guests arrive, and incense must also be lit when people travel far away." The meaning of lighting incense was to ensure that travelers would not forget their homeland and that guests would not forget Yezi.
“But the most crucial point…” Liu Taohua looked at the Noba on her left hand and said, “Every Nightz person has a unique Noba on their forehead as a symbol of identity, and the sand grass used to draw the Noba has a fragrance that lasts for years. Those two female shopkeepers didn’t have Noba on their foreheads, but they had the scent of sand grass on their bodies. I think they probably covered up the Noba to hide their identities, but this fragrance seeps into their bodies over time and is difficult to dissipate.”
Lianxi poured Liu Taohua another glass of water and said with a smile, "Taohua is quite observant."
Liu Taohua understood, but wasn't surprised, saying, "You already knew, didn't you?"
Jiang Yu glanced at the two of them, feeling indignant, and said, "How do you know everything!"
Lianxi said, "It's understandable that you're so concerned that you don't notice things."
Liu Taohua said, "Back when you talked about the wedding and funeral rites of Yezi, I felt that you seemed to know a lot about Yezi, but also seemed to be a stranger to it. Your concern makes you confused, could you perhaps be a Yezi person?"
Jiang Yu felt unfamiliar with the place, because the Ye Zi he knew was the Ye Zi of the past, not the Ye Zi of today.
Jiang Yu coughed awkwardly and said, "I am not a Yezi person, but I once had an old friend here."
Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Liu Taohua didn't ask any further questions, but instead asked, "Do you know when Yezi started to become like this?"
Lianxi said, "It started after the death of Mei Ling, the saintess who was to be removed from the list."
Liu Taohua asked, "Did she do anything that would harm Yezi?"
Lianxi said, "No. On the contrary, she is deeply loved by the people and her good name is widely known."
Legend has it that over a hundred years ago, Mei Ling was born on a clear morning in late autumn or early winter. From the moment of her birth, she was chosen as the Holy Maiden by the then-King of Yezi. Mei Ling was exceptionally intelligent, possessed high comprehension, and had a pure and noble heart, making her the perfect candidate for Holy Maiden. During her reign, she inherited the will of her ancestors, strengthening communication and exchanges between Yezi and the outside world, prioritizing Yezi in all matters, and showing respect to the monarch and the people. Among her many achievements, the most important was promoting peace and cessation of hostilities among the Hegutai tribe, one of the four major tribes located in the desert alongside Yezi.
The Hegutai tribe had lived for generations in the desert mountains, a hundred miles away from Yezi. The tribe members were skilled falconers. Seven hundred years ago, during the great calamity, the Hegutai survived the desert floods and became the undisputed rulers of the desert. Their position was only shaken by the arrival of Yezi.
The place where Yez now resides was an extremely barren desert a hundred years ago. Although there were oases, the surrounding area was often plagued by shifting sands and evil winds, making it a no-man's-land that no one dared to set foot in. Although there were no Hegutai people stationed there, they firmly believed that they were the masters of the desert and that Yez were foreign invaders.
The Khagutai people were tall, strong, and fierce warriors. Eagles and snakes were natural enemies, and the Khagutai chieftain at the time, unable to tolerate outsiders challenging their position, instigated a conflict. The question of ownership of unclaimed land became the root of the enmity between the two tribes, lasting for over six hundred years. The two tribes also developed into the later kingdoms of Yezi and Khagutai amidst the conflict.
During this period, there were many attempts by people from both countries to end the war and make peace, but these efforts always came to nothing. Although relations between the two countries improved somewhat later, they were never truly resolved. Later still, the ancient Central Plains kingdom of Wumu, which bordered the desert, once launched a military campaign to conquer all the desert kingdoms in one fell swoop. It was only after Yezi and Hegutai joined forces to resist the enemy and destroy Wumu that a brief period of peace was ushered in.
However, the two countries' beliefs were inherently antagonistic, and their differing ideologies prevented them from achieving true peace. By the time of Mei Ling's generation, she had become friends with Chi He, the crown prince of He Gu Tai. Chi He had traveled extensively since childhood, possessed a broad mind, and shared Mei Ling's desire for reconciliation between the two countries.
The light finally appeared, but it was faint and did not spread far before it was swallowed up by dust.
Chihe ascended to godhood, while Meiling remained a saintess. Shortly after Chihe's ascension, Hegutai launched a war against Yezi. Meiling led the troops into battle. Although they won, Meiling died on the battlefield, and a saintess of her generation perished.
Shortly after Mei Ling's death, the new Holy Maiden seized the opportunity to ascend the throne, killing the Imperial Preceptor and Mei Ling's confidants. No one knew her identity, and Ye Zi became secluded, with few outsiders entering.
As for Hegutai, where Chihe was located, it was destroyed in a desert rainstorm not long afterward.
After listening to this, Liu Taohua seemed thoughtful and said, "This new Holy Maiden is indeed suspicious, but the vision that Mei Ling and Chi He wanted to achieve is just one step away. Mei Ling died on the battlefield, and Hegutai was destroyed by a natural disaster. They were born because of the disaster, but they were also destroyed by it. The reasons for this are hard to understand, and it is truly lamentable." After thinking for a moment, she added, "What is the story of that General Chi He?"
Lianxi said, "Although he was a martial god, he did the work of a civil god. Before his ascension, he traveled all over the world and was proficient in many languages. Although he was skilled in martial arts, he preferred the life of a civil official. He was a low-key and diligent person, but his ideas did not seem to be recognized by the Hegutai. When the Hegutai was destroyed, he did not intervene."
Jiang Yu's face was tinged with worry, but his mood was much calmer. He said, "It's strange, really. The Holy Maiden of Yezi is the highest leader outside the Yezi royal family. The people are extremely loyal to her, and she is almost universally praised. But since we arrived here, not only has no one mentioned the Holy Maiden, but they also show great respect to that Grand Preceptor. This seemingly peaceful and tranquil Yezi Kingdom is actually rife with undercurrents and hidden secrets."
Lianxi raised a thin lip and said, "Tomorrow is the crescent moon sacrifice to the heavens. The Holy Maiden will preside over the ceremony, and your dish is one of the offerings. We will then naturally find out who the Holy Maiden really is."
Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was Musha. "Distinguished guests, tomorrow is the sacrificial ceremony. Let me show you around the city today."
Jiang Yu went to open the door and saw Mu Sha standing quietly to the side, looking at her with gentle eyes and a smile on her face. Today she was wearing an elegant white robe, which should be the attire of the Imperial Preceptor.
Liu Taohua and Lianxi also came out. Lianxi said, "Then we'll have to trouble the Imperial Preceptor."
Musha bowed slightly and said, "You're too kind. It's nothing."
The four had just stepped out of the inn when they bumped into Chara, who was rushing towards them.
Chara stopped in front of them, catching her breath as she said, "Luckily, we made it in time." She then pulled a tightly wrapped small package from her bosom and handed it to Liu Taohua, saying, "I feel a connection with you, young lady, and I'd like to give you a gift. I hope you won't find it offensive and will accept it."
Liu Taohua said softly, "You flatter me. I just asked you to paint Noba for me yesterday, how can I accept your gift again today?"
Chara insisted that she accept it, saying, "I feel a connection with you, young lady. If you don't accept it today, I won't draw you a Noba again if you come to Yez in the future."
Liu Taohua had no choice but to accept it. Chala held her hand, his gaze intense, and said solemnly, "Please open this gift when you leave Yezi. I hope you will cherish it then."
Liu Taohua was taken aback. She felt a sense of entrustment rather than a gift, which made her a little sad. For a moment, she felt that the small package in her hand was as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Liu Taohua nodded heavily and said, "Don't worry, I will cherish this gift and live up to your expectations."
Chara finally felt relieved, patted Liu Taohua's hand again, said "good" several times, and then turned and left without looking back.
Liu Taohua stood there, watching Chala's receding figure, lost in thought for a long time.
Lianxi gently patted her shoulder and said, "Peach Blossom, let's go."
Musha said, "Yes, let's go."
Liu Taohua put the package into her handbag and turned around. She noticed a complex emotion in Mu Sha's eyes, just like when they first met, but also different. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Musa led the three to an open-air stall in the market, treated them to a bowl of Yezi's famous dried meat noodles, and had someone prepare freshly squeezed iced grape juice beforehand. He explained, "Although it's grape season now, truly delicious iced grape juice requires the grapes to be frozen and frost-kissed in the winter to achieve the best flavor. The grape juice we have now isn't pure enough, so please don't mind."
Lianxi smiled, took a sip of grape juice, and said, "Grand Preceptor, you've gone to a lot of trouble. This is already very good."
As the group chatted, several children passed by, humming a lullaby.
Listening closely, the song should be: "In the Kingdom of Yezi, there is a Holy Maiden. After a hundred years of trials and tribulations, she is to be established. One day, twins disrupt the order of heaven. How can a prosperous age tolerate such corruption? Alas, the Holy Maiden is irreplaceable. Mei Zhongling, Mei Zhongxi, the blooming of the sandstorm flowers cannot continue. Ling is the honored one, Xi is the maidservant. Xi is dark-hearted and is a sacrifice. Ling is kind-hearted, but she obstructs the sacrifice, severing their bond without knowing right from wrong. Ling sacrifices her life for the country, while Xi receives blessings and sees the dawn. The twins, sharing the same fate, inherit Ling's rites. Who would have thought that Xi would remove Ling from the register, turning against heaven and forgetting their kinship? Poor Ling is left with her spirit extinguished and her life cut short, all alone and helpless. The twins are abandoned, the twins weep, Yezi is in grave danger."
Mei Zhongling, Mei Zhongxi, could it be that Mei Ling has a twin sister?
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