Chapter 38 The Four Lords of Keqiang Meet the Four Lords 2 The Four People in the Portrait...
Of the four people in the portrait, apart from Emperor Yaoqi, Mi Qing had only heard of the names of the other three but had never seen them.
But the first thing she saw was Mi Zhen, the man with the same surname as her.
He is still that sinner of the Three Realms, burdened with the power of all spirits.
The painting depicts Mi Zhen with fair skin, an extremely refined and dignified appearance, and eyes as light as clear water. Her eyebrows and eyes are gentle yet powerful, and the corners of her lips are slightly upturned. Although she wears a simple robe, she cannot hide her royal nobility. For some reason, Mi Qing felt an extraordinary sense of familiarity with the person in the painting at first glance.
She stepped forward involuntarily, gazing intently at the figure in the painting. Her hand instinctively reached out to touch him, but froze in mid-air at the last moment. It was as if she had established some kind of connection with the figure in the painting; though he was looking straight ahead, Mi Qing felt as if he were looking at her. She unexpectedly discovered that the missing piece in her heart was being filled...
Mi Qing stared at the painting, lost in thought, before finally murmuring, "His name is Mi Zhen, right?"
Rabtan said, "Yes."
It wasn't what she had imagined.
According to rumors, he was a heinous monster with a blue face and fangs. She had known since childhood that his surname was Mi, but not his given name, and she did not believe the description of his appearance. However, at that time, because of the chaos of all spirits, she had also hated him like others, and even called him "Aqing" instead of "Mi Qing" in public.
Strangely, as she grew up and ascended to godhood, a hundred years passed, and people seemed to remember only the chaos of all spirits, not the sinner surnamed Mi, or even whether such a person really existed.
And she, like everyone else, has forgotten, only remembering that she was Mi Qing.
The past is dead as yesterday; the future should be lived as today.
Meeting you today is like meeting an old friend with a pot of warm wine; the warmth still lingers, but the old friend doesn't recognize me.
The three people behind them looked at the other three portraits with complicated expressions. They were the people they knew best, yet they seemed like strangers.
The people in the painting are full of vigor and carefree.
At that time, the three had not yet become gods, and it was a sight they had never seen before.
Standing behind the four, after a century, as he looked at the two generations of Laye of the Keqiang people, two streams of tears flowed from his eyes. He said, "The ancestors of the Keqiang made a promise to the four figures in the painting, with the falling snow, the mountains and forests, and the dragon horn fairy as witnesses. The Keqiang people will forever protect the mountains and forests from enemy invasion, and will forever believe in them..."
Yao Xu sneered and said, "Always believe? Even if you do something wrong, you should still believe it?"
His tone was heavy, full of sarcasm, resentment, and even a hint of defiance.
Labutan said, “It’s impossible to tell right from wrong until the very last moment. Even if we are wrong, how can we be blinded by a single leaf and fail to see the vastness of the forest? Since you four have become the Four Lords of Tianji, you must share the same pursuits as them. I believe you all have your own judgment on right and wrong, merits and demerits.”
Rabutan placed his right hand on his shoulder, bowed to the four men, and said, "You are all also Laye of Keqiang. No matter what happens in the future, as long as Keqiang is still alive, we will always support you."
Yan Chao looked at the portrait and suddenly said, "You will always remember them, won't you?"
Rabtan solemnly replied, "Yes."
Yan Chao turned around, nodded, and smiled, "It's fine."
Feng Xi, who hadn't spoken until now, said, "Thank you for keeping their portraits. Thank you."
He spoke slowly and solemnly. Labutan smiled but remained silent, while Feng Xi turned around and knelt before Feng Yi's portrait, kowtowing three times heavily. When his forehead touched the ground, the corners of his eyes almost imperceptibly reddened, but returned to normal when he stood up.
Mi Qing and Yan Chao knelt and kowtowed to Mi Zhen and Ming Qi respectively, while Yao Xu stood stiffly in place. He remained silent for a long time, finally only reluctantly facing Yao Qi's portrait.
He bowed respectfully.
In the end, until they left, Mi Qing didn't ask a single question about Mi Zhen, but she seemed to have made some kind of decision, her eyes unusually firm.
Yan Chao was worried about the two plagues, so as soon as he left the small wooden house, he hurriedly went back.
Upon returning, he first checked the condition of each person and animal. Then he instructed people to prepare a large pot, set it up to boil water, and took out a small round tube from his bag. He poured the contents of the tube into the boiling water. As soon as it hit the pot, it emitted a faint fragrance. It was more like a medicinal tea than medicine.
Mi Qing helped stir it, saying, "This bag of yours is truly a treasure; it has everything. But why do you carry all these things with you? Did you already know all along?"
Yan Chao paused upon hearing this, then laughed and said, "If I had known earlier, I wouldn't be standing here now. I actually hope this medicine will never be needed. Now it's good that it makes room for my bag." Yan Chao looked at Mi Qing and added, "On the other hand, how did you feel about that just now?"
Mi Qing continued what she was doing, and after a moment of silence, she said, "Actually, ever since the purification in Shengchun Town last time, I've been having a recurring dream."
Yan Chao listened carefully without saying a word.
Mi Qing: "That dream didn't contain anything specific; it was just a constant voice asking me, 'Can I withstand greater, more intense resentment?'"
"The only place in this world with such strong resentment is Yunhuai, that forbidden land of the Three Realms. I have a strong intuition that I come from Yunhuai, because the voice in my dream even made me feel a trace of hatred. But when I saw Mi Zhen's portrait, that hatred was actually calmed down."
Yan Chao said "Oh?" and then asked, "So you have a better plan?"
Mi Qing said, "I think Rabutan is right. Regardless of whether I come from Yunhuai or not, I have my own path to walk. Things may not be that simple. That voice might be trying to control me, but I am Mi Qing! I will find the truth in my own way!"
Yan Chao smiled and said, "You're not alone!"
Mi Qing said, "Yes, I still have you all."
Yan Chao and Mi Qing distributed the brewed medicinal tea to the clansmen and livestock. Yan Chao then handed the prepared medicinal tea to Labutan, instructing him to have it brewed once a day, with each person and animal drinking a bowl for ten consecutive days, so that the epidemic could be completely cured.
Feng Xi asked Rabutan, "Tell me, why did you contract the plague?"
Labutan sighed and said, "A few months ago, a traveler came and said he wanted to write a travelogue..."
The man arrived in plain clothes, carrying only a bundle; he was very light.
He called himself "Chen Tangke," a traveler who was writing a travelogue. He had heard that the Keqiang people had lived there for generations and was very interested in their culture and customs, wanting to experience them and write about them in his book. The Keqiang people initially wanted to drive him away, but he produced a package as proof. Inside the package was a thick stack of manuscripts. After Labtan and several elders carefully examined the package, they allowed him to enter.
The Keqiang people warmly welcomed Chen Tangke, telling him many Keqiang stories, helping him set up a tent, go hunting on a dragon-horned beetle, and let him taste many Keqiang delicacies... but they didn't take him to the cabin.
Chen Tangke got along very well with the Keqiang people, and they liked him very much, listening to him tell many interesting stories from his travels.
Strangely enough, Chen Tangke said she was fine without going into the cabin, but that night she left without saying goodbye or leaving anything behind, taking advantage of everyone's sleep.
Labtan initially thought he had some urgent business, and fearing he might encounter danger due to the abundance of wild animals in the forest, he sent men to pursue him, but they returned empty-handed.
After he left for some time, his people began to show symptoms, but at first they thought it was just a common illness and checked all their daily necessities, but found nothing wrong. It wasn't until obvious symptoms appeared that they realized they had contracted the Mad Tree Plague and the Blood Spider Plague.
It was all too late.
After much thought, only this Chen Tangke, who suddenly appeared, seemed the most suspicious.
As his thoughts returned, Feng Xi, with a ribbon wrapped around his long, slender fingers, gently rubbed it with his fingertips and said in a deep voice, "Do you still remember what that person looked like?"
Rabtan said, "I remember, I'll draw one right now."
Before long, Rabutan drew a portrait of Chen Tangke, a young man with a beard who didn't look particularly special.
Remembering the old man's words, Yan Chao asked, "I wonder if there are any treasures in your forest?"
Labutan asked in confusion, "This place is rich in minerals. Once it's mined, it will become a target for everyone. The Keqiang people are nourished by this land, and we have never mined it in recent years. In the past, when thieves tried to steal from it, they were all stopped by our people. Why do you ask this, young lady?"
Yan Chao did not answer, but only asked, "Do people outside know that there are mineral veins in this forest?"
Rabtan said, “I know. But the people who live outside the forest also respect this land, and they would never do such a thing.”
Upon hearing this, the other three immediately understood why Yan Chao had asked that question.
None of the four men had ever seen this Chen Tangke before, but based on Labutan's words, they already knew that the old man at the inn and this Chen Tangke were probably mining thieves. They must have sent Chen Tangke to poison the mines first, while the old man waited outside to provide backup. Once all the Keqiang people had died from the plague, they could then mine the veins on a large scale without any hindrance.
But if they were just mining thieves, how did they manage to instigate the Wildwood Plague and the Blood Spider Plague? Was such a large-scale operation really just for mining?
There must be something fishy about this.
Yao Xu stood up angrily and said, "You old fool, how dare you deceive us! What a waste of Yan Chao's medicine! These people are simply wolves in sheep's clothing. Don't they know what the Mad Wood Plague and Blood Spider Plague mean?"
Yan Chao, however, didn't seem to care. He looked up at Yao Xu and laughed, "The medicine is gone, so it's no big deal. Although these two diseases are dangerous, you're here to keep things under control now, aren't you?"
Feng Xi chimed in, "Yes, you're an expert on this stuff."
Labutan was bewildered by the three men's words and asked, "What do you mean? Does the plague that has infected our people have something to do with the mine thieves?"
Yan Chao said, "If we're not mistaken, this place will be besieged in a few days."
"What!"
Labtan immediately stood up, his expression solemn, and raised his hand to order his men to prepare for battle. He would show no mercy to such vicious thieves.
Yan Chao stopped him and said, "Don't worry, you're not fully recovered yet."
Labtan said urgently, "But if what you say is true, young lady, we should be on guard even earlier! They have harmed our people so much, and as a Bimo, I feel guilty! I, Labtan, will never let these villains go!"
Yao Xu patted Labutan and said, "You two focus on getting better. We'll handle dealing with them. We need to find out exactly where this epidemic came from."
Mi Qing also said, "It's one thing to harm people, but to dare to use such a cruel and vicious method! This is no small matter, and we will not let it go lightly!"
Feng Xi chuckled and said, "I'd really like to see who's so bold as to use this thing to harm people, and who's so eager to die."
Yan Chao clapped his hands and said, "Remember to hand that old man over to me when the time comes. He used my medicine, so I have to cure him first!"
Feng Xi laughed and said, "Don't worry, Chaochao, your patient won't run away."
Over the next few days, Yan Chao continued to supervise them as always, making sure they drank the medicinal tea. Feng Xi had those who were patrolling the perimeter withdraw, and Yao Xu and Mi Qing took their place to check the situation outside.
Five days later, at dawn, a huge fire broke out outside the forest. The fire spread extremely quickly, with flames shooting into the sky and thick smoke billowing out. The entire forest was quickly engulfed in flames.
A wave of heat surged, and the wild animals in the forest fled in terror. Most were not spared and were burned to a crisp. Large swathes of trees fell, sizzling and crackling as they burned. The people living there were no exception; for a time, cries of agony filled the air as they were ultimately engulfed by the flames.
The fire burned for three days and three nights, turning the once peaceful and tranquil forest into a living hell in an instant.
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The author says: "Laye" means savior in the Keqiang language, and it is also a respectful title for a benefactor. Longjiaoxian means reindeer, and Bimo means chieftain and priest.
There's a ranking list this week, and I'll be updating it over the next few days!
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