Chapter 40 The Scattering of Wronged Souls: The Return of the Underworld Master – It Was an Everlasting Nightmare…
That was a persistent nightmare.
During Jin Xin's lifetime, many children were lost in various countries of the Central Plains. At first, they were just orphans begging on the streets or fleeing from war. Later, they were children abducted by brokers. And then, they were simply lost on the streets.
People were filled with anxiety.
During the day, no children are seen when people go out; at night, the place is deserted and no living people are seen.
Because of the extremely negative impact of this incident, various states in the Central Plains successively dispatched numerous experts and even armies to capture Jin Xin, but all returned empty-handed. It wasn't that Jin Xin himself possessed any extraordinary abilities, but rather that what he used to deal with those people were the children he had transformed into killing weapons.
Even the most skilled and capable person wouldn't dare, let alone bear to, harm those children.
Parents who have lost their children are even less likely to allow it.
Initially, the people petitioned the court, demanding that Jin Xin be executed by dismemberment and that the children be returned safely. Because so many children were missing, and Jin Xin's whereabouts were elusive and the locations where he hid the children were difficult to find, the court dared not act rashly and could only adopt a conservative approach, resulting in repeated setbacks.
Later, Jin Xin used these children to attack them. The finished killing machines were like puppets, devoid of emotion, yet extremely powerful in combat. They also carried a poison nourished by living beings. This poison, after repeated tempering, could penetrate into every part of the body in a short time. Anyone injured by them would be poisoned, go mad, and die.
Seeing that the situation was escalating, the imperial court, for the safety of more people, ordered the children to be killed, leaving no one alive.
Public resentment quickly arose, with people holding differing opinions.
The people who lost their children disagreed with killing their children, while those who didn't lose their children didn't want those murderers to harm more people.
The people then petitioned the celestial officials. Originally, this matter could not be reported to the Heavenly Capital, and the gods there were not supposed to interfere in human affairs. However, the petition from people of many countries, recognizing the far-reaching dangers of the matter, finally reached the Heavenly Capital. Yaoqi personally ordered the dispatch of a martial god to the mortal realm to eliminate mortals and demons.
In the end, Jin Xin was slain by the divine sword, vanishing into nothingness and never to be reborn.
Those children were also wiped out.
Yaoqi then dispatched the God of Medicine to widely distribute elixirs to detoxify and heal the poisoned people.
Jin Xin is dead, but people still feel lingering fear.
After that, parents often used this as an example to educate their young children: if they disobey, they will be captured by that evil Taoist priest and refined.
After these words were spoken, no child dared to be naughty anymore.
Jin Xin died a complete death; he couldn't even become a ghost, let alone be reincarnated.
He used cyborgs as his means, but how could he also instigate a long-lost plague?
Could it be that it can bring the dead back to life?
Overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of powerlessness, Yan Chao was completely numb, to the point that she could no longer hear Chen Tangke's venting curses. She stood there in a daze, not even knowing what kind of expression she would make. She just felt like she was suffocating.
"Every morning, every morning..."
Feng Xi called her name a few times, and Yan Chao finally came to her senses and said, "I'm fine."
Yan Chao then looked at Chen Tangke and asked, "Where is Jin Xin?"
Chen Tangke roared, "Damn it! If I knew where he was, I'd be the first to kill him!!!"
At this moment, his fear had long been replaced by anger.
Not only was he cheated, but he also nearly lost his life. Now, instead of mining the mine, he's been tied up and brought here—it's utterly humiliating. Filled with resentment, he cursed and swore, wanting to insult Jin Xin's ancestors for eighteen generations.
Feng Xi said coldly, "Has he asked you to do anything else?"
Seeing that neither of them paid any attention to him, Chen Tangke was tired of cursing for a long time, but still said irritably, "That's all. He only said that he would use the plague to kill all the Keqiang people, and I can just mine."
Feng Xi asked, "Have you seen what he looks like?"
Chen Tangke said, "No. But the voice sounds like an old woman."
With a flick of his finger, Feng Xi knocked Chen Tangke unconscious again. Feng Xi rubbed his ears and said, "Shut up."
Yan Chao said, "I never thought that after so many years, that fearsome male Taoist priest would turn into an old woman, and her obsession is still quite deep."
Feng Xi scoffed, "Back then, some heavenly officials thought I was the one causing trouble, and they were so foolish as to want to punish me. How laughable."
Yan Chao said "Oh?" and then asked, "And then what happened?"
Feng Xi said, "Later, it was the Heavenly Emperor who personally quelled this absurd joke. However, the appearance of Jin Xin in the world is indeed incredible."
"Judging from what he did in the mortal world, it's clear that this person has a deep obsession. If he had died a natural death, he would surely have become a vengeful ghost, but I would never have allowed him to die. However, he was killed by a divine sword in his mortal body, with absolutely no chance of survival. I am very curious whether he was resurrected or if someone impersonated him?"
Yan Chao suddenly had a strong intuition that everything that had happened along the way was interconnected.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Yao Xu and Mi Qing suddenly entered. Yao Xu exclaimed, "Feng Xi! Yan Chao! This is terrible! That evil Taoist priest is still alive!"
Yan Chao and Feng Xi: "We already know."
Mi Qing said, "That old man is dead."
Yan Chao was taken aback and said, "Didn't I give you the medicine?"
Yao Xu stepped in front of Mi Qing and explained, "This isn't our fault. He just couldn't help talking and overthinking things, and ended up scaring himself to death." He then shook his head helplessly.
Yan Chao said, "Forget it, those who are destined to die cannot be saved."
Feng Xi asked, "What else does that old man know?"
Yao Xu shook his head and said, "He's just a doorman; everything is ordered around by this Chen Tangke."
Feng Xi's eyes were deep and serious. He said, "Sheng Chun's thing and those people from before should have been modified, but they are completely different from the previous ones. This matter is of great importance and must be thoroughly investigated."
Yao Xu knew the deeper meaning behind Feng Xi's words. Although he was unwilling to return to Tian, he also knew the seriousness of the matter. He said, "I will return to Tian to report after this matter is settled."
After speaking, Yao Xu glanced at Chen Tangke behind the two of them and tentatively asked, "Is he dead too?"
Yan Chao chuckled and said, "He's still alive, just unconscious. Didn't we agree to hand him over to the Keqiang people for disposal?"
Yao Xu slapped his forehead, reverting to his usual carefree demeanor, and said, "It's over! That old man is already dead, how am I supposed to explain this? Do you think they'll blame me?"
Yan Chao and Mi Qing burst into laughter upon hearing this. Feng Xi stepped forward, grabbed his neck, and pulled him outside, saying, "Go out and call someone to carry him away."
Labtan executed the two men, and the plague that had afflicted the Keqiang people and their livestock was largely cured, with no signs of recurrence, and everything returned to normal. The four men intended to leave, but Labtan and his people warmly persuaded them to stay.
The New Year is just around the corner, and Rabutan hopes the four of them can stay and celebrate the New Year with them.
Yan Chao was the first to clap and cheer, almost blurting out, "Then there must be lots of delicious food and fun things to do?"
Rabtan laughed and said, "Of course. If you all are willing to stay, it will be a very special and lively New Year."
The tribesmen echoed, "Stay! Stay!"
The four exchanged a smile and said, "Alright."
Over the next few days, the Keqiang people were busy preparing for the New Year's sacrificial ceremony. The four of them also kept busy, changing into traditional Keqiang clothing and experiencing their lives with the people.
Those unknown mysteries and unsolved truths are temporarily set aside. Here, they are not the Four Sons of Tianji, not priests, not ghost kings; they are simply themselves, or rather, a Keqiang person. They can temporarily set aside their burdens and worries, and relax and enjoy themselves to the fullest.
Every day is fulfilling and joyful.
Labtan specially found several teenagers from the tribe to lead four people to hunt on dragon beetles, ski in the forest, and follow the Keqiang grandmother to build tents with birch bark and animal skins, make clothes with animal skins, and make Keqiang specialty food - Muba with pre-stored deer milk and berries.
On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, the entire Keqiang ethnic group began their pre-New Year sacrificial activities. The place where they conducted the ceremony was not far from the small wooden house.
It was a birch tree that was nine zhang tall and over a hundred years old. The tree was so wide that it would take four adults holding hands to encircle it.
The Keqiang people call this tree the Tree God.
Centered around this tree, colorful ribbons and lights are hung all around, rustling in the cold winter wind, bringing a sense of peace to the heart; the body may be cold, but the heart is warm.
Labtan had told them that the Keqiang people would write their wishes and blessings on colorful strips of cloth, and the tree god would convey their wishes to the heavenly gods. They prayed for the tree god's protection, and their souls and flesh would be with the tree god.
This is the root of the Keqiang people.
A long wooden table stood facing the sacred tree, with sacrificial offerings placed on it. A fire pit was erected between the wooden table and the sacred tree, and sheep breast bones were placed inside the fire pit, sprinkled with sheep fat, and then lit.
Rabtan extended his arms in invitation, saying, "Please, the four of you, stand under the sacred tree."
Yan Chao asked, "What does this mean?"
Labutan said, "The sacred tree not only carries the wishes of the Keqiang people, but also their blessings. The four of you are the most important people to us, and today we dedicate all the blessings of the Keqiang people to you. No matter what happens in the future, for a thousand years to ten thousand years, the Keqiang will always be with you!"
The tribesmen standing behind Labtan echoed, "Great Laba, please accept the blessings of the Keqiang..."
The earnest voices of the clansmen rose and fell, each one touching the hearts of the four of them deeply.
The four men placed their left hands behind their chests and lightly touched their foreheads with their right hands, bowing in unison to the crowd in the highest form of courtesy of the Qiang people, to express their gratitude.
This ceremony was reserved for the Bimo (priest) of the Keqiang tribe, respected elders, and Laye (a type of servant). The Keqiang people placed great importance on etiquette, and apart from their first meeting, everyone in the Keqiang tribe would perform this ceremony upon seeing the four of them every day thereafter.
Yan Chao had told Rabutan and his people that they didn't have to do that, but they only agreed verbally and forgot about it when they saw each other again.
This ceremony today has moved all the Keqiang people.
The four walked to the sacred tree, faced it, closed their eyes, and formed a circle holding hands. Labutan raised his arms high and sang a blessing, which his people sang along with.
The sounds of the wind, songs, and the crackling of the fire echoed in their ears, and the sacred tree, amidst these blessings, became intimately connected with the four of them. It seemed as if it truly heard the blessings of its people, and these sounds converged into a warm current that enveloped them.
The world seemed to suddenly fall silent.
"Every morning..."
"Xi'er..."
"Zixu..."
"Qingqing..." A familiar yet indistinct voice rang in their ears, and the four of them opened their eyes at the same time.
They stood frozen in place, too shocked to speak.
Apart from Mi Qing, the other three saw their parents, who were from a long time ago.
Mi Qing saw two blurry figures from behind, but she knew they must be her parents.
Mingqi: "Chaochao, Daddy made your favorite dried apricots again."
Yunxiang: "My lovely daughter, you've grown so much."
......
Feng Yi: "Good boy! Dad will take you to fly a kite at Qiandu River!"
Xi Le: "My Xi'er is the best child in the world."
......
Yaoqi: "Come on, Zixu! Try Dad's new dish today."
Mother said, "Look at you covered in mud. Have you been playing around somewhere again?"
......
"Qingqing, our child, you've finally grown up safely..."
They disappeared as soon as they finished speaking, so fast that there wasn't even time to open one's mouth to stop them.
Like a beautiful dream, a lost beautiful dream.
When they opened their eyes again, all four of them had red eyes, and their emotions were still running high.
Those were their deepest desires, but they can no longer be fulfilled.
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