Chapter 9 The young man's arrogant expression shattered, disbelief settling in his eyes: ...
The young man's arrogant expression shattered, and he exclaimed in disbelief, "You!"
The entourage continued to step forward, trying to stop Lin Fengzhi. The Keluo people were not to be trifled with either. Seeing that the newcomers were about to attack Lin Fengzhi, before they could even push her in front of Lin Fengzhi, the Keluo people, enraged, immediately stopped them.
Lin Fengzhi believes in the equality of all beings, and that each person should receive a slap.
Yong watched silently, feeling as if he had drunk a bowl of cool water on a sweltering summer day—incredibly refreshing. He was the one who usually ran the business with the Qu family; An was too old, and the back-and-forth travel was too much of a hardship for him. Besides, the Qu family had previously made things difficult for Yong, taking advantage of the fact that the Keluo people needed their help.
An frowned slightly when Lin Fengzhi slapped her for the first time, but soon she noticed the barely concealed excitement in her clansmen's expressions, and she felt relieved.
The Kolo people have also been suppressed for too long.
Lin Fengzhi's face was frosty: "Uninvited guests are considered unwelcome guests. Is this the kind of upbringing the Qu family has? You say my dance was wrong? What? Wasn't the prayer for sending away poison and transferring illness a scripture released by your Qu family? Are you denying it? As for the test, when did the Qu family become the spokesperson for the gods on earth? Have you asked the gods? I awoke from darkness, illness, and high fever, and the gods were amazed by my life. I spoke with Xiangjun at the Xiangjun Temple, and you, a mere shaman, are still here spouting nonsense? This is disrespectful to me and to the gods."
Countless small ethnic groups like the Keluo people live in the Xiang River basin. They believe in the gods born from the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, and revere and depend on nature. However, this worship and reverence has been exploited by people and turned into a tool to control them.
In the Xiang River, countless people who wanted to become shamans and protect their people perished, just like the original body and the moon.
Lin Fengzhi did not believe in any so-called gods. Compared to the ethereal deities, she believed more in the power that she created in her own hands.
As for the selection of shamans, Lin Fengzhi also had something to say: "We Keluo people are never afraid of outsiders watching when we select shamans. Didn't we inform the Qu family? Why did the Qu family conceal the rules after they were established, and only announce who was promoted to shaman? I would like to ask, how does the Qu family select shamans themselves?"
The young man in the lead blushed, the handprint on his hand becoming increasingly clear. He tried several times to interrupt Lin Fengzhi's questioning, but Lin Fengzhi didn't even look at him. He made a few noises, but Qi, annoyed by his noise, covered his mouth and then looked at Lin Fengzhi with shining eyes.
The young man knew, of course, that the rules set by Qu were unfair, but as a beneficiary of the system, he naturally upheld the rules established by Qu.
Lin Fengzhi gave him a wink, and Qi immediately released him.
"You, you disrespect the gods! The gods will surely punish you!"
Some people in the crowd flinched in fear, clearly intimidated by the young man's words.
Lin Fengzhi remained unmoved, her voice firm and resolute: "Whether or not you respect the gods is not up to you. Offering sacrifices to heaven, guarding the fire, providing thatch and wine, and offering gifts to ward off disasters—that is the duty of a great shaman. After I became a shaman, I resolved the calamity for the Keluo people, accomplishing what even the Qu clan shamans could not. I am stronger than them."
“If the High Priest of the Qu Clan cannot do it, she should step down from her position. In three days, whether she agrees or not, I will challenge her. Does she dare to accept?”
Above the sorcerers are the Great Sorcerers. If Lin Fengzhi's role as a sorcerer only affected the Keluo people, then as a Great Sorcerer, she could replace the Qu clan's Great Sorcerer and influence the entire Xiang River basin.
The young man was stunned by Lin Fengzhi's words. He wanted to get angry, but when he looked at the pairs of eyes around him staring at him, it was as if they would pounce on him and tear him apart at Lin Fengzhi's command.
The young man flinched.
An pushed through the crowd, glanced at Lin Fengzhi, then at the group of young people, and ultimately chose to trust Lin Fengzhi. She waved her hand, not asking any further questions in front of outsiders. She simply said, "Since they come with ill intentions, why spoil our celebration? Someone, take them away."
Even if the troublemakers are unwilling, they can only flee in defeat under the overwhelming number of people.
Lin Fengzhi noticed that some people among the Ke Luo people still looked worried and conflicted. She thought that since it was the prayer event she was in charge of, she didn't want a few people to ruin the atmosphere that she had worked so hard to create.
She stood on the rock, towering above the crowd, and waved her arm, shouting, "Everyone, follow my lead!"
Everyone instinctively looked at her. The warm firelight danced on her face, and the afterglow seemed to favor her hair. A gentle breeze ruffled her wide robes, and a phoenix watched over them.
No one possessed a more divine charm than she did at that moment.
She said, “Everyone, do not be afraid that the gods will punish us. The reason why the gods are gods is because they will protect the people under their rule. Xiangjun and Xiangfuren are both gods of the Xiang River basin. It was because of their mercy that I passed the test and became a shaman to bring blessings to everyone. Believe in me, believe in yourselves, and our lives will only get better and better!”
The crowd began to cheer, and the enthusiastic atmosphere spread from Lin Fengzhi to everyone else.
Good wine and good food were served at just the right time.
Lin Fengzhi jumped off the stone pier and was pulled by Qi to taste a sip of wine. Qi's admiration and respect for her rose to a new level, and Lin Fengzhi could feel his excitement even through the thick red mud.
The wine had a pale yellow base color. Lin Fengzhi took a small sip and thought it tasted very similar to fermented glutinous rice. It seems that the quality of wine available to ordinary people is limited.
At this time, the brewing process was relatively primitive, mostly made by fermenting grains, usually without filtration, and the alcohol content was also relatively low.
Lin Fengzhi raised her glass to greet everyone at the table, then drank it all.
She found it sweet to drink, and enjoyed this cloudy wine, which tasted like fermented rice, with her meals.
Ignoring the subtle bitterness in the food, the pure, natural, and unpolluted dishes are also very delicious.
Among the river delicacies was a turtle soup, which was exceptionally delicious, so fresh that Lin Fengzhi almost couldn't taste it. She never expected to be able to eat such a delicacy in ancient times, and she quickly asked how it was made.
The woman making the turtle soup laughed heartily and proudly. She said, “I’m glad the witch likes it. Making this turtle soup isn’t difficult. Just cut the turtle into pieces, extract the bile from its body, stir it well, add salt, ginger, and jujubes, and then add water. No other seasonings are needed. Simmer it for an hour, and you can enjoy delicious turtle soup. I don’t usually make this; it’s too much trouble. Many people ask me to teach them this dish, but either the cooking isn’t done long enough, or they didn’t extract the bile properly, and the meat spoils.”
Lin Fengzhi couldn't help but sigh that even in an era of scarcity, there were still people who devoted themselves to studying food.
She immediately became even more excited for the next dish.
To Lin Fengzhi's delight, there was another dish called "Dewy Chicken." The Dewy Chicken had a rich yet not greasy flavor, and Lin Fengzhi was already drooling before even taking a bite. She took a bite of the chicken; it was tender and flavorful, yet juicy and tender inside. Lin Fengzhi wasn't very knowledgeable about food, and she could taste ginger and cinnamon in the Dewy Chicken.
Seeing her enjoying her meal, Qi assumed she also wanted to learn about Lu Chicken, and quietly leaned closer to her, saying, "Lu Chicken is a dish often served at Qu Yuan's family banquets. Later, Qu Yuan wrote about this dish in his book. The literate people in the clan followed suit and made it, and it turned out to be surprisingly delicious. Since then, we've made Lu Chicken for every sacrificial ceremony."
Lin Fengzhi suddenly realized.
The Qu family must have had many recipes that were not passed down to outsiders.
The sound of children playing drifted on the wind, and the duet sung by a man and a woman was as distant as the crescent moon in the sky.
Lin Fengzhi stroked her chin, thinking vaguely, "I must thoroughly search for the Qu family when the time comes."
She heard a gentle female voice above her say, "Oh! The witch is drunk."
Lin Fengzhi felt as if it were her mother's gentle tone. She tried desperately to open her eyes to see clearly, but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Something seemed to have slipped down his face.
-
The morning sunlight was not scorching, and Yong drove his donkey cart along the official road.
Compared to Yong, who seemed somewhat worried about how to defeat the Great Witch Qu, Lin Fengzhi lay sprawled on the donkey cart, basking in the morning sun.
It was exceptionally relaxing and comfortable.
She rubbed her temples, thinking, "I'll never drink again. I thought it was a low alcohol content and it would be fine, but I still got drunk. Luckily, I didn't make a fool of myself."
Qi's young wife eagerly asked, holding a bamboo tube, "Witch, are you thirsty? I have water and wine here."
Lin Fengzhi waved her hand, indicating that she had serious business to attend to and dared not drink alcohol.
Qi sadly put it away.
Yong: "......"
He drove more steadily, pondering where to find what the shaman wanted. He mentally considered his connections in the county town; two of them were close to the Qu family, but remembering his recent feud with them, he silently crossed them off.
As they approached the county town, the number of people gradually increased. Lin Fengzhi jumped off the donkey cart and looked around at this unfamiliar era.
Lin Fengzhi noticed someone with a distressed expression, constantly fiddling with the large burlap sack in his hand. Tiny fluffy fibers spilled out of the sack and flew towards Lin Fengzhi.
Lin Fengzhi reached out and caught it, gently twisting it between her fingertips.
It's chicken feathers.
Confused, she looked at Yong with a puzzled expression, waiting for his explanation.
Yong, as expected of the person among the Keluo people who had the most contact with other ethnic groups, understood after just one glance: "Witch, that is the feather tax that the Ba people have to pay. Every household has to offer 30 chicken feathers. Their faces are so pale, I'm afraid they can't afford to pay the tax."
Qi had heard Yong mention it at home and still remembered it, so he explained it to Lin Fengzhi: "The government collects chicken feathers to make arrows. Sometimes they can't collect all the feathers, so they will pay to buy more. We Keluo people have sold them too."
The Ba people walked away sadly, carrying their bags.
The Ba people, like the Keluo people, lived in the Xiang River basin and worshipped deities. Unlike the Keluo people, they lived closer to the county seat and were within its jurisdiction. Most of them had household registration with the government, which meant they had to pay taxes and perform corvée labor. The Keluo people mostly lived in mountainous and forested areas, so the government did not interfere much.
Because if interference is imposed, their disappearance into the mountains and forests will be like a clay ox sinking into the sea.
Lin Fengzhi followed Yong smoothly into the county town.
Yong came to the county town to buy several key parts needed to make a slant loom, which he couldn't make himself. He had no choice but to seek help from his friend. His carpentry skills were unparalleled in the clan, largely thanks to his friend's guidance.
Lin Fengzhi followed him because she wanted to buy some things that she could use to perform supernatural feats in two days. Based on Lin Fengzhi's observations of the Keluo people over the past few days, she knew that they feared the unknown to the point of deifying it.
She only needed to make a sufficiently intimidating gesture when challenging the Great Shaman of the Qu Clan. As for what to do, Lin Fengzhi had a rough idea in mind; she just needed to see what she could buy.
Before they knew it, the three of them arrived at a wooden door. Yong knocked on the door, and it opened from the inside, sending wood chips flying everywhere.
"Here we go again. What's wrong this time? Is the tenon not fitting? Or is the ink line broken again?" The person inside didn't look up, holding a small carving knife and carving something. His body, wrapped in coarse cloth, looked quite robust. A string lay scattered at his feet, clearly indicating that the door was opened using the string.
“No, that’s not it. The mortise and tenon joints you made are excellent.” Yong laughed twice and quickly transformed into a carpenter, blending in with the work: “Our tribe wants to make more slant looms, but we don’t have enough materials.”
The man finally looked up, looking very confused: "Even the ones I bought yesterday aren't enough?"
He seemed to only then notice that there were other people in the courtyard, and asked Yong, "Who is this?"
“My younger brother Qi, you’ve met him before.” Yong stood up and introduced Lin Fengzhi, his tone solemn: “He is a shaman of our Keluo people. The oblique loom you’re curious about was made by the shaman.”
He said to Lin Fengzhi, "This is Shengkuan, a disciple of the Mohist school."
Lin Fengzhi had a good impression of the Mohists and was very curious about them, because they were arguably the people closest to science in this era, and they also believed in ghosts and gods.
Since there were Mohist disciples present, she was also very curious about which era it was.
Sheng Kuan, a disciple of the Mohist school, was dressed simply, with an axe and chisel at his waist and wood shavings on his beard. He seemed dissatisfied with Yong's introduction, saying, "The Mohist school is divided into three, and now Xiangli Mo serves Qin. Although Chu has been destroyed, I am a Chu Mohist, not a disciple of the Qin Mohist school."
The Mohist school split into three: the Xiangli Mohists were valued by the Qin state for their technology, the Chu Mohists opposed the Qin and were unwilling to associate with them, and the Qi Mohists focused on theory but neglected practice, and their status was not very high.
Lin Fengzhi's mind went blank.
She only heard one word.
Qin.
So she lived in the Qin Dynasty.
A note from the author:
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*A Study of the Material Life and Culture of the Chu State_Wang Qing
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