Chapter 55 A Glimpse into the Secrets of a Century (Part 2): First Encounter at Huangxian Temple.
Feng Zhizhao wiped the rain from her face, watched the group of people hurriedly disappear, and then looked up at the strange sky. She knew in her heart that the time left for the stone spirit was running out.
But that's all she can do.
Since ancient times, the common people have never fought against the officials. It's impossible for them to go against the officials for a stone, right?
She doesn't have that kind of compassion.
She turned and left indifferently.
On Stone Serpent Cliff, torrential rain poured down, and lightning bolts darted wildly through the inky black clouds. Each flash of lightning that tore through the sky made the stone serpent, which held its head high, appear even more ferocious, as if it were about to come to life at any moment.
Lightning bolts, accompanied by deafening explosions, struck the stone serpent's massive body one after another, each strike sending up blinding flashes of electricity and flying debris.
The soldiers managed to steady themselves on a gentler slope at the edge of the cliff. Everyone was pale-faced, and even the experienced commissioner trembled slightly in the face of the lightning so close at hand.
The bundles of gunpowder they brought were hastily placed under several relatively dry boulders, the fuses already connected, awaiting only the commissioner's order.
However, just as everyone's attention was drawn to the strange phenomenon in the sky, a figure in indigo blue moved nimbly and nimbly, using the jagged rocks and bushes as cover. Feng Zhizhao quietly hid behind the bushes where the explosives were placed, and every time a deafening thunderclap rang out, drowning out all other sounds, she would swiftly reach out and use the small knife she carried to cut the burning fuse!
"laugh……"
The first fuse went out abruptly just as the spark was about to ignite the explosive.
"What's going on?!" the soldier in charge of lighting the fire exclaimed in surprise, and hurriedly checked.
"It's probably rainwater..." another person guessed.
Before they could investigate further, another thunderbolt struck, shaking the earth. Taking advantage of the chaos, Feng Zhizhao followed suit, nimbly sneaking to another explosives depot and striking with a swift, deadly blow.
After this happened repeatedly, the commissioner finally realized something was wrong and sternly reprimanded his subordinates to be more vigilant.
However, at this moment—
Boom!!!
An unprecedented purple-white lightning bolt, seemingly gathering all power, struck the head of the stone serpent like a sword of judgment descending from the heavens!
The intense light was blinding, and a massive shockwave, carrying debris and air currents, swept outwards!
As the light dimmed, the group barely managed to open their eyes and look, only to see that the enormous stone serpent's head was covered with spiderweb-like cracks that were rapidly spreading to its entire body.
Under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, the stone serpent's enormous body collapsed with a deafening roar!
Immediately afterwards, a giant python covered in black scales leaped out and hovered in the air. Its pair of eerie green vertical pupils, filled with a mixture of confusion and curiosity, swept over the terrified humans below.
"A demon...a demon has revealed itself! Run!"
Someone let out a piercing scream, and all the officers and soldiers, disregarding orders and explosives, scrambled down the mountain for their lives, wishing they had two more legs.
Feng Zhizhaoyin slowly emerged from behind the rock where she had been hiding, soaked to the bone but not disheveled. The spirit python gracefully turned in the air and landed as a young man in a plain white robe. He appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, with wet black hair, fair and almost translucent skin, and a look of bewilderment and curiosity on his face.
"Thank you... for your help." The young man was a little shy, but his voice was clear and melodious.
“You should change those eyes of yours, they’re too eye-catching.” Feng Zhizhaoyin raised her chin at his clear, vertical pupils and asked casually, “Do you have a name?”
The boy shook his head.
She paused for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding rocks, ravaged by lightning yet radiating a deep vitality in the rain, and said, "Then let's call it 'Sheng Sheng' (Life and Life). It's not easy to spring out of a stone, so we must learn to cherish life and live well."
The boy blinked and softly repeated the name.
Seeing the gratitude on his face, Feng Zhizhao smiled and raised her eyebrows. "What are you thinking? I named you so that you would swear an oath again to 'give back to the mountains and rivers of this place, and return all the vitality you have absorbed over the years. You will restore favorable weather to this place, and the next ten years will surely be a bountiful year. Otherwise, you will surely be annihilated and condemned by heaven and earth.'"
"..."
As night deepened, a few scattered lights illuminated Fengmen Village, nestled quietly in the mountain valley.
Even though the village chief's house was considered the best in the village, it was still just a slightly spacious mud-brick and tile house.
A small oil lamp, barely bright enough to illuminate the central octagonal table and a few long benches, burned in the main room. The walls were blackened by smoke, and farm tools were piled in the corner. The inner room was separated by a cloth curtain, and the even breathing of the children could be faintly heard—six girls and two boys, crammed onto two shared beds.
Father Feng squatted on the doorstep, puffing on his pipe. Mother Feng sat on a low stool beside him, mending an old shirt in the dim light.
"Alas, if it weren't for that python spirit in the back mountain becoming powerful a few days ago and bringing rain one after another, this year would probably be difficult."
"The rain has fallen, but the government's taxes still haven't been reduced by a single coin. In the neighboring village of Xiaowang, because they couldn't pay the newly added 'bandit suppression tax,' they clashed with the government troops who came to collect the taxes... They drew their knives, and many people died."
Father Feng sighed heavily, tapped his pipe on the threshold, and after a moment of silence said, "Speaking of which, life hasn't been easy for our family. We just got medicine for Second Sister a while ago, and we haven't paid off the debt yet. Now we have that girl, A-Yin, too..."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Feng immediately interrupted her husband, saying, "She's a young woman all alone, it's heartbreaking to see. No matter how difficult things are for our family, we can always squeeze out the money to add another pair of chopsticks. I think she's hardworking and observant, she's not the kind of person who just eats for free."
She paused, her voice tinged with an undisguised sorrow, "But Er Ya's chest pain has been flaring up more and more frequently since spring. Doctor Wang came last time and said that... she might need some expensive medicinal herbs to slowly nurture her. But the cost of those medicines..."
Father Feng didn't say anything more, he just kept smoking.
This conversation was overheard by Feng Zhizhaoyin, who was sitting in the shadow of the eaves not far away.
She did not share a communal bed with the Feng family's children in the inner room. The kind-hearted couple had tidied up a storage room near the kitchen, which, though simple, was reserved solely for her.
"Brother Feng, Sister-in-law Feng!"
Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate. Li Ersao, from the same village, staggered into the courtyard, her face ashen.
Feng Aniang quickly put down her needlework and went to meet her, supporting her as she almost lost her balance. "Yunniang? What happened? Tell me slowly, don't rush."
“My cousin from my mother’s side came to stay with us, but it seems he brought something unclean with him!” Sister-in-law Li glanced back, her face filled with fear. “He kept saying he was uneasy the whole way here, that there was a dark shadow following him. This morning when he arrived at my house, half of the stove collapsed for no reason, and the water in the water vat all stank… And that’s not all, he’s dancing in the yard right now, and no matter how I call him, he can’t hear me, and I can’t pull him away!”
She became increasingly frightened as she spoke, "This must be an evil spirit! What are we going to do..."
Upon hearing this, Father Feng's expression also turned serious. He immediately stubbed out his pipe and stood up. "Let's go take a look!"
Feng A Niang also quickly put down her needlework and followed her husband and Li Er Sao hurriedly out of the courtyard.
No one noticed that the door to the storeroom behind them was gently pushed open a crack. Feng Zhizhaoyin slipped out and followed far behind them.
In the mud-brick courtyard of Li Ersao's house, a sturdy young man with dark skin stood stiffly in the center. His eyes were empty and lifeless, and his arms moved slowly in an extremely stiff posture, tracing strange arcs, as if controlled by invisible threads, oblivious to everything around him.
Several villagers, drawn by the commotion, gathered outside the low wall, peering around, but none dared to get too close.
"Isn't this Li Ersao's cousin who just came to stay with her? What kind of evil spirit has possessed him...?"
"Look at his arm, it's twisted like that, it's kind of creepy."
Amidst the whispers, a figure in pure white walked unhurriedly into the courtyard. It was none other than Sheng Sheng, the young man transformed from the python immortal.
His face remained clean, but a faint green light flashed in the depths of his eyes, which had become those of an ordinary person.
He walked straight towards the possessed youth, his brows furrowed slightly, seemingly displeased. He opened his mouth and exhaled softly.
The breath brushed past his cousin's face, and the young man, who was gesturing strangely, suddenly stopped. After a moment, his empty eyes regained their light, only to be replaced by immense pain.
"vomit……"
His legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, suddenly vomiting violently.
A nauseating, fishy stench quickly filled the air.
The courtyard was completely silent; everyone was speechless with astonishment at the scene.
Li Ersao was the first to come to her senses. She rushed to her cousin, who was gagging, patting his back and helping him catch his breath, tears streaming down her face. "It's alright, it's alright now that you've thrown up... Thank God, thank God!"
Father Feng stepped forward, his tone filled with reverence, and tentatively asked, "Young sir, no, great immortal, thank you for your help! May I ask... may I ask which immortal you are? Our Fengmen Village will forever remember your great kindness!"
Upon hearing this, Sheng Sheng simply turned her gaze to the shadowy corner of the courtyard wall and said, "If you want to thank someone, thank my older sister."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes turned to look at her. Feng Zhizhaoyin, who had been hiding well behind the vat, was now discovered and had no choice but to come out.
Father Feng and Mother Feng stared at each other in astonishment, looking at the girl they had taken in for several days in the corner, then at the extraordinary young man in the center, speechless for a moment. They only knew that A-Yin was aloof and unlike ordinary village girls, but they never expected that she would have such a powerful younger brother?
Amidst the respectful or fearful gazes of the crowd, Feng Zhizhao walked up to the boy with a chuckle, but her expression suddenly changed, and she grabbed his ear.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, be gentle..." The boy, who had just been exuding an ethereal aura, was pulled so hard by her that he lost his composure and could only stagger along with her force as she pulled him out.
"Sister, be gentle! Sister..." the boy kept begging for mercy as she pulled him.
Feng Zhizhao ignored his pleas for mercy and dragged him away from Li Ersao's courtyard, pulling him all the way to a secluded old locust tree behind the village before letting go.
She crossed her arms and glared at the innocent-looking boy rubbing his reddened ears. "Who's your older sister? Don't try to claim kinship with me."
That's what they all call it.
"Who's calling that?"
“Family,” Sheng Sheng answered earnestly. “The people of Xiaowangzhuang say that family means supporting and caring for each other. You saved my life, so you are my life too. We are family.”
“…Xiaowangzhuang?” Feng Zhizhao’s tone hardened. “What are you going there for?”
"I was drawn there by a very sad feeling." Sheng Sheng's voice lowered, and a shadow crossed her clear eyes, as if she had seen a scene she did not want to recall.
He paused for a moment, then continued, "I met that person on my way back. He had also escaped from Xiaowangzhuang. He was probably restless and hungry on the way, so he ate wild animals or grave offerings that had been contaminated by the evil spirits, and that's how he fell for the spell."
As she spoke, Sheng Sheng's eyes lit up slightly, filled with a clear excitement, "Sister, driving away those bad luck things and seeing people regain their clarity... it feels pretty good. I like helping others!"
Feng Zhizhao said, "Since you like it, be a good person and help others."
He nodded vigorously, then grabbed her sleeve, his eyes pleading, "I came to see you this time because I want to ask you for help."
"I asked you to help others, not for you to come to me for help."
“But I sense that something is about to be born in Xiaowangzhuang…something extremely yin and pure, like the scent of death and rebirth intertwined, capable of reversing decay and reshaping life.” Sheng Sheng tried her best to describe the vague feeling. “It should be a flower, a powerful flower of life. I want to go and see it.”
—Our second daughter's chest pain has been flaring up more and more frequently since the beginning of spring. Doctor Wang came last time and said it might... require some expensive and delicate medicines to slowly nurture her. But the cost of that medicine...
The sorrowful whispers of Feng Aniang suddenly surfaced in Feng Zhizhaoyin's mind. Her eyes flickered, and a thought quietly took shape.
The next morning, before dawn, she had already finished getting ready.
Seeing that she was carrying her bag and dressed as if she were about to go on a long journey, Aunt Feng put down what she was doing in the kitchen and asked worriedly, "Ayin, where are you going so early in the morning? Things haven't been peaceful outside lately."
Father Feng was also squatting on the threshold, his brows furrowed as usual.
Feng Zhizhao chuckled, "We won't go far, we'll just wander around the neighboring village and see if we can find some herbs that aren't commonly found in the mountains." She deliberately avoided the name "Xiaowangzhuang".
Upon hearing this, Aunt Feng breathed a slight sigh of relief, but her eyes still showed concern. "You still need to be careful and come back as soon as possible." She turned around and took a still-warm cloth bag from the stove and stuffed it into her hand. "Take this with you. It contains freshly baked pancakes to tide you over on the way."
The cloth bag was warm to the touch, carrying the simple aroma of grain. Feng Zhizhao held the cake, her heart softening. In this chaotic world, this small act of kindness felt strangely heavy.
"Yes, I'll be back as soon as possible."
Feng Zhizhao smiled and waved to them, then put the cloth bag into her bosom, turned around, and walked out of the courtyard.
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and Sheng Sheng waited quietly outside the boundaries of Fengmen Village, her plain white clothes almost blending into the gray morning haze.
The two met up and headed towards Xiaowangzhuang.
After two days of trekking, the further we went, the more shocking the scene became. The fields that should have been lush and green on both sides of the road were now cracked in large patches, with withered yellow grass stalks trembling in the wind. On several slopes, the bark of the trees had been stripped off, revealing their white trunks.
Passing through a nearly abandoned village, a deathly silence enveloped the dilapidated thatched huts. At the village entrance, under a crooked shed, several emaciated villagers huddled, their eyes vacant as they stared blankly at passersby, seemingly having long lost any hope for life. Further away, in a corner of a wall, there appeared to be a shallow pit, hastily buried and then dug up by wild dogs, through which something shapeless and dark could be vaguely seen.
Feng Zhizhaoyin expressionlessly shifted her gaze without stopping. Sheng Sheng followed beside her, his brows slightly furrowed. He subconsciously moved closer to her, feeling very uncomfortable with the lingering deathly aura around him.
“Sister…” he said softly, his voice trembling slightly.
"Don't look around, hurry up."
Feng Zhizhao frowned and urged. Although these scenes were familiar to her, every time she saw them, it still felt like a stone was pressing on her heart.
Occasionally, you can see a few refugees along the way, dragging their families along, their faces pale and thin, their eyes numb as they stagger towards the unknown future.
As the sun began to set, the two found a half-collapsed Huangxian Temple by the overgrown mountain road.
The temple was long since dilapidated; the doors were nowhere to be found, the roof had collapsed, and the remaining statues of deities were indistinct and covered with cobwebs. The offering table lay overturned in the corner, covered with a thick layer of dust, and the air was filled with a faint smell of mildew mixed with the pungent odor of wild game.
Three groups of people had already arrived at the temple, each occupying a distinct area.
Closest to the door were two huddled refugees, their faces pale and emaciated, their eyes numb.
A little further in, by the wall, sat a man wearing a straw hat and a coarse cloth jacket. Beside him was a rather large bag, making him look like a peddler selling mountain goods. He was silently munching on his dry rations, his posture ordinary, but a faint glint of cold metal hooks could be seen through the seams of his fabric.
In the innermost corner, three men were gathered. They were dressed in ordinary dark cotton clothes and appeared to be traveling merchants together, but they sat upright and remained vigilant even when resting.
One man's waist bulged slightly, as if concealing a short blade. The other man's boots, though old, were standard thick-soled. They spoke in hushed tones, their voices extremely low, but their gazes frequently swept over everyone in the temple, lingering especially on the lone peddler and the newcomer Feng Zhizhaoyin, a cold glint hidden behind their scrutiny.
Feng Zhizhaoyin's gaze swept lightly across the temple, and she roughly understood the background of these people. She had no intention of getting involved, and seeing that there was only an empty space in front of the statue's base, she brushed away the thin dust and sat down.
"Sister," she said, leaning close to her, unable to hold back, "those people..."
"Stop asking questions." Feng Zhizhao interrupted him, her gaze fixed on the deep twilight outside the door. "Tell me about Xiaowangzhuang. Did government troops really kill people a few days ago?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly in the silent, dilapidated temple. In the corner, one of the three merchants who had been feigning sleep with their eyes closed twitched almost imperceptibly at the tip of his finger.
A cold snort followed, “Murder? That’s called a village massacre!” The speaker was the peddler, who seemed somewhat indignant. “More than a hundred households in Xiaowang Village, just because they couldn’t pay that extra ‘bandit suppression tax,’ those people directly resorted to violence! Men, women, young and old… Hmph, the soil at the village entrance is still red to this day!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the one who seemed to be the leader among the three merchants suddenly opened his eyes. "Brother, you can't speak recklessly. The government acts according to the law. If it weren't for the troublemakers gathering to resist taxes with malicious intent, why would the government troops have used such swift and decisive measures? They are all acting in accordance with the law to set an example for others."
"High-sounding!" the peddler sneered. "Do you know what kind of creatures are born in places that have suffered such slaughter, soaked in blood and resentment?"
Seeing the three men's displeased expressions, Feng Zhizhao was secretly pleased and cooperatively followed up by asking, "What is it?"
"A sinister flower, utterly yin and pure, containing a strange vitality. It only sprouts where corpses pile up and resentment soars to the sky, feeding on lingering remnants of souls and overwhelming resentment. News of it has already spread like wildfire, and now... humph, countless eyes, both open and hidden, are fixed on that dead land, waiting for it to bloom so they can vie for this 'opportunity'!"
Upon hearing this, the three merchants' faces visibly darkened, and a chilling glint appeared in their eyes as they exchanged glances.
Feng Zhi Zhaoyin also glanced at Sheng Sheng.
She suddenly had a premonition that perhaps it wasn't them vying for that so-called "opportunity," but rather that the "opportunity" deeply rooted in the mountains of corpses and seas of blood had quietly set its sights on them.
As night deepened, only the crackling of the campfire and the intermittent howling of the wind remained in the dilapidated temple.
The shadow at the temple gate suddenly shifted, and two figures stepped inside.
The person in the lead wore a large black cloak with the brim pulled low, completely obscuring his face, only his tall figure could be vaguely outlined as he walked.
He walked with ease, not glancing around, seemingly uninterested in the distinct groups of people within the temple, and went straight to the darkest corner, where he sat down in silence.
Following behind him was an ordinary-looking attendant, with lowered eyes and nimble movements, but he seemed more like a shadow in the black cloak.
The moment the two stepped inside, Feng Zhizhaoyin, who had been keeping her eyes half-closed, suddenly opened them. She hadn't even seen their faces clearly, but she sensed a chilling sense of danger.
From a young age, her intuition was far beyond that of ordinary people. At this moment, she vaguely sensed the danger emanating from the two people. It was something profound and unfathomable, like a deep abyss and a towering mountain. The dark aura hidden beneath the silence made her scalp tingle slightly.
Two more inhuman creatures arrived. She became secretly wary.
That night, Feng Zhizhao barely slept, constantly watching the shadowy corner. Only when dawn broke and the two had silently departed did she breathe a sigh of relief, wake Shengsheng, and set off immediately.
The closer you get to Xiaowangzhuang, the more desolate and lifeless it becomes.
The main road was deserted of refugees, replaced by checkpoints and sentry posts along the way. In the distance, at a fork in the road, several soldiers in standard leather armor and with official swords at their waists stood solemnly in the middle of the road, sternly rebuking and driving away a few refugees who tried to pass through, creating a tense atmosphere.
Feng Zhizhao's gaze narrowed slightly. She pulled Sheng Sheng away quietly and disappeared into the withered bushes by the roadside.
“We can’t take the main road anymore,” she whispered, glancing at the secluded mountainside. “We’ll take the back road.”
The two then entered a narrow path half-hidden by weeds and withered vines. The mountain path was steep and difficult to traverse, with loose stones everywhere, making it almost impossible to find a foothold. But Feng Zhizhaoyin walked quickly and steadily.
As we traversed this rugged terrain, the faint sound of flowing water could be heard ahead, and a stench of decaying rust gradually filled the air.
Sheng Sheng's nostrils twitched slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. "Strange, why is the smell of blood here so much stronger than it was two days ago?"
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