Chapter 54: The Yanyue hexagram says that Alan will bring...
A few days later, Fang Yilan and his group finally set foot in the southwest.
The southwest sun, always shrouded in moisture, shrouded the distant peaks in a hazy haze. Lush trees blocked out the sun, occasionally letting through the branches and leaves, dappled light and shadows cast a shadow on the muddy path. Horse hooves sank deeply into the muddy road, kicking up a cloud of mud that splashed onto the grass beside the road.
With the help of the token, they successfully entered Nanqi City.
Although the streets in the city are not wide, they are extremely lively. There are shops on both sides of the streets, selling various specialties unique to the southwest.
Suddenly, I heard the crisp sound of shattering porcelain up ahead. A group of people gathered in front of a shop, cursing and swearing. Amid the clashing of silver jewelry, a veiled girl was being pushed and shoved.
"Those bugs from Nanzhao broke my things and they refuse to compensate me?" The shop owner spat.
The trapped woman, with a charming and bright face and a pair of pure eyes that showed no worldly experience, was retreating step by step, protecting the maid behind her. The maid, still only in her teens, was clearly frightened and clung to the woman's sleeve tightly.
The two women wore numerous silver ornaments on their heads and bodies, which jingled with each other's steps. They wore short, embroidered jackets that revealed their slender waists, and the hems of their skirts were embroidered not with ordinary flowers and plants, but with intertwined scorpion totems.
The woman's voice was as soft as a silver bell. She asked, "Aruo didn't damage anything of yours. Why are you slandering her?"
"Slander? You barbarians who use Gu, who knows what you are up to!" The boss sneered, his tone full of discrimination and malice.
"We didn't lie! It's you Ruining people who are confusing right and wrong!" The maid blushed and retorted angrily.
"You still dare to quibble!"
The people around them joined in, cursing them as "insects" and "barbarians," and some even threw stones at them. The maid was accidentally hit by a stone, leaving several bloody cuts on her body.
The woman named Aruo directly took the maid's backpack and turned it over, and the dried Cordyceps sinensis was scattered on the bluestone slabs. The crowd of onlookers immediately took three steps back.
"Bugs! I told you there were bugs!"
Fang Yilan frowned, pushed through the crowd, and stood in front of Aruo: "How can you slander others without any evidence?"
"Who are you? Stop meddling in other people's business! The Yanyue tribe has killed so many people with Gu, why are you still speaking for them?" A fat woman said viciously with her hands on her hips.
"How dare you! How dare you be rude to the general!" Xun Yun's fingers were already on the scabbard, and Zhuang Gu and Xiao Yue also raised their swords and rushed forward.
The shopkeeper hadn't expected to offend the nobleman from the capital. He was speechless for a moment and forced himself to explain, "General! They were just wandering around my shop when things suddenly broke all over the floor. Who else could it be but her?"
"He's clearly a cousin from your shop. He accidentally knocked someone down, but you're blaming it on Aruo!"
Aruo suddenly raised her eyes, and the silver butterfly pendant on her ear swayed violently, as dazzling as her amber pupils.
The man beside the shopkeeper looked uncertain and took a half step back in fear. Fang Yilan had already made a judgment in his mind and said coldly, "You slander others without any evidence. Do you know what crime this is?"
The woman suddenly held Fang Yilan's hand, her fingertips were cold, and the silver bracelets on her wrists collided with each other, making a light sound like the flapping of a poisonous insect's wings.
"If you want to know who broke the porcelain, it's very simple." The woman smiled, and her right fingertips brushed across the bamboo tube at her waist and touched the broken porcelain pieces on the ground.
Several poisonous insects crawled out from her sleeves and moved back and forth in the pile of broken porcelain pieces, searching for something.
The poisonous insects suddenly flapped their wings and flew up. The waiter who was shouting just now suddenly fell to the ground, holding his throat and screaming. Spider-web-like red marks appeared on his neck and spread at an alarming speed.
After a while, he vomited blood and died.
The crowd that had been packed tightly together dispersed like a tide. A few people who had come to join in the fun were pushed to the ground and then crawled away.
"You see, the Gu worms are more reasonable than their mouths."
The woman suddenly took Fang Yilan's arm affectionately, a faint dimple appearing on her lips: "You are different from them. Aruo likes you. What's your name?"
"It's below Yilan."
"Alan! Aruo likes your name!"
Before Fang Yilan could respond, Zhao Huaixu had already subtly swung his folding fan horizontally, his face still wearing a gentle smile, and interrupted: "Alan, you've been traveling all the way. It's already afternoon and the business is done. It's time to find a place to eat. Why don't we say goodbye now?"
Aruo glared at him, then looked up at Fang Yilan and chuckled, "It just so happens that Aruo hasn't eaten yet, so Aruo wants to eat with you."
The maid beside her looked worried and whispered, "Saint, Grandmother said you can't stay down the mountain for too long..."
Aruo interrupted her unhappily: "Once Aruo is full, she will go back naturally. It won't take long."
Fang Yilan smiled and said, "Miss Aruo, if you don't mind, please come with me."
Several people came to a rather grand restaurant. When the waiter saw that there were customers, he hurried over to greet them with a smile on his face: "Ladies and gentlemen, please come in!"
As they stepped over the threshold, the waiter stopped them with his arm, stopping only Aruo and the other two, frowning and saying, "Hey, wait, you two can't go in."
Fang Yilan raised her eyebrows: "Why not?"
The shopkeeper also rushed over, rubbed his hands, and said with an apologetic smile: "Excuse me, gentlemen, they are from Nanzhao, and none of the restaurants in Nanxi City will accept them."
Zhao Huaixu still had a smile on his face: "How come I have never heard of Ruining having such a law?"
The waiter beside him wasn't so polite. He rolled his eyes and snorted, "Those Nanzhao women always wear strange clothes, barely covering their bodies, and they're always covered with bugs. What if they accidentally get on other customers? We still have business to do in this restaurant!"
Fang Yilan sneered, her tone tinged with anger. "How can you talk about doing business if you reject people just because of their clothes and customs and judge them by their appearance?"
Seeing Fang Yilan standing up for her, Aruo pulled her sleeve and said, "They don't let Aruo eat, and Aruo doesn't want to eat! Why don't you come to Aruo's house to eat? Aruo can cook a lot of delicious food!"
It was indeed her negligence regarding the meal. She did not expect that Nanqi City was so hostile to foreigners. Fang Yilan had no choice but to agree to accompany her back to the village.
After going up the mountain road, you can vaguely see a village built on the mountain. The houses are all stilt houses built with wood, with the bottom floor elevated, which is both ventilated and moisture-proof.
The buildings are connected by wooden bridges, linking the entire village together. Smoke rises from the roofs of the stilt houses, blending into the mist in the mountains.
When the villagers saw Aruo, they all bowed and their eyes were full of awe.
Aruo enthusiastically pulled Fang Yilan to introduce her: "This is my grandmother's yard. Behind it is where Aruo lives. The stone statue on the top of the mountain is where we worship and offer sacrifices. Aruo will marry the mountain god there when she turns 20."
"Marry the mountain god?" Fang Yilan looked surprised.
The maid explained, "Every ten years, our clan selects a saint. On the day of the saint's wedding, the mountain god will grant good weather and good harvests."
Aruo folded his hands devoutly in front of his chest and said, "The mountain god will protect our tribe and ensure their safety, and our descendants will continue to prosper."
"What about the saint before?" Fang Yilan asked again.
Aruo blinked, as if discussing a mundane matter: "The Saint Girl will offer her heart to the Mountain God. After completing her mission, she will naturally die."
Human sacrifice?
The maid's expression suddenly changed as she whispered, "Saint, be careful what you say! The mountain god will lead you to immortality. This is just a temporary farewell to your mortal body."
Fang Yilan received a modern education and did not believe in ghosts and gods. However, she also understood one thing: other people's beliefs and cultures, even such cruel sacrificial rituals, should be treated with respect.
Aruo turned to look at Fang Yilan and smiled calmly: "Aruo is not afraid, this is Aruo's mission."
Fang Yilan suppressed the discomfort in her heart and forced a smile.
Seeing that she was not in a good mood, A Ruo curved his eyebrows, took her hand and shook it, with a pure smile: "Let's not talk about this anymore, A Ruo will make something delicious for A Lan."
As she spoke, she dragged Fang Yilan into her courtyard.
The yard is not big, with bundles of fresh firewood piled on the ground and a bamboo basket in the corner, filled with wild mushrooms picked from the mountains.
Aruo asked Fang Yilan and his group to rest for a while in the house, while he went into the kitchen.
She skillfully fiddled with the stove, and the flames quickly shot up. She sliced the cleaned mushrooms into thin slices and tossed them into the hot oil pan along with a handful of bright red chilies. The fresh aroma of the mushrooms mixed with the spicy frying oil, and the fragrance immediately filled the entire kitchen.
On the other side, she stuffed the local chicken and matsutake mushrooms into the casserole and simmered the soup over a slow fire. The soup base was clear and transparent, and the steaming hot air carried a scent of the mountains.
Before long, the stone table was filled with plates of steaming hot dishes. Although not as exquisite and complex as those in Beijing, they were full of the flavor of homely life.
The spicy flavor of the mushrooms exploded on his tongue, and paired with a mouthful of glistening bamboo rice, with bits of chicken mushroom shredded between the grains, Fang Yilan felt her appetite whetted. She ate heartily, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Before she knew it, she'd finished another bowl of rice.
Aruo held up his head, looking at her with a mischievous smile in his eyes: "Aruo knew you would like it."
Zhuang Gu covered his swollen stomach and burped loudly, sighing sincerely, "This is simply the best meal I've ever had in my life!"
Seeing Fang Yilan enjoying her meal, Zhao Huaixu asked, "Miss Aruo, could you share the recipes for these dishes with me? Aruo loves them, and if I have the chance in the future, I'd like to make them for her myself."
"These are some spice recipes that only my tribe knows. If Lan wants to eat them, he can always come to A Ruo. I won't tell you!"
Aruo suddenly remembered something and tilted his head slightly before asking, "In addition to delicious food, our Yanyue clan is also very good at divination. Alan, do you want to try it?"
Fang Yilan smiled approvingly and said, "Okay."
Aruo took out an ancient wooden box from the secret compartment of the bamboo rack. Inside the box were several pieces of tortoise shells, each of which was engraved with an unrecognizable ancient totem.
She handed the tortoise shell to Fang Yilan: "Just throw it, and Aruo will know."
Fang Yilan also found it interesting, so she picked it up and threw it. The tortoise shell flipped a few times in the air and scattered irregularly on the stone table.
The moonlight leaking in through the bamboo window suddenly dimmed by three points, and Aruo's expression suddenly became solemn.
Fang Yilan noticed her strangeness and asked tentatively, "What's wrong? Is the divination bad?"
Aruo slowly raised his head and looked at her with deep eyes: "This hexagram says that Alan will bring catastrophic disaster to my clan..."
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