Chapter 121 Waiting for the right opportunity to give rain and wind.
Entering the world inside the wooden gate is completely different from the desolate mountain path outside.
The path beneath my feet is paved with bluestone slabs, but it is much cleaner and tidier than the area outside the wooden gate. Looking out, I see a cluster of buildings surrounded by mountains, with upturned eaves, blue tiles and wooden beams, and wisps of smoke rising from them at dusk.
The location where Xia Zhu and the others were standing appeared to be the edge of a plaza, with a magnificent hall not far in front of them, clearly the central hub of the Jiang family. A totem of a three-headed divine bird hung in front of the hall.
The wooden gate behind them was probably a security barrier; if any wicked person illegally broke in, they would likely be struck by lightning and burned to a crisp.
With the main hall as the center, there are also four groups of buildings in different styles in the four corners of the east, west, south and north, which are connected by suspension bridges or stone steps.
Xia Zhu recalled what Feng Feng had said before: the Di Jun Jiang family was divided into four smaller families: Leopard, Tiger, Bear, and Brown Bear, each in charge of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. These four families were highly united and each had their own responsibilities, making the Wind Chasing Path, which greatly benefited the entire Divine Blood Clan, the work of the Wind Division. Xia Zhu had also heard that the Di Jun clan controlled several large and small, very wealthy logistics companies in human society, which was why the entire family was never short of food and drink.
Like Xuanyuan Hill in Kongtong, these major families each have their own strengths and a long history.
Xia Zhu's horizons were truly broadened.
Jiang Xiaqing led the group across a suspension bridge to the west. A bear statue was carved on the bridgehead; she was the owner of the Purple Lightning Whip and also belonged to the Electricity Department. Feng Feng said she might become the head of the Electricity Department in the future. During the Nine Heavens Assembly, Xia Zhu knew that this quiet, reserved, and even somewhat frail girl would be like the Purple Lightning Whip in her hand—slender and resilient, yet capable of striking like lightning.
Based on this layout, the four families might be neatly arranged in their respective corners, while the clan's sacrificial ceremonies would likely be held uniformly in the central hall.
The Xiongbu region is not much different from any other ancient city. In fact, because it doesn't need to develop tourism, it seems to have more of a lively atmosphere than some commercialized ancient cities. There are not only small shops and various noodle stalls and breakfast shops, but also a lot of passersby. Even in the evening, the tribe is still quite lively. This world, which resembles a noble clan, is not as desolate and bleak as the deep mountains. As the sun sets, smoke rises from the houses on both sides of the alley. Some older men and women will bring out small stools to sit and chat in front of their houses. Everyone will greet Jiang Xiaqing warmly and invite her and her friends to their homes for dinner. Young children will often suddenly dart out from the alley, chasing and playing among the children.
With their white hair and children's hair hanging down, they were all content and at ease.
On the surface, it seems like an ordinary village where life flows by leisurely, and all you need to care about is whether it's sunny or rainy; the grass and willows turn yellow and green.
Even after entering the Jiang family compound, Yun Jiu still clung to Xia Zhu, with Xiao Yuan tucked under her right arm, curiously looking around at everything, her silver ornaments jingling. The aroma of food wafted from the streets and alleys at dusk, but the deeper they went, the quieter it became. Feng Feng, feeling a bit bored, tried to break the silence by catching up with Jiang Xia Qing with a forced smile.
"Is your family also forming a team to carry out the mission issued by the Nine Heavens Conference?"
Jiang Xiaqing didn't look at her, but simply made a soft "hmm" in response.
Feng Feng then asked, "What about the person who was with you last time? Everyone saw her at the Nine Heavens Assembly, Jiang Yu from the Yan Emperor's family..."
Jiang Xiaqing suddenly turned around, startling Feng Feng, who choked on the rest of his words.
"She's dead." The voice was flat, devoid of any emotion.
"Dead...dead?" Not only Feng Feng, but also Xia Zhu and the others were stunned.
The lanterns under the eaves of the roadside slowly lit up. Jiang Xiaqing stood under the lanterns, the warm yellow light shining on the side of her face, while her other eye was hidden in the indigo shadow, flickering with an unreadable light.
Xia Zhu felt a tightness in her throat. She could remember the girl named Jiang Yuran, who was as vibrant and energetic as a raging fire, seemingly possessing an inexhaustible life force. Could such a person really die so easily?
Just like heavy rain extinguishing fireworks.
She saw Jiang Xiaqing raise her eyes and slowly move her gaze toward her. For some reason, she felt that Jiang Xiaqing wasn't looking at her, but rather at Yun Jiu beside her.
"She died in Qiannan, such a far place."
Qiannan? The distance between it and the Wei River is indeed far; that place seems to be almost at Nanhuo Mountain.
Did Jiang Yuran go to such a far place to carry out a family mission?
Jiang Xiaqing looked at Xia Zhu again, as if she had guessed the question in her heart.
“Before she left, she told me that she had accidentally discovered the whereabouts of a suspicious demon god, so she chased him all the way to Qiannan, and then she died there.” She raised her left hand and turned the jade bead on her wrist. “In the mountains of Qiannan, not even her body could be found. Nobody knows how she died.”
"Did she go there by herself? If the body can't be found, maybe she's just missing?" Feng Feng quickly asked.
“It wasn’t just one person, but the unidentified officials who came back with them were all somewhat dazed. Even after a long period of recuperation, they couldn’t give a coherent explanation. As for their disappearances…” She paused, “When members of their family are born, a Yangyan lamp is lit. When a person dies, the lamp goes out. It’s never wrong.”
Xia Zhu heard her mention a suspicious demon god and was about to ask for some details when the tightly closed door on the right creaked open from the inside, and two furry heads poked out from the crack.
"Please make yourselves stay in this courtyard for now. There are very few vacant houses in the family. Although this place is a bit remote, it is still quite quiet." Jiang Xiaqing raised her hand and beckoned two children of about ten years old to come out from behind the door.
"This is for Yu and Zhifeng. They are the managers of this empty courtyard. If you need anything, just ask them." After saying that, she turned to leave, but was stopped by Ji Yinxiu.
"Thank you," he said. "I'm sure I've caused you a lot of trouble."
Jiang Xiaqing shook her head, her voice indifferent, "There's nothing to trouble you with."
Soon her slender figure disappeared at the end of the alley.
Xia Zhu glanced at the dark area, perhaps the heavy rain had extinguished more than just one flame.
The lanterns overhead swayed, and Yu and Zhifeng jumped out of the door, a little boy and a little girl of similar height.
The two said in unison, "The clean beds have been changed. The four boys will be paired up and each of the three girls will have their own room. Dinner will be served later."
"You two are so small, can you really be in charge of the Air Force Academy?"
Feng Feng found it amusing and bent down to pinch the boy's cheek, but the boy slapped him away.
Seeing that her companions were not giving the guests face, the girl named Geyu quickly explained in a soft voice, "The Dijun Jiang family does not support idlers. As long as you can run and jump, you have a job. Zhifeng and I are still young and not capable enough, so we were assigned to manage this courtyard."
"What are you explaining to outsiders!" Zhi Feng said angrily, tugging at Ge Yu's sleeve as he slipped away from Feng Feng's arms.
Even after running a few steps, the two could still hear Yu shouting, "Dinner will be served shortly, please wait a moment..."
After a quick assignment of rooms, the group went back to rest.
Before leaving, Ying Huo called out to Xia Zhu.
In her opinion, Ying Huo had become a different person since he left last time. He had been quiet and didn't say anything sarcastic. He had also become much more proactive in doing things. He even moved closer to her on the way and asked her awkwardly if she needed help carrying his bag or something.
Even more so, for example, at this very moment, he suddenly solemnly instructed Xia Zhu that from today onwards, no matter where he went or what happened, he must prioritize his personal safety.
"You have so many friends, there's no need for you to always be at the forefront."
Xia Zhu wanted to say that she didn't do what he said, but seeing his extremely serious expression, she swallowed her rebuttal and nodded blankly.
"Don't worry, I won't force you to be at the forefront." She thought for a moment and then added very sincerely. Perhaps because the places they had been to before were somewhat dangerous, Xia Zhu thought that Ying Huo was worried that if he stayed by her side, his life would be threatened sooner or later. Besides, he had always cherished his life.
Xia Zhu felt it was necessary to reassure him and put his mind at ease.
But to his surprise, Ying Huo's face turned quite ugly after hearing what she said. His beautiful eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms, looking as if he was so angry that he couldn't speak. He turned to leave, but after only a few steps, he suddenly returned aggressively, breaking the normal social distance. The two were so close that Xia Zhu could smell his scent again, like a gust of wind before a rain in early summer.
Ying Huo looked down at her face, whose emotions remained unreadable.
He spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Xia Zhu, what I mean is..."
"You must not die."
die?
After wandering back to her room, Xia Zhu packed her things for a while and then sat by the window, lost in thought, waiting for her meal.
The sun had completely set, with only some golden clouds still hanging on the mountaintop. The thick, gray-blue clouds mostly focused towards the sky overhead, giving her a strange sense that a storm was brewing.
This long-running prophecy only just now truly made Xia Zhu feel genuine worry and fear. No matter what dangers or unbelievable things she had encountered before, with this group of people around her, she always managed to turn danger into safety. Those thrilling and tense moments were just seasonings for the grand finale, something everyone enjoyed talking about.
She knew the road ahead was unknown and fraught with danger, but she never realized that everything that was happening could potentially take a person's life.
That bright, brave, and brilliant prodigy, skilled in the Flaming Fist, actually lost his life in the gloom before this storm.
Whether they are of divine blood or geniuses, no matter how weighty their titles are, they are still human beings.
No one can escape the cycle of cause and effect, birth, aging, sickness, and death.
Perhaps Ying Huo, like her, realized this as well, which is why he told her "don't die." Just like now, Xia Zhu began to hesitate, wondering if it was selfish of her to let Feng Feng and the others continue to run around trying to find out about her origins.
She also began to feel scared. She realized that caring about someone meant worrying about whether they would die.
Once he dies, I'll never see him again. I won't be able to see him smile, feel his warmth, or get an immediate response when I think of him.
The separation of life and death, the passing of time, means a lifetime of untouchable memories, and the profound sorrow of the past will inevitably be worn away by the passage of years.
Just like her grandfather, it seemed like she hadn't missed him in a long time.
This feeling was more terrifying to Xia Zhu than the loneliness she had experienced before. If the relationships she cherished and attached to would eventually dissipate, it would be better to be alone from the beginning.
So, when he suddenly said those words to himself, was it also an affirmation of the connection between the two of them? Perhaps he was finally willing to admit that they were friends.
The light outside the window dimmed, and then there was a knock on the door.
Xia Zhu got up and went to the door. It was the girl named Ge Yu.
She stood outside the door, holding a tray with a few simple home-style dishes and steaming rice on it.
Xia Zhu quickly accepted it and thanked her.
"You're welcome." The girl waved her hand. "Sister Xiaqing also told me to tell you that there's no way to obtain opportunities; you can only wait."
"wait?"
"Yes, when the time comes, it will come. It may be soon or it may take a long time. Since no one has ever truly witnessed such an opportunity, I can't give you any more information. Sister Xiaqing also said that you should just stay at the Jiang family's house and let me tell her when you want to leave. She will come to see you off."
Xia Zhu nodded. "Could you please thank her for us?"
She gave Yu a gentle smile and skipped away.
She had just sat down at the dining table when there was another knock on the door behind her. She turned around and saw that this time, Yu was standing by the window, tiptoeing and leaning on the windowsill.
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, you can visit the Jiang family's places whenever you have free time, but it's best not to go out at night and go to bed early."
She tilted her head and smiled innocently in the rain.
"Of course, it's best not to open the windows either."
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