omen
Entering the Wanyong area, what caught Mingyu's eyes was the endless grassland, and the lingering desolation was filled with every breath.
The world was so vast that for a moment I could only feel my own heart beating.
"It's very beautiful, right? I was also shocked when I first came here."
Mingyu looked at Yu Tongan, and Yu Tongan looked at Mingyu from the end of the grassland, his eyes unconsciously becoming soft and tender.
"I was still sick at the time, but I saw the land boundary in the distance and kept staring at it. As a result, I was hit by a cold wind and became even sicker."
As he spoke, Yu Tongan chuckled, with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
The wind blew her hair. Mingyu looked in the direction of the wind and suddenly felt a little envious. She envied Yu Tongan's life and felt a little uncomfortable.
"But it's worth it, even if it makes me sicker."
"That's what I thought at the time, but later I realized there would be a chance to come back and see it, so let's go, we're going to stay here for a while."
Mingyu looked back at the grassland and followed Yu Tongan.
Wanyong is a city in the grassland. Going west from here is the residence of General Zheng Pinggui.
Yu Tongan also arranged accommodation for Wanyong.
Mingyu refused Yu Tongan's request to arrange for someone to take care of her and packed her luggage by herself.
The house was different from the one Mingyu had lived in. The windows of the house seemed small compared to the paper windows and paper doors. The brightness inside the room was much darker than outside the door. Coupled with the heavy bedding, even though the room was spacious, it gave people a crowded feeling.
This kind of crowding actually gives the Ming fish a sense of peace of mind.
The clothing of the people in the city is also different from that in the east. The girls here wear more flamboyant jewelry pendants. They have beads made of unknown materials hanging around their waists, which make crisp sounds as they walk.
"The desserts here are very famous, but since you don't like sweets, I won't recommend them to you."
Mingyu said she wanted to go out for a walk, and Yu Tongan followed her out, holding the baked milk skin she had just bought and handing it to Mingyu from time to time to test whether she still wanted to eat it.
"Don't you need to check the accounts or something?" Mingyu didn't refuse. She quite liked eating it. Dairy products were not very common in the East.
"I'm taking a break." Yu Tongan smiled as he handed food to Mingyu, looking in a good mood.
After eating the roasted fish with milk skin, she wanted to find a handkerchief to wipe her hands, and Yu Tongan handed it to her first.
Mingyu took it and looked at Yu Tongan speechlessly.
"As someone in power, do you still have anything to say about Xiu Muyi?"
"I'm no longer at the age of striving hard. It's time to slow down." Yu Tongan didn't care much. He turned around and took out a wooden mask and handed it to Mingyu.
The mask was colorful, with bright and bold colors. Mingyu looked at the mask in his hand with some curiosity.
The workmanship of the masks is far less refined than those in the capital, but they have their own unique flavor. The simple and dull expressions of the masks, coupled with the impactful colors, have an inexplicable magic.
"The masks made here are also very different. You have to wear a veil, right? It would be more convenient if you could change the mask."
Mingyu understood that Yu Tongan was referring to the veil she wore during the sacrifice.
"It's different. That one is mainly used to block the view." Mingyu picked up the mask, put it in front of his face, and looked at Yu Tongan through the empty spaces for the eyes on the mask.
"Do you think this can be blocked?"
Looking at Mingyu, Yu Tongan couldn't help laughing.
"So do you want it? Keep it for your collection?"
"Is it unnecessary?" Mingyu hesitated. He had no fixed place to live, so these things were useless.
Yu Tongan looked at Mingyu's eyes and looked at the stall, where other masks were hanging. Mingyu stayed on one of them for a while.
"Please, help me pack this." Yu Tongan smiled, "I'm only giving you one, so you don't have to bother carrying it."
In fact, Yu Tongan later gave Mingyu a lot of things, such as special agate, food, and necklace pendants.
I just wanted to take a walk, but ended up coming back with a bunch of stuff.
As dusk approached, they went to a local restaurant for dinner. There were people grilling meat next to the table, and people baking bread further away.
Many local residents or travelers stay here.
He looked at the person who should be a local resident and put down the bowl in his hand with a heavy tone.
"Why hasn't it rained yet?"
The person at the same table also sighed.
"If there's no rain, the grass won't sprout. If we miss spring, the ewes won't give birth this year, and we won't even be able to have a bonfire party."
The sound of conversation reached Mingyu's ears.
Yu Tongan poured a cup of milk tea for Mingyu and placed it in front of Mingyu.
"Milk tea, want to try it?"
The milky white milk mixed with the remaining tea leaves gradually turned brown. A few nuts were washed to the bottom of the bowl as the water poured in and then slowly floated up.
Mingyu took a small sip, the aroma of milk mixed with salty flavor, and the aftertaste of tea diluted the thickness of the milk, returning to the familiar taste of Mingyu.
Seeing Mingyu's eyes light up, Yu Tongan's brows softened.
"Wu Ren went to get the barbecue. The taste here is different from the lamb and beef we are used to eating."
The people at the next table were still sighing about the dry weather.
The people at the other table seemed to be unable to bear it any longer, or perhaps they didn't want to hear such unhappy things while eating, so they interrupted them.
"Stop sighing. What's the point? It's really annoying."
It turned out that the group of people who were talking were unhappy.
"Can't I even sigh? What if the cows and sheep don't get pregnant in the spring?"
The man clicked his tongue impatiently: "Haven't many people hired shamans to pray for rain?"
"Is it working? Huh? Not a drop of water has fallen so far."
"So what do you want? Is it going to work if you just keep nagging here? Or is it going to work if you just spit on me?"
"What does my talk have to do with you?!" The man slammed the table, looking very excited.
Seeing that the two men were about to fight, the shopkeeper finally arrived, comforted them, and finally ended the dispute by having the man who was making the argument leave.
Most folk shamans are unconventional, and many people don’t even know about it until they get started.
Judging from Mingyu's situation, her master accepted disciples according to the instructions given by God. He only saw talent, otherwise the master would not have adopted Mingyu at such an old age.
Wu Ren served the barbecued meat, which had a unique burnt aroma when grilled over high heat.
As the man who had challenged them left, the sound of discussion began to rise.
"By the way, isn't there someone in the south who's incredibly powerful? They even say he's a messenger from the gods or something."
Mingyu paused and continued eating the barbecue as if nothing had happened, but Wu Ren opposite him couldn't help himself.
"puff."
Mingyu looked at Wu Ren with his lips tightly pursed, and he couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth no matter how hard he tried to press it down.
“…”
The man's companion took over.
"You also said it was in the south, but do you know where it is now? Even if you knew, could you invite them?"
"Well, that's just what I said. I don't know if that person is really that powerful, but the rumors are so serious."
As they were talking, the topic at the neighboring table gradually shifted away from discussing witchcraft, and Wu Ren was finally able to show off his big buck teeth.
"Actually, it's more obvious when you press the corners of your mouth like this."
Mingyu pointed out Wu Ren's problem, then took a bite of the meat, his cheeks puffed up.
"?"
Wu Ren looked at Yu Tongan as if seeking confirmation. Yu Tongan took a sip of milk tea, nodded, and turned to Wu Pi, who also silently confirmed it.
The corners of Wu Ren's mouth returned to their normal position without any pressure.
…
After dinner, the sky began to darken, with only a ray of light remaining in the distance, and everyone returned to their homes.
"You really don't need me to arrange some manpower for you?"
Before they each returned to their rooms, Yu Tongan confirmed with Mingyu again.
"No, the rain prayer is the day after tomorrow. I'll stay here tomorrow, and nothing will happen."
Tomorrow morning, Yu Tongan has to run errands for the Third Prince and deliver a letter to General Zheng. Although it is not far away, he probably won't be back until evening. Yu Tongan is not very comfortable staying here alone.
"Okay, if you have any questions, remember to find the person in charge here, the one who brought us here yesterday."
"It'll be fine."
…
Just as Mingyu said, if they don't cause any trouble, they won't attract much attention.
Mingyu thought that life might not be so peaceful after tomorrow, so he went for a walk on the street.
Turning the street, she saw a young man leaning against the wall, as if waiting for someone. For a moment, Mingyu was in a dilemma.
"Stop looking, I'm waiting for you." Gu Muxing had a sword and a simple star plate on his waist, and the objects on his waist swung the moment he stood up straight.
"Why are you here?"
"You ask me? I'm still asking you."
As he spoke, Gu Muxing quickly walked up to Mingyu and accused him with a stern face.
"You said you would come find us? Why did you go to Wanyong? You made me get scolded by the master again."
The imposing aura of a half-grown boy could not intimidate the Ming fish.
"Didn't I say I only came to you when I had something to do? Now everything is fine."
Mingyu answered perfunctorily. She had no intention of looking for them, but she was a little curious.
"But why are you here?"
"You didn't come to us, and then I told you a fortune, but you came here instead." Gu Muxing's expression became even more ferocious, like a pissed-off cat. "If you hadn't come here, no one would have come here!"
"You come by yourself?" Mingyu didn't see Gu Pingyuan in the white robe.
"The master is not coming this time. He is too old to come out this time."
Mingyu was just about to persuade him to go back to Xinghe Valley when Gu Muxing's expression changed and became serious.
"What are you doing here? Do you know that you are in danger here? Your horoscope shows that you will have a great disaster here. Come back with me and leave here."
Mingyu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Am I dead?"
"I don't know. I can't see it anymore. It should be a fork in the road." Gu Muxing was a little angry. "Don't you care?"
A fork in the road means that there are two possibilities, and different results will lead to completely different subsequent horoscopes.
"I do care, but I already knew there was danger."
"Are you still so proud?!" Gu Muxing looked completely furious.
"No." Mingyu tried to comfort Gu Muxing, "But I can't get away from this matter anymore. This matter is very dangerous. You should leave quickly."
"What do you mean you can't get away?" Gu Muxing grabbed Mingyu's arm and dragged him back two steps. "Just come with me now."
Mingyu was dragged two steps unexpectedly, and soon stopped, not following Gu Muxing forward.
"But I also want to keep using the name 'Mingyu'." Mingyu looked at Gu Muxing seriously, "Don't you think it's a nice name?"
Gu Muxing was silent for a moment, then released his hand, muttering unconvincedly, "That sounds like bullshit."
"That's because you don't know." Mingyu rubbed his captured arm. "'I hope you will grow wings and transform into a fish from the North Sea' (note). Sounds nice, doesn't it?"
In the end, Gu Muxing impatiently agreed to Mingyu that he would leave Wan Yong.
…
The next morning, they held a prayer for rain on the grass near the city gate.
At first, only a few people were looking at Mingyu with ridicule, misunderstanding and mockery.
Slowly, as the letters flew around, a crowd began to gather. Everyone looked at the blindfolded woman in the center quietly with some disbelief.
The sky was filled with mist, and at the moment when the raindrops fell, someone actually knelt down.
“Thank God!”
"It's raining! Can you see it's not raining?"
"Did you see that cigarette just now? It just broke like that. Did you see that?"
Mingyu was a little weak, and Wu Pi came forward to support Mingyu, but Mingyu shook his head and refused.
The raindrops hit Mingyu, neither light nor heavy. He looked at Yu Tongan who was in the crowd and could not show up.
The moment they looked at each other, they both knew what the other was thinking.
The storm is coming.
Note: From Li Bai's "Presented to Shi Langzhong at the Banquet of the Jiangxia Envoy's Uncle"
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