Chapter 10: Fragrance
......
As for An Yue, he had been staying outside all along, never entering the underground dwelling to rest. Coming from the prosperous Da Qian, he considered himself quite resilient. However, upon entering the underground dwelling, he discovered that not only was it low in height, making it difficult to stand upright, but the so-called hay was indeed dry, yet it was not clean; there were even sheep droppings inside.
The elder waved his large sleeves, and before him appeared an incense altar, upon which rested a three-legged, double-eared beast-shaped cauldron. On either side hung soul banners, and a coiled dragon candle stood tall. In front of the incense altar, there was also a stack of gold paper, imbued with immense power
Soon, he was served a bowl of thick soup made from Jinlan mushrooms, and after taking a sip, his expression subtly changed.
Although it is a certainty that death extinguishes the light, this is only true for others. Over the years, there has been research within the Langya Academy, and the soul lamp is not infallible.
A few days' time is quite limited; as long as one is not pursued to dig deeper, the probability of getting by with superficiality is quite high
Some people are curious, yet they merely observe, and not a single person dares to ask a question
Grandfather, haven't we already extracted enough of the Jinlan ore?
As he saw Li Zhang being supported by Er Han, slowly approaching, he quickly revealed a faint smile and walked forward briskly, performing a respectful bow.
But be cautious in all matters, and assume that he is.
At this moment, when he brings back two bowls of rice, it will undoubtedly be more conspicuous. He will not gamble on the assumption that the other party will not think that there are two mouths in the den that need to be fed
The village head had a kind and amiable expression on his face, almost resembling that of the simpleton standing beside him.
The last flicker of hope in the eyes of the toad faded away.
The old man appeared to be in his twilight years, his steps somewhat unsteady, his back slightly hunched, and the age spots on his face particularly prominent; yet, his pair of eyes remained bright and spirited.
Moments later, Er Han brought An Yue to a burrow at the foot of the mountain, smiling with a simple and honest expression
I truly cannot endure the murky air mixed with the fermented odor of sheep droppings; I would rather sit outside
Although this is not a secret in the village, those who know the truth will certainly refrain from speaking out, as it is the village's custom
He has no business trip; the place he goes for business is right here with us
Mu Zhiqiu knelt on one knee, slightly nodding his head. With one hand forming a seal and the other snapping his fingers, in an instant, a spark flew from his shoulders, igniting two coiling dragon candles. Above his head, a ball of intense flame emerged, igniting a stack of gold leaf paper on the table.
In just a few words, the old sheep understood why Yu Ziqing only brought back a bowl of rice today
At that moment, the flames extinguished, and all the smoke dissipated accordingly
"Aren't you going to eat?" the old sheep casually asked.
When the meal was served in the village, An Yue looked at the food of the crowd, her eyes flickering, yet she maintained her composure and calmly joined the line, even bringing along a clean ceramic bowl of her own
Alright, I will not go out in the next few days
Moments later, the grand flag of Langya at the bow of the flying vessel fluttered in the wind, and a halo of light began to expand, resembling a slowly inflating bubble, which spread out against the wind and snow, muffling the howling sounds and enveloping the entire flying vessel within.
On weekdays, Yu Ziqing would bring the meals back, and the two of them would eat together in the earthen pit
The old man walked to the bow of the boat, gazing around for a long time, remaining silent.
"You don't know anything." The village chief irritably scolded Er Han, saying, "We agreed on a specific date, and it must be that date, not a day less. It has never been different. This year, however, he arrived before we had our yellow rice cake."
The wisps of light smoke, entwined with paper ash, swirl above the incense table. As the gold-foiled paper wrapping the folding fan burns, the incense also burns down to half. The swirling light smoke and ashes gradually transform into a distorted human face, which is wailing in agony
An Yue held the bowl, sipping the thick soup in small mouthfuls, while her gaze occasionally swept over the people in the village
Rest assured, Grandpa, I guarantee that not even a fart can be produced with eight poles; if there is a fart, I will hold it back.
You remember, when he is present, do not speak recklessly; if you cannot speak, just consider yourself mute
... ...
That kid didn't hold back at all, claiming he had official business and was afraid of wasting time, yet he still wants to waste a few more days here. Does he really think I don't know how strict their regulations are? How dare he waste time like this? Moreover, do you not know what the situation is outside the village? How did he even get in?
Until just before mealtime, Er Han had not come out at all, completely avoiding any contact with that An Yue, thus not having to worry about saying the wrong thing, but one still had to eat
He does not know whether the one named An Yue is sent by the enemy of Old Yang
My old brother possesses a rare talent, with knowledge as deep as the ocean. Even though he has yet to embark on the path to enlightenment, I firmly believe that if he were to attempt to deceive the soul lamp from a distance, it would be an effortless task for him
General An, it has been a year since we last met, I hope you have been well. What brings you here so early this year
What exactly happened in the wasteland, that even the Jinlan Mine has undergone such a significant change? If it were not for the calligraphy bestowed upon me by the esteemed one, I believe that entering here would require an enormous cost.
General An, you may rest here; the hay inside is the driest and thickest, quite comfortable. I want it, but my grandfather won't give it to me.
Oh, I see. The goods are just a little short. General An, would you prefer to wait a few days, or shall we take them now? If we take them now, the missing portion can be supplemented to General An next year
The blurred face that emerged from the illusion swayed and changed with the smoke, gradually coalescing into a human form, which could faintly be discerned as an elderly man with a stooped body
He closed the book and turned to glance back, his gaze carrying a hint of seriousness
I must come in person, for I do not believe what they say, that the soul lamp has been extinguished
Before long, someone discovered him and immediately went to report to the village head
Er Hanhan nodded with a smile
The toad leaf waved goodbye to Mu Zhiqiu.
However, this approach is noticeably different from the last time I visited. In terms of flavor alone, the improvement is quite significant. Upon a brief experience, it seems that the underlying elements are also more easily absorbed and utilized more effectively.
In the northwestern wasteland, dark clouds loom overhead, obscuring the sun, and coupled with the howling blizzard, everything between heaven and earth is shrouded, resembling a night devoid of moon and stars
As dusk knows autumn, it cannot help but speak
Er Han nodded solemnly
Once the phenomenon concluded, he became completely isolated from the outside world
He looked around, feeling the strange energy that permeated the place. He then took out a jade talisman and hung it around his neck. The power of the talisman began to circulate, as if it were a living entity, gradually sinking into the skin of his chest, emitting a series of crackling sounds.
Having settled An Yue, Er Han returned to report, and only then could he no longer hold back
Come, you cultivate both physical strength and internal martial intent, possessing abundant yang energy that wards off all evils. By borrowing a bit of your yang energy, this is the most secure approach
Then it shall be so. General An, please wait a few days. Our conditions are rather humble, and I hope General An will not find them unsatisfactory. The village head turned to Er Han and said, Go, arrange the best resting place for General An.
The toad's body swayed, greatly affected, and Mu Zhiqiu quickly supported him, helping him into the cabin.
At the entrance of Jinlan Village, a person dressed in sturdy attire and draped in a conspicuous crimson cloak emerged from the mist, holding a scroll in one hand
Yu Ziqing returned to the den and placed the wooden bowl in front of the old sheep
The Jinlan mushroom is indeed a fine delicacy. Fresh Jinlan mushrooms, even in the grand era of the Great Qian, are only occasionally available to a select few. Those who have the opportunity to enjoy them certainly will not let it pass by.
The toad shook its head and let out a long sigh
"Sir, Rong Zhiqiu is being presumptuous; it is actually unnecessary for you to come in person. The cold here is too severe, and even with barriers, it can seep into the body. Since you have not yet entered the Dao, if you are invaded by the cold here, it may lead to future troubles"
When Yu Ziqing saw that person, he knew that he would definitely be noticed. The changes in the food here, the new chef, the unfamiliar faces, and the many changes in the village are all related to him; this is no secret
Mr. Chuye, we have arrived at the destination
Amidst the sound of whistling, a flicker of light appeared as a black Langya flying boat descended from the sky
The premise is to conceal as much as possible the clues that may be pursued by the other party, and for those that cannot be hidden, to delay the time of their discovery.
Grandfather, you can rest assured
But in the next moment, the gold paper and incense burned rapidly, almost completely consumed in an instant. The smoke and ashes accumulated to their limit, and the increasingly clear phantom of the old man slowly fell to the ground. He supported himself with both hands, letting out a final cry of pain, and then collapsed with a loud thud, never to move again
On the deck, an elderly man wearing a leather hat and a fur coat emerged from the cabin.
I knew it, he could not possibly fall so easily
The toad held a lit piece of gold paper, took out a stick of incense, lit it, and inserted it into the incense burner, then took out a folding fan and threw it into the flames
The advantage is that he will not be eroded, while the disadvantage is that he cannot engage in daily cultivation here, and there is no way to replenish his energy once it is depleted
An Yue wanted to speak but hesitated, remaining silent and looking at Er Han with a mixture of envy and politeness, could only clasp his hands together as a gesture of thanks
"Uh..." Er Han was perplexed
He raised his head and looked at Yu Ziqing, who was standing behind the large pot. He had not seen her during his last visit, and among those robust women, the slender Yu Ziqing was indeed quite conspicuous.
The toad's expression tightened, and a glimmer of hope appeared in its eyes
"Someone has come from outside, it's regarding the transaction of the Jinlan ore, from Da Qian. I asked Er Han, and he arrived a few days earlier than the agreed date. You eat first, I will return to the kitchen to eat later, there will definitely be some left."
I want to personally come to the place of his downfall to take a look, I want to personally confirm it once.
"Coincidentally, I had some official business to attend to. I thought to myself that it wasn't too far to take a detour to come here, so I decided to make a trip. Otherwise, I was worried that once the official business was over, it would delay the transaction and I would lose credibility with the village chief, which would not be good."
"It really is gone, how could this be? How could he just be gone like this..."
Then let's wait a few more days, it won't make much difference in the grand scheme of things said An Yue casually
As dusk fell, standing tall in the autumn air with eyes sharp as a hawk, he surveyed his surroundings, confirming that there were no unusual circumstances, before slightly bowing towards the cabin.
......
He also saw Yu Ziqing distributing to everyone, and after that, he took a wooden bowl and returned to his own dwelling. He did not pay much attention to it and continued to observe others.
"Junior An Yue pays respects to the village chief. It has been a year since we last met, and you still appear so spirited and vigorous, just as you did in your youth."