tkworld #595 - The Original Sin of the Hidden Mist Village
#595 - The Original Sin of the Hidden Mist Village
The assembly hall's doors stood wide open, and Grandpa Wolf walked slowly at the front, his wrinkled face betraying no emotion. Three students followed closely behind, their steps somewhat hesitant. Madam Chen Xiang trailed elegantly, while Hualu held Xiaomei's hand. Tang Yin brought up the rear, carefully observing everyone's actions. The dim light of day slanted in through the windows, casting mottled shadows on the wooden floor.
The moment Tang Yin stepped into the assembly hall, a strange scene unfolded before his eyes. Everyone lowered their heads in unison, placing their hands together in front of them, as if shielding something. This action reminded Tang Yin of the last time—when the broadcast of worshiping the Qianming God was played, Granny Rong had bowed to that mysterious standing rock in the same way. At that time, she was wearing a strange mask, a scene still deeply imprinted in his mind. Could this be one of the unique customs of Wuyin Village? Tang Yin pondered to himself, then followed their example, figuring it was always right to do as the Romans do.
The group began to sit in a circle according to some specific rule. Judging from the seating arrangement, it seemed to be based on age, starting from the inner circle. In the dim light, everyone's shadow was stretched long, weaving a bizarre picture on the wall.
"Granny Rong, can I sit next to Xiaomei?" Hualu asked softly, her voice tinged with nervousness.
"Yes, you may," Granny Rong nodded in agreement, her wrinkled face appearing particularly solemn in the dim light. However, this seating arrangement did not seem to be absolute.
"Tang Yin and the female reporter should…" Zhao Gang's words were interrupted by Gao Zhijie.
"Sit in the lower seats," Gao Zhijie said in an unquestionable tone.
"I understand," Tang Yin replied calmly, then sat in the position closest to the door. Xia Hui silently sat in the lowest seat next to him, appearing unusually silent.
"Is this okay?" Tang Yin asked Xia Hui in a low voice.
"I'm not from Wuyin Village," Xia Hui responded in a cold tone, her voice laced with exhaustion and despair.
"What's going to happen?" Tang Yin tried to ease the atmosphere.
"I don't know," Xia Hui's voice was almost inaudible. She kept muttering to herself, phrases like "Why is this happening?" and "Can it get any worse?", her face devoid of the vitality she had shown yesterday. At that moment, she was like a soulless shell, causing concern.
"Is everyone here?" Granny Rong looked around, her aged voice echoing in the empty assembly hall.
"Yes," Gao Zhijie replied curtly.
Granny Rong, the last to enter the assembly hall, slowly closed the door, the heavy wooden door making a muffled "creak." With this sound, the entire space suddenly plunged into complete darkness. Xia Hui instinctively gasped, and Xiaomei let out a soft exclamation. However, the people of Wuyin Village present showed unusual composure, as if all of this was expected. In the dense darkness, Tang Yin felt an ominous aura slowly spreading.
With a soft "click," the light bulb overhead suddenly lit up, dispelling some of the darkness. But the light was unusually weak, as if it could be swallowed by the surrounding shadows at any moment. In this dim light, everyone's faces were faintly visible, appearing particularly eerie. Tang Yin looked around, the entire space giving off an unreal feeling, as if it were isolated from reality in another dimension. Distorted shadows were cast on the walls by the dim light, and an unspeakable sense of oppression permeated the air.
"—Everyone is seated, right? Then... let's begin the Yellow Spring Feast," Granny Rong's voice echoed in the silent space.
Hualu seemed to already know the next steps, rising and walking towards the depths of the assembly hall. Her figure appeared particularly slender in the dimness, and she took each step carefully. After groping around for a while, she returned holding an unlabeled wine bottle. The bottle was covered with a thin layer of dust, gleaming with an ancient luster in the dim light.
"This is the divine wine dedicated to the Qianming God. Everyone will take a sip, starting with the guests," Hualu's voice was soft and solemn as she walked to the lower seats and sat next to Xia Hui. She took out an exquisitely crafted old wine cup from her bosom, the patterns on the cup bearing the marks of time.
"...Do we have to drink it no matter what?" Xia Hui asked hesitantly, her brow slightly furrowed.
"Yes, to ward off pollution," Hualu's answer was brief and firm.
Xia Hui was silent for a moment, not saying much, and directly took the wine cup. Hualu carefully poured the wine, the amber liquid shimmering in the dim light, quickly filling the entire cup. The aroma of the wine slowly diffused in the air, carrying a hint of intoxicating fragrance.
"...Does everyone have to drink?" Xia Hui confirmed again, her voice tinged with vigilance.
"You can drink as much as you want. There's plenty of wine," Hualu replied gently, the wine bottle in her hand shaking slightly, making the sound of liquid hitting the bottle wall.
Xia Hui stared intently at the wine cup, carefully bringing it close to her nose and sniffing gently. Then, she slowly raised the wine cup to her lips and drank the entire cup in one gulp. Her movements were smooth and flowing, clearly showing she was a seasoned drinker.
"...The taste is not bad, with the aroma of aged wine," Xia Hui put down the wine cup, commenting professionally. Tang Yin couldn't help but admire her attitude of maintaining her professional standards even in such a bizarre atmosphere. He took the wine cup from Xia Hui, feeling the warmth remaining on the cup.
"Mr. Tang Yin, do you drink?" Hualu asked softly, her eyes showing a hint of concern.
"Fill it up, fill it up," Tang Yin said playfully, pretending to be relaxed, signaling Hualu to pour him wine. The sound of the wine pouring into the cup was particularly clear in the silent space. He drank it in one gulp and was immediately amazed by the quality of the wine. This wine was indeed extraordinary, fragrant and rich without losing its crispness, standing in stark contrast to the simple life of Wuyin Village.
In this solemn atmosphere, Tang Yin was embarrassed to ask for a refill, so he handed the wine cup to Xiaomei. Hualu gently told her that she only needed to touch it lightly. The other underage students also symbolically touched the wine cup in turn, completing this mysterious ritual. In the dim light, the sound of the wine cup being passed around was as soft as a whisper, as if telling some unknown secret.
"It's the adults' turn. I won't be polite," Wang Lina took the wine cup, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes. She tilted her head back and poured the entire cup of wine down her throat, her Adam's apple bobbing up and down with the swallowing motion. In the dim light, the wine left a glistening trace on her lips. Hualu, sitting next to her, took a small sip, her movements elegant and dignified. Madam Chen Xiang also only tasted a little, maintaining the unique restraint of a noblewoman. The aroma of the wine slowly permeated the air, intertwined with the heavy atmosphere in the assembly hall.
When it was Qian Jin's turn, he looked at the remaining wine in the cup with a slight hesitation, then drank it all in one gulp. Zhao Gang, on the other hand, seemed particularly excited, exclaiming that it was a rare opportunity to drink during the day, and poured himself two glasses in a row, his cheeks quickly turning red. Then came the elderly, who each drank a cup unhurriedly, as if completing some sacred ritual. After everyone had drunk the wine, Hualu got up and carefully carried the wine bottle and wine cup back to her seat.
"Has everyone drunk?" Gao Zhijie looked around, his gaze finally landing on Granny Rong. "Granny Rong, you should explain it," His voice was particularly clear in the silent space.
"There are still people who don't know the legend here. It's best to explain it completely," Hualu suggested softly, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.
"That's right," Granny Rong nodded slowly, her aged face appearing particularly solemn in the dim light, "Then, let me tell you," Her voice was hoarse but powerful, as if telling an ancient legend.
"Qianming God is the mountain god here. A long, long time ago, when this village was first established, the Qianming God's first guardian beast was the Wolf God," Granny Rong's gaze became deep, as if traveling back to that distant past. "The Wolf God and other guardian beasts... Snake God, Ape God, Crow God, Spider God, together protected humans from the Yellow Spring people."
"What are Yellow Spring people?" Xiaomei asked innocently, her voice tinged with curiosity and fear.
"People who have come back from the dead," Hualu explained softly, her tone gentle but with a hint of imperceptible tension.
"...How scary," Xiaomei leaned closer to Hualu unconsciously, her eyes revealing fear.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Hualu patted Xiaomei's shoulder gently, offering comfort.
Granny Rong continued, "The Wolf God is still worshiped in Baifeng Village and Qianming God, and is one level higher than other guardian beasts," Her tone carried a certain reverence, "However, the legend of Wuyin Village is different." At this point, her voice suddenly became low.
"The Wolf God does help humans, but also feeds on humans, and also forbids humans from living," Granny Rong's words echoed in the air, sending chills down spines.
"So humans asked the Snake God, Ape God, Crow God, and Spider God for help, and deceived the Wolf God." As these words fell, the entire assembly hall fell into dead silence.
"..." Hualu lowered her head, her long hair covering her expression, but her slightly trembling shoulders betrayed the fluctuations in her heart. Tang Yin realized at this moment that this was the original sin of Wuyin Village that Hualu had mentioned before.
Tang Yin's thoughts returned to the last reincarnation. Wang Lina had once revealed this legend to him. His gaze swept over everyone present, watching their calm expressions, and he thought to himself: Since Qian Jin and Hualu know this so well, those respected elders must be even more familiar with this legend, right? Could it be that only the ordinary residents of Baifeng Village are still unknowingly continuing to believe in the Wolf God who may have already harbored resentment towards them? In the dim light of the assembly hall, everyone's expression was shrouded in faint shadows, making it difficult to see their true thoughts.
"Humans held a banquet and offered a large amount of fine wine to the Wolf God," Granny Rong continued to tell the story, her voice low and hoarse, as if telling a secret that no one wanted to know. "Other guardian beasts constantly urged the Wolf God to drink, and finally the Wolf God became drunk."
"After the Wolf God fell asleep, humans took the opportunity to gather together, carried the Wolf God, threw him into the God's Grid Valley, and killed the Wolf God." At this point, Granny Rong's voice became even lower, as if telling an unbearable past. The dim light cast deep shadows on her wrinkled face, adding to the mystery.
"Since then, Baifeng Village has become more and more prosperous, however, every once in a while, the Wolf God will return from the Yellow Spring to the human world to eat people again," Her tone carried a certain helplessness, "The Wolf God will pretend to be a human... So, humans must find the Wolf God from among them, and then execute him."
"However, only one person can be executed per day. This is the rule set by the Qianming God," Granny Rong's gaze swept over everyone present, "We gather here to choose someone to execute. This is the Yellow Spring Feast." The air seemed to freeze at this moment, and even the sound of breathing became particularly clear.
"The Twilight Mist is the signal of the Wolf God's return to the human world, so everyone needs to make pre-banquet preparations," Granny Rong continued to explain, "Washing the body clean, staying in a room alone, and sleeping until dawn, these are also the rules set by the Qianming God," Her voice carried an unquestionable authority, "Those who don't do this will be polluted and receive the Qianming God's punishment... Girl, can you stop writing now?"
Xia Hui was buried in recording something, the tip of her pen scratching on the paper, her expression covered by her long hair, making it impossible to see her mood at this moment.
"If there is anything you don't understand, I will explain it," Granny Rong's tone softened slightly, "In short, the day the Twilight Mist appears represents that the Qianming God's pollution has already descended," She paused, "Moreover, there are three Yellow Spring Wolf marks on the fire field."
"...Sorry to interrupt, what does fire field mean?" Xia Hui suddenly raised her head and asked. Her eyes flashed with the unique sharpness of a professional reporter.
"It's the standing rock that is all over Wuyin Village. Although it looks like a man-made product, no one knows its exact origin," Qian Jin took over, his tone tinged with caution.
"...The people of Wuyin Village are taught to respect the fire field," Qin Ming added, his voice slightly stiff.
"I heard that before the water field was built, the people of Baifeng Village used to make fire on the rocks, so this kind of standing rock is called the fire field," Hualu's explanation carried a hint of gentleness, but also implied some inexplicable emotions.
Tang Yin listened to these explanations silently, finding it very interesting. In this village shrouded in the Twilight Mist, every standing rock seemed to carry too many unknown secrets. In the dim light, the shadows of the people cast grotesque shapes on the wall, as if silently telling the unknown past of this village.