Chapter 112

"At the foot of the mountain; they want to go up the mountain tomorrow morning." "Send someone down to pass a message or lead the way, tell them to come tonight! Tell them County Magistrate Lake has thousands of jin of fish tonight, we're having a full-fish feast, and invite them to come quickly and have a taste." Lu Yao laughed. "Those grandsons can only eat coarse grains at the foot of the mountain; won't they be drooling when they hear this?"

In fact, these people had fled here from Woling Pass and hadn't dared to plunder freely along the way, lest they attract local attention and lead to a cross-provincial pursuit.

So everyone's food had never been very good, and with morale low, everyone was dejected.

"Be loud when passing the message, and make sure as many people hear it as possible. That way, when the men under Wu and Pei start clamoring, they won't be able to delay going up the mountain even if they want to."

The "righteous army" had suffered an unprecedented rout, and the commander's prestige had fallen to rock bottom. This situation was one of a weak leader and strong soldiers, with lax military discipline and the upper ranks unable to control the lower. If the soldiers were unhappy, encountered injustice, or suspected that their leader was incompetent, it was easy for a mutiny to occur.

At times like this, the generals had to consider the needs and feelings of their subordinates; otherwise, everyone would just go their separate ways, and the worst-case scenario would be the subordinates killing their leader to seize power.

The confidant agreed and was about to go do it, when Lu Yao suddenly added: "Don't mention that the government soldiers are on the mountain, remember, remember!"

In extraordinary times, the routed army had a psychological shadow regarding government soldiers. If they knew government soldiers were here, Wu and Pei might not go up the mountain anymore.

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There were too many people in the room, so He Lingchuan came out to get some air and, by the way, scout the surrounding terrain again to have a clear idea in his mind.

It wouldn't be peaceful tonight; this village was very likely the next battlefield.

The previous clamor had returned to calm, and County Magistrate Village was immersed in the evening breeze. If not for the patrolling guards coming and going, no one would have guessed that a major event was about to happen in this little mountain village.

He walked past the Water Spirit shrine; the best building in the village was inconspicuous in the heavy night. The shrine wasn't large, but it was built squarely with four even corners, and the location was good—backed by the mountain and facing the water, looking out over the vast, boundless lake.

Then, he heard a "clatter," as if something had been knocked over, shattered on the ground, and rolled a couple of times.

He Lingchuan stopped and asked: "Who's there?"

The Water Spirit shrine was quiet, with only the main door wide open, like a gaping mouth.

Could there be fierce bandits hiding inside?

He Lingchuan looked left and right, asked a patrolling guard for a torch, and walked in with his hand on his sword hilt.

What was there to fear? The Water Spirit shrine was in the east of the village; this was now the government soldiers' territory.

The shrine wasn't small, with a worship hall in the front, a meeting area in the back, and low rooms on the left and right for the shrine keeper's residence and storage.

The bandits had previously hidden weapons under the niche, but after drawing a clear line with the government soldiers, they had taken them all back.

He Lingchuan held the torch and walked around the shrine; there was no one, not even any other living creature.

The ground was covered in footprints, which should have been left by the bandits earlier.

Then, he saw a lot-drawing cylinder lying on the ground in front of the niche, with the lots scattered everywhere.

The sound he had heard earlier must have been this thing falling to the ground; maybe some cat did it?

He Lingchuan remembered what Zhu Xiuer had said—the lots at the Water Spirit shrine used to be very accurate. After too many people asked, the Water Spirit became annoyed and forbade people from asking about fortune and misfortune anymore.

He subconsciously wanted to pick up the cylinder, but halfway through bending down, he suddenly felt something was wrong:

What am I doing?

The Water Spirit is gone, so what's the point of picking it up? Besides, even when the old turtle was alive, it didn't do divination for people anymore.

He Lingchuan was about to straighten up when he suddenly saw a lot stuck in the gap of the carved table, right under his nose, pointing at his face.

It was almost pointing at his face.

This lot was blood-red; even in the poor light, it would have been hard for him not to notice it.

He casually pulled the lot out and discovered it wasn't stained with blood, but was painted red all over.

Looking at the small characters on it, He Lingchuan cursed his bad luck.

At the very top of the lot were two words: "Lowest of the Low."

Then he saw a verse below: "The dove occupies the magpie's nest, making wedding clothes for someone else."

He Lingchuan saw this line clearly, and his hands shook.

Never mind the second part, but the four words "dove occupies the magpie's nest" were like a thunderbolt, striking the deepest part of his heart.

He was a soul that belonged to another world, yet he had occupied "He Lingchuan's" body—wasn't that exactly a dove occupying a magpie's nest?

He Lingchuan looked up at the shrine; was the Water Spirit really dead? It didn't seem so.

Or was it just a coincidence that this lot fell out? Footsteps sounded behind him, and He Yue's voice came: "Brother, what are you doing?"

He Lingchuan turned his head and saw Lady Ying, He Yue, and Zhu Xiuer walking over, followed by Mao Tao.

"Why did you come out?"

"The captives you brought back are being interrogated in the back kitchen; I can't stand that." Lady Ying looked at the lot cylinder on the ground. "Are you drawing lots?"

"This cylinder has long been sealed." Zhu Xiuer also saw the lot in He Lingchuan's hand and couldn't help but be startled. "How could the Young Master get this 'Lowest of the Low' lot!"

The "Lowest of the Low" lot at the County Magistrate Village Water Spirit shrine was blood-red; she could recognize it at a glance.

"'Lowest of the Low'?" Lady Ying and He Yue were both startled. Lady Ying grabbed the lot, and He Lingchuan didn't even react in time.

"What does this mean?"

Lady Ying couldn't understand it.

He Yue leaned over to read it once, thought about it for a long time, and also shook his head.

Mao Tao picked up the lots on the ground and put them back in the cylinder. He Lingchuan reached out to him: "Give it to me."

Zhu Xiuer immediately said: "Young Master, the Water Spirit is dead; drawing lots is no longer accurate."

He knew that, but he still wanted to try one more time. He Lingchuan held the cylinder, muttered something, and shook it hard a few times.

Clatter, a lot flew out.

Before it even hit the ground, everyone saw its color—

It was blood-red.

He Yue grabbed it first, and by the light of the torch, read it aloud:

"'The body is like a cage; this hatred will only vanish in death!'"

Another "Lowest of the Low" lot!

Everyone looked at each other, and He Lingchuan's expression was ugly. Wasn't one of these ghost things enough?

What did "the body is like a cage" mean? Zhu Xiuer watched from the side and felt that this lot truly matched her current situation, but why had Young Master He drawn it? A person like him, who was so free and unrestrained, throwing his weight around—what did he have to do with a "cage"? Not to mention hatred that would only vanish in death.

"Never heard of anyone being this unlucky." Mao Tao couldn't help but say. "Young Master, is there something wrong with this cylinder?"

He Lingchuan clenched his fists. The local Water Spirit had met with misfortune itself, so could asking for a lot still be useful? Was someone secretly messing with him? He Yue snatched the cylinder: "Let me try."

Lady Ying was afraid and pressed down on her precious son's arm: "Don't! This thing is extremely evil."

"The way of divination is inherently mysterious." He Yue laughed. "Mother, don't worry, my luck has always been good." He shook it a few times.

A lot fell to the ground; it was a plain bamboo lot.

He Lingchuan picked it up and looked: "Middle-High" lot.

"Hey, yours isn't bad."

(End of chapter)