Chapter 151: Clear Day Chapter 130: Help Me Split the Mountain

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

The shamans wandered everywhere and also arrived at Jiaofang Dian.

Liu Qi followed and stepped through this familiar Palace Gate.

After many years, the painted walls and splendid halls had long changed masters; wherever the youth's gaze passed, endless old lights and shadows still surged around him, the figures of his mother and brother faintly visible, smiling as they walked toward him, so he turned back into a child's appearance, yet still dared not act rashly in this illusion, fearing he would startle them into scattering.

He remained motionless, standing stiffly and waiting; his mother and brother soon drew near, but within this arm's length, those two beautiful and serene faces and bodies suddenly crumbled and shattered, and thick blood mist splashed across him.

Liu Qi's eyelids twitched, yet he did not "dodge"; he stood still and endured, the steaming humid heat like warm blood, a true sensation occurring between fantasy and reality, for a moment as if placed in the mortal purgatory.

He lifted his leg, and beneath his feet seemed to be nothing but sticky blood; every step was forced to be slow, yet he still followed forward, fulfilling that secret protection mission he had issued to himself.

The shaman entered the hall, and Liu Qi seemed somewhat tired, leaning against the vermilion-painted beams and pillars, crossing his arms to rest briefly, yet still craned his neck to look into the chamber.

The youth's handsome face was half-hidden within light and shadow; the person behind him could not see his expression, but those disciples needed no guesswork and could imagine his gloomy, guarded, provocative, and disrespectful gaze.

It was likely that this gaze finally angered the young great shaman god; the shaman god in dark clothes and red robe with colorful feathers on his shoulders turned, waving the mugwort stick in his hand, raising a water whip that lashed down entirely upon the handsome youth's shoulders and face; the water droplets were ice-cold, causing Liu Qi to turn his head and hiss softly.

The next moment, that shaman god dipped into realgar water again, and while walking without glancing sideways, he waved and splashed, but most of it landed on Liu Qi's robe.

The great shaman god was imposing, passing him without looking back.

Some disciples whispered to each other as if watching a joke; Liu Ming ran over a few steps and stood before Liu Qi, smiling: "... This water has the wonderful use of preventing plague and warding off evil spirits; Sixth Brother, you will surely have a smooth and healthy year!"

"Wow!" Liu Chun, led by A Jie, was even more envious; he shook off A Jie's hand and ran to beg to be splashed.

Liu Qi wiped the water droplets from his eyebrows and eyes, and said with unclear joy or anger: "Then by that logic, should I thank Jiang Tai Zhu for his protection and favor?"

As he spoke, he looked toward the colorful-feathered back surrounded by the crowd.

Beneath the god mask, Shaowei's expression was fair: No need to thank; it was he who actively protected her first today.

Liu Qi stepped out of the palace gate; the hot wind still brushed his face, but his heart platform had been cleansed by the protection god water, and before his eyes was no longer the blood mist that could not dissipate.

Ahead, Liu Ming quickly caught Liu Chun and scolded him in a low voice: "Liu Chun, do you dare disturb the shaman god's Nuo dance? Do you not want your life?"

This pair of siblings had followed along the way; from the conversations of those imperial clan children, Shaowei had already understood their identities—they were the children of the Prince of Zhao.

In recent days, she had repeatedly recalled and dug up old matters, indeed unearthing some vague people and events; this pair of Zhao Guo children seemed to have all perished at this palace banquet, Zhao Guo's heir line was thin with only this one daughter and one son, therefore they had formed a touch-and-go rift with the Court, and later among the kings who rebelled with Liu Cheng, this person would surely not be absent.

The reason Shaowei could dig up these small memories was that all of this was related to this year's drought; this great drought was like an evil fire opening a chaotic age, burning out many disasters and burning out all kinds of hatred.

The sunlight slanted westward; the Cangchi night banquet was about to begin; Shaowei stood still amidst the drum and bell sounds, gazing at the western sky, and said: "Yu Si Wu."

"This subordinate is here."

"I have a feeling in my heart; you go secretly report to His Majesty."

Yu Si Wu's expression turned solemn; he bowed and listened.

As daylight faded, the tables and desks in the Wangcang Pavilion hall were all moved out by the inner attendants and placed outside the pavilion.

The Taoists of Xian Tai Gong had all gone up to the second floor and sat in stillness with Immortal Master Chiyang; at this moment, hearing the noise of moving things downstairs, a young Taoist came to report, saying it was too stuffy today, so the banquet was changed to be held outside the pavilion.

The royal relatives and ministers attending the banquet arrived one after another; brilliant lamps hung high, moonlight cast clear radiance, palace maids in thin shirts shuttled back and forth, and the broad Cangchi sent waves of cool breeze.

The Emperor and Rui Hou sat together at the head seat; tables and desks were filled on both sides; everyone took their seats according to identity, chatting and laughing in low voices with their neighbors. Not long after, the Yue Shi brought dancing girls and appeared, slowly walking to the center of the banquet to perform for the night banquet.

After one dance ended, the Hundred Entertainments Troupe waiting not far away prepared to go on stage, but was stopped by the inner official responsible for guiding order, who waved his hand to signal them to wait a moment.

The Yue Shi all fell silent, and the sounds of drums and copper bells could be heard approaching.

A royal clan child who had followed the exorcism procession ran back to take his seat first; while holding a cup of tea to quench his thirst, he said to the person beside him: "The shamans are coming!"

Everyone turned to look, and indeed saw a long procession coming along the poolside; they sang and danced and beat drums and shook bells; the great shaman god surrounded by them at the very front wore dark clothes and a red robe, with five-colored bird feathers on his shoulders, a vermilion-gold god mask on his waist, and in his hand no longer mugwort but a roaring torch.

The process of shamans exorcising evil and eliminating plague in the palace had never changed; every time they first sacrificed and invited the gods at Chengxiang Hall, then went to various palaces to perform the exorcism, and finally came to Cangchi, where the great shaman god ascended the Jiantai and threw the torch into Cangchi, symbolizing burning and sending away evil plagues.

The water of Cangchi was drawn from the river outside the city; the water was green-blue, hence the name Cang.

The Jiantai in the pool was ten zhang high, shaped like a fake mountain; stone steps were carved on both sides, and wide platforms were built around it, connected to the shore by a corridor bridge. This fake mountain platform was used for appreciating scenery, observing stars, measuring water levels, and sacrifices.

Nearly a hundred shamans danced and chanted as they stepped onto the corridor bridge; upon reaching the Jiantai, the shamans scattered around the bottom platform; only the figure carrying the torch stepped up the stone stairs and ascended to the top of the Jiantai.

The final Nuo dance was presented here.

Below, the shamans wearing ghost masks swayed and danced in various postures, like ghosts and evil spirits drilling out of the water in the dark night. Above the high platform, the girl who had been born into the world by the power of ghosts and spirits now danced upon the countless bodies of evil spirits as a god.

Wind flowed at the height; the torch in her hand roared and swayed; her wide robes fluttered fiercely; as she spun lightly, the wind seemed to push her, and she seemed to command the wind; invisible power circulated.

This was not a dance to please the world; it only received the world's reverent gaze.

Countless gazes were all attracted by that flame-like shadow; Liu Qi had not yet taken his seat; he watched from afar, feeling her power, and also listening to her anxiety and bondage.

What was she venting? What was she breaking free from? What was she summoning?

Inside the second floor of Wangcang Pavilion, Chiyang looked sideways; he could not see her expression, but could sense the increasingly surging aura around her.

An uncertain premonition rose again; he stared fixedly at the shadow carrying the torch, spinning and stepping.

Obviously, she still did not intend to compromise and retreat.

The wind grew stronger and stronger; Shaowei danced faster and faster.

Within her collar, that strand of black hair wrapped in talisman paper seemed to have taken root and was growing rapidly, extending root by root into her flesh and blood, piercing through her heart, then drilling out from various parts of her body, entwining in the wind along with the gaze of her enemy, emitting pitiful and ferocious whispers and threats—

Those who act against heaven will surely bring endless disasters.

The Way of Heaven cannot be violated.

Are you looking for her? Why still cannot find her?

She is in my hands.

Guess whether she is alive or dead; is she now the appearance of one about to die, or already decayed?

You can only fear, suffer, and be extinguished.

As she danced, the hair bun tied behind Shaowei's head came loose, and as she spun, her hair flew wildly, once obscuring her sight.

With her back to the crowd, she pulled a talisman and black hair from her collar as if yanking it from flesh and blood, tossed it upward as she raised her head, and swept her torch with her right hand, setting the talisman and black hair ablaze in the air.

Every curse that attacked her will should be burned away; hesitation is surrender, and next, it would be her turn to threaten the one who cursed her.

On the high platform, the girl stopped dancing, but her left arm swept out, her wide sleeves fluttering, her right arm raised the torch high, she looked up at the night sky and shouted loudly:

"O gods of the heavens above, this year the red drought demon wreaks havoc, sending disaster to the land below, the people panic, and the crops wither! I beseech the heavens, have pity on living beings, reveal the source of this calamity, and announce the way to avert it!"

This voice was especially clear, ringing through all around for a moment.

The girl held her torch and questioned heaven, asking the source of the drought and the way to dispel and restrain it for all living beings in the world.

The Emperor was somewhat surprised; he did not know that the flower fox would pray to heaven on the Jiantai.

Liu Cheng stared blankly at that figure, while Rui Ze below him glanced secretly at the Empress, his eyes holding confirmation.

Empress Rui shook her head almost imperceptibly; she did not know about this! If they were to act on the fifth day of the fifth month, they should have discussed it beforehand... but she knew nothing at all!

Prince Liang stared blankly at the Jiantai, and Xiangzhi, kneeling beside him to serve him, looked even more astonished and wavering; she looked in disbelief at that great witch god rumored to possess extraordinary power... but why was the great witch god's voice so familiar?

As if to confirm her uncertainty, the girl standing aloft on the high platform shouted again: "I beseech the heavens, have pity on living beings, reveal the source of this calamity, and announce the way to avert it!"

Xiangzhi's body trembled, and tears instantly welled in her eyes.

The torch in the girl's hand was like a flaming blade, as if to cleave a path to the sky, illuminating this divine sky, and praying clearly and distinctly.

But Chiyang knew she was not praying; she was not submissive to the Heavenly Way, how could she pray to this heaven and earth?

Not prayer, but command.

Just as in the Nuo Ritual, where the witch god drives ghosts to serve, she relied on a prophecy to dare to subdue and drive the qi of this heaven and earth for her own use, without fear, without reverence.

In her eyes there was no Heavenly Way and no living beings; she did not know what order, compassion, and righteousness were; her intent was only anger and private grudge; she openly deceived the world, seeking to save one person in the name of saving living beings.

Such a formless, ignorant block of stone was actually the heavenly secret omitted by the Heavenly Way? She was not worthy of possessing this power of prophecy and foreknowledge... and what exactly had she foreseen this time!

Chiyang still sat cross-legged, gazing steadily at the sky outside the window, only feeling the wind rise and clouds move, the sky canopy seeming to be scorched and discolored by the torch in her hand, revealing a strange murky yellow.

He had no extraordinary power of foreknowledge, but he could see that the celestial phenomena were changing.

In Chiyang's calm eyes were reflected the changing celestial phenomena, and red spots slowly bloomed on his face.

Grass clippings and flying dust swirled on the ground; Shaowei still gazed at the sky.

She had not misjudged; indeed, it was tonight.

Come, come...

No matter the means, nothing in the myriad things cannot be used by me.

The wind and thunder of heaven and earth shall thus help me split the mountain!

The arm holding the torch suddenly flung it; the torch flew from the top of the high platform, drawing a dazzling arc of fire in the air, and everyone's gaze subconsciously followed the torch, only to see it fall heavily into the emerald Cangchi, sparks leaping up and falling again, swaying and sinking as the flames gradually weakened, until just as the last bit of firelight was about to be extinguished, suddenly another firelight illuminated the Cangchi...

It was a pale firelight, tearing out from the clouds, turning into branch-like lightning, instantly changing the color of heaven and earth, illuminating the shock in everyone's eyes.

"Boom—!"

Lightning struck a giant tree, which immediately burst into black smoke and great fire; the tree emitted a piercing cracking sound and crashed toward the Wangcang Pavilion, tiles and rubble flying, and the crowd screamed.

Before they could react, another bolt of lightning split open; where it fell, courtyard bricks shattered and wood leaves burned.

All around fell into panic; some shouted to protect the carriage, some fled in haste but did not know where to flee; the fire spread around the Wangcang Pavilion, whose structures were mostly wooden; inside and outside the pavilion building, talismans posted either flew away or were burned into ashes that could never be restored.

Amid the chaos, Taoists fled from the pavilion; soon, Chiyang, supported by two disciples as he walked out, appeared before everyone.

His black robe's hem was stained with firelight just extinguished, snow-white hair, red spots, and behind him raged fierce flames.

Just one glance, and the Emperor suddenly felt a thousand doubts in his heart.

Feeling many panicked gazes wandering over him, Chiyang slowly lowered his eyes, concealing all emotion.

Claiming to set a banquet in Chengxiang Hall was merely a feint east strike west; afterward, the inspection of medicine soup, the night raid on the manor, the revealed anxiety and disorder, true and false... were all deceptions.

This place was her hunting ground, a hunting ground she had enclosed with her rude prophetic ability.

The raging fire made a roaring sound; it was the girl's demonstrative threat.

But the various gazes surrounding him had not yet time to ferment and associate, and Shaowei on the high platform had not yet time to feel the fruits of this convergence of heavenly timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony, when a sudden change occurred again.

Amid the surging figures and clamoring voices, all tiny hidden movements and exchanges of glances became hard to notice, until an Imperial Guard cried out in alarm: "Assassin! There is an assassin!"

In the crowd, a terrible scream sounded at the same time.

Amid the chaos, a new disorder was added; Shaowei was stunned for a moment; she only knew of the past event where lightning struck and caused a fire, and did not know that an assassin attack and murder had also occurred!

In this life, though she was present, she could not avoid being drawn into this turmoil; she stood on this height, as if she had become a target that would not be killed for nothing; a crossbow arrow pierced the night wind without warning, flying straight toward above the Jiantai!

Shaowei suddenly dodged and hurriedly ran down the Jiantai; Yu Si Wu rushed over in a panic, wanting to check if the flower fox was injured, but the flower fox pulled her back and pushed her away: "Quickly take people to hide in the corridor bridge!"

A Wu Nu was frightened and fell into the water, struggling and calling for help; Shaowei tore off her mask, plunged into the pool water, swam quickly, and dragged the person onto the grass bush by the water's edge.

As the Wu Nu coughed up water, Shaowei saw Liu Qi coming amid the chaos; she immediately sat up, feigning panic and fleeing.

When the two "happened to meet," Liu Qi had just hastily asked one sentence: "How is it? Are you injured?" Before his voice fell, Shaowei heavily bumped his chest with her wet shoulder, and as she left, she hurriedly urged: "... in the prophecy he is safe and sound this time; you go quickly to fulfill filial piety!"

Amid the chaos, the two parted at a touch, without attracting any attention.

At this moment, two gazes in the crowd were trying to find Shaowei, but the fleeing figures were chaotic, accompanied by fire smoke, and they simply could not see clearly or find her.

?? 【This lightning is commonly called dry thunder; the climate in the story currently makes this phenomenon very likely; when this lightning discharges, the core temperature can reach ℃, far exceeding the wood's self-ignition point, and fire starts very quickly. Historically, there are many records of Han dynasty palaces being struck by lightning and catching fire. In short: behind metaphysics is science!】

? （It's the end of the month; allow me to roll around crazily begging for monthly tickets! ）