Chapter 33

Cai Shanjun stared at the clan leader.

"If a treasure that can be used to resolve disputes and protect lives can only be enshrined in an ancestral hall, then what is the meaning of the Spirit Cave Goddess allowing me to bring it out?"

The clan leader said unhappily: "Even if it is truly used to resolve disputes and protect lives, it should be used when our village encounters danger; it is not a reason to easily allow others to borrow it."

"But when danger is truly before our eyes, is there still time to contain it?"

Cai Shanjun asked back, suddenly bringing up a topic that seemed very distant.

"In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, in order to show off imperial power and express their control over the territory, the Manchus ordered the collection of highly significant treasures from all over the place."

"It happened that some villages in the Miao mountains had attached themselves early, wanting to use the authority of the Manchus to become the great leaders of many Miao villages; the uniqueness of Wu Family Village became the object they offered up."

"They claimed there was treasure in the cave, and that Wu Family Village held the treasure map, causing Wu Family Village to suffer huge losses; in the end, Wu Family Village assassinated the leaders of those hostile villages, spent great effort bribing local officials, and even had women from the village become concubines, only then was the matter put to rest."

The clan leader asked in confusion: "Why are you saying these things?"

"In the world today, the situation is changing more and more violently, with foreign powers eyeing us, no less than at the end of the Ming Dynasty; the scale of the Westerners is huge, and they will be even more insatiable than the Manchus when they first entered the pass."

Cai Shanjun said unhurriedly, narrating in detail, "And among the Westerners, there has always been such a consensus: they believe that all mystery implies treasure."

"Back then, they dug extensively for various mysterious legends on the snowy plateau, and even incited monks and nobles, wanting to make the entire snowy plateau completely surrender to them, becoming a treasure land easier for the Westerners to demand from."

"I once personally dispatched a large army to the plateau to strike at their rampant arrogance, and the Great President at that time still had ambition and was determined not to allow their behavior to succeed."

"But the current Great President relies more and more on foreign powers, no longer like the beginning; the Westerners have almost occupied the entire Vietnam, and will inevitably reach out to Yizhou in the future."

"If we don't fight back and let the Great President manipulate our Yizhou, when the Westerners invade, how can places like yours, which have mysterious legends and deeds recorded in historical materials, escape the poisonous hands of the Westerners?"

The clan leader fell into deep thought.

No one in the hall spoke, and there was no movement, only Chu Tianshu silently drinking tea.

After a long time, the clan leader spoke again: "These things you mentioned, what Westerners, Great President, are ultimately still too far away from us."

"Are they really far away?"

Cai Shanjun smiled gently, "Your village is not a place truly isolated from outside news; you take the initiative to inquire about news from the outside."

"So, Clan Leader, you should know that Cai Shanjun, who left the village more than ten years ago, once became the Great Governor of Yizhou and was strongly invited by the Great President to enter the capital."

"And now, this person is sitting in front of you again."

He raised his right hand and gestured the distance between them.

"We are less than a zhang apart, right?"

The clan leader suddenly turned his head, one hand supporting his knee, examining Cai Shanjun.

His appearance was no longer like a clan leader, but more like a village chief.

Wu Zhaizhu Wu.

"I do know the news from the outside, so seeing a big shot like you appear before me in such a down-and-out state, I dare not make any decisions."

Wu Zhaizhu Wu stood up, "You have fallen into such a state; does borrowing a flute necessarily help you go back and regain power?"

"Could it be that if you can't go back, there are no other heroes in Yizhou who can see the situation clearly, fulfill the duties of a ruler, accept the support of the civil and military, and thus protect the people on this land?"

Cai Shanjun did not hesitate: "Of course there are talents in Yizhou!"

"But if I don't go back, they will never react so early, so quickly, and so timely, and make up their minds; if they could do it, I wouldn't have been the first Great Governor of the Great Han Military Government back then!"

Cai Shanjun's words were calm, his demeanor very composed.

He was as still as a statue in a temple, having accidentally come to the human world, and could pass away at any time.

But he hadn't left yet, so he still had a dazzling brilliance.

"I was originally a rustic villager, like mud and stone, coarse and ordinary, farming in the south of the colorful clouds, rising with the times, changing with the wind and clouds."

"Now the wind and clouds are not far, the future is not yet decided, only at this moment..."

Cai Shanjun said, "If not me, then who?"

The entire hall fell silent, and everyone was looking at Cai Shanjun.

Chu Tianshu also put down his tea bowl.

This patient clearly couldn't exert even half a bit of cultivation, but on him, there seemed to be something more subtle than mental power, and more magnificent than mental power.

Perhaps it doesn't need to be a practitioner, but something that ordinary people can also possess, yet only in the most extraordinary people can it be highlighted so clearly.

Is this the spirit of a hero?

In history books, there always seem to be things that cannot be accomplished by common sense, and can only be written about with the spirit of a great hero.

"Precisely because it is you."

Wu Zhaizhu Wu's eyes stared at this person with burning intensity, "Precisely because it is you, so even if you have fallen into such a state, I still dare not easily make any decisions."

"Then, let us believe in the wisdom of our ancestors!"

Wu Zhaizhu Wu walked to the side of the six-legged large iron pot in the center of the hall, took a handful of powder from the incense pouch at his waist, sprinkled it on the firewood, and drew his short knife.

The blade and the scabbard clashed, and sparks splashed down.

The powder immediately exploded into flames, and the firewood that should have taken a while to ignite was wrapped in flames in the blink of an eye and began to burn.

"There are only two things that our Wu Family Village will always follow."

"The worship of the Spirit Cave Goddess, and the respect for warriors."

Wu Zhaizhu Wu rolled up one sleeve, reached his hand over the iron pot, spread his five fingers, and seemed to want to grab those flames, slowly clenching them into a fist in the high temperature; there was no sign of being burned, only the skin began to turn red.

"I became the village chief because I walked barefoot on fire and was the bravest back then."

"Today, my courage is not enough to make a decision, and you have already received the approval of the Spirit Cave Goddess."

"Then, according to the ancestors' rules, set up three trials; if an outsider wants to borrow the treasure, let's see if your people can win these three competitions!"

Wu Zhaizhu Wu scanned the crowd and laughed loudly.

"Who among you will come and hold my fist in the fire to establish this agreement!"

Cai Shanjun naturally stood up.

Wu Tugu suddenly said: "Your body has problems now, right? If you can't use magical arts, putting your hand into the fire and not being able to hold it steady won't count; letting your companion come is also fine..."

Cai Shanjun smiled in response to his kindness: "People don't always have to rely on magical arts to endure the pain of a raging fire."

He had already walked to the side of the iron pot and reached out toward the fist in the raging flames.

A figure suddenly appeared beside him and also reached out toward the raging fire.

When this person came, there was almost no sound of wind, and when he reached out, the speed was not particularly fast.

But when grabbing toward Wu Zhaizhu Wu's fist, this person's palm, five fingers stretched out, knuckles protruding like bamboo joints, suddenly wrapped around it.

Bang!!

Such a palm suddenly gripped Wu Zhaizhu Wu's fist, the airflow was squeezed and burst open, and the surrounding flames were forced to open a gap.

On the firewood below, the powder corresponding to this part was all blown away, leaving a circular gap.

When the flames rose again, the firelight in this part was forced to be lower.

Cai Shanjun didn't react in time, and his outstretched hand happened to fall on those two hands at this moment.

"You can be unafraid of pain, but my patient cannot harm his own body."

Chu Tianshu stood there, speaking quickly and clearly.

"This agreement, we have set!"

Three palms stacked together, witnessing the trial agreement under the mountains outside the hall and the flames inside the hall.

(End of chapter)