Chapter 451: Seeing the Mighty Pass Through the Mountain

"I know this!"

Gazing at the flames, Sha Li-fei said proudly, "I heard the cart drivers say the Luo Luo have a saying: 'Han people revere officials; they revere fire.' Even when captured in battle, they fear no torture—only the fear of not being cremated."

"This thing is called the Torch Festival!"

"The Torch Festival is long past."

Long Yan, slumped on the mule's back, whispered weakly, "At this time of year, it should be the Luo Luo village's 'Kushi'—the Han people's New Year—but usually not until the first snow."

"Perhaps it's an autumn harvest fire ritual to drive away wild beasts and ensure a good yield."

Li Yan frowned slightly. "Will entering the village now disturb them and get us driven out?"

"No, that won't happen."

Long Yan shook her head. "At this time, anyone entering the village is a guest. They'll even offer you a cup of rice wine."

"Remember: they revere fire. Inside a Luo Luo village, everything else is negotiable—but fire must never be defiled. The hearth where food is cooked is the most sacred place in every household. Never step over it."

"To follow local customs is only right."

Li Yan turned to the group. "Let's enter the village. Avoid conflict. If things turn bad, we leave tonight and find a place to camp on the official road."

With a command, the party moved forward.

Amid the wild forest and swirling night, the group, cloaked and masked with Nuo faces, advanced in silence, like spirits wandering the wilderness.

Shh!

As they neared the village, an arrow whistled past and buried itself in the ground before them, its shaft trembling with force.

Wala wala!

From the darkness ahead, someone shouted loudly.

The group exchanged glances—they understood nothing. But Long Yan barely sat up and shouted a few phrases in halting speech.

After a brief exchange, two men emerged from the dense forest.

They wore black headbands, right-lapel black hemp robes, black blankets over their shoulders, carried bows and arrows, sported large silver earrings, and wore curved knives at their waists.

Seeing the group's appearance, the two men's eyes flickered with fear and reverence. They pressed their palms to their chests, bowed slightly, and spoke at length—as if offering greetings.

Then they quickly withdrew.

Long Yan whispered, "They say they welcome distant guests, but whether you may enter the village depends on the 'Suni'."

Li Yan frowned. "What is a 'Suni'?"

Long Yan explained, "They're shamans too, but different. 'Bimo' or 'Xipo' are hereditary—must be men, and must study many scriptures."

"But 'Suni' can be male or female. Often, they become Suni after sudden trauma—fright, severe illness, madness—and upon waking, they are chosen by spirits, dedicated to communicating with the dead. They're called Spirit-Granted Suni."

"They fear we're unclean spirits."

"I see."

With that, the group understood.

These symptoms were signs of spiritual awakening—likely a shaman from the village.

They waited calmly in place.

Soon, Li Yan felt something and looked toward the distance.

He smelled something approaching—and heard faint whispers in his ears, as if many voices spoke, male and female.

Human ghosts!

Li Yan instantly understood what they were.

Ancestral spirits, yin deities… each region has different names, but all belong to human ghosts.

Celestial gods, earth spirits, human ghosts—each is distinct.

Human ghosts stem from ancestor worship; earth spirits may be deities of mountains, rivers, trees, or formed through belief.

They must have had elders accompany them.

Indeed, as torches flickered in the forest, a crowd emerged, surrounding a hunched, white-haired old woman in a black robe and black conical hat.

Seeing Li Yan's group, the old woman's eyes flickered with fear. She bowed respectfully and asked, "Where do you come from, and where are you going?"

She spoke Mandarin—clumsy, but clearly learned.

The ancestral spirits beside her, the Suni, urged her repeatedly to treat Li Yan's group with reverence; as they drew closer, the spirits scattered in terror.

Though Li Yan's group had suppressed their qi, their treasures were many—and the yin spirits sensed their threat.

"We pass through to Chongqing Prefecture."

Li Yan replied grimly, frowning slightly.

To prevent trouble, they had wrapped the "Ruyi Treasure Pearl" in red cloth and sealed it with talismans.

Now it seemed a mistake.

Even with suppressed qi, certain things could still sense them.

"Oh."

The white-haired woman nodded slightly, signaled to a villager, and raised her hand respectfully. "The village is in ritual. Guests, please have a cup of rice wine before you go."

"Very well."

Li Yan did not refuse.

Amid the crowd's escort, they soon saw the village.

In Sichuan, stilt houses were common, some blending with Han architecture into a unique style.

But the Luo Luo differed—they built earthen-roof houses, packed with earth, with thick, flat roofs built into the mountainside, used as drying platforms or terraces.

Houses stood close together, forming a honeycomb pattern.

Before the village, a massive bonfire blazed, flames leaping skyward. Around it, several old men in black robes and conical hats sat upright, some waving ritual fans, others shaking bronze bells, chanting scriptures.

The ringing of bells, the crackling of fire, the murmurs of ancient tongues—merged into an aura of mystery.

Around them, villagers sat in silence, whispering prayers.

Li Yan formed a hand seal and drew a deep breath.

Instantly, a scent flooded his nostrils.

His eyes flickered with surprise as he looked upward.

This ritual was indeed intriguing.

As flames rose, amid the chanting, a faint but fierce gang qi spread, surging toward the mountains and forests.

Though faint, it would drive off wandering ghosts.

"Ah~"

The white-haired woman sighed and whispered, "Autumn harvest is near. Something on the mountain has driven wild boars down to destroy crops. We hope this ritual wards off disaster."

"If it fails, could you perform a Yang Opera?"

"This…"

Li Yan hesitated, then shook his head. "Apologies, we have urgent matters and cannot delay."

The old woman's eyes dimmed with disappointment, but she did not press.

Though the arrival of these mysterious outsiders had made the villagers wary, since the Suni permitted it, none dared interfere.

On the contrary, they warmly welcomed them.

They brought straw mats and served fine wine and food.

The wine was sweet, brewed from five grains—cloudy in color, but fragrant, mildly intoxicating, easy to drink.

Pork was cut into large chunks, stewed in clay pots until tender, bubbling as it was served.

"This is called Tuotuo meat."

Long Yan whispered, "Looks unappetizing, but tastes good. The village must be preparing for New Year—only offered to honored guests."

There were also sour vegetable soup, fermented milk cakes, and roasted flatbreads.

Honestly, Li Yan's group had eaten many fine dishes in their travels. These were not refined—but they carried the flavor of the wild, and after days on the road, a hot meal brought genuine joy.

In the distance, the bonfire ritual continued.

With so many people—and Wu Ba, the big-bellied man—the village women brought food twice before they were satisfied.

Li Yan felt embarrassed. He pulled out a few taels of silver, preparing to leave it as payment.

At that moment, a tiger's roar echoed from the distant forest.

The villagers stirred. Several strong men rose, grabbed bows and arrows, and ran toward the watchtower.

Lu San's ears twitched. He whispered to Li Yan, "The tiger's roar is unnatural—it's being controlled, deliberately driving beasts down the mountain."

"Human sabotage?"

Li Yan frowned, scanning the surroundings.

Sha Li-fei whispered, "We're nearly at Chongqing Prefecture. Better to avoid trouble—don't draw attention."

Li Yan thought for a moment, then nodded.

!.

Across the fire, the Spirit-Granted Suni, the white-haired woman, joined several Bimo in ritual.

The Bimo elders circled the fire, dancing, beating drums, shaking bells, surrounding the old woman.

The old woman trembled violently, her eyes rolled back. She held a set of sheep bones, shook them gently, and knelt on the ground.

Li Yan's group watched from afar.

Wang Daoxuan whispered, "They still practice ancient shamanism—divination, taboos, exorcism—always these three steps."

As he spoke, the old woman stared at the sheep bone.

The Bimo elders saw the omen too—and their faces darkened with fury as they shouted curses toward the distant mountains.

Through divination, they also discovered that someone was behind the sabotage.

The white-haired old woman trembled all over, her face twisting into a monstrous grimace; she then took out a straw effigy, slaughtered an animal, soaked it in blood, lifted the blood-drenched effigy, and chanted incantations toward the distant mountain.

Huh~

In the night forest, a furious wind howled, leaves rustled, as if something accompanied the gale, heading toward the mountain peak.

"Roar—!"

A ferocious tiger's roar echoed across the mountain, continuous and relentless, as if something was fighting fiercely.

Meanwhile, the white-haired old woman and those "Bimo" elders sat by the bonfire, dancing and beating drums, reciting scriptures—the scene was lively.

After much commotion, the tiger's roar gradually faded.

Then, from afar, accompanied by firelight and frantic shouts, a man was carried over, gasping heavily, his face ashen.

It was the very man who had greeted them earlier.

Villagers hastily laid him beside the bonfire.

They tore open his shirt, revealing a black palm print on his chest.

"It's Black Sand Palm!"

Sha Lifei glanced and whispered.

This skill was widely spread, found throughout heaven and earth, but all versions relied on family-secret methods; many could master it.

"If it's not Cinnabar Palm or Five Poison Palm, there's still hope."

Li Yan shook his head slightly, pulled a pill from his robe—it was the external injury pill crafted for them by Master Wang Jing of Wudang Mountain.

Those people instantly grew wary upon seeing him.

The white-haired old woman quickly stopped them; after learning Li Yan's intent, she hesitated briefly, then invited him to heal the man.

Li Yan pressed his hand onto the black palm print, flicked his wrist, and released hidden force to disperse the stagnant blood and qi.

Puff!

The man suddenly sat up and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Those around him were startled, but soon realized with amazement that his complexion was improving and his breathing no longer labored.

Li Yan then took out another pill and had him swallow it.

His method was pure brute force—essentially healing by injury; though it dispersed the stagnation, it also damaged his lungs.

Without this precious pill, the man would have bled to death before dawn.

This pill was made from the heavenly treasure "Yanling Grass," found in Shennongjia, with miraculous efficacy in stopping bleeding and healing wounds.

After swallowing it, the man quickly fell into a deep sleep and ceased spitting blood.

"Thank you, Master, for your help."

The white-haired old woman immediately rose to thank him.

"No need."

Li Yan waved his hand dismissively, uninterested in revealing to these villagers how precious the pill truly was.

He paused, then asked: "Forgive my boldness—have you angered someone?"

"Ah~"

The white-haired old woman sighed: "I now understand what happened."

"The former Tusi abused his power, plundered the people's wealth, and lived in comfort in Chongqing Fu, ignoring our lives."

"Now that the court has implemented the policy of replacing hereditary chieftains with imperial officials, he wants to return as the great demon—but we refused, so he conspired with others to cause chaos."

Li Yan frowned: "Why not report this to the court?"

"The court isn't any better!"

A man angrily said: "Earlier, they sent an official—we truly wanted to submit—but he despised our remote village, was bribed by the Tusi, and turned a blind eye to his atrocities."

"So that's it…" Li Yan suddenly understood.

The policy of replacing hereditary chieftains with imperial officials faced fierce resistance from Tusi in Ezhou and Bozhou, but here in Bashu, the situation was different.

The common folk had no complaints—after all, Bashu was the Land of Abundance.

Fertile fields, prosperous people, a thousand li of rich land—this was no idle boast.

Who in their right mind would rebel if they could eat and drink their fill?

Only the Bashu bureaucracy was ineffective; many had been corrupted by the Salt Gang—already greedy, they now took even greater advantage.

Sha Lifei's eyes rolled, and he chuckled: "This is simple—I'll teach you a trick. Make a ten-thousand-people umbrella, march loudly to the Chongqing Fu Ya, and declare your support for the court's policy. You'll have no more troubles."

"This…"

The white-haired old woman doubted: "Will it work?"

"Just do it!"

Sha Lifei grinned: "Don't fear shame—in broad daylight, the Ya will take pride in accepting it. Once they take the umbrella, if the old Tusi causes trouble again, he'll be slapping their faces—and they'll make him pay."

"Good!"

The white-haired old woman had long sensed these people were extraordinary; after consulting with the surrounding Bimo elders, she nodded in agreement.

With the matter resolved, the villagers became even more courteous, vying to invite them into their homes as guests.

Li Yan and the others, however, wished not to disturb them; they found a place to camp, rested through the night, and continued their journey at dawn.

They moved quickly, and with their attire, travelers they occasionally met on the road all avoided them, bowing respectfully.

Finally, after two days, they reached Chongqing Fu.

Standing on the mountain and looking down, they saw the Yangtze River surging, its banks rolling with hills; when they reached a dock, the river split into two channels.

One was the Jialing River, flowing northward.

The other was the Yangtze, flowing southwest.

At the dock, countless boats shuttled back and forth, crowds surged, houses clustered densely, and a long staircase climbed straight upward, passing through three city gates.

"We're here!"

Sha Lifei gazed below, eyes alight with excitement: "The ancient stronghold of Chao Tian Men—the number one dock of the southwestern rivers!"

(End of Chapter)