Chapter 29 Chapter Twenty-eight

Due to illness, the saint who hadn't shown up for half a year finally reappeared in front of the clansmen on this night.This should have been an exciting thing, but the situation on the scene has developed unexpectedly.Shui Yiji, supposedly the most loyal and brave saintess guard, confronted Anmi and Yakuma with swords, and escaped successfully into the forest.This not only seriously challenged the majesty of the leader and the saint, but also cast a shadow of fear and uneasiness in the hearts of every clansman. The night wind was getting stronger, some of the torches didn't know whether they were running out of fuel or were overwhelmed by the wind. The flames gradually faded. After struggling and flickering for a while, they were finally annihilated in the bleak night.

"Lord Anmi, do you want to chase after him?" A follower asked in the direction where Shui Yidiki disappeared. An Mi's face was livid: "I can't catch up... Besides, what's the use of catching up with just a few of you?" The followers bowed their heads in shame.At this time, Yakuma had returned to the altar with the support of Dilga. Anmi took two steps forward and asked with concern: "Dear saint, are you not hurt?" Yakuma shook her head lightly: "I'm fine." Although she tried her best to look as if nothing had happened, Luo Fei who was not far away keenly caught a trace of panic in her eyes.

An Mi's expression softened a little, and he said to Dierga: "You protect the saint first and go back to rest." Dierga received the order, and when he and Yakuma were about to leave, they suddenly heard Luo Fei's voice: "Please wait!" Yakuma stopped in response, and turned to look at Luo Fei indifferently.An Mi on the side frowned and asked in surprise, "Luo? What's your business?" "I have a few words to say to the saint. Or rather, I have some questions to ask." Luo Fei said as he walked forward, staring into Yakuma's eyes, as if he wanted to see more s things.

"I'm sorry, I'm already very tired—I have to go back." Yakuma replied in fluent Chinese, and she didn't avoid Luo Fei's gaze. "Luo, on this occasion, your behavior is very rude!" An Mi stood in front of Luo Fei and said sternly, "Please back away!" Luo Fei made an apologetic expression and didn't move forward.He watched Yakuma walk towards the village, and he already had some answers in his mind. "Let's go here first today, everyone go back. The saint is with us, the gods are with us!" An Mi said this to her people, and then looked at Suo Turan, "High Priest, Please come to my room, I have something to discuss with you."

Soturan saluted and followed An Mi and his followers.The other clansmen separated after the leader left.In the meantime, it was inevitable that there would be groups of threes and twos, discussing with their voices suppressed. "Mr. Zhou, do you still remember that Xu Xiaowen?" Luo Fei asked Zhou Liwei. "I have an impression." Zhou Liwei pondered for a moment, "There seems to be some elusive mystery in it..." "Xu Xiaowen? What are you talking about?" Yue Dongbei scratched his bald forehead and asked anxiously, "Tell me the situation quickly, tell me everything like me, don't hide anything!"

Luo Fei waved his hand at Zhou Liwei: "You explain to him." Then he plunged into the dispersing Hamo crowd, and after a few steps, he chased after a middle-aged man. That man was Mengsha who had been to Mengla County. When he saw Luo Fei approaching, he stopped and greeted him politely: "Luo, hello!" Luo Fei ignored the pleasantries, and went straight to the point: "Just now, when the saint took off her veil, did you see clearly?" "Yes." Mengsha looked pious, "The great saint, it was she who saved me from the brink of death!" "Are you sure she is your saint? You must have seen a saint before, right?"

"Of course!" Mengsha replied without hesitation, "All our clansmen have seen it. From the day she became a saint, her noble appearance will always be engraved in our minds." "Is it possible that the Holy Maiden left Hamo Village?" Luo Fei continued to ask without pausing, "and for a long time?" "How is it possible?" Meng Sha glared at Luo Fei, seeming a little unhappy, "The saint is always with the clansmen. When she is not sick, she will often appear in the village to share the joy and happiness of the clansmen." suffering."

"Really? Okay... okay..." Luo Fei pondered for a moment, and then thought of another thing, "There is a cave in the Uncanny Valley, and Li Dingguo's bones are buried in it. How many people know about it? " "Everyone knows." When Mengsha said this question, some strange expressions suddenly appeared on his face. He pulled Luo Fei aside, and added in a low voice, "Moreover, just half a year ago, that grave was buried. empty." "Half a year ago?" Luo Fei looked at him in surprise.He had just been to that cave in the morning, and the earth pit left at the scene with the silhouette of a human figure was obviously dug just now, it must not be half a year ago.

But Meng Sha's words and deeds did not seem to be lying. Seeing that Luo Fei didn't seem to believe him, he said solemnly: "Someone went hunting in the 'Valley of Uncanny', and when it rained, they went to hide in the cave, and found a strange thing. Fact: The soil from the tomb was uncovered, and the bones inside were gone. After Lord An Mi knew about it, he forbade the people from going to that cave again. After a few days, the people of the people were frightened mad by the demon one after another, and the holy girl fell ill. , the rumors about the loss of the sacred object gradually spread. It is because of these things that some of my tribe and I left the village and fled to the outside of the mountain."

This is strange!Luo Fei frowned and thought, has the grave been dug up more than once?But why? After a while, Luo Fei still didn't find any clue, he could only put this question aside for the time being, and turn his attention back to the more important goal. "I want to visit the great saint, but I don't know where she will be now?" He looked at Mengsha and said. Mengsha smiled cheerfully: "Then follow me and I will take you to the residence of the saint." After walking through the village with Mengsha for a while, Luo Fei came to the mountain pool again.This is the edge of the village. A steep mountain wall rises from the ground here, adjacent to the pool, and a passage is sandwiched. The small wooden house where the saint lives is at the end of the passage. There is still light there. The saint has not rested yet.

"Luo, go there by yourself. It's so late now, I don't know if the saint will see you." Meng Sha pointed to the wooden house. "It's really a good place to be in the cottage, but to enjoy the quietness all by yourself." Luo Fei praised. "Facing the mountain on one side and the water on the other, the female guards are guarding in the side room in front of the wooden house, so this is also the safest place in the whole village." Meng Sha added. Luo Fei thought of a question: "During the six months of the saint's illness, has no one ever visited her?" Meng Sha shook his head: "Ordinary clansmen are not allowed. These days, for the sake of the saint's peace of mind, only Lord Anmi and High Priest Suotulan can go to the wooden house to take care of the saint's condition." "Well, I understand." Luo Fei didn't say anything more, he said goodbye to Mengsha, and walked to the hut alone along the passage between mountains and rivers. Dirga was holding a torch and was guarding the door of the wooden house. This was his first day officially becoming the guard of the saint.For the arrival of this day, he has been looking forward to and waiting for too long, and now, he can finally realize his dream. But Dilga's performance on the first day was obviously unsuccessful. He was actually taken away by a man whose hands and feet were bound, and the machete was then placed on the neck of the saint. !This is undoubtedly an intolerable humiliation for the holy female guard. Shuiyi anthill, it's Shuiyi anthill again!Dierga cursed bitterly in her heart, those old and new grudges, one day I will settle with you! It is undeniable that Shui Yiji is a terrible opponent. As early as a year ago, when all the Hamo warriors competed for the Saintess Guard, Dierga had experienced his strength.That competition had made him disheartened, and he was almost about to leave this land that carried his dreams. In fact, he had already packed his bags and arrived at Mi Hong Village.But what happened later changed his fate, and finally enabled him to stand where he is today. He will never forget that sentence. "Dirga, you are a warrior, and warriors should never bow to failure!" The person who said this was none other than Bai Jian'e, the village lord of Mi Hong Village. He also remembered his dejected look at the time: "No, I don't think I will have another chance. Shui Yiji, he is a once-in-a-hundred-year warrior of the Hamo tribe. I can't defeat him, and the saint is also very like him." "Do we have to use force to defeat him? Most of the time, we need strategies. God will favor those who persevere and bring them unexpected good luck." Bai Jian'e's eyes flashed with a bewitching light , "Now, your good luck has already begun, because of us, we will all be your friends who support you." Behind Bai Jian'e stood Xue Minghua, Wu Qun, and Zhao Liwen, all of whom were well-known figures in Mi Hong Village. Dirga's heart was moved, and from that day on, he embarked on another path leading to his dream. ... A slight sound of footsteps interrupted Dirga's memory.He widened his eyes vigilantly, and saw Luo Fei walking towards him. Who is this person?His eyes are always so sharp, as if he can see through all the hidden secrets in your heart.Is he an enemy?But did he come with Master Bai?Could it be that something happened? In Dierga's chaotic thoughts, Luo Fei had already arrived in front of him.Although he was very unwilling to confront this person head-on, Dierga still held his spirits up, puffed up his chest and asked, "Stop, what are you doing here?" Luo Fei frowned, remembering that this female guard absolutely does not understand Chinese, how should I communicate with him?While hesitating, he suddenly heard a soft "squeak", and the wooden door of the cabin opened from the inside.Yakuma walked slowly to the door and said something to Dierga.Dirga immediately stepped aside respectfully. "Officer Luo, please come in and talk." Yakuma looked at Luo Fei, her eyes sparkled, and she said in pure Chinese, "I knew you would come, so I have been waiting for you." The voice was so familiar, Luo Fei's heart was full of thoughts, but there was no expression on his face.He followed behind Yakuma and walked into the wooden house. The wooden house is not big, and the furnishings in the house are also very simple. Apart from the necessary bed, table, chair and cabinet, there is nothing superfluous.On the side facing the lake, a window was opened, and a string of white flowers hung under the window sill.Luo Fei couldn't call the flower's name, but he could feel a refreshing fragrance drifting into the house with the night wind, which made this lonely and remote valley finally have a bit of gentleness. There is an oil lamp on the square table in front of the window.The saint stepped forward, turned the light to the brightest, and then pointed to the wooden chair beside the table: "Officer Luo, please sit down." Luo Fei looked around under the dim red light.He noticed the small bed not far away, and some powder was sprinkled around the four wooden feet of the bed. "It seems that you haven't adapted to life here." He said as he sat down. "Really?" The saint raised her eyebrows and sat down opposite Luo Fei. Luo Fei pointed to the powder at the foot of the bed: "Sulfur, right? The Hamo people who have lived in the mountains for a long time don't use these things. In fact, those small bugs that occasionally crawl into the bed will not cause any harm to people." "You're right. But it's still a little psychologically awkward for me. Of course it wouldn't feel good to have something six-legged crawling across your face while you're sleeping." Luo Fei turned his eyes and looked at the woman not far away. After a brief silence, he said, "What should I call you? Xu Xiaowen, Yakuma, or the respected saint?" "I'm Xu Xiaowen." The saint replied, "We met before when we were in Kunming. As for Yakuma, she is my twin sister." "Twin sister?" This answer explained a lot of confusion in Luo Fei's mind. He lowered his head and took some time to reorganize. Then he asked again, "Then you came to impersonate her? Your sister...what's wrong with her?" ?” A trace of sadness flashed in Xu Xiaowen's eyes: "She passed away half a year ago." This is consistent with Luo Fei's guess. In fact, he is more concerned about the next question that follows: "How did she die?" "I don't know the specifics." Xu Xiaowen looked at Luo Fei and smiled wryly, "You must think that I know a lot of secrets, but in fact, I may not know as much as you. I invite you to come inside , I hope you can answer some puzzles. I didn't expect you to come to this valley, thank God, finally someone can help me." Luo Fei was a little confused by Xu Xiaowen's words. He looked into the other person's eyes seriously: "What happened here? I need you to tell me everything you know, can you?" "In the sacrificial field just now, I pretended not to know you because I couldn't let the clansmen see the flaws. Now there are only two of us here, and I won't hide anything." Xu Xiaowen met Luo Fei's gaze calmly, " However, I really don't have much to tell you, I have been in the valley for less than a week, and before that, I have not set foot in this village for more than ten years." "What?" Luo Fei didn't come back for more than ten years, and he was almost a stranger. This was quite beyond Luo Fei's expectation. He showed a surprised expression. got engaged?" "The High Priest of Soturan will come to see me. But usually he only comes once every few years." In order to make things clear, Xu Xiaowen began to explain some of her situation in detail, "Maybe I can call myself an unfortunate child. My My mother died of dystocia when I was giving birth to our sisters, and when I was three years old, my father died of illness, leaving me and my sister as orphans.” Luo Fei did not speak, but he conveyed his sympathy and care through his eyes. Xu Xiaowen obviously felt the emotion of the other party. She smiled in relief and continued: "It was the former saint who adopted us. In my memory She was a kind and gentle woman who took care of us like a mother. When we were six years old, she decided to choose one of us as her successor." "Unfortunately, you were not selected?" Luo Fei spread his hands. "Regret? No, you made a mistake, you don't understand..." Xu Xiaowen looked at Luo Fei solemnly, "My sister took the initiative to bear that suffering." "Suffering?" Luo Fei really didn't quite understand. The saintess' respected status in the Hamo tribe is obvious to all. Could it be a kind of suffering? "Yes. Although I don't know what that suffering is, it must exist." Xu Xiaowen looked out of the window, her thoughts drifted away, and said quietly, "To this day, I still remember the situation at that time. It was also a night , in this room, the saint called us both to her side..." Luo Fei listened silently. In a quiet atmosphere, time and space seemed to return to more than ten years ago, and the scene that happened once again reappeared: The saint is already old, and faint gray hair can be seen on her temples.In front of her stood a pair of lovely girls in pink and white, their eyes were shining with innocence. Obviously at that moment, they didn't know the fate they would face in the future. "Children, you have a chance to choose now." The saint's eyes were mixed with love and helplessness, "I will train one of you to become a future saint, you two, who wants to?" The two children didn't answer, they just opened their eyes wide, "Saint", what does that mean? The saint sighed: "You need to think about it carefully. The chosen one will bear great suffering, and this suffering will accompany you for the rest of your life, and will continue to be passed down in your hands." The children may not understand the meaning of these words very well, but the solemn expression on the face of the saint has already told them: being selected would be a bad thing. Good, not good, this is the simple concept of right and wrong that exists in the child's mind. "Let me come, I'm my sister." Yakuma said seriously, although she was still young, she already knew that her elder sister was to take care of her younger sister. The saint smiled gratifiedly. She stroked Yakuma's head and praised: "Good boy." Then she looked at her sister standing aside and said: "I will try my best to give you the best life, so that Make up for the sacrifice your sister made for the people. You will never have to return to this village, but I hope you will never forget your sister." The young Xu Xiaowen looked at the saint, then at Yakuma, and then nodded with a vague understanding. ... "So, you left Hamo Village later?" Luo Fei guessed based on Xu Xiaowen's story. "Yes, High Priest Suotulan brought me to Kunming." Xu Xiaowen took her eyes back from the distant night, "There is a scholar there who specializes in the customs of ethnic minorities in Yunnan and is also a friend of the Hamo people. The high priest entrusted me to this scholar, and I became an adopted daughter in their family. The adoptive parents treated me very well, and I received a good education and went to university. I lived a very happy life. As I grew up, I began to understand This is what my sister bought for me with her own pain. I often miss the village, the saint and my sister, but when the high priest comes to visit me, he always brings a message from the saint, telling me not to Go back. Until two weeks ago, when he came for the last time, there was a completely different attitude." "The first two weeks? So, after we went to Kunming?" Xu Xiaowen nodded: "Yes, it was just the third day after you left Kunming. The high priest found me. His expression was sad, and he told me that something happened in the village in the past six months, and I need to go back quickly." "What exactly did he say?" "He said that the sacred objects of the clan were stolen, the demons broke free from the shackles, did evil in the clan, and even killed Yakuma." Xu Xiaowen paused for a moment, then emphasized her tone, "But these are not the last Seriously, what is even more frightening is that the spiritual pillars of the clansmen are being shaken, people in the village are in panic, and some people have even escaped from the mountains." Luo Fei sighed softly: "So Suo Turan needs you to go back and take on the role of the saint, so as to re-inspire the courage of the clansmen to fight against the 'demon'?" Xu Xiaowen was silent for a moment, and asked back: "Are you a little confused? I am a highly educated person, how can I believe in 'demons'?" Luo Fei didn't answer, just looked at each other curiously, but Xu Xiaowen continued: "Actually, I don't believe it. I came back here only because the tribe needed me. My sister has already given her life, and I have to do it for you." What do the people of the tribe do. Although I don’t know what the ‘devil’ is, I believe that the warriors of the Hamo tribe are brave, as long as their spiritual pillars do not collapse, no matter how fierce the enemy is, they will be defeated.” When Xu Xiaowen said these words, her feelings were sincere and pious, Luo Fei was moved by her, and there was a trace of approval in her eyes.Then he thought of another question: "You left the village at such a young age, so how much do you know about the legend of the 'devil'?" "I knew almost nothing before. When I was here, the saint never told us about 'jihad' and 'demon'. What I know now is what the High Priest of Soturan told me not long ago. "Xu Xiaowen's answer was somewhat unexpected to Luo Fei. She also explained: "So when the patient in Kunming said 'uncanny valley' and 'devil', I didn't know what it meant." "But he called out the name 'Yakuma'?" Luo Fei was a little surprised, "Didn't you think it was strange then?" Xu Xiaowen shook her head: "I only know my sister's baby name." Luo Fei felt relieved: Yes, when the sisters separated, they were only six years old, and they are usually referred to as sisters, so it is normal for them not to know each other's names.Then he continued, "How long have you been back in the village?" Xu Xiaowen did some calculations and replied, "Is this the eighth day? These days, the high priest has been teaching me some etiquette of the saintess. This is all so that I won't pass through when I meet the clansmen tonight." "Your demeanor is indeed very different from that student in Kunming." Luo Fei said with a smile, "But you are not very confident in yourself, so you wear a veil?" Xu Xiaowen also laughed, acquiescing to Luo Fei's guess. However, this relaxed atmosphere was soon broken by Luo Fei's next question: "Why did you kill Shui Yiji?" Xu Xiaowen smiled wryly: "It's not my wish. I've never even met this person before. It's just that the leader of Anmi and the High Priest of Suotulan told me to do this. They said that it was Shui Yiqi Colluded with a Han man internally and externally, stole the sacred object, and caused the demon to be reborn. My sister was killed by the demon when she went to the 'uncanny valley' to recover the sacred object." "The 'Han man' you mentioned just now is the man in the Kunming Mental Hospital." Luo Fei explained. "Really?" Xu Xiaowen's eyes widened in surprise, "No wonder he said those words. The so-called 'devil' must have something to do with him. What the hell did he do?" "This is the most critical issue right now." Luo Fei tapped his fingers on the table and said in a deep thought, "That man has gone mad, and Yakuma is dead, so the only person left who is most likely to know the inside story is It's Yidhill in the water. It's a good thing you couldn't kill him today." Xu Xiaowen looked a little embarrassed: "Yes, our actions are a bit reckless... I believe that he killed my sister, so I have preconceived hatred in my heart. But now, my feeling has changed..." "Why?" Luo Fei looked at the other party energetically. "I looked at him on the altar. I can't forget his eyes, which are full of concern and loyalty. I believe this kind of emotion is from the heart and cannot be faked. Even if I announce the punishment for him, the feeling is still there. Nothing changed." Luo Fei's eyes flickered: "But he put the knife on your neck later." Xu Xiaowen replied very positively: "That's because he has seen that I am not the real Yakuma." Luo Fei went through the situation in his head again, and then he nodded: "Yes. He seems to have mentioned the 'suffering of the saint's inheritance', but you failed to give a correct answer...I would like to believe that A woman's intuition... From this point of view, it is unlikely that Shui Yidhill will murder your sister." "So there must be something hidden about my sister's death, including the loss of the sacred object." Having said this, Xu Xiaowen looked at Luo Fei expectantly, "I hope you can help me unlock the secret. You have this ability, and you are also a trustworthy person." Luo Fei's heart moved, and the other person's gaze gave him a special feeling. This feeling had appeared in Kunming before, and it was a tacit understanding that seemed familiar.Although it was only the second meeting, the woman seemed to know herself well already. "Why?" Luo Fei finally couldn't help asking, "For your race, I'm just an outsider. We have very little contact. Why do you... trust me so much?" "I know some stories about you." Xu Xiaowen showed a playful and smug smile on her face. At this moment, she changed back to that youthful and lively college student, "Although you look serious, you have a good heart. Moreover, you are good at helping others to explore those long-hidden secrets." "My story?" Luo Fei became more and more confused, "What are you referring to?" "There is someone you should remember." Xu Xiaowen opened her eyes wide, and then said a name, "Meng Shaohui." "Meng Shaohui?" Luo Fei was startled suddenly, "You know him?" "He held an art exhibition in Kunming, and I was moved by his paintings." Xu Xiaowen raised her hand to support her chin, stared at the flickering flames in the oil lamp, and said faintly, "The love and longing revealed in that painting It was unforgettable for my mother, my younger brother, and his lover. This reminded me of my hometown, so we chatted together for a long time, and he told me about your experience on Mingze Island." "Love and longing..." Luo Fei's thoughts were also hooked back. He had also seen Meng Shaohui's painting, but there was only sadness and despair in that painting. After a while, he asked: "Have you ever seen such a painting? A mother holding a baby and a child standing in the endless seawater..." "I know that painting, but I haven't seen it." Xu Xiaowen replied, "He said he would never open that painting again." Luo Fei smiled in relief, two deep grooves appeared on the corners of his mouth: "Then he should be fine now." "He traveled all over the country and held touring art exhibitions. Of course, he walked through every city, and the more important purpose was to find someone. I don't know if he has found it now?" Xu Xiaowen raised her head and looked at it with a smile. Luo Fei, "Maybe he should ask you for help again." Luo Fei's heart trembled, and he avoided the other party's gaze.He knew too well who the person Xu Xiaowen was talking about, and he also knew that Meng Shaohui's search would never come to fruition. No result is better than a cruel result, right? Luo Fei didn't want to continue, he coughed lightly, and changed the topic back: "Then now, the key to the problem is to find Shui Yiji." "And you have to find him before the leader of Anmi." Xu Xiaowen's expression also became serious, "You know, Anmi and the others are determined to put Shui Yiji to death: they believe that Shui Yiji has betrayed the race, and if he As long as I am alive, my identity may be exposed at any time." Luo Fei stroked his chin and fell into deep thought for a long time.When he raised his head again, his eyes were a little calmer and more confident. "It may not be difficult to find Shui Yiji. But..." He looked at Xu Xiaowen, "Can you write Hamo characters?" "Yes." "That's good!" Luo Fei clapped his hands, "I need you to write a note pardoning Shui Yiji." "Forgive Shui Yiji?" Xu Xiaowen said hesitantly, "Do I have the right?" "Of course!" Luo Fei replied with certainty, "Don't forget, your current identity is not Xu Xiaowen, but the respected saint Yakuma."