Eternal Night - Chapter 147
She stopped mentioning Yihong, but she was genuinely troubled. Should she leave again? And where should she go to find that Xibo tribesman?
“Miss, do you still remember my voice? I’ll dress up as you for your wedding,” Yihong volunteered.
“No, this is no joke. If you marry in my place, they will find out sooner or later. I don’t want to marry now.” Yongye’s eyes lit up, and he whispered in Yihong’s ear, “I’ll leave now. You pretend to be sick and they will think I’m still here when they hear your voice.”
"Miss, didn't you say you didn't want me to marry in your place?"
“By Mid-Autumn Festival, I’ll disappear. If you don’t say a word, they won’t be able to catch me. I’ll be back after I’ve finished my business, so don’t worry,” Yongye laughed heartily. She was leaving early, not letting anyone know where she was going. Perhaps, she could find out about the Xibo tribe in these ten days.
Yi Hong sighed and agreed.
West Lake Blood Sacrifice
Yongye quietly left the inn with her bundle. She went straight out of the west gate of the capital and headed southwest.
The early autumn wind felt wonderful on her face, but after walking only three miles outside the city gate, she started to feel uncomfortable.
Feng Yangxi sat by the roadside, watching her with a half-smile, while the black horse leisurely grazed on the grass.
With a flick of his whip, Yongye sent his horse galloping past, pretending he hadn't seen the man.
The sound of hooves echoed behind them; Feng Yangxi had caught up. Yongye reined in his horse and angrily said, "What are you following me for? Have you been sent by the Crown Prince to act as my bodyguard again?"
Feng Yangxi said slowly, "I was on my way to the Xibo tribe to observe the autumn festival, and we just happened to end up on this official road together. The princess is getting married in ten days, are you out for a stroll to clear your head?"
Yongye's eyes lit up: "Master Feng, what is the Autumn Festival? Is it fun?"
Feng Yangxi glanced at her and said, "If the princess tells me to get lost, then I will naturally stay away from the princess." With that, he spurred his horse and galloped away.
"Stingy!" Yongye cursed inwardly, but followed helplessly. Watching Feng Yangxi's retreating figure, her suspicions grew stronger. She had just stepped out for the Xibo tribe's autumn festival when she happened to run into Feng Yangxi. He had clearly been waiting for her on the official road, yet claimed he was going to observe the festival. How did he know? Had that cunning old man at home told Prince Yan about it again?
Seeing Feng Yangxi walking ahead without turning back, seemingly unafraid that Yongye wouldn't follow, Yongye snorted. Seeing a fork in the road, she impulsively spurred her horse onto the side path. She didn't believe Feng Yangxi wouldn't turn back to find her.
She only knew she was heading southwest; she had no idea where this side road led, so she let the horse follow the path. An incense stick later, she turned back in surprise; Feng Yangxi hadn't followed. Yongye wondered, could it really be a coincidence?
She couldn't bring herself to go back to Feng Yangxi now, so she sighed and thought, "Since Luo Yu knows about the Xibo Clan's Autumn Festival, many others probably do too. I'll just ask around as I go."
A town appeared ahead. The city walls were gray and made of large blue stones and yellow earth. The town was neither too big nor too small, and it was quite lively, perhaps because it was close to the capital.
Yongye dismounted in front of the inn, took his bundle, and went inside.
The birchwood table was polished white with lye water. The waiter recommended roasted lamb leg, accompanied by local sorghum liquor. Yongye used a small knife to slice the lamb leg, dipping it in the sauce, taking a sip of liquor with each slice. Noticing the exotic attire of the diners in the inn, Yuan Er couldn't help but notice. Her gaze unconsciously fell on a man.
The man was around twenty years old, with an ordinary appearance and a thin build, dressed in simple cloth. He ate in the same way as Yongye, sipping a piece of mutton and drinking a sip of wine, sweating profusely from the spiciness. Beside him was a sword, a very ordinary Qingfeng sword, the kind you could buy at any sword shop. He seemed to sense Yongye watching him, glanced at Yongye, and appeared momentarily stunned by Yongye's refined face, before lowering his head to slice the mutton again.
Yongye couldn't help but laugh; he was quite an interesting person. She carried the plate of lamb leg and some wine and sat down next to him: "Brother, please! We both like this way of eating, let's eat together."
The man remained silent, continuing to drink and eat, as if the eternal night did not exist.
Yongye felt that having a good appetite with someone who loved to eat would be wonderful. The other person remained silent, and she did the same, completely focused on enjoying the delicious tender lamb leg. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the man wiped his mouth and called out, "Waiter, get the bill!"
Yongye took out a silver ingot, placed it on the table, and said with a smile, "It's rare to enjoy a meal like this, brother, it's on me!"
The man looked at her strangely and said, "Why should you pay?"
Yongye was taken aback. He wouldn't even let her eat for free? She smiled and said, "Brother, are you treating me?"
"I don't have any extra money."
"Hehe," Yongye was amused to encounter such a strange person, and without insisting, he glanced at the man's sword and asked, "Brother, do you know of a Xibo tribe? Are they going to hold an autumn festival?"
"Hmph!" The man's expression suddenly changed, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "I'm going to witness the human blood sacrifice of the Xibo tribe!"
Yongye was overjoyed; it was like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse—this person was also going to Xibo to see the Autumn Festival. She cautiously asked, "Judging from your expression, you seem quite dissatisfied with this Autumn Festival?"
"Of course! To sacrifice young girls and drain their blood—I must stop such a ritual!" The man slammed his hand on the table, causing the wine bowls and saucers to jump.
Upon hearing this, Yongye frowned: "Is there no law anymore?"
"The law? The Xibo tribe is a remote mountain tribe, the law can't touch them."
"Is she a girl from the tribe?"
"I don't know."
Yongye smiled and said, "I would like to accompany you, Tongtai. Is that alright?"
The man looked Yongye up and down and said sarcastically, "It's not that I don't allow it, but you are a frail and weak scholar. I am going to stop Qiuji, and it would be inconvenient to bring you along."
Yongye nodded, thinking to herself, "I'll stay with you then." She didn't say anything more, shook her head regretfully, and checked into a room.
The next day, the man mounted his horse and headed west, with Yongye following far behind.
The further west you go, the steeper the terrain becomes, from plains to hills, and then you see towering mountains.
When they reached a small town at the foot of the mountain to rest, the man finally sat down in front of Yongye and said, "Young master, judging from your luxurious clothes, you must have been born into a wealthy family. Even if you are curious, you cannot come up the mountain with me anymore. This is a primeval forest, which is very dangerous. You should go back."
Yongye looked at him with a smile and said, "My surname is Li. May I ask your surname, brother?"
My surname is Hong.
"I have been following Brother Hong all this way to see the Xibo tribe's autumn festival. Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and now that we're here, there's no reason for us to turn back. Brother Hong is going to stop the autumn festival, while I'm just here to watch the fun. It's no big deal."
Young Master Hong looked at Yongye, sighed, shook his head, and left.
He woke up to find soft sunlight filtering through the trees. The distant mountains were teeming with life. Yongye followed Young Master Hong up the mountain. When they reached a narrow section of the path, they abandoned their horses and proceeded on foot.
There seemed to be a lot of people heading to the Xibo tribe's encampment, and many of them were carrying weapons. Yongye couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Young Master Hong, could it be that so many people have come to uphold justice?"