Construyendo una dinastía de canciones armoniosas

Capítulo 57

Shen Xiao picked up the cup and returned to the table, moving next to Yan Muqing and whispering, "Brother Muqing, look at their shoes."

Yan Muqing followed her gaze and quickly noticed the oddity. He turned and met Si Junxing's eyes, both of them looking puzzled.

Soon, the waiter brought over the dishes they had ordered. While the waiter was putting the dishes down, Si Junxing pretended not to know and asked, "Brother waiter, I heard that there are golden hairpin snakes in your Snake Valley, is that right?"

The golden hairpin snake is only about the length of a chopstick, with a large head and a small tail. Its body is golden yellow, resembling a golden hairpin, hence its name. The golden hairpin snake has extremely high medicinal value, but its venom is also extremely potent. Many herb gatherers have unfortunately died from its poison while trying to catch it.

"Yes, there are many golden hairpin snakes in Snake Valley. Are you planning to catch one, sir?"

Si Junxing said, "My wife is ill and needs this snake as medicine. Unfortunately, there are no Golden Hairpin Snakes anywhere else. After inquiring for a long time, I learned that there are many of these snakes in Poisonous Snake Valley, so my family and I came here to see if we could find one."

"Sir, you've come to the right place. Our Snake Valley is famous for its snakes, otherwise why would it be called Snake Valley?" The waiter looked around and saw that everyone was there to take shelter from the rain, so he wasn't too busy and simply sat down on the other side of Yan Muqing.

"Sir, to be honest, you've really chosen the right time. Many snakes in Snake Valley are hibernating right now, so you can go in with complete peace of mind. Finding golden hairpin snakes is easy. Just go into the entrance of Snake Valley and you'll soon see many golden hairpin snake nests. When the snakes are all weak, grab them by their seven-inch mark and put them in your bag. I guarantee you can catch quite a few in half a day."

"But sirs, please remember, you must not go any deeper into the valley," the waiter said solemnly.

Yan Muqing asked curiously, "Why?"

"Esteemed guests, you are all from out of town and do not know that the depths of the Poisonous Snake Valley are warm all year round, so the snakes there do not hibernate. Moreover, they are extremely venomous and ferocious pythons. If you were to enter rashly, it would be extremely dangerous."

"Didn't I hear that many of your Jiang tribe members live behind the Valley of Poisonous Snakes? Since it's so dangerous, how do they get out?" Shen Xiao asked.

"Hey, sir, I'm not a true member of the Jiang tribe, but my mother is. So, you could say I'm half a member of your tribe. You know, I'm probably the only one who'd tell you this," the waiter suddenly said mysteriously in a low voice. "The Jiang people are known for their eccentricities, right? So that strange place was created by their chieftain using some kind of witchcraft. This way, snakes will stay there year-round to prevent outsiders from entering. However, Jiang people usually carry a unique medicine that's exclusive to their tribe, and only members of the Jiang tribe can have it. With the medicine, the snakes will automatically avoid them, so it doesn't pose much of a problem for their own people..."

"Waiter, let's order..." someone called out from the other end.

"Oh, they're here..." The waiter stood up, and before leaving, he whispered, "The Jiang tribe has opened a clinic in this town. It's said that the snake repellent they sell is very effective. You gentlemen might as well go there and buy some, just in case. Oh, the clinic's name is Jixiang Clinic..."

Shen Xiao watched the waiter's hurried figure disappear into the distance and couldn't help but laugh, "That waiter is really funny."

"Jixiang Medical Clinic?" Si Junxing read it aloud. Seeing that the rain outside the window seemed to have lessened, he said to Yan Muqing, "Let's go take a look this afternoon."

After dinner, Si Junxing and Yan Muqing went out to find the clinic the waiter had mentioned, while Shen Xiao pulled Lin Suyang along to go shopping.

After the heavy rain, the vendors who had closed their stalls and packed up opened their awnings again and began hawking their goods on the street. Lin Suyang and her friends now realized that the people living in Jiyue Town were not all from the Xinjiang ethnic group; many had come from other places. As a result, the things sold on the street were diverse, including clothing, food, and even books from various ethnic groups—a dazzling array of goods.

Like a child, Shen Xiao would touch and examine anything new and interesting, but when asked if she wanted to buy it, she would put it down and wander off to another spot. Lin Suyang followed her from one end of the street to the other. When they passed a bookstall, Shen Xiao suddenly stopped, squatted down, and picked up a slightly yellowed book from the pile of books on the ground.

As soon as Lin Suyang turned a few pages, he saw her face turn bright red, as if she had a hot potato in her hand and didn't even have time to throw it away.

Lin Suyang walked over curiously to see what she had seen, but Shen Xiao immediately stood up, grabbed Lin Suyang, and pulled her away, saying, "Sister Suyan, nothing, there's nothing to see, let's go."

Lin Suyang turned around, looking at her with a half-smile, and said, "Yeah, nothing much to see, right, Xiao'er?" In that brief glance, she had already seen the book that Chen Xiao had tossed open halfway. Vividly explicit erotic pictures—no wonder she blushed.

Shen Xiao pouted and said, "Who knew it would be that kind of book? The cover of that book looked a lot like the martial arts manuals Master gave us, I thought..."

"You think you're lucky that you found a secret manual so easily?" Lin Suyang continued, "But it really is a secret manual..."

"Sister Su Yan!" Shen Xiao called out loudly, then muttered, "You would never have said something like that before!"

"Is that so?" Lin Suyang seemed to be thinking, then said in a low voice as if talking to herself, "What if I wasn't the person I used to be?"

Volume Four, Palace Secrets, Chapter 128: The Mysterious Shadow of the Frontier Tribes (Part 1)

Shen Xiao and Lin Suyang explored the entire town of Ji Yue. When they were about to return to the inn, they heard someone by the roadside saying, "Someone died at Ji Xiang Medical Clinic!"

Jixiang Medical Clinic, isn't that the clinic that Si Junxing and the others went to? Lin Suyang and Shen Xiao exchanged a glance, quickly asked someone for directions, and headed towards the clinic.

As soon as they reached the street, they saw a large crowd gathered in front of a shop with a sign that read "Jixiang Medical Clinic". Shen Xiao pulled Lin Suyang and was about to squeeze through to take a look when someone came from the side and blocked their way.

"Brother Muqing!"

"What are you doing here?" Yan Muqing frowned as she looked at them.

Lin Suyang turned her head but didn't see Si Junxing, so she asked, "What happened? Where is Si Junxing?"

Yan Muqing glanced at the crowd opposite him and said, "Let's go back first."

The group returned to the inn and entered Shen Xiao's room. Yan Muqing closed the door, sat down, and said, "When we went there, the people at the clinic were already dead."

"The people at the clinic?" Lin Suyang asked, "How did they all die?"

"Five of them, all of them were fatal with a single sword strike."

"Are there any clues?"

Yan Muqing shook his head and said, "No. The murderer didn't leave any clues. And there were no signs of a struggle inside the clinic. So I think the people in the clinic and the murderer were probably acquainted."

“We suspect this matter is related to internal affairs of the Jiang tribe. There may be changes. Therefore, Si Junxing has already gone to investigate the entrance to the Serpent Valley. We plan to set off tonight.”

“We’re leaving tonight. But it rained today. What if we…” Shen Xiao said.

Yan Muqing said, "Because it has rained, there won't be many people going there. Judging from the situation, it might rain again in a while. You two should bring more clothes. I'm going to buy some snake repellent powder now. Let's leave after Si Junxing comes back."

About two incense sticks later, Si Junxing and Yan Muqing returned from outside. Yan Muqing asked Shen Xiao to take the prepared bundle. Si Junxing also draped a thick cloak over Lin Suyang. The group quickly settled their bill and left the inn.

Yan Muqing glanced at the sky and said, "It's about to rain. Let's hurry. Hopefully, we can reach the outskirts of Snake Valley tonight."

"Do you know the way?" Lin Suyang asked the question that had been on his mind the most.

Si Junxing took out a piece of paper from his pocket and waved it, saying, "This is what I got from a native of the Xinjiang tribe today. He is the person in town who knows the most about Snake Valley. I asked him to mark the locations on it in detail, including where there are many snakes and where the terrain is easy to walk."

"How far are we from the valley entrance now?" Shen Xiao asked.

"We'll be there soon, just around that low hill," Si Junxing said, pointing to a small hill in the distance.

"Oh, it's still that far?"

Yan Muqing looked at Shen Xiao and said, "If you have so much free time, why don't you hurry up and walk? If you can't walk, I'll pull you." With that, she pulled her up and started walking forward. Shen Xiao stared at the hand that was pulling her, then stole a glance at Yan Muqing's profile, and her face flushed instantly. She quickly lowered her head. What's wrong with her lately? Her face always gets hot; honestly, she's too embarrassed to look people in the eye.

Lin Suyang saw everything Shen Xiao did. She squeezed Si Junxing's hand to make him look. Si Junxing smiled and whispered in her ear, "I already knew."

Lin Suyang glanced at him and said, "Even you know that, yet Yan Muqing, that idiot, is like a silent gourd."

"Yes, it's adorably boring."

The journey was uneventful, and the group finally arrived at Serpent Valley before nightfall. Though called a valley, it was really just a depression filled with towering trees that densely covered most of the sky. Walking inside, the thick foliage blocked out the sunlight, making the forest incredibly gloomy – a scene only found in the south. In Cloud City, one would likely never see such evergreen trees.

"Brother Muqing, do you think the snakes here don't hibernate?" Although Shen Xiao was fearless, she was afraid of soft animals, especially snakes. So as soon as she stepped into the Snake Valley, she gripped Yan Muqing tightly with both hands, staring wide-eyed at the ground, ready to run away as soon as she spotted a snake.

"No, the temperature outside is so low that snakes can't withstand it, so Xiao'er, you can go without worry," Lin Suyang said.

Hearing this, Shen Xiao's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally calmed down a little. She looked around at the dappled shadows of the trees swaying in the gradually darkening depths of the forest, then turned around and walked ahead of Yan Muqing.

Si Junxing, holding a map in one hand and leading Lin Suyang by the other, walked at the front. When it was completely dark, he found a cave by following the map.

Just as the group finished building a fire inside the cave, a torrential downpour began. Shen Xiao stared in disbelief at the curtain of rain outside the cave and said, "We're really lucky."

Lin Suyang sat by the fire, picked up Si Junxing's map and looked at it. "Judging from this, we might be able to reach the Jiang tribe's village tomorrow."

Si Junxing said, “Not necessarily. Master Guigan once said that not only are there many poisonous miasmas around the Jiang tribe, but even at this time of year, they are shrouded in mist. Moreover, we are not familiar with the terrain and can only rely on the map to get around. If we go to the warm place that Xiao Er mentioned, we will inevitably encounter Thousands of Poisonous Pythons, which may delay us for some time.”

"If that's the case, have you made any preparations?"

Yan Muqing took out two sandalwood boxes from the package and said, "These contain medicine prepared by the master. Everyone should take one before going in tomorrow, just in case." Then he took out a few small cloth bags and said, "These are realgar powder that I made on the mountain. There are some small holes in the bags. Each of you should tie one around your waist. The powder that is sprinkled down will keep snakes away."

Shen Xiao grabbed one and tucked it into his waistband, saying with glee, "Senior brother, you've thought of everything!"

"Everyone should get some rest early tonight. Who knows what dangers might be waiting for us tomorrow?" Si Junxing said.

Lin Suyang once again lost sleep in Si Junxing's arms. With her eyes closed, she could still see the woman who looked exactly like her standing beside her. She could even see her reach out to touch Si Junxing's head, and then, in a very charming way, press her red lips against Si Junxing's hair.

She snapped her eyes open, and all the illusions vanished. The quiet cave was filled only with the even breathing of the other three and her own tense panting. She reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around Si Junxing's waist, silently pleading, "Don't leave him, don't leave him." She could faintly hear Qin Yu's sobs nearby, "Lin Suyang, please stay with me, please come stay with me..."

She felt like she was about to collapse. Sometimes she couldn't bear it and wanted to commit suicide, but every time this happened, her consciousness would start to dissipate and she couldn't remember anything. So along the way, she didn't even know if she was herself anymore.

She struggled with her inner turmoil until dawn. When Si Junxing woke her up, having not slept at all, her vision blurred and her mind was foggy. Yet, she could hear herself opening her mouth and saying, "Okay." Then she felt her hand linking with Si Junxing's arm and heard his deep laughter. However, all of this was just her perception; her entire body felt as if it had lost control and was being manipulated by someone else.

Si Junxing, unaware of Lin Suyang's unusual behavior, called to Shen Xiao and Yan Muqing and set off into the forest.

After last night's heavy rain, the sky remained overcast today. The roads were muddy and difficult to traverse. Fortunately, they encountered no rare or exotic animals, and things remained relatively calm. However, this unusual calm only made them more uneasy.

"Didn't Master say that there would be many strange animals and herbs in Snake Valley? How come I've only seen these big trees so far, and haven't even seen a single snake?" Shen Xiao asked.

No one spoke; each person was filled with deep doubt. What had happened here? No one knew.

Without any hindrance, the group quickly arrived at the warm area the waiter had described. However, to their surprise, all the snakes that normally didn't hibernate here had vanished, the venomous pythons guarded by the Jiang people were nowhere to be seen, and the poisonous miasma that Master Guigan had mentioned was nowhere to be found either. Suddenly, the entire Snake Valley became a true death valley.

Si Junxing and Yan Muqing stood in front of and behind Lin Suyang and Shen Xiao, protecting them in the middle. The four of them walked straight through this strange area towards the Jiang tribe marked on the map.

After passing through a forest that was equally quiet and suffocating, they saw a village standing in the distance.

Master Guigan once said that the entrance to the Jiang tribe should be guarded by the Jiang tribe's own soldiers, and one should show Jiang tribe tokens to enter. But now, there is not a single person to be seen at the entrance.

Could something have really happened here? Worried about Lin Suyang's antidote, Si Junxing quickened his pace.

Upon entering the village, he found corpses lying everywhere, men, women, and children, all with their throats slit by a single sword, just like the people in the Jixiang Medical Clinic. Si Junxing frantically rushed into every room searching for survivors, but found nothing.

He walked out dejectedly, staring in despair at the corpses lying scattered on the ground. Lin Suyang came over, took his hand, and comforted him, "Don't be like this. Life and death are predestined. I'm already content to be with you in my final days..."

“No,” Si Junxing interrupted her, “I will definitely find the antidote, I definitely will.”

"Tell me, what kind of enemies did these people encounter that led to the massacre of their entire clan?" Yan Muqing asked, looking at the ground.

Shen Xiao said angrily, "Those people are so cruel, they don't even spare children." She pointed to a small corpse and said, "Look, this child was probably only five years old!"

Si Junxing calmed down and said, "Mu Qing, quickly tell Master Gui Gan about this. Xiao'er, you and Su Yang find an empty room to stay in. I'll go look for any clues."

Volume Four, Palace Secrets, Chapter 129: The Mysterious Shadow of the Frontier Tribes (Part Two)

Si Junxing started searching alone from the first house in the village, carefully examining the clues in each one, while Yan Muqing, after sending a message by carrier pigeon, turned over the corpses and examined the wounds closely.

Shen Xiao and Lin Suyang found a place in the village that resembled a tribal council hall to rest. Shen Xiao would occasionally go out to check on Yan Muqing and the others' progress. Lin Suyang wandered around the council hall, looking for anything unusual.

An hour later, the group met in the council hall. Si Junxing shook his head with a gloomy face, saying he hadn't found anything. Yan Muqing, however, stood there in a daze for a while, then said hesitantly that he seemed to have found a clue.

"You said the sword blades on those wounds looked familiar?" Shen Xiao asked.

“Hmm,” Yan Muqing nodded and said, “I have looked at it carefully. It is the Kong family’s unique sword-condensing style. I had some doubts when I was at Jixiang Medical Hall, but I was not sure until I looked at the wounds of all the corpses just now and found that they were all caused by the same sword qi cutting the throat. And this sword qi, apart from the Kong family of Yancheng, I really can’t think of anyone else who is used to condensing sword qi and then dispersing it.”

Lin Suyang looked at Si Junxing with a puzzled expression. Si Junxing explained, "The so-called 'condensing sword disperses' means that the sword energy is condensed and then disperses like broken air after injuring someone. This way, blood will not splatter. Therefore, when killing someone with 'condensing sword disperses,' the throat is usually slit to kill them in one blow."

"The Kong family... Kong Mingqi died long ago in the Battle of Mucuo. Could it be that the person I saw yesterday was really Kong Ling? But that doesn't make sense. Wasn't Kong Ling also missing? How could this be..."

“Kong Ling is still alive,” Si Junxing interrupted Chen Xiao, “and she has already defected to Yan Liao.”

"What?" Yan Muqing and Shen Xiao exclaimed in unison.

“I met her when I was in the Northwest.” Si Junxing glanced at Lin Suyang and then recounted his encounter with Kong Ling, omitting, of course, Kong Ling’s affection for him.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiao said incredulously, "Kong Ling... how could she do this?" Although she hadn't had much contact with Kong Ling, Shen Xiao had always thought of her as a good girl, only occasionally a little hot-tempered. How could she be blinded by her hatred and actually...

"If we connect the dots like this, then the matter of the border regions is related to Yan and Liao?" Yan Muqing guessed.

Si Junxing's heart skipped a beat. He absolutely refused to believe that Han Yufeng would do such a thing. Unless... someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes! Recalling his encounter with Kong Ling in the Northwest, a name suddenly flashed through his mind. Could it be him?

Lin Suyang remained silent. He sat at the head of the council chamber, gently tapping the table. His eyes glanced casually across the table, and he suddenly noticed a very strange totem on the wall above it. It was a picture of a giant python devouring its prey. Only half of the python's head was visible, with a single eyeball protruding from the wall. It looked extremely incongruous.