Chapter 104: The Festival

A slight change flickered across the Great Elder’s expression.

He did not immediately turn hostile. Instead, he chuckled and said, "It seems my two distinguished guests do not trust me. There is no rush; you have already waited over thirty years. Whatever it is you wish to accomplish here in Yalong Mountain, I will do my utmost to assist you."

For a moment, I found the Great Elder difficult to read. I did not fear a confrontation, but one does not strike a smiling face, especially when Yalong Mountain is steeped in so many secrets. If things truly turned sour, it would benefit no one.

Li Yue remained impassive, standing quietly by my side without another word.

"Great Elder, when we were entering the mountain, the boatman mentioned that there is an 'Old Ancestor' within Yalong Mountain who has lived for many, many years." I paused, then added, "I also heard that the Changyuan Village in these mountains is not located on the peaks, but in a water cave beneath the Broken Head Cliff."

I did not state the purpose of my visit directly, yet I hinted at it clearly. Zhang Chang had been sent to Changyuan Village over thirty years ago, and Liu of the Funeral Rites had departed Yalong Mountain shortly after. Regardless of how the Great Elder knew I possessed the life-stealing skin, I could not produce it until I saw Zhang Chang. I had to see the man, or at the very least, his remains.

The Great Elder’s gaze drifted toward the window. He shook his head, sighed, and said, "The Old Ancestor has not appeared for over thirty years, precisely because that vital object was lost. If our guests are willing to return it, Yalong Mountain is prepared to pay any price."

I felt nothing. The secret of the life-stealing skin was not of vital importance to me, but it was a dangerous thing. If the Great Elder were to obtain it and use it for other purposes, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"And what of the water cave beneath the mountain? Is Changyuan Village located there?"

The Great Elder nodded. "Changyuan Village is the place of exile for Yalong Mountain. A country has its laws, a home has its rules, and Yalong Mountain has its own. All who commit evil are exiled to Changyuan Village. However, more than thirty years have passed, and no one has been sent to Changyuan Village since."

Before I could speak, Li Yue suddenly asked, "Is it because no one commits evil acts anymore?"

The Great Elder smiled. "Under the strict village codes, those who commit evil have dwindled. Furthermore, Yalong Mountain is rich and fertile; everyone is well-fed, so there is no need to commit crimes. In the past, the village was mostly filled with those who stole or deceived. In recent years, the Old Ancestor has grown angry; once outsiders sneak in, they can never leave."

The Great Elder said this nonchalantly, yet my heart skipped a beat. So, it was true—they had no shadows. Was it related to the Old Ancestor within the mountain? Did the Great Elder know why Li Yue and I had come because the Old Ancestor had told him? But if so, why didn't he come to take it himself? Or was it that... he could not?

At that moment, the Great Elder added, "If our two guests wish to go to Changyuan Village, I fear you will return empty-handed. One can only enter Changyuan Village; one cannot leave. Once inside, death is certain."

My pupils constricted. "Why?"

The Great Elder took a deep breath. "Because the last person locked inside was a sinner of Yalong Mountain. Thirty years have passed; he must have died long ago, but he surely turned into a fierce spirit. Moreover, Changyuan Village is a place where one only enters, never leaves. Over these many years, quite a few have gone in, and not a single soul has emerged alive."

My brow furrowed, and I did not know what else to ask. Just then, the sound of gongs and drums erupted from outside, accompanied by the high-pitched, festive wail of suonas.

"You have arrived at a fortuitous time. Today is the village’s sacrificial ceremony. Why don't we go and take a look?" The Great Elder changed the subject, his demeanor calm and unhurried.

I nodded, maintaining a neutral expression. Compared to him, he had likely eaten more salt than I had eaten rice. Having managed so many villages in Yalong Mountain, he was, without a doubt, a cunning old fox.

Li Yue, however, looked excited. "Will there be a feast? We’ve been traveling for so long, eating dry rations until my tongue is practically blistered."

The Great Elder walked toward the door, laughing. "Since our guests have traveled from afar, I shall certainly arrange for you to be well-treated come nightfall."

We descended from the stilted house. A small procession of about a dozen people stood there, playing their instruments with deafening intensity. However, the people standing nearby did not look happy. In fact, their faces were filled with a palpable sense of dread, as if the ceremony were not a cause for celebration, but a source of terror.

The Great Elder raised his hands high and declared in a resonant voice, "Start the procession! To the mountain!"

The group turned and marched forward, drums beating and horns blaring. Two men arrived carrying a frame—it looked like a ladder with a sedan chair suspended in the middle. The Great Elder sat in it, and I followed alongside with Li Yue. As we moved, many people from the village joined the procession, though I noticed that only men were following. As they left, the women—young and old alike—watched with looks of panic.

"They... they are all so afraid," Li Yue whispered in my ear.

I nodded and murmured, "Watch more, speak less."

We left the village and followed the path up the mountain. Initially, the villages were dense, but as the procession passed, men from each village would emerge and join the ranks. The path began to steepen significantly.

After a while, the trail no longer passed by any villages. Due to the constant jolting, the Great Elder's voice became intermittent. "The villages below rely on the waterways and are close together. Once we ascend, we will pass no more settlements."

I nodded, choosing not to ask about the nature of the ritual just yet. Along the way, men continued to join the procession. Li Yue tugged at my sleeve and whispered that the men who had tried to push Liu’s wife and Xiao Yu into the river were among them, seemingly having faced no punishment at all. I frowned and gestured for her to remain silent.

The mountain path was long, and we walked for a full two hours before the procession finally stopped. The trees had thinned out here, opening into a relatively flat area on the mountain. In the distance, I could see a small mound covered in colorful cloth strips.

At the foot of the mound stood two vermilion gates, which appeared somewhat blackened. They were not locked, yet they were shut tight, with not a sliver of space between them. Before the gates sat a stone table holding a bronze incense burner, in which a single white stick of incense was planted. It was thick, roughly the size of an adult's forearm, and its white surface was mottled with strange stains.

"For the sake of good weather and abundant harvests in Yalong Mountain, and so that the Old Ancestor may no longer be angered by our mistakes, everyone must cut their palms and let their blood drip onto the incense," the Great Elder announced, his voice resonant yet raspy. He raised a dagger, sliced his own palm, and pressed it against the white incense.

Once he pulled his hand away, the crowd surged, pushing several men forward. My eyes narrowed. These men looked terrified. Someone grabbed one of them, sliced his hand with a sharp blade, and pressed it against the white incense. I recognized him—he was the same man who had been the most aggressive toward Li Yue earlier. A look of sheer terror washed over his face.

My expression shifted, for the white incense began to smolder and burn on its own, without a single spark of fire. The other men let out sighs of relief, and looking at the thousand-plus villagers behind us, I saw the tension on their faces diminish. It gave me the chilling impression that they were acting like survivors who had narrowly escaped death.