Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 120
At the same time, He Xiaowei and Qi Liuxing were walking together.
After asking for directions to the quarry, they headed up the mountain path with flashlights in hand.
Qi Liuxing, holding the flashlight in his left hand and gripping the sword hilt tightly with his right, walked ahead of He Xiaowei, ready to face any enemy.
Along the way, He Xiaowei couldn’t help but say, “How can I let a younger brother stand in front of me?”
Qi Liuxing replied seriously, “What matters now is capability, not age. If anything happens, just support me.”
He Xiaowei chuckled. “Indeed, in a team… the support has the highest status!”
Qi Liuxing glanced back at him but said nothing.
He Xiaowei continued, “You are too serious. There’s no need to always appear so deep and solemn. At your age, trying to be serious just seems like a youth unaware of the sorrows of the world.”
Qi Liuxing remained silent.
He Xiaowei then reflected, “On the contrary, Qian’er is like that. He’s always smiling, but he has a lot on his mind. He’s only 22, not yet 23, right? How did he become like this? Who is born loving to scheme? I guess he must have gone through great hardships.”
“No way.” Qi Liuxing frowned. “He went bankrupt, but his family is quite wealthy.”
“Does he seem like the kind of young master who doesn’t know the hardships of life?” He Xiaowei asked.
Qi Liuxing shook his head.
“Of course not.”
“That’s it then,” He Xiaowei said. “Although I can never see through what Qian’er is scheming, I can tell… he has suffered a lot. So, Brother Sword God, when you reach Qian’er’s state, you’ll start remarking, ‘ah, the coolness of autumn*’.”
*This is a line from Ugly Slave – Writing on a Wall of the Way to Boshan by Xin Qiji. The poem is a reflection of the poet’s loneliness and isolation. He wants to express his feelings, but he finds himself saying this line, “Ah, the cool autumn!” instead, unable to communicate his true feelings. || In this context, basically, He Xiaowei is remarking that Zhou Qian has reached a state where he can no longer say what he truly feels and instead, like the poet, would say something entirely different from what he truly wants to express.
“I understand what you mean,” Qi Liuxing said while scanning their surroundings and continuing to walk ahead. “I haven’t experienced much, so I can only pretend.”
He Xiaowei laughed. “Well, that’s not entirely true.”
“Your words are rough, but the logic is sound. I understand. Those with deep experiences naturally show it in their demeanor without having to force it…” Qi Liuxing said with some embarrassment, “I indeed lack such experiences and can’t pretend. Well… I just think it’s okay to be casual with you guys, but facing enemies, being a bit serious can intimidate them.”
“Xiao Qi, you’re actually doing great,” He Xiaowei suddenly said.
Qi Liuxing: “Hm?”
“Young people want to mature and grow up fast, not knowing adults wish to return to their youth. Many people envy you. Youthful innocence is precious. Why must one have experiences or force oneself to become deep and complex?”
He Xiaowei patted his shoulder. “You’ll miss your youth once it’s gone.”
Hearing this, Qi Liuxing looked at He Xiaowei and smiled. “Xiaowei Ge, I suddenly realize you might be what they call… ah, I remember the word—’cleverly disguised as a fool*’.”
*(大智若愚) Idiom referring to someone who is very intelligent but doesn’t show it, which makes them seem foolish at times. However, their true wisdom is revealed through their actions and their ability to achieve great things.
He Xiaowei snickered. “You’re not the first to compliment me like that!”
People like He Xiaowei got along well with everyone.
As they talked and climbed to the quarry halfway up the mountain, the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.
Unbeknownst to them, Qi Liuxing’s “youth” was about to come to an abrupt end, not due to time but a sudden change in mindset.
Soon, they arrived at the quarry.
He Xiaowei took out a fire-starting device, eager to try. “Qian’er said the glass would likely have the three primary colors. If we encounter a flame that burns with a purple light… Red and blue make purple, so we can’t use a purple flame for red or blue glass, but it can work on yellow glass. Anyway, let’s look for all colors!”
“I specifically bought a lighter that emits a colorless flame from the trade shop, perfect for burning rocks to test the flames!”
After trying several rocks from different areas, they found rocks that burned with a purple flame, likely containing potassium.
They also found rocks that produced a green flame, indicating the presence of ions like copper, lead, or thallium. During the process, Qi Liuxing used a device to detect harmful substances, which didn’t sound any alarm, suggesting the rocks were likely copper ore.
During the experiments, both wore gas masks to avoid inhaling harmful gasses. Within an hour, they had collected enough ore and packed it up.
As they were about to leave, He Xiaowei shone his flashlight towards the mountain top. “Eh, there’s a path leading to the top. Shall we check it out?”
“We have almost 4 hours until midnight, so I think it’s feasible. Didn’t Qian Ge also say to explore around?” Qi Liuxing said. “But we should report our location first, just in case something happens, and he doesn’t know where we went.”
After messaging Zhou Qian, they followed the mountain path upwards, quickly reaching the peak, and indeed made a discovery.
At the top was a peculiar triangular structure, somewhat like a pyramid but made of much cruder material and smaller, resembling a simple mound of earth.
They exchanged glances and walked to the front of the structure, which had “Temple of the Goddess of Prayer” written on it.
“In this instance, there are humans, ghosts, and now gods have appeared,” He Xiaowei commented.
Qi Liuxing immediately frowned. “After ‘Apple Paradise’, I’ve become wary of any god related to wishes.”
“Shall we go in?” He Xiaowei suggested.
“Wait—” Qi Liuxing raised his left wrist and looked at his wristwatch. “Qian Ge replied. He’s taken our stuff into his pack. He came over and suggested we wait for him.”
“That’s probably better,” He Xiaowei said. “A temple like this could be dangerous. It’s better with him around.”
They didn’t wait long before Zhou Qian, Hidden Blade, and Ke Yuxiao arrived, followed by Yun Xiangrong and Yin Jiujiu.
Qi Liuxing took another look at the ladies, then turned to Zhou Qian and asked, “You said you’d come as soon as I mentioned we found a temple. Do you know something?”
Zhou Qian just smiled and didn’t answer directly, merely stating, “The village chief sent stuff, and I’ve collected it for you. The things you two need tonight are with me, not Hidden Blade or Ke Yuxiao. I think it’s better if I keep them.”
Qi Liuxing and He Xiaowei: “?”
Hidden Blade and Ke Yuxiao: “…”
“Let’s go check out that temple,” Zhou Qian said, walking towards the temple.
The “Temple of the Goddess of Prayer”. At first, one might imagine a scene commonly found at scenic tourist spots—ancient trees covered in red silk ribbons with various wooden plaques hanging, bearing people’s wishes. Whether such rituals fulfill anyone’s wishes is debatable, but they add to the ceremonial feel, and at a small cost, they’re just part of the fun.
Before entering the temple, this was what came to everyone’s mind. But after walking in, everyone’s previous notions were shattered.
The temple was devoid of any festive atmosphere; instead, they felt an intense chill, not of fear but of discomfort and innate repulsion.
The cause of this feeling became clear once they saw what was inscribed along the walls of the corridor—this temple’s chill wasn’t about ghosts and gods but about the evil in human nature.
Walking into the temple entrance, the first thing they encountered was a pitch-dark corridor.
Both sides of the corridor were lined with one stone tablet after another. Engraved on each tablet were symbols written in some kind of unknown script, somewhat resembling magical incantations.
As for the symbols below, the content and handwriting on each stone tablet differ from one another. The commonality among all the tablets, aside from the spell-like runes, was one more thing—all the inscriptions were various kinds of curses.
“I hope my wife dies soon so I can marry Alain next door.”
“Neighbor Ann stole my favorite flower. I hope it consumes her!”
“Jul’s wife is pregnant, but I know she’s unfaithful. I adore Jul, yet he married her… She’s ungrateful and betrayed such a good man. I curse her to give birth to a monster that will devour her!”
It became apparent the “Temple of the Goddess of Prayer” wasn’t for fulfilling benign wishes like “I want to be beautiful” or “I want to leave forever” but was filled with malevolence.
“This isn’t a temple for granting wishes.” He Xiaowei noted. “Maybe curses made here are particularly effective, which is why many come to inscribe their curses.”
“Perhaps we’ll find out more as we go deeper,” Qi Liuxing suggested.
Slowly walking down the corridor, curses of all kinds still filled both sides, while the path became narrower and narrower, until it was only wide enough for one person.
The seven players lined up in a long queue, moving forward one by one, and finally entered a temple through the end of the corridor.
The temple wasn’t large, and its floors and walls were covered entirely with various curses and inscriptions.
The furnishings here were simple, with candles burning around, and in the center, there was a statue of a goddess made of pure gold.
The statue was naked, displaying full breasts and a slender waist, with absolutely captivating curves. Her face was also very beautiful, as beautiful as a night-blooming cereus that appears briefly and then vanishes.
The moment Qi Liuxing saw her, he subconsciously turned his head away.
Next to him, Ke Yuxiao noticed his reaction, patted him on the shoulder, and led him to explore the side of the temple with a smile.
He Xiaowei’s face turned red immediately as well. Glancing at Zhou Qian, who was carefully examining the statue, he quickly whispered, “That’s not appropriate of you.”
“It’s only twisted if you think twisted. Appreciate it with an artistic eye.”
Zhou Qian joked with He Xiaowei and examined the statue several times from top to bottom, his gaze finally landing on her ankles.
The goddess’s smooth ankle had a chain on it.
But now, the lock on the chain was open, as if she had been locked up by someone before, and then someone else came with a key to unlock it for her. The person didn’t take the lock away, but let it fall to the ground.
After examining the goddess statue, the players scattered to study if there were any special inscriptions here.
After a while, Yun Xiangrong’s voice came from somewhere. “There’s a rather special inscription here. It mentions the Kingdom of Words, and also mentions a woman named ‘Amei’.”
Hearing this, the players quickly gathered to check the stone tablet.
Walking up to the stone tablet and reading the text, Zhou Qian also felt it was special.
It was still a curse tablet, but the content written down sparked more imagination—
“The golden feathers must have been stolen by that woman named Amei! She took it back to the Kingdom of Words! I curse the people of her hometown to encounter disasters, and for many people in her hometown to die each year until she returns the golden feathers!”
“My most revered Goddess of Prayer, Difu, I request that you make my curse come true and also ask you to help me find the golden feathers. As a reward, I am willing to offer the ‘Key to Freedom’ to you!”
“I heard that Vels, the God of Imprisonment, admires your beauty and, to keep you here, trapped you with the ‘Shackles of Eternity’. I have the most powerful magician who will use the ‘Key to Freedom’ to liberate you, as long as you help me realize the curse!”
Zhou Qian, Hidden Blade, and the others could understand this text. But Qi Liuxing and He Xiaowei didn’t. The two asked in succession, “The Kingdom of Words? Amei? What are these?”
Facing them, Zhou Qian then shared all the information he had obtained from Innkeeper Tartar.
After listening, He Xiaowei was stunned for a moment, before saying, “Qian’er, didn’t you say there’s a very powerful magician in the Land of Silence? The ban on us was imposed by him. He’s called Flowing Water, right?
“Look, the person who carved this curse stone tablet here also claims they have a magician. So…”
“Hiss… then this curse stone tablet we’re seeing… was written by the king of the Land of Silence! It’s him, no doubt!”
Suddenly, he thought of something, clapped his hands together, and said, “I got it. Everything matches up—”
“The most beautiful girl in the Kingdom of Words, Amei, married the king of the Land of Silence, and then stole his golden feathers. Hence, the king came to the temple of the Goddess of Prayers, asking her to cast a curse, persecuting the people of Amei’s hometown.”
“This strange ‘Drop the Handkerchief’ game in the Land of Silence, is probably related to this curse. The people selected to keep the vigil die in large numbers, fulfilling the curse’s content about many people in Amei’s hometown dying each year!”
“Hmm. Sounds quite reasonable. Xiaowei Ge is getting better at making up stories. But there’s a problem behind this.”
Zhou Qian looked at He Xiaowei. “The person in the curse said, if the golden feathers are found, he will help the Goddess of Prayers unlock the shackles. Look at that statue. The shackles on her ankle have indeed been unlocked. This indicates that the golden feathers must have already been returned.”
“Ah, I see what you mean, Zhou Qian. You have a point,” Ke Yuxiao said. “The curse says that Amei’s hometown will keep suffering deaths until the feathers are returned. So, since the feathers have been returned, the tragedies in Nameless Village should stop. But why… is the ‘Drop the Handkerchief’ still going on?”
This peculiar stone tablet indeed revealed very crucial information. Perhaps by clarifying a few more details, they could further understand the full story of this instance.
Promptly, everyone engaged in an in-depth discussion about it.
Yin Jiujiu didn’t join the discussion. She was just listening while moving to another corner of the temple.
After a moment, she suddenly said, “Come over here and look. This stone tablet is also very interesting. It’s a very new one. Because the letters on it are exceptionally clear, it’s barely weathered.”
Hearing this, Zhou Qian was the first to walk over and look at the stone tablet. The content on this stone tablet was indeed very interesting.
“My stepmother always mocks me for being dumb. I hope she becomes a big idiot,” was the first sentence written on it.
However, what was interesting was the following sentence—”It’s said that you, Goddess Difu, come and go without a trace, possibly disappearing at any moment. It’s such a pity. I hope you’ll come back because I want to bring my friend over. His stepfather is also very annoying, and he wants to curse his stepfather to turn into a big black pig.”
“Hiss… the goddess comes and goes without a trace…” He Xiaowei, after looking at the stone tablet, this time turned back to look at the ankle of the goddess statue in the temple center without blushing or skipping a beat. “Could it be…?”
“This passage, indeed, resolves another doubt in my mind.” Zhou Qian took over the conversation.
“Which doubt?” He Xiaowei asked him.
Zhou Qian said, “The Land of Silence and the Kingdom of Words were on good terms, but after Amei married into the Land of Silence and stole the king’s golden feathers, returning after, the two countries began to harbor ill will towards each other. The curse stone tablet just now, indeed, was written by the king of the Land of Silence. I agree with this conjecture.”
“According to Tartar, both countries regard Amei as a criminal. In Nameless Village, it’s even taboo to mention her name. It seems many people in this village died because Amei stole the golden feathers. This information corroborates each other, and there should be no doubt about it. But—”
Frowning slightly, Zhou Qian continued, “The king of the Land of Silence hates betrayal, letting the magician Flowing Water impose the ban in an attempt to have us deserters die. But he didn’t send any troops after us.”
“This shows that, for some reason, people from the Land of Silence absolutely will not set foot on this land of the Kingdom of Words. So, if that’s the case, how did the king come to this temple to inscribe the curse?”
“Ah! I got it!” He Xiaowei’s eyes brightened. “This, it’s related to this lock, right?”
“Right. I think this temple originally wasn’t in the Kingdom of Words, not on this mountaintop. It must have been in a place where many people could reach.”
Zhou Qian said, “The king of the Land of Silence came to the temple to set a curse. Later the curse might have been fulfilled, or maybe not, but he must have found the golden feathers; hence, he let the magician unlock the goddess’ shackles. Since then—”
“The goddess was freed, no longer needing to stay in one place.”
“The temple thus became a moving temple, appearing sporadically somewhere.”
“This is also why the relatively new stone tablet that Yin Jiujiu found, mentioning the goddess, could disappear. This person entered the temple to write this stone tablet after the golden feathers were returned to the king, and the magician unlocked the goddess’ shackles.”
Just as Zhou Qian’s voice fell, the various inscriptions around them, the pure gold goddess in the center of the temple, the deep corridor, and the dark ceiling and ground—all began to fade, becoming transparent.
—The temple disappeared from their sight.
In its place was a green, grassy slope. The grass, illuminated by the stars and moon in the sky, reflected a silver hue, waving in the wind, creating layers of silver waves that connected with the distant starry sky, forming the Milky Way above.
Looking up at the bright moon and stars, Zhou Qian lowered his head and noticed a straight path in front of him. After pushing aside the grass and walking along the road for ten steps, he found that the road had turned a corner.
Having an idea, Zhou Qian summoned the little dragon, which carried him up into the sky.
Seeing him like this, He Xiaowei couldn’t help but say, “Wow, it reminds me of the dragon I saw in ‘Last Wish’! But yours is much smaller.”
Zhou Qian just curled the corner of his lips, not saying a word, just commanding the little dragon to continue flying upwards. When the dragon reached a sufficient height, Zhou Qian looked down and found that his judgment was correct—the small path he had seen in the grass was actually strokes of characters.
Just like the mysterious crop circles, when you’re in the middle of the field, you can’t see anything, but from an aerial view, you can discover the enormous anomaly. At this moment, with the help of the little dragon, Zhou Qian saw a line of text.
“Never kill birds.”
—This was the fourth prohibition related to deserters.
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