Chapter 129 — Legend
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 1 of 6
Qili Tong, the Miao altar.
The great battle of the previous night seemed not to have disturbed the stillness of this place. Led by the young shaman, Ming Li and Xiao Bai walked through the altar in silence. Xiao Hui, perched on Ming Li's shoulder, seemed quieter than usual as well, as though the solemn air around them had subdued even it.
Through the long corridor they came to the stone chamber deep within the altar. The young shaman gave a slight nod, spoke not a word to them, turned, and walked away, vanishing into the darkness in a moment.
Only the two of them remained. Ming Li and Xiao Bai exchanged a glance, and Ming Li said mildly, "Let us go in."
Xiao Bai nodded, and the two of them entered together.
The room was dim as before. Deep at the far end a fire still burned, and before the flames a stooped figure still sat with his back to them.
In that familiar scene, for a fleeting moment the events of the previous night seemed unreal—perhaps only a dream...
A fit of light coughing rose from the old man. His back, lit by the firelight, trembled violently, shattering the silence and drawing them back to reality.
"You have come," said the Great Shaman, when the coughing had ceased, his voice grown somewhat hoarse. Slowly he went on, "Come closer."
Ming Li and Xiao Bai walked up behind him and sat down quietly. Before this frail old man, somehow both of them felt at a loss for what to say.
The Great Shaman seemed to sigh softly. "My people were rude to you just now. Do not take offense."
Ming Li nodded slightly. "We would not dare."
The Great Shaman coughed twice more, then fell silent and said nothing further. Ming Li and Xiao Bai had no choice but to wait patiently—but this wait stretched on for half a day. The Great Shaman seemed to have fallen asleep, motionless, without the slightest reaction.
Anxiety grew in Ming Li's heart. For one thing, he could not tell what the Great Shaman was thinking; for another, the sudden upheaval of the previous night had left him with a regret that might last a lifetime. If through his own fault Bi Li were harmed, a hundred deaths could not atone for it.
Having waited so long now, and seeing that the Great Shaman still seemed disinclined to speak, he noticed that Xiao Bai beside him remained patient and not in the least anxious—but Xiao Hui had long since run out of patience. Monkeys are fond of play, and it could no longer endure the solemn atmosphere here. Grabbing at this and slipping off to that, it quietly slid down from Ming Li's body.
Ming Li's heart burned with impatience; he truly did not wish to delay any longer. At last he spoke: "Senior, that matter I asked of you..."
Before the word "matter" had left his lips, the Great Shaman suddenly cut in: "Young man, let me tell you a story."
Ming Li started and glanced at Xiao Bai beside him. He saw her frown as well, her eyes full of puzzlement—clearly she too could not tell what the old fellow was thinking. But since they had come to ask a favor, Ming Li could only sigh inwardly, suppress his urgent impatience, and say with forced patience, "Senior, please go on."
In that hoarse voice, deep within the dark altar, the Great Shaman began to speak, faint and distant, as though a thousand years had passed and now quietly turned back again...
"Our Southern Border lies in the south of the vast land of Shenzhou. It has never been as prosperous as the Central Plains, yet it has its own unique roots..."
Ming Li nodded silently. The customs here in the Southern Border were indeed unlike those of the Central Plains.
"Now all under heaven know that in our Southern Border five tribes stand side by side, dwelling together on this land. But in truth, long, long ago, the five tribes—Miao, Li, Zhuang, Tu, and Gaoshan—were in fact one ancient people, called the Wu Tribe."
Both Ming Li and Xiao Bai were taken aback. Not only had Ming Li never heard of such things; even Xiao Bai had no recollection of them.