235: Chapter 235 A Curse

"Splendid! Thank you all, little sisters, for the wine."

Lin Ye winked at the group of Miao girls.

This made the simple mountain girls blush shyly, and they covered their mouths with their sleeves to snicker.

The High Priestess and several uncles were completely won over.

In the Miao region, anyone who could drink ten pots of "High Mountains and Flowing Water" and not fall down practically had the constitution of an incarnated Gu God.

"Manager Lin has such great capacity for alcohol! What a fine physique!"

The eldest uncle gave a thumbs-up, a sincere smile appearing on his fierce face.

"Since you've drunk the blocking-the-gate wine, we are now a family. Honored guests, please come inside!"

Leaning on her cane, the High Priestess stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation.

Lin Ye turned around and called out.

Leng Yue and Frost Star walked side by side onto the Wind and Rain Bridge.

Those two strong Miao men originally wanted to go up and curry favor.

But Leng Yue only glanced at them indifferently, and her aloof aura directly made the two strong men shiver with cold, obediently retreating to the side.

As for Frost Star, she didn't look at anyone at all.

Her line of sight was entirely drawn to the bushes on both sides of the Wind and Rain Bridge.

"Wow! Such a big glowing toad! And a colorful flower spider with five colors!"

Frost Star pointed excitedly at those highly toxic Gu insects in the bushes, her mouth almost watering as she tugged on Lin Ye's sleeve and acted spoiled:

"Brother-in-law, this is simply paradise! Snacks on the ground can be seen everywhere. Can I catch a few for a midnight snack?"

Hearing this, several Miao uncles were so frightened that their legs went weak.

Those were Gu beasts that their village had carefully cultivated for decades!

Is this little girl with twin ponytails a monster?

She actually wants to eat them as a midnight snack?!

"Stop messing around. We are guests at someone else's home, so mind your manners. If you want to eat them, I'll have Ayugu catch some wild ones for you tomorrow."

Lin Ye helplessly held down Frost Star, who was about to pounce into the bushes.

Helena, following at the very back, wore an expression of complete restraint.

She looked at the surrounding ancient wooden buildings and strange totems.

This cultural shock, filled with strong Eastern folkloric colors and a hint of primitive wildness, caused a great shock to her worldview.

She closely followed behind Lin Ye, not daring to overstep even a bit.

In this mysterious ancient Eastern village, only Lin Ye's back could bring her an absolute sense of security.

...

Crossing the Wind and Rain Bridge,

the crowd officially stepped into the interior of Hulu Ancient Village.

Walking on the main road paved with bluestone slabs, warm orange-yellow light filtered out from the stilted buildings on both sides.

Although the High Priestess said there was big trouble, not much panic could be seen in this village.

The nature of the Miao people has always been resilient and open-minded.

Since disaster was unavoidable, they should eat and drink as usual.

Along the way,

women wearing pleated skirts could be seen sitting under the eaves, spinning cloth with ancient looms by the light.

Large swathes of batik cloth dyed with indigo grass were drying in the courtyards, printed with complex geometric patterns.

In the air, besides the faint smoky scent of burning firewood, there was also an enticing sour and spicy aroma.

That was the scent of the Miao people's unique red sour soup.

"Boss, that's my home!"

Ayugu pointed at a huge three-story stilted building at the highest point of the village, right next to the sacrificial main hall, a hint of pride leaking from her tone.

This building was obviously much more grandiose than the other structures.

The flying eaves were hung with huge bull horns, and the pillars were carved with totems of various Gu Gods.

Arriving at the hall of the stilted building,

in the center of the hall was a sunken "fire pit".

The charcoal fire was burning vigorously, and a huge black iron pot was suspended above it.

Inside the iron pot, the bright red sour soup was rolling.

A wild black fish weighing more than ten jin was stewed until its skin split open in the soup, emitting a rich aroma that made one's mouth water.

Above the fire pit, rows of Miao old cured bacon, made shiny and glossy by the firewood smoke, were also hung.

"Honored guests have graced us with their presence, and the village has nothing good to entertain you with. This is deep-water black fish freshly caught from the Heishui River, paired with my red sour soup fermented for three years."

"Eat a mouthful of hot food first to warm up your bodies."

The High Priestess took off the intricate sacrificial robe on her body and changed into a capable set of coarse cloth clothes.

She walked to the side of the fire pit herself and ladled a full, large bowl of fish soup for Lin Ye using a wooden spoon.

Lin Ye wasn't polite either; he took the coarse porcelain bowl and sat down on a low stool by the fire pit.

Leng Yue sat to his left, picked up her chopsticks, and gracefully picked up a small piece of fish meat to put into her mouth.

The fish meat melted in the mouth, and that sour and spicy flavor instantly activated her taste buds.

"The taste is indeed not bad. Litse and wild mountain peppers were added to this sour soup, right?"

Lin Ye drank a sip of the soup, a thin layer of sweat slightly emerging on his forehead, and exclaimed in delight.

"Manager Lin knows his stuff."

The High Priestess smiled and nodded.

The long-table banquet was soon set up.

Various Miao specialty dishes filled the table:

sour meat, cured meat platters, glutinous rice, and even a plate of bee pupae and bamboo worms fried golden and crispy with oil.

When Frost Star saw that plate of fried bugs, her eyes turned green.

Without needing anyone to invite her, she directly reached out, grabbed a handful, and stuffed them into her mouth, chewing with a crunching sound, while eating and giving Ayugu a thumbs-up:

"Ayugu, these bugs are much more delicious than the ones you cook in the shop!"

Helena, looking at that plate of bugs, turned pale, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and only dared to lower her head and silently shovel the glutinous rice in her bowl.

After three rounds of drinks and tasting all five flavors of dishes,

the charcoal fire in the fire pit made a soft crackling sound.

The atmosphere in the hall, after experiencing the initial warmth and pleasantries, gradually grew quiet.

The eldest and second uncles silently walked to the door of the hall and guarded there like two door gods.

The High Priestess put down the dry tobacco pouch in her hand.

The smile on her face restrained, her weathered eyes stared fixedly at the leaping flame, and she let out a long sigh.

"Manager Lin."

The High Priestess's voice became low, revealing a trace of deep exhaustion and helplessness.

"This old woman knows that you are a businessman who won't act without profit. This time you accompanied my precious girl back, saying it was a family visit, but in reality, you must have also sensed the abnormal movements in these Ten Thousand Mountains, right?"

Lin Ye put down the chopsticks in his hand.

He did not deny it.

Pulling out a tissue from the side to wipe his mouth, Lin Ye leaned back in his chair, felt around in his pocket for a cigarette, and lit it.

Across the curling blue smoke, Lin Ye's distinct black-and-white eyes looked at the High Priestess.

"Auntie is a straightforward person, so I won't beat around the bush either."

Lin Ye flicked the ash off his cigarette and shifted his gaze to Ayugu, who was sitting next to him with her head lowered all this time, silently picking at her fingers.

"The mother Gu inside Ayugu's body has been getting harder to suppress these past few days. What it absorbs is not ordinary yin qi, but pure ley-line evil energy."

Lin Ye stared at the High Priestess.

"Just what kind of thing is suppressed beneath this Hulu Ancient Village?"

"Is it worth your Wangu Ancient Tribe generation after generation, sparing no expense with the lives of every generation of Saintess to fill that hole?"

Hearing this blunt questioning from Lin Ye,

the High Priestess's body trembled, and her calloused hands tightly gripped the dry tobacco pouch.

Ayugu raised her head, looking at her mother with red-rimmed eye sockets.

A long silence followed, leaving only the crackling sound of burning firewood in the fire pit.

"That is not some treasure."

The High Priestess finally spoke, her voice as hoarse as if it were rubbing against sandpaper.

She slowly raised her head, her gaze crossing the open wooden door of the hall, looking toward the precipitous peak behind the ancient village that towered into the clouds and was shrouded in black mist all year round.

"That is... a curse that our clan has carried from generation to generation for two thousand years!"