Yang Sui put down the oxtail in his hand and stood up.
Noticing that Yang Sui casually threw the oxtail, the young girl next to him glanced at Yang Sui, then carefully picked up the oxtail and placed it in a long wooden box next to it, which was covered with a layer of hay. The box could just contain the oxtail.
Yang Sui forced a smile, “Is it necessary? It doesn’t work anyway.”
After the brief introduction.
Shao Xuan knew that the young girl named Mi Xu, who grew up with Yang Sui, was now one of the shamanesses who followed Yang Sui and would partic.i.p.ate in the sacrifice.
“I heard that the Flaming Horn tribe has gone back? Are you coming with those in the middle?” Asked Yang Sui.
“Yes.” Looking at the expression of the two, Shao Xuan asked, “What happened? Are you going to be ousted?”
Yang Sui scratched his head, “Sort of.”
Keeping silent for a while, Yang Sui said, “If I wasn’t selected as the Shaman, I can live longer. But what’s worse now is that I might have to be burned to death.”
“Bang!”
Mi Xu threw the wooden box in her hand away and the oxtail that had been carefully put into the box fell out. Not caring about the oxtail, she shouted with red eyes, “How do you know you’ll fail to pray for rain?!”
“Everyone knows that.” Yang Sui smiled dejectedly, “I’ll be burned to death sooner or later.”
“If you knew that, why did you deceive others?! Why not tell others you can’t pray for rain. Why did you say you can?!” Mi Xu shed tears and wiped it off, regardless of the dust on her hands. She put the oxtail on the ground into the box and gave the box to Yang Sui. Then she ran out, slamming the semi-closed door panel.
Shao Xuan glanced at Mi Xu who had run away after slamming the door panel. Then he turned to Yang Sui, who was standing still in the same place, and asked, “What happened? Was the event exposed?”
Shao Xuan knew that when Yang Sui was competing for the Shaman, he observed the weather when it might rain. Then, thanks to a coincidence, he finally defeated other compet.i.tors and became the Shaman successfully.
Yang Sui’s face pined away, which looked much worse than that when he was sick. He said, “I really regret making the promise!” Looking back upon the situation at that time, he really looked for trouble! At that time, he should confess the truth under the pressure of the Chief.
When he met Shao Xuan again, he was still in an unfavorable situation. Then Yang Sui told Shao Xuan what happened briefly.
When Yang Sui returned back the tribe from his travels, he succeeded in becoming the Shaman of the Rain tribe. But at the end of last year, the new Chief took office who supported another candidate of the Shaman in the previous election. When he knew that Yang Sui had “cheated” during the last election, he decided to dispose of Yang Sui, so he started to make trouble for Yang Sui ceaselessly. What’s worse, there wasn’t even a drop of rainwater until today this year, so the present Chief seized the opportunity to ask Yang Sui to pray for rain.
Yang Sui said it was difficult.
If Yang Sui wasn’t the Shaman, that’s okay. But the present Chief wanted to promote one person who stood on his side. Therefore, the Chief questioned Yang Sui’s ability to pray for rain in public and said that it was just a coincidence to rain last time when he prayed, rather than depending on his own ability. Yang Sui not only deceived everyone but also lacked disrespect for their ancestors and the totem. Because of that, G.o.d didn’t rain this year as a punishment. If it got worse, as the weather got hotter and hotter, the land would be dry and crack before long and the crops on farmland couldn’t survive. The Chief incited the crowd and took Yang Sui’s deception as an excuse.
What? At that time, it was the former Chief who forced you to admit that you were able to pray for the rain? Bah! You dared to slander the previous Chief. Yang Sui, you should be burned to death!
“He asked me to pray for rain. If I couldn’t do, that means that I provoked G.o.d, then I would be burned to death to calm G.o.d’s anger.” Yang Sui took the oxtail out of the box and shook it at will. He continued, “In fact, many people know clearly that it’s just an excuse. It’s impossible to rain after praying. But there is no way out because the Chief has given the order. Moreover, at his instigation, many people really believe that when there is no rainfall, it could solve the problem – only by burning me to death.”
In the past, Yang Sui could manage to take office because of the support of the former Chief. Although the former Chief knew it was just a coincidence to rain when Yang Sui prayed, he needed one person who could stabilize the tribe and one chance to enhance his prestige at that time. So that Chief put pressure on Yang Sui when he intended to confess.
“How many people are there to support you now?” Asked Shao Xuan.
Since the Chief didn’t dare to burn Yang Sui immediately and had to find an excuse, he must be worrying about something.
“My supporters are more than the Chief. But after the day after tomorrow, probably no one will support me anymore.” Replied Yang Sui, forcing a smile.
“You’ll pray for rain the day after tomorrow?” Asked Shao Xuan.
“Yes, these days I’ve been preparing for it. I’ve practiced it a few times in private. These oxtails are what I used to practice.” Said Yang Sui, swinging the oxtail towards Shao Xuan. “Yesterday I’ve broken one oxtail. This is the new one.”
“You have to use oxtail to pray for rain?”
“Yeah.” Yang Sui continued to swing the oxtail in his hand. “When praying for rain, I have to hold the oxtail in my hand. But this oxtail is just for practicing. When I officially pray for rain, I will use another oxtail which is carefully prepared by my supporters. It’s not something that can be used casually.”
“What are you going to do? If you failed to pray for rain, would you stay here and be burned to death?”
“What else could I do?” Said Yang Sui helplessly, “I have been wondering whether I should run away if something happens. But I can’t run away. My family and friends are here, the tribe is here, and the fire is here. Where can I go? I don’t want to be a wanderer, let alone a slave. I would rather be burned to death!”
Silence descended quickly on the room.
“When will it rain next time? Is the rainy season coming soon?” Asked Shao Xuan.
“There is no rain in the next short period of time. As for the rainy season, the rainy season here is after the full moon, later than that in other places.” Explained Yang Sui.
That was a really difficult problem. When the rainy season didn’t set in, Shao Xuan also couldn’t find a way out. Artificial rainfall? In the place where many mysterious matters happened, Shao Xuan didn’t have a solution.
“Go back. The blowing sand is coming.” Yang Sui said, “During these days when I’m still the Shaman, I can provide you with some delicious food. Later, I’ll ask somebody to send you more water and food.”
Shao Xuan looked out of the broken window and found that the blue sky had turned gray and a little turbid. Sand and dust began to rise in the air outside.
“If you stay for two days more, you could see me be burned to death.” Yang Sui said and walked outside, holding that wooden box with the oxtail in his arms, “Go back earlier and you’d better not to go out tomorrow.”
When Shao Xuan stepped out of the cabin and returned to their resting place, the sky had become amber-yellow in color and its visibility also reduced a lot. The blowing wind mixed with sand and dust hurled all around and blocked out the sun. People outside were having some difficulty breathing. They all squinted, and from time to time being smothered by the dust.
For the people of the Rain tribe, they were used to it, but for the younger travelers who came out for the first time, they were uncomfortable. Looking at the dim sky, they felt dull.
“I feel that the place where our tribe stationed is so good.” Lei looked at the weather outside, closed the window and said to Shao Xuan.
For Lei and others, they would rather live in the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest than live in such a sandy and arid land, but for people of the Rain tribe, they were exactly the opposite, preferring to live in such a place rather than set foot on the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest.
“It’s all like this outside, let’s go to bed early. Maybe the sand will go after sleep.” Thought Tuo optimistically.
Shao Xuan was not so optimistic. Yang Sui had said that it would be better not to go out tomorrow. Obviously, it would be worse than today. On the astronomical phenomena, Shao Xuan still believed in Yang Sui.
As for praying for rain…
The people of the Rain tribe more worshipped the powerful force behind the “rain” than they worshipped the fall of the sky. The rain was just a messenger to transmit power, which was a stage of the “Powerful and Mysterious Power”. If someone could pray for rain, he would have such a power and be worshipped wholeheartedly.
However, it was unclear whether the power really existed and how strong it was……