Chapter 43: You Are so Capable (1)
Translator: Guy Gone Bad
Wu Ruo felt super awkward. He thought he must have gone crazy to poke Hei Xuanyi"s face just now. Now he also had no idea whether Hei Xuanyi was mad him or not.He waited there for a long time and was finally relieved since Hei Xuanyi didn"t blame him or what. In fact, he was quite curious why he was wearing such a skin mask. Was he afraid that his enemies might recognize him? Or was it because he was too charming that he didn"t want to be stared at? Or was there some other unspoken reason?
Wu Ruo slept through that question.
Around five in the morning, Hei Xuanyi woke up and got dressed quietly.
Wu Ruo, who was barely awake, sensed that he was getting out of the bed, asking, “What time is it?”
“About 5.” Hei Xuanyi answered as he was putting on his clothes.
Wu Ruo snoozed a bit and got up after Hei Xuanyi left. He called s.h.i.+yuan in to wait on him to wash his face and change clothes. Then he went to the front hall to have breakfast with Hei Xuanyi.
As he walked in the hall, he saw that Numu was sitting by the table, wearing luxuriant dress that was unique to wizards. The patterns on his coat were interweaving and exquisite. The silver crown he was wearing had beast images. Around his neck and wrists were big round silver collars and silver bracelets. He even put on slight makeup as if he was about to attend a grand ceremony. Wu Ruo was surprised and confused.
“Master s.h.i.+fu, why are you dressing up so formally?”
“The day after tomorrow is the Winter Festival. Our convention is the same as yours. There will be an offering ritual. But I don"t want to spend the same day to celebrate the festival with you, I decide to make it two days earlier.” Numu smiled.
“Where do you want to hold the ritual?” Wu Ruo asked.
“I have set up an altar in the courtyard. You may see it later, It"s about time. Hei Xin, go get the breakfast I cooked.” Numu said to Hei Xin.
Hei Xin left with a strange face. Soon he and other servants came in with food boxes in their hands. Then they put the boxes on the table.
Wu Ruo"s eyes were widened as he saw all sorts of worms, “You can that breakfast?”
Hei Xuanyi"s eyes twitched as he saw the moving tiny legs of the worms.
“We eat worms on Winter Festival.” Numu explained.
“…” Wu Mu.
Can he say no?
Numu said as if he could read Wu Ruo"s mind, “Ruo, you have witched worms in your body. You shouldn"t eat it.”
“Oh really? What a shame! Xuanyi, I"ll let you take my share.” Wu Ruo gloated and laughed.
“…” Hei Xuanyi didn"t read any "what a shame" feeling on his face.
“I can tell these worms are good for health. Xuanyi, you are too skinny. Your waistline is not half as big as mine. You should eat more.” Wu Ruo picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of fried gra.s.shoppers for Hei Xuanyi, “Come on. Enjoy. If you can"t finish them all, you can take them back as your dinner.”
Hei Xin glanced at Wu Ruo"s waist and thought Hei Xuanyi"s waistline was not even close to half of Wu Ruo"s.
“…” Hei Xuanyi.
Numu nodded, “They look awful but actually taste good. Hey son, have a bite and I a.s.sure you that you will love it.”
Looking at those wriggling worms, however good they tasted like Nu said, Hei Xuanyi just didn"t have the appet.i.te. But he couldn"t say no to the two men who were staring at him with expectation in their eyes. So he frowned and said, “Wait after the ritual.”
Wu Ruo burst into laughter and fed himself a steamed bun the servant served.
Numu didn"t force Hei Xuanyi because he knew that common people wouldn"t accept those worms. After the breakfast, they went to the yard to start the ritual.
Ten wizards who dressed like Numu lit up the torches around the altar. They played the drums around their waists and started a prayer dance around the altar in the snow. The bells they wore made silvery ringing sound as they danced.
Numu stood on the altar and murmured the bless in wizards" language to echo with the drums like a living G.o.d, make the scene quite serious and solemn.
Hei Xuanyi and Wu Ruo were watching the ritual at the entrance of the hall.
“There were times that G.o.d would show his presence on Wu family"s rituals. Not sure what would happen on a witch ritual.” Wu Ruo whispered.
In his previous life life, although he knew Numu was a wizard, he had never had the chance to see him doing a ritual.
“There will be worms all around.” Hei Xuanyi looked around and said.
“Ah?!” Wu Ruo was stunned for a moment and then saw all kinds of worms and bugs flocking out from all directions toward the altar. He got goose b.u.mps all over his body. If his big body was not too heavy, he could have jumped onto someone else to avoid the worms at his feet.
Outside the Hei Mansion, people were screaming on and on. Apparently they were startled as well on seeing such a horrible scene.
Soon Wu family who were marshalling the city came to ask what was going on. And they were told that there was a ritual and Numu was gathering all the worms and bugs in the city to a giant pot. So they just let it go and didn"t interrupted them.
But they gave a warning before they left, “At the winter festival the day after tomorrow, our Wu family will also do a ritual. Don"t you make such a mess like today.”