Chapter 27 – Old Tomb
Liu Jinan and that Wu Lei were confronting each other, which was just enough to allow me to look around freely.
The people on the mountain summit were all very busy. A lot of the places had already been tagged with labels, although I also didn’t know what they would be used for. There were some people who were pulling on the measurement tape on the mountain summit, looking very professional compared to the village carpenter making wooden articles, the worksmanship was even more accurate and exquisite.
At this time, that very distinct looking person who I had seen that time at the village entrance, came walking from one side of the mountain summit. While on one hand he walked, on the other hand he conversed with two jacket-wearing middle-aged men. Even though the distance was quite far, I could vaguely make out the essence of what they were talking about.
That mysterious person said: “This grave has been around for some years. I also cannot make it out accurately. Ordinarily, villagers would come pick up and take away those wares, but they don’t look like they came out of this grave. This grave has seemingly been preserved quite well, absolutely doesn’t have any signs of grave robbing. How would it be possible for the things in the cemetery to run out on their own? In case if someone did do grave robbing, it would have been impossible for those things to be left behind. In addition, there is another issue. Those things have dense death qi on them. From where did it come?”
“Li Shaoqing, tell me, could it be that this death qi has caused the sudden death of the five people in Ba Jiao village?” From the two jacket-wearing people, a middle-aged man said.
“En. This is exactly the case. The livestock and the living persons were infected, and n.o.body who hasn’t cultivated can resolve it, as it would lead to certain death. However, I heard that a lot of people from the Ba Jiao village had picked up relics, then how is it possible that only five people died. These five people were concentrated only in three families.” That person named Li Shaoqing frowned.
“We can go discuss this again some other time, first let’s talk about the matter of this great tomb. The specific era to which this great tomb belonged to is unable to be determined from what what has appeared in the excavation. I feel that this great tomb is marvellous. Fortunately, you asked me to come, otherwise you could have caused a major event.” Li Shaoqing said with a laugh.
“What is it?” The other middle-aged man had a look of amazement.
“Hey, hey. Yi, a guest has arrived.” Li Shaoqing was originally preparing to say something, when he seemingly became aware of something, as he looked towards the position where I was standing. My gaze had also stayed on his body momentarily, unexpectedly, he was able to detect it.
I was shocked, to see from a distance Li Shaoqing smiling at me.
Li Shaoqing and those two middle-aged men hurriedly walked over to where I was.
“You both need to hurry up and leave. If I let Teacher Qian and Teacher Cai see you, then I’ll be in trouble.” Liu Jinan was somewhat regretting bringing these two people to the top. He had originally thought that Qian Senrong and Cai Shengquan were making the rounds in the mountains for a while, who could have imagined that they would so quickly manage to come over.
However, it was too late for me and Teacher Lin to leave even immediately, because I knew that Li Shaoqing has already seen me and also, I knew that Li Shaoqing and I were the same type of people. He had on his body the same kind of an aura. Originally, I believed that I was a somewhat unique and unmatched existence in this world, however, I didn’t expect that so soon I would meet people who are similar to me.
“What is going on? Liu Jinan, didn’t we let you guard the mountain pa.s.s, and to not allow people to come over? We have over here such precious equipment, if they were lost, who would be responsible? Archaeology at this place is a very serious matter, not for scenic sightseeing.” The faces of the two jacket wearing middle-aged men were not looking good, as one amongst them shouted at Liu Jinan angrily.
Liu Jinan was feeling extremely regretful, but also didn’t dare reply, as he hastily said to Teacher Lin: “You both had better go down.”
But Li Shaoqing said with a laugh: “These so called youths, ah. You all should not underestimate this little handsome fellow. He is not so simple.”
Having said that Li Shaoqing walked over to me, I had already condensed a strand of primordial qi within my palm, ready to at any time to stimulate the offensive type seal script.
“Little child, how come the wariness within your heart is so strong? Don’t jump to conclusions, I will be standing here, I just wanted to ask you about some things.” Li Shaoqing stopped not far from me. He seemed to be able to detect that I was making precautions against him, also felt that I could at any time be able to launch an attack.
“What do you want to know?” I was extremely cautious against this person who might possibly be similar to me, and subconsciously able to feel that he should be more dangerous than any other person.
“Was it because of you that not many people in the village had died?” Li Shaoqing asked.
I shook my head : “I too don’t know.”
“Phrasing it differently, what thing did you actually do.” Li Shaoqing asked.
“I also don’t know. Anyways, anyways…..Why do you ask?” I suddenly came to my senses, why should I tell him?
“Unexpectedly, you were able to succeed in establishing your Foundation at such a young age, you are not simple, ah.” Li Shaoqing said.
“What does it matter to you?” Until I am able to determine whether Li Shaoqing is a good or a bad person, I won’t tell him anything about my state of affairs.
“Heh heh. Little kid, you really are interesting. Did you join a Sect?” Li Shaoqing asked.
Can I really tell him that I am only self-taught? Therefore, I only let out a snort.
Li Shaoqing knew that I was at the moment full of caution towards him, so could only change the subject.
“Why was it that only those few people had died?” Li Shaoqing asked.
“How would I know? They didn’t go to the village primary on that day and even more they risked their life in pursuit of money.” In my eagerness to avoid responsibility, the entire background was all of a sudden spoken out by me. Ah, the suffering from the inexperience of youth.
“So it was really you who took action. Also, it is good that you took action, otherwise your entire village would have dropped dead.” Li Shaoqing said with a sigh. Who would be capable of believing that such a small child, would be capable of saving the lives of the people within an entire village.
“Teacher Lin, we should descend.” I took Teacher Lin’s hand and began descending the mountain. I discovered that not only do I lose to this mysterious man in terms of cultivation, but even more so to his glib tongue.
Even though Teacher Lin didn’t know what we were talking about, she was still able to conclude from hearing, that I was being pa.s.sive. Therefore, she also didn’t ask anything and following behind me, began the going down the mountain.
“Hey. Kid. What’s your name? Later, I will come to the village to find you.” Li Shaoqing asked loudly.
“I won’t tell you.” I said angrily.
This mysterious man gave me a feeling of immense crisis.
As I turned around, I heard the other two people ask Li Shaoqing.
“Li Shaoqing, what is exactly the deal with this kid?”
“If I said that this kid’s cultivation isn’t lower than mine, would you believe it?”
“How is it possible?” Those two jacket wearing individuals were naturally very surprised.
Li Shaoqing said laughing: “I know you don’t believe me, but If I had walked just a few steps forward, that fellow would have been able to kill me, do you believe? Since, ancient times heroes have come from youngsters.”
Teacher Lin followed me as we quickly went down the mountain, while all the way she also remained exceptionally curious.
“Huang Jingyang, what was he talking about? What sect? What kind of doctrine?” During the 99s, the Falun Gong already started causing havok across the country, and was soon banned. Teacher Lin was afraid that I will go down the wrong path.” [TLNote: For more information on Falun Gong Much thanks to HayateButler for help on this one. I would have been lost without help on this para.]
If I were to know what Teacher Lin was thinking, I would have surely felt extremely disdainful. What I cultivate is the Heaven and Earth’s Great Dao, how could I even be put in the same place to be compared with those pickpockets and swindlers.
However, I also couldn’t explain my cultivation or what dao is, as I scratched my head, “Teacher Lin, I’ll tell you after we go back. This person is very difficult to deal with for me. We should first return.”
Teacher Lin upon hearing what I said, grew very nervous, and all the way kept looking back out of fear that the mysterious man would catch up and hurt us.
Fortunately, the entire journey was only terrifying but free of danger, I took Old Yellow and Black Bean and returned home. Oddly enough, when I was going uphill, Black Bean went and hid at an unknown place, and when I was going downhill, only then did Black Bean drill out from that place.
Huang Shulang with exceptional perseverance was waiting at the entrance. By the time we came down, he had nearly finished clean the snacks that he had swindled. Since he didn’t have any water, and the snacks all being somewhat dry, Huang Shulang was choking, while his eyes had turned white, as he hiccuped incessantly.
“Huang Shulang, you are the reincarnation of a hungry ghost.” I couldn’t help but say a sentence.
“Hungry ghost, even if I am a hungry ghost, either ways I am able to eat much better things than you. You don’t even have many good things to eat, if I am throwing up, do you still have the nerve to speak.” Huang Shulang said while throwing hiccups.
Teacher Lin upon seeing Huang Shulang’s appearance, couldn’t help but laugh incessantly: “Huang Shulang, hurry up and descend the mountain to try and find water. Don’t let the choking get worse.”
“No problem, no problem. I’ve just about digested them.” Huang Shulang said disagreeing.
The death of five people in the village, and furthermore death of the livestock and poultry, caused all of a sudden, everything to quiet down. Arriving in the village gave off a somewhat desolate feeling.
“Huang Jingyang, there are no ghosts in the village right? Why is it so gloomy?” Gluttony and cowardice, these few shortcomings could be seen manifesting quite thoroughly on Huang Shulang.
“There is. There is one big fat ghost.” I said unhappily. I sincerely felt that Huang Shulang was a disgrace to the Ba Jiao village.
“Where? Where?” Huang Shulang couldn’t hear clearly, and still believed that there really was a ghost, leading to him promptly going to hide behind us.
Grandpa seeing me coming back after chopping firewood, said immediately: “You mustn’t go to the mountains for this short while. This child, you even took along Teacher Lin to go to the mountains. The mountain entrance has five new graves, aren’t you afraid?”
“If we don’t go to the mountains, then what else will our family burn?” I said disagreeing.
“I always thought that this matter isn’t over yet. In short, you must listen to me. If worst comes to worst, we will also begin burning coal. This way, you will also have enough time for studying later.” Grandpa said.
“That won’t do, burning coal involves so many expenses. In the mountains there is firewood aplenty, don’t need to spend even a single cent, very cost effective.” I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on firewood.
At night, when it was time to go to sleep, I didn’t feel even the slightest bit of drowsiness. I was remembering the things I had heard at the mountain. I heard them say that the grave on the mountains hadn’t been opened, but Ba Jiao village, Ba Jiao villagers had also picked up many things, where did they come from? Earlier, I also had picked up the Bronze Medal from the mountains. Where did it come from? Also, the things that had been returned to the mountains by the villagers, whether or not it fell into the hands of the archaeology team? Why didn’t I hear them talk about it?