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墨書 Inktalez
The old man nodded and said, "My predecessor once spread the word that a thousand years ago, someone also found their way here. Who would have thought that a thousand years later, you all could find this place again? This is indeed a significant event for our village, and I must report it to the village chief and treat you with the utmost hospitality."
"Please rest for a moment; I will be back shortly." With that, the old man took his grandson and left the house.
Wei Ning shook his head and smiled, "This truly is a strange place. Could it be that I have accidentally stumbled into the legendary Peach Blossom Spring?"
Thinking back on the journey he had taken and the methods he had used, he realized how similar they were to the Peach Blossom Spring described by Tao Yuanming. His curiosity deepened.
Before long, a large group of people arrived at the old man's house, all dressed in ancient clothing like him. They looked at Wei Ning as if he were something new and began to ask questions all at once: "Who are you? How did you come to this place?"
"Why do you wear such strange clothes? And who are you people, really?"
"Why have you shaved your head?"
Wei Ning couldn't help but feel amused. Just then, an elderly man arrived who appeared very authoritative. The crowd parted for him, and he stared at Wei Ning for a long time before suddenly saying, "I am Jiang Cai. Our village has not had outsiders for thousands of years; you two are the first in a millennium. We will certainly treat you with great hospitality. In three days, it will be our Holy Feast Festival; we hope you both will attend."
Wei Ning quickly nodded, wanting to send off this group of curious "ancients."
Jiang Cai smiled and said, "In that case, please do come." He then dispersed the onlookers. It seemed that whether in modern times or ancient times, gathering to watch was always a common attitude.
Wei Ning and Lin Lingsu temporarily settled down there. On the second day, Lin Lingsu finally removed his mask, revealing a beauty that could rival any country’s charm. Although Wei Ning had saved him, Lin Lingsu remained indifferent towards him. Wei Ning felt a bit melancholic for reasons he couldn't understand. However, it was worth celebrating that the old man's ointment had indeed worked wonders; most of Lin Lingsu's snake venom had been cleared away.
The villagers were overly enthusiastic; there were people coming to invite Wei Ning for meals both morning and night. On one occasion, two families nearly quarreled over who would have the honor of hosting him. Wei Ning enjoyed this newfound fortune; at first, he found the flavors unfamiliar but gradually discovered that the food prepared by these villagers was far superior to what he had tasted in restaurants outside. The chicken, duck, fish, and meat were all pure and untainted. The villagers often asked Wei Ning about life outside their village. He shared his limited historical knowledge with them, and they listened with great interest—sometimes admiring Li Shimin and other times cursing Wu Sangui.
By the third day, Lin Lingsu was finally able to walk again. The village chief sent someone to invite Wei Ning and Lin Lingsu to participate in the Holy Feast Festival.
It seemed that the Holy Feast Festival was a sacred holiday for them, held in the village's ancestral hall. Only those over sixty years old could participate. A massive long table was filled with various dishes that looked delicious and aromatic. As soon as Wei Ning and Lin Lingsu arrived, the village chief seated them at the head of the table, allowing them once again to experience the villagers' hospitality.
The village chief gave a brief speech announcing the start of the feast. Only after Wei Ning and Lin Lingsu picked up their chopsticks did everyone else begin to eat. As Wei Ning enjoyed his meal with amazement, he noticed something strange: it seemed that the villagers were not eating much at all; they appeared to be waiting for something grander.
The village chief chuckled and said, "These are just appetizers; when the holy food arrives later, you two will truly savor the delights of this world."
Wei Ning curiously asked what it was, but the village chief wore a mysterious expression that only piqued Wei Ning's interest further.
I need to take a good look at what this holy food really is.
Not long after, a bell rang outside, and everyone at the table paused with their chopsticks. Some were already eagerly glancing toward the entrance, swallowing nervously.
"Could this holy food really be that delicious?" Seeing the eager expressions on the faces around the table only deepened Wei Ning's curiosity.
The village chief stood up and said solemnly, "Please welcome the Holy Mother to present the holy food."
A woman in her thirties slowly walked out from outside, carrying a large platter covered with a lid, obscuring its contents.
Her face was radiant, as if she felt immensely honored.
Everyone swallowed hard, their eyes fixed on the large platter in her hands.
"Present the holy food," the village chief announced.
The woman placed the platter in the center of the dining table and then slowly stepped back.
"Open it." As soon as the village chief commanded, everyone's eyes lit up with anticipation as they eagerly picked up their chopsticks, focusing intently on the holy food.
"What could be so delicious? Let me see?" Wei Ning stretched out her neck to get a better look. The moment she saw what was on that platter, she was instantly filled with rage.
"There's a child in there!"
These people—these people were actually eating human flesh!
The child appeared to have been born not long ago, coated in some kind of seasoning made from unknown ingredients, boiled alive, with even the fine hair just sprouting clearly visible.
"You... you..." Wei Ning stood up in anger and shouted, "Don't you know that murder is against the law?"
The village chief said, "The Holy Feast Festival has been held since the first generation of our residents. Every holy offering is voluntarily donated by the Holy Mother. You may not know this, but these offerings are the most exquisite delicacies from below. You'll understand once you taste them."
In ancient China, during the late Qin Dynasty, chaos reigned and people suffered greatly from famine. Parents found it unbearable to eat their own children, but starvation left them no choice. By chance, neighbors with children decided to exchange them. The Fang Family, sharing a deep understanding, after swapping their children, immediately lit fires and boiled water to cook the exchanged child, thus committing the first recorded act of cannibalism in ancient China. However, upon tasting the flesh, they discovered it was surprisingly delicious. This group of people, after retreating to Peach Blossom Spring from the Qin Dynasty, could not forget the taste of human flesh. Consequently, the villagers agreed to hold the Holy Feast Festival annually, where women who had just given birth would "voluntarily" donate their children to be eaten by respected members of the village. The woman who made this sacrifice would then become the Holy Mother and enjoy various privileges bestowed by the village. Wei and Lin arrived just in time for this year's Holy Feast Festival.
The village chief picked up a chisel from the table and approached, opening the child's skull. He took a plate and used a spoon to scoop out the brain matter as if he were serving tofu pudding—red and white, steaming hot. He then offered it to Wei and Lin, saying, "This is the essence of our feast. Today you are our village's most honored guests; this brain is for you two."
Seeing the child's brain matter, Lin Lingsu could no longer hold back and vomited. Upon witnessing this, Wei Ning also lost his composure.
"Such waste! Such waste!" The village chief shook his head and consumed the brain matter himself, savoring every bite with his eyes closed as if relishing an exquisite dish.
"Everyone, begin!"
With the chief's command, the villagers who had been eagerly waiting rushed forward with chopsticks to divide and consume the child. In no time at all, only a pile of bones remained; some even pried open the bones desperately trying to suck out any remaining marrow.
Wei Ning and Lin Lingsu were now retching even more violently as if they were about to expel everything they had eaten.
Unable to bear it any longer, they fled from the scene as if escaping for their lives, feeling nauseous from the horrific spectacle they had just witnessed.
Upon reaching Wei Ning's host family’s home, they quickly packed their belongings. At that moment, neither seemed inclined to linger any longer. As they exited through the cave, they found that the boat Wei Ning had arrived in was already gone.
"I'm leaving," Lin Lingsu said calmly.
"Your foot..." Wei Ning realized Lin Lingsu was about to part ways with him.
Lin Lingsu looked down at her foot and replied, "It should be fine now; I can walk on my own. I'll head back to the hospital later for a check-up."
"Then you..."
"What? Is there something else?" Lin Lingsu maintained her distant demeanor, causing Wei Ning to question whether this Lin Lingsu was truly that bold yet stubborn girl he had met at Phoenix who loved to show off her strength.
But her appearance had not changed at all.
Why was she suddenly so cold to him? Had he done something wrong? And what about her feelings for Yang Na...
For a moment, Wei Ning couldn't even tell which Lin Lingsu was the one he had once known.
"It's nothing, I'm just worried that your injury hasn't fully healed."
"You don't need to worry about that. I can take care of myself."
"Oh, then... I'll be leaving..."
Lin Lingsu didn't respond. Wei Ning realized that staying any longer would be pointless. Just as he took a few steps away, Lin Lingsu called out to him.
"What is it?"
"Thank you," Lin Lingsu said lightly before turning to leave.
Watching Lin Lingsu's retreating figure, Wei Ning felt a sense of loss. Although they had exchanged no more than five sentences during their time together, he felt a strange satisfaction just from seeing her, even with her distant demeanor.
"Well, I should get going too. I've already skipped class for over a week; who knows what might have happened at school? I could very well be expelled."
Wei Ning sighed and suddenly kicked a stone on the ground with force, choosing a path that was completely opposite to Lin Lingsu's as he walked away.
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