Chapter 97: Chapter 78: Ming’s Jade Juice

Du Enfu continued the topic they were discussing earlier.

“In previous years, there were similar incidents in Qinzhou, though not as large in scale as this time. According to past practices, the Evil Suppression Bureau would certainly come to handle it, then send a new County Magistrate, and draw people from various places to re-establish the county and villages, and cultivate fertile fields.”

“During this time, the Evil Suppression Bureau would have personnel guard the area, and there would be a three-year tax exemption. I’m too old to move, and many people in the village are also reluctant to leave their homeland. Some even want to see if their relatives in the surrounding villages are still around. I think it’s better for us to stay and wait for the new County Magistrate to make arrangements.”

He Baosheng, with his head wrapped in cloth due to an injury, looked worried, “We still don’t know the specifics right now. What if the blood energy from the sacrificed places is hard to dispel, and we can’t go back?”

Kou Yushan furrowed his brows, “I still want to go to Dongyang County. At the very least, it’s a big county with a branch of the Evil Suppression Bureau. If we can settle near Dongyang County in the future, it would surely be safer than going back to Black Mountain Village.”

Skinny nodded eagerly, “My ancestors were from Dongyang County. I still have a cousin there who runs a Funeral Shop in the county town. My mother… I’m the only one left now. Going to my cousin would be like returning home.”

Liu Tianyou also said, “I am the only one left in my family. My parents always hoped I would pass the imperial exams. I wish to settle in Dongyang County and seek a job, and participate in this year’s autumn exams.”

He Baosheng nodded, “I agree with Yushan. Our home is gone, so starting anew somewhere safe to put down roots is necessary. Shou’an, as he is now, is better off staying in a place with the Evil Suppression Bureau.”

The elder from Shihe Village hesitated, unsure of what to plan.

Du Enfu sighed, “Alright, let’s let everyone choose for themselves. Those willing to stay, follow me. Those who want to leave, you can go together to Dongyang County. I will write a letter to the County Magistrate of Dongyang explaining the situation. All counties are short of population, and the County Magistrate of Dongyang will likely allow you to settle.”

Kou Yushan conveyed his and the old village chief’s thoughts to the villagers, while the elder from Shihe Village went to discuss with his people, as everyone took action.

Sang Que, with nothing else to do, asked Xia Chan to go downstairs to have some side dishes and a pot of the local specialty, Jade Liquid, in the inn’s hall, while observing the people there and gathering information.

Scenes like this are common in martial arts films, and she rarely gets to experience it firsthand.

Cats were also seen around the inn. Xuan Yu must have gone to fight; knowing Xuan Yu’s limits, Sang Que didn’t worry.

A man with a nonchalant demeanor noticed Sang Que and Xia Chan, two young women sitting alone at a table, and brought a wine jug over.

Sang Que, expressionless, drew a dagger and stabbed it into the table, penetrating through it with an intimidating aura, frightening Xia Chan so much that the bun in her mouth fell out.

The man shivered and immediately turned around and left.

There weren’t many people in the inn, mostly merchants who had just left Tangyuan County the day before, preparing to go to Dongyang County. During the intervals of serving dishes, Sang Que listened to their discussions, which were mostly about the sacrificial incident involving the Ghost Opera Troupe.

No one really knew the origin of the Ghost Opera Troupe, only that it’s the most influential cult in the past twenty years after the Nine Songs. Some even said the Nine Songs had always been mysterious and hadn’t done anything bad, so it couldn’t be called a cult, whereas the Ghost Opera Troupe was truly evil!

“It’s said that our Prime Minister, in his youth, was an actor in a troupe. Many people claim that the Ghost Opera Troupe is related to the Prime Minister.”

“That’s nonsense! The Prime Minister is a wise and upright figure of our times. He alone can guard the entire Shengjing, like a saint, not to be slandered so casually. I think it’s those with ulterior motives trying to use the Ghost Opera Troupe to tarnish the Prime Minister’s reputation and damage his incense offerings!”

“That’s reasonable. If the Prime Minister were secretly involved, why choose the Ghost Opera Troupe, which too easily links to his past? I suspect the forces behind the Ghost Opera Troupe might be his political adversaries!”

“Yes, they are envious of the Prime Minister’s incense offerings. Since taking office, the Prime Minister has promoted agriculture, commerce, and empathized with the people. The policies he introduced have benefited farmers and peddlers, allowing them to survive and live better lives. People across the regions are voluntarily building temples for the Prime Minister, who is revered by the public.”

Sang Que frowned at this, wondering if the Emperor had any opinions about the Prime Minister’s apparent overwhelming influence.

Sang Que picked up the chopsticks, ready to eat, but when she looked down, she saw the plates were empty. Xia Chan was leisurely patting her round belly, looking around with curiosity, while still hiccupping.

Never mind, she wasn’t hungry anyway.

Sang Que put down her chopsticks and picked up the jug to pour a cup of Jade Liquid.

The initial taste was sweet and sour, but lacking in alcohol, somewhat like a diluted version of thick wine, not particularly enjoyable.

The waiter, collecting the empty plates, noticed Sang Que’s frown and said while working, “Our county’s ’Ming’s Jade Juice’ used to be famous, even offered to Shengjing as a tribute. Unfortunately, since the decline of the Ming Family, no one can brew such sweet and rich Jade Juice anymore.”

“The Ming Family? How did they decline?”

Curious to inquire further, Sang Que was met with a smile from the waiter, who said no more and left with the dishes.

“You’d better not dig into it.”

Skinny came in from outside, directly sat down at Sang Que’s table, curiously eyeing Sang Que.

“Miss Mulan, sometimes I find it quite strange. Where exactly are you from? You seem completely unaware of many common things.”

Sang Que casually said, “The elders are strict, this is my first time going out.”

Skinny knowingly nodded, “Not inquiring about strange matters is common sense when traveling, after all, some things are nothing in themselves, but with a word from this family and another from that family, rumors can easily spread. That Ming Family, probably in my mother’s childhood, around fifty years ago, was a big wine-making household in Dongyang County.”

Skinny noticed Xia Chan looking bored, so he took a frog folded from yellow hemp paper out of his pocket, pressed its bottom and released it, making it bounce in front of Xia Chan, who was immediately attracted and happily played with the frog.

Skinny continued, “The Ming Family had a big house and a wine-making workshop under Cuiyun Mountain outside Dongyang County, but later, because of a mountain fire, it all burned down, and the people of the Ming Family died or scattered, and the recipe for Ming’s Jade Juice didn’t get passed down. That’s how it was, I dare not say more, after all, we’re passing by Cuiyun Mountain tomorrow.”

Skinny stood up and nodded toward Xia Chan, “You can keep the frog, my mother often folded them to entertain me when I was a child.”

Skinny went to the shop assistant to buy dry food for the journey. After he left, Sang Que sat for a while longer. Everyone chatted about domestic matters and the court, without anything special.

However, everyone indeed had a tacit understanding not to spread or believe rumors, killing strange tales in the cradle.

Kou Yushan was still discussing with the villagers. Sang Que, knowing too little about the outside world, decided to go with Kou Yushan and the others for safety and to learn from them how to handle unexpected situations in the wild.

With nothing else to do today, Sang Que saw the weather was fine, not a cloud in the sky, and took Xia Chan to the backyard of the post station, where they found Xuan Yu, who was pressing a tabby cat and playfully hitting it. He took both of them to the woods behind the station.

In the woods, the shadows of the trees were dappled, and sunlight poured down through the leaves in beams. Xia Chan, with innocent eyes, kept playing with those beams of light with her hands.

“Little Chan, after eating, you should move around a bit. Use your hair to tie me up, so I can test your ability’s depth.”

Xia Chan shook her head and waved her hands vigorously, “Little Chan can’t hit sister; Little Chan wants to protect sister!”

Sang Que laughed, “I’m not asking you to hit me. I’m planning to teach you some skills, so I need to know your ability first.”

Xia Chan tilted her head in thought, “Then… if Little Chan hurts sister, sister can’t scold Little Chan.”

“Alright, let’s do it!”

As soon as Sang Que finished speaking, Xia Chan’s hair spread into two parts like black brocade, and in a blink, it wrapped Sang Que like a dumpling.

The cold aura invaded every part of her body with a strange heaviness, making Sang Que feel like she was drowning, unable to exert any force.

Sang Que discovered that Xia Chan’s hair had a strong suppressing force on Yin Child, and possibly other evil spirits as well.

Sang Que slowly released the power of the Yin Child to contend with Xia Chan’s hair, testing to see what level was needed to force the hair away.

In the end, Sang Que almost used all her strength just to loosen Xia Chan’s hair a bit, creating room to escape.

In other words, Xia Chan’s current strength should be on par with hers, both at the early stage of the Third Layer of Nine Netherworld.

If Xia Chan and her mother were a bit more intelligent, they wouldn’t have been harmed by Yan Daozi; they had the power to kill him.

Sang Que had been observing Xia Chan these days and found that she wasn’t dumb; she just hadn’t had anyone who took the time to teach her. A five or six-year-old’s intelligence doesn’t mean she lacks learning ability.

“Our Little Chan is amazing,” Sang Que mimicked her mother’s tone to praise her, “Next, I’ll teach you some basic defense and attack techniques. Later, I’ll find you a shorter knife and teach you some moves, so you can better protect yourself. Are you willing to learn?”

Sang Que herself had chain armor, and she could let Xia Chan wear Yan Daozi’s Copper Coin Armor for now, until a more lightweight anti-stabbing vest she ordered online arrives.

Hearing Sang Que say this, Xia Chan’s eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously, “Willing, Little Chan wants to be like sister—no, Little Chan wants to be even better than sister.”

Xia Chan, like a competitive child, always wanted to be ahead in everything.

Meow~

Xuan Yu leisurely swung its tail from a branch.

Sang Que looked up, “Xuan Yu, come down here. We need to develop some combination techniques soon. Aside from your unique eyes, there must be something else special about you. I’ll wrap my arm with Yin Child’s power, and you scratch me once to test it…”

Meow—

Xuan Yu, grumbling, climbed down the tree.

Two people and a cat practiced martial arts in the woods, playfully sparring, and bursts of laughter rang out, a rare moment of leisure.

At night, the two and the cat returned indoors after a hearty meal. Sang Que asked Xia Chan for help, needing to release the Yin Child to ’discuss’ something.

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