When the accident happened, this short cavalry team was walking through the mud just behind the leader. No one noticed anything strange as the two loaded horses cracked the crust of mud on the swamp. Until the third horse stepped on it and crushed the surface with its hoof.
In an instant, with a frightened neigh, its legs sank in. Qi Huan reacted quickly. He grabbed Mo Dao and immediately jumped off the horse. After a few unsightly ups and downs, he stood on solid ground. Without time to panic, he called to his companions in front of him who noticed something unusual:
"Come here and help me, this horse is going to sink!"
They approached hurriedly and vigilantly, reaching out their hands and handing out weapons within the shortest distance they could stand, and hurriedly picked up the luggage from the saddle. In the end, they even overturned the saddle on the horse's back, and the horse neighed desperately and struggled to pull out its hooves and stand up. However, the quagmire was slow and ruthless, visibly swallowing up its four legs and abdomen that it tried to spread out inch by inch... until only the horse's head was still floating on the surface, it no longer screamed, and most of the people stopped working in vain. He tried his best to turn his face away, stood up and repositioned his luggage, no longer looking at its big dark eyes.
Jun Aoyan was the last one to get up. She knelt half on the ground and stared deeply at it. Even though the horses in Jiutian Kingdom were different from those in her homeland, they often reminded her of those silent four-legged comrades of a similar breed in the military camp. At this moment, such a pair of similar pure eyes are filled with human tears, just like the horses with broken legs and broken chests and abdomen on the battlefield. At the end of their lives, their last attachment to the world is flowing out.
There was a vague throbbing in her heart. It was for the horse that finally died after a hard journey, and for everything she had and lost.
Like every time in her and her companions' lives, they always had to stand up again and keep moving forward. The lack of a horse slowed down the journey somewhat. Jun Aoyan's sword and the supplies originally on Qi Huan's horse were moved to Bai Ya's mount, while he and Qi Huan took turns leading the horse or exploring the road ahead.
In private, Liu Shenghan and Bai Ya expressed their concerns. From the map, this swamp is extremely vast. If they keep following the distribution of the swamp, they don't know when they will be able to get out.
The days of walking on thin ice did not last long. Liu Shenghan's inference from the past few days came true: as if suddenly, Bai Ya found traces of sparse vegetation in the forest, like a trampled path. As we walked along it, the vines entwining the surrounding trees decreased, and axe-cut marks began to appear; there were not so many dead branches under the trees, as if someone had picked them up to light up the smoke. Occasionally, while searching for prey, they would see the remnants of traps. Not long after, Qi Huan noticed a strange-shaped symbol on the tree on the roadside, about the same level as his eyes.
He and Bai Ya coincidentally thought of the dense forests near the sea, signs of despair that lead to a dead end. In this forest and swamp, if they deviate from the path they found at the beginning, the map will not allow them to reconfirm their direction of travel. Fortunately, Liu Shenghan had the compass given by the God of Fragrance in his hand. She led them cautiously for a while along the winding path marked by the carvings on the tree trunks, and she was convinced that the direction these signs were leading was the Xiangji Country far away beyond the swamp.
They all breathed a sigh of relief and moved forward with renewed energy. Following their guidance, scattered wooden blocks or stone bricks that had been carved by humans gradually appeared along the way; further forward, they discovered some semi-abandoned huts, where it seemed that someone had lived there temporarily but then left.
This briefly worried them that the residents had moved away or died out. But not long after, the eyes suddenly became a little brighter, and more houses appeared in the field of vision.
These buildings are not densely distributed and are scattered among the forests, forming a vast and loose settlement. Their styles are different from those they are familiar with, and they are even different from each other. They all have strange personalities and are built to suit their own needs. What they have in common is that they are all built of wood and stone, and the surfaces of these materials are all engraved with strange symbols. Some are like sketchy sketches of flowers, birds, insects and beasts, while others are winding and sometimes repetitive, with a vague pattern and seem to be special words. But even though many people are well-informed, they still cannot understand their contents.
The inhabitants are as eccentric as the house. The four of them walked towards the area where the houses were more densely packed. Along the way, they caught glimpses of people moving in front of the house from time to time. Some people have plain faces, while others are missing arms and legs, or their skin is covered with large areas of scars, probably due to injuries or congenital illnesses. They even caught a glimpse of a slightly human figure, which reminded several of them of the inhuman and inhuman appearance of the monsters they encountered in the Garuda territory.
What these people have in common is that they seem to turn a blind eye to outsiders. Most of the villagers on the roadside just glanced at the group of people, and then went about their business. There was no sign of welcome or rejection. This kind of treatment made them feel a little confused. When they reached an open space surrounded by houses, they stopped, dismounted, and met to discuss.
"These people are not surprised." After Liu Shenghan finished speaking, he shook his head. "It looks like an ancient settlement. It doesn't look like it often interacts with big city-states."
Jun Aoyan also said: "These houses are too scattered, and I don't know where the center is. It is difficult to find a person in charge - if there is one."
"Just ask someone with a nice face and ask? Pick a house and knock on the door?"
Bai Ya was also a little moved: "It's easy to talk to him."
Someone noticed their confusion, stopped, looked at them for a while, and then stood still; but they did not say anything, just watching quietly. When Qi Huan asked, he just shook his head, which made people confused. Fortunately, there were curious people attracted by the immobile few here and gathered around.
More and more people gathered, and finally a middle-aged man who was blind in one eye came forward and asked:
"Are you also lost?"
"Well... we got lost and ended up here by mistake." Liu Shenghan replied politely.
The middle-aged man scratched his head, as if he was a little confused and didn't know where to start. His reaction made the four of them look at each other in confusion, and they had a vague feeling that this was not what he wanted to ask. Before they could ask questions, he nodded and walked away minding his own business. This chaotic behavior made Bai Ya feel baffled:
"The people here...are very casual?"
The crowd suddenly parted a path. They all turned around and saw a woman wearing black and red clothes. There was a man standing next to her. He was the first villager to watch them. He was gesticulating enthusiastically.
"I asked him why he didn't speak, but it turns out he is mute..." Qi Huan suddenly realized.
On the other hand, the woman seemed to understand the silent man's narration. After saying something to him, she walked towards the group of people.
Her dress was very solemn, like that of a shrine maiden. The wooden staff she held in her hand was connected to a zigzag-shaped piece of paper at the top, which also looked like a shrine maiden's royal coin. She walked up to them and bowed flatly to them.
"How many of you are visitors from a foreign land?"
"Yes."
She looked at them for a while, her eyes as calm as water, without any malice.
"Excuse me, do you need any help?"
The four of them exchanged glances, and Liu Shenghan replied:
"We would be grateful if you could help us. We are passing through a place we are not familiar with, and our horses have gotten stuck in the mud. We are also worried about the hairy scales in the vast forest. I wonder if I will be lucky enough to stop here for a while?"
She said it too politely, and the response she received was considered friendly. The witch smiled politely and said softly:
"In that case, come with me."
Seeing the witch talking to them, the villagers dispersed in twos and threes. They led the horses smoothly and followed the witch, walking through the houses and trees. After making countless turns, the surrounding area was completely empty, and there were no longer any village houses that we had seen before. They looked around and saw a red torii gate standing in the forest. Beyond the black cornices and forest vines in the twilight, a magnificent temple can be vaguely discerned.
The miko led them through the torii gate and straight towards the temple. Along the way, you can see women dressed like this witch, or men wearing pointed hoods and black robes, with black backgrounds also decorated with red, holding a staff in their hands. The witch didn't greet them either, she got closer to them, and when they passed by each other, they nodded as a courtesy. On the surface, it seems that he is just as casual as Bai Ya Wuxin lamented.
It was not until she reached the entrance of the temple that the witch stopped and greeted a black-robed priest beside the door:
"Please report to the high priest that four strangers have entered Daze."
The people inside asked something, and the witch shook her head and said, "It's not the lost ones."
The man expressed his knowledge, signaled her to wait, turned around and entered the temple.
Behind her, Liu Shenghan raised his eyebrows slightly. The word appears again, and it is difficult not to speculate that it may have some specific meaning other than a lost traveler.
The reply came quickly. They handed over the horses to the other two priests summoned by the witch. Under the guidance of the witch, they cleaned their hands in a pool nearby. The priest just opened the door and said to them:
"Come in, everyone. The high priest invites you."
The witch stopped outside the door and had no intention of accompanying them; so they thanked her and followed the priest through the door.
The door closed, and the vision suddenly became dark. Bai Ya's eyes were the first to get used to the light. He squinted and looked inward. Inside was a deep corridor with candles on the walls, so it wasn't too dark. There are some closed doors on both sides, which are probably side rooms with different functions in the temple. The priest led them through the stone corridor, finally stopped, opened a door, and saluted the people inside:
"Great Priest, we have arrived."
After saying that, he respectfully stepped aside and extended his hands to invite a few people in.
This is a spacious room with simple decoration and nothing special about it. There are only some shallow reliefs on the four walls and roof, and their ancient lines are illuminated by the candlelight.
What you see is a long table, and the person sitting at the end must be the great priest these people call it. When he got closer, he could see that the magic staff he held in his hand was different from the witches and priests outside. It was engraved with patterns and embedded with a red ore. The swaying firelight cast a shadow on his face. For a moment, they who had never relaxed felt a sense of coldness. They almost thought they had entered some kind of snake's den or tiger's den.
Fortunately, this ominous atmosphere was soon broken. The great priest stood up on his own initiative and greeted them calmly:
"It's not easy for a traveler from afar, so come first and take a seat."
Recommended: The Witch Doctor Awakens to read on your mobile phone.
