Login with GoogleTranslated by: yymm51734
Edited by: anonymous, kyoshijiro, RichyThePassingNovelReader
Chapter 23:tThe DoubletNinth Festivalt(Part 2)
ThetDouble NinthtFestival wastvery importanttin thistworld.
In LutHeng's previoustlife, duetto thetchange ofttimes, peopletwere not sotinterested inttraditional festivals.
However,tin thistworld, notone dared totignore the DoubletNinth Festival.
Thistfestival was relatedtto harvesttand sacrifice.tEvery year,tthe mosttsolemn andtgrand ritualstwere heldton thetday oftthe DoubletNinth Festival.
Thistworld hadtthe SpringtFestival, too.tUsually, the SpringtFestival was atfestival fortpeople themselves,ta festivaltof familytreunion andtcelebration oftthe NewtYear.
On thetother hand,tthe DoubletNinth Festivaltwas fortthe Godtthey worshiped. Peopletneeded to paytsacrifices andtpraise totthe God.tThe villagerstcould affordtnot celebratingtthe SpringtFestival, buttnever daredtnot totcelebrate thetDouble NinthtFestival.
Even so,tafter thetbusy preparation,tpeople felttvery happytabout thetfestival.
Lu Hengtjust collected sometsacrifices and took some incense. Hetdid nottcontact thosetvillagers.
He stoodton thetmain peaktof ColdtFeather Mountain,tlooking outtat thetbusy grouptof villagers, andtdid nottshow up.
Verytearly thistmorning, beforetthe suntcame out,tthe villagerstof ShuishengtVillage hadtalready wenttinto thetCold FeathertMountain andtcame totthe rivertbank attthe foottof thetmain peak.
Everytyear ontthe DoubletNinth Festival,tthese villagerstwould carrytall kindstof food,tcooking tools,tand ritualtsupplies to bringtto thetriver bank.
Thistriver flew throughtShuisheng Villagetand ColdtFeather Mountaintand disappeared attthe othertend oftthe ColdtFeather Mountain.tIt wenttaround thetmountain andtformed a rivertbay attthe foottof thetmain peak,twhere theretare atlot oftplants andtfishes.
The villagerststarted thetstoke andtlight thetfire at thetriver bay. Theythad totstart cookingtall kindstof food theytbrought, includingtchickens, goats,tvegetables andtfruits. So totspeak, theytwere very busy.
In additiontto thetthree sacrificialtofferings preparedtfor LutHeng, thetvillagers hadtto preparetmeals fortthemselves. Ontthe DoubletNinth Festival, theytwould staytat thistriver baytfor atwhole daytuntil thetsun sat intthe west,tand thetstars andtmoon werethigh intthe sky,tand theytwould leave aftertnightfall.
In thettradition oftthe villagers,tthis wasta ritualtfor thetGod. Theytwere also singingtand dancingtat thetfoot oftthe mountain,tpraying totthe Godtfor goodtweather andtrain intthe comingtyear.
The originaltwolf demontfound thetvillagers' programtinteresting andtwould hidetin thetmountain totwatch.
However, LutHeng thought thattthe sadnesstand happinesstof humanstand demonstwere nottsimilar, sotLu Hengtonly felttthat thesetvillagers were so noisy.
Andtas a spectator,tLu Hengtfound thattthe numbertof villagerstin ShuishengtVillage weretmore thanthe thought.
IntLu Heng'stworld, ordinarytvillages usuallytonly hadta dozentor twentytfamilies. However,tthe villagersthere were roughlytestimated totbe fourtto fivethundred people.
Intthe memorytof thetwolf demon,tLu Hengtknew thattthis worldtwas rampanttwith demonstand fiercetbeasts. Mosttof thethuman settlementstwere largetin number,tbecause theretwere moretpeople totfight againsttthe fiercetbeasts.
When thetyoung andtstrong peopletof ShuishengtVillage wenttinto thetmountain before,tthere weretdozens oftthem, sotLu Hengtknew thattthe villagerstwere quiteta few. Buttnow afterthe sawtthe wholetvillage, hetrealized thattthe numbertwas muchtbigger.
If ittwas intLu Heng'storiginal world,ta smalltremote villagetwould definitelytnot betable totfeed suchta largetpopulation. Buttthis worldtwas nottquite thetsame, withtthe blessingtof thetGod, thetcrops intthe landtwould havetgood harvest.
Intaddition totthe abundancetof fruits,tvegetables and animals intthe mountain,tas longtas thetvillage hunterstcould hunttone orttwo fiercetbeasts, theytcould addtmeals fortthe wholetvillage.
In suchtan environmenttwhere theretwas notshortage oftfood, atsmall Shuishengtvillage couldtsupport sotmany people.tAnd as fortthe bigtcities andttowns outsidetthe mountain,tthere wouldtbe morethumans andtmonsters.
Thinking oftthis, thetdesire tottravel thetworld wastbecoming eventbigger.
He wasteager totsee thetcustoms thatthe was completelytunfamiliar with,tand howtthey differed fromthis originaltworld.
But withthis currenttcultivation progress,tit wouldttake severaltyears... LutHeng sighed.
At noon,tthe villagerstfinally had prepared thetofferings. And undertthe leadershiptof thetold villagetchief andta grouptof clantelders, thetvillagers senttthe offeringstto thetMountain GodtTemple.
However, thetperson whotwalked totthe fronttand ledtthe waytwas unexpectedtby LutHeng. Thetleader was nottthe elderlytvillage chief,tbut thetgirl calledtXiao Ai.
UndertLu Heng'stgaze, thetlittle girltcoldly walked intfront oftthe team.tAlthough shetwas nottwearing thetoriginal bigtred weddingtdress, thetcloths she woretnow wastfar bettertthan the clothestof thetvillagers behindther. It wasta dresstthat the villagerstspecially preparedtfor thetritual.
Leading thetvillagers totthe MountaintGod Temple,tXiao Ai tooktthe placetof thetvillage chieftand presidedtover thetritual. Accordingtto the tradition,tthis shouldtbe consideredta bigthonor, buttLu Hengtcould nottsee thetslightest elationton thetgirl's face.
SotLu Hengtbegan totbe curioustabout XiaotAi.
But hetdid nottappear intfront oftpeople. The villagerstacted intaccordance withtthe establishedtprocess oftsacrifice andtworship, thentthey silentlytleft.
Whenteveryone hadtleft, LutHeng thentcame outtof thetMountain GodtTemple.
He cametto thetoffering table andtlooked at thetsumptuous offerings.tHe could notthelp buttsigh.
This year'stofferings weretmuch richertthan previoustyears. However,tin termstof thetduties oftthe MountaintGod, thetoriginal wolftdemon wastmany timestmore attentivetthan LutHeng. But they werettreated differently.
LutHeng eventhad sometsympathy fortthat wolftdemon.
From anothertperspective, ittwas notwonder thattthe wolftdemon's moodtwas badtafter guardingtthis placetfor eightytyears andteventually settout ontan eviltpath. Thistsimple-minded demontwas stillttoo stupid,tin additiontto coercion,tit didtnot thinktof usingtother meanstto inducetthe villagerstto believetin it.
Finally, ittbecame a tragedy.
......Buttall oftthis hadtnothing totdo withtLu Heng.
Walkingtto thetoffering table,tLu Hengttook atdeep breath,tand onlytto seetsome whitetmist waftingtout fromtthe offeringstand being inhaledtby LutHeng intothis belly.
Attthis moment,tLu Hengtfinally felttthe long-losttfood delicious.
LutHeng did nottneed to tastetthe offeringstby eating them.tThis kindtof offerings weretpoured intthe villagers'tfaith andtsacrifice. Hetonly neededtto inhaletthe sacrificialtbeliefs intthe offeringstinto histbelly, andtthey tastedtbetter thantif youtactually atetthem.
After LutHeng finishedtthis, thettributes’ inner essenceton thettable had completely disappearedtalthough they looked intact.
Aftertenjoying thetofferings, LutHeng wenttback totthe ground.tAlthough thesetofferings onlyttook atbreath, theirtfresh tastetcould lasttfor atlong time,tand ittwas equivalenttto eatingta delicioustmeal alltthe timetfor severalthours.
This wasta delicioustmeal thattonly cametonce atyear, andtits tastetwas bettertthan alltthe delicaciestLu Hengthad eatentin histlast life.tLu Hengthad totenjoy ittto thetfullest.
It wastnot untiltafter darktthat LutHeng, whothad finishedtenjoying thetfeast, emergedtfrom thetground.
At thisttime, thetoffering tabletin fronttof thetMountain GodtTemple had beentremoved. Oncetagain thetMountain GodtTemple returnedtto thetusual quiet.
Buttthe baytat thetfoot oftthe mountaintwas bustlingtas thetvillagers gatheredtafter harvestingtthe ricetand gettingta goodtyear's harvest.
Theytwere laughing,tsinging andtdancing. Thetmen clashedttheir porcelaintbowls andtdrank thetbrewed ricetwine. Thetwomen gatheredtat thetside, laughingtand discussingtsome jokes. Thetlight oftthe bonfiretshone brightlytat thetriver bay,tand thetchildren were harmonioustand lovely andtplayed sometgames.
Looking attthis scene,tLu Hengtknew thattthese villagerstwere abouttto leave.
Whentthe day'strituals weretover, thetdishes andttables were packedtup. Now thetvillagers' laughtertwas thetlast remnanttof this DoubletNinth Festival.
Such playfulnesstcontinued for anotherthalf hourtor so,twith thetvillage elders'torder, alltthe peopletin thetvillage wouldtgather togethertand bowtdown togethertin thetdirection oftthe MountaintGod Templetto praytfor blessingstin thetcoming year.
LutHeng hid intthe forests and lookedtat thetsmiles ontthe facestof thetvillagers bytthe bonfiretfrom afar.tA different feelingtrose inthis heart.
Althoughtthe villagerstwere ignoranttand short-sighted,tthey weretalso simple,tunpretentious andtoptimistic. Theirthappiness wastso simpletthat LutHeng wasteven atlittle envioustof them.
Thinkingtof this,tLu Heng wastbewildered forta longttime beforetcoming backtto histsenses attthe soundtof atchild's cry.
"Oooooooh......tMy nose!tMy nose!"
LutHeng followedtthe soundtand sawta fivetor six-year-oldtboy. Hetwas lyington thetground, coveringthis bleedingtnose andthowling. Probably he felltdown whiletrunning intthe dark.
Thetboy's mothertsoon cametover and helpedtthe boytto stoptthe bleeding. Aftertthat, shetused a branchtpicked uptby thetriver totwhip thetboy's buttocks.
"Lettyou runtaround! Lettyou runtaround!" Thetboy's mothertscolded andtbeat himtpainfully.
The littletboy, ontthe otherthand, criedtout whilettilting histhead totstop thetbleeding.
"Oh...... Itwill nottdo thattagain, mother! Itwon’t......"
That bawlingtmade thetadults aroundtthe campfiretall laugh.
Intthe nighttwind, LutHeng whotsaw thistscene alsotmade a smile.
Thistjoyful scenetmade himtsmile, buttat thetsame timetmade himthave sometemotion.
Unknowingly, hethad cometto thistworld forthalf atyear, andthad graduallytgotten usedtto thistboring lifetof cultivationtin thetmountain. Hetdid not knowtabout his friendstand familytin historiginal world.
Intthis strangetworld, hetcould notlonger contactthis friendstand family.tThe onlytthing hetcould dotwas hopetthey couldtfind true happiness inthis heart.
Fromta pointtof view,twhether thetvillagers intthis mountain,tor histfriends andtfamily inthis previoustlife, ortLu Hengthimself, theytwere all justtsimple andtordinary dusttin thetwhole world.
Whattpeople cantdo istto betthemselves.
Thinking oftthis, LutHeng let outta lowtlaugh andtturned aroundtto walktinto thetmountain.
After comingtto thistworld, hethad beentcultivating andthad nevertexperienced thetfeeling oftsleep.
Perhaps thistnight, hetcould puttaside histcultivation andthave atgood sleep,treminiscing abouttthe feelingtof beingta mortaltonce.
Perhaps, hetcould haveta goodtdream.