Huli Idol

Chapter 35: Huli Idol

After Yang Ying stormed out of the Academy, she came to an estate adjoining the Grand Commander's Office. As she entered, the guards on both sides clasped their fists in salute.

She kicked open the side gate and entered the inner courtyard, only to find the main hall empty. She grabbed a servant and asked strangely, "Where is my brother? Where did he go?"

The servant hurriedly replied, "Mr. Yao came. It seems he is teaching the Protector some learning."

"Mr. Yao?"

Yang Ying jumped in fright and unconsciously lowered her voice.

Just then, an old man in his seventies slowly emerged from the inner hall. His expression was calm, and his eyes seemed steeped in all the affairs of the world.

Seeing him, Yang Ying properly bowed and said, "Mr. Yao."

Mr. Yao raised a hand in return salute. "Commandant Yang."

Yang Ying hastily said, "Mr. Yao, why are you leaving so early? Did my brother do something wrong? Tell me, sir, and I'll teach him a lesson." As she spoke, she waved her little fist.

Mr. Yao said, "No. The Protector has done very well. I came to ask the Protector for leave. My father's health has been poor lately, and I must attend him at his bedside. I fear I will no longer be able to teach the Protector for some time."

Yang Ying froze, worry filling her eyes. "Old Duke Yao's health has worsened again?"

Mr. Yao said calmly, "He has been coughing continuously since spring began. He recovered somewhat afterward and barely made it through the Scholars' Deliberation, but now there are signs that his condition is worsening again."

Yang Ying hesitated. "But... but my uncle, Uncle, he..."

Mr. Yao said calmly, "The Commandant has agreed."

Yang Ying was immediately overcome with disappointment.

Mr. Yao glanced at her. "I heard Commandant Yang attended lessons today?"

Yang Ying immediately lifted her head. "Yes. Uncle arranged it. I'm learning a foreign language. The teacher is very good, just a little strict."

Mr. Yao said, "Then study hard. A stricter teacher is a good thing for you."

He paused, then instructed, "Take good care of the Protector."

Yang Ying gave a heavy hum of agreement.

She turned and watched Mr. Yao walk away. Looking at that somewhat desolate figure, she did not know why, but her nose stung and her heart felt strangely hollow.

After a long while, she snorted and said angrily, "It must have been my little brother who angered him! Otherwise, why would Mr. Yao leave?"

She spun around and strode inward. Seeing her like this, none of the attendants at the side dared stop her.

Charging into the inner hall, she saw a delicate-looking boy of around ten sitting there. He had single eyelids, eyes faintly tinged with gold, and wore the imposing robes of the Grand Commander. Upon his head sat a Boundary-Warding Crown draped with tassels, making him look like a little adult.

When the boy saw her, he put down what he was holding, rose, and bowed. "Elder Sister."

Yang Ying rushed forward in several strides, grabbed her younger brother by the collar, and snarled, "Speak! Did you do something bad and anger Mr. Yao into leaving?"

The boy's eyes widened in shock. Then he hurriedly said, "Elder Sister, sir wanted to leave himself. I couldn't stop him either."

Yang Ying eyed him suspiciously for several moments. "Really?"

The boy nodded vigorously.

"Alas!"

Yang Ying released her brother and dejectedly went to sit on a couch covered in thick brocade cushions. For no reason, she felt vexed and unsettled, and her eyes carried a little more confusion.

The boy walked over to her side and carefully asked, "Elder Sister, are you all right?"

Yang Ying glared at him crossly.

The boy looked at her several more times, then asked curiously, "I heard Elder Sister went to school today. What was it like there? Was what the teacher taught the same as what Mr. Yao taught?"

"It was what it was supposed to be."

Yang Ying answered impatiently, but then remembered she still had homework to do. At once, she felt as though her head were about to explode.

She looked at her younger brother, her eyes shifting as an idea came to her. "Want to know what I learned today? Bring paper and brush. I'll dictate, and you write."

The boy gave two quick acknowledgments, climbed to the desk, fetched paper and brush, then looked at her eagerly.

Yang Ying cleared her throat and began to dictate.

In the past, whatever she learned went in one ear and out the other. Unlike her younger brother, who was so clever that he learned whatever he was taught after hearing it once, she had intended to write down whatever she could remember and let him make up the rest, muddling through it somehow.

But to her surprise, she discovered that she remembered everything taught in class today. Without even thinking, she recited it all.

After she finished, she felt as though she were dreaming. She snatched the brush from the boy's hand and poked her cheek with it. Mm, it hurt a little. She secretly wondered, Could it be that I was always very clever? I just never studied seriously before?

Looking at the words he had written, the boy's little face was full of admiration. "This teacher is as impressive as Mr. Yao."

Yang Ying said crossly, "You didn't even attend the lesson. What would you know?"

This time, however, the boy retorted, "But sometimes Elder Sister can't remember what Mr. Yao teaches. Yet Elder Sister can recite everything this teacher taught."

Yang Ying froze, then fell silent.

The boy became somewhat at a loss and tugged at her. "Elder Sister, what's wrong?"

Yang Ying shook her head. "Nothing." She stood, stepped forward, and pulled her brother into an embrace. "Mr. Yao told me to study hard and take good care of you. I'll do it."

Zhang Yu had also returned to his residence by then. From the identities and backgrounds of those students today, it was not difficult for him to see how seriously the Protectorate Office regarded this matter.

As an assistant instructor, he had originally also been obligated to teach young children. But in order to let him focus on this matter, the Academy had temporarily excused him from that duty.

However, once he finished teaching Ironclaw Tongue, he would presumably have to fulfill an assistant instructor's responsibilities.

Arriving in his study, he picked up the newspapers from the desk and leafed through them one by one.

There was not merely one newspaper here, but more than a dozen.

Nowadays, not just anyone could open a newspaper office. One had to possess deep backing, and if anyone dared privately publish news from other papers, the Judicial Office would come knocking the next day.

Thus, reports on the same event could differ between different newspaper offices. By comparing them against one another and examining them from multiple angles, he could make more accurate judgments regarding certain key pieces of information.

He noticed that recently, most newspapers carried reports of the Protectorate Office hunting down and killing Strange God believers, and such reports appeared with remarkable frequency.

As he turned the pages, he found a small paper tucked inside. It looked somewhat familiar. After thinking back, he recalled that it closely resembled a newspaper he had seen at the docks when he first arrived in Ruiguang.

Yet its contents were particularly eye-catching. It claimed that a village of more than a hundred people outside Auspicious Light City had vanished overnight, people and livestock alike, supposedly lured away by Strange God believers. But it gave no specific date, location, or village name, making its authenticity difficult to believe.

After some thought, he called Li Qinghe in and asked, "Where was this newspaper bought?"

Li Qinghe replied, "Sir, it was tucked inside one of the other newspapers. Qinghe thought it was also a newspaper, so I did not remove it."

Zhang Yu said, "If you see it again next time, don't throw it away. Bring it back as well."

Li Qinghe said, "Sir, I'll remember."

Zhang Yu turned another page and happened to reach a newspaper printed by the Ink and Brush Press. He searched through it and found an article in the lower-right corner. It was precisely the one he had previously asked Li Qinghe to deliver to Peaceful Lodge. Presumably, many people had seen it by now.

In the eastern district of Ruiguang, within a grand estate occupying more than ten mu, Duan Mo sat in the magnificent and ornate main building, wearing spectacles as he read that day's newspaper.

Yet he found that the section which usually introduced clothing and food had been replaced by an unfamiliar article. He found it strange and somewhat regrettable. Just as he was about to see what this article was about, a clear bell rang, and an attendant outside reminded him, "Office Lord, the young master has returned."

Duan Mo went to the window and saw a carriage entering from outside the estate. A round, plump little boy climbed down from it, but rather than heading toward the main building, he made a beeline for the kitchen.

After waiting quite a while, a servant in his thirties came up with an embarrassed expression. "Office Lord, please forgive him. The young master was truly starving. He ate quite a bit on the way, yet he is still crying that he is hungry."

Duan Mo smiled. "It's fine. Knowing hunger means he used his brain! Mm, today's teacher has some skill." He told the servant, "Have him come see me after he finishes eating. I have some questions for him."

The servant bowed deeply and withdrew.

Duan Mo returned to his reclining chair, picked up the newspaper, and turned back to the article from before.

It said that many indigenous tribes liked to worship the god of cleanliness, "Wengnu," and placed Wengnu idols in their homes. Even some villages under the Protectorate Office had dedicated altars.

Not only that, many Celestial Xia people had now adopted this custom as well. Although the Protectorate Office had repeatedly issued prohibitions, the results were poor. The reason was that these idols could drive away rats, snakes, and venomous insects.

But at this point, the article's brushstroke suddenly turned, saying that many people believed this was a blessing granted by divine power, when in truth it was a "deception" that had endured for thousands of years.

After reading the beginning, Duan Mo had originally thought this was another denunciatory essay from someone at the Metropolitan Hall calling for a ban on Strange God worship. But upon reaching this point, his interest was suddenly piqued. He sat a little straighter, took a sip from his teacup, spread out the newspaper, and continued reading.

The article went on to say that the reason the god "Wengnu" possessed such an ability was actually because of a type of wood known as "Huli Wood."

"Huli Wood" was a type of timber that grew near Peace Mountain and was commonly used to make furniture. Almost every household had some. Yet few people knew that once Huli Wood was over two hundred years old, its heartwood would develop a faint plant spirit due to its great age, granting it the ability to repel rats, snakes, and venomous insects.

The article said that perhaps indigenous ancestors in ancient times had discovered the effects of Huli Wood heartwood and carved it into idols. Later, they believed it was the gods protecting them, when in reality, those protecting the people were themselves, not anything else.

In its final section, the article even taught people how to identify the precise age and authenticity of Huli Wood, as well as various ingenious methods for driving away insects and ants when such heartwood was unavailable.

After reading it, Duan Mo was suddenly enlightened.

He found it very interesting. Most things published in newspapers in the past were stern and righteous. Even the food introductions he had previously enjoyed used stiff and rigid phrasing. It was rare to see an article like this, one that was entertaining while invisibly dispelling the supernatural.

Moreover, the entire article was logical and clearly phrased without losing its humor, and the breadth of knowledge it involved was immense. This was absolutely not something an ordinary person could have written.

His gaze involuntarily moved to the bottom, where he saw the signature: "Tao Sheng."

After thinking about it, he realized he had never heard that name before. He guessed the other party was likely an instructor or academic officer from Taiyang Academy. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the article to appear in the Ink and Brush Press newspaper.

Just as he was considering this, there came a knock at the door, followed by a steward-like man hurrying inside.

Duan Mo looked up. "What is it?"

The steward bowed. "Office Lord, the Sikou Office has requested that the armory allocate one hundred firelances."

Duan Mo removed his spectacles and frowned. "We gave them a hundred just last month. Why are they asking for more this month?"

The steward sighed. "It is not entirely their fault. I heard that several days ago, Sikou patrolmen discovered a ritual site belonging to Other God Cult followers. A battle broke out between the two sides. Reportedly, more than fifty people were killed or injured, and over thirty firelances were seized."

Duan Mo frowned. "It is that serious?"

The steward said helplessly, "The Judicial Office is full of complaints as well, because such matters should have been handled by the Divine Commandery Army. But as Office Lord knows, after this Scholars' Deliberation, the Divine Commandery Army claimed it was reorganizing and recalled all its personnel..."

Duan Mo sighed. "They are putting pressure on the Metropolitan Hall. It seems someone at the Metropolitan Hall will have to step forward and resign to placate the Divine Commandery Army again." After considering it, he said, "Allocate them. Give them another hundred as well!"

The steward was startled. "Office Lord, is that not too many?"

Duan Mo said in a deep voice, "It is not too many. Weapons can be forged again once broken, but once people are gone, everything is gone. The lives of my Celestial Xia people are far more precious than those so-called Other God Cult followers!"