jdhmnovel Chapter 256 How could the mountain spring stop flowing?
Chapter 256 How could the mountain spring stop flowing?
While cursing the thief who stole his treasure in his heart, Governor Wei did not forget to give himself a thumbs up.
If he can get through this period, he can then live a carefree and happy life in the tribe.
From now on, we will no longer have to share half of the money we earn with Prime Minister Qin.
Damn it, they sent so much silver to Prime Minister Qin, yet they didn't even send a reliable imperial envoy, instead sending Zhang Haoyi, a cripple.
Fortunately, Wei was incredibly resourceful and had the foresight to choose this tribe as his retreat route.
Although this tribe is surrounded by steep mountains and dense forests, its terrain is not low.
Here, there is no need to worry about foreign invasion, nor is there any miasma or extreme heat; it is simply a livable place.
Moreover, the mountain passes around are narrow and treacherous. With just a little repair and improvement, they can become a fortified pass that can hold off ten thousand men!
If we're going to expand our influence in the future... stop!
The most urgent task now is to gain the complete trust of Chief Ying.
Thinking of this, Protector Wei felt a sense of relief and looked intently at Chief Ying.
The leader of the Ying tribe, who sat opposite Protector Wei, was dressed exactly like Protector Wei, except that he was wearing a leopard skin.
Because a grand ceremony was to be held today, his neck and wrists were adorned with bone and tooth ornaments and gold and silver pendants.
He was tall and strong, with a dark face and a pair of hawk-like eyes.
Upon hearing Protector Wei say that he needed to rely on him, Chief Ying immediately patted his chest and assured him, "Brother Wei, you can rest assured, no one can touch you here!"
With his exaggerated chest-thumping gesture, the bone and tooth ornaments and gold and silver pendants on his body made a crisp sound.
Chief Ying bowed slightly, his expression serious, and continued:
"I was fortunate to have you back then, who helped me obtain the position of tribal chief. Now it is my turn to repay you! From now on, Brother Wei, you can just stay here. Let's earn money together and develop our power together! Everything I, Ying, have is also everything you, Brother Wei, have!"
Upon hearing this, Governor Wei felt a surge of emotion.
True friendship is revealed in times of trouble!
He suddenly stood up, took half a step back, and, for the first time ever, bowed deeply to Chief Ying, his voice trembling with emotion.
"My past assistance was merely a matter of my conscience; how could I possibly expect anything in return? If I were to accept it today, how would I be any different from a thief! Everything you have is the result of your own hard work; how could I possibly take it for myself! Chief Ying, please do not say such things again."
The Ying chieftain was startled by Wei Duhu's sudden politeness and quickly stood up.
"Brother Wei, please sit down, please sit down. We don't need such formalities between brothers! If it weren't for your help in opening that black market back then, where would the steady stream of money come from! I can certainly repay your kindness in giving me a second chance!"
To be honest, I've been waiting for Brother Wei for a long time. In the future, let's annex other tribes together and expand our territory! There are a few small tribes I've long disliked! I hope Brother Wei will help me!
Governor Wei sat down, his eyes slightly red, and said firmly:
"Since that's the case, if I, Wei, were to refuse again and again, I would be a hypocrite and a coward! From this day forward, I will live and die with you, subdue other tribes, and dedicate my life to helping you become the ruler of a nation!"
"The ruler of a country?!" The Ying chieftain was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.
Then my heart was filled with emotion, and I was moved to tears.
He is now just a small tribal chief, whose biggest dream is to conquer the surrounding small tribes with fertile land.
I never dared to dream of becoming a king...
However, if the tribe could be expanded into a nation, then... then the tribe named after his surname would become a nation named after his surname...
He, he Ying, has made something of himself in this life!
The Ying chieftain was so excited that he became incoherent.
"Brother Wei, I told you long ago that you shouldn't be a Protector-General anymore. Not only are you making money for others, but now you're being framed. I remember there's a saying in your Great Yuan: 'Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix!' With your talent, Brother Wei, let's work hard together... If, if that day ever comes, this country will be named after our surnames! You and I will be one, sharing this country!"
After being given a pot of sleeping potion by Protector Wei, the leader of the Ying tribe was breathing rapidly.
My whole being was filled with excitement.
Exhilarating and inspiring!
"Dong!" Just then, the sound of drums rang out outside the temple.
Chief Ying immediately stood up and respectfully invited Protector Wei, "The time for the sacrifice has arrived, Brother Wei, please come with me to receive the respect of our people!"
Wei Duhu was inwardly smug, but showed no sign of it on his face.
He thought he would need to use more persuasion, but he didn't expect to gain Chief Ying's complete trust so quickly.
Wei Duhu followed the Ying chieftain out of the temple and casually asked, "What celebration is being held today?"
Chief Ying responded immediately.
“A few days ago, the spring in our tribe suddenly stopped flowing. Today, according to the tribe’s rules, we used blood as a pledge and life as a sacrifice to appease the mountain god’s anger and bring back the sweet spring! Guess who the person who made the sacrifice today is? It’s none other than Lin Dong, who was the biggest threat to my position as chief back then! Now I’ve finally gotten my revenge! As long as I get rid of that old guy, Lin Ana will be mine!”
Wei Duhu stumbled.
He only heard the first sentence, and then ignored the rest.
He was, after all, a person from the Great Abyss Civilization Kingdom; how could he possibly believe that the water shortage could be solved by a single ritual?
He didn't care who was being sacrificed; he only cared about one thing.
Water outage? How could the water be cut off!
Water is the source of life; without water, how could he bathe every day?
Does Chief Ying really go ten days or half a month without washing...?
While Wei Duhu was lost in thought, Li Qingqing had already fed Ahe her medicine. Ahe's fever had finally subsided, and she had fallen into a deep sleep.
The woman and Ana finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The two men's gazes toward Li Qingqing became intense, completely unaware that the amount of water used to boil the herbs had suddenly increased.
"You must be a messenger sent by the mountain god to save our family, right? Please, you must save my husband." The woman started crying again.
The faint sound of drums signaling the start of a sacrificial ceremony drifted from afar, adding to her anxiety.
Ana, who was also watching Li Qingqing closely, said anxiously:
"Honorable guest, please save my father! Soon, after the shaman finishes his sacrifice to the mountain god, he will be burned alive!!"
"Tell me in detail, I need to know all the specifics." Li Qingqing frowned.
She had previously thought her father was just at home, and that taking his pulse was a trivial matter; now, she was being asked to save him in front of the entire village.
We must find out the details first and then find a suitable method, otherwise, after she rescues Ana's father, she will be arrested again as soon as she leaves.
Of course, the most important thing is to take Protector-General Wei away.
Whether to take Wei Duhu away in the chaos or to sneak away with him in the middle of the night is a matter worth considering.
In short, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to a perfect strategy.
Ana nudged the woman and urged, "Mother, please stop crying and tell me quickly."
The woman took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking.
“My man was deeply trusted by the tribe and was originally expected to become the new tribal leader. However, after the previous leader passed away, Yingxiao colluded with a foreigner surnamed Wei to force the tribe to elect him as the leader.”
She paused, and as if thinking of something, her eyes began to redden again, as if she was about to cry.
But she quickly restrained herself, raising her voice slightly.
“We’re willing to accept a leader as long as he can lead his people to a good life. But he’s colluding with outsiders, amassed wealth, exploited his people, and even openly abducted women from our tribe.”
At this point, the woman glanced at Ana and said resentfully,
"Yingxiao actually took a fancy to my Ana, and after being scolded by my husband, he held a grudge. However, he didn't dare to openly target my husband until recently when the mountain spring stopped flowing. Yingxiao sent my husband to investigate the cause, and my husband fell ill as a result. Only then did Yingxiao finally show his fangs!"