Witchcraft

  "Could it be that jade pendant was the one hung around Long Bojin's neck?" I asked.

  Unexpectedly, upon hearing my question, Yu Wen also furrowed his brow and asked in puzzlement: "Long Bu Jin? Is she the girl you brought out from that ancient Miao village?"

  I nodded, and the section of Yuwen continued to ask: "Is there a white jade pendant on her neck? What does it look like?"

  Then, I simply described the shape and size of the jade pendant on Bo Jin's neck to Duan Yuwen. Duan Yuwen nodded repeatedly while listening, muttering to himself: "It can't be wrong, it can't be wrong, it's that piece of jade."

  I was somewhat surprised by his words and asked: "Uncle Duan, didn't you know about this?"

  "I only knew that Ah-shuena finally agreed to cooperate with me and your father, but I didn't know she would give the jade pendant to that Miao girl," Duan Yuwen said. "Moreover, since your brother's incident, I've lost hope of the jade pendant returning to your father's hands."

  "So when did my brother get involved in this matter, and what does the so-called cooperation between you two mean?" The more I listened, the more I realized that if I carefully investigated the events of thirty years ago, there would be too many mysteries, and as a successor, I knew nothing about these mysteries.

  Duan Yuwen explained: "Pei Lin intervened in this investigation more than a decade ago, that is to say, from the day your brother was confirmed missing, he had already come to Yunnan as your father's successor to continue investigating that ancient Miao village with me."

  "Was all this arranged by my father?" I was more indignant than surprised. I didn't know what my father was thinking, since he clearly knew that the Miao village here was extremely dangerous, why did he still let his own son come to investigate?

  Duan Yuwen seemed to have guessed my thoughts and said, "Pei Xi, don't blame your father too much. From what I just told you, you probably also know why your father's health has been declining day by day since he returned from Yunnan to the Northeast, until he couldn't even conduct any inspections. At the same time, those threatening letters had a great impact. However, no matter what, the ancient village in Yunnan is a stone that your father can never put down in his heart."

  Here is the translation:

  At this point, Duan Yuwen leaned forward, patted my shoulder with his hand, and revealed a wry smile. He continued to say: "Also, don't think that you've been the only one kept in the dark all along. In fact, including your father and me, we're just two headless flies flying around randomly. Later on, your father's goal was actually very clear and definite - he wanted the truth, he wanted to know the truth behind all the strange events that happened in Gu Zhai."

  "But because of physical reasons and those threatening letters, he decided to send my brother to Yunnan, right?" I said. "But there's one thing I don't understand, why did you have to say that my brother was missing? You don't know how heartbroken my mom was after my brother went missing, I really can't imagine how my dad could bear it."

  At this time, Liang Zan, who had been silent for most of the day, suddenly stood up and said, "That was to protect you."

  I was stunned, turned my head to look at Duan Yuwen. Protect us? This "us" must be referring to my father's family. So, why protect us? Is it because of those threatening letters?

  Duan Yuwen continued: "Pei Xi, there are many things in this story that we cannot explain now, but in these thirty years, my and your father's research have not been entirely without results."

  I nodded for Duan Yuwen to continue, and he went on as follows:

  For the past thirty years, your father has been mainly responsible for studying what Wang Chengbao did in those few years before he went to Yunnan. Because, obviously, Wang Chengbao's performance in the underground palace proves that he is undoubtedly a breakthrough in this series of strange events. Especially the jade token he wants to give to your father, where does it come from and what does it represent? These questions undoubtedly have an extraordinary significance for the whole thing.

  As for me, over the past thirty years, I have been mainly responsible for studying the underground palaces of the ancient Miao villages. Who made the hundreds of bronze coffins in those underground palaces and what were they used for? From the story I told you, you must have also sensed that those bronze coffins are not, or not just used to hold corpses. And what do the giant insects inside the coffin, as well as the totemic symbols on the bronze coffin and the huge stone pillars represent? These puzzles have been haunting me for thirty years.

  Compared to your father, my research has made some progress, because I stayed in Yunnan and risked my life several times to return to that Miao village, where I was almost driven out by force by the Miao people on several occasions.

  In the first decade or so, I could hardly move an inch and never saw Ah-ch'uan's face. The other Miao people in Kuts'ao didn't speak Chinese either, and I couldn't get any secrets out of them about Kuts'ao.

  More than a decade later, your brother Peilin came to Yunnan at the behest of your father. With my help, he quickly gained a certain understanding of this place. Peilin was exceptionally talented and intelligent, calm in the face of trouble, very much like your father. The two of us soon became close friends despite our age difference.

  In fact, Perlin was the object of your father's intentional cultivation. He knew that he might not be able to return to that ancient stockade in his lifetime, so he secretly planned to let Perlin take over his research.

  Pelin was also very curious about the experience in the ancient temple from the beginning, so she often went to the ancient temple with me to ask for Ahna, but they were not allowed. So, all along, my brother and I could only keep guessing the secrets of the underground palace in the ancient temple. Of course, during this period, we also tried to find the village discovered by the Qin brothers, but we returned without success.

  What's more surprising is that about thirteen years ago, another group of people also started paying attention to the ancient Miao village.

  This gang seems to have a strong background and ample funding, with advanced equipment. Their guide is none other than Old Han, the cook from the same unit as the Qin brothers back in the day.

  Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe there was indeed an arrangement of fate, one time my brother and I were about to head to Gu Zhai again, but unintentionally discovered that group of people.

  There were seven or eight of them, all in their thirties and forties, the oldest being Old Han, the cook.

  I and your brother decided to secretly observe their actions. The purpose of that group after entering the ancient village was very clear, they wanted to enter the cellar. However, when they found out that the Miao people in the village would not speak Chinese and firmly refused to let them enter the cellar, they actually wanted to force their way in.

  Those two groups of people had a fierce conflict, the Miao people were brave and powerful, but those outsiders were not easy to deal with either. Just as both sides were fighting intensely, Ah-jiu-na walked over slowly accompanied by six tattooed Miao men.

  The two groups stood facing each other for a while, seemingly discussing something, but due to the distance, I couldn't make out the specific content. However, one thing was certain - the conversation eventually turned into an argument, and immediately those six tattooed Miao people quickly took care of several outsiders, leaving the remaining ones like Old Han, who seemed to be no match for them, hastily kneeling down to beg for mercy. Ajuna didn't make things difficult for them either, waving her hand to let them leave.

  Since then, my brother and I have not only been studying the ancient village, but also developed a strong interest in that group of people. Gradually, we found that this group of people seems to be more than just seven or eight individuals, they have a much larger background, because shortly after that incident, they reorganized a new team. And their purpose is very clear, no more than wanting to enter the underground palace wholeheartedly, as if they already knew what would be inside the underground palace.

  However, since that incident, my research with your brother has finally made progress. I don't know if it was our persistent and sincere efforts that moved Arachne, or because of another group's frequent harassment of the ancient village, but in any case, Arachne summoned us.

  Aisha is a clever person, she obviously knew from the start that we and another group are not on the same boat, and apparently, she seems to believe you and your brother more.

  What really surprised us was that Ah-chu-nah actually had a request for us, she hoped we could help her find out the origins of those people who frequently came to harass Gu Zhai.

  I and your brother initially wanted to decline this matter, but since Ah-Jiunah had once saved me and your father's name, it was hard for us to refuse any request she made. So, we plucked up the courage to make a request, or rather, a deal.

  We promised to help Ajuna investigate the origin of that group, but on the condition that she would tell us the secret of the underground palace in Gu Zhai after that. However, Ajuna directly refused this proposal without even thinking about it, and the research that had just shown a glimmer of hope was again stuck. We informed your father of this matter, and he also felt extremely disappointed.

  However, we did not give up and still entered the ancient village every half year. Because of the frequent visits, the villagers found that we were not malicious, and sometimes they would even bring them some food. Over time, we became good friends with some of the villagers, including the father of Dazhao, who had sent you and your father out of the mountain years ago. The young Dazhao even learned Chinese from us.

  Until three months ago, everything had taken a turn of one hundred and eighty degrees. Ah Qiong summoned us again, and this time she agreed to our previous proposal and decided to cooperate with us. However, there was a prerequisite for this, which was that we must first help her complete the task, and this task seemed simple to me and your brother, which was to take a Miao girl to Dianchi.