Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 657 Serpent Demon
"But he can't compare to you, sir. You are so strong and robust, truly a rare sight in the world. You must be a legendary general!"

The man glanced at Qin Huai, who wore a fierce-looking mask and dressed in an unusual manner, and reached out to soothe the dark blue giant snake beside him. He then said that he was about to take his leave: "Sir, it's getting late. The mountain road is slippery, and there are bears and wolves roaming at night. It will take several hours to get from this puddle to Guangdu Post Station. I am not very capable, so I will take my leave first."

“Hey man, wait a minute.”

Seeing that the other party was about to leave along the official road after speaking, Qin Huai shouted loudly and stopped the man and snake.

"Are you a peddler?"

"Yes, sir, you want to buy something?"

The Yi man glanced at the door panel and giant sword that Qin Huai had placed by the fire, then at the iron plaque with the character "Geng" on Qin Huai's waist. After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally put down the carrying pole on his shoulder and stared at Qin Huai's triangular head, asking a question.

"I need to buy some things, let's open it and take a look."

Qin Huai clapped his hands, stood up, and walked to the peddler's side, completely unconcerned that the abnormally large snake might suddenly attack and hurt someone.

His gaze swept quickly over the open cargo pole, which contained only common daily necessities: salt, sugar, spices, and books. Apart from that, there was nothing else worth paying attention to.

"Sir, the things in my basket are all ordinary items that I bought from Xijing and intend to carry back to my hometown in Yazhou to sell in various villages. I'm afraid they won't meet your standards."

The peddler pointed to the carrying pole with his finger, his tone slightly apologetic.

"Do you have anything from the Yi people?"

Qin Huai, whose true intentions lay elsewhere, nodded and then asked.

"Things from the clan?"

The peddler paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, there is indeed a jar that I dug up from the mountains, but the officials in Xijing City didn't like it and I couldn't sell it. I've been keeping it in a compartment, and I forgot to take it out if the officer hadn't asked about it."

As he spoke, the peddler opened the compartment and took out a bunch of bottles and jars.

"Sir, we don't know what's in this pottery jar. The elders say it's a funerary object. If you're superstitious about these things, it's best not to buy it. After all, there are indeed some unclean things in this world."

"Oh? Aren't you afraid that this pottery jar might be tainted by some evil spirit, and that it might come to take your life one day?"

Qin Huai looked at the peddler in front of him with a strange gaze and asked, seemingly casually.

"No, Daqing is very sensitive to evil spirits. If an evil spirit were to come and take my life, I would immediately run to find a Bimosuni or a capable person like the military officer. I would never just sit and wait to die."

The peddler patted the giant snake beside him and replied calmly.

"What if you can't escape?"

Qin Huai took the dark earthenware jar from his hand. It was slightly cool to the touch and even a little stinging. Almost instantly, it reminded him of a similar but more intensely stimulating black leather scroll.

"If you can't escape, then die. Life and death are predestined. Since you've done your best, in the end, a country bumpkin like me can't really change anything."

When Qin Huai pressed him for details, the peddler was quite nonchalant and didn't dwell on it too much: "Sir, although this jar is an antique, the officials in Xijing City say that the patterns on it are unlucky and it's not worth much. If you want it, just give me whatever you want."

"Unlucky?"

Qin Huai stroked the small pottery jar, about the size of a person's palm. When he picked it up, he saw a circle of blasphemous rituals painted with unknown pigments. Just looking at it made him feel that the main subject of the pattern was particularly repulsive.

On the bottom of the pottery jar and the rim of the bottle, there are several peculiar symbols. Although they do not overlap with the light gray characters on the black leather scroll, they do have some vague similarities.

What surprised Qin Huai even more was that the pottery jar was very well sealed. With a gentle shake, one could even hear the sound of the liquid inside hitting the jar wall.

Qin Huai's intuition told him that this pottery jar must be related to the Ba Hui.

"The items are nice, I'll buy them. Are you also going to Guangdu Post Station?"

Qin Huai took out a heavy gold bean from his waist and tossed it to the peddler, then asked a question.

"Are you going back to your hometown in Yazhou via Guangdu Post Station? Is there anything else, sir?"

The peddler reached out and grabbed a gold bean, put it in his mouth and bit it to confirm its authenticity before carefully placing it in his pocket and replying.

"Since we're going the same way, let's travel together. I'm new to this place and don't know anyone, so I need someone to guide me. But don't worry, I'm quite strong, so even if we encounter bandits or tigers blocking the way, I can keep you safe."

“Sir, you flatter me. This official road is the famous Tea Horse Road. Apart from the toll that merchants have to pay when passing through Baizhang Pass in Qionglai, there are no bandits. However, the beasts in the forest are indeed very vicious. Since you are doing me a favor, I will respectfully comply.”

The peddler, without any hesitation, whistled softly, and the dark blue giant snake climbed onto the roof of the carriage, coiled up, and remained silent like a sculpture.

Then, Qin Huai pulled him to sit under the awning, ladled out a bowl of meat porridge and handed it to him: "My name is Qin Wu, and you know my identity. Just call me Master Wu along the way."

"Thank you for your care, Master Wu. I am Ash, and I used to be a snake breeder in Yazhou. Later, my family suffered a misfortune, and I had no choice but to become a peddler. Only Daqing has been by my side all this time."

Seeing Qin Huai's politeness, Ash responded appropriately, immediately accepting the bowl of porridge with both hands and explaining.

"Snake breeders? Is there anything special about snake breeders in Yazhou? I remember snakes prefer warm climates, and the mountainous areas along the river have a cold climate, which doesn't seem suitable for raising snakes, does it?"

Upon hearing the words "Yazhou" and "snake," Qin Huai's heart stirred, and he immediately asked, "Sir, you may not know, but the snakes we raise are not ordinary snakes, but rather 'snake demons' like the Daqing snake."

Ash shook his head, his pupils flickering in the firelight.

"A serpent demon? What's that?"

Qin Huai glanced up at the giant snake that was obediently lying on the roof of the carriage. Apart from noticing that the snake's length-to-width ratio was a bit strange, he didn't find much else that was different.

"The snake demons are the spirits of the mountain gods. For the past few decades, every year at the beginning of the year, mountain god messengers dressed in wide robes would come to various villages and bestow snake demon larvae upon them. After the snake demons grow up and mature, some will return to the mountains to serve the gods, while others will choose to stay and protect the people and villages from evil spirits. We, who take care of the snake demons, are the snake breeders unique to Yazhou."

Ash, as if it were commonplace, patiently explained Qin Huai's doubts.

"Regarding the snake demon, I wonder if Master Wu has heard of a myth or legend that circulates in the Yi Mountains and the riverside of Yazhou?"

Seeing Qin Huai's triangular head shaking like a rattle drum, Ash didn't ask any more questions and began to tell the legend in detail.

Legend has it that long ago, people didn't know about friendship, so tribes would fight each other. Six brothers, to escape their enemies, hid in the mountains. But life in the mountains was hard, and they didn't know what to do. One day, the eldest brother went hunting in the deep mountains. He crossed many mountains, and finally, when he reached Nanyu Mountain, he was too exhausted to go any further. So he sat down by a cave at the foot of the mountain and cried bitterly. After a while, the mountain god of Nanyu, hearing his cries, appeared in the cave and asked, "Why are you crying here?"

The eldest brother then said to the mountain god, "Mountain god, why is the mountain so high? We are so tired from walking. Can you turn the mountain into flat land?"

The Mountain God of Nanyu replied, “I cannot do that, but I can make you tall and strong, and carry your brothers over the high mountains.”

So the eldest brother thanked the mountain god and went back to tell his brothers about his experiences during the day.

The next day, the second son came to the cave and burst into tears. After a while, the Nanyu Mountain God, who had heard the crying, appeared in the cave.

The second son then said to the mountain god, "Mountain god, why do wolves have sharp eyes that allow them to attack me before I can see them, and why do deer have sensitive ears that allow them to avoid me before I can catch them? Could you cover the wolf's eyes so it can't see me, and plug the deer's ears so it can't hear me?"

The Mountain God of Nanyu replied, “I cannot do that, but I can make you hear clearly and see clearly. That way you can hear the wolf before it finds you, and see the deer before it hears you.”

So the second brother thanked the mountain god and went back to tell his brothers about his experiences during the day.

On the third day, the third brother came to the cave and burst into tears. After a while, the Nanyu Mountain God, who had heard the crying, appeared in the cave.

The third brother then said to the mountain god, "Mountain god, why do jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards all have claws and teeth, which can scratch and bite me to death, while I have nothing? Could you pull out their teeth and smooth their claws?"

The Mountain God of Nanyu replied, “I cannot do that, but I can make you grow teeth and claws so that you can drive them away.”

So the third brother thanked the mountain god and went back to tell his brothers about his experiences during the day.

On the fourth day, the fourth son and his wife came to the cave and wept bitterly. After a while, the Nanyu Mountain God, who had heard their cries, appeared in the cave.

The fourth son and his wife said to the mountain god, "Mountain god, why is our child growing so slowly, so that we can't help his brothers hunt? Can you make him grow up faster so that he can work hard for everyone?"

The Mountain God of Nanyu replied, “I cannot do that, but your tribe needs your descendants to continue. Go back and tell your brothers that I will let you not have to work hard to hunt, but only take care of the tribe’s descendants.”

So the fourth brother and his wife thanked the mountain god and went back to tell their brothers about their experiences during the day.

On the fifth day, the fifth brother came to the cave and burst into tears. After a while, the Nanyu Mountain God, who had heard the crying, appeared in the cave.

The fifth brother then said to the mountain god, "Mountain god, why is life in the mountains so hard? Can you let the fruit fall from the trees by itself, and let us slaughter wild animals at will, so that we don't have to work so hard anymore?"

The mountain god of Nanyu replied, “I cannot do that, but you can go back and tell your brothers that I have freed you from labor and that you should receive half of what your brothers earn.”

So the fifth brother thanked the mountain god and went back to tell his brothers about his experiences during the day.

On the sixth day, Lao Liu came to the cave and called out the name of the Nanyu Mountain God. After a while, the Nanyu Mountain God, having heard the call, appeared in the cave.

The Mountain God of Nanyu said to him, "Your five brothers have already come to me asking for their money back. What brings you here now?"

The sixth brother then said to the mountain god, "Mountain god, thank you for being willing to help my brother, but could you stay here and protect us forever?"

The Mountain God of Nanyu replied, "I cannot do that, but I can teach you how to lead your brothers to continue living here." Then, the Mountain God of Nanyu imparted knowledge of the calendar and rituals to the sixth brother, and then went into the cave and never came out again.

On the seventh day, the mountain god's promises were fulfilled. The eldest brother grew tall and strong, as tall as a pine tree when he stood up, and as wide as a canyon when he stretched out his arms. He carried his brothers across mountains and valleys as easily as walking on flat ground. The second brother gained the eyes of a wolf and the ears of a deer. He led his brothers to find prey and avoid danger. The third brother grew the teeth and claws of a tiger. He helped his brothers hunt animals and drive away tigers and wolves. The fourth brother and his wife had many children. They raised these children and made the entire tribe prosperous. The fifth brother received the mountain god's permission to share half of the food his brothers hunted with him, so he would not have to work. The sixth brother mastered the calendar of the Nanyu Mountain God and began to manage his brothers, leading them to offer sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth.

After the mountain god's calendar cycle had completed one year, the Nanyu Mountain God reappeared in the cave. The sixth brother wanted to lead his brothers to offer sacrifices, but they said, "We toil all day and have no surplus food; how can we offer sacrifices to the mountain god?" The sixth brother thought his brothers made sense, so he offered the fifth brother, who was lazy and relied solely on his brothers for support, as a sacrifice to the mountain god. Seeing that the fifth brother was fat and well-fed, the Nanyu Mountain God knew they were doing well and accepted the sacrifices of all five brothers.

Then, the mountain god of Nanyu taught the sixth brother how to make Zisomo, and they returned to the cave with their offerings. The sixth brother made Zisomo and became the new mountain god, protecting his brothers so they could continue to live in the deep mountains.

"Zisomo? The new mountain god?"

After hearing the details of the legend, Qin Huai almost instantly equated Ba Hui with the Nanyu Mountain God, while Nazisomo and the new mountain god could be directly associated with the ascension ceremony and the saint.

"A powerful body, keen insight, aggressive claws, a surging reproductive drive, human sacrifices, and most importantly, a method to refine divinity and encompass sexuality. This [Ba Hui] is probably more than just a celestial being who has mastered the [Pain] chariot."

Qin Huai's mind raced, constantly raising his rating of the strange tribe.

Just then, a snake head the size of a washbasin drooped down from the roof of the car, wriggling and twisting, lifting the awning, and coming close to the two of them. Its narrowed eyes stared intently at the black leather scroll at Qin Huai's waist.

(End of this chapter)