You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 606 Ballad
Xia Hui's voice drifted slowly in the air of the cafeteria: "That's right. The legends here may be rooted in various stories, including the conquest of the giant snake, just like most myths and folk tales." Her fingers unconsciously stroked the cover of the notebook, and her eyes flashed with the scholar's unique thirst for knowledge.

"The prototype of the legend should be the conquest of the giant snake. However, why did the giant snake turn into a wolf and the hero disappear?" Xia Hui looked through the lenses at the dark night outside the window, as if looking for the answer in the darkness.

She gently pushed up her glasses: "...There are almost no legends about killing wolves in the island country. However, it is very common in the context of Western pastoral culture." The lights in the cafeteria cast a dark shadow on her face.

Suddenly, Xia Hui's eyes lit up as if she had thought of something. "Could it be that the legends here have evolved from the recent introduction of Western fairy tale elements? Like Little Red Riding Hood or something like that?"

"The wolf is coming..." The hoarse voice of Master Wolf suddenly sounded, like a rusty knife cutting through the air.

Xia Hui slammed the table so hard that she almost knocked over her notebook. "Oh, right, isn't this an Aesop's fable?"

"...Oh?" Master Wolf raised his eyebrows slightly, and an elusive look flashed in his turbid eyes.

Wang Lina played with the ends of her hair, thoughtfully saying, "... Come to think of it, I think I've heard this before in general education. Foreign legends blend with local stories, and within a few years they'll be mistaken for legends."

Xia Hui nodded, her glasses reflecting the dim light. "That's right. Word of mouth isn't very reliable. It only takes one or two generations for it to become a legend from the past."

Zhao Gang turned to the hunched old woman in the corner: "...Grandma, when was the Qianming Shrine in Baifeng Village built?" There was a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Granny Rong looked into the distance with her cloudy eyes, as if recalling something: "I heard it existed before the Qing Dynasty." Her withered fingers tapped lightly on her crutch.

"Hmm..." Xia Hui frowned. "Perhaps there was a time discrepancy during the transmission process. If not, then perhaps it really was based on an ancient original story."

"What do you mean?" Tang Yin leaned back in his chair, his eyes sweeping across everyone's faces.

Xia Hui lowered her voice and said, "For example, a long time ago, we all exiled the evil landlords together, or conquered the large mountain dogs."

Tang Yin's pupils narrowed slightly as he finally understood. The atmosphere in the cafeteria grew even more solemn, even the chirping of insects outside the window seemed particularly harsh. Everyone's expression was hidden in the dim light, making it difficult to discern their true thoughts at the moment.

Xia Hui's eyes flashed with a strange light in the dim light, and her voice suddenly became firm: "But one thing is certain." The air in the cafeteria seemed to freeze.

Her fingers tapped lightly on the table: "We've mentioned the Yellow Springs Wolf before, right?" The wind outside the window blew the branches, casting swaying shadows on the glass.

Granny Rong was hunched over, her old face looking particularly profound under the light: "Yes, it's the resurrected Wolf God." A hint of reminiscence flashed in her cloudy eyes.

Tang Yin leaned forward slightly and asked in a low voice, "What kind of god is that?" His fingers unconsciously clenched the teacup.

Xia Hui pushed up her glasses, the lenses reflecting a faint light: "It sounds a bit like Izanami, Izanagi's sister and wife."

Tang Yin nodded gently, and the legend about this pair of gods emerged in his mind. He remembered that this was the most important pair of gods in the creation myth.

Gao Mei sat up straight suddenly, her long hair swaying slightly with her movements: "Hey!? Brother and sister getting married!?" There was undisguised surprise in her voice.

Xia Hui smiled helplessly, "This kind of thing is very common in mythology, right?"

"Is that so..." A confused expression appeared on Gao Mei's face, and her fingers were twisted together nervously.

Qin Ming noticed Gao Mei's abnormality and frowned slightly: "What's wrong?" His cold voice broke the brief silence.

Xia Hui took a deep breath and continued, "In short, Izanami died while giving birth to the gods. After many twists and turns, she finally became the god who ruled the Root Kingdom." There was a hint of storyteller's charm in her voice.

"The Root Kingdom?" Tang Yin's eyes swept across everyone's faces, trying to capture everyone's reaction.

"Another name for Huangquan. Some say it's on the other side of the sea, but others say it's in the Root Kingdom." Xia Hui's fingers gently stroked the cover of the notebook. "She called him Huangquanjin Great God back then. It seems the two are related..."

Her voice gradually grew firmer. "The concepts of wolf and Huangquan both happen to have matching objects. I guess it's because of this unique name that it has survived to this day."

"Oh, oh, oh, so that's how it is..." Wang Lina held her cheek, her eyes flashing with sudden enlightenment.

Qian Jin leaned back in his chair and let out a low sigh: "It's possible. In fact, as long as you see the word Huangquan, you should understand that it incorporates elements of mythology." His eyes inadvertently glanced at the dark night outside the window.

"Indeed." Tang Yin responded softly, feeling the subtle tension in the air.

Zhao Gang noticed Granny Rong's slightly stiff expression and quickly explained, "Granny Rong, don't misunderstand. She's not denying our legend."

Xia Hui waved her hands quickly, a hint of panic in her voice: "Ah, yes, he is right, the legends here are very rare, I think they are extremely precious." Her lenses reflected a faint light in the dim light.

Granny Rong's hunched figure cast a long shadow under the light, and her voice was filled with disdain: "How can it be rare or precious?" The old woman stared straight at Xia Hui with her cloudy eyes.

She knocked on the ground with her cane, trembling: "Believe in Qianming God and live sincerely. This is how we were taught to survive." Every knock made people's hearts tighten.

"...It's better for outsiders not to gossip." Granny Rong's words contained a warning, and the atmosphere in the cafeteria suddenly became solemn.

Xia Hui raised her hands tactfully and gave an awkward smile: "OK! Let's stop here." There was obvious nervousness in her voice.

Tang Yin spoke at the right time and changed the subject: "Yes. Actually, I have something more important to do." His eyes swept thoughtfully over everyone present.

Xia Hui shrugged her shoulders: "...Hey, does it have anything to do with me again?" She subconsciously tightened the notebook in her hand.

"Besides Xia Hui, I also want to ask everyone here." Tang Yin's voice was particularly clear in the silent cafeteria, "...about the folk song that Xiao Mei and Hua Lu sang."

Wang Lina's eyes lit up: "Oh, you mean to worship Qianming God?" Her long hair swayed slightly as she turned her head.

Tang Yin nodded slightly: "That should be the case. That folk song is obviously based on the Huangquan Ji Feast."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the cafeteria froze. The chirping of insects outside the window suddenly became particularly clear, and the rustling of branches in the night wind sounded like some ominous whisper.

Xiao Mei suddenly spoke, her childish voice unusually clear in the silence: "Guardian Beast of the Thousand Bright Gods." Tang Yin waited a moment, but nothing came of it. He softly asked, "Yes, that's the song. Do you remember how to sing it?"

Xiao Mei tilted her head and sang in a strange tune: "The more people who make juice, the more wild they become."

Tang Yin was startled, thinking to himself: This isn't how it's supposed to be sung, and why are the lyrics so strange? He noticed that the other people's expressions had also become unusually subtle.

Qian Jin suddenly spoke, breaking the awkward atmosphere. "That ballad is about the teachings of the dense fog and the call to exterminate the Yellow Springs people, right?" His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table. "It's indeed related to the Yellow Springs Feast... but whether it was a wolf or a Yellow Springs wolf that was killed, the lyrics don't mention it at all."

Tang Yin narrowed his eyes. This was something he had always been concerned about. The lights in the cafeteria flickered, as if to complement the eerie atmosphere. The night outside the window grew darker, and everyone's face in the room was shrouded in a faint shadow, as if hiding some unknown secret.

Qian Jin sighed softly and tapped the table with his fingers: "Maybe it's just a folk song that records the barbaric customs of the past." A complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

Tang Yin placed his hands on his chin, his eyes gleaming. "I see. However, I think the connection is strong enough. Even if the folk song and the Huangquan Banquet don't exactly match, the circumstances are quite similar." He paused, his voice becoming more resolute. "I don't know anything about wolves or Huangquan people, but one thing is certain: Baifeng Manor was invaded by Huangquan, and we fought against them."

Qian Jin pulled a wry smile from the corner of his mouth: "...I guess so. The words are rough but the truth is there."

Zhao Gang waved his hand impatiently and looked at Wang Lina: "Only a fool would believe that, right, Wang Lina?"

Wang Lina avoided his gaze, her voice a little vague: "Well, ah, probably..."

Granny Rong suddenly slammed her cane on the ground, her old face twisted in anger. "Zhao Gang, who are you calling a fool? It's because we've accumulated too much pollution that we're suffering the consequences!"

Zhao Gang was startled by this sudden anger: "Ah~ Sorry, mother-in-law, but young people have already tried very hard..." He quickly changed the subject, "By the way, Tang Yin, what exactly do you want to ask?"

Tang Yin turned his gaze to Hua Lu, who had remained silent the entire time. "Hua Lu, can you write down the lyrics for that folk song?"

Hualu lowered her eyes, her slender fingers unconsciously twisting together: "...This is not convenient to show to outsiders."

Xia Hui quickly stepped forward: "I will keep it a secret from anyone. Just think of it as providing information to Tang Yin, please." There was pleading in her voice.

Granny Rong's cloudy eyes flicked back and forth between Hua Lu and Tang Yin: "...Is it really okay?"

Hua Lu raised her head, a look of determination flashing in her eyes: "...Well, he must have made up his mind."

Qin Ming took out a notebook from his bag: "Do you need paper and pen?"

"Well, thank you." Hualu took the stationery, her slender fingers trembling slightly. The night wind outside the window sobbed, casting dappled shadows on the floor, as if witnessing the arrival of a crucial moment. The air in the cafeteria grew increasingly solemn, and everyone held their breath, waiting for what Hualu was about to write.

Hualu's pen tip moved quickly across the paper, the rustling sound of writing being particularly clear in the quiet cafeteria. Soon, the mysterious folk song appeared before everyone's eyes -

[Guardian Beast of the Thousand Gods]

[One snake, two monkeys, three crows, four spiders]

[If the evening mist rises, a feast is about to begin]

[The raccoon dog carries animal meat and looks around]

[Unclean people will return to the underworld]

[This world does not tolerate people from the underworld]

[One person per day, hanging]

【Until the sky clears】

Tang Yin's eyes darted back and forth between the lines, his mind racing. His fingers tapped the paper gently as he began to analyze this strange folk song line by line. Instantly, details began to surface: first, the introductions to the characters, with the four guardian beasts, excluding the wolf, appearing one by one.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he pondered. The numbers in "One Snake, Two Monkeys" clearly didn't refer to quantity, but rather to sequence. This meant the snake was the chief subordinate of the Thousand Bright Gods, followed by the monkey and the crow, with the spider last. The mist at dusk signaled the beginning of the Yellow Springs Feast. But one question lingered in his mind.

"What is a raccoon dog?" Tang Yin raised his head and glanced at everyone present.

Qian Jin pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the dim light. "The raccoon dog from the raccoon dog incident, right?"

"What is that?" Qin Ming asked in confusion.

Qian Jin showed a hint of disbelief. "You're so interested in the law, don't you know this? That's a famous precedent in hunting law. During the period when hunting raccoons was banned, a hunter was prosecuted for hunting raccoon dogs." He paused, then continued, "In short, the raccoon dog in question is actually a raccoon dog. However, the locals generally believe that they are two different animals, which has caused controversy."

Gao Mei suddenly interrupted, her voice filled with stubbornness: "...Does it matter? Grandpa said that animals with four dog-like legs are all raccoon dogs."

Qian Jin sighed helplessly, "...In a narrow sense, it's a badger. In hunting grounds, it's common to use the same general term for foxes, raccoons, and other similar creatures."

Tang Yin nodded thoughtfully: "...Well, anyway, raccoon dogs are canines, right? So, what is animal meat?"

Granny Rong's hunched figure swayed slightly under the light: "You mean pickled animal meat?" A glimmer of reminiscence flashed in her cloudy eyes.

Qian Jin's voice echoed in the cafeteria: "The pronunciation of shourou is derived from the ancient word for meat. In modern language, it has gradually come to refer to the meat of wild animals that can be hunted."

Wang Lina added excitedly, "That's right, Uncle Gao said that wild boar meat and wild venison are both animal meats."

Tang Yin recalled what Qin Zhi had said and said thoughtfully, "That's a very unique food, isn't it?"

(End of this chapter)