Free Web NovelChapter 1655: Chapter 839: Ancient Tribe (Part 2)
"Long, long ago, our ancestors were not called ’Ghost Masters,’ they were called ’Ghost Priests.’ They lived in these Ten Thousand Mountains, a branch of the Luo Yue people. People back then believed that mountains had Mountain Spirits, water had Water Spirits, trees had Tree Souls, and even the thunder and rain were the ’Spirits’ speaking..."
"The souls of the ancestors watched their descendants from the shadows. ’Ghost Priests’ were those who could speak with these ’Spirits.’ They presided over sacrifices and prayed for peace. To avoid war, the ancestors led the tribe deeper and deeper until they settled here."
Zhou Qingyuan pondered, "Is this how the ’Cave’ originated?"
"Yes."
Amutu nodded, "’Cave’ is not a mountain cavern; it’s a place where people live together as a tribe. A large cave governs several small caves, each with its territory, the Cave Chief manages the tribe’s affairs, but more importantly, communicates with the heavens and ancestors. Here, it’s called ’Ghost Master Cave.’ The name ’Master’ gradually evolved from ’Priest.’"
"Later, the world outside the mountains changed. The Tyrant Qin fell, and a man named Zhao Tuo established the Nanyue Kingdom in Lingnan. He was wise and knew to secure his position; he had to align with the great tribes in the mountains, especially those who could commune with the ’Spirits.’ The most powerful ’Ghost Priest’ from our cave was invited to the royal city of Southern Yue."
Amutu pointed to the cave wall at some blurred carvings, resembling both humans and birds, and then gestured towards the ground. "In that royal city, our ancestors’ witch sacrifices mixed with the magic and rites brought from the Central Plains. Zhao Tuo granted our ancestor a status, entrusting him with the sacrifices of numerous mountain caves, allowing us to name this place ’Ghost Master Cave.’
Sha Lifei clicked his tongue, "Sounds pretty mighty."
Yet Amutu’s face showed no pride, only deep solemnity. "The might did not last long. Emperor Wu of Han’s forces destroyed Southern Yue, wanting to govern all regions like the Central Plains. The court did not like our ’belief in spirits, heavy sacrileges,’ and sought to ban it."
"To preserve our heritage, the ancestors of the Ghost Masters made a decision—our entire tribe migrated to nearby areas. We dug into the mountains to form strongholds, set up illusions, and completely severed longstanding relations with the outside regimes, living in isolation."
"We have guarded this place, this mountain, the secrets and duties of our ancestors, for over a thousand years." He looked towards the altar and then outside to the seemingly eternal mountain mist.
"Occasionally, cave people would descend the mountains to perform rituals and treat illnesses for the village people at the foot of the mountain; thus, there’s a rumor outside, ’The Ghost Masters of the mountains can commune with spirits and cure all ailments.’
He looked at Li Yan, Wang Daoxuan, and others, his gaze complex. "But now... those outside intruders have found the forbidden ground, wanting to use what is here for deeds against the heavens."
"They have defiled the altar, fearing they have also disturbed the sleeping ’Spirits.’ This disaster likely concerns more than just our cave."
"Indeed, it runs deep."
Li Yan praised and then inquired, "But the pirates came here, mostly not to oppose your faction. Have you heard of the Pillar of Passage, the thirty-six Acupoints in Nanling?"
Amutu silently shook his head, "Pillar of Passage... thirty-six Earth Vein Acupoints in Nanling... Such a major matter, I’ve lived a long life, and this is the first time I’m hearing it from you."
He raised his gaze to survey the murals and coffins within the cave, "We have guarded this forbidden ground for generations, only knowing the ancestral teachings say this place is the acupoint where the earth spirits gather, practicing underground to draw in Earth Vein Sha Qi, faster by thirty percent compared to outside."
"As for the other secrets... I truly do not know."
"Oh, by the way!"
The old wizard suddenly remembered something, paused, and pointed to several smoothly polished stone platforms. "In the hand scrolls passed down by our ancestors, it mentions that when they moved to this place, there were already traces of human activity deep within the cave."
"Stone tables, stone benches, clay pots, charcoal ashes—those pottery pieces are ancient and rudimentary in design, with patterns different from the Han people’s outside the mountain, seeming more archaic. Ancestors believed they were remnants of Ancient Gods and didn’t dare to disturb them, instead watching over them with reverence."
Li Yan heard this, his gaze sharpened abruptly.
Wang Daoxuan stepped forward, squatting to carefully examine the weathered markings where the stone platform met the ground, lightly tapping the stone surface with his knuckles, murmuring, "This kind of stone, similar to the mountain’s natural rock, but polished so evenly... indeed not something the Luo Yue forebears could have made."
Sha Lifei scratched his head, "Could it be the Daoist Field of a reclusive immortal?"
Zhou Qingyuan shook his head and replied, "Not necessarily an immortal. Before Qin Han, Lingnan was home to various tribes like Ancient Pu, Yue, and Liao, among them, some skilled in natural spirit sacrifices, adept at using Earth Veins like Ancient Witch."
"It may be a far-traveled Earth Immortal, but the thirty-six Earth Vein Acupoints Great Array would be difficult for an ordinary Earth Immortal to set up."
Li Yan felt a stir in his heart and immediately turned to Amutu, cupped his hands, and said, "Senior, if convenient, may we venture deeper?"
Amutu pondered for a long while before slowly nodding, "You don’t seem to be here to seize land or compete for profit. So be it, the forbidden ground has been invaded by outsiders, and the ancestral spirits have been sullied. I shall break the rule once and take you inside."
He turned around, took out a Bone Talisman from his bosom, dipped it in some undried animal blood in the stone trough before the altar, and then slowly pressed it against a seemingly ordinary protrusion on the rock wall.
Low incantations spilled from his parched lips, as the blood-stained Bone Talisman touched the stone wall, a soft ’click’ echoed.
Following that, on the originally seamless inner side of the cave wall, a gap slid open, about seven feet tall and wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
A musty odor, mixed with the scent of rock and decayed wood wafted out, far colder than the outside cave.
Amutu led the way inside with a staff, followed closely by Li Yan and the others.
Beyond the gap was a naturally sloping stone path, with glowing moss clinging to the walls, barely illuminating the stone steps ahead.
After walking approximately twenty steps, the space suddenly widened into a deeper, more orderly natural stone hall than the outer cave.
Indeed, as Amutu mentioned, it contained several crudely polished stone tables and benches and a stack of a dozen clay pots in the corner, mostly shattered, with only a few mostly intact.
Li Yan bent down, cautiously picking up a clay shard; it was cool to the touch, thick-bodied, with simple cloud thunder patterns and wave patterns etched on its surface using a sharp tool.
These patterns, unlike the bird and beast carvings of Luo Yue style in the outer cave, seemed more akin to the heritage of some border tribes from the Central Plains during the Shang and Zhou periods.
"It does not resemble Luo Yue, nor is it Han-made." Wang Daoxuan whispered, lightly brushing the edge of another stone table, "The chiseling marks are rudimentary yet systematic, as if made by some trained craftsman."
Zhou Qingyuan held a torch, closely examining the junction of the stone hall’s dome and walls, suddenly exclaiming, "There are engravings here... very shallow, almost blending with the rock patterns."
With the help of the torch, everyone scrutinized the patterns, but for the moment, no one could decipher them. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Fortunately, in the group was the knowledgeable and well-read Kong Shangzhao.
He bent down to examine for a long while, gently rubbing the stone surface with his fingertips, pondering a moment before slowly speaking, "These patterns indeed do strike a resemblance, seen faintly in records of the era of the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns, left by a powerful tribe called ’Xuanwu Li Tribe.’
"Notice, the circular whirl pattern on the stone table resembles the transformation of the Simurgh Bird spreading its wings, and the vertical grooves on the side of the stone bench are not ordinary scraping marks but the tribe’s archaic pictographic script used for recording secret techniques."
Sha Lifei hurriedly asked, "Could it be related to the Earth Vein Acupoints?"
Kong Shangzhao shook his head, "It is too ancient, and I’m not sure."
By this time, the sky outside had darkened, and the group could only exit the cave to set up camp at a wind-sheltered spot nearby.
As the campfire ignited, dissipating the mountain forest’s chill, the group, weary from a day’s travel, began to rest.
The night deepened, Li Yan was meditating with closed eyes when he suddenly opened them.
The Hook Paper in his possession inexplicably started to heat up.
A familiar sensation surged within him, the aura of the Five Dao General.
Li Yan’s heart filled with anticipation; without revealing anything, he followed the sensation, focusing his mind to meditate.
As his consciousness sank, he found himself enveloped by dense mist.
When he fully entered a dream state and opened his eyes again, Li Yan was bewildered.
Unlike before, it was pitch black with swirling mist around, only faint firelights flickering in the distance, echoing with a clamor of voices.
What shocked him most was that the place ahead was none other than the desolate Ghost Master Cave from that morning!
