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Chapter 55: A God’s Marriage (26)
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: GaeaTiamat
“Is thatâŠthe Lord’s family?” Yan Yan asked in a low voice.
Yun Chi kept his footsteps even and replied indifferently, “Even if it was before, itâs not now.”
Yan Yan hung his head. He understood Yun Chi’s thoughts, and knew it was a question that didnât need to be investigated.
They passed through the crowd of people. For the festival month, the entire city-state was decorated with a new look. The houses of the common people were cleaned with snow water, and those who were a little better off, would use a light green masonry to pile up the outer walls of their houses. As for the inner ring, which was farther away and more central, Yun Chi looked around and saw clear and shining quartz tiles that under the sun, looked as if water was sparkling.
The area of Samar wasnât small. Yun Chi followed Yan Yan left and right, through the walls and streets, but they soon found the blacksmith and stonemason’s store.
The fireplaces of the current era were far from the elaborate and sophisticated designs of the later generations, but they were superior in terms of the materials used. Yun Chi picked and chose. Although he preferred masonry fireplaces, unfortunately, it was necessary for the craftsmen to build them in person, according to the structure of the house.
“What’s the trouble with that?” Yan Yan actively advised. “Just pick a few craftsmen you can see, I will take them to the island, wait until the repair is complete, and then send them out with their memories gone. They won’t remember anything except that they seem to have made a fortune.”
Yun Chi, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, right? Sending the tailors blindfolded into the cave?”
Yan Yan wondered, “I’m sorry we’re so ignorant. We’ve never been told the allusion you’re talking about…”
Yun Chi shook his head, “No, it’s not important. It’s just that this party doesn’t seem to be very reliable, plus Sa’gya might not be willing to let outsiders onto the island.”
He turned away and looked at the iron fireplace again. He was hesitating when there was a sudden commotion outside the store, and even the sound of the bellows being pulled and the anvil being struck there couldnât overshadow the noise outside.
“It’s starting, it’s starting!” The artisans, like they were injected with chicken blood, threw down their tools and ran outside to look at the work.
Yun Chi asked curiously, “What’s starting?”
The guest next to him replied, “The tour of the city! Itâs said that the princess will travel all over the city and state on a thunder elephant to say goodbye to her homeland, and then she will enter the temple to serve the gods!”
Yun Chi was so confused that he followed him out. He was about to stand on tiptoe then bounce forward to look, when the floor tiles under his feet silently rumbled in an upwards arc.
“Thanks!” Yun Chi said to Yan Yan and looked towards the end of the long street. However, not even an elephant shadow could be seen, let alone the princess.
He was wondering about it, when, at that moment, there was a majestic, thunder-like, but long and distant elephant sound, penetrated from the deepest part of the city-state. It shook people’s eardrums until they were buzzing and trembling. The sky rolled with flowing clouds that also seemed to bear a shock wave of expulsion since the wind tower sides blew away every piece, and the vault of heaven suddenly bright and clear.
“Not here?” Yun Chi was dumbfounded. “The royal palace is at least a few kilometers away from here. The princess’s elephant ride just came out of the royal palace and if weâre waiting here, weâll have to wait until the end of the year, ah!”
“Don’t worry,” Yan Yan said professionally. “If you want to see it, we will take you there immediately.”
“Oh,” said Yun Chi, “Then please⊔
Yan Yan Yan gently squeezed Yun Chi’s shoulder. As a magic monster of the earth, it was easy to move people miles away in an instant. Yun Chi only felt a blur before his eyes, and by the time he gathered his senses, he was already standing at the roadside of the royal palace avenue, where the magnificent carved stone door in front of him was slowly opening to reveal the overlapping shadows inside.
“…Up.”
Yun Chi swayed, and hurriedly hid himself under the tall shadows of some eaves.
Except for the time in the boat, this was the first time he stood on the sidelines and saw the rituals dedicated to the gods of this era.
The road paved from the palace was so wide and frightening that when standing on one side of the road, it was completely impossible to see the faces of the people on the other side. The road was covered with a huge carpet of pale blue colors that spread to the far side of Yun Chi, which was invisible. It was embroidered with the infinite blue sky, the azure sea, and the palace with a hidden splendor in a storm, under which the people lived and danced in peace and happiness.
The drums roared, and the air gradually blew a flurry of golden flowers, like a gentle snow, carried by the breeze to all directions. One petal fell on Yun Chi’s hair, he picked it off and sniffed it. He could still smell the fragrance, as if it had just dropped from the branch and fallen on the shoulders of the pedestrians.
The crowd that had waited with bated breath began to cheer enthusiastically. They put their hands on the gentle sarong, the sash embroidered with the family crest, the crown of flowers pinned at the temples, the dagger in the golden sheath and precious stonesâŠThe precious treasures that symbolized one’s status were thrown like rain on the wide avenue along with the increasingly rapid drumbeat.
The carved stone door completely drew in, then the lofty and ancient elephants stepped out and shook the earth. They were clad in gold and silver, each with a covered sedan. The heavy ivory tusks were heavily spiraled and nearly hung to the ground, while the tips of the tusks were decorated with dazzling jeweled tassels that wound like a splendid river.
The first of these was the “new” one. The princess’s sedan chair was winding with a bright and beautiful veil that flew in the wind. Outsiders couldnât see her appearance, only a shadowed and slender figure sitting on the unreachable back of the thunder elephant.
Yun Chi’s fingertips swirled the petal of the fallen flowers, and gazed up at the Samar’s princessâ ride. Golden snow sprayed, the breeze flowed along the edge of the veil, which coincidentally lifted a corner, and provided Yun Chi with a glimpse.
The young girl, who was dressed in a gorgeous costume and had an extravagant flower crown, hung her head and closed her eyes, but at the moment Yun Chi saw her, she also opened her eyes and sent him a faint glance.
Yun Chi was stunned and hastened to shrink back, thinking, What keen senses! Luckily this was not a scene from a martial arts novel, if this were in a martial arts novel, the next moment the veil would be swirling and the princess’s highly skilled maids would break the veil and come out, shouting “no more madmen” as they killed himâŠ
” Don’t share your eyes with the common people!â The princess turned her head hastily and continued to maintain a quiet posture with her head hanging and eyes closed. “From now on, your gaze can only be dedicated to the Lord God, and if you look at any other person, it is that person’s trespass, a great crime that needs to be executed, even if it is the king, your fatherâŠUnderstand?”
It turned out that there was more than one person sitting in that exquisite sedan chair.
The princess whispered, “…Yes, Priest Lord.”
After receiving a submissive response, the the priest asked, seemingly carelessly, “So, what did you see?”
“I saw⊔ The princess hesitated for a moment. “No, I didn’t see clearly. I just felt that there seemed to be a God-family member there and a familiar person, so I couldn’t resist my curiosity and looked down.”
“FamiliarâŠ?” The priest frowned and murmured.
Yun Chi didnât move as the two on the thunder elephant’s spine had a brief conversation. Since he had seen the lively and luxurious array, and satisfied his heart about seeing and hearing the exotic customs, he did not linger and turned to continue his path of purchasing the fireplace.
“Let’s go,” he called out. “The faster we buy, the sooner we finish. This place isnât good to stay in.”
“Actually, the God of Storms didn’t come to the ritual in person,” Yan Yan whispered. “You don’t have to hide from Him.”
Yun Chi said in surprise, “Really?”
“We are just telling the truth,” Yan Yan’s voice was deep. “He was led to the sea by the West Wind God, and will not be able to return for a while.”
Yun Chi thought for a moment and shook his head. “Or not. This place gives me a strange feeling. I feel that something is going to happenâŠLet’s finish shopping, change locations to rest for the night, and go back in the morning.”
Yan Yan bowed his head. “All according to your wishes.”
They went back to the blacksmith’s store, where the main man of the store had gone out to wait for the princess’s elephant carriage, leaving only a listless apprentice inside. Yun Chi selected and reselected. Finally he decided to buy the two fireplaces in stock, and go back to Strange House to try to tinker with them first, and then ask Sa’gya’s advice to see if he could bring someone to the island to install them.
After buying the fireplaces, the young apprentice was grateful for Yun Chi’s generous tip and told him that there was another carpenter’s store not far from there, which made good-looking, sturdy furniture and was known as a reputable merchant from far away.
Yun Chi was impressed by his words and dragged Yan Yan to the carpenter’s shop.
An elegant line of miscellaneous shelves for the kitchen spice jars; a small wooden cabinet half a person high, remove the baffle, then it was a simply shaped shoe cabinet; a low table with thick fur, so you could lean in to read a bookâŠSpeaking of low tables, he couldnât help but buy a long curved couchâŠ
Yun Chi said happily, “So, there are still good things to buy!”
Finally, Yun Chi left a deposit of three gold grains and agreed with the carpenter to work for a month. He wanted a special table and chairs for the humanoid Sa’gya, and a square corner cabinet flush with the wall to house their daily change of clothes.
With that done, Yun Chi didn’t forget the most important family business, and ran to the farmer’s market, where he stuffed his pockets with spices, grains and specialty dried cured meats.
“Good!” Yun Chi wiped the sweat from his forehead and lifted the curtain of the store. “Next⊔
His voice lurched.
The city-state was full of people. Everyone was expecting the palanquin carriage of the princess dedicated to the god to pass by their own door. It was a once-in-a-decade event. Samar’s people were already boisterous, and every household was already preparing for a night of revelry, and if this wasn’t the domain of the God of Storms, Yun Chi really wanted to stay and see it.
But it should not be so quiet.
As the merriment and singing went away and the noise and shouting stopped, Yun Chi saw the inhabitants of Samar with their mouths open, but no sound came from them.
“It is indeed you, the sacrifice of the Ondemol family.” Behind Yun Chi, an indifferent voice without distinguishing age rang out, “It was really difficult to find you.”
Yun Chi snapped back, as all of a sudden, there were stores, markets, tiles with fruit peels and broken pastries, children burrowing beneath Lord, and people crowding around him. Yun Chi stumbled, and when he looked up again, he was surrounded by a glorious palace hall with golden flowers on the red jade floor and the smoke of burning spices curling up behind the draped veil.
Yun Chi had never seen such power before, only because Sa’gya could beat the sea monsters at the bottom of the sea until they cried out with the palm of his hand alone, and no one would use this clever technique, whose main purpose was to deter, in front of him.
“No matter who you are, I advise you to put me back in place in a hurry.” Yun Chi coldly lowered his face. “I came to spill money to you to pull your economic and trade development here, and this is how you treat your guests?”
The voice didn’t pay attention to Yun Chi’s words, just said gloomily, “You disobedient traitor. You betrayed your own family, betrayed your own city-state, and betrayed your own god! Is that earth-born demon your servant? I can’t believe that the god you serve now is really big⊔
Yun Chi “tsked.” The person who knew this body before came to cause trouble. “Who are you? I’ll leave if there’s nothing else. Don’t give me the shade. I don’t have time for you to talk here.”
“As a priest of the gods, I will now sentence you to prison until the gods decide your final fate!” Yun Chi’s careless attitude angered the priest, who sat high on his throne behind a heavy veil tent and pointed his hand at Yun Chi, “Why don’t you kneel down?”
Naturally, Sa’gya did not tell Yun Chi anything about the new gods, as he himself didnât know. For such a powerful new god like Roche, His priests were the real power among the God’s family. The high priest could get partial use of the divine power, which was to better help the God take charge of His territory.
The priest reached out to point as usual. For him to point to a person, had long meant the vast majesty of the pressure sent them to the ground, all their bones shattered into a puddle of barely breathing meat cake. But Yun Chi still held his arm, intact, and stood impatiently in place, as he looked at him like he was a fool.
“Get your ass out of here.” He rolled his eyes and said nonchalantly. “If you delay my grocery shopping again, I’ll whack you.”
I did wonder about it not occurring to either YC or Yan Yan, that hemight be recognised, wandering about so openly, in the body of a failed sacrifice from this city.
A storm’s brewing.
Thank you both for the chapter.
Thumbs up for Yun Chi! If you delay my groceries shopping again, I’ll whack you! đ€Ł Eat that arrogant priest!