RPAGF Chapter 115 Patriarch
Chapter 115 Patriarch
Jiang Qi, along with Lu Zhi, and Lin Wanchu, along with Lu Xue and Chi Miaomiao, split up and went to the villagers' homes to inquire about the offerings needed for the cave-diving ceremony.
Jiang Qi skillfully navigated the winding paths and knocked on the door of a house.
In comparison, this farmhouse appeared more spacious and grand.
Its architectural style is more modern, and the exterior walls are painted with bright paint, giving it a fresh and refined feel.
A small portion retained the traditional brick and tile structure, appearing rather old.
Most houses are built with wood, such as the stilted houses where players stay.
Secondly, the house of this farmer is significantly larger than the houses of the surrounding families.
Moreover, the area in front of the house is filled with various flowers, trees, and shrubs, forming a beautiful little garden.
Jiang Qi figured this family must be wealthy and powerful in this remote and impoverished place, which is why he chose to inquire about them.
Jiang Qi and Lu Zhi knocked three times, neither too loud nor too soft, and waited patiently for the door to open.
The room was dimly lit. When the old man heard the knocking, he slowly stood up from his chair.
Due to his advanced age, his movements appeared slow.
He leaned on his cane and walked unsteadily toward the door.
With each step, my body swayed slightly, and I needed to use a cane to stabilize myself.
Upon reaching the door, the elderly man's trembling hands made him less dexterous.
The door finally opened with a slight creak.
The person's skin was loose and covered with wrinkles.
She has bags under her eyes, and her gaze is slightly cloudy, but it still reveals a gentle light.
His body was hunched over, appearing somewhat frail. He wore an old but clean shirt and trousers; the clothes were simple in style and rather dark in color.
The old man's hair on top was sparse and gray, and his voice was weak and slightly trembling. He spoke slowly.
After opening the door, the old man greeted us gently in a trembling voice, "Hello, what can I do for you?"
His facial expression was gentle, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes became more pronounced when he smiled, revealing a kind and benevolent nature.
Unlike the two gloomy old women I had seen before, who exuded an air of impending death.
Jiang Qi's lips curved slightly, his gentle smile like the March sunshine, making people feel no sense of vigilance.
"Hello, sir, excuse me, we've come to ask where the clan chief lives."
"We have something to discuss with the clan chief."
"Ah, judging from your clothes, you must be from out of town."
“The clan chief and I have been friends for many years. If you don’t mind my old bones, I can take you there.”
"How could that be? You seem to be in good health. Just give us a general direction, and we'll find it ourselves. We won't trouble you to lead the way."
Seeing this, the old man didn't insist any further. With trembling fingers, he pointed to a higher place and said, "Just go straight up here. The ancestral hall at the highest point is where the clan chief lives."
As the old man pointed in the direction, Jiang Qi seemingly casually raised his hand and touched the old man before quickly withdrawing his hand.
The touch was icy cold; the old man's arm was like an iron railing forgotten outdoors in winter, chilling to the bone.
Even though the sunlight was shining all over his body, Jiang Qi still felt as if he were immersed in the icy seawater, unable to shake off the cold.
The old man's body temperature was abnormally low, making him practically dead.
After thanking the old man, Jiang Qi and Lu Zhi left in a hurry.
From an angle unseen by them, the old man stared intently at their backs for a long while, then let out a barely perceptible sigh.
He then closed the wooden door, slowly sat down in the rocking recliner, and closed his cloudy eyes.
The moment he sat down, the old man's skin became even paler, almost turning an unnatural gray.
Inside the house, only the old man's ashen body lay there quietly, no longer breathing.
A soft whisper drifted through the room, "It's good to have outsiders around; with outsiders, they don't have to suffer..."
Jiang Qi and Lu Zhi arrived at the deepest and highest point of the Miao Gu Village, where an ancient and solemn ancestral hall stood.
The ancestral hall has a unique architectural style and is full of Miao cultural characteristics.
The roof is covered with blue tiles, which are peculiarly shaped and spread out like bird wings.
The walls are made of stacked stones, making them sturdy and stable.
The entire ancestral hall gives people a solemn and dignified feeling; I never expected that the clan chief would live in the ancestral hall.
The door opened just a crack, as if it knew someone was about to come in.
Lu Zhi took the lead and entered the ancestral hall, while Jiang Qizhui followed behind, observing the layout of the hall.
The first thing that catches the eye is the shrine in the center.
The ancestral tablets of the Miao people are enshrined on the shrine, with an incense burner and offerings placed in front of them.
Amidst the swirling smoke, Jiang Qi caught a faint scent of sandalwood, mixed with a strong stench of decay.
The interior decoration of the ancestral hall is also very exquisite.
The walls are adorned with traditional Miao embroidery and silver ornaments, each piece exquisitely beautiful.
The ground is paved with stone slabs, smooth as a mirror, giving a sense of tranquility when you walk on them.
On both sides of the ancestral hall, there are also some ancient Buddha statues.
The fire was almost completely covered, and a person was kneeling on a prayer mat, throwing stacks of paper money into the brazier.
I lit three incense sticks, first bowed to the Buddha statue, and then bowed to my ancestral tablets.
It seems that the Miao people in Gu Village have a deep-seated belief in gods and Buddhas.
He was the only one in the ancestral hall. Before Jiang Qi could ask him anything, he spoke, his voice old and unpleasant.
"You must be the outsiders who will be participating in the cave-diving ceremony. I think you've come to inquire about the offerings that need to be prepared."
The person speaking kept his back to Jiang Qi and Lu Zhi, as if their arrival was expected.
The old man had previously said that the clan chief was his longtime friend, so Jiang Qi was misled and thought that the clan chief was also an old man with white hair.
But look at this person, apart from his voice, even though he has his back to them, his back is ramrod straight.
The back of his hands had no wrinkles typical of the elderly; they were clean and smooth, just like the hands of an ordinary adult man.
Some incense ash fell onto the back of his hand. He clapped his hands to brush off the scalding ashes before finally turning around and reluctantly glancing at them.
Jiang Qi wore a perfectly measured smile, and after a long while, he earnestly asked the question.
"You must be the clan chief. We are clumsy and afraid of messing up the cave-diving ceremony. Just like you, we have come here for this reason."
"A-Yue and the others did not tell us the specific offerings required."
What kind of offerings should we prepare?
As the clan chief sized up the two, Jiang Qi was also secretly observing his expression.
Lu Zhize stood to the side, calmly straightening his sleeves.
Without a doubt, the chieftain of the Miao Gu Village was not as harmless as he appeared, so Jiang Qi concealed the vigilance and composure in his eyes.
Moreover, the words spoken by important NPCs could become clues, and Jiang Qi did not want to reveal his true thoughts.
The clan chief simply nodded, without answering Jiang Qi's question.
He took the unburned paper money and three incense sticks and handed them to Jiang Qi and Lu Zhi.
"Since we're already here, let's pay our respects to our ancestors first."