Chapter 00112: The Worst Omen (Part 2)
# The Worst Omen (Part 2)
Chapter 112
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 112: The Worst Omen (Part 2)
"We're at the foot of the mountain. They plan to ascend tomorrow morning."
"Send someone down to deliver a message or guide them. Tell them to come tonight! Say that the Spirit Lake has yielded thousands of pounds of fish tonight, and we're hosting a grand fish feast. Invite them to come and taste the fresh catch," Lu Yao said with a laugh.
"Those guys at the foot of the mountain are probably eating nothing but coarse grains. When they hear this, won't they be drooling like crazy?"
In truth, these men had fled all the way from Wuling Pass and hadn't dared to plunder recklessly along the way, fearing it would draw attention and provoke a cross-region manhunt.
As a result, their rations had been meager, and their morale was at an all-time low.
Everyone was disheartened and listless.
"Make sure to deliver the message loudly, so as many people as possible hear it. That way, when Wu and Pei's men start clamoring, they won't have a choice but to come up the mountain tonight."
The "righteous army" had suffered an unprecedented defeat, and the commander's authority had plummeted to rock bottom.
The situation was one of weak leadership and strong soldiers, with discipline in shambles and the higher-ups unable to control the lower ranks.
If the soldiers felt wronged or mistreated, they might start to doubt their leader's competence, and that could easily lead to mutiny.
In times like these, the generals had to consider the needs and feelings of their subordinates.
Otherwise, everyone might just go their separate ways, and the worst-case scenario would be the soldiers turning on their leader and seizing power.
A trusted aide acknowledged the order and was about to leave when Lu Yao suddenly added, "Don't mention the presence of government troops. Remember, not a word!"
These were extraordinary times, and the defeated army had a psychological fear of government soldiers.
If Wu and Pei found out that government troops were here, they might decide not to come up the mountain.
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The room was crowded, so He Lingchuan stepped outside for some fresh air.
He also took the opportunity to familiarize himself with the surrounding terrain, wanting to have a clear picture in his mind.
Tonight was bound to be turbulent, and this village might very well become the next battlefield.
The earlier commotion had subsided, and the Spirit Village was now enveloped in the evening breeze.
If it weren't for the patrolling guards coming and going, no one would suspect that this small mountain village was on the brink of a major event.
He walked past the Water Spirit Shrine.
Even the village's finest building was inconspicuous in the heavy darkness.
The shrine wasn't large, but it was well-constructed, with a square and symmetrical layout.
Its location was excellent, nestled against the mountain and facing the vast lake.
Then, he heard a "clatter," as if something had been knocked over, shattered, and rolled a couple of times.
He Lingchuan stopped and called out, "Who's there?"
The Water Spirit Shrine was eerily quiet, with only the wide-open door resembling a gaping mouth.
Could there be bandits hiding inside?
He Lingchuan glanced around, then borrowed a torch from a patrolling guard.
Gripping the hilt of his sword, he stepped inside.
What was there to fear? The Water Spirit Shrine was in the eastern part of the village, which was now under the control of government troops.
The shrine wasn't small.
The front was a worship hall, while the back served as a meeting area.
The side rooms were the caretaker's quarters and storage spaces.
Earlier, the bandits had hidden weapons under the altar, but after drawing a clear line with the government troops, they had taken them all back.
He Lingchuan walked through the shrine with the torch, but there was no one—not even a single living creature.
The ground was covered in footprints, likely left by the bandits earlier.
Then, he noticed a divination stick holder lying on the ground in front of the altar, its sticks scattered everywhere.
The sound he had heard earlier must have been this thing falling.
Probably knocked over by a cat?
He Lingchuan recalled what Madam Zhu had said: the divination sticks at the Water Spirit Shrine used to be very accurate.
But after too many people came to seek fortunes, the Water Spirit grew annoyed and forbade people from asking about their fortunes.
He instinctively bent down to pick up the holder, but halfway through, he suddenly felt something was off:
What am I doing?
The Water Spirit is gone.
What's the point of picking this up?
Besides, even when the old turtle was alive, it didn't do divinations anymore.
Just as He Lingchuan was about to straighten up, he noticed a divination stick stuck in the carved gap of the altar, right under his nose.
It was practically pointing at his face.
The stick was a deep, blood-red color.
Even in the dim light, it was impossible to miss.
He casually pulled it out and realized it wasn't stained with blood but was entirely painted red.
Looking at the small characters on it, He Lingchuan cursed under his breath.
At the very top of the stick were two words:
Worst Omen.
Below that was a line of verse:
"The cuckoo occupies the magpie's nest, sewing wedding clothes for another."
He Lingchuan's hand trembled as he read the words.
The latter part didn't matter, but the phrase "the cuckoo occupies the magpie's nest" struck him like a thunderbolt, hitting the deepest part of his heart.
He was a soul from another world, occupying the body of "He Lingchuan."
Wasn't that exactly what the phrase described?
He Lingchuan looked up at the altar.
Was the Water Spirit really dead? It didn't seem like it.
Or was this stick falling out just a coincidence?
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him, and He Yue's voice called out, "Brother, what are you doing?"
He Lingchuan turned around to see Madam Ying, He Yue, and Madam Zhu approaching, followed by Mao Tao.
"Why are you all out here?"
"The prisoner you captured is being interrogated in the kitchen. I couldn't stand it," Madam Ying said, glancing at the divination stick holder on the ground.
"Were you seeking a fortune?"
"This holder has been sealed for a long time," Madam Zhu said, noticing the stick in He Lingchuan's hand.
She was startled.
"Young Master, how did you get this Worst Omen stick?"
The Worst Omen sticks at the Water Spirit Shrine in Spirit Village were blood-red, and she recognized it at a glance.
"Worst Omen?" Madam Ying and He Yue were both alarmed.
Madam Ying grabbed the stick from He Lingchuan's hand before he could react.
"What does this mean?"
Madam Ying couldn't make sense of it.
He Yue leaned over to read it aloud, then pondered for a long time before shaking his head.
Mao Tao picked up the scattered sticks and put them back in the holder.
He Lingchuan reached out, "Give it to me."
Madam Zhu quickly said, "Young Master, the Water Spirit is gone. Seeking fortunes here won't work anymore."
He knew that, but he wanted to try again.
He Lingchuan held the holder, muttered something, and then shook it vigorously.
A stick flew out.
Before it even hit the ground, everyone could see its color—
Blood-red.
He Yue picked it up first and read it aloud by the torchlight:
"Trapped in a cage, this hatred will only end with death!"
Another Worst Omen stick!
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, and He Lingchuan's expression darkened.
Wasn't one of these cursed sticks enough?
What did "trapped in a cage" mean?
Madam Zhu, watching from the side, felt that this stick perfectly described her current situation.
But why had Young Master He drawn it?
He was so free and domineering—what did he have to do with a "cage," let alone a hatred that would only end with death?
"I've never heard of anyone being this unlucky," Mao Tao couldn't help but say.
"Young Master, is there something wrong with this holder?"
He Lingchuan clenched his fist.
The local Water Spirit had met its end.
Could seeking fortunes here still have any effect?
Was someone secretly messing with him?
He Yue snatched the holder.
"Let me try."
Madam Ying, frightened, grabbed her precious son's arm.
"Don't! This thing is too sinister."
"Fortune-telling is inherently mysterious," He Yue said with a smile.
"Don't worry, Mother. My luck has always been good."
He shook the holder a few times.
A stick fell to the ground—a plain bamboo one.
He Lingchuan picked it up and saw it was a mid-to-upper fortune.
"Huh, yours isn't bad."
(End of Chapter)