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Finest Servant Chapter 667
🕑 Added 2023-11-19 06:00:26 +0000 UTCChapter 667 Fallen into My Hands
"Perfect!" Zitong, who had been hiding and eavesdropping on their conversation, gave Yilian a sly wink and giggled while clapping her hands. The art of scaling the mountain of blades was a closely guarded secret of the Miao people's shamans. To everyone's delight, Ah Lin Ge had generously offered to personally teach Yilian this skill. The girls blocking the road gathered around the little sister, their chatter as melodious as birdsong, their eyes filled with envy.
The scene was already bustling, with people packed tightly together. A group of young men brought a blade rack they had set up, its blades sharp and ready, placed excitedly before him.
Lin Wanrong took Yilian's hand and smiled, "Are you scared?"
Her cheeks flushed a rosy hue, she replied somewhat defiantly, "Shouldn't Ah Lin Ge know whether I'm scared or not?"
She, who did not even fear the agony of the heartbreak poison, was certainly not daunted by a mere mountain of blades. Lin Wanrong shook his head and sighed, "You mustn't do anything foolish in the future! If something were to happen to you, I would never be at peace in this lifetime."
Tears welled up in the young girl's eyes as she silently took his hand, "Ah Lin Ge, will you come back to the Miao village in the future?"
His heart skipped a beat at her unexpected question. Lin Wanrong was momentarily stunned, then nodded vigorously, "Of course. With its beautiful mountains and rivers, the presence of Uncle Hannong and Uncle Buyi, and little sister Yilian, I too wish to see our fellow villagers living well. I will surely return often."
"Really?" Yilian's eyes shone with joy and hope, "You wouldn't lie to me, would you?"
"If I were to deceive Yilian, may I suffer a fate worse than death—" he began.
The girl hurriedly interrupted him, "Don't swear, I believe you! Even if Ah Lin Ge were to deceive me, I would have no regrets."
Looking at her determined expression, Lin Wanrong felt a wave of emotion, "Yilian, why do you suddenly ask this?"
The little sister blushed and shook her head, "It's nothing, Ah Lin Ge. When you return next time, both Xuzhou and the Miao village will have changed greatly, I promise!"
He sensed she was hiding something. In Yilian's eyes, brimming with a mix of sorrow and joy, Lin Wanrong felt momentarily bewildered.
"The art of scaling the mountain of blades is not as mystical as one might imagine," he said after a pause, noticing everyone's eyes on him. He solemnly clapped his hands, "It's not witchcraft, but a skill honed through diligent practice."
A skill? The surrounding Miao people were baffled. How could one stand on such sharp blades unharmed?
"We can start with a demonstration," Lin Wanrong nodded and whispered something to Si De. Si De dashed away and soon returned with a fresh piece of pork.
Lin Wanrong took the meat and sliced it cleanly on the knife's edge. He smiled leisurely, "I'd like to ask everyone a question: do you think this blade is sharp?"
Was there even a need to ask? The slicing of meat was witnessed by all; although not like slicing through mud with iron, it was more than sufficient for butchering pigs and cows.
"Of course, it's sharp! How else could it cut meat?" a few Miao people exclaimed loudly. Such an obvious fact, yet Ah Lin Ge still queried.
"Sharp? I'm not so sure," Lin Wanrong smiled, pointing at one of the young men, "If you don't believe it, come and try for yourself!"
"Let's try it then!" Although Ah Lin Ge was known for his marvels, the young man couldn't accept his denial of such an obvious fact and bravely stepped forward.
Lin Wanrong, unfazed, adjusted the pork to a different angle on the blade. "Try cutting it in this direction, little brother," he encouraged.
The Miao youth quickly approached and began moving the meat back and forth on the blade. Strangely enough, what had seemed effortless for Ah Lin Ge took him more than ten attempts to barely succeed. Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Would you call this sharp?"
The onlookers' eyes widened in astonishment. The blade, clearly sharp, now made cutting meat so difficult. Yet in Ah Lin Ge's hands, it had seemed so easy.
Yilian, quick-witted and skilled, suddenly exclaimed with excitement, "I understand now, it's the grain direction!"
Lin Wanrong looked at her approvingly, "Exactly right! Meat has a grain, and it's much easier to cut along it than against it. I'm sure the sisters have experienced this when cooking at home."
His simple truth, drawn from everyday experience, struck a chord with many in the crowd who had encountered this but never given it much thought.
"But, Ah Lin Ge, what does cutting meat have to do with climbing the mountain of blades?" another mi cai asked eagerly.
"Of course, there's a connection," Ah Lin Ge explained, extending his palm, "Our bodies are flesh and blood, and the palms and soles have their own patterns. If you stand on the blade in the direction of the blade edge, you're likely to get cut. So, when shamans climb the mountain of blades, their feet and the blade edge are at a unique angle, going against the grain. This allows them to stand longer without injury."
With his explanation, the crowd recalled seeing shamans climb the mountain of blades in such strange postures, now understanding the reason.
"But simply standing isn't enough, right? Even going against the grain, standing for too long can still cause injury," Yilian pointed out softly. "Climbing the mountain of blades means actually climbing up!"
This was the question on everyone's mind, and they all turned their attention to Ah Lin Ge.
"There's a trick to that as well," Lin Wanrong said with a smile, clasping his hands around a blade, "Please watch my hands closely."
He formed his hands into claws, gripping the sharp edge tightly. His knuckles appeared to touch the blade but were actually not making contact. A spark of realization lit up in Yilian's mind, "Brother, are you saying not to grip tightly?"
"Smart!" Lin Wanrong praised, raising a finger, "Climbing requires using the wrists and fingers. A slight mishap can lead to injury, so the grip is crucial. Apart from what I mentioned about the grain, one must not grip too tightly but rather loosely. In other words, it's not about holding but pinching the blade, and paying attention to the angle and direction."
As he demonstrated, the crowd watched intently, not daring to blink. When they saw the gap in his loosely gripped palms, they all had a moment of realization.
"Speaking is easy, but doing is hard. Climbing the mountain of blades requires not only mastering the technique but also strenuously strengthening one's hands and legs to achieve bodily coordination. The shamans of the Miao village must climb thirty-six knives to complete their training, essentially practicing their strength and skills. Only by mastering these can one confidently scale the mountain of blades."
This secret technique of the Miao shamans, once shrouded in mystery, was now explained so clearly and simply by him that all the Miao people suddenly understood.
"Brother, can I... can I try?" Yilian asked him, her eyes filled with longing.
"Of course, you can! But you must listen to me and not overexert yourself."
"Yes!" Yilian responded with a sweet smile, quickly moving to stand beside the blade rack, her eyes fixed on the gleaming blades. Her heart, once calm, was now fluttering with nervousness.
The stubborn little sister! Lin Wanrong looked at Yilian's flushed face with a mix of pain and affection. Gripping her hand tightly, he whispered reassuringly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here with you."
Yilian, feeling encouraged and gripping his hand in return, seemed to gather immense courage. She steadied her fluttering heart and, following Lin Wanrong's instructions, lightly gripped the blade's edge with her hand and slowly stepped onto the blade rack with her smooth, jade-like feet.
The onlookers, including the mi duo and the mi cai, watched intently, their hearts in their throats for her.
As Ah Lin Ge had said, with the right balance, one could indeed stand on the mountain of blades. The young girl, both shocked and thrilled, calmed her rapid breathing and lightly exerted force with her arms, swiftly moving up another level, steadying herself.
"Bravo!" Applause roared like a tide. The Miao people were ecstatic. Yilian's personal demonstration had proven Ah Lin Ge's words true; scaling the mountain of blades was not witchcraft but a skill developed through diligent practice.
Yilian, growing more interested, was about to climb another level when she suddenly felt light. She was swept into an embrace and brought down. Lin Wanrong's deep voice rang in her ear, "For a beginner, one level is enough. You mustn't overdo it."
"Yes!" Held in his arms, the little sister felt a mix of shyness and joy, her heart warmed, clinging tightly to his chest, her eyes misty.
Zitong chuckled and winked at Lin Wanrong, "Ah Lin Ge, you must take good care of our Yilian. If she suffers any wrong, we won't let you off!"
"Alright, it's getting late. Ah Lin Ge, please proceed up the mountain," the Second Elder said with a smiling face. He was truly impressed by Ah Lin Ge's abilities. Not only could his lanterns fly, but he also easily unraveled the secret of climbing the mountain of blades, a mystery for ages. The Holy Maiden indeed had a discerning eye!
"Ah!" Hearing the Second Elder speak, Yilian, as if startled, leaped from his embrace and ran off.
Lin Wanrong, quick to react, caught her, "Yilian, where are you going?"
"Let go of me," the girl said, her cheeks flushed, "I need to help press the bed for the Holy Maiden!"
"Press the bed for Sister An? What bed?" He hesitated for a moment, and in that instant, Yilian gave him a look filled with a mix of shyness and joy, then dashed towards the White Miao village.
"The so-called bed pressing is a custom of our Miao village," the Second Elder explained with a smile, "When a woman gets married, she invites her beautiful friends to lie on the newlywed's bed, sing songs, chat, and share their feelings. The more girls there are to press the bed, the better. If the bed collapses, it symbolizes a happy and auspicious marriage!"
So that was the situation! Lin Wanrong sighed to himself, realizing that inviting Yilian to press the bed was a deliberate provocation by Master Sister. It seemed a bit too cruel.
As he made his way up the Wulian Peak, the path was brightly lit with lanterns and filled with joyous celebration. People crowded both the peak and its base, congratulating him and showering him with red envelopes.
Upon reaching the entrance of the White Miao village, tables and incense altars had already been set up. Hannong and the Miao elders smiled as they looked him over.
Lin Wanrong hurried forward, bowing respectfully, "Greetings to all the Uncles and to Uncle Buyi as well!"
Hannong raised a bowl of rice wine, "Ah Lin Ge, the Holy Maiden is our Miao village's phoenix. We hope you will treat her well. If you are willing, please drink this cup of wine."
How could he hesitate? He picked up the bowl and drank heartily.
"Excellent!" The elders applauded and laughed. Hannong sang out loud, "Please, Holy Maiden!"
With the music playing and firecrackers roaring, a graceful Miao woman emerged slowly from the village. Silver ornaments draped over her forehead concealed her face. She lowered her head silently, her slender neck faintly blushing.
That silhouette was all too familiar - who else could it be but Sister An! Lin Wanrong felt a warm sensation in his heart, seeing how even his Master Sister could be so shy. He quickly reached out to pull her towards him.
"Ouch," he winced as a prickling pain shot through his palm, and he quickly withdrew his hand, complaining, "Sister, are you going to give me a shot even today?"
An Biru snorted, "That's for not behaving at the foot of the mountain, flirting with little sister!"
Lin Wanrong's heart softened, and he whispered in her ear, "I understand now. I should have been flirting with Master Sister instead! Ah, tonight is the perfect opportunity!"
Though he couldn't see the Holy Maiden's face, the redness of her ears revealed her uncontrollable shyness. Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, taking her hand and leading her to the altar.
"First, bow to heaven and earth!" Hannong sang out. An Biru's hand trembled lightly as Lin Wanrong gently took it, and they knelt together.
"Second, bow to the high hall!"
"Father, Mother, your daughter is getting married! To this mischievous little brother!" The Holy Maiden murmured, her smile mingling with tears.
"Father, Mother, I promise to take good care of Sister An. To keep her well-fed, warmly clothed, in good spirits every day, constantly thinking of me. Even if she gives me a hundred shots a day, I won't mind!"
An Biru chuckled softly, giving him a bashful, happy glance.
"The couple bows to each other!"
Lin Wanrong had waited countless moments for this. He bowed deeply, and as Sister An returned the bow, she took the opportunity to pinch his palm hard, "Hmph, now you've fallen into my hands!"
