man sanctified in death row vest

Chapter 198 "Pillar" (2 in 1)

The sudden change of painting style made Zheng Xiu couldn't help but put on a stiff face and knocked himself on the head.

"fool."

Seeing this, Xie Luohe couldn't help laughing, and scolded: "This town was left by the predecessors."

"Predecessors?"

In Xie Luohe's narration, Zheng Xiu understood the origin of the building in front of him.

It is still the group of people who developed the "Green River" back then.

After they opened up the "Green River" trade route, they arrived at Sun Cicada Valley and settled here for a period of time.

They brought here the culture of Dagan, including characters, costumes, traditions, and rituals.This is why the Lieyang tribe, which has its own unique dialect, can speak the language of Dagan.

Finely polished stone paved the streets with smooth streets.

Oasis Taoyuan has become a small town.

Streets, roads, alleys, and wells are in order.

Pedestrians hurried on the street, some with dark skin, some with blond hair and blue eyes, and some with skin around their waists. Residents of the Lie Sun tribe patrolled the town in groups holding spears.

They are businessmen from the Western Regions, exuding a unique exotic style.

The group of pioneers who opened up trade routes back then established Richan Valley, a trading town bordering Dagan and other countries in the Western Regions.

Today's Cicada Valley is far less prosperous than before, but Zheng Xiu can still take a glimpse of the leopard and imagine the bustling and crowded appearance of Cicada Valley in the previous dynasty.

There is a stone monument in the middle of the town.

The stone tablet is about two feet high, square and solemn, and at the top is a "Golden Cicada" sculpture cast in pure gold, behind which is a pattern of a scorching sun.

Sun Cicada Monument, the landmark of the town.

When Zheng Xiu passed by, his eyes inadvertently stayed on the golden cicada, and he was stunned.

At this time.

Panting, the two tribal girls ran from the corner of the street to the elder, saying something as if they were taking credit.

The old man showed respect and said to Xie Luohe: "Mr. Xie, your room is clean."

Perhaps the old man hadn't spoken Dagan's language for a long time, and he spoke intermittently, but his meaning was understandable.

The old man didn't look at Zheng Xiu from the beginning to the end.

They seemed to really regard Zheng Xiu as Xie Luohe's "captive".

Turn left and turn right, the great elder of Lie Sun tribe arranged a room for Xie Luohe.

It is an exquisite small courtyard bungalow.

Dry firewood was piled in the corner, and there was a well inside.

Hay was piled all over the edge of the fence.

The house has not been lived in for a long time, and the beams under the house are full of spider webs. Zheng Xiu thought it was a simple place at first, but when he saw the well, he suddenly realized that water can be said to be a rare resource in the desert. There is a well in the room, which is considered a "luxury house" in Richan Valley.

"Why is there only one room?"

When Zheng Xiu saw it, his heart skipped a beat.

Xie Luohe explained, and calmly said: "According to the customs of the Lie Sun tribe, captives are not allowed to walk privately in Sun Cicada Valley. They can only be in the same room with the 'master', otherwise they will be locked up."

That's bad luck.Zheng Xiu was overjoyed when he heard that, and raised his hand: "I choose to be locked up!"

Xie Luohe was taken aback for a moment, and then she remembered that "locking up" seemed to be a reward for this guy, Xie Luohe gave Zheng Xiu a fierce look, murderous: "They locked you up with those girls just now , you are also willing to reward them as a 'trophy'?"

Zheng Xiu thought about it.

Shaking his head, he said, "I'm not a casual person."

"That's it."

That's it.

The lonely man and the widow are in the same room.

Thinking about it carefully, Zheng Xiu recalled that all the way across the desert, he was wrapped in the same bed with Xie Luohe, it seemed that it was no big deal, just get used to it.

It was dusk when they arrived at Sun Cicada Valley.

The Great Elder ordered someone to bring brand new clothes. Zheng Xiu touched the material of the clothes. His thick and hot hands seemed to be made of mulberry hemp.But Zheng Xiu's requirements for material things have been reduced to the minimum due to the dust and travel all the way. He changed his body without saying anything.

The light gray sackcloth was embroidered with gaudy patterns, and after a while at the door, Xie Luohe walked out barefoot in a long skirt, with a golden garland on her head, and bird bone ornaments under the garland.

Zheng Xiu looked down, and then at Xie Luohe's...why does it look like a couple outfit?

It's just that Zheng Xiu didn't take such trivial matters seriously. He sneaked up to Xie Luohe, and while there was no one around, he asked in Xie Luohe's ear, "Don't forget about the murals."

"It doesn't matter," Xie Luohe waved his hand: "Remember."

Zheng Xiu nodded.

In the evening, a grand welcome ceremony was held in the town.

Welcome to Shelo River.

A bonfire that is as thick as an arm is built into a bonfire that is a full foot high, reflecting the night as bright as day, and it looks like a fire scene from a distance.

Many tribal women in cool clothes dance around the bonfire holding hands.

Next to the bonfire, there are several firepits with a whole head of wild boar and wild sheep on it.

Tribal residents hollowed out goat horns to make wine cups. Hundreds of goat horn cups were hung on the shelf. A sweaty man stood on a high place, beating drums, and raised the wine jar to the shelf. He poured the wine on top, filled the croissant and spilled the wine all over the floor.

The girls danced and sang, and glanced at the handsome Zheng Xiu from time to time, with regret and envy hidden in their eyes.

Zheng Xiu was not used to being in a foreign land at first.But after several glasses of strong wine, Zheng Xiu became drunk, and Xie Luohe pulled him to the campfire with a smile, and danced with the others hand in hand.

Zheng Xiu didn't know what he was dancing the whole time, and was led away by Xie Luohe.He only remembered that Xie Luohe's hands were soft and boneless, and the palms were wet and sweaty.

The banquet scene can only be described by the word "random". After dancing for a while, singing for a while, and drinking a few cups, someone laughed and handed over a big leg of lamb.Just eating, drinking and having fun until midnight, the residents of the desert were still full of enthusiasm and had no intention of ending. The Great Elder ordered people to move out a jar of stored wine, as if they were going to drink until dawn.

A gust of fresh wind blew up, waking Zheng Xiu a little.Zheng Xiu noticed that on the way to the banquet, there were men and women holding hands, the man was panting, the woman was shy, and left halfway, not sure if it was to go to the bathroom or something.

Some people leave and others join, and the campfire is always full of people.

High above the moon, hidden behind the clouds.

The stars are dim, and the bonfire is bright.

"let's go."

Xie Luohe, who was dancing with Zheng Xiu, suddenly pressed his whole body into Zheng Xiu's arms, his bulging pectoralis major muscle pressed against Zheng Xiu, making Zheng Xiu a little out of breath.She smiled next to Zheng Xiu's ear, "Here, shake it a little bit, pretending to be drunk."

Xie Luohe's sudden intimacy made Zheng Xiu wonder whether this Xie Luohe was intentional or careless.It's just that when the atmosphere came, Zheng Xiu didn't ask any more questions, just nodded silently, and let Xie Luohe lead him away.

Zheng Xiu was wobbly, his acting skills were okay, he looked like he had drunk too much.

When other people saw it, men and women laughed more happily.As the protagonist of tonight, Xie Luohe was the focus of everyone.Xie Luohe laughed loudly, carried Zheng Xiu on his shoulders, and left with a flash.

Zheng Xiu was carried by Xie Luohe like a pig waiting to be slaughtered, with a dazed expression on his face.As Xie Luohe took him away, Zheng Xiu vaguely heard thunderous applause from behind.

Xie Luohe's laughter was like a silver bell, clear and melodious, spreading throughout the city, wanton and insolent.

Only Zheng Xiu is getting more and more confused, you clap the palm of a hammer?
"What the hell are you doing?"

Zheng Xiu, who was carried on his shoulders, couldn't help asking.

"Take you to see the murals."

Xie Luohe replied.

"Do you have to deal with all these weird things? And it's so dark, how can it be seen brightly in broad daylight?"

"But at night, it's exciting."

Xie Luohe laughed.

When Zheng Xiu heard this, he was speechless.

Indeed exciting.

After blocking Zheng Xiu's words, Xie Luohe carried Zheng Xiu on his shoulders, lifted his weight like light, passed through Sun Cicada Valley in a blink of an eye, entered the depths of the oasis, and climbed the mountain road in the dark at night when he couldn't see.

Zheng Xiu noticed that there were strangely shaped stone carvings on both sides of the mountain road that Xie Luohe was walking on.

"Yeah - yah - yah -"

In the dark night, piercing crows sounded from time to time.

"crow?"

The crow's crow instantly awakened Zheng Xiu's bad memory. His heart moved, and he patted Xie Luohe: "Put me down, there is a raven!"

"Raven?" Hearing this, Xie Luohe was taken aback for a moment, and then laughed loudly: "Where do you think this is? Where did the raven come from? It's a 'Grizzly Crow'." She obviously knew exactly what Zheng Xiu said about "crossing What is "crow", and even understand what Zheng Xiu is worried about.

"Vulture crow?"

Sounds like a cross between a vulture and a crow.

It doesn't matter if the two species can interbreed, as long as it's not a raven.

Thinking of this, Zheng Xiu laughed at himself. Ever since he was attacked by the crow breeder, his face has changed. 200 years ago, Ye Weiyang was not born yet, so where did the raven come from.

Thoughts changed, Xie Luohe carried Zheng Xiu halfway up the mountain and put Zheng Xiu down.

On the mountainside called Sunset Mountain, at the end of the winding mountaineering road, there is a flat open space.Ancient stone pillars stood around the open space, and in the center was an altar-like display.

Behind the altar, the colors of the ancient murals have been peeled off, leaving only their shapes.Under the wind and the sun, Zheng Xiu looked from afar and concentrated his eyesight in the dark night, and could vaguely see that the patterns preserved on the mural were still considered complete.

"Is this the mural you were talking about?"

Zheng Xiu stepped forward to investigate.

Xie Luohe smiled and replied behind Zheng Xiu: "Yes."

"Impossible." Zheng Xiu suddenly figured out why Xie Luohe came up in this way during the banquet, and realized: "People outside the tribe are not allowed here? It's like a forbidden place or something."

"Hehe, you are not stupid this time." Xie Luohe covered his mouth and smiled: "Even if I am their benefactor, I am still an outsider in the final analysis. They will not easily let me enter the forbidden area of ​​their Lieyang tribe."

"easily?"

Xie Luohe raised two fingers with a smile: "In my opinion, there are three simple ways to enter the tribal forbidden area. First, marry a man from the tribe and become a member of the Lieyang tribe; second, kill them all; third, sneak up You said... which one should I choose?"

"understood."

After Zheng Xiu understood, he began to observe the murals.

Xie Luohe already knew the contents of the murals, so he was not interested in them.Instead, she stared at Zheng Xiu, looking at Zheng Xiu's serious side face when she was concentrating on observing the murals, without saying a word.

"This mural is about the birth of 'candle'."

In the mural, a baby was born from the mother's womb, and the mother died of dystocia.

The second picture is a lot of villains, the picture is divided into left and right, a group of people and "candle" stand on both sides, clearly distinguishing each other.

While interpreting the mural, Zheng Xiu muttered to himself: "This mural should mean that Zhu has been out of gregarious with other people since he was a child, or... different. This painting should be implicitly expressing, 'Zhu' He's a born stranger."

In the third mural, Zhu fights with a group of people and gets his hand severed.

The fourth mural depicts Zhu walking with all four limbs intact, and a group of people watching "Zhu" from a distance. The mural uses exaggerated curves to depict the expressions of "ordinary people" when they are afraid of "Zhu".

From the fifth painting, the painting style changed.

"Candle" is drawn together with a round of scorching sun.

"Zhu" stared fixedly at the scorching sun.

The two eyes of "Candle" turned into the shape of "Scorching Sun".

The painting style of that round of scorching sun is peculiar. I don’t know if it’s intentional or the carving skills need to be improved. That round of scorching sun is not a circle, and the outline is crooked. They used some distorted lines like insects to describe the light wheel of the scorching sun.

The perfect round of hot sun, in terms of expression on this mural, looks a bit weird and gloomy.

Zheng Xiu took a deep breath, his brows were tightly knit from beginning to end, but he didn't say anything, and continued to look down.

In the next mural, "Candle" starts chasing "Scorching Sun".

He crossed a mountain.

Walked through a series of rivers.

Corpses were trampled under their feet.

Each mural seems to condense Zhu Zhu's life.

He crosses the ocean.

He is educating the wild people.

He went up the mountain to collect herbs.

He opened the furnace to make alchemy.

In each mural, the image of the candle has different changes.

Followed by candles crossing the desert, the scorching sun occupies an increasing proportion of the mural.

"The candle is getting closer and closer to the mural."

Because everything recorded on the murals does not seem to be completely arranged in chronological order, it is extremely difficult for Zheng Xiu to decipher.

One of the last murals, Candle walking in the desert, hunched over, bushy bearded, ragged, leaning on a cane.

At the end of the series of murals, Zhu arrived at Sun Cicada Valley.

He was attacked by desert dwellers.

But the next mural they became friends.

A group of naked desert residents worshiped the "candle".

Zhu climbed up a mountain, and on the top of the pointed mountain was that strange round of "scorching sun".

Zheng Xiu's eyes moved to the penultimate mural.

Suddenly, Zheng Xiu's breathing stagnated.

The last mural was incomplete, but it gave Zheng Xiu a sudden sense of nausea... an inexplicable sense of nausea, as if he had a deep understanding of the content of the mural the moment he saw the mural.

In the mural, "Zhu" stands hunched on the top of the mountain, holding something in his hand. It is this "something" that is missing in the mural. According to the legend, what he is holding in his hand should be a round of scorching sun.

And what makes Zheng Xiu feel uncomfortable is the performance in the last picture.On the mural, the head of the candle is painted very large, and many "scorching suns" are densely painted in the two eyes, and the mouth of the "candle" is wide open, cracking all the way to the root of the ear. exaggerated smile.

Zhu's eyes were no longer normal eyes, like bee chrysalis full of holes.His body is melting, just like the "legend" that Zheng Xiu heard.

"The Sunstrider once got too close to the sun, and was melted by the sun he worshiped."

Xie Luohe stood behind Zheng Xiu at some point, and said a strange word in an indifferent tone.

Zheng Xiu turned his head, his pupils narrowed, and looked at Xie Luohe: "What did you say?"

Xie Luohe smiled and pointed to the mural: "I'm talking about the content of the mural, it's very interesting, isn't it?"

Zheng Xiu was silent, and his eyes moved to the last mural.

There are no "candles" on the murals, and only an ancient coffin remains.

A dense crowd of heads mourns.

At the end of the story, "Sunstrider" died.

Die from the scorching sun.

"Huh?" Zheng Xiu first saw the coffin and the dense crowd of worshipers, but soon he saw three "pillars" standing around the picture.

There is no sun in the sky.

"What are these three pillars?" Zheng Xiu frowned, talking to himself.

"Maybe," Xie Luohe looked closer, thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Maybe it's just an ordinary pillar."

(End of this chapter)