Iron Snow Clouds

Chapter 2122 (Two Thousand One Hundred and Twenty Two)

Tie Wandao looked back at him again, and seeing that he was very close to him, he turned his head away without saying a word.

The subordinate suddenly remembered that he had heard strong winds nearby when he was imprisoned in the Muxi Pavilion, and thought that the mat and the steamed buns should have been blown away by the wind. Although there were other things around the place where the mat and the steamed buns were placed to block the wind, the wind was so strong at that time that he thought it would be affected to some extent, especially after the steamed buns were eaten by black bugs, the mat should be easily blown away by the wind. However, Tie Wandao actually said that he went to the place where his subordinates heard the singing two days ago, and saw that the steamed buns were gone, only the mat was left.

The subordinate thought: Was it possible that the buns were eaten up not long ago when the patriarch went to that place today? That doesn't seem to make sense... Even if there were buns on the mat, wouldn't the mat have been blown away in such a strong wind?
At that time, the two were not too far from Muxi Pavilion, and there was no one else around, so the subordinate asked Tie Wandao: "Chief, did you see the mat still... in its original position today?"

Tie Wandao said: "I have already told you, why are you still asking?"

The subordinate was not sure whether it was nighttime when he was locked up in the Muxi Pavilion and heard the ghost-like sound of the wind, so he said to Tie Wandao: "For a period of time, the wind in this area was... very strong."

"It's not just this area. There was a strong wind last night." Tie Wandao said, "I can also hear the wind outside in Bakong Palace."

"Such a strong wind didn't blow away the mat I placed on the stone..." said the subordinate.

"Of course it can't be blown away." Tie Wandao said.

"Why...why?" asked the subordinate.

"Because I put a small stone on your mat yesterday. Besides, there are windbreaks around the stone. No matter what, the mat will not be blown away by the wind." Tie Wandao said.

The subordinate seemed to relax a little and said, "I see! Did the chief put the small stone on the mat to prevent it from being blown away by the wind?"

"Yes." Tie Wandao said.

The day before, after locking his men into the Muxi Pavilion, Tie Wandao went to the place where his men first heard the singing. After deciding to lock his men in the Muxi Pavilion overnight as a "punishment", he remembered what his men had told him before, "There is a black bug whose name I cannot remember lying on the steamed buns eating, I wonder if it is the incarnation of 'someone'". He was also not sure whether the black bug was related to ghosts, so he hoped to behave more pious, because such a strange thing happened. Although he did not show fear in front of his men for the sake of face, he was not at ease in his heart. He thought that the wind was very strong the day before, and he did not know if there would be strong winds on that day. He felt that if there was a strong wind, it would not be auspicious for this "tribute" to be blown to the ground. He thought that since his men had put the steamed buns as tribute on the mat on the stone, he would also contribute to it so that it would have a better impact on himself, so he deliberately found a small stone, placed it on the mat, and leaned it against the remaining part of the steamed buns, which could block some wind for the steamed buns, so that the mat and the steamed buns would not be easily blown away.

Before entering the Muxi Pavilion the next day, he went to the place again. He saw that the steamed bun was gone, but the small stone he had placed the day before was still on the mat, and he hadn't moved it.

(End of this chapter)