You said you would make games by yourself, but how did you become the richest man by doing nothing?

#606 - ballad

Xia Hui's voice slowly dissipated in the cafeteria air: "That's right. The legends here are perhaps rooted in various stories, including the slaying of the great serpent, just like most myths and folk tales." Her fingers unconsciously caressed the cover of her notebook, her eyes gleaming with the inquisitive light of a scholar.

"The prototype of the legend should be the slaying of the great serpent, but why did the serpent become a wolf, and why did the hero disappear?" Xia Hui's gaze pierced through her glasses, looking out at the dark night outside the window, as if searching for answers in that darkness.

She gently pushed up her glasses: "...Island countries have almost no legends about killing wolves, but it's very common in the context of Western animal husbandry culture." The cafeteria lights cast an obscure shadow on her face.

Suddenly, Xia Hui seemed to think of something, her eyes lighting up: "Could it be that the legends here have evolved from the recent introduction of Western fairy tale elements? Like Little Red Riding Hood or something."

"The wolf is coming..." Grandpa Wolf's hoarse voice suddenly sounded, like a rusty knife slicing through the air.

Xia Hui slammed the table, almost knocking over her notebook: "That's it, it's Aesop's Fables!"

"...Oh?" Grandpa Wolf raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of elusive expression flashing in his cloudy eyes.

Wang Lina played with her hair, thoughtfully: "...Speaking of which, I think I heard about this in a general education class. Foreign legends merge with local stories, and in a few years, they will be mistaken for legendary tales."

Xia Hui nodded, her glasses reflecting the dim yellow light: "That's right, oral transmission is very unreliable. It only takes one or two generations for it to become a legend from a long, long time ago."

Zhao Gang turned to the old woman crouching in the corner: "...Granny, when was the Chimei Shrine in Baifeng Village built?" There was a hint of tension in his voice.

Granny Rong's cloudy eyes looked into the distance, as if recalling something: "I heard it existed before the Qing Dynasty." Her withered fingers gently tapped her cane.

"Hmm..." Xia Hui frowned, "Maybe there was a deviation in time during the transmission. If not, then it might really be based on an ancient, original story as its prototype."

"What do you mean?" Tang Yin leaned back in his chair, his eyes sweeping across everyone's faces.

Xia Hui lowered her voice: "For example, a long time ago, everyone exiled an evil landlord together, or slayed a large mountain dog."

Tang Yin's pupils contracted slightly, and he finally understood. The atmosphere in the cafeteria became even more solemn, and even the chirping of insects outside the window seemed particularly piercing. Everyone's expressions were hidden in the dim light, making it difficult to discern their true thoughts at this moment.

Xia Hui's eyes gleamed strangely in the dim light, and her voice suddenly became firm: "However, one thing is certain." The air in the cafeteria seemed to freeze.

Her fingers gently tapped the table: "We mentioned the Underworld Wolf earlier, right?" The wind outside the window stirred the branches, casting swaying shadows on the glass.

Granny Rong hunched over, her old face appearing particularly deep in the light: "Yes, the resurrected wolf god." A hint of remembrance flashed in her cloudy eyes.

Tang Yin leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice and asking: "What kind of god is that?" His fingers unconsciously tightened around his teacup.

Xia Hui pushed up her glasses, the lenses reflecting a faint light: "Sounds a bit like Izanami, Izanagi's sister and wife."

Tang Yin nodded lightly, images of the legends about this pair of gods flashed in his mind. He remembered that they were the most important pair of deities in creation mythology.

Gao Mei suddenly sat up straight, her long hair swaying gently with her movement: "Eh!? Brother and sister getting married!?" Her voice was filled with undisguised surprise.

Xia Hui showed a helpless smile: "This kind of thing is very common in mythology, right?"

"I-Is that so..." A confused expression appeared on Gao Mei's face, her fingers fidgeting uneasily.

Qin Ming noticed Gao Mei's strangeness and frowned slightly: "What's wrong?" His cold voice broke the brief silence.

Xia Hui took a deep breath and continued: "In short, Izanami unfortunately died while giving birth to the gods, and after many twists and turns, she finally became the god who rules the Land of Roots." There was a hint of a storyteller's charm in her voice.

"Land of Roots?" Tang Yin's eyes swept across everyone's faces, trying to capture everyone's reaction.

"Another name for the Underworld. Some say it's on the other side of the sea, but there are also those who say the Underworld is in the Land of Roots." Xia Hui's fingers gently caressed the cover of her notebook. "Her title at the time was the Great God of the Underworld, so it seems the two are related..."

Her voice gradually became firm: "The concepts of wolf and Underworld both happen to have matching objects. Presumably, it has survived to this day with this unique title."

"Eh, eh, is that so..." Wang Lina rested her cheek on her hand, her eyes flashing with a look of sudden realization.

Qian Jin leaned back in his chair and let out a low sigh: "That's possible. Actually, as soon as you see the word Underworld, you should realize that it incorporates elements of mythology." His eyes inadvertently glanced at the dark night outside the window.

"Indeed." Tang Yin responded softly, feeling the faint tension in the air.

Zhao Gang noticed Granny Rong's slightly stiff expression and quickly explained: "Granny Rong, don't misunderstand, she's not denying our legends."

Xia Hui waved her hands quickly, her voice filled with a hint of panic: "Ah, um, he's right. The legends here are very rare, and I think they are extremely precious." Her glasses reflected a faint light in the dim yellow light.

Granny Rong's hunched figure cast a long shadow in the light, her voice filled with a hint of disdain: "What's rare or precious about it?" The old woman's cloudy eyes stared straight at Xia Hui.

She tapped the ground with her cane tremblingly: "Believing in the Chimei God and living sincerely, that's the way of life we've been taught." Every tap made everyone's heart tighten.

"...It's better for outsiders not to say too much." There was a warning in Granny Rong's words, and the air in the cafeteria immediately became heavy.

Xia Hui wisely raised her hands, showing an awkward smile: "OK! Let's stop here then." There was obvious tension in her voice.

Tang Yin spoke in a timely manner, changing the subject: "That's right. Actually, I have something more important to ask." His eyes thoughtfully swept over everyone present.

Xia Hui shrank her shoulders: "...Eh, is it related to me again?" She subconsciously clutched her notebook.

"Besides Xia Hui, I also want to ask everyone present." Tang Yin's voice sounded particularly clear in the silent cafeteria, "...About the folk song that Xiao Mie and Hualu sang."

Wang Lina's eyes lit up: "Ah, you mean the one about worshiping the Chimei God?" Her long hair swayed gently as she turned her head.

Tang Yin nodded slightly: "Probably. That folk song is clearly themed around the Underworld Ritual Banquet, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire cafeteria instantly froze. The chirping of insects outside the window suddenly became particularly clear, and the rustling sound of the night wind blowing through the branches was like some kind of ominous whisper.

Xiao Mie suddenly opened her mouth, her childish voice sounding exceptionally crisp in the silence: "Chimei God's guardian beast."

Tang Yin waited for a moment, but didn't hear the rest. He asked softly: "Yes, that's the one. Do you remember how to sing the rest?"

Xiao Mie tilted her head and sang in a strange tune: "So much juice~ the more juice~ the more people~ the more people~ the more wanton~ wanton~"

Tang Yin was shocked and thought to himself: That's not how it goes, and why are the lyrics so weird? He noticed that everyone else's expressions had also become unusually subtle.

Qian Jin suddenly spoke, breaking the awkward atmosphere: "Isn't that folk song about the teachings for dealing with the thick fog and the call to eliminate the Underworld people?" His fingers unconsciously tapped the table. "It is indeed related to the Underworld Ritual Banquet... but the lyrics don't mention whether it's killing wolves or Underworld wolves."

Tang Yin narrowed his eyes, this was exactly what he had been concerned about all along. The cafeteria lights flickered on and off, as if in coordination with the eerie atmosphere. The night outside the window grew darker, and a layer of looming shadows shrouded everyone's faces in the room, as if concealing some unknown secret.

Qian Jin sighed softly, tapping his fingers on the table: "Maybe it's just a folk song recording past barbaric customs." A complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

Tang Yin crossed his hands under his chin, his eyes shining: "I see, but I think the connection is sufficient. Even if that folk song doesn't completely match the Underworld Ritual Banquet, the two situations are quite similar." He paused, his voice becoming more firm, "I don't understand anything about wolves or Underworld people, but one thing is certain: Baifeng Village has been invaded by the Underworld, and we are fighting against it."

Qian Jin's mouth tugged into a wry smile: "...I guess so, roughly speaking."

Zhao Gang waved his hand impatiently, his eyes turning to Wang Lina: "Only an idiot would believe that, right Wang Lina?"

Wang Lina avoided his gaze, her voice a little erratic: "Um, ah, maybe..."

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Granny Rong suddenly struck the ground heavily with her cane, her old face distorted with anger: "Zhao Gang, who are you calling an idiot? It's because we've accumulated too much pollution that we're being punished now!"

Zhao Gang was startled by this sudden burst of anger: "Ah~ Sorry, Granny, but the young people are already working very hard..." He quickly changed the subject, "Right, Tang Yin, what exactly do you want to ask?"

Tang Yin's gaze turned to Hualu, who had been silent all along: "Hualu, can you write down the lyrics to that folk song?"

Hualu lowered her eyes, her slender fingers twisting together unconsciously: "...It's, not very convenient to show it to outsiders."

Xia Hui quickly stepped forward: "I'll keep it a secret, just think of it as providing information for Tang Yin, please." There was entreaty in her voice.

Granny Rong's cloudy eyes swept back and forth between Hualu and Tang Yin: "...Is it really okay?"

Hualu raised her head, a flash of determination in her eyes: "...Um, he must already have an idea."

Qin Ming took out a notebook from his bag: "Do you need paper and pen?"

"Um, thank you." Hualu took the stationery, her slender fingers trembling slightly. The night wind howled outside the window, stirring the shadows of the trees and casting mottled light on the floor, as if witnessing the arrival of an important moment. The air in the cafeteria became even more solemn, everyone holding their breath, waiting for what Hualu was about to write.

Hualu's pen moved quickly across the paper, the rustling sound of writing particularly clear in the silent cafeteria. Before long, the mysterious folk song was presented before everyone's eyes—

[Chimei God's Guardian Beast]

[One Snake, Two Monkeys, Three Crows, Four Spiders]

[Evening Mist Rises, the Mad Banquet Will Arrive]

[Raccoon Dog Holds Beast Meat, Looks East and West]

[Impure People, Return from the Underworld]

[This World Does Not Tolerate, People of the Underworld]

[One Person a Day, Hanging Execution]

[Until the Sky Clears]

Tang Yin's eyes moved back and forth between the lines, his brain working at full speed. His fingers tapped the paper lightly, beginning to analyze the strange folk song sentence by sentence. In an instant, some details gradually surfaced: first, the introduction of the characters, the four guardian beasts besides the wolf appearing in order.

His eyes narrowed slightly, thinking: The numbers in "One Snake, Two Monkeys" are clearly not referring to quantity, but to ordinal numbers. This means that the snake is Chimei God's chief subordinate, followed by the monkeys and crows, and the spider is at the very end. The mist at dusk is the signal for the start of the Underworld Ritual Banquet. But there was still one question lingering in his mind.

"What is a raccoon dog?" Tang Yin raised his head, his eyes sweeping over everyone present.

Qian Jin pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the dim yellow light: "The raccoon dog from the raccoon dog incident, right?"

"What's that?" Qin Ming asked with a puzzled expression.

Qian Jin showed an incredulous expression: "You who are aiming for law don't even know that? It's a famous precedent in the hunting law, a hunter who hunted raccoon dogs during the prohibited raccoon hunting season was sued." He paused, continuing to explain, "In short, that raccoon dog is actually a raccoon, but the locals generally believe that these are two different animals, hence the controversy."

Gao Mei suddenly interjected, her voice with a bit of stubbornness: "...Does that matter? Grandpa said that anything with four legs like a dog is a raccoon dog."

Qian Jin sighed helplessly: "...Strictly speaking, that's a badger. In hunting grounds, it's common to use the same general term for foxes, raccoons, and other similar creatures."

Tang Yin nodded thoughtfully: "...Hmm, in short, a raccoon dog is a canine, right? So, what is beast meat?"

Granny Rong's hunched figure swayed slightly in the light: "Is it referring to pickled beast meat?" A hint of remembrance flashed in her cloudy eyes.

Qian Jin's voice echoed in the cafeteria: "The pronunciation of beast meat is derived from the ancient word for meat. In modern language, it has gradually come to refer to the meat of wild animals that can be hunted."

Wang Lina excitedly added: "That's right, that's right, Old Gao said that wild boar meat and venison are both beast meat."

Tang Yin recalled what Qin Zhi had mentioned before, thoughtfully saying: "That's a very unique food, right?"