Chapter 822: Bearing the Burden
"Ahead lies Gao Family Village's main stronghold," the scarred cavalryman, an old horse bandit under Zao Ying's command, growled with a fierce expression. "Soon, you will meet our Gao Family Village's Dao Xuan Tian Zun. Be careful. If you offend him, that is blasphemy. We will slaughter every man, woman, and child of your Wushen tribe. Understand?"
An Jile didn't understand the Han language, only knowing she was being threatened.
Zhebu, however, understood. Fear gripped his heart as he whispered to his mother, "The one who will receive us is a Han Living Buddha... if we offend him, it's blasphemy against the Han deity, and our entire tribe will be wiped out."
An Jile jumped in fright. "I'm not good with words. I won't speak then. Son, you must handle this carefully."
The two, burdened by terror, entered Gao Family Village's main stronghold.
Gao Family Village's main stronghold, placed into the box by Li Daoxuan in the seventh year of the Tianqi Era, had now stood there for eight years, weathering wind and rain, adorned with climbing moss. It exuded a palpable sense of gravity and majesty.
As mother and son walked through it, a deep unease settled in their hearts.
They passed through cold, narrow passages until they reached the three-story watchtower.
Upon entering the ancestral hall on the watchtower's first floor, they immediately saw the majestic statue of Dao Xuan Tian Zun. Knowing it was a Han deity, neither dared to be disrespectful and quickly bowed in reverence.
There, they found the Model Three Puppet Heavenly Lord and Gao Yiye seated, awaiting them.
Gao Yiye, poised and beautiful, sat with an aura of nobility that made her difficult to look directly at.
Beside her, Li Daoxuan, clad in a Daoist robe, appeared solemn and imposing. Mother and son recognized him instantly: he was the very statue they had seen downstairs.
Unable to speak Han, An Jile remained silent, simply kneeling and bowing.
Zhebu, however, spoke up. "Greetings, Living Buddha."
*Li Daoxuan: Huh? I'm a Living Buddha now?*
*Right, the Mongols of this era, were they Yellow Hat or Red Hat Buddhists? For a modern person lacking deep religious knowledge, distinguishing between the two was a blur; he only knew both sects had Living Buddhas.*
*No wonder the young Mongol had called him "Living Buddha" the moment he saw him.*
*Never mind, Living Buddha it is.*
Li Daoxuan, who habitually disdained pretentiousness, spoke without harshness or artificial solemnity. Instead, he chuckled kindly, "You've had a difficult journey."
*He considered himself amiable, but he hadn't for a moment considered how terrifying a smiling silicone puppet could be.*
Mother and son glanced up, only to see that the Living Buddha's smile didn't reach his eyes. His tone might be gentle, but his facial expression was truly unsettling—a chilling, empty smile, one that seemed to conceal a hidden blade.
An Jile trembled with fright.
Zhebu, trying to muster a semblance of masculine courage, whispered, "Living Buddha, what are your commands?"
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly. "You should be well aware that you are hostages. However, I am a person who respects even prisoners of war, let alone hostages. So, you needn't worry about being subjected to inhuman treatment."
Zhebu quietly translated for his mother: "The Living Buddha is threatening us. He says we must remember our status as hostages. We are less than prisoners of war, so we shouldn't expect respect or consider ourselves human. If we dare to resist, we will face inhuman treatment."
An Jile shivered uncontrollably.
Li Daoxuan continued, "You will reside here in this main stronghold. There's no need to worry about food, clothing, or daily necessities; they will be provided."
Zhebu prostrated himself, replying, "As you command!"
Then, he whispered to his mother, translating: "He says he will only provide us with food and clothing if Mother stays and lives with him."
An Jile had long been mentally prepared. She knew she would surely be expected to share a bed, bear children, and perform "all her tricks," or their entire tribe might be annihilated. Hearing this, she felt no surprise, only a soft sigh, as she prostrated herself. "As you command," she said.
*In truth, if a Han man heard of his mother being taken for such purposes, he would almost certainly grab a blade and fight to the death. But Zhebu lacked this concept. On the grasslands, such matters were commonplace; Zhebu even believed it was expected.*
He merely asked, curious, "What about me?"
Li Daoxuan focused his gaze on Zhebu. "As for you... you're not particularly old, nor particularly young. You're rather bothersome."
*The moment these words were uttered, Zhebu tensed. "Does he find me troublesome? Is he going to kill me?"*
Li Daoxuan announced, "Go enroll in the first grade at school."
Zhebu: "???"
An Jile asked, "Son, what did the Living Buddha say? Translate for your mother."
Zhebu replied, "This time, I didn't understand either."
Seeing the bewildered expressions on their faces, Li Daoxuan chuckled. "It means I want him to attend school, a private academy. Do you understand?"
Zhebu finally understood, yet he was even more stunned. He murmured to his mother, "The Living Buddha wants me to attend a Han private academy."
An Jile whispered back, "He won't let you practice archery and horsemanship, but instead wants you to study... This means he intends to turn you into a useless person."
Zhebu gritted his teeth. "Understood. I will secretly train my body."
"Alright, I've said what I needed to say. You may go now." Li Daoxuan waved his hand.
Zhebu stood and left immediately.
An Jile, however, didn't move.
Li Daoxuan questioned, "Hm? Why are you still here?"
An Jile shook her head, unable to understand.
Zhebu had already gone downstairs, leaving no one to translate. An Jile could only rely on expressions, actions, and body language to interpret the situation.
She saw the Living Buddha's peculiar expression, his questioning gaze fixed on her, clearly asking, "What are you supposed to do now? Don't you have any idea?"
An Jile understood: Han men didn't wait until nightfall to demand "all her tricks." It seemed they could be demanded in broad daylight? He wanted her to serve him now.
An Jile bit her lower lip, and with a sense of humiliation, reached out her hands to unfasten her clothes.
*A giant question mark slowly bloomed above Li Daoxuan's head...*
Gao Yiye abruptly leaped to her feet, pointing furiously towards the stairwell. "What in the world are you doing? Get out! Get out!"
*The question mark above Li Daoxuan's head drifted left, then right, before exploding with a pop.*
Gao Yiye huffed twice. "Heavenly Lord, that Mongol woman is truly shameless! She's an old woman, doesn't even know her age, trying to seduce the Heavenly Lord! It's utterly disgraceful!"
Li Daoxuan mused, "Oh? Was she trying to seduce me? I thought she looked indignant, as if she were being deeply wronged. Hahaha, Yiye, are you jealous?"
Gao Yiye's small face flushed. "What are you talking about! I'm... I'm not jealous at all! Jealousy is bad, I wouldn't... Oh, fine, I just don't want to see the Heavenly Lord being intimate with other women! I don't want to see it! I *am* jealous, alright?"
In the end, she confessed her true feelings.
She was Gao Yiye, after all, the most mischievous child; she would never hide what was truly on her mind.
Li Daoxuan burst into laughter. "Yiye, perhaps you should handle them. As a woman, she won't misunderstand you again."
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