episode_0405

***

After sending the two Danyi people down the mountain, the leader of the Zhangyi people took off the cotton cloth that covered his face.

As the thin barrier blocking the wind disappeared, the fresh energy of nature reached my skin.

“You’ll find it safely, right?”

She later became concerned that the directions were given in the manner of the Zhangyi people.

I thought about following her again and giving her more details, but she gave up since she was instructed to keep contact to a minimum.

For the Zhangyi people, ‘instructions’ are absolute.

She shivered as she remembered the person who had given those instructions. Just thinking about what would happen if I disobeyed his instructions… made my spine stiffen.

“The Dany family, who seemed to be their superiors, did not look stupid. It will go down well.”

A woman with a blunt look said as she rolled up her cotton thread. It was a colleague named ‘The Freshness of an Old Tree’.

“Do you think so too?”

Her colleague, ‘The Freshness of the Old Tree’, nodded silently.

She, ‘Rose Leaf’, looked around at her deck.

Little change in expression, ‘the freshness of an old tree.’

‘The leaves of the stream’ enjoy a nap after lunch.

Carrying fruit in one’s pocket, ‘the beginning of red autumn’.

…

…

She was one of the gangs of the Zhangyi tribe led by ‘Rose Leaves’.

“Rose. Should I go report it?”

The beginning of red autumn reminded her of the work she had been putting off.

“Yes.”

The rose leaf swallowed saliva.

“Wait.”

The freshness of the old tree stopped them and they raised their bows.

Pick up the bow, draw an arrow, hang it on the string, pull it, and then release it.

At the end of the flowing motion, there was the end of one life.

“Dani people?”

When another member of the group who looked towards the direction from which the scream was heard asked, the fresh old tree nodded.

“It looks like he came to cut wood. I foolishly thought I would cross the border. It might be your first time visiting this mountain and you don’t know much about it.”

Everyone responded with understanding to the words about the freshness of old trees.

Anyone who invades the mountain’s territory is killed.

That was the first instruction given to their gang.

“Let’s go back.”

The rose leaf spoke as it stared at the nameless Danyi, who were bleeding from their foreheads.

The bodies of those who invaded the territory of the Zhangyi people without permission were thrown into the mountains.

The roots of the wildly blooming flowers and grass around them were just slowly spreading their roots towards the collapsed corpse.

***

The leaders of the Zhangyi tribe are the seven elders who manage the gang.

The position of elder is to manage the major and minor affairs of the Zhangyi people and make important decisions.

The elders were members of the Zhangyi people who had lived for quite a long time. They had longer ears than other Zhangyi people and had pure white eyes on their heads.

Because of this appearance, the Danyi tribe at the bottom of the mountain call their elders the Sangojiangjiang family, but in fact, they are all the same Zhangyi tribe.

The rose leaf thought that the Danyi people liked to distinguish and make distinctions.

Didn’t even the stupid-looking one of the Dani people who guided the way get scared as soon as he encountered him?

‘Compared to that, the Dani people who wore hats were aloof.”

She thought of a man who was not afraid and opened his eyes straight.

When her group reached a village deep in the valley, an elder came out to the entrance to greet them.

“You’re back. Waiting for you.”

The rose leaf swallowed saliva at the elder’s words.

“Yes.”

“You said that there is no need to show any special etiquette, so there is no need to organize your clothes. Follow me right away.”

The elder took the lead, and the rose leaves followed him.

His comrades looked at the leader of the gang as he walked away, as if envious.

The two headed to the deepest, most secret place in the village.

The leader of the Zhangyi tribe can be said to be the Seven Elders. But there is a being above that.

That existence has not changed even though dozens of elders have changed, and has been there since the beginning of the distant season.

He was the law, will, and master of the Zhangyi people.

I couldn’t dare to belittle a person like that by calling him ‘head’.

“From here on, you have to go alone.”

A small path with tall thorn trees on both sides. The elder stopped and turned to her.

Thorny trees and fragrant flowers decorated the path.

The rose leaves carefully followed the path deep into the depths.

Fresh grass grew where her feet had passed.

The rose leaf became dizzy at the illusion-like phenomenon.

And gradually my sense of time became dull.

How long did we walk? Each day? Or a month? Maybe it’s just a coincidence.

Every moment of walking became a moment, then an eternity.

‘Come to your senses.’

It was a glorious moment for me to meet him for the first time as a member of the Zhangyi tribe.

I can’t show you my unsightly appearance. She gathered herself and took a step forward.

Then at some point.

The rose leaves reminded me that he was in front of me.

She fell flat on the ground.

“The rose leaves of the Zhang family. I meet the highest and deepest being!!”

Shout out a few times. A sweet and heart-chilling voice came from the back of my head.

“Okay. You are the one who carried out this order.”

“Yes, yes! Yes.”

“Did you provide good guidance?”

This time the voice came from next to me.

“Yes! We led the way down the mountain. I confirmed that I was going down the path that the Danyi tribe had given me.”

The rose leaf secretly took a breath, thinking, ‘I guess something bad happened that I couldn’t get down, right?’

“Okay. I confirmed that he went down the mountain.”

Voices came from all directions.

“I should give you a reward for not getting closer than necessary and for teaching me to go down the mountain as instructed.”

There was satisfaction in his voice.

“I think I have been rewarded beyond my means simply by having an audience with such a high and profound person.”

“You speak so wonderfully. The elders taught me well.”

A voice that sounds interesting. The rose leaves brought the face closer to the ground.

There was a moment of silence, and she felt as if her body was being torn apart and disintegrated.

“Anyway, you had a hard time. I will tell the elder to give me something appropriate as a reward.”

Naturally, it was the other party who broke the silence.

“Thank you.”

…….

…….

I couldn’t hear my voice.

The rose leaf cautiously raised its head.

“This is…?”

Before I knew it, I was back at the entrance to the trail.

“Rose leaves. Are you okay?”

Her gang members approached her as she was sweating coldly.

She did not dare to mention this strange phenomenon that she experienced firsthand.

***

“The kids these days are so cute. It’s like a fallen leaf that crumbles when struck.”

Hehehe, the elder trembled at the sound of laughter.

“Perhaps the child was rude to a noble person…”

“Not really. But do you have anything to say? Your expression is full of doubts.”

“I think it is because I am ignorant and cannot understand the great intentions of the Precious One.”

“I’m in a good mood so I’ll answer. What are you curious about?”

“I don’t know why he was sent down to the Dani village. Couldn’t it have been brought here?”

“The reason I sent him down to the village is because I have something to tell him clearly.”

“Can I ask what it is?”

The white-haired elder bowed to the air and said.

“No matter how much he runs away, his soul will be drawn to me.”

The elder bowed with his face to the ground as a bright yellow light appeared as if lighting up the sky.