Chapter 113: Back At The Lakeside, Rain Graced Her Actions

"Ah, wanting to take the whole chunk is too much, isn't it? How about I take three-fourths and you keep the rest? But can you roast a larger portion next time?" Seeing her step back on hearing his words, Crown Prince Lail felt that he might have been a bit greedy and unwillingly compromised.

However, three-fourths was as far as he was willing to relent.

"Hahaha...what are you? A pig?" Princess Qamari could not suppress the melodious laughter that uncontrollably burst out of her. The grudging look in his red eyes was so comical that she couldn't believe the man before her was the same one that had ruthlessly fought off a beast horde.

"Who are you calling a pig?" He darkly asked.

"I am calling you a pig! What, you have a problem with that?" Undaunted, she crossed her arms and fearlessly stared back.

"Well, you are wrong there. Obviously, I am a tall and charming young man. How am I a pig?"

"You are tall, true. But I don't know about the handsome part." Her golden eyes swept over his masked face before she nonchalantly continued.

"As for how you are a pig...that doesn't need any digging. Your greedy eyes and large appetite are enough to show it." With a flap of her sleeve, she went back to her grilling.

It was only after she focused her sight back on the blazing flames that she realized what she had done. In the most unimaginable case, Princess Qamari had bickered and joked with a stranger whose name she didn't even know! The ease with which she conversed with him was like that of an old companion!

This knowledge sent her mind reeling over the edge with anxiety and a hint of fear.

On the other hand, Crown Prince Lail was dumbfounded. He could not believe that he had just been called a pig. Of all the labels and names out there, he actually got tagged as a pig by a stranger! His face flushed in embarrassment as his eyes shifted back to the woman kneeling by the flames and turbulent waves surged in his heart.

At the conclusion of their short banter, Princess Qamari and Crown Prince Lail finally returned to their senses.

Astonished at their own behaviors, the two avoided each other's eyes and awkwardly sat in a corner, maintaining six feet distance. As the atmosphere suddenly became tense, a suffocating silence settled over the two that failed to abate even with the roar of the blazing flame.

The next morning, the villagers of the Budh Village gathered beside the lake, their eyes flickering with complex emotions as they looked around the region. From the dark circles under their eyes, it was evident that the Village Head's horrific ending and their precarious situation had shattered their peace.

"Thankfully, Ming Yue was willing to write a statement for us."

"Yes, she is a nice girl. If the Village Head hadn't made the decision to sacrifice her to the water spirit, I would've asked her for my son."

"Well, she isn't sacrificed to the water spirit. You can still ask for her hand, can't you?"

"What do you know? Even if she isn't sacrificed to the water spirit, she had already ridden the sedan as his offering. If we bring her to our house as a daughter-in-law while being clearly aware of this fact, won't we be inviting the water spirit's wrath upon ourselves?"

"Ah! I never thought about that. But since the ritual was never completed, she doesn't belong to the water spirit, right?"

As they anxiously waited for Crown Prince Lail and Princess Qamari's appearances, the villagers whispered among themselves in hushed tones. The topic of their conversation was the same individual that they had flattered and begged for forgiveness.

This was the true nature of the human heart. Warm when in need and cold when one reached their goal.

Mei Na and Sui Hua stood a distance from the crowd, their brows scrunched in displeasure at the topic of conversation.

"Ming Yue forgave them for sacrificing her, and yet they still have the face to gossip about her behind her back. If it wasn't for her forgiving them, would they even be alive to witness the water spirit's wrath? Do they feel no shame?"

"Forget about them, Mei Na. Ming Yue survived this calamity. That is more than enough." Sui Hua's face was still pale, the shock from witnessing the rolling head not having diminished much. 

However, the glow in her eyes was a lot brighter than the day before.

"In a way, the two officials have saved Ming Yue and many others." Mei Na added with a sigh.

Sacrificial rituals were prevalent in the impoverished villages. In the event of a natural disaster or unexpected visitors, the Village Head and Elders used the young girls as offerings to beg blessing from the spirits or sent them to the bed chambers of powerful individuals to earn favors.

In other cases, females were even sold as child wives to sire heirs from them before being sent back empty-handed. Weak and powerless, they silently endured the atrocities wreaked upon them by their male relatives.

To Mei Na, the incident of the Village Head's beheading seemed like the start of a new beginning for females.

Whoosh!

At this moment, a strong gust of wind blew and water surged forth. Within the tempest of fierce wind and cool water, the silhouettes of two figures appeared. 

Garbed in black and white respectively, the appearances of the sudden arrivals were covered with veil and mask, cloaking their identities in fog and mystery.

"Are the written statements ready?"

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These individuals were Princess Qamari and Crown Prince Lail who had returned to the lakeside to settle the matter of the sacrificial ritual.

"Yes, officials! We have the statements for everyone present!" Elder Mu stepped forward and respectfully presented the rough parchment to the two.

Crown Prince Lail grabbed it with impatience. After sweeping a glance over the names listed, he naturally handed the parchment to the woman beside him.

Princess Qamari froze for only a brief moment before she stretched out her delicate hand and took over the parchment. With her usual cold and indifferent attitude, she nodded to the man before focusing her sight on the list.

"There are a bunch of names listed here. However, I am not sure if every name that is on here represents every individual present here. As such, I will call out every name on the list and expect the owner to step to the side to differentiate. By the end of my list, everyone on the right side of the lake should be on the left. I will consider anyone remaining on the right as unforgiven and they will be immediately beheaded."

Her words sent cold shivers down everyone's back. When she gave them the option to bring a parchment from the victim forgiving them for their behavior, they thought the matter would be settled as soon as they presented the list of names of the forgiven.

However, what they did not expect was for the woman to be so meticulous. 

"Thankfully, I personally went to see Ming Yue and had her write my name in my presence. Otherwise, who knows what could have happened?"

"I also sought forgiveness from Ming Yue and had her write my name in my presence."

"What to do? I don't know if my name is on there or not. I only apologized to Ming Yue and left after asking her to write my name!"

Everyone was thrown in a panic as they whispered fearfully and cold sweat slid down their foreheads.

"Hmph! Now they remember Ming Yue." Mei Na snorted on seeing the nervous expressions of the panicking villagers.

"Luckily for us, your Mama personally took care of the matter."

"Yes, thankfully. Say, Mei Na. Do you think we should go into town? If we made something of ourselves, couldn't we control the whole situation in the village?"

"I was also thinking about that. But entering the Laining City will not be easy. Let's plan for the next few months and go with full confidence."

"Hmm!"

The two stood together with indifference and detached eyes, their focus no longer on the scrambling villagers. The previous incident had truly opened their eyes to the reality of their situation. If the two strangers had not appeared when they did, Ming Yue would have been gone forever.

They would have never realized the importance of life, that of both their own and that of others.

After the time it takes a candlestick to burn, everyone on the right side of the lake was on the left, making the Budh Villagers and Elders sigh in relief. Thankfully, Ming Yue had written the name of every individual that had visited her.

"What a good and kindhearted girl! She actually forgave hideous beings like you!" Princess Qamari scoffed mockingly, causing them to bow their heads in shame.

It was truly like the woman had said. Even after they had coldly carried her in a red sedan chair into the lake to become the bride of the water spirit after drowning her to death, the girl had easily forgiven them for their sins without any complaint.

The scene of her huddled form, as she laid hopelessly and powerlessly by the lake, resurfaced in their minds.

"Alright. Since the victim herself has forgiven you, then I have no right to serve any punishment. Considering this is your first recorded incident, this matter will be wrapped here. However, if there is a second occurrence, then beware that pardon statements will not preserve your lives. You will all be directly beheaded like your previous Village Head. Is that clear?"

"Yes, official!" 

The villagers were already ashamed of their previous deeds, cursing and swearing at themselves in their heads for their previous silent acceptance of sacrificial ritual. Now that they were forgiven and got a second chance, they couldn't wait to redeem themselves and make things right.

"Good! From now on, the offering of maidens to water spirits or any other spirits, for that matter, should no longer be practiced. If such an act is spotted in the Budh Village again, then I don't need to reiterate what the outcome will be. As for the matter of drought, good deeds beget good results. As long as your deeds are good and your actions righteous, then the heavens themselves will bless you with rain."

Her words had barely ended when the heavens became overcast.

Drip!

Drip!

Drip!

Fat drops of liquid fell from the sky like broken pearls, stunning the buzzing villagers into a silent daze. It wasn't until the little drops of beads transitioned into a heavy downpour that an excited shout rang out and shattered the silent spell.

"It's raining!"

As if in acknowledgment of her words and her good deed, the Budh Village that had experienced a drought for more than a year, was finally graced by the heavens with the long desired rain.

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