Matthew was slightly startled. This thing did not conform to the burial customs of the Irondor civilization.
And when he saw the notes at the back, he was relieved.
In the information provided by Samantha, a port city called "Mingtan" was clearly mentioned. It is located on the east coast of the Endless Ocean and is a very prosperous port city.
The lord of that city was King Mingtan, and he was also the leader of the first group of Sioux people to lead people across the ocean and settle in Irondo.
"So there is an undersea tomb near Junliu Island, and it may have been opened by someone, otherwise this tombstone would not have been washed here by the sea water."
Matthew has reasonable suspicion that the tomb of King Mingtan is not far from Junliu Island, or may even be on Junliu Island.
Because this tombstone is obviously very heavy, it is unlikely that it will drift with the waves for a long time.
Will the legacy of the Way of Balance be left in the tomb of the Sioux leader?
Matthew thinks it's very possible.
It's a pity that his divination skills are terrible, otherwise he could try to get more clues.
He then picked up the tombstone and continued walking along the beach.
In the past few days, he has been to many places on Junliu Island, and occasionally made small gains. Although they are not of great significance, they are all unique and interesting.
There are shells everywhere on the beach, and from time to time you can find a few large stranded fish.
Matthew couldn't tell their species, but he knew they were fat and skinny. He packed the fish in bags and handed them over to Orgen for disposal when he returned to the village.
Orgen is a friendly person and has good craftsmanship. The sea fish here are already plump. After his treatment, whether steamed or boiled, smoked or grilled, it is a feast for the taste.
This beach is not big.
Before he knew it, Matthew had reached the end.
The coastline ahead suddenly became rugged, and the soft sand was replaced by huge rocks.
Orgen told Matthew that when the tide goes out every day, the seafood in the reef area is even better.
Unfortunately, it is high tide right now, and the sea water may rise at any time, making the reef area relatively dangerous.
Matthew just stood on a large rock and looked at it for a while.
Finally, we headed to higher ground.
Not long after.
Matthew discovered a large area of abandoned building traces.
The architectural style here is the same as that of "Returning Village", which is composed of large stone houses.
The difference is that this place has been abandoned, and in the center of a circle of stone houses, there are several low kiln houses.
This is an abandoned kiln.
From the traces left on the mottled stone walls, it is not difficult for Matthew to know that the Sioux people once burned kilns on a large scale here.
The warehouse next to it is filled with colorful pottery with various lifelike animals printed on it, as well as pots and pans.
But Matthew turned around and saw only pottery but no porcelain.
I don’t know whether it’s because the porcelain was relatively valuable and was taken away, or because they simply failed to restore the craftsmanship of making porcelain here.
Despite this, the craftsmanship of the Sioux people is much better than that of the craftsmen in Rolling Stone.
It was an abandoned kiln anyway, so Matthew simply walked away with the two sets of pottery and asked Orgen later if he needed to pay the fee.
Leave the abandoned kiln.
Matthew continued walking up the mountain, but after taking a few steps, his footsteps suddenly stopped.
There was a slight change in his perception.
Matthew looked back and found a low plant on the hillside behind the abandoned kiln.
The plant seemed to have been struck by lightning, its branches and leaves were scorched black, as if it might die at any time.
But Matthew felt a vigorous vitality from it!
…
"Hint: You found a tea tree (mountain green tea) (lightning strike state)"
…
It’s actually green tea?
Matthew was overjoyed.
He hurriedly walked over and found seven more tea trees behind the tea tree that was struck by lightning.
The last seven tea trees were all covered with tea leaves. Judging from their shape and texture, they were already a little too old for picking at this time.
Matthew picked some tea leaves and took them back to the village.
He boiled a pot of hot water with his new pottery and made himself a cup of steaming green tea. After a while, he took a few sips.
A long-lost sense of freshness flooded my forehead.
…
"Tip: After you take a cup of blessed mountain green tea, your temporary concentration +1, learning speed and spell casting speed are both increased by 15% (lasts for 45 minutes)"
…
"Blessed green tea? Whose blessing?"
Matthew was a little curious.
This boosting effect is much stronger than the coffee he often drinks.
There is actually tea in Irondor, but most of it is black tea, and there are very few green teas that are more suitable for Matthew's taste.
After drinking a cup of hot tea, Matthew had already begun to think about those tea trees.
In the afternoon.
Matthew found Orgen and chatted with him about pottery and tea trees.
Regarding the former, Orgen said that it was made by the Sioux people in the village many years ago. For some magical reasons, their aging speed has been greatly slowed down. Matthew can take some for his own use for free, but he cannot
Use it for personal gain, otherwise these pottery will soon be broken.
This is why the young people on the island did not take these pottery with them when they left.
As for the tea tree.
Orgen's reaction was one of confusion. It wasn't until Matthew took out the tea leaves to show him and described the detailed location of the tea tree that he realized:
"You mean the row of short trees? Are those considered tea leaves?"
Matthew nodded.
Orgen sighed and said:
"Sorry, I'm afraid even Pearl and other old people in the village don't know the efficacy of these trees. Maybe the village chief knew, but he didn't take care of them much when he was alive."
"The Sioux people on Junliu Island have forgotten too many things. At the current rate, they may soon forget themselves."
"Maybe this is because they don't belong here, and it was just an accident that they drifted here - but I am very grateful for this accident. Without it, I would not have the chance to meet my beloved."
He immediately said that if Matthew was interested and capable, he could transplant those trees.
The old people in the village will not stop it.
Matthew was naturally delighted to receive the permission, but he quickly asked about Pearl's situation.
In the past two days, he occasionally visited the old woman and came to the conclusion that she was not optimistic. It seemed that she might end her life at any time.
But Orgen's attitude is very positive.
He smiled and said:
"She has been in good spirits these past few days, and I think she will remain in this state at least until the Lantern Festival."
Matthew sensed other meanings in Orgen's laughter.
So he patted Orgen's back gently.
Then he went back to the house to learn spells.
…
Two days later.
The Lantern Festival has arrived as scheduled.
On this day, a red lantern is hung in front of the inhabited stone houses on Junliu Island, adding a bit of joy.
Matthew noticed that even the indifferent old man he met on the first day here also hung lanterns in front of the door.
He went over to say hello to the other party, and the latter actually responded with a faint smile on his face.
You know, Matthew has said hello to all the old people in the village in the past few days. Perhaps it is because there are few young people in the village. The old people have a good attitude towards him, but this one always loves him.
Ignore the answer.
Matthew once thought that the old man had mental illness or was unable to speak. Unexpectedly, he actually responded today.
He immediately started chatting with the old man, but unexpectedly the latter's reaction became even more violent.
The old man patiently told Matthew about their previous fishing trips. Afterwards, the old man even told Matthew that he would take him out to sea when the weather improved in a few days.
There is no logical problem in the whole conversation, but the contrast between the old man's previous and later ones is surprising.
This is the Lantern Festival.
Matthew's two main meals were at the old couple's house.
Contrary to usual, Pearl today not only wore beautiful clothes, but also seemed to be in a very high mood.
Orgen, who had always been enthusiastic, remained silent. He even injured his finger twice in a row while cutting vegetables, causing bleeding. Fortunately, Matthew brought a hemostatic ointment with him.
The little episode passed quickly.
There was also a lot of fun at the dinner table.
But Matthew already realized what was going to happen next.
Sure enough, in the evening, Orgen found him:
"Let's go to Eastern Beach, the real Lantern Festival is about to begin."
Matthew noticed that he was holding an oval pottery in his arms, with many holes dug into it.
This is an instrument called Xun.
Matthew did not speak and followed Orgen to the eastern beach, which is adjacent to the easternmost cliff. A large number of seabirds are wandering in the sky. They often build nests on the cliffs to avoid sneak attacks by enemies such as poisonous snakes.
.
The two of them found a rock and sat down, with the waves gently lapping at the beach beneath their feet.
The dusk is getting darker and dusk has passed.
Bright lights began to shine in the woods on the shore.
They were old men carrying red lanterns.
They looked shaky, but their steps were very determined.
They walked slowly, but with firm eyes and calm smiles on their faces.
The one who walked first was surprisingly the one who had ignored Matthew before and invited him to go fishing today.
The old man walked past Matthew holding a lantern and smiled at him:
"I've finally waited for this day, haven't I? I'm about to return to my hometown, where the grass is full of fragrance. I can't wait."
He said that he was the first to walk into the sea with a lantern.
Blah blah blah.
The tide gently slapped the old man's body, and his steps began to stagger, but his direction remained firm.
East.
He faced east and walked into the sea.
The waves are rough and the seabirds are silent.
Gradually, the old man's figure completely disappeared from Matthew's sight.
I don’t know whether he was swept away by the sea and swallowed by darkness, or whether he was able to return to his homeland as he said.
After that, in the jungle, these dying old people came out one after another.
Their expressions were all calm, some had tears in their eyes, some were full of yearning, and all of them had a deep longing for the East.
One by one they walked into the sea.
Just like the old man at the beginning, he disappeared.
Shortly after.
Pearl came over. She was wearing the most gorgeous clothes and had a faint smile on her face.
When passing by the rocks, she put down the lantern, hugged Orgen, and nodded to Matthew.
"You don't have to be sad, this is more of a relief to us.
We are born with an infinite longing for our homeland, but the feeling of not getting what we want has tortured us all our lives.
I can't go back, I can't go back, and I will never be able to go back to that continent before I'm alive.
But my father, mother, grandparents, brothers and sisters, they are all waiting for me there.
I’m back, I’m back, my hometown, the hometown in my dreams..."
Pearl held a lantern and sang an unknown ditty in a babbling tone.
There was a low whimpering sound on the beach, as if someone was crying loudly.
Matthew knew that it was Orgen who was blowing the xun.
A touch of sadness welled up in my heart.
Seeing the back of the pearl disappearing into the waves.
A wave of heat rolled over his eyes.
"Hey, Matthew, why are you crying?"
Ella stretched out her little head from his chest and asked.
Matthew shook his head, he did not deny it completely:
"It's just that the sea breeze is too strong, and it reminds me of my hometown."
At this moment he finally understood.
The decline of the Sioux people who wandered here is inevitable.
Young people take off their burdens and integrate into local life.
But the elderly cannot return to the other side of the sea, and will eventually be buried under the sea.
Face the east until death.
In a few years, when the last old man walks to the sea with a lantern, Junliu Island will become a desert island, and the stories of the Sioux people will gradually become legends.
They don't belong here and should leave.
The sound of Orgen's xun gradually died down.
Matthew suddenly felt like he was wrapped in a mass of darkness. In the endless time and space, he seemed to have lost control of his body.
For a moment, he was startled and broke into a cold sweat.
But when he came back to his senses, he found that nothing happened around him.
Only the data column faithfully records everything.
…
"Tip: You have witnessed the entire process of the Lantern Festival, your knowledge +50 (Sioux people);
You have obtained the brand of Lantern Festival, and the friendship level of the Sioux people is +10;
…
Warning: You save against Charm from the Sea, Willpower +1.
Successfully save against difficult charm multiple times in a row, and you automatically master a new ability: Immovable Rock.
Immovable Rock: After entering this state, you will gain a strong ability to resist any mental attacks (including charm, fear, shock, bluff, singing, spiritual puncture, etc.).
At the same time, your thinking speed and speaking speed will become one-tenth of normal, please use this ability with caution."
…
Before he had time to check the new ability, Matthew was shocked at first.
Unexpectedly, what Xuan Kunzi said was quite right. The Sioux people walked into the sea not because of the curse, but because of the charm!
Where does this fascination come from?
What kind of creature is hidden in the vast seabed calling to the Sioux people?
What will happen to the charmed Sioux people in the end?
Matthew has no answer for these.
He was just a little scared. He didn't expect that participating in the Lantern Festival ceremony would be so dangerous. Fortunately, his ability to resist charm was fully maxed out, and his calm mind and super will were enough to give him a near-legendary resistance!
"We still have to be more careful in the future, not only about rituals, but also about festivals."
"But why is Orgen okay? He should have participated in the Lantern Festival several times. Could it be that this kind of charm is only for the Sioux people? What's wrong with me?"
After some puzzling thinking, Matthew finally couldn't help but glance at the new ability, and he was quite satisfied.
The great thing about Panshi is that it improves mental resistance in all aspects.
Xinruzhishui can only resist temptation, but its application scope is still a bit narrow.
The only problem is that he hasn't tried slowing down his thinking yet. It seems that it needs some practice, otherwise it will easily go wrong if it is used temporarily.
At this moment, Orgen, whose face was full of tears, came over holding Xun in his arms.
"My child, you have witnessed the whole process of the Lantern Festival. According to the tradition of the Sioux people, you will be one of our own from now on."
Orgen's voice was very deep, and it could be seen that he was speaking with force:
"I'm sorry that Pearl deceived you before. The way of balance has not been completely cut off. The last messenger of balance still has a relative alive, that is his grandson, named Yu Lian. You can find it at the casino in Cordo City on the north coast
Bring him the letter from Li Weiqi, he may be willing to help you."
Matthew frowned and asked:
"So, he is a gambler?"
Orgen's tone was calmer:
"No, he is the boss of the casino."
…
Two days later, Gold Coast North, Cordo City.
"Happy" Casino.
As night falls, the casino is bustling with people.
A short man wearing heavy armor that obviously did not match his size, carrying a huge backpack, and a beret passed through the group of gamblers.
He was barely taller than the gambling table, and even standing on tiptoes he might not be able to see everything on the table clearly.
The waiters walking back and forth almost bumped into him several times.
The results were miraculously resolved by him.
Although he was so huge horizontally, no one noticed him as he walked through the crowd as if he was sneaking.
The little dwarf walked through the hall and came to a dark door guarded by guards.
At this moment, there are still people queuing up in the front right, and the person in charge is a slender woman with slightly raised eyebrows.
She did see the dwarf, but quickly ignored him.
"Yu Lian, come out!"
The little dwarf made a childish voice, and she looked very angry. She came up and pushed the tall and thin figure in front of her:
"Give way! Give way! Master, I am not cutting in line, but I am going to blow up this casino."
"If you can still listen to my advice, either give yourself a few "protective blasts" or leave here immediately."
Although the little dwarf's voice was childish, it was so powerful that everyone near the gate heard it.
Everyone was stunned for about three or four seconds, and then burst into laughter!
The tall and thin man turned around. He didn't see anyone at first. After a while, he followed the gazes of others and lowered his head, and then he discovered the person he was talking to.
"Um, hello sir, are you talking to me, right? Huh? Are you a dwarf?"
The mage's eyes were full of interest, as if it was his first time encountering such a miniature race.
However, the little dwarf's eyes immediately became very fierce.
He said expressionlessly:
"Mage! You are in danger now. I may add you to the revenge list at any time!
To prevent you from dying unclearly, I must tell you a few things.
First, I’m not a gentleman, I’m a lady, isn’t it hard to see?”
Matthew was stunned for a moment.
His eyes swept across the other person's plain chest, and then up to his neck, which was tightly wrapped in iron sheets.
Helmet, short hair, big eyes.
It's really not that easy to tell.
"Second, I'm not a dwarf, I'm just born short!
As a mage, you are very unqualified and very rude.
If you don’t know how to distinguish between humans and dwarfs, then I suggest you go to study ethnography and study the structure of the human body to avoid being embarrassed or even getting into trouble next time!
Do you understand now?"
Although the dwarf is short, he speaks very powerfully.
Matthew realized that he had indeed been negligent, so he sincerely apologized:
"Sorry, it's my lack of eyesight."
"It's okay, no need to apologize to me."
The little dwarf still had a cool expression:
"First, there are many superficial people like you, and I encounter them almost every day.
Second, no matter whether you apologize or not, you are already on my grudge list, and I might want to retaliate against you at some point, so there is no need for you to apologize now."
Finish this sentence.
Her eyes began to move to the group of gamblers and guards nearby who were watching the fun and not taking it too seriously.
"Finally, you fools who take pleasure in others' misfortune, never underestimate the destructive power of a vindictive Artifact Master."
"I mean what I said, Yu Lian, come out!"
The guards began to realize the seriousness of the matter.
They surged forward as the punters retreated.
A helpless expression suddenly appeared on the little man's face:
"I know that if you don't show your hands, you will have to deal with shrimps, soldiers and crabs for a long time."
"Noisy, give them some color!"
Said.
Two clockwork birds quickly crawled out of the package behind her.
Chick-clack-cluck!
The two birds automatically wound up and flew towards the guards!