Chapter 737

Chapter 737: The Four Officials of the Four Seasons

“Wind Blessing?” Lolan Hill turned around.

“Yes, that’s exactly what Mother said,” Ca Wei explained excitedly.

In the era of Primordial Chaos, the status of witches and diviners was extremely high within their tribes. Sometimes they even acted as chieftains. Among them, the pinnacle was the Four Diviners—Wind Blessing, Rain Blessing, Fire Blessing, and Mountain Blessing.

Often, only one such diviner would emerge among several major tribes, and such individuals were not guaranteed in every generation. Strength, talent, and opportunity were all essential.

As civilization gradually developed, some nations began to use different titles, such as Wind Father and Rain Master, with various forms.

After the establishment of the House of Plantagenet, the final court order placed witches and diviners under the Spring Official of the Four Officials of the Four Seasons.

The Spring Official managed rituals, ceremonies, enfeoffments, and appointments, making them the head of all officials.

The Summer Official managed agriculture, weaving, taxation, and corvée labor, being crucial to the nation.

The Autumn Official managed justice, supervision, and penal law, serving as the nation’s mirror.

The Winter Official managed military preparations, weapon forging, and training rotations across various garrisons, acting as the nation’s fangs and claws.

Finally, there were the Three Elders of Heaven and Earth who oversaw all officials and conveyed public opinion and livelihood issues.

The Four Officials of the Four Seasons did not refer to a single person but rather a larger group. For example, the Spring Office had multiple departments, some managing witches and sacrifices across regions, others responsible for crafting dragon artifacts, guiding various ceremonies, and even negotiating externally, drafting treaties or declarations.

Although the current dynasty no longer conferred titles like Wind Blessing or Rain Blessing, if someone was highly respected among the witches and diviners, they could still be called such, provided they belonged to the dynasty’s system.

However, those who received such titles were usually older, and it was rare for someone as young as Lolan Hill.

After Lolan Hill saved everyone in the Sunset Mountains, countless people were grateful and admired her, quickly forming a trend.

Later, under Qingling’s guidance, a new faith was initially established in the valley. Since Lolan Hill didn’t want to be worshipped, they adopted a more primitive and simple method, making Lolan Hill the first witch under this faith.

The myth also changed from her descending starlight to her guiding starlight through the wind, transforming her from a practitioner to a guide. Though this lowered her status, it made it easier for people to accept.

Faith needed to maintain a certain level of mystery and power. If this young girl was the Wind Blessing, everything made sense.

Thus, there was no need to expose her as a witch. Listening to Ca Wei’s explanation, Lolan Hill pondered and reluctantly accepted this idea.

Calling her Wind Blessing wasn’t inappropriate. If Lolan Hill fully matured, she could truly be called the Wind Spirit.

Sorting out these matters, Lolan Hill stopped worrying about them and looked at Ca Wei.

“Why are you here alone today?”

“Mother took the other witches and diviners to set up shrines elsewhere. And now the underground dragon vein is very stable, so it doesn’t matter if we leave it unattended for a while, and we don’t have to stay in the shrine all the time,” Ca Wei explained slightly.

“Do the others feel okay leaving you here alone?” Lolan Hill bent down to look at the girl in front of her.

“It’s fine. Actually, I’m just delivering messages. If something serious happens, we can call Ghost Vehicle,” she said with her hands behind her back, somewhat embarrassed.

At this moment, Lolan Hill remembered the black bird. She looked up and saw a large black bird standing quietly on the beam of the hall, looking like a statue, indistinguishable from the surroundings. When Lolan Hill focused on it, it seemed to notice something, opened its eyes, revealing black and red pupils.

When the Ghost Vehicle saw the girl, it nodded slightly, then closed its eyes again, giving off a somewhat aloof impression.

It possessed human-like high intelligence. Although it showed submission to Lolan Hill, it didn’t mean it would act servilely. It would only act when the girl explicitly asked for help. It was neither a subordinate nor a slave but more like a minister.

Lolan Hill naturally didn’t mind this. She wouldn’t give any orders to the Ghost Vehicle; as long as it followed the agreement made with Granny Ge Luo.

After chatting with Ca Wei, Lolan Hill prepared to step out of the shrine and take a look around. She hadn’t been outside for a long time.

“Wind Blessing, please wait a moment,” Ca Wei ran out after her.

“What’s wrong?” The girl was curious.

“Are you going to walk around the valley?” Ca Wei asked nervously.

“Yes.”

“Could you bring some guards? Not because we’re worried about you being attacked, but because we’re afraid you might be surrounded by everyone and unable to move,” Ca Wei explained, knowing the situation well.

Given Lolan Hill’s personality, she probably wouldn’t push away or refuse those who came to greet her, but that would leave her trapped in the streets. Someone else would need to come out to resolve the situation.

The girl listened to her explanation and nodded with a smile.

“It’s considerate of you to think of so many things. Do you have anyone to recommend?” she asked.

“Yes, yes. Uncle Yinchen has been idle recently, which makes him perfect for this job. I’ll go get him,” Ca Wei said, bouncing over to another courtyard behind the shrine.

Soon after, a man in white robes with a long sword at his waist appeared in front of Lolan Hill.

“Your Highness Jialan,” he bowed respectfully.

Since Lolan Hill saved this range of mountains, he had heard many legends about this girl. Before Bumo Yin left, she had hinted that this girl’s identity was extraordinary, allowing him to attach himself and ensuring he wouldn’t be bullied in the future.

Though Li Yinchén laughed it off, he wasn’t too resistant when Ca Wei called him.

“Have we met before?” Lolan Hill looked at his attire.

“Yes, that night, you saved me and Lord Bumo,” he explained simply.

“Are you a descendant of the Chi clan?” The girl looked at him thoughtfully.

“Yes,” Li Yinchén led Lolan Hill forward and recounted his past experiences.

Long ago, he grew up on the border of Xiyou Province. As an adult, he discovered he was a half-breed of the Chi clan. Later, his parents told him he was adopted, for which he was grateful.

The Chi bloodline wasn’t popular in Xiyou, especially since he was a boy. His parents struggled to raise him.

He wandered for years, partly to find work and partly to see the beautiful landscapes.

“Later, when my parents got old and sick, I returned to the Xiyou border and became a night watchman. Thanks to the skills I learned outside, I did quite well.”

Then, as his parents passed away, he slowly became the captain of the night patrol team. Out of responsibility, he couldn’t abandon his brothers, so he continued in this role.

“Then there’s the story of escorting Lord Bumo here,” Li Yinchén led Lolan Hill to the street in the valley.

Compared to before, it was much livelier, filled with newly crafted wooden carts adorned with fresh green branches, providing a refreshing and green ambiance.

“Osmanthus wine~ Ah, the freshly brewed sweet and clear wine is the most pleasant,” a man sitting under the rain shelter beside a cart shouted loudly, his voice carrying far.

Compared to before, the people in the valley now wore a variety of colors, not just black but also Zhucao, Shilu, Qinggui, and others, seemingly all new creations.

Seeing the girl’s curiosity, Li Yinchén explained.

“Actually, some dyeing techniques aren’t uncommon in the border regions. It’s mainly due to the scarcity of pigments and the limited availability of the plants and roots needed for certain colors, so they mostly used black.”

“Now, many flowers and herbs can be found in the mountains, so the range of colors has increased.”

“Uh-huh,” Lolan Hill nodded, looking at a small cart by the roadside with numerous wood carvings.

These carvings were lifelike, some depicting mythical beasts, others characters with ghostly masks, and a few representing buildings.

“Miss, are you interested in buying anything?” The boss was an elderly man, thin as a twig, but his hands were strong and sinewy.

“Yes,” Lolan Hill nodded and pointed to a larger wood carving.

It was a miniature tree with a dragon winding through it, quite mystical.

“Is this the carving of the Xunmu and Jade Dragon?” The girl’s voice was like the fragrance of orchids in a secluded valley.

“Yes,” just as the old man was about to quote the price, an old woman buying vegetables walked over.

“Hold on, Old Wang, this is Lady Wind Blessing, don’t be disrespectful,” she urged, pulling the old man.

“Oh, this,” although this old man was part of the Chi clan, he had migrated from another village and didn’t recognize the girl. That night, not everyone had such good vision to clearly see the girl’s face, so he hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

Hearing the old woman’s reminder, others around them also snapped to attention. Some of the Chi clan members living in the valley also realized the situation.

“Yes, yes, this is Princess Jialan,” he said, kneeling and bowing in gratitude.

“Don’t do that, get up quickly,” Lolan Hill was anxious, but it was like a signal, and people started kneeling around her. This circle kept expanding until it formed a circle hundreds of meters wide.

Seeing this scene, others continued to gather out of curiosity.

“Thank you, Princess Jialan, thank you, Princess Jialan,” voices rose and fell, mixed with many emotional sobs. It seemed many people were genuinely moved.

Sighing, seeing this, Lolan Hill didn’t know whether to stay or leave. Eventually, she had to calm everyone down, and it wasn’t until Li Yinchén led the way that she, a girl greatly respected by everyone, could leave.

After stepping out of the valley, Lolan Hill breathed a sigh of relief, calming down.

She decided to visit the less crowded fields and villages instead. She wondered if the abandoned villages had been restored. With this thought, she headed toward a mountain wilderness.

Below the hill was a continuous expanse of lush plains, with tiny orchids dancing in the breeze amidst the green sea of grass.

Beside the hill, Li Yinchén held his scabbard, watching the girl’s back, feeling a surge of emotion.

Who would have thought that such a young and delicate girl could be so powerful? That dreamlike scythe light that night, he had never forgotten.

(End of Chapter)