Chapter 239: King Pan Gu

Chapter 239: King Pangu

They settled down for a night in Pingtian Stockade, with over a dozen of them crammed into a makeshift thatched shack. Even though Lan Duo’s family gave them the roomiest corner, A Yan still couldn’t settle in. He’d never slept in a place this rough before—even the carriage ride was comfy. That night, he cried in Meng Wan’s arms, whispering he missed home.

Meng Wan soothed him gently, “Tomorrow, Dad’ll find you a nice little place to stay, okay? Three days, tops, and we’re heading back.”

“When we get back, I want Grandma to make me big chicken drumsticks.” A Yan whined, nuzzling into Meng Wan’s arms, tears still hanging from his eyes.

Meng Wan’s heart clenched. Being a first-time dad, he had plenty of immature, even reckless moments. He wanted A Yan to weather some storms and toughen up, yet he also wanted to build him a solid, beautiful fortress where he could live worry-free, never wanting for food or clothes.

Even though he’d only been to Shengjing once, Meng Wan knew it was a place that could eat people alive, where countless lives were snuffed out without a sound. Song Tingzhou was climbing the official ladder and would eventually go back to Shengjing. As their only son, A Yan would have to be forged sooner or later. Rather than let him stumble on his own later, it was better to let him see the world while he was still by his side.

A Yan and the adults had been through so much that he was dead tired and didn’t wake up even when the next day’s meal was ready.

Huang Ye hadn’t slept great either. Early in the morning, he grabbed some flour from their luggage, borrowed the Pingtian Stockade kitchen, and boiled a small pot of noodles. It didn’t have much oil or meat, but it smelled amazing.

Seeing A Yan was still asleep, Huang Ye set aside a bowl of noodles for him, topped with two wild greens and a poached egg—Lan Duo had given him the egg.

Because of the fake personas Meng Wan had cooked up, the group couldn’t afford to slip up. They found a quiet corner to eat.

Huang Ye took the bowl of noodles inside to relieve Meng Wan so he could go eat. Meng Wan went in, eating while keeping an eye on A Yan.

Meng Wan filled a big bowl of noodles and sat on a large rock, eating them with his chopsticks.

Next to him, Na Tuo suddenly spoke up, emotional, “Your little brother cooks really well. I’ve never had flour before; in our stockade, we only eat rice.”

Meng Wan held his bowl, not putting on any airs as an official’s husband. “There’s plenty of good food and fun stuff out there. You shouldn’t stay stuck in these mountains just because you don’t want to change things up.”

“We do go down the mountain sometimes to trade with the village folks,” Na Tuo argued stubbornly, still defending the Yao.

Meng Wan shook his head, too busy to deal with his stubbornness right now.

“Why did you and the Yanlin Stockade folks actually start fighting?” Meng Wan finally remembered to ask this more important question.

Na Tuo’s eyes darted around. This usually cheerful guy showed a mix of anger and shyness when he brought it up, making Meng Wan suspect it might be some romantic scandal involving Na Tuo.

Maybe his expression was a bit off, catching the attention of the thick-skinned Na Tuo. Na Tuo quickly explained, “It’s not me, it’s my sister, Na Lan. She was originally engaged to the Headman of Yanlin Stockade.”

Meng Wan perked up. He set his empty bowl aside. “And then?”

“Then before they got married, my sister… ran off with another guy.” Na Tuo looked awkward. This was indeed their fault.

Meng Wan got it. So she ran away from the wedding?

“What happened next?” Seeing how hostile Na Tuo was toward Yanlin Stockade, something else must have happened.

“The Headman of Yanlin Stockade is a madman. We offered to make it up to him, but he refused everything. Instead, he grabbed Na Lan and dragged her back!” Na Tuo’s face grew even more grim.

His sister was flaky, but she’d only met the Headman a few times. Before calling off the engagement, she even brought gifts to his place. While most Yao relied on marriage alliances, they also believed in freedom to marry. It wasn’t just his sister who’d failed to make a match—but the Headman of Yanlin Stockade took it personally. He was dead set on one thing: he had to marry Na Lan, and if that wasn’t possible, he was willing to marry into her family.

Meng Wan listened, amazed. In the Yu Kingdom, if a man married into his wife’s family, it was treated like a huge disgrace—the wife’s family gave him everything, yet he still insisted on saving face, taking the benefits and acting like he was doing them a favor. The Yao people’s thinking was quite progressive! So why were they still rejecting outsiders?

“So, is your sister now in Yanlin Stockade?” Meng Wan had long felt that the Yao Chief of Yanlin Stockade was no simple man. After meeting him yesterday, his suspicions were confirmed. Even without this marriage incident, Yanlin Stockade would have found another excuse to stir up conflict between the two stockades.

Na Tuo’s expression grew even stranger. “No, she escaped from Yanlin Stockade…”

And she was personally let go by the Headman of Yanlin Stockade. That man was a madman—unwilling to harm Na Lan himself, he instead turned around and provoked Na Tuo’s Fengtong Stockade.

After Na Tuo finished speaking with a pained expression, Meng Wan grew curious about the Headman of Yanlin Stockade. Why would such a person willingly obey their Yao Chief?

“Xue Sheng, stay here and protect A Yan. Na Tuo and I will go find the Yao Chief.” After eating and drinking his fill, Meng Wan needed to get down to business quickly. Time was tight—at the very least, he needed to secure a decent place for his son.

He and Na Tuo went to the Yanlin Stockade area. They were even stopped by patrolling guards, but luckily, they ran into someone from yesterday’s patrol team. That person greeted Meng Wan eagerly and, upon hearing he wanted to see the Yao Chief, didn’t hesitate to lead the way.

“I heard you stayed in Pingtian Stockade last night. They’ve been building for days and haven’t even finished one bamboo house. Why don’t you and your younger brothers stay at my place? My parents built me a new house,” the patrolman said shyly.

Staying in someone’s new house—wasn’t that the same as agreeing to marry him?

Meng Wan’s smile faded. Realizing they were approaching the spot where he had met Gu Yao yesterday, he put on a solemn expression and said loudly, “I worship King Pangu. I have vowed to serve Him for life and will not marry anyone!”

His voice was loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the stockade—whether they were working or resting. After all, the Yao people of Xiwu Prefecture all worshipped the goddess Miluotuo. Although they knew other places had different beliefs, it was still unheard of for someone to loudly declare, in front of Miluotuo’s followers, that they would serve King Pangu for life.

The people of Yanlin Stockade thought Meng Wan was a bit crazy. Even the patrolman no longer seemed as eager as before.

“Our race is inclusive. King Pangu and the goddess Miluotuo are both great deities of the Yao people.”

Unexpectedly, Gu Yao walked down from the bamboo house in front of them, speaking up for Meng Wan.

Though his expression was calm, Meng Wan caught the hidden excitement in his eyes—the joy of finding a kindred spirit.

“My child, what is your name? Would you like to come upstairs and talk with me?” He shed his earlier pretense and eagerly invited Meng Wan up.

Meng Wan acted flattered. “Of course, Chief. My name is Shi Ye.” This was the name he had made up before coming yesterday.

Although Gu Yao only invited Meng Wan, Na Tuo followed on his own accord.

Gu Yao glanced at him but didn’t drive him away.

As the Yao Chief, Gu Yao’s bamboo house was the largest in the stockade. It even had a meeting hall upstairs, filled with bamboo chairs, likely used for important tribal gatherings.

Gu Yao sat at the head and warmly gestured for Meng Wan to sit beside him. “Shi Ye, in your former stockade, were all the people followers of King Pangu?”

Meng Wan had noticed yesterday that Gu Yao wore a silver ornament on his chest, depicting a chaotic mist—very hard to decipher. Coincidentally, after the incident with the Zhuang people, Meng Wan had specifically studied the Yao and Miao cultures.

All the Yao people in Xiwu Prefecture worshipped the goddess Miluotuo. He had observed carefully, including Lan Duo’s people, that their clothing and silver ornaments were often shaped like the sun and moon. Legend said that Miluotuo’s earrings turned into the sun and moon, making these celestial bodies the most beloved totems of this branch of Yao, symbolizing light, warmth, and life.

The chaotic mist Gu Yao wore, however, was a clear symbol of King Pangu, who created the world, representing power and supreme authority.

Logically, how could a Yao Chief of a stockade that worshipped Miluotuo, a peace-loving goddess, convert to King Pangu?

There were many reasons, hard to guess, but the fact that he dared to openly wear the King Pangu totem as a silver ornament made it obvious to Meng Wan—this was an extremely arrogant man who even looked down on his own people. He believed that even as a Yao Chief wearing another god’s totem, his ignorant followers wouldn’t notice.

Having guessed most of it, the rest was simple for Meng Wan.

Dealing with a smart person required extra caution, but dealing with a smart and blindly arrogant person was very simple. He just needed to affirm his beliefs, make him feel he was no longer a lonely sage, and subtly flatter him.

Arrogant people often had a bit of a performative personality. Geniuses needed witnesses, and not stupid ones.

Treat his “intelligence” as a tacit understanding between them, using implicit approval to make him feel that he was one of the few worthy of his intellect.

Having confirmed some of Gu Yao’s thoughts, Meng Wan easily gave a satisfying answer. “The people in my stockade also worship the goddess Miluotuo. They are so simple and foolish, only thinking about what chores to do in the morning and what to cook for dinner…”

He suddenly realized he shouldn’t speak of his former people like that in front of Gu Yao. He quickly covered his mouth, eyes wide, pupils trembling, looking very flustered.

Gu Yao was amused by his innocent demeanor. “Shi Ye, don’t be afraid. I told you, Yanlin Stockade is a very inclusive place. But it’s true that worshipping King Pangu isn’t suitable for open display. Here, though, you can speak freely about your faith.”

Meng Wan looked at him gratefully and continued, “I never knew there was such a powerful and wise deity as King Pangu until I saw a King Pangu totem in a cave. I felt it was a divine message from King Pangu!”

To play the part of a fervent believer of the gods, Meng Wan figured that someday his trading posts would cover the entire Yu Kingdom, even penetrating overseas, and he had bankrolled half of all the roads himself!

Meng Wan's eyes grew brighter and brighter, his speech quickened, and he spouted nonsense off the top of his head without any preparation: "Then I discovered an ancient book about King Pangu, and only then did I realize how powerful the Yao people were in the past. We shouldn't just fade away in cowardice! We should lead our people back to glory!"

Gu Yao stood up from his chair, seeming to greatly admire Meng Wan, and even his tone became as elevated as Meng Wan's: "Shi Ye, my child, you are truly brave and intelligent, a hundred times better than my foolish son!"

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Meng Wan should not waste his time in a small village like Pingtian Village. He stood up and paced around the room, as if making some sort of decision.

An arrogant person always thinks they're right. Gu Yao didn’t hesitate too long before decisively saying: "Shi Ye, would you be willing to become my adopted son and the next Yao Chief of Yanlin Village?"

Meng Wan was not at all tempted by this offer. He refused bluntly: "I'm sorry, Lord Gu Yao, I have my own faith, which is different from that of Yanlin Village. I don't think the people of Yanlin Village would accept me as the next Yao Chief, and I just want to devote myself to serving King Pangu."

If he had accepted without hesitation, Gu Yao would have doubted his intentions, but Meng Wan didn't even hesitate for a second. Even a six-year-old child wouldn't refuse the temptation of becoming the Yao Chief. Only a fervent believer who regards faith as everything would be so obsessed for the sake of their faith!

Gu Yao was in an unprecedented good mood. He put on a mature and kind demeanor, trying to tempt Meng Wan: "Shi Ye, are you willing to let King Pangu have only you as his loyal follower? King Pangu is so mighty. If you just worship him in your village, how are you different from the timid people you once despised?"

Meng Wan seemed moved, his expression struggling.

Gu Yao spread his arms: "Child, the Yao people have been silent for too long. From now on, I will unify the entire Yao tribe. Generation after generation, we will gather together, and sooner or later, we will become a second Yu Kingdom! I need your help, because we are the same." He pointed meaningfully at the Chaos Silver ornament on his chest.

Meng Wan suddenly understood. He drew in a cold breath, slowly brought his hands together and gave a light clap, and said: "You are truly a great leader like King Pangu. I am willing to be your adopted son and carry on your will."

Na Tuo, who had been listening idly at the door at first, grew increasingly wide-eyed as the conversation went on. Every word Gu Yao and Meng Wan said was in the Yao language, and Meng Wan spoke more and more excitedly, leaving Na Tuo unable to understand.

What were they talking about?

What King Pangu?

Why had this official from the prefectural capital decided to stay in the Yao village and become the next Yao Chief after just one day?

Meng Wan rattled on with Gu Yao, analyzing the other's psychology as he spoke. He had thought Gu Yao's elaborate schemes were for some grand move, but it turned out to be just for unifying the Yao villages for easier management!

Good idea, but extreme behavior, and the craziest part was how arrogant and delusional he was. A second Yu Kingdom? Without diplomacy, with closed management, with such a small Yao population, he'd burn through them in no time.

In the end, they'd all end up inbreeding among close relatives, and their children would have genetic defects. In three hundred years, not a single healthy person would be left—utter self-destruction.

See? Even a smart person needs to hit the books!

Thank goodness for China's nine-year compulsory education!