Side Story 4: The Sorcery Temple
Madisons church was in Wenxiena, so they had to pass through a village called Wubang and a logging station built by the Dutch before they entered the rainforest.
The logging station was now a distribution center where the English were stationed. The center provided supplies for people who were going into the rainforest and was also in charge of transporting mahoganies and fur out of the rainforest. There was even a post office for expedition teams to transport specins back to their countries.
The two n were silent as they walked. Madison had beco quiet and taciturn because of Nanres body. Zhang Haiyan didnt ask him to help carry the body as they continued moving forward silently. That first days itinerary didnt require any tracking skills since they just had to focus on getting to Wubang. Once they reached Wubang, it would take another day for them to get to the logging station.
They were staying the night in a temple outside Wubang Village. The local monks had felt very sympathetic towards them when they found that there was a corpse on Zhang Haiyans back.
They chanted sutras for Nanre all night long while Zhang Haiyan sat on the temples roof and watched the sun set over the nearby rice fields.
He noticed that there was a very small building across from the temples door. It was about half a person high and also looked like a temple. The South Sea styles characteristics were more obvious and there was sothing being worshiped in it.
Thats a sorcery temple. Madison said from behind him. Ive been here before. That temple worships a piece of skin from an unknown animal. The whole piece of skin is wrapped in a strange kind of grass that forms a cocoon around it. A sorcerer put it there more than two hundred years ago.
Zhang Haiyan looked back at him. Do foreigners believe in sorcery as well? Oh, you basically work in the sa business.
There was a kind of mysterious sorcery that was popular in Southeast Asian regions such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Africa. There werent any written records about it and it was very obscure. The legends of this sorcery technique were often incredible, and no one was able to explain what it was or what it could accomplish.
Sorcery was an extrely mysterious profession. In other words, it was so mysterious that the practitioners were often demonized. Most of the ti, sorcerers in folklore were more like evil ghosts instead of human beings.
Madison's long blond hair was tied up in a bun as he sat down next to him and said, Its not like that, A Bin. I'm a registered priest. I serve God and listen to peoples confessions, but I dont help people solve practical problems.
Zhang Haiyan stared at the sorcery temple. It looked like a tomb with multiple mountains around it.
I know what this sorcery temples purpose is. The locals told that the rainforest is right on the edge of this temple. After the Dutch ca, they began to cut down the rainforest and turned these places into rice fields. As a result, many strange corpses would flow out of the forest after the rainy season. They carried the plague with them and many people died. So, a sorcerer built this temple here to keep the plague in the forest, Madison continued.
Have you ever entered the rainforest? Zhang Haiyan asked him.
I have gone into the rainforest, but I didnt go far. I visited so of the tribes there, Madison said. I made so notes about it. Would you like to read them? I heard that your English is very good.
Zhang Haiyan shook his head. Madison was right. He could speak many languages and dialects due to his job, but he didnt need any notes about the rainforest. He was already aware of the dangers hidden in southern Peraks rainforests.
It was an unknown territory. The tropical rainforests grew wildly at a speed that even the human body could perceive. There werent any paths or landmarks to refer to, and even the path you took a week ago would be completely different a week later.
Madison was silent for a while before he offered his wine to Zhang Haiyan. This was the wine he liked to drink before, but he had stopped drinking a long ti ago.
After Nanres death, he broke his promise and started drinking again. Since you can make Nanre look like this, are you a sorcerer?
Zhang Haiyan looked at the wine and almost couldnt conceal his panic. Oh, no, he thought to himself. He wants a closer relationship.
Zhang tried to smile, No.
Foreigners were either very unsociable or extrely enthusiastic. Madison obviously belonged to the latter. The enthusiastic foreigner needed to absorb energy from the crowd, which was why he had gone to Perak to help children.
But Zhang Haiyan wasnt that kind of person. He needed to be alone to restore his energy.
Madison looked at the sunset and then at his bottle of wine. It seed he was ready to have a heart-to-heart with him. Zhang Haiyan quickly jumped off the roof, walked towards the sorcery temple, and ca to stand in front of the strange little building. He saw the grass cocoon, which was about the size of a swaddled baby.
When they left the next day, Madison discovered that there was a baby-sized package beside Nanres body on Zhang Haiyans back. When the two reached the edge of the rainforest, the package was moved and Madison realized that it was the grass cocoon from the sorcery temple.
Madison was overwheld again and pointed at the cocoon. Youyouyou
Relax. Ive replaced the cocoon with a stone wrapped in grass. They look exactly the sa on the outside, so no one will discover it. Two hundred years have passed. I bet none of them has dared touch it. Who can possibly rember whats inside of it?
You even dared steal the offering from the sorcery temple? Arent you afraid of being possessed by evil spirits?
Dont worry about it. Im the evilest spirit youll ever et in your entire life. No one is more wicked than I am. Zhang Haiyan patted the grass cocoon behind him with satisfaction. This thing is very powerful, so you shouldnt irritate . Otherwise, Ill have you eat it.
This this isnt right. Madison was so shocked that he lost the ability to speak Chinese.
Maybe I should send you back. Do you want to seek revenge or not?
Madison was stunned for a mont. Zhang Haiyan ignored him and walked faster, leaving Madison behind so that he had to chase after him.
What are you going to do with this kind of thing?
Trust . Theres a special reason as to why this thing is outside the rainforest. Itll fucking co in handy if we bring it with us.
What do you an?
It was as if the grass cocoon had pushed Madison to beco chattier. He kept talking the whole ti, so Zhang Haiyan picked up his pace. As a result, they arrived at the logging station in less than a day.
By this point, Zhang Haiyan was certain that this guy was born to be a priest. Madison talked way too much, but he mustve been a great father. Nanre must have been happy during those ten years she was alive.
This was a foreigner with childlike curiosity.
A Bin, when I asked around about you, I heard that you were a very energetic person in Penang. What have you been through all these years that made you beco soone like this?
Nothing happened.
A Bin, Im a priest. You can confess to . I wont tell anyone what youve told .
Well see about that.
A Bin, A Bin, A Bin, A Bin!
Zhang Haiyans face was solemn as he walked toward the logging station. He patted Nanre and whispered to her, Dont be scared, little girl. After we enter the rainforest, Ill send your father to the underworld so he can reunite with you. Then I will avenge you.
A Bin!
Zhang Haiyan couldnt help feeling annoyed and looked back at Madison. But just as he was about to get angry, he saw that Madisons expression had changed.
Madison was looking at a pile of goods outside the post office where a fat white man was teasing a little Malay girl. The man was teaching the little girl how to tie knots. The little girl seed to be only eight or nine years old. The fat man sotis looked at the girls ankles and then at her parents who were off to the side. The little girls parents didnt notice the looks that Madison and Zhang Haiyan were giving them.
Whats wrong?
Its him, Madison said. Hes one of twelve people. His na is Wade. Hes a farrier (1). Madison put his hand on the knife by his waist. Why didnt he enter the rainforest?
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TN Notes:
(1) Person who takes care of horses' hooves (like trimming them) and puts shoes on them.
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Tiffanys Notes: Soone managed to be more talkative than Zhang Haiyan. Thats surprising lol. I cant believe Haiyan was like, Oh, he wants to be sentintal with . Id better jump off the roof.
rebear's Notes: Tiffany's being all positive while I'm over here like "KILL HIM!!!!! Save the little girl, Haiyan!!!" lol
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