CHAPTER 348: CHAPTER 347: JOURNEY TO COUNTRY H (PART 2)

Yan Hui’s eyes flickered, and he thought of the program he had just seen on TV. He asked, "Is it that funeral?"

Chuchu nodded.

Yan Hui then asked, "Do we need to find a local to accompany us? It might be more convenient that way."

After running around for several days, he had learned some of the local customs. For example, in events like funerals, strangers were generally not allowed to get too close, and the more prominent the families of H country were in this regard, the more stringent they were.

He couldn’t stand in the way of Wan Chu’er’s actions, so he had to think of ways to facilitate her.

Wan Chu’er couldn’t help but smile, "Then I’ll have to trouble Mr. Yan to find someone to take us there."

Yan Hui shook his head, stepped aside, and made a phone call.

"Let’s find a place to wait a moment. There’s someone from Andong willing to take us to see."

Wan Chu’er was pleasantly surprised. That was great. If a local person was guiding them, it would be much more convenient.

After a while, a man in his thirties of medium stature arrived, clearly recognizable as a person from H country. He treated Yan Hui with great respect.

"Director Yan, it’s an honor to serve you. My name is Liu Qiuyuan," he said fluently in Mandarin.

Wan Chu’er also greeted him, and when Liu Qiuyuan saw Wan Chu’er, his eyes brightened, and his smile became even more radiant.

Upon learning that they wanted to visit Andong, Liu Qiuyuan happily said, "Andong is a well-known place in our country. Many international friends come to visit Andong. You’ve found the right person—I’m from there." He spoke with an inherent pride.

The three of them drove for over two hours and arrived at Andong.

Andong was surrounded by mountains on three sides and had a river in front, blessed with a unique geographical environment. Upon entering the village, they saw a group of ancient-style buildings. At the entrance of the village, there stood two ferocious-looking masks, which appeared somewhat terrifying.

Liu Qiuyuan excitedly introduced every plant and tree in the area, as if he couldn’t wait for Wan Chu’er and Yan Hui to fall in love with his hometown immediately.

As the three of them walked and observed, they reached the outer wall of a very high wooden building and heard a "squeak ya ya" sound of music coming from inside.

Wan Chu’er’s brow twitched slightly, and she nonchalantly asked Liu Qiuyuan, "What’s going on inside? It sounds quite lively."

Liu Qiuyuan let out an ’ah’ and somberly replied, "It’s the funeral of an elder from our Liu Family."

"Oh," Wan Chu’er showed a regrettable expression and said, "That’s unfortunate. Is it okay for us to go in? I really like it here and would like to pay my respects to the elder and also witness how a prominent family in your country conducts a funeral."

Initially, Liu Qiuyuan seemed troubled, but glancing at Yan Hui, who was smiling slightly at him, he swallowed hard. This Director Yan was someone his boss had specifically instructed him to take good care of.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Qiuyuan finally made up his mind, "I can take you in to have a look, but you must follow me closely and must not wander around, look randomly or speak out of turn."

After saying this, he added quickly, worried that Yan Hui and Wan Chu’er would be unhappy, "You see, our clan has many rules."

Wan Chu’er expressed her understanding and nodded her thanks.

Liu Qiuyuan led the three of them past the long enclosure wall, walked a long distance, and arrived at a side door, saying, "We’ll enter from here."

Once through the side door, they saw a small table under the shade of a tree with three men kneeling and talking. Liu Qiuyuan went up and muttered something to them. They took a look at Yan Hui and Wan Chu’er and waved their hands.

Liu Qiuyuan quickly came forward and led them inside.

The house there was large; they seemed to be in an area like a utility room in a side courtyard. After following Liu Qiuyuan through a series of turns, it took them a while to reach a spacious courtyard. As they approached, they could hear a loud sound coming from within.

Liu Qiuyuan whispered, "We’re here. Inside is where the rituals are taking place. Outsiders are not allowed to enter. Let’s just watch from here."

Before Yan Hui could say anything, Wan Chu’er stopped him with her hand. She smiled and thanked Liu Qiuyuan, and the three went to a low wall in front. There was a hollow in the wall, which allowed them to see clearly inside.

The courtyard was full of people, all of them very organized and each doing their job.

Wan Chu’er searched for a while and finally found an ornate object. According to the information she had read, it was the coffin, which here was decorated in various colors.

On both sides of the coffin, there was a wooden cage—exactly what she had seen on TV. It seemed there were more behind the coffin, but she couldn’t tell how many. Wan Chu’er thought there must be a total of five.

The people previously in the wooden cages were gone, but in the two visible cages, one held a cow and the other a sheep; this was for the ox and sheep sacrifice.

Wan Chu’er looked around some more but couldn’t find what she was looking for. She turned back to Liu Qiuyuan and asked, "Why are there oxen and sheep in the two wooden cages? Are there other cages like that?"

Upon hearing her question, Liu Qiuyuan’s face slightly changed. He shook his head and said, "Miss Wan, it’s better not to ask."

Wan Chu’er’s heart tightened, but she pretended to be an ignorant lamb, excitedly saying, "I think I’ve seen online that there are living sacrifices in the funerals of your country’s prestigious families, hoping for resurrection. Is it true? Can it really bring back the dead?"

Liu Qiuyuan’s expression became even more anxious. He shook his head vigorously, "Let’s leave, it wouldn’t be good if we were discovered." He then tried to pull Wan Chu’er away.

Yan Hui looked serious and quickly blocked Liu Qiuyuan’s hand.

Liu Qiuyuan became anxious and urged them, "Let’s hurry and go."

Wan Chu’er exchanged a look with Yan Hui. It was no use rushing; she didn’t want to have a falling out with Liu Qiuyuan, so she nodded in agreement.

The three of them hurried back the way they came, and once outside, Wan Chu’er apologized to Liu Qiuyuan with a regretful expression, "Sorry, did I cause you trouble? I really didn’t know it would offend you."

Seeing how apologetic Wan Chu’er was, and considering she was a beautiful woman, Liu Qiuyuan’s expression softened. After a moment’s thought, he said, "Because it’s a very important person, that’s why there were sacrifices at the funeral. Those sacrifices are not to be discussed casually. If you encounter such things again in the future, please never offend again."

They took another walk around, glanced at the Liu Family Ancestral Hall from afar, and then left Andong.

On the way, Wan Chu’er asked Liu Qiuyuan many things about the prominent families of H country and learned many things she couldn’t find in books or online. She also received an important piece of information.

The family of the president of H country was also a major family and had intricate ties to religion.

In Wan Chu’er’s view, these religions were nothing but cults, though they were dressed in an appealing façade.