Li Ying didn't bother to waste words with him. She walked straight up to A Man's father and politely bowed.
"Sister..."
Although A Man had a straightforward personality, she was obviously intimidated by the situation. She bit her lower lip tightly and looked at Li Ying with her big, black, pleading eyes.
Li Ying gently patted her little hand and gave her a reassuring smile, signaling her to calm down.
"This spiritual spring has definitely not been cursed by heaven. If you don't believe me, you can all come with me and take a look upstream."
Li Ying took the lead and rushed straight to the gully she and Lu Xunguang had found last night.
Sure enough, as she expected, the gully was now filled with spring water, which flowed into the spiritual spring downstream.
"This river channel was newly dug. There are a lot of red - earth mines nearby, which are rich in various microorganisms and minerals. When the spring water flows through here, it will be dyed blood - red."
"The muffled thunderclap we heard just now, if I'm not mistaken, was caused by someone breaking the earth and stones blocking the tributary of the red water, allowing the red river to flow into the downstream, in order to frame A Man and prove that it wasn't the people of the Xikang Hu tribe who did it."
Yesterday, when the muddy water of the red sand splashed on her leg, she was almost regarded as bleeding profusely. At that time, Li Ying already had some guesses in her mind. Seeing this today, her guess was confirmed.
With just a few words, she laid bare the "uncle's" scheme.
Everyone fell silent. When A Man's uncle saw this, he couldn't help but be secretly shocked.
What a formidable girl! She has such a quick mind!
He cursed his good - for - nothing son in his heart, wondering why he didn't step forward to defend them.
The Hu uncle composed himself, pretended not to understand what Li Ying said, took a step forward, and persuaded earnestly, "Brother, what Miss Li said makes sense, but it's really hard to determine A Man's identity. It might not be appropriate to entrust the Xikang Hu territory to her so hastily today."
"It's not that I have a prejudice against A Man. You don't know that I've heard that she was trapped in the Central Plains for many years. In order to survive, she had no choice but to sell herself into a humble status. She worked as a maid and a prostitute, entertaining guests every day. She is no longer an innocent girl!"
"If we let her take charge of our Xikang Hu tribe, it will really bring shame to the family and disgrace to our ancestors! Please think twice, brother!"
Before he finished speaking, Li Ying snorted and raised her hand, leaving a clear handprint on his face.
"Watch your mouth! A Man and I are like sisters. She has already been registered in my family household. She is a truly innocent girl. You, relying on your seniority, are slandering a young girl out of thin air. What's your intention?"
When Li Ying saved A Man, she had already torn up her indenture. As a Hu dancing girl, A Man served as the spokesperson for the night market and the Ping'an Bank. When she performed on stage, she only received "performance fees", which was very different from the musicians and singing girls in the music workshops.
"Humph, every word I said is true and well - known. You know it clearly in your heart! You can deceive others, but you can't deceive me! Once a prostitute, and still want to build a chastity archway? There's no such good thing in the world. Little girl, how dare you hit me?"
The uncle covered his burning cheek, showing a fierce look, and gritted his teeth. "Little girl, our Hu tribe respects you as a guest, so we've been polite to you. If you're so ungrateful, don't blame us for being rude!"
He threatened, but how could Lu Xunguang stand by and watch his beloved be humiliated? He flashed in front of Li Ying, looking cold and stern.
"Put away your dirty tricks! Since we can see through the trick of turning the spiritual spring into a red river, we naturally know that you are the mastermind behind digging the gully and pretending to be gods and ghosts!"
"Rude? I'd like to see what else you father and son are capable of!"
Lu Xunguang sneered contemptuously. He dragged the uncle's son, who was tied up like a dumpling, out of the yurt and kicked him in front of everyone.
"Father, our plan was exposed last night. Please save me quickly!"
A Man's elder brother cried with a mournful face, scared out of his wits. When the leader of the Hu tribe heard this, he frowned tightly.
This was supposed to be a happy and lively ceremony, but now it had turned into such a mess. He really hadn't expected this.
"Third brother, you..."
He didn't want to punish his own brother in front of outsiders, nor did he want to be laughed at. He just ordered that the third brother and his son be temporarily detained in the yurt and be interrogated another day.
Li Ying was too lazy to care about these family affairs. She composed herself, took two steps forward, and said loudly, "Chief, don't worry. Although the water in the spiritual spring is now dyed red by the red - earth mine, as long as the impurities in the water are naturally filtered by the rocks layer by layer, it can still be drunk as usual. It's not only harmless to the body but also very beneficial."
The red - earth mine is rich in various minerals and microorganisms. When dissolved in the mountain spring water, it can greatly increase the medicinal effect whether used for brewing wine or making glue.
The people of the Xikang Hu tribe were still skeptical at first. When they saw Li Ying personally filter a cup of mountain spring water with a fine gauze and drink it with enjoyment without any problem, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Miss Li, thank you so much! Thanks to you for saving A Man and escorting her from afar. You also solved the disaster of our Xikang Hu tribe's spiritual spring today. We really don't know how to thank you for your great kindness!"
After this incident, the last trace of hesitation in A Man's father's heart disappeared instantly. He clearly regarded Li Ying and her group as the benefactors of the Hu territory.
Li Ying couldn't bear to see this man in his fifties bow to her, so she quickly helped him up and smiled.
"A Man and I are like sisters. Many of the businesses in the fishing village rely on her help. Chief, you're being too polite. It seems we're not close."
The chief was impressed by her proper speech. Hearing A Man call her "sister" so affectionately, he felt even more fond of Li Ying.
The ceremony of returning to one's ancestral home ended hastily. The villagers of the Hu territory went back to their yurts to rest, but Li Ying didn't leave. Instead, she walked gracefully in front of the Xikang chief.
"Miss Li seems to have something else to discuss with me?"
Being seen through, Li Ying wasn't embarrassed. She just smiled calmly and nodded. "Yes. On the one hand, we came here to help A Man return to her hometown. On the other hand, we're also looking for a spiritual spring to boil medicine."
At the mention of "spiritual spring", A Man's father's face stiffened a bit.
"Miss Li, we will never forget your kindness to our Xikang Hu tribe. If you want the spiritual spring, we shouldn't be stingy. But this spiritual spring is related to the livelihood of our Xikang Hu tribe's people. I'm afraid I can't agree to your request to dig the spring eye."
Li Ying had already guessed that this matter wouldn't go smoothly, but she just smiled calmly.
"Chief, don't be in a hurry to reject me. An ordinary man is not guilty, but possessing treasures is. If I'm not wrong, I'm afraid that the spiritual spring in Xikang has already been targeted by someone with ulterior motives."