Chapter 11
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Chapter 11: Sacrifice
Early the next morning, Xu Yan rose early to check on his master. Finding the old Taoist still in deep sleep, he tiptoed out and turned to prepare breakfast. At the same time, a rumor causing immense panic among the people of Linshan Town was spreading throughout the small town.
The Mountain God was enraged, natural disasters were imminent, divine anger and human resentment would lead to crop failure!
This alarming rumor came from a group of Taoists who had arrived in Linshan Town just the day before. After inquiries, people learned that these Taoists were actually masters from the Taiqing Sect. In an instant, news about the Mountain God’s anger spread like wildfire throughout the entire town.
Linshan Town was a small border town in the Pu Kingdom, where almost every household farmed. Originally, the Pu Kingdom’s climate was warm like spring all year round, very suitable for crop growth, and there had been few natural disasters over the years. But for some unknown reason, since the new emperor’s ascension to the throne, the Pu Kingdom had suffered years of severe drought. It was said that some villages and towns had already experienced complete crop failure. Not only drought but also locust plagues had ravaged the land, causing countless refugees and even rumors of people exchanging children for food.
Linshan Town, located on the outskirts of the mountain range with a small river outside the town, didn’t need to worry about drought. However, locust plagues had occurred several times, especially last year when a plague nearly destroyed almost half of Linshan Town’s fields.
The people had a deep impression of the terror of locust plagues. Those locusts, arriving like a gale, wouldn’t eat people but could cause people to starve to death.
In this not-so-prosperous small town, food had become the top priority in people’s hearts. Moreover, most commoners were ignorant and believed in supernatural legends. Upon hearing that the Mountain God was angry and would bring great disaster, everyone became panicked, especially some elderly people who knelt in front of their homes, wailing and begging the Mountain God to calm his anger.
If it had been rumors spread by ordinary people, they wouldn’t have had such an impact. But the Taiqing Sect’s reputation was too great. As a first-class sect in the martial arts world, a major righteous sect that implicitly considered itself the state religion, the current sect leader was even the Imperial Preceptor.
The sudden rumor, combined with the phenomenon of thousands of birds flying together, finally took root in people’s hearts.
‘When even the birds in the mountains flee en masse, isn’t it a sign of impending disaster?’ people thought.
The mass flight of birds that occurred at noon was witnessed clearly by Xu Yan, who was feeding pigs at the time. Others thought the birds were fleeing to avoid disaster, but Xu Yan knew the truth behind this phenomenon.
The place where this strange event occurred was exactly the hillside he had passed through when returning to Linshan Town yesterday.
‘Someone deliberately created this false phenomenon!’ he realized.
In the vegetable garden, Xu Yan blinked his eyes, a trace of confusion passing through his clear gaze. He had also heard about the Mountain God’s anger, but Xu Yan never paid attention to supernatural legends. They were fine as stories, but to truly believe them? Unless that giant spider crawled out from the mountain’s interior.
Tricks that deceived the common people couldn’t fool those who were truly observant.
In Linshan Town, besides Xu Yan who didn’t believe in the legend of the Mountain God’s anger, there were others who sneered at these so-called Taiqing Sect masters.
In the Cheng family home, which had moved to Linshan Town six years ago and was known for its scholarly tradition, a spirited old man sat in the main hall drinking tea.
The Cheng family couldn’t be considered wealthy, but their cultural foundation was definitely not shallow. The master’s speech and behavior, the tastefully arranged decorations in the courtyard, and even the calligraphy works in the study room with their profound brushwork—all revealed a strong aura of someone from the upper class.
“Grandfather!”
Outside the hall door, along the path paved with gravel, a butterfly-like young girl with light footsteps ran to the old man and urgently said, “Grandfather, the news about the Mountain God’s anger is spreading more and more intensely in town!”
The girl in a sea-blue dress appeared to be fourteen or fifteen years old, with bright eyes and white teeth. Her fair face and clear brow carried a scholarly air, though her expression was somewhat anxious. Recalling the news she had just heard in town, she said, “Those Taoists claim to be disciples of the Taiqing Sect. They say that to appease the Mountain God’s anger, they need to perform a grand ritual. To show sincerity, every household in Linshan Town must contribute money and effort. Not only that, they also say they need to select a boy and a girl to sacrifice to the Mountain God.”
The old man drinking tea had been full of affection when he saw his granddaughter, but upon hearing the words “boy and girl,” his hand suddenly tightened around the teacup, then slowly relaxed. He gently placed the cup on the table.
“My little Wan’er has grown up and always likes to inquire about new things. Grandfather is old and can’t control you. You are a young lady from a good family. If you continue to run around wildly like this, grandfather will have to send you back to your parents.”
The old man’s eyes were still full of love, but deep within them, an anger that no one noticed was surging.
‘These Taiqing Sect people dare to demand human sacrifices in my territory?’ he thought with growing rage.
This old man of the Cheng family was named Cheng Yu. He usually lived frugally and had excellent relationships with others. Not only was his conversation proper, but he was also very knowledgeable. The neighbors all greatly respected this Old Master Cheng.
The name Cheng Yu would naturally be unknown in a border town like Linshan Town. But if placed in the capital of the Great Pu Kingdom, the meaning represented by this name would be heavy enough to command the life and death of millions.
The Left Prime Minister of the Pu Kingdom six years ago—Cheng Yu, also known as Cheng Pengju!
No one knew why a generation’s prime minister would seclude himself in Linshan Town, nor did anyone know what had happened six years ago that caused this old man, who was once second only to the emperor and above all others, to leave for six years, no longer concerning himself with worldly affairs. Every day, all he did was tend to flowers and plants, practice calligraphy, or teach his granddaughter.
The girl living with the old man in Linshan Town was a descendant of the Cheng family’s main branch and also Cheng Yu’s own granddaughter, named Cheng Lin Wan. Despite her young age, she was already well-educated and well-mannered. However, with the lively nature of youth, when she saw unfair things, she naturally wanted to refute them. Hearing her grandfather say she was running around wildly, she immediately pouted, feeling somewhat wronged, and said, “Wan’er wasn’t running around wildly. The commotion in the street was so loud that we could hear it clearly even at home.”
The old man smiled and pointed to the empty teapot, saying gently, “Bring grandfather some tea. In a few days, we’ll be returning to the capital. By then, grandfather won’t have time to look after you, this wild girl.”
The pouting girl went to add water, feeling dejected. The hall became quiet for a moment. Sitting in the chair, the old man’s gaze grew increasingly profound. In his left hand, he tightly gripped a bright yellow silk document, on which patterns of auspicious clouds and cranes could be vaguely seen.
It was an imperial edict—an edict from the current emperor ordering him to resume his original position. This edict should have been delivered three years ago but was only delivered by express messenger this morning, three years later.
‘After all this time, now they remember me?’ the old man thought bitterly. ‘What has happened at court to suddenly need my return?’
“Taiqing Sect, live sacrifice… Imperial Preceptor, do you want to destroy our Great Pu Kingdom?!”
In the secluded courtyard, the old man’s roar could no longer be suppressed. Like the growl of a lion, it was filled with anger and helplessness toward those who deceived the common people.
“Boy and girl?” In the back courtyard of Chengyun Temple, Xu Yan, who had just returned from the street, scratched his head, somewhat confused about this news he had heard. He muttered to himself, “Sacrificial offerings are usually dead things. Aren’t the three animals enough? Do they want to sacrifice living people?”
For Taoist rituals, the three animals were sufficient. If they truly wanted to sacrifice living people, regardless of what others thought, in Xu Yan’s understanding, they weren’t Taoists but demons.
‘Real Taoists would never harm innocent lives,’ he thought firmly. ‘These people must be imposters.’
The intermittent coughing from the room interrupted Xu Yan’s speculation. He quickly ran inside. The old Taoist had rarely awakened.
“Master…” Xu Yan approached the old Taoist, hesitating to speak.
“The people from the Taiqing Sect have started demanding money and manpower, haven’t they?” Xu Daoyuan coughed a few times, sat up, and asked weakly, “Did they mention a boy and a girl?”
Xu Yan nodded, his expression not looking good. The old Taoist gave a bitter smile and said, “Cheating, threatening, first subduing people’s hearts to better spread their doctrine, then using thunderous methods to gather followers. Crude tricks, poisonous mind games—this is the human world…”
