Chapter Thirteen: The Day of Sacrifice

“The Celestial Fox Clan, what are you doing in the human territory at this late hour? Leave now, or I will slay you right here. Even your ancient ancestor wouldn’t be able to save you—do you believe me?” Jian Yi’s voice was icy and threatening.

The woman, her identity exposed, showed no anger. Instead, she smiled shyly, partially hiding her face with a silk scarf, and said softly, “Today, to witness the unmatched grace of the master’s disciple, this humble one is truly enamored. Might I be so bold as to ask if you would consent to be my husband, to share a hundred years of bliss?”

Liu An, standing on the ground, had been mesmerized, thinking how the world could harbor such an exquisite woman. But when she suddenly turned her head, Liu An’s thoughts vanished instantly, and he looked down at the ground.

Though her hair obscured the back of her head, through the gaps one could still discern the outline of a fox’s face.

“Speak no more of such seductive nonsense, or you will die today. This is your final warning.” Jian Yi was about to draw his sword.

The woman, seeing Jian Yi’s dullness and lack of understanding, cracked her neck with a crisp sound and suddenly twisted her head. A fox face appeared, eyes fierce and glaring at Jian Yi.

The tense standoff did not last long. In a blink, the woman spun on the spot, rapidly shrinking and transforming into a four-tailed pink fox.

Her four paws pressed against the air, and she dashed toward the moon, soon disappearing from sight.

With the danger passed, Jian Yi descended gracefully from the air, smiling as he began to chat with Liu An.

“Senior Brother, what’s the story behind that fox?” Liu An asked curiously.

Jian Yi, grinning with a hint of gossip, leaned close and whispered, “That four-tailed fox’s ancestor is a regressed nine-tailed celestial fox. When her ancestor was young, she was taken in as a pet by an immature immortal. But after eating a transformative herb and turning human, she climbed onto her master’s bed for a day and a half... and then... well, you get the picture.”

Jian Yi winked at Liu An, as if sharing a secret.

Liu An felt a stark contrast in his senior brother’s persona: once a refined gentleman with a gentle demeanor, now chatting like a streetwise commoner.

Still, Liu An maintained his respect; after all, Jian Yi had stepped forward to save him in a moment of peril, a kindness not easily forgotten.

“Senior Brother, how did you find me here?”

Jian Yi grew animated, teasing, “Junior Brother, you don’t know. Our master ordered me to fetch you. You didn’t believe I could find you on my own, so I traveled a great distance and left your coordinates in my mind.”

“Gentlemen, gentlemen! Look at me—I’m still here. Shall we move somewhere else to talk?” Zhao, the city lord, who had long been ignored, finally spoke up.

---

Their attention shifted to the disheveled Zhao City Lord.

Jian Yi frowned. “Junior Brother, do you know this man?”

Liu An wanted to feign ignorance but recalled that the life pool still required Zhao’s assistance. He introduced him coolly, “This is the Lord of Linjiang City. He’s been looking after me these past few days.”

Jian Yi paid little mind to Zhao and turned back to Liu An. “Junior Brother, come with me. Our master warned me not to let you cause disaster. I’ll also take this chance to temper you.”

“Senior Brother, the day after tomorrow there’s a chance—a life pool here can help me advance a level. I want to wait a bit longer.”

Jian Yi hesitated, then agreed to stay a few more days. Since crossing thousands of miles to arrive, he had sensed a strange, pervasive resentment lingering in this city.

Zhao, though polite, seemed subdued, lacking his usual arrogance. He no longer called Liu An “little brother” recklessly but addressed both young men with courtesy.

The city remained eerily silent in the following days—so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard. Not a soul ventured outside before noon of the second day; even vendors in taverns and alleys had vanished.

Only at midday did a faint stir of life reappear. With the sacrificial day drawing near, Zhao mobilized his city soldiers to rouse the people house by house. He also summoned the city’s great clans to reassign the two extra spots available to enter the life pool, previously held by the Li family.

The clans argued fiercely, no one willing to concede. Only after Zhao angrily called upon his father’s name did the decision settle, awarding the two places to the Cao and Jiang families.

Though some were dissatisfied, they held their tongues; after all, the three most powerful forces in the city had reached consensus, leaving smaller families to accept their share.

This division of spoils ended amid the laughter of the Cao and Jiang patriarchs.

A day passed swiftly until the long-awaited sacrificial day arrived.

---

At dawn, the city’s main streets were swept clean. Soldiers in polished armor stood along the sidewalks, maintaining order. At each soldier’s feet rested a cage covered with a red cloth.

“The time has come. Please, divine child.”

A sharp voice shattered the silence. A group of oddly dressed people, their faces painted and their movements erratic, danced mysteriously toward the Star-Gazer Tower in the city center.

Behind them, over ten laborers carried a golden lotus pedestal, intricately sculpted with a child figure, remarkably lifelike.

Following closely were maidservants bearing offerings, and trailing them were a cluster of monks in robes. They were “monks” in appearance only—their shaved heads and prayer beads were mere costume, for none were truly ordained.

Apart from special individuals, all city residents prostrated themselves, pressing their heads to the ground and murmuring incomprehensible words.

At the front, the ecstatic dancers seemed to commune with the gods. When the hundred-strong procession arrived beneath the towering Star-Gazer Tower, the laborers, drenched in sweat, trembled as they carefully set the golden child statue down.

Gazing up at the Star-Gazer Tower—so tall it vanished into the clouds—everyone’s faces were filled with awe.

“Next, the chosen ones, please send the divine child to ascend to the heavens.”

As the words fell, the sky was enveloped in auspicious, multicolored clouds. Purple energy flowed from the east, stretching for miles.

“Auspicious signs appear; the sacred hour has arrived.”

At this moment, Zhao City Lord and several clan heads instructed their descendants, “It’s your turn now.”

Excited, the selected youths each displayed their skills, swiftly reaching the golden child statue.

Four proud young men shoved aside the laborers, working in perfect unison to lift the statue onto their shoulders. Several graceful young women took offerings from the maidservants.

Clouds and mist rose beneath their feet, carrying them upward until they reached the top tier of the Star-Gazer Tower.

Afterwards, soldiers pulled back the red cloths and opened the cages. Babies, both boys and girls, crawled out, looking around curiously. Some wailed loudly, but no one paid them any heed.

“Dong! Dong! Dong!” The sound of wooden mallets striking bronze bells resounded.

A golden giant infant manifested in the sky. More astonishing still was a colossal, sacred woman, tears gently streaming from her eyes, tenderly cradling the giant infant in her hands.