Un corazón puro en una vasija de jade

Capítulo 148

Young Master Hong sneered and said, "Legend has it that during the Xibo Autumn Sacrifice, after the blood is spilled on the sacrificial altar, it eventually flows into a blood spring. The blood spring is filled with various poisons and medicinal herbs all year round. It is said that those who drink from the blood spring will have their martial arts skills enhanced. Therefore, martial arts practitioners flock here, not only to watch the spectacle but also to drink from the blood spring. The Xibo people are also hospitable. As long as you do not disturb their blood sacrifice, they will give you a bowl of blood spring water afterward."

Yongye clicked his tongue in amazement; something from martial arts novels was here too. The Blood Spring must have been infused with some tonics. So many martial arts practitioners had come for a bowl of Blood Spring water, disregarding the poor girl's life. Yongye wanted to sneer; humans were truly selfish creatures.

Would Feng Yangxi also have to drink a bowl of blood spring? Yongye couldn't help but think of Feng Yangxi's kiss, and then of the blood spring, a wave of nausea rose in her chest.

"So many martial arts practitioners have come seeking a bowl of Blood Spring water. Young Master Hong, aren't you afraid of incurring public wrath?"

“I am not afraid. Although there have been cases of people in the underworld who wanted to uphold justice being killed on the spot, even if we die, how can we stand by and watch such things happen year after year?”

Yongye's eyes darted around as he asked, "Young Master Hong, how do you intend to sabotage this?"

Young Master Hong sneered, "I plan to go and save the girl who will be sacrificed today."

"Hehe, this is a good idea. It cuts off their supply lines. It leaves them without anyone to sacrifice. I'll lend you my assistance, young master."

Young Master Hong looked at Yongye suspiciously and shook his head. Seeing his disbelief, Yongye casually broke off a branch, heard a bird chirping to his right, and flung it out without even looking. The bird chirping stopped abruptly. Young Master Hong stared at Yongye, his gaze shifting from astonishment to admiration, and immediately told Yongye his thoughts.

After discussing their plan, the two walked along a mountain path for a while and heard a series of loud drumbeats and a strange song, realizing that they had arrived at the Xibo tribe's settlement.

After crossing the mountain pass, a wide view unfolds before you. Large and small gray-white stone houses are scattered across the river valley plain.

Young Master Hong said, "This is Xibo Village, and the sacrificial site is right in the center."

Yongye looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a circular plaza in the center of the stone house, with a square stone platform formed by piled stones. Many wooden stakes stood around the perimeter, and on the platform were three tall wooden stakes. The tops of these stakes were coated with gold powder, which glittered in the setting sun.

They entered the village one after another, following the small groups of onlookers. They found a corner to sit in one of the tents around the square. People from the Xibo ethnic group brought them water, wine, and food, showing great hospitality.

Yongye looked around and saw that the Xibo people were wearing colorful brocade short jackets, decorated with animal skins, and their faces were painted like those of African natives. He asked curiously, "Do these people usually paint their faces like this?"

"This only happens during the Mid-Autumn Festival and the autumn sacrifice."

Yongye nodded thoughtfully. The people in Youli Valley could also be disguised by painting their faces. But she didn't want to disguise herself; she was worried about not being able to find Youli Valley, and Yongye desperately wanted someone to recognize her.

As night fell, several bonfires were lit in the open space of the village, making the sacrificial pillars in the square look particularly menacing.

A bright moon slowly rose, the drumbeats grew more urgent, and the Xibo people began to dance around the sacrificial altar. Yongye felt that this bold and unrestrained dance was somewhat similar to the Nuo opera of western Hunan, an ancient form of totem worship.

She looked up; the stone platform was about two zhang high. In the firelight, it appeared a deep brown, perhaps stained with blood from annual blood sacrifices. At each of the four corners of the platform were carved animal heads, their mouths facing a ring of stone troughs below. Each trough led out from another animal head, below which sat white stone basins, their rims carved with animal mouths. This process repeated nine times before flowing into a white animal head on the south side, revealing a jade basin shaped like an embrace, resembling a seashell. In the firelight, the jade appeared milky white and almost transparent, as if it contained liquid.

Then the drumbeat changed, becoming frenzied and impatient.

A priest, dressed in even more flamboyant attire, emerged from nowhere from the stone platform. He was tall, clad in a brocade robe, and wore a ferocious mask. He slowly extended his hand toward the moon, and the seashell-shaped jade basin below him slowly opened as well.

Yongye heard a commotion all around her; almost everyone watching stood up and craned their necks to see. With her extraordinary eyesight, she focused her gaze and saw a pool of dark red liquid shimmering in the jade basin.

For some reason, when it was opened, the liquid didn't smell like blood, but rather a strange fragrance. It permeated the air, and when people smelled it, an extremely comfortable feeling would lazily spread through their limbs.

Yongye frowned, held her breath, tore off a piece of cloth, wet it with tea, and was about to cover her mouth and nose. Young Master Hong smiled and stopped her: "This incense is not poisonous. It's just for calming the nerves."

"Young Master Hong seems to know this place very well?"

"If I wanted to stop the blood sacrifice, I naturally made sure I knew what was going on beforehand!"

The priest on the stone platform muttered something to the moon. Yongye saw him wave his hands, two balls of blue flame emerging from his fingertips, then flick them, igniting a bonfire beneath the platform. The cheers and drumbeats grew more rapid, and the cheers of the Xibo tribe intensified. Even many martial artists nearby were amazed.

Yongye couldn't help but laugh. What's so strange about using phosphorus to start a fire? It's just a charlatan's act.

After the bonfire was lit, a group of Xibo people carried some things and threw them into the fire. Soon, the aroma of roasting dough wafted over, and Yongye chuckled. It turned out that what was thrown into the fire were all dough figurines of animals, presumably to be eaten as baked buns after the sacrificial ceremony.

The drumming suddenly stopped, and the priest standing on the stone platform recited a long, incomprehensible sacrificial text. Several shirtless Xibo men, carrying gleaming knives, climbed onto the stone platform and stood on either side of the central sacrificial pillar. Yongye immediately tensed up; the sacrifice was about to begin.

The priest's voice sounded like chanting or singing, then suddenly rose to a high pitch. A girl in white was hoisted from the center of the stone platform like a flag being raised.

Her head was lowered, her long hair obscuring her face, and a pair of straight, shapely legs were visible beneath her white robe.

The moonlight slowly rose overhead, and the valley wind blew, ruffling her hair. A beautiful, pale face appeared in the moonlight. Yongye's heart pounded wildly, as if striking a drum. She never imagined that the object of the blood sacrifice would be Rose.

Withered roses

The moonlight slowly rose overhead, and the valley wind blew, ruffling her hair. A beautiful, pale face appeared in the moonlight. Yongye's heart pounded wildly, as if striking a drum. She never imagined that the object of the blood sacrifice would be Rose.

"The blood sacrifice is about to begin, hurry and save people."

"Can you stop the people below? Try your best to keep them away from the stone platform."

“There must be a mechanism under the stone platform. Let’s go in from below.” Young Master Hong’s face gleamed with shrewdness.

Yongye glanced at Qiangwei, not wanting her to be alone up there, and hesitated for a moment before saying, "You go in from below, I'll be up here to help."

Young Master Hong was taken aback for a moment, then responded in a low voice. His figure vanished in a flash; he was clearly a master.

The drumbeats sounded again, deep and solemn.

The Xibo tribesmen beside Rose had knelt down, raising their knives with both hands. The knives were thin and sharp, gleaming silver in the moonlight. The colorful patterns on their faces revealed a ferocious look.

Yongye looked around but didn't see Feng Yangxi. She couldn't wait any longer. She secretly drew her throwing knife and, without hesitation, shot it at the priest on the stone platform. Her body slightly arched, she charged towards the platform like an arrow.

The priest merely sidestepped slightly, his scepter pressing down directly at Eternal Night.

Yongye stood lightly on her staff, her throwing knives transforming into a net of light, instantly striking and felling the burly men around Rose. She was secretly amazed; this priest's martial arts were decent, but the people on the platform were utterly vulnerable.

The scepter surged powerfully beneath her feet, and she landed lightly in front of Rose. Seeing the priest glaring angrily and shouting something, the Xiliang tribesmen and many martial artists below the stone platform rushed towards it with their weapons.

Yongye reached into her robes, smiled, and a black lightning bomb exploded with a deafening roar, blasting open the pool of blood on the stone platform and eliciting another roar from below. She drew her sleeve dagger and slashed at the rope binding the rose. Hearing a crisp "clang," she looked closely and saw it was an iron chain. A whoosh of wind sounded behind her; without turning around, another throwing knife shot out. A priest's scream echoed behind her.

Yongye lifted Rose's chin and saw that her eyes were closed and she was barely breathing. He cried out urgently, "Wake up, Rose, it's me, Yongye!"

Rose opened her eyes in a daze, her gaze filled with fear, relief, and disbelief. Her lips trembled as she was about to speak when a large hole appeared beneath her feet, and she fell rapidly down into it.