mtlumby2d Chapter 2074 The sacrifice begins
Chapter 2074 The sacrifice begins
A misty haze hung in the air, and suddenly a gong sounded in the distance, its rhythm distinct, the sound of government officials clearing the way.
Ding Hengshou, sitting in the sedan chair, heard the sedan chair bearers slow down, so he raised his hand to lift a corner of the sedan chair curtain, bent down and got out of the sedan chair.
His gaze swept over the banners on both sides of the altar, and then fell on the neatly arranged yamen runners below the altar.
The altar was built according to the old custom, a three-tiered wooden platform covered with red felt. The copper bells hanging on the side of the platform were exactly the same as those used in the last sacrifice, and even the incense burners placed under the platform were the same ones, just in a different location.
The tension in his heart eased slightly, and he let out a soft breath, raising his hand to rub his temples.
These days have been truly agonizing; nothing has gone smoothly. Not only have all the wealth accumulated over the years been lost, but the mansion itself has also been burned down and blown up.
He looked down at the back of his hand and could vaguely see a few blue veins. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He had been working hard lately and felt like he had aged ten years. After this sacrificial ceremony, he would definitely have to rest at home for a few days to replenish his energy.
The thought had barely formed when he heard someone behind him shout loudly, "Ninth Master has arrived!" The voice was so loud that it drowned out the surrounding murmurs.
Ding Hengshou's heart tightened, and his body, which had just relaxed, tensed up again. He quickly turned around to look in the direction of the sound.
Yan Ruyu was on an old locust tree not far away, the shadow of the tree covering most of her body.
Upon hearing the words "Ninth Master," she looked up at the street corner and saw a black carriage with lotus scrolls carved on the carriage body. The wheels made little noise as they rolled over the stone pavement.
The carriage was followed by a dozen or so guards, all dressed in light blue outfits, with curved swords at their waists. They walked in perfect unison, exuding a more imposing aura than the yamen runners of the prefecture. This procession was even more impressive than when Governor Ding went on his inspection tour.
Yan Ruyu curled her lips into a smile, secretly sneering to herself.
Liu Jiulang was just a merchant and commoner, yet in this rigidly hierarchical era, he was able to put on such a show in Rongzhou. Ding Hengshou, as the governor of the prefecture, could only watch helplessly as Liu Jiulang acted lawlessly right under his nose, without any restraint whatsoever. He was truly tolerant.
Ding Hengshou quickly went to greet him, and when he reached the carriage, he saw Liu Jiulang lift the curtain.
Liu Jiulang was wearing a royal blue brocade robe with dark patterns embroidered on the collar. He bent down to get off the carriage, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, his gaze swept over Ding Hengshou. He didn't even make a gesture of cupping his hands, but just nodded slightly as a greeting.
"Your Excellency, is everything ready?" Liu Jiulang's voice was low, his tone devoid of any politeness, and his gaze swept over Ding Hengshou with a hint of scrutiny.
Ding Hengshou nodded quickly, lowering his voice even further: "Ninth Master, rest assured, everything is ready. We can begin the sacrifice as soon as the statues and mythical beasts arrive."
As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the river bend.
Liu Jiulang said nothing more, turned and walked toward the altar, and the guards immediately followed behind him, forming a human wall.
Ding Hengshou watched his retreating figure, frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed, and followed him toward the altar.
At this moment, on the shore of Longyin Island, the wind carrying a damp scent swept across the beach, and a speedboat was slowly leaving the shore.
The people on the boat seemed oblivious to what was happening and continued talking at the bow, their voices carried by the wind and indistinct.
The guards on the shore watched the ship recede into the distance, a silent smile playing on their lips. They thought to themselves, "These fools still haven't realized that the divine beast they've been longing for is long dead."
Recalling the way the princess had handled things back then, even when she said the word "delay," she did so with certainty. And now, things were exactly as she had predicted.
First, they deliberately delayed in front of these people, offering them some benefits to attract their attention.
When time became tight and it was time to send the divine beast onto the ship, the arranged people pretended to help carry it. While everyone was not paying attention, they put the processed divine beast into the water. As soon as the divine beast entered the water, it really seemed to come alive. It swam smoothly in the water, and even the arc of its tail was no different from that of a living creature.
The guard recalled the appearance of the Death Beast when he saw it, wondering what methods the princess had used to bring it back to life in the water.
If he hadn't witnessed the divine beast being dealt with, he would probably be in a daze right now, thinking he was seeing things.
On the sacrificial altar, the sound of wheels rolling came from the altar. Ding Hengshou's men pushed a wooden cart over, on which was placed a large object, which was covered completely by a red cloth, with even the corners hanging down to the wheels.
The men walked to the edge of the altar and stopped. One of them, the leader, bowed to Ding Hengshou and said, "Sir, the statue has arrived."
Ding Hengshou nodded and called out, "Please, gods!"
No sooner had the words been spoken than someone raised their voice and shouted those three words down the chain of command.
Upon hearing this, the people in the distance all knelt down and bowed, their heads lowered and foreheads touching the ground.
Several yamen runners brought over a copper basin filled with clean water, with a cloth placed beside it. The people who had helped carry the statue stepped forward and washed their hands with the water. Their movements were synchronized, and no one spoke; only the soft rustling of the cloth could be heard.
Yan Ruyu stood under the tree, her gaze falling on the red cloth. She knew in her heart that this was the statue she had seen in the governor's mansion last night—it looked exactly like her.
The incense and candles were lit, the flames flickering, and wisps of smoke drifted above the altar, carrying a faint fragrance.
Liu Jiulang stood in the center of the altar, his gaze sweeping over the statue covered with red cloth. Without looking at the people around him, he walked straight over.
He walked slowly, the hem of his brocade robe swaying gently with his movements. He stopped in front of the statue and reached out to grasp a corner of the red cloth.
The surroundings became even quieter, even the sound of the wind seemed to have diminished, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Liu Jiulang's hands.
Ding Hengshou also held his breath, staring at the red cloth, silently praying that nothing would go wrong.
The red cloth was torn off, revealing the true face of the deity.
Liu Jiulang turned around and walked to the incense and candle table. He raised the burning incense sticks with both hands, bowed respectfully, and then knelt down and kowtowed earnestly.
Yan Ruyu watched this scene, unsure whether to feel happy or disgusted.
Judging from their “devout” attitude, it was not that they were blaspheming the idols, but rather that they were sincerely worshipping them.
So, do they really believe that this is some kind of god?
Where did this statue come from? Was it given to you by Mr. Mo?
Mr. Mo has seen her true appearance, which means he knows that she is like this statue. Is this intentional?
Yan Ruyu was filled with doubts.
The people on the altar also knelt down along with Liu Jiulang.
Zhou Lie followed behind him, and when he saw the red cloth covering the statue being unveiled, Zhou Lie's heart skipped a beat.
He thought he was seeing things; wasn't this statue... the princess?
How is this going?
His heart was pounding.
Equally unexpected were Yin Ding and Wu Liang, who were hidden in the shadows—the guards accompanying Liu Jiulang were second-class guards, while the real experts, like him and Wu Liang, were arranged to protect him in secret.