Chapter Ten: The Altar of Sacrifice

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“That person outside…” Seeing the man who had been tied up, Shen Chang’an couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

Zheng Xin asked, “What is it, do you know him?”

Shen Chang’an shook his head. “I don’t, but there’s something odd about him.”

“Odd?” Zheng Xin looked over, then nodded. “He is strange. We’re deep in the mountains, yet he’s dressed in lavish, spotless brocade, not a speck of dirt on him… Is he even human?”

Shen Chang’an paused, then nodded. “Yes, this fellow doesn’t seem like a normal person… but he should still be human, for now.”

What Zheng Xin noticed hadn’t drawn Shen Chang’an’s attention; it was only the Dragon Jade Talisman that told him something was amiss.

“Are these people villagers from around here? What are they doing?” Zheng Xin eyed the people outside with suspicion.

Shen Chang’an chuckled softly. “In a place this strange, with so many gathered, what else could they be doing? It’s a sacrificial ritual, of course.”

“You mean, an illicit offering?” Zheng Xin immediately caught on.

Illicit offerings referred to sacrifices outside the bounds of proper rites. Classic texts recorded, “To conduct a sacrifice not sanctioned is called an illicit offering—and such offerings bring no blessing.”

Proper sacrifices were limited to five types: those to the clan ancestors, the emperor’s sacrifices to heaven and earth, sacrifices to the road gods before journeys, ancestral rites, and thanks for the blessings of heaven and earth. Anything outside these was considered illicit, especially human sacrifice, the gravest of all.

Though the man outside hardly seemed normal, using him as a sacrifice was the most severe form of illicit rite.

“These people are nowhere to be seen during the day—they must be out capturing victims. Now that they’ve caught someone, they’ve returned to hold the ritual. Which means their sacrificial ground is…”

Zheng Xin pondered for a while, then glanced at the stone altar below, her expression shifting.

Shen Chang’an’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Seems the altar is well built—at least it’s a comfortable place to sleep.”

“Get lost! Comfortable? I was nearly bruised to death!”

“They’re coming!” Shen Chang’an broke off, his tone urgent, and quickly crouched down.

Zheng Xin reacted at once, carefully hiding herself in the shadows.

Once they were concealed, the group outside tossed the bound young man onto the stone altar, recited a few ritualistic phrases, and soon withdrew.

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Zheng Xin shot Shen Chang’an a questioning look, asking what they should do next. Shen Chang’an motioned for her to stay put.

The two of them watched the man below for a while, when suddenly he stood up and slipped free of his bonds.

“My friends up there, why not come down?”

Shen Chang’an and Zheng Xin exchanged glances—how had he seen through their hiding place?

But since they’d been discovered, they dropped their pretense and leapt down.

“Greetings, friends. May I ask your names?”

“Zheng Xin.”

“Ling Xiaozi.”

At Shen Chang’an’s reply, the man’s eyes lit up and a smile broke across his face. “So it is Daoist Ling Xiao in person. With you here, ridding this place of the demon should be much easier.”

Shen Chang’an eyed him with suspicion. “You’re here to exorcise a demon?”

The man nodded. “I haven’t introduced myself. I am Wang Yue, a junior officer of the Demon Purging Bureau. I received word of unusual happenings here and came to investigate.”

Upon hearing he was from the Demon Purging Bureau, Zheng Xin stepped forward to speak, but Shen Chang’an held her back and retreated a few steps. “Since your bureau is prepared, the two of us—just wandering folk—won’t meddle further.”

Wang Yue was momentarily taken aback, unsure what to make of it.

Shen Chang’an’s wariness stemmed from past dealings with the Bureau—last time, the seemingly upright and handsome officer had tricked him into cannibalism, intending to claim Shen Chang’an’s head for a bounty.

Though Wang Yue looked harmless, Shen Chang’an wasn’t convinced. For all he knew, this man was waiting to strike from behind, claim Shen Chang’an’s corpse as a casualty of battle, and help himself to his belongings.

Zheng Xin didn’t know Shen Chang’an’s reasoning, but recalling their last ordeal, she didn’t argue. She’d already been reckless enough, sleeping on the altar earlier—another rash act might see Shen Chang’an feeding her to a monster.

“Daoist Ling Xiao, the demon here has grown stronger from these illicit rites. I fear I may not be enough alone…”

Shen Chang’an cut him off. “No matter, you go ahead and try. If you fall in battle, I’ll avenge you.”

Wang Yue stared, momentarily speechless, but he understood—whatever the reason, this Daoist Ling Xiao clearly had no intention of helping.

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“In that case, would you please cover me as I proceed?”

He had the sense to give Shen Chang’an an excuse to stay, then began his preparations.

The Demon Purging Bureau recruited without background checks—even evil cultivators were accepted—so their ranks boasted all sorts of skills.

This man seemed to have a Daoist background; his handling of talismans and formation plates was deft, and in no time he’d arranged a small array around them.

Shen Chang’an didn’t know much about formations, but Zheng Xin recognized it immediately.

“It’s just a basic Evil-Slaying formation. He’s hiding something,” she whispered.

Shen Chang’an nodded. If Wang Yue had truly intended them harm, he would have set a more advanced formation to ensnare them both. Since he hadn’t, he was merely being cautious—a common practice when traveling. If he’d shown everything openly, that would have been more suspicious.

“I will now activate the formation and draw out the demon below. If anyone rushes in, please help hold them off,” Wang Yue said, seeking their agreement.

Shen Chang’an thought for a moment. “I’ll do my best.”

Though Wang Yue seemed decent enough, Shen Chang’an still preferred not to get involved with the Bureau. In his heart, he’d already decided to head straight for Fangcheng when this was over.

As he was pondering this, Wang Yue suddenly called, “Daoist Shen, I’m activating the array—please be ready.”

As he finished speaking, he let the formation banner fall. Instantly, the formation beneath their feet activated, a dazzling glow radiating outward, and a mysterious power surged forth. From beneath the altar came a bizarre, unearthly roar.

Bang!

A thick vine shot out, flinging aside the stone altar and shattering Wang Yue’s formation. It lashed out at the group!