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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
One of my favorite foods is my mother's Scallion Pancake, and the other is Hand-Pulled Noodles.
Life was tough back then. Every time my mother cooked noodles, she would put two eggs in the pot, but both eggs always ended up in my bowl. Even if I specifically saved one for her, she would insist on giving it to me.
At that time, I was curious and asked her why she didn't eat. She said she didn't like them.
But I wasn't a fool; a poor child learns to take charge early. I could see through such kind lies immediately, having grown up in the mountains.
Once, when my mother saw me getting upset, she gave me the egg whites. The yolks were too rich for me; I didn't like them at all.
As I grew older, my mother and I would each have one egg. She understood my feelings; she knew I couldn't bear to see her suffer.
Life in the mountains was hard. Those eggs came from chickens we raised ourselves. She bought the chicks in town for fifty cents each, but raising them wasn't easy. Most impatient people would lose seven or eight out of ten chicks they bought, yet very few of my mother's chicks ever died.
There were still plenty of eggs in the basket. My mother took them out and I said, "Just crack two eggs; it's not like we're never going to have more."
She nodded and cracked just two eggs into the pot. When it came time to serve the noodles, she followed her usual routine and put one egg in each of our bowls. I took the egg from my bowl and placed it into hers, then silently focused on eating my noodles.
My mother stared for a long time before picking up her chopsticks. She said, "Mr. Guo's words make sense, but we can't take them at face value. As a woman, I don't understand what schemes might be at play, but this matter may not be simple."
I replied, "There's no need to hesitate. Guo the Blind is right; if we don't release the Snake Goddess, we'll all end up dead. The people outside want to kill us and then dig up the mountain to kill the snake. It’s better to let the snake out first to bite them."
"Have you thought this through?" my mother asked.
I nodded and said, "I've thought it through. After we finish eating, we'll go to the forbidden area; it will be dawn in two hours."
On the road from Bright Moon Village to the back mountain, many people were rushing towards Bright Moon Village. It was the center of Futu Ridge, and the village chiefs had decided to gather everyone together, hoping that with enough people, they might be able to break through.
Many children had never seen such a scene and were frightened into loud cries. The cries of the children woke up even more kids, who joined in the weeping. The women looked grim; facing death, no one was unafraid.
When we reached the wasteland below Winding Mountain Road, I led my mother towards the forbidden area within Pine Forest. In the distance, I saw a figure standing in front of the cave in the forbidden area—it was Guo the Blind.
I looked at Guo the Blind and said, "You sure are fast; I thought you had died on the mountain."
Guo the Blind replied, "People are cheap, but their lives are tough. It's not that easy to die."
I asked, "I've brought my mom along; will there be any danger?"
Guo the Blind assured me, "The Snake Goddess has already sensed her fate. She still needs you to come out; nothing in the forbidden area will harm you or your mother. Don't worry."
We then walked into the cave and arrived at Mountain Valley, where Futu Stupa was located.
Guo the Blind approached the iron gate of Futu Stupa and gestured for me to enter. I glanced back at my mother; she nodded at me, signaling that everything was fine.
Following Guo the Blind, we ascended the steps and soon reached the lower level of the twenty-eighth layer of Futu Stupa. Moonlight faintly illuminated through the window bars, casting light on the mud wall of the twenty-eighth layer where a Gold Leaf Talisman remained motionless, covered in dust.
I looked at the Talisman and asked, "I want to know why only I can tear this Talisman down?"
Guo the Blind replied, "You must have recognized that the Yinwen on it is from Old Scholar. The reason only you can tear it down is likely due to two reasons: first, because you have something sealed by your father within you. This thing exists in both yin and yang, so when you touch the Talisman inscribed with Yinwen, you won't be harmed."
"What would happen if an ordinary person touched the Talisman?" I asked.
"Instantly turned to ashes, the Talisman contains the Dao Fire of the Old Scholar," Guo the Blind said.
"What happened to the Snake Goddess before the Old Scholar?" I asked.
Guo the Blind replied, "For generations, every hundred years marks a great cycle. The Snake Goddess sought to break free from the Dragon Vein, and the Daoist Sect feared that her emergence would bring calamity to the world. Thus, every century, one or several extraordinary individuals would come to Futu Ridge to re-seal the Snake Goddess. The power of the Talisman gradually diminishes over time."
"So both the Old Scholar and Yang Sanqian came to suppress the Snake Goddess?" I inquired.
Guo the Blind said, "I am not clear on their intentions. The Old Scholar has stayed at Futu Ridge for too long; sealing the Snake Goddess does not require such an extended period. He may seek to obtain the Dragon Vein or have other motives. However, your father did not come to Futu Ridge for the purpose of sealing the Snake Goddess."
"Then why?" I asked, puzzled.
Guo the Blind shook his head and said, "Your father came twenty years ago, just after you were born. He took you to a forbidden place, and shortly after returning, he left. He did not disturb the Talisman in that forbidden area, and no one knows what he did before he departed from Futu Ridge."
"You knew about what was inside me twenty years ago?" I asked.
Guo the Blind nodded. "Indeed. Although my Dao Body was destroyed and my cultivation lost, this one eye has been trained into a Daoist eye, allowing me to see things ordinary people cannot. What is inside you is dangerous; it can save your life but also harm you because of its heavy Ghostly Energy. I suspect he placed the rumored Ghost Scripture from the Underworld within you."
"What is the Ghost Scripture?"
Guo the Blind explained, "It is an object from an evil sect outside of Taoist Sacred Artifacts, rumored to originate from the Underworld Ghost Realm—something belonging to Yama. This is also one reason why Zhou Manman sought you after her death; she poses no threat to you while near you and can instead stabilize her soul. Whether it is indeed the Ghost Scripture is merely speculation on my part because there are other objects with similar abilities, such as the Taoist Saint artifact Yin Yang Order or other items imbued with dark energy. In any case, this thing within you greatly influences you; if your character leans towards darkness, it will lead you deeper into it. Perhaps your father left this for you so that you could unlock the seal within Futu Stupa."
"How do you know this?" I asked.
Guo the Blind replied, "When your father came to Futu Ridge, nothing significant occurred except for his confrontation with the invincible Li Fugui. He left you and your mother here and then departed. Don't you think you're like a key?"
I looked at the Talisman in front of me and asked, "There are two reasons we could tear off the Talisman just now. Besides the sealed entity within, what is the other reason?"
Guo the Blind replied, "The other reason is that you might be a descendant of the Old Scholar."
"How is that possible?"
Guo the Blind said, "You may not know much about the Old Scholar's identity. He was a Daoist Grandmaster, held in high esteem. Even during the Ten-Year Catastrophe, countless people rushed to save him to gain merit. Your father suddenly came to the village twenty years ago; perhaps he was sent by him. What I can't understand is, since you are his descendant and should also hold a respected status, why have you lived in this remote place for so many years? Is it for training? After more than twenty years of training, why haven’t you returned? I don't know if you've heard the story of Fang Zhongyong—great times require great talents. The Daoist Sect values self-cultivation; how much potential do you think you still have?"
I replied, "You don't need to provoke me like that. Everyone's fate is different. It’s enough that he left me such a precious thing."
"Haven't you heard the saying 'The Sin of Holding a Precious Gem'? Even if a Sacred Artifact is within you, if someone wants to harm you and seize it, you won't escape death. If I wanted to kill you, you'd have been dead long ago," Guo the Blind said.
I took a deep breath. If I tore off the Gold Leaf Talisman, the efforts of the Daoist Sect to suppress the Snake Goddess over generations would be in vain. But with the army approaching, I couldn't just let myself and the villagers of Futu Ridge be slaughtered.
"I want to go out and talk to them," I said.
Guo the Blind replied, "You think too highly of yourself. You have no status; who would talk to you? By the time you get close, a bullet might already be in your brain. Think it through; I'm not going to force you."
Guo the Blind was starting to show impatience. Just as he finished speaking, a woman's voice came through.
"Bring him to the Dragon Vein Burial Ground."
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