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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
"Are you the Snake Goddess?" I asked.
The great serpent flicked its tongue but did not answer my question. A haunting voice echoed, "I will take you to see some things."
The serpent coiled its body from the sacrificial bridge and swam before me. Guo the Blind apologized and then stood atop the serpent, gesturing for me to join him.
Once Guo the Blind and I were both standing on the serpent, it glided smoothly beneath the sacrificial bridge, heading towards the depths below. Its movements were incredibly steady as we descended to a base of white vegetation illuminated by jade light. Suddenly, it accelerated, carrying us through an area that resembled a molten lava field. Aside from that section, which was stiflingly hot, the rest of the surroundings were cold and eerie.
Finally, the serpent halted in front of an underground temple. The temple was modest in size, not much larger than the Land Temple behind Bright Moon Village. Ancient yellow talismans adorned its walls, and in the center lay a spirit tablet inscribed with the name Zhu Yuanzhang—this must be the Yin Temple of the Ming Dynasty's founding emperor.
"The Yin Temple of the Ming Dynasty remains intact, yet the Ming Dynasty still fell. It truly reflects that saying: when a person willingly descends into depravity, no one can help them," I remarked as I approached the Ming Dynasty's Yin Temple to retrieve Zhu Yuanzhang's spirit tablet.
A wave of misty water rippled before me, momentarily obstructing my path before vanishing. The yellow talismans surrounding the Yin Temple ignited as I took out Zhu Yuanzhang's spirit tablet, revealing his birth date inscribed on its back.
Guo the Blind pointed at the mountains on either side that emitted a faint red glow. "These are the Dragon Veins. The energy contained within Ksitigarbha's Dragon Veins has nearly dissipated; it is utterly depleted and can no longer influence the Nation's foundation."
Watching as the Ming Dynasty's Yin Temple crumbled in flames, I tossed Zhu Yuanzhang's spirit tablet into the fire.
The serpent twisted its body and swam back to us. Guo the Blind and I climbed onto it again as it carried us up the mountainside until we arrived at a cave illuminated by light.
In the center of this cave stood an oval-shaped stone vessel that resembled a massive furnace or cauldron. I looked at Guo the Blind with a questioning expression.
"This is the Corpse Incinerator," he explained. "Years ago, three thousand young boys and girls were killed; their bodies were decapitated before being placed into the Corpse Incinerator along with lime for burning. Otherwise, in this land of Dragon Veins where Spirit Energy is abundant, they would inevitably undergo corpse transformation."
I gazed at the remnants of bones reduced to ash within the Corpse Incinerator, feeling a deep sorrow. I understood why Guo the Blind had brought me here; he knew me well. In a certain sense, we were kindred spirits—both unwilling to be buried by history, becoming mere grains of sand lost in time’s relentless tide.
I did not wish to become a Wraith unjustly perishing amidst dynastic changes and so-called ruling methods.
Just then, a loud crash echoed from above, like the sound of a collapsing earth. Countless stones fell from high above, and several nearby Magma Columns also toppled down.
There was nowhere to hide in the cave we were in. Suddenly, the giant snake roared and charged toward us amidst the falling rocks, wrapping around both me and Guo the Blind tightly.
When the chaos subsided, the snake twisted its body, pushing aside the surrounding boulders. Its body was covered in wounds, and patches of its scales were scattered everywhere.
Had this giant snake just saved us?
Guo the Blind looked at the crumbling rock wall above and said, "This place is about to collapse. We need to get out quickly; it’s probably bright outside, and they’ve started blasting the mountain."
Upon hearing Guo the Blind's words, the snake turned its head to glance at us before lowering its massive head to the ground. Guo the Blind nodded, signaling for me to follow him onto the snake's back.
The giant snake moved upward through the cave and then crawled out through a brightly lit opening. It placed us on top of the highest peak in the Gorge where the Futu Stupa was located before diving back into the cave.
We stood at the highest point of the forbidden area. From our vantage point, we could see military vehicles and armed soldiers surrounding Futu Ridge, as well as thousands of villagers gathered below Winding Mountain Road.
At that moment, Futu Ridge was shrouded in smoke and dust; the mountains had been blasted into craters, with several ridges already severed. Fallen trees and debris littered everywhere, revealing deep, bottomless holes in some areas.
The villagers below were terrified into silence; only a few children cried loudly while hiding behind their parents. The villagers held various farming tools and kitchen knives, while some clutched old hunting rifles that were rusty.
After the mountains were destroyed, soldiers began to climb up toward the villagers on Futu Ridge.
I saw several individuals disembarking from military vehicles who looked different from other soldiers. Leading them was a middle-aged man with gray hair; his rank seemed quite high. The others followed closely behind him as they approached three people stepping down from another vehicle: Li Fugui, Liu Quan, and Huzi.
The Gray-Haired Man glanced at Li Fugui before turning to ask a soldier behind him, "Has that White Snake not been blasted out yet?"
The soldier replied, "Report Major, no."
The white-haired middle-aged man furrowed his brows and said, "Then let's blow it up again. Pour burning sulfur into the cave created by the explosion on the mountain; let's see if it doesn't come out."
"Understood!"
"Wait." Li Fugui called out to a soldier, who hesitated for a moment, seemingly not recognizing who Li Fugui was. Li Fugui added, "The snake is coming."
As soon as Li Fugui's words fell, a scream suddenly echoed from a few dozen meters away on the mountain. The giant snake moved with incredible speed, killing two soldiers instantly, while another soldier was swept off the mountain peak by its tail.
"Fire! Fire!" the soldiers shouted, raising their guns to shoot at the giant snake.
Modern firearms could penetrate steel plates; no matter how large the snake was, it was still flesh and blood. As bullets rained down in a chaotic flurry, the snake was hit repeatedly, its body becoming a bloody mess. It let out an ear-piercing scream and knocked two soldiers aside as it burrowed into a cave at the base of Winding Mountain Road.
"Trying to escape?" Li Fugui snorted, lifting the spear he carried and leaping off the cliff.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock as they watched Li Fugui jump from the hundred-meter cliff. Moments later, the roar of the snake echoed back, and with a loud thud, Li Fugui landed on the opposite side of the cliff. He pushed off with great force and charged toward the giant snake once more.
The sound of breaking trees and a thunderous crash followed. Before long, Li Fugui was riding atop the giant snake's head as he charged toward the crowd below.
Everyone was terrified; none had ever seen such a massive snake—twenty to thirty meters long, pure white with a layer of white fur covering its body. Wasn't this the Snake Goddess rumored in Futu Ridge?
Though people revered and worshipped the Snake Goddess, seeing her true form filled them only with fear. It was akin to Ye Gong's fondness for dragons; such a gigantic creature with fierce-looking eyes sent everyone fleeing in panic.
Li Fugui pounded his fists down onto the snake's head, causing an indentation to form on its skull. He then thrust his spear down fiercely from above. The snake hissed and collapsed to the ground, while Li Fugui rolled off its head onto the ground.
A spear protruded from the top of the snake's head, blood gushing forth as its long body writhed in agony. Its tail also bore fur, resembling somewhat what mythological stories described as a dragon.
A group of armed soldiers closed in and unleashed a barrage of gunfire at the giant snake for several minutes until it finally ceased struggling, barely clinging to life.
Some villagers watched from a distance as the giant snake lay defeated, their eyes shifting to Li Fugui, who stood nearby, bloodied. The people of Futu Ridge had always feared Li Fugui, but no one had ever known he could be this powerful; even the serpent that seemed on the verge of becoming a dragon could barely last a few rounds against him.
Suddenly, the atmosphere darkened. What had been a clear day turned ominous as thick clouds rolled in and rain began to fall in a steady drizzle. Li Fugui signaled for the soldiers to drag the snake away. A group of soldiers tied the massive creature with ropes and began pulling it toward the military vehicles.
“Li the Village Head, we in Futu Ridge have always listened to you; you must save our fellow villagers!” pleaded the village head of Dagu Village, watching Li Fugui walk up the mountain.
Li Fugui ignored him completely, continuing on his path. Old Man Wang jumped out from the crowd, pointing an accusing finger at Li Fugui. “You murderous old man! You’ve lost all sense of decency! We from Bright Moon Village have always respected you, yet you slaughter our kin without remorse. The Ten-Year Catastrophe didn’t even harm your family; how could you do this after growing up in these mountains?”
On the mountain, a White-Haired Middle-Aged Man waved his hand, and all the soldiers raised their rifles, aiming at the countless villagers of Futu Ridge.
Standing behind the officers, Huzi spoke up, “Aren’t we not supposed to massacre villagers? Without my grandfather’s orders, do you dare to give commands on your own?”
“Your grandfather?” The middle-aged man with white hair glanced at Huzi. “Who here knows him? He has no authority over this Major! The son of a provincial leader is missing, and the Investigation Team has been wiped out. If it weren’t for these fearful mobs killing them, would this giant snake even matter?”
“Li the Village Head, esteemed Military Officers, don’t shoot! Please don’t shoot!” cried the village head of Dagu Village. He shouted to the officers at the mountaintop, “The children are innocent; give them a chance to live. I beg you!”
With that, the village head knelt down and gestured for the people of Futu Ridge.
The villagers looked on with sorrow and anger but felt powerless. Following their leader's signal, one by one, women led their children into the open space ahead while they themselves returned to the crowd. The entire process was orderly; not a single child cried or fussed.
Then, all the villagers of Futu Ridge dropped their weapons of resistance onto the ground.
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