Chapter 33#
She closed her eyes, before them a soft, lush green meadow and the gentle smiles of her clansmen. “You know it all, don’t you?”#
Faced with the expectant gazes of her clansmen, the woman turned her face away to avoid them. After a long silence, she couldn’t bring herself to lay bare the rest of her words.
But reality was so cruel. In the end, she still opened her mouth, shattering all hope. “This mountain has been placed under a barrier—not only a royal barrier, but a divine one as well.”
“The gods have fueled the fire. Before the divine punishment ends, if anyone of the priest clan steps outside, their soul will be utterly shattered.”
“…What!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the priest clansmen, who had still harbored a sliver of hope a moment ago, all fell dead silent.
Pairs of eyes looked helpless and lost, not knowing where to look. The woman lowered her head in sorrow, her body trembling as she held herself back for a long while, nearly invisible tear tracks hanging from the corners of her eyes.
They had never known about this, but they understood her unspoken implication—unless Junti died in the sacrifice, they would never gain their freedom.
They detested the matter of the fake priest to the bone, yet they were powerless. The King, fearing they would expose the hoax, sent guards to watch over this place day and night.
But little did they know, they could never have left anyway.
…
On the way back, Yu Lin’s mood was gloomy. He kept his head down and mumbled dejectedly, “Chongwu, will Junti die? Will she die because of… such a despicable person, for his selfish interests?”
Over these days, he had become much more familiar with Immortal Lord Chongwu. Treating him as a friend, he now addressed him directly by his name.
Immortal Lord Chongwu glanced at him, but still shook his head in silence. “I don’t know.”
Regarding the sacrifice, the royal family had made up their minds long ago. They merely wanted to invite a witness to rid themselves of their illegitimate reputation.
But now that they knew so much about the matter, it was absolutely impossible for them to sit idly by.
Junti’s hometown was very far away. It took them two days to travel back and forth on their flying swords. Now, only four days remained before the sacrifice.
…
“Junti.”
Hearing the voice, Junti turned around to look at the person behind her, then broke into a smile and nodded at him. “Peisha, what’s wrong?”
Peisha stared blankly at her crescent-shaped eyes and smiling face, his face turning red involuntarily.
He and Junti were old friends of many years, having been classmates for several years. She was born beautiful, with a gentle and decent personality; many people admired her, and he was no exception.
Even though they had known each other for years, the moment he met her gaze, the speech he had prepared in his mind would instantly fly to the back of beyond.
Dizzy and lightheaded, Peisha turned his head away awkwardly. “N-nothing… it’s just that I haven’t spoken to you in a while.”
These days, Junti was always being summoned by the high priest, who claimed they needed to discuss the sacrifice. Although Junti belonged to the priest clan, she did not hold the responsibilities of a priest. Prince Peisha was utterly baffled as to what the sacrifice had to do with her.
Seeing his silly appearance, Junti let out a soft laugh.
The soft laugh broke the heavy atmosphere in the air, enlivening it a bit and allowing Peisha to gradually relax.
He raised his head to look at Junti earnestly, saying in a low voice, “…Junti, when the sacrifice is over and everything has settled down, I’ll take you to see the world outside.”
Junti’s eyes always carried a yearning and envy for the outside world. She was a free bird, a wind that could not be caught.
She used to hold his hand excitedly, her eyes shining as she said she wanted to travel and sightsee. But in recent years, she spoke of it less and less. Peisha only assumed she was too busy and not in the mood.
Junti stared blankly for a moment. She gazed at Peisha intently for a long time, her smile becoming more genuine. “…Sure.”
Everything seemed to have returned to how it was years ago.
She watched Prince Peisha walk away, but in the next second, her expression changed abruptly.
Clutching her mouth tightly, she ran with faltering steps, her face pale. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth.
Divining the natural disaster had severely depleted her vital energy. When listening to the divine oracle, she had borne half of the god’s wrath. As the time for the sacrifice drew nearer, her headaches grew increasingly intense.
The moment she entered her room, she could no longer hold herself up, sliding weakly down beside the bed. The taste of blood welled up in her throat. As soon as she lowered her head, she couldn’t help but cough up blood.
Blood dripped onto the woven carpet, slowly blooming outwards, the scent of blood lingering in the room.
Yu Lin pushed open the door, greeted by the smell of blood. His pupils contracted, and his voice trembled slightly as he called her name.
“…Junti.”
Junti’s stray hairs hung straight down. She raised her head as if using up all her strength, forcing a smile at Yu Lin.
Struggling to hold up a finger, she said, “Shh, don’t yell. Let me catch my breath.”
…
Yu Lin helped her up. She leaned weakly against the soft pillow, her breath as thin as silk and extremely faint. For a moment, both were silent, the room so quiet that even the sound of a falling needle could be heard clearly.
In the end, it was Junti who broke the silence, asking hesitantly in a low voice, “You met them, didn’t you?”
She did not specify who “them” referred to, yet Yu Lin understood. She meant their trip to see the priest clan.
He looked at her in astonishment. “How did you know?”
When Yu Lin entered the door earlier, his reaction to her spitting blood was not one of surprise, but rather carried a hint of understanding. Junti saw this, but said nothing of it.
She smiled and replied softly, “You carry the scent of my hometown.”
She closed her eyes, before them lay the soft, lush green grass and the gentle smiles of her clansmen. “You know everything now, don’t you?”
Knowing that she was a confined puppet, merely going through the motions of living in the royal city.
And that in a few days, she would die.
Seeing her weak state, Yu Lin opened his mouth but found no words. He said dryly, “I will save you…”
Junti looked back at him. “Silly child, how can you save me?”
She had long resolved to die. The beautiful lands she loved were constantly withering, and her people were imprisoned in a tiny corner. Now, as long as she sacrificed herself, everything would return to how it was.
What a bargain of a deal.
Yu Lin said anxiously, “But even if you sacrifice yourself, the high priest and the King won’t just let it go! When the time comes, the people you love will still fall into dire straits!”
She raised her head, her gaze peaceful. “Yes, Xiao Lin. That’s why I need you to help me.”
…
“Prince Peisha has a good heart. Though he seems reckless, he is not a bad person. While he is somewhat green in politics, he is a promising young man who can be molded.”
“In contrast, for his own selfish gain, the King has allowed natural disasters to sweep through the Qinan Kingdom, showing signs of having ‘gone astray’. If the King remains on the throne, even when the disasters are resolved, there will be no peace and prosperity.”
Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly recounted the matters she had pondered thousands of times in her mind.
“…Then what can I do to help you?”
Junti’s eyes curved in a smile. “I need you and Immortal Lord Chongwu to help me keep Peisha steady.”
After the priest clan was imprisoned, she was controlled by them to help them listen to the divine oracles.
The high priest knew she valued loyalty and affection, and by controlling her relatives, they made sure she would definitely not act rashly.
But Junti had already learned of their plans from their conversations. When listening to the divine oracle, she had deliberately concealed a portion of the information.
The sacrifice can only end the natural disaster, but it cannot erase karma. Once the sacrifice is over, all karmic debts will eventually be settled. The evil they have done and the fruits they have sown will all be returned to them in full.
She acted obediently to make the high priest lower his guard. She put slow-acting poison in the food of the King and the high priest, causing them to gradually weaken.
“When the time comes, weakened to such an extent, will they still be able to escape?”
Junti smiled gently and continued, “The high priest is a child of sin. His purple eyes, which symbolize evil, make him hated by everyone. Trapped in a state of infinite self-abasement and conceit, he desires success and longevity all the more.”
“He never wanted to assist the King; he merely wanted to use the King’s hand to test the Heavenly Dao, in order to scheme for immortality.”
Junti’s eyes shone with a dazzling determination. Having said that, she turned to retrieve a jade pendant from behind her and placed it in Yu Lin’s hand, saying softly, “What I want you to do is to lure Peisha away during the sacrifice.”
“Peisha and I have known each other for a long time, and I have long known of his feelings for me. He is someone who cannot hide his emotions. If he learns of my sacrifice, I fear the ritual will not go smoothly.”
“Therefore, I hope you can give this jade pendant to Peisha after the sacrifice, and tell him what I meant.”
“I will clear all obstacles for him,” Junti murmured.
“…Then do you like him?” Yu Lin asked.
Junti’s body stiffened, but then she relaxed in relief, looking up to smile at him. “Whether I like him or not, what difference does it make?”
After Yu Lin left, Junti couldn’t help but shed tears.
Her body trembled slightly, her tears soaking her beautiful garments. She gently untied her forehead ornament, placing it in her hands to caress it softly.
All the pressure pressed down on her together, making it hard to breathe, almost bending her back. She sniffled, wrapping her arms around her knees to curl herself into a tight ball.
She was still… so young.
When she was small, she always longed to go out and see the world from within the mountains, unwilling to stay in a tiny corner.
Later, she came to the royal city, only to be dragged into this endless fear and powerlessness. She was like a marionette, and everything could only proceed along the destined path.
She stretched out her hand. Her smooth, soft fingers were very long, and she skillfully formed them into several hand gestures, just like she did when offering a dance in the past.
With tear tracks still at the corners of her eyes, she stared at her hands with infatuation, unconsciously pulling her lips into a smile, but as she smiled, she began to cry again.
All regrets and unwillingness would vanish completely in four days.
“Sister Junti.” At this moment, a call came from outside the door, followed by the person saying, “The High Priest is calling for you.”
Junti remained silent for a long moment, then reached out to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes and replied, “Coming.”
【Author’s Note】
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