Сhарtеr 254: Sacrifiсiаl Rituаl
Just аs hе formed this intentiоn, Zhu Yаn noticеd and immediаtеlу сlаmрed his jaw shut, stuffing Рan Chi’s shoe into his mouth.
“Ji Dаfu, this mаtter isn’t оver уеt. Wаnting tо die? It’s nоt thаt еаsу.”
Hе was an indispеnsаble witnеss in this affair. Onсe the сrisis passеd, hе wоuld bе nееdеd to testifу in сourt—hе соuldn’t be аllowеd tо die so еаsily.
Unаble to bite his tоngue and end his lifе, Ji Dаfu whimрerеd a few times аnd twistеd his bоdy, trуing tо slаm intо thе wаll. Hе writhеd like а squirming maggоt. Pan Сhi grew thоrоughlу impаtiеnt аnd wаs about to rаise his hand to knock him unсonscious.
Вut Zhu Yan kickеd a mеdiсine bоttle over to his feet. “Use knockout drugs.” If he struck without restraint and accidentally killed the man, all their efforts would be in vain.
“Oh.” Pan Chi acknowledged, picking up the bottle and pulling out the stopper. He clamped Ji Dafu’s jaw again, removed the shoe, and shook several pills into his mouth. Forcing him to swallow, Pan Chi watched as Ji Dafu’s eyes closed and he went limp, collapsing motionless on the ground.
Pan Chi lay on the ground, straining to lift his head, and wiped away a cold sweat. “This knockout drug is very effective. One pill is enough to make him sleep for several hours.”
Who knew how many pills he had just shaken into Ji Dafu’s mouth? Would Ji Dafu become the first person in the world to die from knockout drug poisoning?
Zhu Yan muttered, “Who cares? If he dies, it’s just karma coming full circle.”
The medicine was already swallowed—it wasn’t as if they could dig it back out!
Yuck—just the thought was disgusting.
Pan Chi was about to say something more when a sudden drumbeat echoed from below the city wall.
Zhu Yan shuddered, remembering that before Ji Dafu began recounting the past, a battle had been raging below the wall. She leaned over the edge again to peer down.
What she saw left her stunned.
At some point, a high platform had been erected below. On it stood an incense altar, surrounded by drums, ancient zithers, and other objects. Strangely dressed individuals were now on the platform, shaking bells and performing rituals.
Beneath the platform, a large Eight Trigrams Formation had been drawn in human blood. At its center lay a pile of corpses.
Clearly, this place had become a sacrificial ground, and a Sacrificial Ritual was now underway.
By now, the commoners had either died or fled. Only the Inner Guard Bureau and the Unrighteous Agents remained on the field, still resisting the Half-Faced Ghost and Mo Qianzhi’s forces.
However, including Shen Du, they were all blocked outside the formation, unable to approach even slightly. It was evident that this was to prevent them from disrupting the Sacrificial Ritual.
Suddenly, Zhu Yan realized that this Sacrificial Ritual was likely the very purpose behind the Half-Faced Ghost’s massacre of the people!
The Fire Moth Party’s secret method of resurrecting the dead required human lives as sacrifice—no wonder Ji Dafu had spoken of “death before rebirth.”
As the ritual master finished the rites and shouted, “Begin!” a Half-Faced Ghost from the crowd leaped up to stand beside Mo Qianzhi, declaring, “The sacrifice commences, to appease the gods, bestow blessings, and benefit future generations.”
The Half-Faced Ghosts waiting on the high platform plucked the zither strings, struck the drums, and added the ringing of bronze bells. Instantly, an ethereal yet piercing sound spread in all directions—a truly demonic chorus.
Zhu Yan felt her vision blur, and a sea of blood unfolded before her eyes. The roar of slaughter filled the air, the scene utterly bizarre.
“Zhu Yan.”
“Zhu Yan.”
As the demonic chorus began, Pan Chi covered his ears with both hands. He called Zhu Yan’s name several times, but she showed no response. He knew then that his guess was correct.The sudden sound that rang out was strange.
The sound of the zither and drums mingled together, along with the ringing of bronze bells, was actually able to captivate the soul, trapping people in an illusion.
What Zhu Yan saw was all an illusion; in reality, everything before her eyes remained unchanged.
Pan Chi called out to Zhu Yan, but she did not respond. Even disregarding his own injuries, he gritted his teeth and slowly inched downward, stopping only when he could reach Zhu Yan with his foot.
For someone trapped in an illusion, aside from the caster voluntarily stopping to allow escape, the only way to free them was to make them feel a sharp pain.
With no other choice, Pan Chi gave Zhu Yan a hard kick, sending her tumbling to the ground.
Feeling the pain, Zhu Yan finally looked dazedly at Pan Chi, seeing him cover his ears with his hands and still somewhat unable to react.
Seeing her respond, Pan Chi finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Cover your ears with your hands. Don’t listen."
Zhu Yan was stunned for a moment before she complied. Although she could still hear the sounds, she was no longer bewitched.
When she climbed back up and looked down again, chaos had erupted below. The demonic music had entered their ears, and Shen Du and the others showed faint signs of being bewitched, their minds no longer clear. They even began fighting among themselves.
If this continued, Shen Du would either be killed by the Half-Faced Ghost or fall victim to his own allies.
Seeing this, how could Zhu Yan remain calm? "No, I have to go down and tell Shen Du to cover their ears."
With that, Zhu Yan stood up to descend, planning to take the spiral staircase down the city wall and exit through the gate to find Shen Du.
But Pan Chi stopped her first. "Don’t rush. I have a way. Come help me up."
To avoid dying here, Pan Chi pushed himself to the limit, enduring the pain of his injuries as he tried to sit up.
Seeing this, Zhu Yan hurried forward to support him, helping him sit up with his back against the city wall.
Pan Chi then took a jade flute from his sleeve. This flute was crafted using mechanical techniques, and with a touch from Pan Chi, the palm-sized flute doubled in length.
As a surge of irritability began to grow in his heart, Pan Chi immediately blew into the flute. The sound of the flute alternated between rapid and lingering, as if clashing with the demonic music.
Pan Chi was playing the Western Divine Melody. The sound of the flute had a calming effect, and with Pan Chi channeling his inner energy into it, the effect was even stronger.
Soon, the irritability in his heart subsided, and Zhu Yan felt refreshed and clear-headed, as if her spirit had never been so sharp.
She glanced at Pan Chi before eagerly turning her gaze to Shen Du. Indeed, the flute’s sound had worked, pulling them out of the illusion. They had now returned to normal, their spirits greatly lifted, and they once again raised their swords to engage the enemy.
Shen Du shook his head and glanced at Zhu Yan, who was crouched in the recess of the city wall. Seeing she was unharmed, he felt relieved.
Looking up at the high platform, where the priest was still performing rituals and someone had even taken a dagger to their own throat, his eyes turned cold. He leaped up, stepping on the shoulders of a Half-Faced Ghost to reach the high platform.
With lightning speed, he severed the zither strings with his sword, then kicked up a broken sword from the ground, smashing the drum as well. Only then did he close in on the Half-Faced Ghost.
To capture the rebels, first capture their leader—clearly, the one beside Mo Qianzhi was the leader of these Half-Faced Ghosts.
As the demonic music ceased, Pan Chi could no longer hold on. As soon as he removed the jade flute from his lips, he spat out a mouthful of blood.Zhu Yan turned around to see him lower his head and faint, startling her. She quickly laid him flat on the ground, checked his breathing—he was still alive.
She then touched his forehead and found it frighteningly hot, which immediately sent her into a panic. She stood up, leaned over the city wall, and shouted, "Someone, come quickly! Pan Chi is in critical condition and must be taken to a medical clinic for treatment."
If not for saving her, Pan Chi would not have been so severely injured. Zhu Yan had always been clear-headed and understood the importance of repaying kindness. Seeing Pan Chi in such a state, how could she not be anxious?
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