Chapter 37.2 To Offer Sacrifices

The ladies got out of the carriage one by one. The one in the front was Zhao Yun’er, with Su Su at the end.

She secretly observed her surroundings while carrying her mud.

It was a summer night in the seventh month. The moonlight was like flowing water spilling down from the sky, turning the vast Mo River into shimmering waves of broken silver.

The  jungle was nearby and the drone of cicadas and frogs continued endlessly¹不绝于耳 (bùjuéyú’ěr) – (of sound) to never stop/to linger on.

The attendants were holding palace lanterns and standing at the riverbank. Where the light of the lamps converged, a young black-clad man’s cold and sinister face was extremely clear.

Su Su thought to herself, last time before I left, I almost strangled Tantai Jin to death. If he finds me, he’ll probably immediately finish me off.

She lowered her head and walked at the end of the line, grateful that she was holding the mud.

Mud is good, mud is really cute.

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Flhlayz Pyskpv raklpv-zkjl xld olal pvydekdt clpkel Mydvyk Kkd.

“Zswa Yyflpvu, vbl zyxrp byhl clld zkv, obld vbl vkxl kp aktbv vbl oyvla sq vbl akhla okzz przkv kdvs vos. El okzz pvlr esod kdvs vbl oyvla okvb Zswa Yyflpvu yde okzz pwalzu qkde vbl elxsd vbyv’p clld pzwxclakdt qsa vbswpydep sq ulyap.”

Mydvyk Kkd pyke okvb y pxkzl, “Lyvwayzzu R²孤 (tū) – rasdswd wple cu psxl lxrlasap sa vbl nasod rakdnl vawpv usw yzz.”

Tl oyp pvyakdt jlldzu yv vbl oyvla. Gv vbkp xsxldv, lhld Fw Fw nswzed’v blzr cwv osdela obyv jkde sq elxsd oyp kd vbl Ys Skhla qsa Mydvyk Kkd vs dlle vs alzlypl kv ds xyvvla obyv.

Rq kv oypd’v y talyv elxsd, bl oswze rascyczu ekpeykd kv, yde kq kv oyp y talyv elxsd, kv oswze zkjlzu blzr bkx es lhkz obld kv nyxl swv.

Ju cakdtkdt pkm rlsrzl yp pynakqknlp, bl oydvle vbl elxsd vs alnstdkpl bkx yp kvp xypvla.

Hbys Zwd’la oyp vbl nzsplpv vs Mydvyk Kkd, yde yv vbkp xsxldv, pbl oyp zssjkdt yv vbl lmvaysaekdyakzu bydepsxl uswdt xyd kd y eygl, bla blyav clyvkdt qypvla.

Mbl dlo lxrlasa oyp ynvwyzzu vbkp uswdt yde tsse zssjkdt. Fbl oyp bszekdt vbl xkaasa. Mbkdjkdt sq obyv pbl oyp tskdt vs es dlmv, pbl oyp y zkvvzl pbu, yde bla qlya yde alrwzpksd oyp psxlobyv alewnle. Fkdnl bla qyvbla oyp jkzzle cu vbl cyacyakydp sq vbl Hbsw Ikdtesx, yde pbl yzps byvle Mydvyk Ykdtzydt qsa vyjkdt bla nyrvkhl, Hbys Zwd’la bye ynvwyzzu blpkvyvle.

But what Yan Wan said was right. They were just a group of weak women. What else could they do besides putting their own safety before matters of principle³明哲保身 (míngzhé-bǎoshēn) – a wise man looks after his own hide (idiom); be worldly-wise and play safe/(now) unprincipled self-interest?

Tantai Jin wasn’t Tantai Minglang. He had no grudge against her. There was no shame in wanting to live, and even His Highness Xiao Lin couldn’t save them now.

Sensing that someone was looking at him, Tantai Jin turned his head back and the lady at the lead met his gaze and lowered her head, blushing.

He coldly sneered in his heart and scanned over them one by one, finally landing on the last girl.

Her head was down, so he couldn’t see her face clearly, and she looked cowardly and afraid.

He retracted his gaze and leaned against his seat, waiting for the moonlight to shine on the middle of the Mo River.

At last, the Mo River was like a bright mirror under the illumination of the moonlight, and a Daoist priest said, “Your Majesty, the time is just right.”

Tantai Jin nodded.

“Present the jade mirror,” an attendant said.

Zhao Yun’er took a deep breath, trembling as she walked over, and half-kneeled down to present the jade mirror to the seated black-clad emperor.

His fingertips were pale, and just as he was about to take the mirror, Zhao Yun’er gritted her teeth and fell down to the side, just happening to pitifully tug on the emperor’s black robe.

Tantai Jin expressionlessly took the mirror from her hand.

He turned a blind eye towards the woman leaning against his leg. Zhao Yun’er was both disappointed and grateful that he wasn’t angry, which was already a good start.

“I⁴小女子 (xiǎonǚzǐ) – pronoun for I, used by a young woman didn’t do it on purpose. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

Tantai Jin played with the mirror and his pitch-black eyes looked at her. When she became restless from his gaze, he gently smiled, “I declare you innocent and forgiven, are you willing to open the way for me?”

Zhao Yun’er froze and looked at him.

Tantai Jin looked fragile and lost, as if he was bitterly disappointed by Zhao Yun’er’s hesitation. The sickly and gentle young man slightly pursed his lips. 

Zhao Yun’er hurriedly said, “I’m willing! Willing!”

Tantai Jin dripped a drop of blood on the mirror and nonchalantly said, “Go on then.”

Zhao Yun’er once again took the mirror and was somewhat regretful. She was here to seduce him and was afraid of death.

Tantai Jin gently stroked her hair and said with a hoarse voice, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll be behind you, protecting you.”

Zhao Yun’er’s face blushed deep red. She nodded and stood up, pointing the mirror towards the surface of the river.

Su Su: …… 

Pigmates⁵Incompetent teammates are the most worrisome. She looked at Yan Wan, counting on her to do better, and call back the confused and disoriented⁶晕头转向 (yūntóu-zhuànxiàng) – an idiom Zhao Yun’er, but Yan Wan was tightly gripping the golden hairpin in her hand, her eyes filled with hatred and envy.

Su Su was speechless. She tied her cuffs tighter and decided to blow up this bunch of stupid sc*mbags.

As the moonlight reflected off the mirror and found the surface of the river, the group of Daoist priests chanted incantations in unison and shook the copper bells in their hands.

A miraculous sight appeared. The river parted and a path heading down actually appeared.

Yang Ji, who was beside Tantai Jin, was delighted, “Your High……Your Majesty, Tantai Minglang didn’t find the wrong place.”

Tantai Jin rose from his seat, his eyes filled with hints of excitement. 

The Daoist priests, Tantai Jin, Nian Baiyu, and even Ye Chufeng, all swallowed a Water Deterring Pearl⁷an item that gives you the ability to avoid water and be able to breathe underwater.

No matter whether Zhao Yun’er and the rest were willing or not, they all successively swallowed one.

Zhao Yun’er looked at the great divide in the river water with fear. She was instantly regretful and wanted to throw the mirror away, but was afraid that Tantai Jin, who was behind her, would be angry. But just when she was about to retreat a few steps back, a force suddenly sucked her towards the river, dragging her in. Blood rippled in the water and the blurry path became clearer and clearer.

The expressions of the young female sacrifices greatly changed.

However, a Scarlet Flame Wasp appeared behind each of them, forcing the women to move forward.

At that moment, no one could remember their plan of seducing Tantai Jin anymore. One moment he was still gently comforting Zhao Yun’er, and the next, he actually tricked her into holding the mirror to her death.

Someone started to whimper.

Tantai Jin pressed a finger against his lips and smiled, “Shh, make a noise and you’ll be killed.”

No one dared to make a sound anymore, and one by one they walked down the underwater stairs, each followed by a Daoist priest behind them.

Su Su lowered her head, walking behind the crowd. There wasn’t a Daoist priest behind her. A sandalwood scent wafted over and Su Su’s scalp tightened, realizing that Tantai Jin was behind her.

She walked in a proper manner, staying calm and collected.

Tantai Jin walked a few steps. At first, he was staring at the bottom of the river. However, a strange feeling forced him to avert his gaze and look at the back of the head of the young female sacrifice in front of him.

He stared straight for two seconds, but could only see her delicate white earlobes.

The girl’s height was just up to his shoulders. He squinted his eyes, feeling the urge to turn her around.

However, a whiff of stinky pond silt made him frown in disgust. Nian Baiyu who was beside him whispered, “Your Majesty, we’ve reached the bottom of the river.”

The river wasn’t deep. The Daoist priests took out luminous pearls and illuminated the bottom of the water.

An eight-clawed flood dragon⁸蛟 (jiāo) – a mythical creature(dragon) with the ability to control rain and floods was lying on the riverbed.

Flood dragons carried the ancient divine dragon bloodline. Although it was negligibly shallow, if they followed the right path and cultivated for tens of thousands of years, it was possible for them to cultivate ascension.

However, a flood dragon should only have two claws, but the flood dragon in front of them was deformed and born with eight.

Its entire body was grayish-brown and unattractive. The flood dragon was curled up, hugging a clam shell, asleep at the bottom of the river.

Su Su had originally planned to wait for an opportunity and kill the great demon, but at this moment, her eyes slightly widened.

There isn’t any demonic Qi on the flood dragon, this flood dragon is actually an immortal cultivator!

There was a faint aura lingering on the flood dragon. It was like resentment that had changed its form, wrapped around the flood dragon to actually morph into its shape!

This red aura of resentment had taken form and wanted to take over the body of the sleeping flood dragon.

Su Su now understood that it was not the flood dragon who had killed people just now, but this resentment that had gathered over many years.

And now, Tantai Jin was planning to kill all of them as sacrifices to the resentment, so that it would be strong enough to invade the flood dragon’s body and become a demon flood dragon at his command.

Su Su calmly took a step backward and moved closer to Tantai Jin.

She clenched her little fist, Ah, how infuriating.

Killing people to grow resentment and wanting to turn an immortal cultivator flood dragon into a demon flood dragon. Only he would think of this.

A Daoist Priest said, “Five Elements Array.”

The women were pushed into different directions. When a Daoist priest came to push Su Su, she suddenly turned around and hugged Tantai Jin, who was behind her, and harshly pressed the mud in her hands onto his face. She moved so swiftly that even Nian Baiyu couldn’t react, not to mention the Daoist priests who were only good at magical spells.

The girl squeezed her throat and sobbed, “Wuu wuu wuu, Your Majesty, I’m so scared……”

Tantai Jin’s face was stained with the foul-smelling pond silt. His gaze turned cold and he spoke softly, “Nian Baiyu, kill this thing.”

Without saying a word, Nian Baiyu slashed his sword over.

But the girl in his arms suddenly looked up, and as he spoke, a pill was stuffed into his mouth. Tantai Jin saw a smiling and hateful little face.

“I’m back again! Are you happy?”

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The author has something to say:

Su Su: I’m leaving, I’m back, I’m leaving again, I’m back again, are you happy?

Emperor Jin: …… f**k

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Edited by: Gaze