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Human Sacrifice
"Mr. Chang said, 'I am a friend of your father, Yang Sanqian.'"
His words left me in a state of confusion. Seeing that I had nothing to say, he continued, "Over the years, your father has wanted to come to Futu Ridge to find you, but he cannot because it would put you in grave danger."
"Isn't he some kind of extraordinary figure from the Daoist Sect? Does he lack the courage to come back and see me and my mother? He's overly afraid of death," I replied, harboring no fondness for Yang Sanqian. He hadn't returned home in over twenty years to even check on us, leaving my mother waiting alone for so long. If he had returned sooner to lift the restrictions on her, she wouldn't have died so unjustly.
"Yang Sanqian is not afraid of death. If he were, he wouldn't have sealed that thing inside you all those years ago. The reason he hasn't returned is to protect you. Everyone from the Daoist Sect is watching him, all in search of you."
"Why?" I was taken aback by Mr. Chang's words.
"It’s because of what’s inside you; everyone wants it and fears it."
"What exactly did he seal inside me?" I asked. Guo the Blind had once speculated that what was inside me was the Ghost Scripture, something brought from the Underworld that carried a strong dark attribute, making my personality more aggressive. It could also possibly be one of the Daoist Sacred Artifacts.
Mr. Chang hesitated before saying, "What’s sealed inside you is Yama's Book of Life and Death."
"Are you joking?" I questioned.
It was rumored that the Book of Life and Death belonged to Yama King of the Underworld and could reveal everyone's past lives and deeds, even determining life and death directly. Once a death date was set, even immortals could not escape it. Although there were often tales about the Book of Life and Death circulating among the people, most were just rumors.
Decades ago, there had been rumors about the Book of Life and Death in the Xiangxi region when a local City God Temple was set to relocate. The local Yin-Yang master reported that he dreamt of the City God asking him not to move.
The town leaders dismissed it as nonsense due to urban planning issues; they believed that the City God Temple occupied too much space and hindered traffic.
However, during the relocation of the City God statue, its head accidentally fell off. A group of workers didn’t pay attention and included it in their report as part of the relocation losses. After the statue was taken away, a cleaner discovered a booklet where the statue had been placed. The cover had nothing written on it, but inside were several names—those of the leaders who agreed to relocate the City God Temple and some workers.
The booklet clearly listed their birth dates and death dates, with deaths scheduled for the next seven days. Initially, some thought it was a prank and ignored it. However, that very night, someone died—exactly on the date noted in the booklet.
Seven days later, the names recorded in the booklet began to die one after another. The survivors knelt and begged the City God for mercy, with some even using a brush to alter their death dates in the booklet, but it was all in vain. After seven days, everyone listed in the booklet had perished.
Thus, news of the Book of Life and Death spread widely. Many years passed, and with the turmoil of the Ten-Year Catastrophe, tales of these strange occurrences involving the Serpent God were mostly forgotten; few remembered them, and even fewer believed them.
Mr. Chang said, "Forty years ago, Yang Family Ancestor Yang Kaishan returned to the Daoist Sect from Futu Ridge due to persecution during the Ten-Year Catastrophe. Shortly thereafter, he and four Daoist Grandmasters of exceptional skill performed supreme Taoist Arts to project their souls into the Underworld and stole the Book of Life and Death. They were all elderly and sought to reverse life and death. It is said that each of them added a full cycle to their lifespans, and for many years, rumors have circulated that those five Daoist Grandmasters are still alive."
"Is your Yang Kaishan the Old Scholar from Futu Ridge?" I asked.
Mr. Chang replied, "Indeed, the Old Scholar is Yang Kaishan, the Yang Family Ancestor. You are his fifth-generation great-grandson."
Upon hearing this news, I felt no joy at all. The Old Scholar was such a legendary figure in Futu Ridge; by the 1940s, he was already over seventy years old. Now, more than seventy years later, if he were still alive, he would be at least over one hundred forty.
My father Yang Sanqian should be the fourth-generation great-grandson of the Old Scholar. Guo the Blind's speculation turned out to be correct. I suddenly found it quite ironic and truly laughable.
"If I am indeed the fifth-generation great-grandson of the Old Scholar, then why would anyone wish me harm?" I asked.
Mr. Chang said, "When news of the Book of Life and Death appeared in the Daoist Sect, no one knew about it until twenty years later when it was discovered by the Underworld Sect. For twenty years, every three years marked a cycle where the Five Great Supremes took turns guarding the Book of Life and Death. Who would have known that twenty years ago, when it was Kunlun Yaochi Sacred Ground's turn to hold it, many experts and favored disciples from various Daoist Sects died suddenly overnight without any apparent cause? Thus, the other four Supremes were furious and went to Yaochi with their disciples because such lethal methods could only come from the Book of Life and Death. The Supreme from Yaochi was injured in this confrontation, losing all his powers and becoming trapped within Yaochi forever; all his disciples were killed except for one female descendant."
"Then how did the Book of Life and Death end up inside me?" I asked.
Mr. Chang sighed deeply and said, "As I mentioned earlier, all disciples from Yaochi were killed except for one female descendant—the current Saintess of Yaochi—who is also Yang Sanqian's first wife."
My eyes suddenly reddened as my tone softened slightly. "Please continue."
Mr. Chang continued, "The reason why the Yaochi Saintess was not killed was due to Yang Sanqian's influence. The Yaochi Supreme entrusted the Book of Life and Death to Yang Sanqian. He boldly declared that he knew how to wield its secrets; if anyone dared to harm the Yaochi Saintess, he would destroy everyone from the Daoist Sect. By that time, you had already been born. Secretly, someone believed that a child should not have been born to the Yaochi Saintess; this violated ancestral rules and provoked anger. Therefore, while they were unaware, a Blood Poison Curse was placed upon their son."
"Blood Poison Curse?" Upon hearing Mr. Chang's words, Wu nearly jumped up. "I've heard my master mention that Blood Poison Curse is specifically designed to deal with Daoist Grandmasters—it's incurable! Why would someone go so far as to cast such a deadly curse on an infant?"
"Yaochi Sacred Land is filled with countless miraculous medicines. Yaochi Supreme and Yang Kaishan are both masters of pharmacology, and among the Daoist Sect, there are also many renowned healers like Medicine King. That person was determined to save the life of Yaochi Saintess and Yang Sanqian's son. Despite Yang Sanqian's countless attempts with various miraculous drugs, he could not cure the poison. In a desperate move, he sealed the Book of Life and Death within his son's body, then fled to another land. When he reappeared, his son was nowhere to be found, and he publicly declared that his son had died."
Mr. Chang turned to me, revealing that I was supposed to be dead. To save me, Yang Sanqian had sealed the Book of Life and Death within my body, which explained why I was immune to Ghostly Energy.
I asked, "So Yaochi Saintess has been trapped in Kunlun Sacred Land for over twenty years without coming out?"
"Yes," Mr. Chang replied. "The Book of Life and Death is of great significance. The Underworld Sect fears what your father, Yang Sanqian, might do in desperation. The Four Great Supremes and other members of the Daoist Sect have long stationed people to guard Kunlun Yaochi. Fortunately, Yang Sanqian has a stellar reputation within the Daoist Sect; he is a true hero among them. Over the years, no one has dared to trouble him. Those who wished to deal with Yang Sanqian were simply not his match."
"Then how did those members of the Daoist Sect die suddenly back then?" I inquired.
Mr. Chang said, "On the surface, it seems that only the Book of Life and Death could accomplish such a feat—killing so many people at different locations simultaneously. No Taoist Sacred Artifact could achieve that, no matter how extraordinary the Daoist Arts were. However, the power of the Book of Life and Death cannot be wielded by mere mortals; even those at the level of the Five Great Supremes cannot use it unless they work together."
"So it seems Yaochi was framed," I concluded.
Mr. Chang continued, "There are many doubts surrounding that incident. Initially, Yaochi Supreme vehemently denied using the Book of Life and Death. But after Yaochi was destroyed, she admitted to having mastered its secrets. Later on, to protect your mother, Yang Sanqian also claimed to have mastered the secrets of the Book of Life and Death."
To safeguard Yaochi Saintess's life, Yang Sanqian publicly stated that he had control over the Book of Life and Death's secrets. Anyone who dared to harm Yaochi Saintess would face his wrath against the Daoist Sect; thus, they could neither kill him nor Yaochi Saintess.
For many years, both he and Yaochi Saintess were under constant surveillance. However, his son was left abandoned in Futu Ridge without anyone knowing. If others discovered that his son was still alive, they would surely seek to kill me to obtain the book.
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