After the Immortals disappeared

Sun Fuping lowered his voice,

"—When the Panlong Wilderness became a dead land and the Dafu Army faced annihilation, Zhong Shengguang performed a blood sacrifice to the gods."

He Lingchuan gasped. "A blood sacrifice?"

Nian Songyu raised a finger to his lips and shushed him gently. "Keep your voice down. Discussing this openly can get you executed."

He Chunhua's expression grew grave as he too spoke in hushed tones. "A blood sacrifice is, by nature, a closely guarded secret."

A blood sacrifice—offering blood or life to deities—was strictly prohibited under Yuan law. It was considered a capital offense, punishable by execution, and in severe cases, the offender's entire family could be eradicated, regardless of their social rank.

This wasn't unique to Yuan; most nations outlawed such practices, differing only in the severity of the punishment.

He Lingchuan knew this all too well. His own family had been falsely accused of blood sacrifice during his grandfather's time, leading to their execution under the charge of worshiping the "God of Toming." The term "blood sacrifice" was a wound that festered in the He family's collective memory.

However, these laws did not apply to folk worship of general spirits like local guardians, stove gods, or wealth gods. Such practices were considered harmless, as they fulfilled human desires for prosperity and health.

What the law forbade was the private worship of specific deities—those labeled as "evil gods" or "malevolent spirits" by the state.

"Which god did Zhong Shengguang sacrifice to?"

"Mitiān," Sun Fuping replied, then explained, "It was written in simple terms in the surviving records: 'Bowing in devotion, beseeching deliverance from Mitiān.' Since Xiluo also outlawed blood sacrifices, Zhong Shengguang must have been desperate, and He Jian didn't describe the ritual in detail."

The name was unfamiliar. He Chunhua mused aloud, "Preceptor, have you heard of this deity before?"

"I have not," Sun Fuping admitted, "but the records indicate that Zhong Shengguang sacrificed his own daughter as the offering."

He Chunhua's face darkened. "What?"

Even He Lingchuan was shaken. Zhong Shengguang had sacrificed his own child—an act so extreme it underscored the desperation of his situation.

No wonder Mitiān was labeled an evil god; what kind of deity demanded such a price?

"And what did this god grant in return?"

"Great satisfaction, and a gift of tremendous power. The text says, 'The god rejoiced and bestowed generously, enabling victory and subjugation,'" Sun Fuping said with a wry smile. "That's all the surviving text reveals. The rest is too damaged to decipher."

"That's as good as saying nothing," He Lingchuan muttered. "If this god was so generous, what exactly did it grant to repel the enemy?" He gave the two men a pointed look. "Surely, you didn't travel all this way without any leads?"

His irritation was partly genuine and partly for show. Deep down, he marveled at the extremes Zhong Shengguang had gone to. When faced with an insurmountable crisis, even a hero of his caliber had turned to divine intervention.

The real question was, what kind of power had allowed the doomed Dafu Army to hold out for another 20 years?

Sun Fuping glanced at He Lingchuan, seemingly unfazed by his tone. "The answer wasn't clear until recently. A letter surfaced, written by Zhong Shengguang's personal guard in his final moments. Comparing it with He Jian's records, we uncovered the truth."

The He family members leaned in.

"The god's gift," Sun Fuping revealed, "was an artifact called the 'Grand Vessel.' Zhong Shengguang referred to it as the 'Dafang Jar,' but it was, in fact, the nest of Mind-Eater Worms."

"Mind-Eater Worms?" He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow at the straightforwardness of the name. "It's certainly descriptive."

He Chunhua, ever the scholar, immediately made a connection. "Could it also be known as the 'Three Corpses Worm'?"

"Precisely," Nian Songyu confirmed with a grin. "These worms are invisible and intangible, residing in the head, abdomen, and feet of their host. They stir delusions and rage, traits that cultivators must purge to achieve enlightenment. But for ordinary soldiers, they're an unstoppable weapon on the battlefield."

He Lingchuan nodded. He knew that armies, protected by their collective vigor and national fate, were naturally resistant to spells and malevolent forces. Ghosts rarely haunted military camps, and large-scale magic seldom worked on battlefields unless wielded by national preceptors like Sun Fuping.

Sun Fuping clapped his hands. "The Three Corpses Worm, however, originates within the human body. It bypasses the protections of blood vigor and spiritual power, attaching itself to the enemy and forcing them to obey, even turning them against their allies. It's an unparalleled weapon."

He Chunhua exhaled slowly. "So you've come for this artifact?"

"Exactly," Sun Fuping confirmed. "If it helped Zhong Shengguang defend Panlong City, it can help us reclaim Woling Pass. Don't worry about the worms; they require neither air nor food to survive."

He Lingchuan suddenly asked, "Preceptor, which Marshal are you referring to?"

Both father and son tensed at the mention of a marshal.

"Who else?" Nian Songyu smirked. "Grand Marshal Dong Haoming, the pillar of the kingdom and father-in-law to the king."

Of course. He Lingchuan and his father exchanged a glance.

In just two months, Dong Haoming's guards, Nian Songyu, and a national preceptor had all converged on Heishui City. This was no coincidence.

Finally, their connection was clear.

He Chunhua feigned surprise. "So the Grand Marshal uncovered the clue. And you've come here to…?"

"By royal decree and the Grand Marshal's orders, we must retrieve the Dafang Jar from the Panlong Desert before the rebels at Woling Pass complete their boats and take to the river," Sun Fuping explained. He gestured to Nian Songyu. "I stopped in Xun Prefecture, where General Nian assigned his strongest men to assist, led by Commandant Nian. But in Heishui City, we'll need guides, manpower, and other support."

"Retrieve the Dafang Jar?" He Lingchuan's voice rose in disbelief. "Are you planning to enter the Panlong Desert? The Red Cliff Road is about to close! Even children here know entering the desert now is suicide!"

His reaction was a mix of performance and genuine alarm.

Fifty days of relative peace, and now this? He'd just started enjoying his idle life as a second-generation official. Why must he be dragged into a life-threatening adventure?

He Chunhua nodded thoughtfully. "Entering the Panlong Desert at this time would indeed be a perilous undertaking. Neither spells nor divine abilities work well there."

Sun Fuping's expression didn't waver. "We're aware of the risks. But this is the will of the king—and the survival of the kingdom depends on it."