Blood Sacrifice

The night was an endless expanse of thick ink smeared across the sky, its chilling aura almost extinguishing the light of the crescent moon. Dense fog enveloped Nine Tripod Mountain, and Jiang Shuo, like a criminal awaiting judgment, fidgeted restlessly within Chiyun Village.

"I've lived in the village for eighteen years and haven't seen any other villagers hold a Coming-of-Age Ceremony. Is it because of my status that I'm being treated specially?" The bustling activities of the villagers outside his room, their noisy chatter, made Jiang Shuo even more uneasy. He was the Young Master of Chiyun Village and had been doted on by his people since childhood. "This commotion seems a bit too grand. Oh well, why think so much? They wouldn't harm me."

"Jiang Shuo, the ceremony is ready. The Great Elder sent me to call you." A sudden shout from outside the door interrupted Jiang Shuo's wandering thoughts. He gently shook his head, dispelling the jumbled thoughts, and got up to open the door. A young man of similar height stood outside.

Jiang Sheng and Jiang Shuo were close in age. They had grown up together, practically naked, and were Jiang Shuo's best playmates. Life in the village was harsh, often involving traveling and sleeping outdoors, yet Jiang Sheng's skin was remarkably fair, envied by many girls in the village.

As soon as the door opened, Jiang Sheng excitedly pulled Jiang Shuo's arm, leaning his face close and smiling, "Do you remember the Forbidden Ground we wanted to sneak into when we were kids? Your Coming-of-Age Ceremony is being held there this time. I can't believe you're getting such preferential treatment. Many villagers have never even entered the Forbidden Ground, so don't forget me if you get any benefits!"

"Look at you, so undignified. Hurry up and stop drooling. When we swore brotherhood, didn't we vow to share fortune and hardship? Don't worry, you won't be left out." Jiang Shuo patted his chest with a commanding air, but his smile quickly vanished, an invisible gloom clouding his heart. He had a bad feeling.

"Hehe, that's good then." Jiang Sheng's greedy eyes turned into crescent moons, his face a look of infatuated fantasy. After a moment, he snapped back to reality, quickly coughed twice, straightened his chest, grabbed Jiang Shuo, and said solemnly, "Don't keep everyone waiting. Let's go quickly."

Jiang Shuo rolled his eyes at him and was dragged out of the room by the other boy. Along the way, the villagers of Chiyun Village were heading towards the Forbidden Ground. Their expressions were solemn, and the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive. Jiang Sheng, however, only noticed the grandeur of the ceremony, constantly lamenting the unfairness of the world and his own birth.

The Forbidden Ground was located at the summit of Nine Tripod Mountain, connected to the village on the mountainside by a winding stone staircase. The villagers, holding torches, formed a giant dragon that seemed poised to break through the clouds. As they neared the Forbidden Ground, a giant bone, over ten feet long and wide, stood by the roadside. Jiang Shuo had always been curious about what kind of creature possessed such massive bones, and how they had endured wind and rain for years without a single trace of wear.

The stone blocking the entrance to the Forbidden Ground had been moved. Jiang Shuo and the other villagers entered an area they had never set foot in before. Unexpectedly, contrary to the imagined mystery, the Forbidden Ground was just a barren piece of land. The villagers had temporarily erected a huge stone platform, and in front of the platform, countless logs were stacked to form a fire altar. This disappointed Jiang Sheng greatly. "So there's nothing here. All my expectations before coming were for naught."

Jiang Shuo was also taken aback. He observed carefully for a moment, his pupils suddenly shrinking—Nine Tripod Mountain, with its lush forests, seemed to be blocked by an invisible wall. Not a single blade of grass could penetrate this area, and the sounds of beasts and birds that should have been incessant were also silenced. If it weren't for the busy villagers around, this would have been a completely dead land, devoid of any life.

"Look, isn't that our Ancestral Flag?" Following Jiang Sheng's pointed direction, six villagers slowly carried a heavy piece of cloth. They climbed the stone platform step by step and hung the Ancestral Flag on a thick wooden pole. The Ancestral Flag was unfurled, revealing a large character "Nine" written on it in an unknown script, its strokes vigorous and majestic, the dry, ancient strokes bearing the marks of time. Jiang Sheng blinked in shock and quickly walked up to one of the middle-aged men, asking curiously, "Father, the Ancestral Flag has always been placed inside the altar and never moved. Why this time..."

"This is all the Great Elder's decision. I don't know either, even if you ask me." Jiang Song was in his prime, upright, and possessed good martial arts skills, thus enjoying considerable prestige in the village. After answering, his gaze inadvertently swept over Jiang Shuo, as if he had something to say but hesitated. A hint of suspicion arose in Jiang Shuo's heart. Just as he was about to ask, the noisy villagers suddenly quieted down, forming a circle around the stone platform and fire altar, leaving a clear passage in the middle.

Jiang Sheng, not having received an answer, also returned and tugged at Jiang Shuo's sleeve, nodding towards the stone platform. The Great Elder, Jiang Huaiyi, clad in a robe embroidered with totems of a hundred beasts and holding a dark bone staff, walked solemnly through the crowd. Jiang Shuo had been raised by the Great Elder, who had always seemed very kind to him. However, the aura emanating from him now felt utterly unfamiliar to Jiang Shuo.