Ritual

The venue for the Wolf God Ritual was set at the northern foothills of Dalian Mountain.

On the road out of the city, soldiers of the Fierce Horse Army stood guard along the route, driving the refugees far away.

Su Yuan looked on to see a group of captives still trapped in prison carts, being escorted toward the mountains.

Upon reaching the enclosure, banners fluttered in the wind and tents stretched like clouds; soldiers were deployed along the mountain ridges, and an atmosphere of grim slaughter permeated the air.

Su Yuan followed the ceremonial official's carriage into the valley.

Before him lay a stretch of hard-packed ground, with a platform over a zhang high built against the mountain at the northern end, furnished with a sandalwood table draped in animal skins and brocade.

The platform was already filled with Liang People nobility.

Seated in the center was the City Lord, Wei Yan, a man of about forty with features as hard as rock and eyes that were calm yet occasionally flashed with sharp brilliance; he wore a profound black ritual robe, his aura thick and imposing.

To his left and right were experts of the Pulse-Splitting Realm, such as Third Master Chai Hong of the Chai Family and Shan Lie of the Shan Family, followed by the younger generation including Chai Nian, Shan Xiongqing, and Gao Mian.

On the flanks sat the representatives of the Jing People factions—the masters of the Chengfeng, Hongying, and Huishan martial academies, along with the heads of the Ji and Hu families, all wearing submissive expressions.

When the time came, the Blood-Refining martial artists under their command would also participate in the hunt.

The ceremonial officials, surrounding the Wolf God statue covered in golden silk, arrived at the foot of the platform.

Gaze from the platform turned toward them, and seeing a Jing People face like Su Yuan among the carriers, many revealed expressions of surprise.

The statue was carried to the center of the platform, and though Su Yuan intended to step down, he was called back by the official: "Since you are the creator of the sculpture, you must participate in the remainder of the ritual."

Su Yuan had not expected this; he had come to carve it at the recommendation of Chai Nian, who had not provided further details.

He was dressed in a profound cyan ritual robe, his demeanor calm and his features clear, making him stand out in the crowd.

"Those who can carve the Wolf God statue are all blessed by the Wolf God; this is your fortune," the official added.

Su Yuan scanned his surroundings, noticing many Liang People nobles watching him.

"Brother, why is there a Jing Person there? He's actually quite good-looking," Chai Yuanyuan whispered beside Chai Feng.

Chai Feng had not expected Su Yuan to be on the platform either, and he looked at Chai Nian: "Cousin, did you arrange this?"

Chai Nian nodded: "Though Su Yuan's martial path is weak, his craftsmanship is truly exceptional."

Seeing Su Yuan on the platform, Gao Mian could not help but frown.

Su Yuan had not informed her of this.

If anything went wrong with the Wolf God statue, it would be a capital offense.

She glanced toward Shan Xiongqing, who indeed revealed a trace of a cold, mocking smile.

Su Yuan followed the official's arrangements to assist in presiding over the ritual.

When the golden silk was to be removed later, the City Lord and the craftsman were required to perform the rite together.

"The auspicious hour has arrived—!" the master of ceremonies shouted.

Su Yuan looked toward the City Lord; this was his first time facing a Pulse-Splitting martial artist at such close range.

Wei Yan nodded slightly to Su Yuan: "Master Craftsman, please."

The two each took a corner of the silk and slowly unveiled it.

A wooden Wolf God statue nearly the height of a man was revealed.

The Wolf God was depicted with a wolf's head and a human body, standing nearly nine feet tall.

Its muzzle protruded with savage fangs, a white crescent mark adorned its forehead, and its vertical pupils were inlaid with black jade, casting a ghostly light.

The human body was draped in a profound black animal skin with knotted muscles; the left arm wore a bronze bracer, and the right hand leaned on a massive scythe, the blade showing faint dark red stains, the entire figure exuding a desolate and fierce ancient aura.

"This is the best Wolf God statue I have ever seen," Gao Mian sighed in relief, praising it softly.

The other Liang People echoed her sentiments.

Su Yuan's craftsmanship was indeed exquisite.

Shan Xiongqing's eyes narrowed, but he had nothing to say.

Wei Yan examined it for a moment, a look of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "Not bad, you may step down."

He then spoke in the Liang language: "As spring awakens and the beasts stir, we worship the Wolf God to pacify the mountains, secure the borders, protect our people, and bless our descendants—"

At his command, everyone bowed to the Wolf God statue.

Afterward, the ceremonial officials ascended the platform to present music and dance.

The Liang nobility drank and chatted on the platform, while the others were forced to stand still below for several hours.

When the ritual concluded, the master of ceremonies sang out again: "The music and dance have ceased, the hunt begins! Will the participating martial artists please—"

Nearly a hundred Jing People martial artists of the Coagulated Blood or Blood-Refining realms lined up below the platform.

Wei Yan spoke: "Though you were once Jing People, having been cleansed and blessed by the Wolf God, you are now members of Great Liang..."

After some formalities, the master of ceremonies began to read the rules.

"The hunt will last for seven days within the designated enclosure. Prey will be marked by their carcasses to tally points. Mutual slaughter is forbidden. A gong will sound every four hours, at which time you may go to the designated valley entrance to hand over your prey and record your points. The final ranking will be determined by the total score."

Next, the rewards were announced; with each item read, the breathing of those below grew more ragged.

"One hundredth place, a reward of one tael of silver!"

"Tenth place, a reward of one hundred taels of silver!"

"Ninth place, two hundred taels!"

"Third place, five hundred taels and one Break Strength Pill!"

As these words fell, the crowd was stunned.

The Break Strength Pill was a medicinal pellet used to breakthrough Savage Strength; last year it had been the prize for first place, yet this year, even third place could obtain one.

A single Break Strength Pill had a market value of at least five hundred taels, but more importantly, Great Liang strictly controlled the circulation of such pills, making them priceless and unavailable.

"Second place, seven hundred taels and one Break Strength Pill!"

"First place, one Break Strength Pill, one Blood Bone Pill, and the bestowal of a first-class residency!"

"What is a Blood Bone Pill?" a head instructor from Huishan Martial Hall could not help but ask.

Even some of the Liang People on the platform wore expressions of confusion.

Chai Nian explained, "This pill can improve one's innate constitution."

"Improve innate constitution?" The entire venue erupted in an uproar.

Gao Mian also looked toward Chai Nian.

On the platform, Chai Hong smiled and added, his voice carrying across the entire venue: "This is a new pill recently developed by our Chai Family. It has the effect of slightly improving one's constitution and solidifying the foundation of one's blood and qi. Today, we take advantage of this grand event to treat our talented youth."

Chai Hong's words, however, caused the crowd's enthusiasm to wane slightly.

Those capable of taking first place would surely possess superior constitutions and would have no need for such a pill; furthermore, there was a fear that a new medicine might have hidden side effects.

Subsequently, the crowd began to discuss the first-class residency.

Someone remarked, "Is this the first first-class residency issued by Ji City?"

"Are they really letting the Jing People stand on equal footing with us? What are those at the top thinking?" others muttered with disgust and dissatisfaction.

A first-class residency meant being thoroughly accepted into the system of the Liang People, sharing equal status with the nobility.

It sounded useless, but in reality, it carried many conveniences, such as freedom of movement, eligibility to purchase certain martial arts resources, and exemption from taxes and labor.

However, for most people, status was what they valued most.

Once the rules and rewards were announced, the Liang nobility began to place bets for amusement.

Servants carrying wooden plaques inscribed with the names of the participants wove through the seating areas.

"The top ten spots will surely be decided among those few with superior constitutions; the martial arts they practice are simply different from the rest.

Su Tieniu of the Chai Academy, Du Hengfeng of the Shan Academy, Huang Tong of the Rong Academy, Yuan Jingfan of the Wei Academy... it is surprising that even the Hu Family and Huishan Martial Hall have produced two geniuses, Du Chuan and Wang Jin..." Many began to analyze.

Almost every young master and young lady placed a bet.

Although the top ten rankings shifted among those few individuals, everyone had their own opinions on the specific order.

Each martial academy naturally placed their own fighters at the top.

As for the bottom ten, there was a consensus; most chose those with inferior constitutions who had only broken through in the last few months.

There was no other reason—these people had only broken through by relying on pills, their foundations were unstable, and their strength was limited.

After Shan Xiongqing placed Du Hengfeng in first, he backhandedly dragged Su Yuan to the very last spot.

A dead man would surely be dead last.

At this moment, some also noticed Su Yuan, who stood out in his formal attire.

Rong Yuzhi asked, "Sister, is that carpenter participating too?"

Rong Yulian glanced at the wooden plaque: "This person is Su Tieniu's brother. He has an inferior constitution and is only at the first blood level of cultivation. You should bet on him for the bottom ten."

Rong Yuzhi was somewhat disappointed; after all, Su Yuan was quite handsome, but she still placed him in the bottom ten.

However, she noticed that Gao Mian, sitting nearby, had not bet on Du Hengfeng for first place, but instead placed Su Tieniu at the top and Su Yuan at the tenth spot.

"Sister Mian, what is this?"

Gao Mian said indifferently, "This is a hunt."

If it were not for the rule that all Blood Condensation martial artists were required to participate, she would never have wanted Su Yuan to risk his life.

But as long as Su Yuan traveled with the Chai Family fighters, he should be safe.

Rong Yuzhi remained puzzled: A carpenter, what does he know about hunting?

It was not until Rong Yulian leaned in and whispered a few words.

Rong Yuzhi suddenly realized; she glanced at Gao Mian and Su Yuan, then looked toward Shan Xiongqing, who was drinking alone, and smiled knowingly.

The Wolf God Ritual was solemn and did not permit the presence of concubines.

The young masters and misses nearby snickered, and the matter quietly spread.

As everyone began to gossip, Chai Nian also waved his fan and spoke eloquently.

Driven to the edge, Shan Xiongqing's face turned livid: "This is a rumor; Su Yuan is merely a dog under my wife's command."

Gao Mian also kept a calm expression: "It is a rumor."

With the elders of the Shan Family present, they still had to show some respect.

Unknowingly, Su Yuan began to attract more attention, yet when it came time to place bets, everyone still ticked his name into the bottom ten.

Even Chai Nian did the same.

Gossip was one thing, but betting had to be done seriously.

Chai Feng also said: "Pay no mind to that Su Yuan; keep your eyes fixed on Su Tie Niu."

When the sculptures were unveiled just moments ago, Su Yuan's handsome and composed appearance had indeed left a good impression on the young ladies.

Chai Yuanyuan glanced at Su Tie Niu below the stage, who stood as burly as an iron tower, but he was not the type she favored.

She then stole a glance at the clear-featured Su Yuan and curled her lips slightly, yet in the end, she followed instructions and placed her stake on Su Tie Niu.

Since her brother had mentioned it repeatedly, it was clear the family intended to pursue a marriage alliance.

The orders of the clan could not be defied.

The martial artists below the stage straightened their ranks.

With the strike of a gong, the hunt finally began.

The young masters and misses on the stage were stunned; the Chai Family's team was actually following behind Su Yuan, taking him as their sole leader.