Chapter 55: Whatcha Sacrificing in Secret, Buddy?

“Ah, so that’s how it is! Senior Sister Jiang was originally with that He guy, but they got separated in a blizzard halfway here… and she only managed to find us after the storm passed…”

Halfway down the snowy slope leading away from the main Snow Village ruins, Chen Jianxin looked sympathetically at the red-dressed girl crouching by the roadside.

Back on the Sky-Ferry, Chen Jianxin had wanted to ask Senior Sister Jiang how they should meet up once they reached Snow Village. But Jiang Jinyue and Yun Jin had been too busy bickering over He Yimo the whole time. He couldn’t get a word in, resigning himself to hoping fate would bring them together later.

He definitely hadn’t expected to stumble upon a lone Senior Sister Jiang right near the village entrance just after arriving! Heh! Talk about fate intervening!

“That He fellow really has no sense of responsibility!” Chen Jianxin grumbled, his voice tinged with disgust as he thought of his peer. “Losing a girl from the team and not even bothering to look back for her! Tsk!”

“Senior Sister Jiang, it’s lucky you ran into us tonight! Otherwise, out here in the freezing wilderness… it would be really dangerous for a girl all alone!” he declared earnestly. He hated He Yimo. That spoiled young master used his money and status to flirt with every girl in sight, not only monopolizing the friendly Senior Sister Yun Jin but also snatching up Senior Sister Jiang later on. With both helpful Senior Sisters gone with He Yimo, Chen Jianxin and the other clueless newbies had been stumbling around lost in the Snow Village mountains, asking directions constantly.

Now, with Senior Sister Jiang separated from He Yimo? This was practically a godsend for Chen Jianxin! He wouldn’t treat her flippantly like He Yimo did. He would show Senior Sister Jiang the true respect a junior owed a senior in his team!

“Senior Sister Jiang, you’re our senior, you must know Snow Village much better than we do…” he began enthusiastically. “We were just following the signposts blindly anyway. Meeting you here must be fate! How about… you lead the way for us from now on?”

As he finished speaking, a hopeful light dawned in the eyes of the other disciples. None of them knew the paths here. All they had was a basic map of Northfall Snow Village from the Immortal Alliance branch. But in the dark, snowy mist, they’d followed Chen Jianxin wandering the mountain paths for ages without finding any landmarks on the map. They still had no clue where exactly in Snow Village they even were. Having the experienced Senior Sister Jiang join them? Hope was rekindled!

“Hmm, it is getting late,” Jiang Jinyue mused, squinting slightly, hands clasped behind her back. “Why don’t you give me the map? I’ll lead everyone to a temporary base I know in the village. It’s got a natural hot spring and a stockpile of firewood. We can build a fire, camp out, and rest up for the night!” she suggested confidently.

Her words landed, and Chen Jianxin nodded immediately, handing over the team’s only map without a second thought. But then, remembering his hunting experiences, a flicker of worry crossed his face.

“But… Senior Sister Jiang,” he began hesitantly, “My father always taught me never to light fires when resting in unfamiliar wilderness. The smoke and light might attract wild beasts from the mountains…”

“Relax,” Jiang Jinyue waved dismissively. “Look at this blizzard! The mountain’s completely snowed in. Even people can barely survive. Any wild beasts would have retreated to their caves long ago to hibernate.”

“Ah… true. My father did say most animals hibernate in winter.” Jiang Jinyue’s serious tone convinced Chen Jianxin, and he nodded in agreement.

This time, Jiang Jinyue wasn’t exactly lying. The recent heavy snows had likely sent most wildlife into hibernation. Lighting a bonfire probably wouldn’t attract beasts… but she conveniently forgot to mention that the light would absolutely attract the Miyue Sect assassins.

“Alright! Let’s go! Everyone follow me closely! The snow’s deep up here, don’t get separated again!” Jiang Jinyue announced, holding the map aloft and starting forward, leading the group. Her warning was genuine this time – after all, if even one disciple wandered off, the Miyue killers would have to waste precious hours hunting them down in the mountains tonight.

Under Jiang Jinyue’s guidance, the young disciples dutifully formed a long line, following the winding mountain path steadily upwards. Along the way, they frequently glimpsed horrific bloodstains scattered across the village paths. Most of these young disciples had never seen such gore; they shivered uncontrollably, huddling closer together in the line.

Jiang Jinyue, however, paid the bloodstains no mind. Her enchanting eyes constantly scanned the darkness, while her cute, upturned nose subtly sniffed the air, searching for any lingering trace of He Yimo’s scent.

The hot spring base she mentioned did exist, but it wasn’t nearly this far away. Jiang Jinyue was deliberately leading the group on a roundabout route purely to search for He Yimo. But hey, who could blame her if they were dumb enough to hand over their only map? Now, in the pitch-dark blizzard, nobody but her could tell north from south. They just trailed behind her like obedient little chicks, sticking close.

“Ah!”
“Brother Chen, look! There’s some kind of weird footprint here!”

Suddenly, a girl’s cry came from the front of the line. The disciples looked up to see the red-skirted girl crouching by the side of the path, pointing at a patch of disturbed snow mixed with faint bloodstains.

Chen Jianxin hurried forward and crouched beside her, his face growing serious as he analyzed the marks.

“You’re right,” he confirmed grimly. “Unlike the bloodstains we saw on the main path… this track is more linear… and there are clear signs of dragging… and struggle…” His voice grew heavier with each word. “I suspect… this is where the evil cultists committed their atrocities in the village… and afterwards, they dragged the captured villagers away en masse to be slaughtered!”

The more Chen Jianxin described it, the darker his expression became. The method felt chillingly familiar. He still remembered vividly that night he came home from hunting rabbits… finding the village entrance flowing with blood, bodies piled high. Terrified, he’d hidden in the bushes, watching paralyzed as masked figures in black, directed by a tall man in a black mask wielding a sword, carried the villagers’ bodies deep into the forest outside the village. Later, summoning his courage, Chen Jianxin had followed the bloody trail. Miles outside the village, he found a cave. Creeping inside, he discovered a horrifying altar entwined with blood-red vines at the cave’s end… surrounded by countless dried human skulls… He’d fainted on the spot. When he woke the next day, he was being carried up Wuji Peak by a handsome man in cultivator robes with a sword at his waist…

`Brother Gu… I think I’ve found a clue about the killers who wiped out my clan!` Familiarity with the crime scene ignited flames of vengeance in Chen Jianxin’s eyes.

Beside him, Jiang Jinyue narrowed her enchanting eyes, silently observing the boy’s intense reaction, a nearly invisible smirk touching her cherry lips.

“Huh?” Just then, one of the disciples behind Chen Jianxin let out a surprised gasp.

Everyone turned curiously. The disciple was crouching near some bushes not far away, looking like he’d discovered America. “Brother Chen! Look! There’s another footprint over here! And this one’s clear! Looks like it was made just recently!”

“Yeah, this print is fresh! The snow hasn’t covered it yet! Do you think… maybe Senior Sister Yun Jin made it?”

“No way! Senior Sister Yun was with that He guy! But there’s only one set of footprints in these bushes…”

“Wait… You don’t think… it belongs to one of the cultists, do you?!”

The disciples crowded around, buzzing with speculation, completely baffled.

Jiang Jinyue made her way through the group, the disciples parting respectfully for her. “Let me see.” She crouched by the hidden footprint with feigned curiosity. First, she touched the disturbed dirt within the print, brought her fingers to her nose, and sniffed lightly. Then, she followed the direction the footprint came from, her gaze tracking back towards the dense pine forest behind Snow Village.

Suddenly, realization dawned. Jiang Jinyue’s eyes widened slightly, a bead of cold sweat trickling down her cheek. Mo Yuyan… or Mu Yanran…?

A moment of tense silence.

Jiang Jinyue clapped the dirt off her hands and stood up, forcing a nonchalant smile onto her nervous lips. “It’s too dark to see clearly. Let’s head to the base camp first and rest! We can come back tomorrow when the light’s better and track these footprints together.”

(Deep within a hidden cave on Northfall Snow Mountain…)

“Achoo!” Standing before a sinister altar, the black-clad youth sneezed abruptly again.

“Tsk. Must be Jiang Jinyue cursing me behind my back again,” the youth muttered, rubbing his nose. He was used to it by now.

He crouched down, gazing at the dormant, blood-red vines coiling around the base of the altar, a cold excitement glinting in his eyes. Taking a dagger from his sleeve, he lightly pricked his thumb.

Gurgle… Gurgle…

As a single drop of crimson blood landed on the stone altar, the surrounding vines quivered slightly, emitting hungry, slurping sounds in response. But the amount was too little; the altar itself didn’t react significantly.

“Heh. Just like in the original story. The Miyue Sect’s Life Offering Altar can be reused cyclically!” The youth smirked coldly, his mind racing with possibilities.

Just then, the golden holy seal on the back of his hand began flashing rapidly. The small creature residing within seemed instinctively terrified of something.

“Wangxue, now you’re just doubting the bond between us best friends!” He Yimo chided gently. “We’re the bestest friends in the whole world, remember?!”

“Besides,” he continued, his voice taking on a sincere tone, “Over the years, I’ve stockpiled plenty of… uh… materials suitable for sacrifice through various channels…”

“Relax! Alright, so I might not be rolling in dough right now, but I’m not stingy with my friends! Once the sacrifice is done, there’ll definitely be some… soup… left over for you! Sharing is caring!” The youth spoke with utmost sincerity, a certain magnanimity shining through his cold, greedy eyes.

But the golden holy seal on his hand just flashed even more frantically. Maybe, just maybe, the Nine-Colored Deer wasn’t interested in ‘sharing the spoils’… maybe she was terrified the ‘material’ he planned to sacrifice… was her.

“O Merciful and Bountiful Mother of the Abyss…” the youth began, standing at the center of the altar. He started chanting softly, like humming a nursery rhyme, reciting the opening lines of the prayer from memory of his past life. “Eternal Life Mother God, reigning above the Everlasting Moon…”

As he murmured the incantation, he casually retrieved various materials from his storage ring, scattering them around the altar. Among them were strange, uniquely shaped medicinal herbs, but the main event? The stacks of Life Scales that reeked heavily of blood!

Gurgle… gurgle…

As the youth’s soft, drawn-out invocation continued, the dormant blood-red vines around the altar awakened, writhing with growing excitement around the offerings.

After several minutes, countless blood-vines on the altar wove themselves together overhead, forming a large, oval frame. Moments later, a monstrous, crimson eyeball materialized within the frame, gazing down upon the earth like an abyss staring back. Its unholy, blood-red light reflected in the human youth’s cold eyes.

The youth looked up, slightly bowing his head, performing a standard Western Territory Knightly Salute as befitted the local customs

“This humble servant, He Yimo,” he declared, his voice utterly serious despite the absurdity of his words, “was your devoted believer, offering countless prayers before even being born into this world…” His tone was earnest, his cold eyes unwavering. If reincarnation was real, he’d undoubtedly been a Miyue Sect member for nine lifetimes.

Meanwhile, the giant crimson eyeball swiveled slightly. Its blood-red pupil focused and dilated several times, yet it could detect no hint of deception within the youth’s soul.

For a moment, the atmosphere atop the altar felt strangely… awkward.

“Here,” He Yimo continued, “I offer these humble tributes to the Mother God…” “May your merciful motherly love bless this devoted soul of the Everlasting Moon in this life as well!”

As the youth’s chant neared its end, the distinct sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the cave entrance outside. He Yimo, basking in the surge of life energy reinforcing his body and elevating his cultivation, simultaneously raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp and wary as he stared towards the source of the footsteps.

Until… his eyes met those of several figures clad in black robes and hoods – Miyue Sect cultists.

He Yimo’s lip twitched. He silently pulled up his own black hood, his right hand, hidden in his pocket, tightening its grip on a dagger.

“Yo, brother!” one of the cultists called out casually as they entered. “You’re here kinda early, aren’t ya?” His eyes scanned the cave, filled with the palpable energy of the Mother God’s presence. “Whoa. This place is overflowing with the Mother’s favor… You weren’t in here alone… secretly sacrificing some real good stuff all by yourself, were ya, kid?”

He Yimo: “?”