I will teach you how to cultivate immortality

Chapter 75 Bringing the Gods Down from Their Altar

Time flies, the years are like a shuttle.

Before we knew it, it was early September, a time of abundant harvest.

In this era when we had largely moved beyond slash-and-burn agriculture but had not yet entered the stage of intensive farming, September was the harvest season for the vast majority of grain crops.

Millet, sorghum, rice, and wheat each have different requirements for climate and environment.

However, within the territory of the Guifang Kingdom, all food crops were basically planned according to a unified schedule, which can be regarded as a manifestation of the early stage of agricultural civilization.

Naturally, once the harvest was largely complete, the various forces in the Ghost Kingdom began to stir.

Everyone knew that the Five Gods would conduct one last large-scale slave capture and sacrifice before the winter solstice.

Especially after the entire Gui Rong clan was wiped out.

This slave-hunting operation also had a vengeful element to it.

It is no exaggeration to say that this was a large-scale military operation deliberately launched by the Guifang Kingdom in order to rebuild its prestige in the region.

In primitive, barbaric times, large-scale killings and sacrifices were often the most direct way to demonstrate power and deterrence.

"How are the priests' preparations going?"

Seated on his throne, Chongming, the current ruler of the Ghost Kingdom, asked in a low voice.

Below Chongming, representatives of the nobles of the Guifang Kingdom sat cross-legged, draped in various exquisite animal robes and silks.

Those animal robes and silks were not simply clothing.

It is also engraved with various patterns and designs related to the Five Gods, which are completely different from those of the Emperor Chongming.

Although the Guifang Kingdom outwardly reveres the concept of the unity of the five directional gods, they secretly each have their own subordinates.

By extension, the various nobles of the Guifang Kingdom were also divided into different factions based on their beliefs.

The ruler of Guifang Kingdom was merely a product of compromise among various powers, and could only be considered a "common ruler" to a degree.

Chongming was the representative of the Houtian clan and the strongest promoter of this large-scale slave capture and sacrifice activity.

"The sacrifice has begun, and the divination results are in."

After a brief silence, one of the noble representatives raised his head and looked directly into Chongming's eyes.

"The tortoise shell is shattered, and the flames of war continue; this is not a good omen..."

His brows furrowed instantly, and Chongming's eyes were filled with a sense of oppression at that moment.

"Are you questioning my decision!?"

In this day and age, priests represent wisdom, and gods symbolize power.

The way to connect the two is through divination, so the results of divination often also mean the gods' judgment on the future situation.

"Your Majesty, Zhongwu is not questioning your decision..."

Just then, an old man spoke up, interrupting the standoff between the two.

"However, the result of this divination is indeed inauspicious, so perhaps we should make more thorough preparations."

"In addition, there have been reports of stolen grain supplies recently, which I think is an ominous sign."

Unlike the superstition of the lower classes regarding divination, these nobles understood the essence of divination better than anyone else.

That was the will of the gods, not the will of the Ghost Kingdom.

When the major powers of the Ghost Kingdom want to work together to achieve a certain outcome, even the Five Gods must compromise.

The large-scale slave capture and sacrificial rituals are undoubtedly the current "politically correct" practice in the Guifang Kingdom.

Especially in the event of a large-scale theft of grain and supplies, this became almost an inevitable choice.

"Then let's make even more sacrifices!"

With a disdainful glance over the nobles below, Chongming set the tone without hesitation.

"For the glory of the Five Gods, and for the prestige of the Ghost Kingdom, we must sweep away those forces sheltering runaway slaves with overwhelming force!"

With the king's command, the area surrounding the Ghost Kingdom instantly transformed into a living hell.

Countless mountain people were forcibly captured and turned into "human sacrifices," and even those local forces that had long belonged to the Ghost Fang Kingdom were no exception.

"You guys are really crazy..."

Upon seeing this, E'tu gave the exact same evaluation as last time.

Those local forces belonging to the Guifang Kingdom were, to some extent, the Guifang Kingdom's own reserve forces.

Given the right conditions, the Guifang Kingdom could bring those mountain people under its rule and make them part of its territory at any time.

In fact, even in the battle with the Tufang Kingdom thirty years ago, the Guifang Kingdom had never done anything so outrageous.

"I also think they're crazy..."

Appearing silently beside E'tu, Xuan Hui's voice revealed an unprecedented hoarseness and depth.

“They were also citizens of the Ghost Fang Kingdom, but now they have become ‘human sacrifices’.”

From their current position, the two could see the sacrificial altar in the distance and the piles of human heads falling to the ground.

tumultuous!
A palpable stench of blood enveloped the entire city of Ya Yi.

The eerie ghostly aura continued to expand outwards as the sacrificial ceremony began.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, it would be hard to imagine that such a gloomy and eerie place could actually be a city inhabited by living people.

Inside the inner city, the people of Guifang Kingdom revelled wildly, venting their excitement over the grand ceremony.

Outside the city, the mountain people, who were not considered citizens of the Guifang Kingdom, were trembling with fear and dared not even look up toward the inner city.

“I remember you told me last time that this is called faith.”

Not at all surprised by Xuan Hui's appearance, E Tu raised an eyebrow and said.

"Everyone's gone mad, but I'm not completely mad yet..."

Without avoiding the topic, Xuan Hui simply tapped the skull scepter in his hand with a wry smile.

“I used to think that the mountain people weren’t ‘human,’ but just a group of talking livestock, two-legged sheep…”

"However, I overlooked one point: perhaps in the eyes of the five gods, we are just a flock of lambs offering faith!"

"Whenever they have the power, the gods will naturally watch over their lambs so that they are not carried away by wolves."

"But when the gods want to eat meat, they will not hesitate to kill the lambs they have raised."

Xuan Hui's words were far beyond the priest's comprehension, and even E Tu was somewhat alarmed upon hearing them.

Are you questioning your own god?

Looking at the skull scepter in his hand, Xuan Hui uttered something even more meaningful.

"God?"

"Only those who are worshipped and revered are gods..."

“Those who are not worshipped or worshipped are nothing but demons.”

His tone was stern and calm, and at this moment, a light shone in Xuan Hui's eyes—a light called "rebellion".

“My teacher told me that priests are the mouthpiece of the gods and the executors of their will.”

"But I have a different view. The priests are pioneers chosen by the people..."

“It is the priests who exalt the gods, and that is why the gods are called ‘gods’.”

“When gods betray their people, even if they were once the ancestors of the Ghost Fang Kingdom, the priests have the right and responsibility to pull them down from their altar!”

Monthly ticket/recommendation ticket

(End of this chapter)