Chapter 16: Sun Guoshi's Goal

Sun, the Imperial Tutor, lowered his voice.

“—When the Panlong Wasteland became a desperate place and the Grand Wind army was at the end of its rope, Zhong Shengguang performed a ritual blood sacrifice to the deities!”

He Lingchuan exclaimed, “A ritual sacrifice!”

Nian Songyu put a finger to his lips and quietly shushed him. “Lower your voice. Discussing this carelessly can lead to execution.”

He Chunhua’s expression was solemn. He, too, lowered his voice. “Since it was to appease the gods, it was naturally kept secret.”

To appease the gods meant performing blood sacrifices to deities. The State of Yuan had outlawed such practices, writing the prohibition into its fundamental law. The penalties were extremely severe; discovery meant, at minimum, execution, and in graver cases, extermination of the entire clan, with no amnesty even for dukes or ministers.

In fact, this was not unique to the State of Yuan; most countries in the world had similar prohibitions, differing only in the severity of punishment. He Lingchuan certainly hadn't forgotten that his own family had been executed by the emperor, their heads chopped off, all because his grandfather was falsely accused of "appeasing the gods." Those two words were a constant pain in the He family’s heart.

However, the so-called prohibition on appeasing the gods did not include worshipping folk deities like mountain and water spirits, wild monsters, door gods, kitchen gods, or gods of wealth and fortune. After all, people have an instinctive desire for promotion, wealth, health, and well-being, which cannot be curbed. What countries explicitly forbade was the private worship of specific, concrete deities, officially termed "evil gods" or "malevolent deities." For example, the charge that led to the execution of He Lingchuan’s clan members was the worship of "True Lord Tong Ming."

Here’s the key point: The primary criterion for determining whether "appeasing the gods" had occurred was whether live sacrifices or human sacrifices were used in the ritual. If you just muttered a few words in your heart, or offered a few plates of roasted chicken and preserved fish to a deity, no matter who you worshipped, the state wouldn’t bother with you.

"Which deity did Zhong Shengguang worship?"

"Mitian."

Sun Fudong immediately explained, "There's no honorific title, because the original text was simple: 'prostrated themselves in worship, seeking relief from Mitian.' Xiluo also prohibits appeasing the gods, so Zhong Shengguang did it out of desperation. I don't think He Jian would have recorded the entire process in detail."

The name was too unfamiliar. He Chunhua mused, "Has the Imperial Tutor ever heard of this deity?"

"Never," Sun Fudong shook his head. "But Zhong Shengguang performed a blood sacrifice, and the offering was his own biological daughter!"

He Chunhua’s expression changed. "What?"

Zhong Shengguang was truly a ruthless individual, sacrificing his own flesh and blood to a deity. He Lingchuan quietly clicked his tongue, realizing why it was considered an evil god—it demanded human lives.

"So, what did this deity provide in return?"

"The deity was greatly pleased and generously bestowed a gift, with which they could counter the enemy and defeat a hundred with one." Sun Fudong spread his hands. "These are all the original words that could be extracted. The rest are damaged and unreadable."

"That's as good as unwritten. If the deity was so generous, what divine artifact did it actually bestow to repel the enemy?" He Lingchuan complained. "You two have traveled a long distance; surely you have some clues by now? Don't keep us in suspense."

He felt a slight wistfulness. No matter how brave and mighty Zhong Shengguang was, when his human efforts were exhausted and he could do nothing to reverse the situation, he couldn't help but seek help from a deity. Conversely, what means did this deity possess that allowed the Grand Wind army, trapped in a desperate situation, to turn the tide against all odds and hold out for another twenty years?

The young man, ignorant and daring, even spoke disrespectfully to the Imperial Tutor. Sun Fudong glanced at him. "He Jian's writings alone couldn't explain it. It wasn't until recently that the Grand Marshal found an ancient letter—a last letter handwritten by Zhong Shengguang's personal guard. Comparing these two ancient artifacts finally revealed the truth!"

As the He father and son paid close attention, the mystery was finally revealed: "The treasure bestowed by the deity Mitian is called *Dafang*! Zhong Shengguang referred to it as the *Dafang Pot*, but it's actually a nest of mind-confusing worms."

Mind-confusing worms? He Lingchuan greatly admired the person who named them; it was so straightforward and easy to understand. Anyone hearing it would immediately know what the worms could do.

However, his own father immediately complicated the simple matter: "Doesn't this thing also have a formal name, the 'Three Corpse Worms'?"

"Exactly, they are the Three Corpse Worms," Nian Songyu chuckled. "They are formless and insubstantial, residing in three parts of the human body—head, abdomen, and feet—inciting evil desires and irritability. Whether you're a martial artist or a spellcaster, the first step to achieving enlightenment is to 'slay the Three Corpse Worms' and break free from obsessive delusions. But common soldiers in the army can't deal with them at all; when deployed, they are a great weapon on the battlefield."

"Armies have an extremely strong battle aura and are protected by national destiny, which naturally suppresses all kinds of magic and evil spirits."

He Lingchuan knew this much. Military camps were never haunted. Furthermore, large-scale magical powers were difficult to employ effectively on the battlefield, unless the spellcasters and generals themselves were strongly empowered by the nation's destiny. Typically, only an Imperial Tutor could accomplish this, like Sun Fudong before them.

Sun Fudong clapped his hands. "These Three Corpse Worms, however, are inherent to the human body. They won't be repelled by vital energy or spiritual power, so they can easily attach themselves to enemies, forcing them to obey and turn their weapons against their own side. Truly a divine artifact!"

He Chunhua finally understood, letting out a long breath. "So, you're here for this divine artifact?"

"Precisely," Sun Fudong finally clarified the matter. "If it could help Zhong Shengguang defend the city back then, it can help us repel the enemy now. You don't need to worry about the Three Corpse Worms in the nest dying; the artifact doesn't require breathing or sustenance."

He Lingchuan suddenly asked, "The Grand Marshal you just mentioned is…?"

Upon hearing the words "Grand Marshal" just now, both He father and son's hearts skipped a beat.

"Who else?" Nian Songyu raised an eyebrow. "Of course, it's the current Royal Father-in-law, Pillar of the State Grand General and Grand Marshal Dong Haoming!"

Here it comes! He Lingchuan and his father exchanged glances, both thinking, "Just as we expected."

Within a mere two months, the Grand General’s mansion guards, the Governor of Xun Prefecture’s son, and the Great Yuan Imperial Tutor had successively appeared in Blackwater City. This was no coincidence. Only now did the connection between them become clear.

He Chunhua looked surprised. "So, the Grand Marshal found the clue. Then, your visit, the two of you, is…?"

"The King and the Grand Marshal discussed it and dispatched me to Panlong Desert. We must retrieve the *Dafang Pot* before the scoundrels at Woling Pass can launch their boats!" Sun Fudong pointed to Nian Songyu. "When I passed through Xun Prefecture, General Nian sent his strong warriors to assist, led by Commander Nian. But in Blackwater City, we need a guide, we need manpower, and we need other assistance!"

"Retrieve the *Dafang Pot*?" He Lingchuan looked at his father's expression, then with a shocked look, said, "Wait a minute, you two aren't thinking of rushing into Panlong Desert, are you? Red Cliff Road is closing soon. Every three-year-old in Blackwater City knows that going in there now is suicide!"

He spoke louder and louder, partly putting on an act, but also genuinely agitated. Had trouble come after only fifty-odd good days? He hated world-shattering crises and heroic efforts to save the day; he just wanted to be a lazy, unremarkable official's son who lived off his family's wealth!

He Chunhua also mused, "Entering Panlong Desert at this time is indeed a slim chance of survival. You two aren't from Blackwater City; you haven't seen how treacherous the Panlong Desert is. Even divine powers are difficult to use there."