Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 360 - 357: Mid-August, Offering Human Sacrifice

Chapter 360: Chapter 357: Mid-August, Offering Human Sacrifice

As the northern drought that had begun at the start of the year deepened, other parts of Red County Shenzhou were littered with starved corpses.

In contrast, the Great Yan imperial capital, Yunjing City, became even more prosperous.

This colossal city, with a population of a million, corresponded to the stars above and encompassed all below heaven. It was the true heart of the empire, the head of the dragon veins.

Through the thoroughfares that connected every corner of the country, and the Grand Canal that ran from north to south, there was a ceaseless flow of people and goods, as well as the vast Dragon Energy of Red County Shenzhou.

And with the influx of middle and lower class warlords, pressured by local government offices, came a surge of manpower, materials, and wealth.

They hedged big by buying up residences, establishing industries, looking after the clothing, food, lodging, and transportation of their families and servants...

This directly led to an unprecedented boom in every business in the capital.

"Bet big or small, hey! Little Gold Fish, over here!"

"Flapjacks here! Get your hot flapjacks! Sizzling hot, the dough’s gotta be hot!"

"..."

During this period, even the cries of the street vendors seemed particularly vigorous.

It was as if a bowl of boiling oil had been poured onto a fire, presenting a spectacle of a flourishing era inflamed.

It was even more splendid than the most prosperous times in the history of Yunjing City.

Above Yunjing City, the swelling golden red Dragon Energy almost solidified, gradually turning into a rain of gold, like heavenly flowers drifting down.

However, at the core of the Great Yan Dragon Qi, the multi-headed dragon coiled above the Imperial City was becoming increasingly bloated.

Not only was its figure becoming thick and short, but in just a few short months, the number of dragon and serpent heads on its neck had quickly grown to several dozen.

It was, in essence, a monster forcibly fused together.

The perceptive well knew that while the Dynasty’s Dragon Qi seemed unprecedentedly vast, it was in truth large yet weak, diverse yet unfocused.

At its core, it was nothing more than a pig fattened for the slaughter!

Of course, this was precisely the scenario desired by the rulers of the Great Yan at the moment.

In the dazzling Imperial Garden, fit for the pinnacle of the mortal world, a pond of lotuses in myriad forms bloomed with particular vibrance.

The Dancing Princess Lotus with its pale pink petals, the premium Thousand-Petal Lotus with over three thousand petals, the green Wenjun’s Dust Brush, the peach-bud shaped Ice Maiden...

Each one was a rare treasure not found elsewhere.

"The lotuses in this pond this year are especially enchanting, quite a delight to the eyes."

"Haha, where does Empress Dowager find such words?

Though the pond’s lotuses are captivating, even at their most beautiful, how could they compare to even one ten-thousandth of Your Majesty’s beauty?"

"Giggling... Prime Minister, your tongue is like it’s been dipped in honey, so utterly sweet!"

By the pond stood an elegantly dressed, majestic looking noblewoman next to an old official in a first-class crane-decorated official uniform, looking dignified even without anger. They stood close together, affectionately admiring the prized lotuses spread across the pond.

One of them was the former Consort Shu, now the Empress Dowager Su Yuru; the other was the former Chief Minister, now the Assistant Minister Xue Jiexi.

But their smiling and lighthearted demeanor did not resemble that of a sovereign and minister, rather that of lovers exchanging coy flirtations.

A group of eunuchs and palace maids followed at a distance behind them, all looking down and not daring to raise their eyes.

Everyone in the palace knew that this pond of lotuses flourished more resplendently because of the mysterious disappearance of several palace attendants in the past half-year.

With so much fertilizer settling to the bottom, naturally, the lotuses would thrive.

Since February, Su Yuru and Xue Jiexi had increasingly tightened their grip over Yunjing’s affairs, and both inside and outside the palace had been purged time and again.

Their actions grew more and more brazen.

In broad daylight, Prime Minister Xue Jiexi directly held onto the waist of the Empress Dowager, caressing her increasingly plump belly beneath her Luan Robe.

They told the outer ministers that inside this stomach was the "posthumous child" of Emperor Jianming, who had left a breath in him before his misfortune.

But who within the palace did not know the true father of the unborn child?

The Empress Dowager bashfully pushed the Prime Minister away and, gathering her composure, said,

"In accordance with what you and Zhou [Martial Saint] said, I have personally overseen the placement of these twelve thousand nine hundred and sixty No-Life Buddha statues throughout the entire Imperial City, totaling a complete cycle.

Claimed as the beginning of a cycle, where myriad things are renewed.

I bathed and observed a strict fast for seven days, wearing the phoenix robe and crown, and holding the Imperial Jade Seal entrusted by Jing Liang in my hand, I’ve personally paid homage to each and every Buddha statue, completing the ritual just yesterday.

How are the preparations on the outside proceeding?"

As she spoke, she gestured slightly toward the Imperial Garden.

Wherever one’s gaze fell—along the paths, on the eaves, beside stone railings—indeed, there were colorful Buddha statues in strange shapes, mostly grouped in threes.

Some statues, bent like old men, wore blue kasayas, seated on three-tiered lotus platforms, with a green sun halo behind their heads;

Some, robust like middle-aged men, wore red kasayas, seated on six-tiered lotus platforms, with a red sun halo behind their heads;

The final figure was slender like a youth, dressed in a white kasaya, seated upright on a nine-tenths lotus platform, with a white sun appearing behind his head.

Even more bizarre, the heads of these Buddha statues were not normal human ones, but instead each corresponded to the sun dials of three different times of day: evening, noon, and morning.

These were the past, present, and future avatars of the "No-Life Buddha," with each type of statue numbering exactly forty-three thousand two hundred.

Every one of the Buddha statues also bore the eight characters of the seal script, "Receiving life by Heaven’s order, hence longevity and everlasting prosperity."

Without a doubt, by performing worship and conversion to the "No-Life Buddha" in the capacity of the Empress Dowager, Su Yuru was essentially opening the door to invite a thief.

Within the already scattered and brittle "Dragon Qi Prohibition," this had cut open a massive hole for the "Heavenly Official."

It handed over the knife and fork for enjoying a delicious feast to the "No-Life Buddha," who had long coveted Yunjing City.

Xue Jiexi nodded:

"The plan is progressing smoothly.

By forcibly conscripting the warlords into the Capital, without considering the consequences, in less than half a year, there came an addition of two hundred thousand of the nation’s wealthiest population to the Capital.

Also, under the name of the New Emperor, an edict was issued to open the special imperial examination, drawing scholars from all over the country to flock to the Capital for the examinations, aiming to capture all the nation’s literary talents of the next few decades in one fell swoop!"

Since the plan was to perform a blood sacrifice over Yunjing City, hosting an unprecedented "Killing Banquet," the more sacrifices, the better.

After all, the human elements of the Five Grains needed for brewing the "Immortality Wine" - ignorant people, mortals, common folk, saints, and sages - one could never have too many, nor too refined.

Especially for the "Martial Saint" Zhou Xinglou.

Only at a "Killing Banquet" of such scale could the most superior "Immortality Wine" be brewed.

After drinking it, he would steal a corresponding "Immortal Fruit" from the Green Seal Realm, securing longevity and maintaining his power as a "Martial Saint."

Throughout history, there have been very few individuals who could pull off such a feat of the highest grade "Killing Banquet" with merely the title of "Martial Saint."

Xue Jiexi, having clearly understood Su Yuru’s intentions as he saw the involuntary flash of cold light in her beautiful eyes while she nodded slightly, continued:

"Rest assured.

The family members of Pei Yulou, as well as those of the five camps of "Daoist Soldiers" who went with him to Dengzhou Prefecture, have all been concentrated and imprisoned in a hidden "Inner Realm."

Their repeated attempts to probe have been to no avail, and they will all be executed on the day of the blood sacrifice."

"There’s no need to worry about the Second Prince, Zhou Jinhuan, either.

Ever since ancient times, when dynasties fall, the old imperial family is usually despised by the Human Dao and the people, bearing the heavy causality of the masses, with especially severe backlash from all sides, and rarely end well.

Zhou Jinhuan will be no exception, merely a minor character paving the way for the king."

"The one truly capable of creating a new heaven will be our son, the one and only "Ming King" in this world!"

His gaze burned as he looked at the Empress Dowager’s belly, his face filled with tender love.

The No-Life Dao has been preaching, "The Buddha descends anew, the Ming King is born. Change heaven and earth, create the Qiankun!"

After completely converting to the No-Life Dao, Xue Jiexi had already received a promise from the Old Buddha.

His and Su Yuru’s child was the Buddha’s child, the "Ming King" who would be united by all the "White Lotus Holy Daughters" of the No-Life Dao and rule the "White Sun Era."

"Ming King, oh Ming King!"

Thinking of the last emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty and the emperor of the New Dynasty both being his children, Su Yuru’s face gradually revealed a hint of yearning.

At this moment.

A thick fog suddenly rose from the lotus pond in front of them.

Then the sound of rushing water followed immediately after.

By the time they, immersed in their beautiful daydreams, shockingly looked up, they saw the muddy waters in the pond churning.

Sections of yellow and white lotus root and bloated, rotting corpses rapidly stitched together in an unspeakably grotesque manner.

Forming a terrifying Buddha seated on a muddy lotus, all the numerous decayed mouths over its body emitted shrill, agonizing screams in unison.

Along with filthy chants, which echoed repeatedly throughout the Imperial Garden like putrid, rotten mud.

Eventually, they all formed one sentence:

"The half of the eighth lunar month, offer the human sacrifice!"

Bang!

After speaking, it exploded into the pool, scattering lotus roots and rotten corpses everywhere.

Clearly, after being severely injured by the "Taoist Inheritance Artifact - Five Thunders Car" of the Taiyin Xuanbing Dao, the "No-Life Buddha" had grown increasingly impatient.

At this moment, he directly descended a sliver of intention to communicate the dharma order to Xue and Su.

However, unnoticed by anyone present, a speck of golden light, resembling a lotus seed, emerged from the collapsing body of the Old Buddha and flashed into Su Yuru’s belly like lightning.

By the time Xue Jiexi and Su Yuru regained their senses, they were horrified to find that all the eunuchs and palace maids following them had already died silently.

Their flesh was shriveled, their bodies covered with colorful lotus flowers, the likes of which had never been seen before in the world of men.

Strikingly vibrant and exquisitely beautiful!

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