Chapter 10, Sacrifice

Therefore... in the future, the only one who will have the blood of innocent people on their hands is Sakura

The villagers wearing fox masks all knelt down, and although their faces were not visible, Yae Jiji knew that they must be extremely fervent

Zhi ! ーー ''

On the altar, a little girl is kneeling, her small head bowed, with her tiny hands tightly clasped together and placed in front of her chest

I am certain that I will not make a mistake! The old woman had a gloomy expression, "It must have been a mistake that occurred last night!"

The dark clouds that had gathered together quickly dispersed, and in the blink of an eye, dawn broke, with a ray of light fortuitously shining upon the village

Mother-in-law! Please say something!

Then, the sun in the sky began to exert its power, and a mysterious force dispersed the clouds in the sky, indicating a trend of clear skies and blazing sunshine.

Yae Miko held Yae Sakura's small hand as the two siblings walked past the villagers

When the young man saw everyone looking at him, his voice became increasingly lower

The parents of the girl who is to be sacrificed are kneeling in the front row outside the altar. The two of them seem to be entranced, uttering a jumble of incoherent words, while their heads repeatedly bow to the ground, demonstrating their humility before the deity

Apart from the electric snake, there are no other signs at all

Looking at his father on the altar, wearing a fox mask and holding a sharp knife, Yaeji felt a chill run through his body; he could not imagine that he would one day become like that.

There are a few drops of water on the floor

Is Liang truly a pure and chaste woman

Do not be afraid, do not be afraid, in the future, your brother will take on these responsibilities for you

After a successful sacrifice, the great fox deity will surely bestow the divine water

Yae Miko covered Yae Sakura's eyes, silently lowering her own head, no longer looking at the girl who went to "offer her prayers to the deity"

Standing beside, Bayou Ji removed his mask, and he then discovered that the old woman beneath the altar had an exceptionally grim expression, as if she had just swallowed a green-headed fly!

This ...! ... Don't say that the thunder is loud but the rain is light; not a single drop of rain has fallen! Instead, the blazing sun is shining brightly, and the temperature is soaring!

Silence enveloped the altar.

Even Yae Miko was taken aback

What exactly is the situation

According to the records of the Yae family, even when offerings are presented without rain, dark clouds will gather, transforming the sky into overcast conditions, followed by a torrential downpour that revitalizes life, after which the dark clouds will disperse

... ...

Didn’t Dazhu say yesterday that he had completed it with Liang? Later, he asked his mother-in-law to go for verification

Now! Offer the sacrifice to the great fox deity

As it is a formal occasion, everyone tends to use more formal titles, which are not as casual as in daily life

As expected

Even if he wishes to change his approach, the village absolutely does not allow him to violate the ancestral teachings. The reason why the current Hachiman priestess acts in this manner is entirely due to the fact that the previous shrine maiden has long since perished in battle, and the candidate shrine maiden is still too young.

The area around the altar fell completely silent, and the girl kneeling on the ground trembled slightly, with more and more water pooling on the ground. Yae Miko seemed to have thought of something, as she scanned the villagers back and forth while wearing a fox mask.

It is uncertain whether it is due to the upcoming sacrificial ceremony, but the weather today is quite cool, with dark clouds subtly gathering in the sky

Perhaps he is still detained in the warehouse in the village

Yaeji gently patted Sakura's shoulder, and Sakura, who was hiding in his embrace, timidly opened her eyes, looking bewildered at everything happening before her.

It must be the great fox deity who has sensed our sincerity

Dazhu did not come

The electric snake and thunder appeared in succession, and the dark clouds in the sky gathered thicker and thicker, resembling a scene where sweet rain could fall at any moment

This was Sakura's first time attending the sacrificial ceremony. Seeing the usually warm villagers turn incredibly serious, she could only maintain a stern expression. In reality, she was very unaccustomed to such occasions and even felt a bit fearful, her petite body subtly curling up a little. Even though she was holding hands with her older brother, the young girl still lagged behind slightly, trying to make herself appear less conspicuous.

Yaeji stared at the old woman, who seemed to sense the gaze and met Yaeji's eyes for a moment before quickly averting her gaze in embarrassment

Be good and wait for me here

The rituals in the village have not reached the complexity of a national level; people simply wear black clothing and fox masks. Yae Sakura, as a candidate shrine maiden, is dressed in the attire of a shrine maiden.

The process is quite simple, and Hachijōji silently put on the fox mask

Are we... ... angering the deities

Yaeji squeezed through the crowd, and everyone wore expressions of panic.

The man in black on the altar raised his knife and struck down, the scalding blood gushing from the cold body splattering into a crescent shape, the crimson liquid sliding down the blade gradually converging into a point at the tip, and slowly dripping down

can

Yae Jiji felt that Sakura's body was trembling, and her small hands were gradually losing warmth, as if the corpse lying on the stage was her.

The phrase suddenly appeared in Yaoyue's mind, just like the first time she saw the cherry blossom snow.

From the opening of the mask, the field of vision is extremely limited, as if the entire world is distorted before one's eyes

rumbling

However ... ...

He can swear that these are not his own ideas at all! Before this, he didn't even know what the terms "fancy" and "ignorant" really meant!

In order to ensure the continuation of a village, sacrificing a person's life seems... quite worthwhile

Looking further down, the couple who had originally knelt in the front row also lifted their masks, their faces filled with expressions of terror, as if they had been overly frightened. When someone accidentally brushed against them, their reactions were extremely intense.

As the strong wind blew, the crimson blood on the blade dripped down even more rapidly. The villagers felt no chill; instead, they fervently worshipped the deities with even greater fervor.

The clouds at the horizon grew darker, first striking a lightning bolt in the distance, making the sacrificial katana appear even more chilling. Then, the sound of thunder roared, as if a deity had descended.

The shrine priest of the Yae Shrine first made an appearance, followed by an elderly woman with graying hair and a stooped body praising the fox deity that protects the village

Foolishness! What utter foolishness!

The wind has ceased, the clouds have vanished, and the sound of thunder has also disappeared

The woman is experiencing an emotional breakdown, and her ramblings contain many messages that are perplexing.

Although Yaeji said this, he also knew that the rituals in the village were generally presided over by the deity, while the communication with the divine and the offering of sacrifices were conducted by the priestess

She must know something

Well

Lord Ji

The thunder in the sky grew increasingly muffled and distant, causing some villagers to lift their heads in confusion and gaze at the heavens

It is not me, it is not me, it is not me! It is she who wants Liang to serve the deity!

Turn Sakura's shoulder around, embrace the little girl in your arms, and gently pat her back

Lord Sakura

The old woman and Yae Miko's gazes met for an instant, only to quickly look away again

They are not praying to the deities to disperse the dark clouds due to a flood. Rather, it is because of a severe drought that they seek to implore the deities to control the clouds and rain, in hopes of bringing a life-saving downpour to irrigate the village