Chapter 30: The River God of Taiping, The Great Sacrifice Begins

Wang Ping’s mind was currently a chaotic mess, his face etched with bitterness. Even the food and wine in his mouth tasted like wax, devoid of any of the pleasure he had once known.

Had he known this trip to Qingshan County would be so perilous, why would he have come here to suffer?

Wang Ping had clearly forgotten how much he had enjoyed the food and entertainment in Qingshan County; now that he was being asked to risk his life, he naturally refused to comply.

However, Zhang Qing had allowed these rogue cultivators to indulge in excess in Qingshan County and had even shielded them when trouble arose, all for the purpose of forcing them to risk their lives at this very moment. How could she allow even one of them to escape?

In the end, all the Qi Refinement rogue cultivators were forced to drink a bowl of fine wine.

The wine had been provided by Young Master Kongxu and Qiao Xuan. Once consumed, if one did not receive the antidote from them, they would surely die in two days!

Their only chance at survival lay in whether they could kill the demon in the Taiping River tomorrow. If they succeeded, they would naturally receive the antidote; if they failed, an antidote would be of no use anyway.

This was a way of forcing them to fight for their lives, but did Wang Ping and the others have a choice?

Finally, Zhang Qing consulted with the eight Foundation Establishment cultivators and decided that Young Master Kongxu would lead Wang Tianfang, Li Hao—two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators—along with all the Qi Refinement rogue cultivators, acting together with Zhang Qing and Xu Xiao.

Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan, Wenren Jie, Qian Ming, and Han Li rushed to Donghe Town overnight to make preparations, with the operation set to commence early the next morning!

Wang Ping and the other Qi Refinement rogue cultivators waited in anxious suspense. It wasn't until the first quarter of the Mao hour that Zhang Qing glanced at Xu Xiao. Xu Xiao nodded, stood up, and said, "Everyone, let us depart!"

All the Qi Refinement rogue cultivators instinctively stood up. They watched as Xu Xiao produced a silk handkerchief, which, upon a wave of his hand, expanded to ten zhang in size. Only then did the rogue cultivators realize they were to travel to Donghe Town atop this silk handkerchief dharma treasure.

Xu Xiao and Zhang Qing boarded first. Subsequently, Young Master Kongxu watched as the rogue cultivators boarded one by one, while he, Wang Tianfang, and Li Hao remained at the rear to provide rear guard, clearly leaving no opportunity for these Qi Refinement cultivators to flee.

Once everyone was aboard, Xu Xiao controlled the silk handkerchief, sending it soaring toward Donghe Town.

At that moment, in the Taiping River outside Donghe Town, nestled within the murky riverbed, sat a mansion shrouded in a formation, bearing four gilded characters: *Taiping River Mansion*.

The entire layout of the mansion was modeled after a prefectural government, except that the mansion was entirely empty of people. There was only a ten-zhang-tall statue of a River God, possessing a green face, protruding fangs, fins on its back, and holding a sharp trident.

A formation covered the entire mansion, and the River God statue was enshrined upon an incense altar.

The altar sat at the center of the formation, surrounded by half-human-tall red candles that burned slowly, injecting wisps of nearly invisible incense power into the River God statue.

If anyone were to observe closely, they would discover that those red candles were, in fact, children under the age of six!

The flesh and bone of the children had been turned into red candles, and their blood had been condensed into wicks. Twelve red candles were placed at key points within the formation to maintain its operation and provide spiritual energy.

Though this formation was forged from human lives, there was a hint of sanctity amidst its malevolence.

Much like the River God statue itself—despite its green face, fangs, and terrifying appearance, it was sculpted with a golden body, looking immensely solemn.

All these oddities were hidden beneath the hundreds of zhang of the Taiping River's depths, unnoticed by anyone. Or rather, those who had sensed something was wrong had long since died.

Tracing this back, one would find that the center of the Taiping River was located outside the capital of Dong Prefecture, thousands of miles away.

The eight-thousand-li Taiping River was divided into east and west by this center, flowing in all directions to connect the various counties of Dong Prefecture.

Furthermore, this was the widest and deepest part of the eight-thousand-li river, reaching depths of over a thousand zhang.

The Taiping River Mansion here was even more solemn and grand, looking almost like a true Dragon Palace, profoundly sacred.

This river mansion was also covered by a formation. The true River God of the Taiping River resided within the formation, which divided the space into Yin and Yang, connecting North and South.

The true body of the River God was located in the center of the Yang formation, while the River God statue was in the center of the Yin formation. Each was surrounded by six candles, which also used children as wicks to draw in incense power.

Moreover, wisps of pure incense power were being transmitted from thirteen different directions. The incense from the various counties of Dong Prefecture, combined with the incense from the Dong Prefecture capital, was refined again through the statue in the center of the Yin formation before being injected into the true body of the River God in the Yang formation.

Sensing the time, the true body of the River God slowly opened its eyes. "The hour has come. Those ants from Qingshan County are about to come to their deaths."

No one knew that the River God had once been a Fake Dan cultivator who commanded great prestige in his region!

At this moment, the River God’s hair was grey-white, his body withered, and his posture hunched, looking like a gaunt, dying man. Only his lower abdomen showed a slight protrusion that emitted a glow.

Who could have imagined that this person was once the majestic master of a powerful sect?

Thinking of the rumors he had stumbled upon, and how he had nearly lost his life venturing into ruins for Buddhist scriptures, only to return to his sect with a heavy wound and be betrayed and harmed by his own subordinates—the River God was filled with rage.

It had all been the schemes of traitors within the sect. They had intentionally leaked news to him about the transformation of a Fake Dan into a Golden Core, hoping he would perish in those ruins. They hadn't expected him to return alive, having truly obtained the secret method!

Though he had fled into the Taiping River and been washed here to survive by chance, his sect must have been seized by those traitors by now. It was *his* sect; how could he accept this?

Fortunately, within those Buddhist scriptures, there truly was a Buddhist formation capable of seizing heavenly providence and shedding the mortal coil, which gave the River God a chance to make a comeback.

Thinking of his current predicament and the fickle, hypocritical aristocratic families of Dong Prefecture, the River God's face twisted further. "A bunch of ants, a bunch of livestock. It would be one thing if they were unwilling to serve this God, but they dare to play tricks before me! Once I restore my cultivation, I shall ensure you all die without a place to be buried!"

"Once I gather fifty years of incense from the thirteen counties of Dong Prefecture, I can recast my body and transform the Fake Dan within me into an Incense Golden Core! At that time, I will no longer be a mere Fake Dan cultivator with a mere six hundred years of lifespan who can never progress, but a genuine Golden Core True Person!"

"And an upper-grade Golden Core at that! I may even touch the Nascent Soul or even the Deity Transformation realm!"

"You ants who plotted against me, just you wait!"

From a high-spirited sect master to someone forced to sink into the riverbed of Dong Prefecture for forty-eight years, the River God's heart had long since become twisted. He hungered desperately to see the light of day again and exact his revenge.

In two years, he could completely shed his mortality and forge an upper-grade Golden Core through incense!

Whenever he thought of this, the River God could not suppress his inner excitement.

Was he not willing to sink here for all these years precisely to achieve the Great Dao of the Golden Core and return to take his revenge with dignity?

Only two years left. He only had to endure for two more years!

He was a man possessed of great destiny; not only had he obtained a method to change heaven and earth, but he had also survived numerous calamities. This time, he would surely be able to shed his mortality and transform from a Fake Dan into an upper-grade Golden Core!

Calming his excitement, the River God split off a wisp of divine sense. Using the River God statue in the prefectural capital as a hub, this wisp of divine sense landed in the River God Mansion outside Donghe Town in Qingshan County in the blink of an eye.

The divine sense landed upon the ten-zhang-tall River God statue. In an instant, the originally stone statue came to life.

The incense power within the statue brought a surge of power to the River God. Sensing the incense power within him, the River God revealed a smile. "Once I deal with these rebellious ants from Qingshan County and pass these two years peacefully, everything will change."

As he spoke, the ten-zhang-tall, green-faced, fanged River God statue stepped down from the altar. Ignoring the red candles made of children within the formation, he held his sharp trident and walked toward the exit of the mansion with his head held high.

***

When the time arrived at the first quarter of the Chen hour on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhang Qing had already led all the cultivators to take control of Donghe Town.

Looking at the River God High Priest, who appeared elderly and draped in black robes, Zhang Qing comforted him kindly, "Please rest assured. This Great River God Sacrifice will surely cause that demon to perish."

"For now, please begin the sacrifice and summon the demon."

Every year during the Great River God Sacrifice, the High Priest would preside over the ritual, offering three types of livestock. He would lead the local gentry and the commoners of all towns to kowtow before the River God statue in Donghe Town, after which incense would be offered by the riverside along with six pairs of young boys and girls.

Although it was not yet the official day for the Great Sacrifice, the demon in the river had been in a daze, showing no movement except during the annual festival. Starting the sacrifice now would surely draw it out.

The River God High Priest did not refuse. He nodded and spoke in a raspy voice, "Then let it begin."

Soon, the livestock were brought up. The High Priest led the people and gentry of Donghe Town to kowtow before the River God statue in the temple, offering the sacrifices.

Zhang Qing and Xu Xiao, leading the group of rogue cultivators, watched this massive sacrificial scene involving tens of thousands of people, their expressions incredibly solemn.

The Qi Refinement rogue cultivators, especially Wang Ping and his companions, had faces so grim they looked as if they could drip water. If their lives weren't already in the hands of others, why would they come to this godforsaken place?

The sacrifice had only just begun, yet these rogue cultivators, who had spent years navigating the line between life and death, clearly sensed that something was wrong.

This inexplicable sense of wrongness was an instinct honed through years of struggle; their bodies were telling them that the situation was abnormal!

But they had no choice. They could only suppress their unease and watch as the Great River God Sacrifice proceeded step by step.

After the High Priest led the gentry and commoners through the kowtowing and the offering of livestock, colorful decorations and fruit were presented. Simultaneously, six pairs of monkeys bound by ropes were brought out, clearly serving as substitutes for the six pairs of boys and girls.

The monkeys appeared even more terrified, but their mouths were sealed. They could only stare with wide eyes as the dark mass of people decorated them with colorful ribbons and pushed them onto bamboo rafts to be sent into the river.

As the rafts neared the center of the river, the High Priest led the people to kneel once more. His dry, raspy voice rang out along the riverbank: "Offer the colors, welcome the River God!"

Suddenly, the monkeys on the rafts began to struggle frantically, as if sensing something.

A vortex abruptly appeared on the previously calm surface of the water. As the vortex grew larger, an aura of danger began to spread.

The gentry and commoners of Donghe Town were already kneeling on the ground, their heads pressed tightly against the earth, not daring to look up. The rogue cultivators brought by Zhang Qing were also pale-faced and filled with dread.

The aura emanating from the vortex grew increasingly powerful, climbing until it reached a level that was unmistakably within the Purple Mansion realm!

The River God was about to reveal himself!