Chapter 26

Zhang Yulin quickly fell silent.

Lu Yuan looked around. "Lu Yao, you must be exhausted lately, seeing things. You can't keep going like this. I'll find you a witch doctor someday."

When Lu Yao was finally convinced no one was around, she relaxed, and Lin Yu and Zhang Yulin continued to trail her in secret.

Zhang Yulin leaned close to Lin Yu, whispering, "Did she hear me just now?"

Lin Yu shook her head. "Impossible. Unless her magical power surpasses the Xianzun, there's no way she'd detect us."

Zhang Yulin sighed. "Her guard is way too high, then. She actually suspected someone was here."

Lu Yao walked a short distance and suddenly stopped, startling the two behind her into freezing, thinking she'd sensed something again.

But the next moment, Lu Yao's actions shocked Lin Yu and Zhang Yulin.

She bent down and picked up a pouch of copper coins!

Given the distance... and the pattern on the pouch... was that the peddler selling hairpins lost it?!

Zhang Yulin rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "So maybe those earlier people angered the God of Glory and ruined their fortune, but this one—what's her deal?"

Lin Yu stared at Lu Yao's cold-featured face, pondered for a moment, and failing to come up with a reason, blurted out something surprising: "Has the God of Wealth fallen in love with her?"

Zhang Yulin was so startled she nearly choked. "Why her?! I want that too! I want to go out and pick up money too!!"

Lin Yu subdued Zhang Yulin's fidgeting limbs. A god falling in love with a mortal was a grave sin, so that couldn't be it. She could only console her: "I'll toss some money outside the door tomorrow for you to pick up. Luck comes and goes, it's normal. Don't be upset now, alright?"

Lin Yu stared at Lu Yao's retreating figure, lost in thought. There was still no solid proof as to who was impersonating the Rain Goddess to amass wealth, or whether the God of Glory was actually helping the false Rain Goddess.

She'd only suspected him first because the God of Glory held dominion over wealth. But on deeper reflection, the logic didn't hold. The God of Glory was the most beloved deity in the world; he had no reason to wade into murky waters and help a "Rain Goddess" rake in money. Besides, the Rain Goddess gaining wealth harmed the God of Glory's own interests.

Yet, despite the damage to his interests, the God of Glory had never intervened. What was he after? Was he willfully indulging it, or truly oblivious?

...

The two tailed Lu Yao all the way until she finally entered her mansion, then Lin Yu dispelled the concealment spell on them and knocked on the door of the Lu residence.

This time, the door opened soon enough. When it swung open, Lin Yu recognized the younger sister who'd been following Lu Yao. After they identified themselves, Lu Yuan beamed and invited the two inside.

Once through the door, Lin Yu grew even more puzzled. Zhang Yulin remarked, "This huge Lu mansion is even bigger than the Xie estate, and the Xie family had hundreds of people. The Lu residence is just Lu Yao and her sister living here?"

Lin Yu had the same question, so she shook her head at Zhang Yulin.

The Lu residence's layout was exquisitely ornate—pavilions and towers, the gentle trickle of water. After passing through carved corridors and painted walkways, they finally met Lu Yao. A graceful beauty stood amid a cluster of flowers, white gloves on her hands, carefully trimming excess branches with a delicate pair of shears.

"Lu Yao, your guests are here!"

At the call, Lu Yao turned around, her gaze landing on Lin Yu. Her lovely eyes sparkled, brows easing into a gentle smile. "So you're the Divine Maiden of Heaven's Mandate Tower? I'm your devoted follower."

Lin Yu thought: What? She'd only taken office two days ago and hadn't done anything, yet she already had a follower?

Knowing it was mere pleasantry, Lin Yu didn't comment. "I received a gift from Miss Lu the other day, and since I happened to pass through Jiangnan, I came to meet you. May I ask if Miss Lu has a favor to seek?"

Lin Yu genuinely couldn't guess. Lu Yao was already the wealthiest woman around—what problem could she have that she couldn't solve on her own, to the point of courting a newly appointed Divine Maiden? She'd used a gift to lure her here.

Lu Yao hesitated for a moment, her expression shifting repeatedly, then tears began to well in her eyes. "Please, Divine Maiden, save my family."

Lin Yu was taken aback. "Miss, you might be asking the wrong person."

Lu Yao suddenly burst into tears. "Last year, when floods struck Jiangnan, my family all perished. I knelt in the Rain Goddess Temple all night, and it was the Rain God who answered my plea, reviving my father."

Lu Yao lifted her eyes to the Divine Maiden mark on Lin Yu's brow. "The Rain God is gone now, and my father is failing. You're the only person in this world connected to the Rain God. I beg you to try."

Lin Yu was stunned. "How do you know the Rain God is no more?"

Only the Xianzun and Lin Yu knew for certain that the Rain God was dead—even Zhang Yulin wasn't clear on the details, having assumed the Rain God was merely missing. The cultivators in Xuanzheng Hall that day had refused to believe the news either. How could Lu Yao, who had no connection to cultivators whatsoever, know?

"I... my father was kept alive by the Rain God's power. He's been growing weaker and weaker, and a few days ago, he was about to give out. When I went to the Rain Goddess Temple to pray, the Rain God stopped answering me. So I guessed that something must have happened to the Rain God."

Zhang Yulin interjected, "Miss Lu, that's quite the guess. Even I, as head disciple of Heaven's Mandate Tower, haven't heard this news. Yet you figured it out with a single guess."

Lu Yao was noticeably stumped. Just as she was thinking how to respond, Lu Yuan rapped on the small courtyard door and frowned. "Lu Yao, come quick..."

Lu Yao ignored her. "Please, both of you, come see my father. Once you've seen him, you'll know I'm not lying."

...

"Father! Your daughter has brought the Divine Maiden to see you!" Before they even entered the house, Lu Yao called out through a half-open window from some distance away. "Father? Are you awake?"

"Creak—" The door swung open, and the group followed Lu Yao inside. Slanted sunlight streamed into the room, sending dust motes dancing in the air.

Lin Yu coughed lightly upon entering, and Zhang Yulin covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve. Thick quilts were piled on the bed, but the blanket lay flat—the bed was empty.

Hearing voices, an emaciated old man darted out from the wardrobe, flailing wildly and charging at the newcomers!

Lu Yao hurriedly blocked him. "Father, why are you hiding in the wardrobe again? Be careful, don't hurt yourself. You're giving me no peace as your daughter."

"Hey! Father! That's a broom—put it down!"

Lu Yao wrapped her arms tight around the old man from behind, trying to drag him into a seat, but the old man seemed possessed with unnatural strength, thrashing like a madman, desperate to break free. Lu Yao could barely hold her father back!

The old man's hollow gaze fixed on Lin Yu. Something about her seemed to draw him in; his eyes were full of obsession and craving as he inched closer and closer!

He raised a hand to reach for Lin Yu. She took half a step back and studied his face—his skin was withered, nearly skin and bones, sores festering on his cheeks, dark circles under his eyes making them look even more sunken, and a strange purple hue showed on his exposed arms.

Lin Yu lifted her hand and lightly touched the old man's brow. He finally calmed down. Seeing this, Lu Yao was overjoyed. "I told you, you can save my father!"

Zhang Yulin subtly pushed Lu Yao's hand away and wedged herself between her and Lin Yu, feigning casual chatter to fish for information. "I hear Miss Lu built this massive fortune entirely on her own in under two years. You must be incredibly gifted!"

After settling Lu Yao's father down, the three stepped out into the courtyard. Lu Yao chuckled lightly. "Just a bit of luck, really. I happened to be there when the canal opened, and I made a small fortune following the boatmen. But wealth is nothing but a worldly possession to me—it doesn't matter much."

Lin Yu and Zhang Yulin exchanged a look. Just a bit of luck? This woman could pick up a pile of money just walking out the door. An ordinary person would be lucky to have that even once in eighty lifetimes!

The more casually Lu Yao spoke, the angrier Zhang Yulin got. Lin Yu caught sight of Zhang Yulin's clenched fist and thought she might genuinely try to beat Lu Yao up. Lin Yu felt a headache coming on...

Lin Yu tried to soothe her. "Don't be angry. It's just wealth luck..."

Zhang Yulin mouthed back, "Wish I'd never asked..."

Lin Yu steered the topic back on track. "So, Miss Lu, what is it you'd like me to do to save your father?"

Lu Yao replied, "I want your heart's blood, Divine Maiden."

Zhang Yulin sputtered, "Are you insane? What nonsense are you—"

Lin Yu clamped a hand over Zhang Yulin's yammering mouth and forced a smile. "My friend here is blunt by nature. Don't mind her."

Lin Yu continued, "May I ask why you need my heart's blood?"

Lu Yao said, "I've worshipped the Rain God for years, so I know a bit of the inner arts. Since you inherited the Rain God's legacy and became the new Divine Maiden, once the grand sacrifice ceremony is complete, your power, bloodline, and status become interchangeable."

Lu Yao blinked. "Surely you didn't think that Divine Maiden mark on your brow appeared out of nowhere?"

She went on: "Back then, the Rain God used a sliver of his power and heart's blood to save my father. Now that you share the Divine Maiden bloodline, your blood will work the same way. If the Divine Maiden agrees to my request, I'll hold a living sacrifice in your honor. How many people you want offered up, you just name it—if I can do it, I will. All I ask is that you spare a single drop of heart's blood to save my father."

At the mention of a living sacrifice, both Lin Yu and Zhang Yulin's expressions shifted. It was precisely because of a living sacrifice that Lin Zhao had died horribly and Lin Yu had fled. This was a painful memory neither wished to recall, yet one seared into their bones.

Zhang Yulin nearly raised her foot to kick Lu Yao, but Lin Yu maintained her composed facade. Lin Yu smiled. "Alright. I want two thousand virgin boys and girls born in the lower reaches of the canal as offerings. Can you manage?"

The offerings for a living sacrifice were always determined by what the enshrined deity preferred—age, birth date, gender, birthplace, appearance. It was perfectly normal, and Lin Yu's request was hardly out of line.

Zhang Yulin suddenly saw the light and shot Lu Yao a pitying look.

But Lu Yao frowned slightly at the request. "Divine Maiden, as far as I know, the lower reaches of the canal are sparsely populated. There aren't that many children there. Could you be a bit more lenient with age or birthplace?"

Lin Yu said, "Then expand further down, all the way north—any child born in any village in that direction will do."

Lin Yu relaxed her terms, and Lu Yao's heart lifted. She didn't know the living conditions around the canal's lower reaches and figured heading north would be easy enough.

"But..." Lin Yu's tone shifted. "I have one condition. All the children offered must be alive, with no wounds on their bodies. I'm a bit squeamish—I fear dead bodies and blood. I can't stomach those."

Lu Yao had tensed up, worried Lin Yu would impose new demands, but turned out it was just about keeping the offerings alive. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked quite pleased, agreeing readily.

As Lu Yao saw the two out of the mansion, Zhang Yulin finally seemed in good spirits. "You tricked her?"

Lin Yu laughed lightly. "No, I didn't. She agreed on her own."

For official sacrifices, offerings were seized by force or gifted by commoners—those in power would do anything. But for merchant sacrifices, they could only use money to buy offerings; they couldn't resort to banditry.

Lu Yao might be the wealthiest merchant in Jiangnan, but securing those two thousand children would bleed her dry. Since she'd handed the initiative to Lin Yu, Lin Yu had plenty of ways to make it difficult—as long as she expressed dissatisfaction, the sacrifice would be hard to pull off, and the money spent on buying offerings would conveniently subsidize the northern reaches below the canal.

Zhang Yulin remarked, "She's not that clever. How exactly did she even get her fortune?"

Lin Yu thought for a moment. "Not from river shipping, that's for sure. She agreed without hesitation, which means she's clueless about the canal's surroundings. That doesn't match her story of making money following the boatmen."

The two chatted as they walked off into the distance.

Back at the Lu residence, Lu Yao stood by the courtyard wall, feeding the goldfish in the pond, when a lavishly dressed man appeared behind her.

The man's robes were woven from pure golden thread, gleaming in the sunlight, gold ornaments clinking as he moved. His face was displeased. "Yaoniang, who were those women?"

At the sound, Lu Yao shuddered all over, dropping the fish food she was holding into the pond and sending the goldfish scrambling after it in a spectacular frenzy.

The man drew closer. Lu Yao steadied herself on the rock by the pond, her whole body trembling. "Milord... why... why are you here..."