Chapter 82

Yun Chi didn't immediately grasp the meaning behind Lin Yu's words. She blinked, confusion flashing across her face. "I know the Xianzun isn't exactly a good person, but he's been more than decent to you. You won't easily find another person who'd treat you with such wholehearted devotion. You want to move against him?"

Lin Yu smiled. "He isn't good to me—he's good to this identity of mine. Whoever becomes the Divine Maiden would receive the same treatment. If I were to cast aside this role, he'd have gotten rid of me long ago, don't you think?"

"In other words, his kindness comes with strings attached. The returns I can bring him in the future far exceed what he's investing now, which is why he's willing to help me. This is simply a transaction of interests. And if it succeeds, it'll be a profit with minimal cost. If I were the Xianzun, I'd make the same choice."

Years of support in exchange for decades of extended lifespan, plus the chance to leave a lasting name in history—who wouldn't want that?

Yun Chi remained puzzled. She only knew the Xianzun treated the Divine Maiden exceptionally well, but was unaware of the underlying web of interests. "Return? What return?"

"That's a long story. But remember this: no one does something for nothing, without any payoff." Lin Yu looked straight at Yun Chi. "Take you killing the High Priestess, for example. The return you want isn't just to remove a threat to your life—you want to replace her."

"That return is worth taking a gamble on, even if failure could plunge you into an abyss of ruin, you'd still bet on it for that reward. The Xianzun is no different."

Yun Chi sighed, hesitating. "But... the foundation of Heaven's Mandate Tower has been built over so many years. It's not something you and I can easily destroy. And you've said it yourself—the reward I want is to become the High Priestess here. If the tower is gone, won't I be left with nothing but a hollow basket after drawing water?"

The implication was a clear refusal. It wasn't that Yun Chi absolutely had to become the High Priestess or wanted to stay in the tower forever. But she'd come here in her teens, and over the years, all she'd known were obscure ancient texts and countless rigid rules, leaving her almost completely cut off from the mortal world. She no longer possessed the skills to survive outside, nor the courage to leave.

Staying in Heaven's Mandate Tower meant she'd forever be a priestess, holding the lives of others in her hands. But if she left, someday she too might be captured and made a sacrifice on someone else's altar. An ordinary person without power or influence couldn't survive in this world.

She had witnessed far too many people's gruesome deaths, and she feared becoming the next one. So even if the tower was dangerous, she wouldn't leave—not even if it killed her.

"True." Lin Yu's tone remained casual, as if she'd merely mentioned it in passing. Yun Chi's refusal didn't stir any emotion in her; in fact, she'd have been surprised if Yun Chi had agreed.

Had Yun Chi agreed, it would mean they'd be bound together from then on—sharing life and death. Lin Yu didn't yet know what her own future held, so how could Yun Chi possibly know hers? To take an unknown path against the very Heavenly Dao she depended on for survival, for a person whose outcome she couldn't predict—that would be truly absurd.

Lin Yu wouldn't risk her life for anyone, and she knew Yun Chi felt the same. Yun Chi's life was on the verge of getting back on track. Once she became the High Priestess, she'd gain a voice within the tower, no longer living in constant fear.

"Aren't you going to persuade me a few more times? Giving up just like that?" Yun Chi reached out to stop Lin Yu. "You're just going to let me know your plan so easily? Aren't you afraid I'll tell someone?"

"You won't." Lin Yu's tone was resolute. "You're not the type to betray others. Our stances are only different for now—who knows, we might become allies in the future."

Lin Yu's position was to destroy Heaven's Mandate Tower; Yun Chi's was to stay within it. There was no right or wrong—each was only following their own choices.

Yun Chi's heart felt inexplicably heavy. If the person standing before her weren't Lin Yu but anyone else from the tower, refusing their invitation would surely have led to being silenced permanently. Lin Yu was unlike anyone she'd ever met.

Sensing Yun Chi's gaze, Lin Yu glanced over and saw the look of guilty conscience on her face, like someone who'd done wrong. She laughed. "Besides, even if you were to sell me out, I have a hold over you too, don't I?"

Lin Yu gestured toward the towering statue of the god and said softly, "You showed disrespect to the Crimson God—even boldly wishing him dead. And I heard every word."

"But as it happens, I think the same way."

Yun Chi suddenly broke into a smile. "Alright, my little secret."

At the very least, when it came to wanting the Crimson God dead, the two of them were in complete agreement.

"Have today's sacrifices been killed yet?" Lin Yu asked once the atmosphere had eased a bit.

Yun Chi glanced at the sky. "Not yet. We still have about half an hour before the ritual begins. The sacrifices will be killed right before they're brought to the altar."

"Where are they?"

"The Reflection Hall."

Lin Yu nodded thoughtfully. "I've sent the Xianzun away—he's not in the tower right now. In a little while, all you need to do is walk up to the altar and preside over the ritual. We'll see each other then. When the ceremony starts, I need you to help me with something."

"What?"

"I want to be a priestess and go up there with you."

For slightly grander ceremonies, it was customary to have two priests on the altar—the venue's size making it hard to control the crowd otherwise. Thus, one high priestess would manage the proceedings while the other handled the ritual instruments and performed miscellaneous tasks.

Lin Yu's request was easy enough to fulfill. With the crowds and the missing high priestess, all she had to do was follow behind Yun Chi.

But suddenly sensing something amiss, Yun Chi's expression shifted. "You know how to perform rituals?"

Lin Yu shrugged nonchalantly. "No, not at all. Neither do we. So what?"

"Well... I suppose you're right." Yun Chi's lips twitched. She'd never met someone who could be so brazenly confident in everything they did, waltzing into any situation without an ounce of fear. Just from her presence, one would think she could accomplish anything and that everything she said was right.

Lin Yu gave Yun Chi a light pat on the shoulder as she bid her farewell. "I'm off. See you later."

Yun Chi asked again, "Where are you going?"

"To the Reflection Hall. To set the people free."

...

"This blade of yours is all rusted—how do you even maintain it? How am I supposed to work with this?! Do you have any idea the ceremony is about to start and this is what you give me?!"

The moment she neared the Reflection Hall, Lin Yu heard a man's furious roar from inside. Sauntering in unhurriedly, she shattered the tense scene, drawing every pair of eyes onto her.

Lin Yu had removed the pale mask she wore at night, and her disguised face now stood on full display before the people in the Reflection Hall.

Phoenix eyes, gently sloping brows, thin crimson lips, delicate features, and fair skin—a face so perfectly standardized it was utterly bereft of distinguishing traits, the kind one would forget the moment they looked away. It bore no resemblance whatsoever to her original appearance.

It was the type of face street painters loved to draw most—the kind of woman depicted in every portrait sold on the streets. Because it was so uniformly standard, it left no impression.

She smiled at everyone. "Greetings, fellow seniors. I'm the newly arrived priestess, sent to collect the sacrifices."

The man who'd been roaring while holding the rusty knife paused, suspicion creeping into his eyes. "I haven't heard of any new priestess joining the tower."

Recognizing him as a disciple who often trailed behind one of the elders, Lin Yu calmly laid out her fabricated story: "The High Priestess left the tower without cause, recklessly delaying today's ceremony. The Xianzun was furious and ordered her expelled, with her apprentice taking her place immediately. The new High Priestess is Senior Sister Yun Chi."

"Given the importance of today's occasion, one high priestess isn't enough, so the Xianzun had me brought over from the Cultivation Academy to assist the High Priestess in presiding over the ritual." She offered him a polite smile. With the Xianzun absent, spinning a tale was easy enough, which made things go much more smoothly.

Lin Yu swept her gaze across the Reflection Hall. About fifty or sixty people huddled listlessly against the walls, half sitting, half lying down, taking up most of the space. The majority were young girls, followed by young men. They were clad in rags and utterly motionless, looking as if they'd been starved for days.

"These are today's sacrifices?" Lin Yu asked knowingly, her gaze returning to the man with the knife. Apart from the prison warden, he was the only other person here.

The man made to toss the knife to Lin Yu, his tone one of disgust. "Fine, you handle it then. Don't slit their throats—make sure they bleed less. Otherwise, they'll be a revolting sight on the altar, an eyesore for everyone."

The man continued his tirade, glaring venomously at the prison warden. "What a piece of junk this blade is! With a knife like this, you couldn't kill all these people even if you worked till dawn. Are we even going to have the ceremony or not?! You think just because you're old and have been here longer, you can lord it over everyone? Just wait—I'll report you to the Xianzun tomorrow, and we'll see how long you can keep up your bullying ways."

"Living too long on this cushy post watching over the Reflection Hall—about time you died and made room for the next person!"

The old prison warden leaned lazily against the doorframe, nodding along as she listened, occasionally chiming in with an indifferent "Yes, yes, of course," as if it had nothing to do with her, while the man fumed and stamped his feet.

Seeing she was unfazed by his words, the man eventually gave up after cursing her out for a while. He shot a glare at Lin Yu, who was enjoying the show. "What are you staring at? Don't think you can laugh at me just because you're a priestess. Take it! Your turn!"

The rusty iron knife was thrust into Lin Yu's hands without warning. She twirled it in her palm, gripping the handle in reverse, her eyes dark and unreadable as she looked at the man. With a faint smile, she said, "I'm a priestess. I don't take lives."

"Don't play that game with me. No one who steps foot in our tower has clean hands." The man stepped closer, forcing Lin Yu to retreat. "Think you're some kind of merciful bodhisattva? If you don't kill them, I'll go find the elder right now and have you killed for it!"

Lin Yu kept her head down, both hands tightly gripping the knife's handle. But upon closer inspection, her knuckles were trembling uncontrollably. The man quickly noticed her fear and grew all the more aggressive.

The prison warden, standing a few steps behind him, lunged forward to pull him away. "Hey now, what kind of person are you? Bullying a frail young woman into killing someone? Have you no decency?!"

But just as the warden was about to grab the man's arm, Lin Yu spun to the side, making the warden lunge at empty air. As if terrified out of her wits, her voice quivered. "Y-you stay back... I really don't know how to kill..."

She kept her head lowered, backing away slowly, her eyes fixed on the ground as she gauged her position. When her peripheral vision caught the wooden wall corner, Lin Yu finally lifted her head and met the man's gaze directly.

This spot was close to the window and gave her a good distance from both the warden and the bound people. Even if the warden caught on and charged, Lin Yu would have ample time to react.

Meanwhile, Lin Yu's constant evasion had worn the man's patience thin. He lunged forward, intending to grab the long hair at her shoulder, but missed and slammed into the windowsill instead. The sill was low, and he nearly tumbled out.

He turned back to Lin Yu in disbelief. "How dare you dodge when I'm disciplining you?! Get over here!"

"I wouldn't dare." Lin Yu's eyes held a calm, murderous glint, a suffocating pressure emanating from her as she stared him down.

The man's heart lurched, seized by an inexplicable fear. All traces of his earlier menacing demeanor vanished, and he instinctively made to step back.

In that split second as he turned away, Lin Yu raised the rusty knife with both hands. The dull blade sliced across his throat, bringing a strange, chilling warmth. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, he found himself clutching his neck as blood seeped relentlessly between his fingers.

His face twisted in agony, eyes wide with disbelief as he watched the fear-stricken woman from moments ago approach him step by step. Then came another slash!

The rust buried into his flesh, and blood sprayed forth. The man coughed violently, still not registering how his assailant moved so fast. A moment later, he was kicked hard to the ground!

A torrent of blood clogged his throat. He tried to speak but couldn't open his mouth, the metallic stench of blood filling his nostrils.

Lin Yu stepped forward and planted her foot on his neck—already half severed by the dull blade—and with a crisp, audible crack of bone, she casually snapped it.

"Who... who are you?!" The prison warden stood frozen, mouth agape. She'd already collected all the other knives in the room before the man arrived, and now she couldn't find anything to defend herself with. She instinctively turned to flee!

"Help! Someone help—!"