Chapter 84

The pale-skinned man walked toward the crowd without meeting anyone's gaze. He didn't acknowledge the greetings, merely coughed twice behind his sleeve. His loose robes billowed in the wind, making him look like a shadow swaying in the breeze.

Lin Yu studied the Xianzun for a while. In just a few days, he seemed even thinner. Though he still wore the appearance of a middle-aged man, there was an unmistakable air about him of a dying elder on the verge of the grave.

His end was approaching. The remaining power he had could no longer sustain his outer form, and he was entering a state of desperate struggle against death.

If Lin Yu had only guessed earlier that the Xianzun sought the Moon God's help to retrieve the name slip, now, seeing the Xianzun's condition, she was certain her speculation was right.

The Xianzun could not afford to lose his Divine Maiden. He had neither the time nor the energy to wait for another one to appear. He had invested far too much in Lin Yu to abandon it halfway. Whatever the cost, he had to get her back. Lin Yu had become his only hope—his only chance to keep living.

Lin Yu's gaze shifted to the man walking ahead of the Xianzun. She narrowed her eyes, studying him. He had altered his appearance; to outsiders, he was a handsome, kind-looking man with a face like polished jade.

One glance was enough for Lin Yu to identify him. It was the Moon God in disguise.

As the two passed by Lin Yu and Di Ting, Lin Yu discreetly lowered her head with the others, offering a respectful bow.

This was Di Ting's first time seeing the legendary Xianzun. He stared for a moment, confused. A sickly mess like this was the Xianzun?

Di Ting remained frozen in place, but Lin Yu stomped on his foot. He winced and was about to complain when he unexpectedly met the Xianzun's probing gaze. His heart jolted, and he hastily bowed his head in greeting as well.

Though the Xianzun appeared frail, his presence was still oppressive. Even after that brief glance, Di Ting didn't dare lift his head for a long while.

The Xianzun walked straight to the grand altar. He glanced at the person standing on it, then frowned. "What are you doing here? Where is your master?"

Lin Yu stood not far behind the Xianzun. She couldn't see Yun Chi clearly from where she was, but her instincts screamed that something was wrong.

The original plan was for Yun Chi to directly assume the role of High Priestess. When the Xianzun finished his business and returned to question them, Yun Chi could claim that circumstances were urgent and she had stepped in to save Fengtian Tower from disaster.

Once the Spring Sacrifice was over, everyone would accept Yun Chi as the new High Priestess by default. The Xianzun wouldn't bother investigating what had actually happened, nor could he hold anyone accountable.

But the plan had gone wrong. The Xianzun had returned early, and their lie was about to be exposed. Everyone present would learn that Yun Chi had not received the Xianzun's approval—that she had acted first and confessed later, usurping the High Priestess position outright.

What kind of reputation would Yun Chi earn from this? Ambition? Deceiving her fellow disciples? Usurping her master's position? Stopping at nothing to climb the ranks?

Lin Yu pressed her lips together, swiftly stepped onto the altar, and moved behind Yun Chi. Her wide priestly sleeves hid her movements as she gently tugged at Yun Chi's sleeve.

The two knelt and performed a deep bow. This made the Xianzun pause with slight confusion, but his instinct told him something was wrong with the High Priestess. He asked again, "Where is he?"

Lin Yu spoke, "Please forgive me, Xianzun. Our master, he..."

Yun Chi, kneeling in front, trembled. She felt the truth about to be exposed. She clenched her fists, cold sweat beading on her skin.

"Our master was consumed by heavy karmic sins and an impure heart. He has fallen into the demonic path," Lin Yu said. "After this morning's ceremony, he felt unworthy before the gods and unqualified to serve as High Priestess. He fled the Heaven's Mandate Tower and is now missing. My senior sister and I had no choice but to take his place at the altar."

Her words stirred a thousand waves. Many disciples nearby lifted their heads. Their faces showed a mix of fury, shock, confusion, and smugness—a vivid gallery of human emotion.

"Lift your head. I don't recall seeing you before. Does the High Priestess have two disciples?"

The Xianzun was like this with insignificant people and matters. He didn't bother remembering who was who, nor did he care. He couldn't even recall the names of some senior disciples. So Lin Yu spoke smoothly, confident that the Xianzun wouldn't suspect anything.

After all, there were too many people he'd never met or didn't remember. Even those he had met, he forgot.

Lin Yu raised her head calmly, meeting the Xianzun's scrutinizing gaze without flinching. "The Xianzun is a busy man with much to forget. Someone like me is hardly worthy of your notice."

The Xianzun didn't respond immediately, appearing lost in thought. The Moon God beside him, however, looked at Lin Yu and smiled. He recognized the priest before him as Lin Jiyue without her mask.

The Moon God recalled those eyes peering out from the pale mask—ordinary eyes, yet unforgettable to him.

At the same moment, Lin Jiyue returned his gaze. Their eyes met, and the Moon God understood that she recognized him too.

The Moon God had assumed that upon seeing his true face and discovering his intrusion into her plan to pose as a priest, Lin Jiyue would show surprise or a lapse in composure. But as their eyes locked, the smile gradually faded from the Moon God's face, because there was not a flicker of emotion in her gaze.

There was even a hint of... warning?

Warning about what? Not to ruin her little priest disguise act?

The Moon God glanced at the frowning Xianzun beside him, recalling why he had come. The Xianzun had said the Divine Maiden was captured by the Ghost Realm. The mastermind demanded a legitimate claim to the throne and asked the Xianzun for the name slip.

Connecting the dots, things became quite clear. The Moon God crossed his arms and gave Lin Jiyue a nod, a trace of approval flashing across his face.

He had thought Lin Jiyue was quick, but not this quick. They had agreed to kill the Divine Maiden that very morning, and by afternoon she had struck. Her swift action and decisive resolve impressed the Moon God.

With her as an ally, killing the Crimson God might be within reach.

Lin Yu didn't understand why the Moon God had suddenly started smiling to himself, nor did she know what drama he had imagined. But it seemed he wouldn't cause trouble deliberately—perhaps he might even help her. Lin Yu unconsciously glanced at the jade pendant hanging at the Moon God's waist.

Just then, the Xianzun, who had been silent for a long while, finally spoke. "Rise."

No deep inquiry, no further questioning—just a deflection to let Lin Yu and Yun Chi stand. That wasn't the Xianzun's style. Lin Yu sensed something off.

Yun Chi, as if pardoned from execution, finally relaxed her tense body. She quickly pulled Lin Yu up and thanked the Xianzun.

But no sooner had the two risen than the Xianzun noticed something else wrong. He scanned the altar. "Where are the sacrifices? Haven't they been laid out yet?"

"The ceremony begins in less than half a stick of incense. The devotees are already climbing the Divine Mountain, and you lot haven't prepared?" He turned to the disciples scurrying about, his tone sharpening. "What are you doing? Do you want to volunteer as sacrifices yourselves?"

The altar had been mostly arranged by now. The clutter had been sorted, and no one paid attention to what was added or missing. But now, the empty space at the center of the altar stood out painfully.

Only twenty-odd people were laid out as sacrifices above—those killed by accident during the arrests. They had been stored separately in the ice room after being brought back to Fengtian Tower, while the living were locked in cages to await the ceremony.

The priests weren't responsible for the sacrifices, so Lin Yu didn't need to explain. She stood silently aside as the Xianzun's pressure fell on the others. She listened without speaking while they stumbled through explanations.

A few people were so frightened they knelt on the ground, too terrified to move. A group stammered excuses, unable to explain why their senior brother hadn't returned. Lin Yu's lashes lowered as she stared at the dark ground. She alone knew where the sacrifices had gone.

"Fengtian Tower raises nothing but trash!" the Xianzun raged. "If you don't know where they are, then go find them!"

While the Xianzun's attention was elsewhere, Lin Yu glanced at Di Ting. She mouthed silently, asking him why the Xianzun had left the back mountain and returned to the altar.

But Di Ting didn't know either. He shrugged and shook his head at her, confusion glimmering in his eyes.

The Xianzun wouldn't let the Divine Maiden die. His remaining years depended on her to extend his life. Lin Yu stared at the sundial nearby. The moment the ceremony began was the hour when the Divine Maiden was threatened with death—yet now he stood here, calmly watching the altar instead of being at the back mountain.

At that moment, the Xianzun faced the long stone steps below with a stern expression. He could already see the bobbing heads of the crowd at the far end of the steps.

Lin Yu's gaze finally settled on the Moon God. The Xianzun's calm could only mean he was certain the Divine Maiden was safe. And the culprit who could guarantee his success—Di Ting—had never left the altar.

The only other person who could make such a guarantee was the Moon God.

The Moon God noticed the hostile stare and turned his head to see Lin Jiyue. He crooked his finger, beckoning her over.

Lin Yu walked up and asked directly, "Why did the old man come back? Wasn't he supposed to be rescuing someone?"

"What about the Divine Maiden of the Heaven's Mandate Tower? Was she really taken by the Ghost Realm?"

"Probably dead by now," the Moon God said casually. "Also, don't speak to me in that interrogating tone. I'm afraid I might lose my temper and crush you to death without thinking."

As he spoke, a water-blue vortex appeared at his fingertip. The atmosphere grew tense, but he didn't actually make a move against Lin Yu. "I'm helping you. She's dead, so you don't have to waste effort killing her. We can proceed straight to the next step."

The Moon God narrowed his eyes with a smile. "No need to thank me."

"Helping me? What did you do?"

The Moon God raised an eyebrow. "Gave the Ghost Realm a show of force for you."

Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat. She sneered. "A show of force? You're quite adept at harming the mortal world."

"What did you do?"

"Naturally..." The Moon God paused, the water-blue vortex spreading from his hand. "I killed all the ghost messengers who trespassed into the mortal realm along the Buzhou River. If I don't kill a few, how can I establish authority in the Ghost Realm?"

"So you hoped the beast that captured the Divine Maiden would kill her in a fit of rage, and then you'd reap the rewards?"

"Yes," the Moon God admitted without shame.

"And the old man watched her closely. He gave up on saving her and came back with you?" Lin Yu pointed at the Xianzun in the distance.

"How do you know he's an old man?" The Moon God didn't answer, instead steering the conversation elsewhere. "He looks barely in his thirties. How can you call him old?"

Lin Yu almost lost her composure. She could roughly guess that the Moon God had deceived the Xianzun, promising to help rescue the Divine Maiden, and that's why the Xianzun had returned to preside over the ceremony. The Xianzun certainly wouldn't realize he'd been tricked.

Lin Yu was merciless. "He looks ancient and decrepit, shuffling along like he's about to breathe his last with every step."

The Moon God seemed pleased. "He is about to die. Once that Divine Maiden dies, he'll last at most two more years."

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow. So the Moon God knew the Xianzun relied on the Divine Maiden to extend his life and deliberately wanted him dead. She suddenly recalled what Yu Jia had said—that the Xianzun also didn't believe in the gods.

The Moon God didn't care much about the Xianzun's attitude. In fact, he wanted to set a trap to get rid of him.

Perhaps "get rid of him" wasn't quite right. Rather, he wanted to watch him spend his remaining years in hopeless desperation, waiting for his oil to run dry, waiting for death to come. It was a kind of... punishment.

Like telling a dying man his time of death, and informing him that no matter what he does, he cannot change his fate—leaving him to live in terror until that day arrives.

Lin Yu looked at the Moon God's inscrutable expression and felt she was beginning to understand something.

He knew the Xianzun had long stopped believing in him. He didn't care—he had no need for the faith of an ordinary mortal. Yet at the same time, he was smug. So what if the man didn't believe? When trouble came, he still had to beg for help.

Begging the gods was something carved into the bones of every mortal. He would forever remain supreme.

As the distant bell tolled from the mountains, the long-hidden sunlight finally emerged. A sliver of setting sun spilled across the horizon, the early-spring chill nearly melting the ancient Divine Mountain. It was dusk now.

The ceremony finally began. Countless disciples of the Heaven's Mandate Tower lined both sides of the long stone steps to welcome the crowd. Faint laughter drifted up on the wind, scattered into the clouds. From afar, everyone's faces were brimming with smiles, as if they had come to witness a joyous occasion. People exchanged congratulations, traded flattery, and climbed step by step, drawing closer to the altar halfway up the mountain.

Lin Yu watched the crowded steps from a distance. She walked unhurriedly to the center of the altar, her wide sleeves hiding her movements. She waved at Di Ting and pointed toward a bamboo grove in the woods.

Bamboo groves were naturally heavy with yin energy, and now that grove was packed with ghost messengers and vengeful spirits. If one looked closely, a faint wisp of black qi coiled above the bamboo.

The frigid sunlight couldn't pierce the dense ghost qi within the grove.

Di Ting received Lin Yu's signal and slipped away with the other disciples. As he passed through the dense trees, his figure vanished without warning. The people walking ahead didn't notice anything amiss and continued descending the mountain.

Wisps of ghostly black qi rose from the woods, flying toward the devotees whose faces brimmed with excitement, weaving through the crowd. The people deep in conversation didn't notice the crisis creeping in.