Chapter 530: Turning the Rivers and Overturning the Sea

In the middle of the main hall, hanging neatly in rows in mid-air, were various kinds of meat.

His first thought was that it was cured meat, but the shapes didn't look quite right. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were human corpses!

The bodies had been eviscerated, split in half, and hung from hooks suspended from the ceiling, just like pigs and sheep on a modern slaughterhouse production line.

Pei Mianman couldn't help but exclaim, "How can such cruel torture exist in this world?"

Zuan also felt a double sense of discomfort, both physical and psychological. Although he had seen many sacrificial pits before, those remains had already turned into dry bones, so the visual impact wasn't as great.

These corpses, however, were merely air-dried, not reduced to skeletons, and their appearance was no different from the livestock he was used to seeing.

Although he had always known the term "human sacrifice," he had thought it was merely a metaphor; he never expected humans to be literally treated as livestock.

"This isn't torture; it's a form of sacrifice called 'Mao Ji'," General Yachang replied. He seemed to be more patient when answering Pei Mianman's questions.

"Mao Ji?" Zuan thought for a moment. The way these bodies were split in half and spread open did indeed resemble the character '卯'.

General Yachang continued, "When we make offerings to heaven, the most solemn sacrifice is human sacrifice. We offer the internal organs, blood, and heads of the human sacrifices to heaven. The remaining parts are prepared by roasting, stewing in boiling water until tender, or air-drying into cured meat..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Zuan exclaimed, horrified. "Why does that sound like cooking?"

"It *is* cooking," General Yachang replied with a strange expression. "Because these are offerings of food and drink to the gods. According to custom, when the gods partake of the offerings, they also bestow blessings. Therefore, after the ceremony, the sacrificers will share the offerings to receive the gods' protection. Often, only those of noble status are qualified to partake."

Zuan was speechless.

He felt his stomach churn. All of this was simply too worldview-shattering.

Pei Mianman was even more affected, running to the side to retch.

The two dared not linger there and quickly moved forward. They soon arrived at an offering table laden with various bronze artifacts. Mi Li had told him their names before, but the characters were too obscure for him to remember.

He noticed that some of the basin-like and bowl-like vessels contained a pasty substance. He was surprised, as logically, after tens of thousands of years, even if kept in a refrigerator, the contents should have long since decayed. Yet, they still retained their original appearance from the time of the sacrifice. It seemed a mysterious power was indeed preserving everything.

Seeing him staring at the pasty substance, General Yachang explained, "This is called 'Hai Ji,' which involves mincing humans into meat paste. Only individuals of very high status, often local leaders, are qualified to become such sacrifices. This is an extremely precious offering. Would you care for a taste?"

As he spoke, he scooped out some of the meat paste and offered it to them.

"No, no!" Zuan and Pei Mianman simultaneously recoiled, waving their hands in unison.

This was utterly disgusting; he couldn't imagine what the people of the Shang Dynasty were thinking.

Zuan suddenly understood why King Zhou in 'Investiture of the Gods' so frequently minced people into meat paste. For instance, Ji Boyikao, the eldest son of Marquis of the West Ji Chang, and the Eastern Marquis, Queen Jiang's father, were both minced into meat paste and then fed to others.

At the time, he had thought it was merely to highlight King Zhou's depravity and cruelty, but now he realized it was a common sacrificial practice among the Shang people.

"What a pity," General Yachang said, seeing that they wouldn't eat. With a look suggesting they didn't know good food, he promptly put his finger into his mouth to taste it. "It's been so many years since I've enjoyed such a delicacy. Thank you for waking me up earlier."

Zuan was speechless.

Pei Mianman was speechless.

Both of them were on the verge of breaking down. Walking with someone who habitually ate human flesh made them feel utterly uncomfortable.

He quickly pulled Pei Mianman to continue moving forward, truly not wanting to stay in this place filled with human meat paste.

Further on, in the center of the path, they encountered another large bronze cauldron. Unlike the empty cauldrons outside, this one was full. Its contents looked like solidified meat jelly, with various fats congealed together.

Zuan said with a helpless expression, "No need to tell me, this must be human flesh too, right?"

General Yachang, who had followed them, nodded. "This cauldron can boil over forty people. Only the King's cauldron is permitted to be this large."

As he spoke, his tone was filled with envy and reverence. He placed his withered hand on the rim of the cauldron, and wisps of black energy spread out. The solidified meat jelly within the cauldron began to slowly melt, subtly revealing various human body parts undulating within.

Pei Mianman dared not look any longer and immediately retreated behind Zuan, preferring not to see to avoid further distress.

Zuan's heart was also pounding. Seeing the excited look on General Yachang's face, he quickly said, "Don't say I didn't warn you. If you dare to scoop that up and eat it again, I don't care about any trials; I will genuinely fight demons and monsters!"

General Yachang looked puzzled. "Offering sacrifices to the heavens is the most sacred and solemn act in the world. These offerings are blessed by the heavenly gods. What do they have to do with demons or monsters?"

Zuan knew he was speaking the truth, as this was indeed the custom of the Yin-Shang people, which was why he hadn't reacted hostilely at first. "Human sacrifice has long been abolished in later generations. In short, don't perform these acts in front of us."

"Very well," General Yachang conceded. Sensing the primordial energy wrapped around Zuan's sword and acknowledging the superior force, he did not insist. He removed his hand from the cauldron, and the meat jelly, which had begun to boil, gradually settled down.

A thought stirred in Zuan's mind, recalling the request of the Eastern Yi princess. He quickly said to General Yachang, "Could you use your long spear to help me search and see if there are any human heads in there?"

He certainly didn't want to retrieve them himself; honestly, that large pot of meat jelly was too horrifying to look at.

"Human heads?" General Yachang asked, puzzled, but he still extended his long spear into the cauldron and began to stir.

Zuan, enduring his discomfort, watched intently. During the process, he did see a few human heads, but unfortunately, none were close to the size of the young girl he was looking for.

Left with no choice, he gave up and continued forward.

Not long after, General Yachang said, "We have arrived at the trial location."

Zuan and Pei Mianman observed their surroundings. The walls were carved with various patterns, resembling both murals and magical formations.

In the center stood a small circular platform, upon which rested a strange bronze artifact. This artifact had only three legs and seemed to be shaped like a bird.

"Three-legged Golden Crow?" Zuan's first thought was this, but he quickly shook his head. He noticed that the rearmost "leg" was not a leg at all, but rather the bird's tail feather.

The entire bronze artifact was covered in intricate patterns. Its beak and chest/neck area were adorned with cicada patterns. The outer side of its high crown featured feather patterns, while the inner side had inverted Kui patterns. On each side, there was a strange Kui monster with a single body and two heads. Its wings were decorated with coiled long snakes interspersed with diamond patterns. A taotie mask pattern adorned the back of its neck, and beneath the handle on its back, there was a design of a bird with outstretched wings in flight.

The complexity and richness of the ornamentation were truly breathtaking.

At this point, General Yachang looked at the bronze artifact with deep reverence. "This is the Queen's favorite *Xiao Zun*, and it is also the entrance to the trial."

*Xiao* means owl. The Yin-Shang people believed this nocturnal, silent bird was full of mystery, much like an emissary sent by the gods to inspect human affairs, which is why they crafted such an exquisite *Xiao Zun* in the image of an owl.

*Zun* refers to a type of wine vessel.

Zuan quickly asked the crucial question, "How do we begin the trial?"

General Yachang pointed with his hand. "Each of you place a hand on one of the *Xiao Zun*'s wings, and the trial will begin. I wish you good luck."

Zuan, however, did not go over immediately. Instead, he said to Pei Mianman, "Manman, the outcome of this trial is uncertain. It would be best if we rest and recuperate first."

Pei Mianman had the same thought. They took out various elixirs and consumed them, then sat down on the spot to meditate and rest. The journey and previous battles had greatly depleted their energy, so it was crucial to be in full condition before entering such a dangerous trial.

General Yachang, standing nearby, shook his head, a faint sneer playing on his lips. Over the years, no man and woman had ever succeeded, and these two had the weakest cultivation. What difference would any amount of preparation make?