Chapter 352
“Great High Priest!”
Knowing well that the Great High Priest’s health was poor, Jia had been keeping a close eye on him. He was the first to notice something was wrong.
Jia quickly supported the Great High Priest, preventing him from collapsing in front of the crowd. But the elder’s condition looked truly dire.
His hair, once streaked with gray, paled rapidly into pure white. His skin shriveled as though all moisture had been drained from it, wrinkles spreading across his face. The spirit that had been tenuously sustained by herbal medicines scattered in an instant. Jia could even feel his lifeforce ebbing away.
Bi Shenshi also reacted at once. Bringing attendants with him, he hurried to Jia’s side, shielding the elder from outside eyes.
“Great High Priest…” Seeing his state, Bi’s knees nearly gave out. “How could this be?”
The Great High Priest had been frail for half a year, unable to walk alone, but he should not have collapsed so suddenly, without warning!
“Back to the Grand High Priest Hall!” Jia barked. “Summon Liao Shenshi at once!”
To the crowd below, their movements might conceal the truth. But the Shenshi nearest the dais could not be deceived. Seeing Liao Shenshi rush after them, everyone guessed what had happened—for Liao was the most venerable healer among the temple’s Shenshi.
Beneath the pillars, the eleven remaining Shenshi all wore different expressions. For a moment, none moved.
Qin and Chang exchanged a glance, and in each other’s eyes saw only delight.
They had not planned to make a move within the temple, but who could have foreseen the Great High Priest collapsing at this very moment? Even the Beast God seemed to favor them.
Yet when they scanned the hall, they found no sign of Qi Bai and Lang Ze.
Chang hissed under his breath: “Not good—they’ve escaped!”
Qin shot a look at Zhan Shenshi.
Find them. Alive or dead, it doesn’t matter.
On the fifth level of the Beast God City, Lang Ze led Qi Bai into a narrow alley.
They had only just returned briefly to their quarters when chaos broke out outside—and it was clear many were heading straight for their little courtyard.
Lang Ze cast a cold glance up toward the mountaintop. With fluid motion, he vaulted into the neighboring yard.
Grabbing a priest’s robe that had been left to dry, he draped it over himself. Then he carefully tucked Qi Bai, now in the form of a small snow leopard, into his arms and walked calmly into the crowd.
Meanwhile, back in the first level, the Great High Priest had been given a healing draught by Liao Shenshi. He managed to gather enough strength to speak.
His withered fingers clutched Jia’s arm, his eyes blazing with fevered light.
“It is him. I should have known the instant I saw him!”
“The Beast God has not forsaken us. The Divine Son… the Divine Son has returned to the temple!”
In his fervor, he failed to notice Jia’s face darken at those words.
“No… no,” the Great High Priest rasped, voice nearly tearing apart, “the Hong Chai beastmen want to harm the Divine Son. We must not… must not let them succeed!”
From his waist, he tore free a bone token. “Mobilize every warrior of the Holy City… cough, cough… Guard the Divine Son… at all costs!”
“Guards!” Jia now held the token that commanded all of the Great High Priest’s forces. Standing outside the hall, he ordered the arriving protectors:
“Seal the Grand High Priest Hall. No one may enter!”
“Yes!” “Yes!” “Yes!”
At the Sacred Mountain marketplace.
The strange radiance at the mountain’s peak filled half the sky. Even from the foot of the mountain, beastmen could see it. Though they could not bathe directly in the light, they were overwhelmed with fervor. They rushed from their camps, kneeling in tears, bowing toward the Sacred Mountain.
The beastmen of Hei Yao, however, had long since been subtly changed by Qi Bai and Lang Ze’s influence. They were not as fanatical toward the Beast God City as others.
Especially for slaves like Ma Ling and the rest—high above, the temple had never protected them. To expect them to worship it was absurd.
Still, as everyone else wept and cried that it was the light of the Beast God, Ma Ling kept his head down dutifully. He had no wish to show disrespect, though he clearly lacked the zeal of those outside.
Because of this, he was the first to sense someone’s approach.
“Who goes there?”
Lang Ze threw back his hood. “Break camp!”
“We leave here at once!”
In Hei Yao, the commander’s order outweighed all else.
Even if the Beast God himself had appeared above the mountain, Hei Yao’s warriors would not have hesitated.
Luo Shu heard the noise, and when he looked up, he saw the Hei Yao camp already half empty.
Tents dismantled, carts lined up—only a few abandoned wooden stands remained, the kind used for displaying goods.
“W-what’s going on?!”
He stumbled forward, nearly falling, only to freeze under Lang Ze’s icy glare.
“Someone is coming for Hei Yao. We split apart, so you won’t be dragged down.”
Luo Shu’s face hardened. In only one day, what had happened atop the Holy City?
“The mountain is already in turmoil. Prepare for the worst.”
With that, Lang Ze led Hei Yao’s troops toward the snow forests surrounding the Sacred Mountain, leaving the other stall-keepers staring in shock.
“Little City Lord, the City Lord and Lady are still on the mountain!” Luo Ren cried in alarm.
“Pack the camp,” Luo Shu said coldly, eyes fixed on the mountain. “Be careful. Don’t draw attention. I’ll go to meet Father and Mother.”
But before he could move, Luo Rong gasped: “Look!”
A thousand-strong force of Hong Chai surged down from the mountain toward the market.
Chai Zhan kicked over the remains of Hei Yao’s stall, roaring: “Where are the Hei Yao people?!”
He seized a nearby sub-beastman by the throat. “Speak!”
“Ah… urk…”
The man dangled helplessly, face red, legs kicking, unable to utter a sound.
Another beastman, terrified, grabbed Chai Zhan’s arm and pointed toward the snowy forest. “My lord, they went that way!”
Chai Zhan hurled the sub-beastman to the ground, raising his hand: “After them! Catch them! Cut off Hei Yao’s City Lord and Priest’s heads—there will be great rewards from the Shenshi!”
Through the snow forest lay a desolate snowfield.
Hei Yao’s carts were driven by wolf clansmen, their forms naturally suited for running across snow. Most beastmen could never match their speed.
But the pursuers were Hong Chai, also famed for their swiftness. The distance between them and Hei Yao’s carts began to shrink.
Xiong Han roared: “I’ll hold them off!”
Lang Ze’s voice was cold. “You will not!”
The horned beastmen guarding the temple were nearly all close to first-rank warriors.
Xiong Han, as a second-rank warrior, might not lose in single combat—but their numbers were overwhelming. Once surrounded, even he could not escape.
“Crossbows ready.”
Swish, swish, swish!
The warriors on the carts loaded their bolts, waiting for Lang Ze’s command to pierce the Hong Chai skulls.
Lang Ze’s gaze never wavered. His fingers tapped the side of the cart.
If it came to it, they would abandon the carts.
In a frozen winter, food and hides were vital for survival. The journey back to Beizhou would take three months. Without supplies, it would be brutal.
But once, they had survived winters with nothing but bare hands. They would not fear hardship now.
Abandon half the burden, and they could outpace their pursuers.
“Lang Ze!” Hu Qiao suddenly pointed. “There—people!”
On the left slope, countless red eyes glowed from the snow. Their fur blended so well with the drifts they were nearly invisible. Without Hu Qiao’s keen sight, no one would have noticed.
As Lang Ze ordered caution, the red eyes suddenly moved.
Huge snow hares, each with a single horn, burst from the drifts, tumbling downhill like avalanches. Their speed was terrifying.
Behind them came a mixed host of beastmen.
But their charge wasn’t aimed at Hei Yao.
She Li cried in surprise: “They’re attacking the Hong Chai!”
Lang Ze looked up at the slope. A slender figure stood tall there.
It was Jia.
Ma Ling, Xiong Han, and the others turned toward Lang Ze, awaiting his command.
Lang Ze studied the converging forces, then said grimly: “We move.”
Halfway up the mountain.
The guard captain said, “Shenshi, I’ll lead men to pursue the Hei Yao!”
Jia gazed at the direction Hei Yao’s carts had vanished. After a long silence, he replied, “It’s too late. As for how to deal with Hei Yao—I will report to the Great High Priest before deciding.”
“The Hong Chai won’t give up. Go, support our troops.”
The captain obeyed at once: “Yes!”
Jia drew in a long breath of icy air.
Twenty years ago, that impossible plan… had truly been realized.
Having grown up at the Great High Priest’s side, Jia knew better than anyone that the elder’s words were true. His current state was proof enough.
And Jia himself had once been a discarded piece of that plan.
He had come so close, so very close, to that position.
Bai… why did you have to appear now…
“Jia!”
Chai Zhan bared his teeth. “You dare let the temple’s criminals escape!”
“What criminals? I’ve heard nothing of it,” Jia answered coolly. “But you—moving the Holy City’s guards without the High Priest’s order? Do you intend to defy the temple?”
“Lies! The Hei Yao killed Cang Shenshi, killed Chai Ding and Mao Fu Shenshi. Who in the Beast God City doesn’t know it?” Chai Zhan snarled. “You half-blood Star Butterfly, don’t think being in the High Priest’s hall lets you spout nonsense!”
Jia showed no anger. He looked at Chai Zhan as though at a corpse. “Yes, I carry Star Butterfly blood. Better that than your fate.”
The Mu Xiang warriors stepped forward.
Chai Zhan stumbled back. “I am a temple Shenshi’s envoy! You can’t kill me—you can’t!”
“Kill you?” Jia smiled faintly. “Then you still don’t know how black the temple’s underbelly truly is.”
Clang!
A clay cup shattered to the floor in Wang Shenshi’s hall.
“You said what?”
The commander Tuo trembled slightly. “Jia intercepted Zhan, accused him of rebellion against the temple, and detained a thousand of our warriors.”
“Useless fool!” Wang cursed.
“Now is not the time to panic,” Qin Shenshi said calmly.
Wang slammed the table. “Hei Yao’s lord and priest live, our warriors detained, and now the Great High Priest stirred—how will this not be used against us? What do you suggest now?”
Qin’s eyes narrowed, holding back irritation.
Still, since Chai Cang and Chai Ding’s deaths, Wang had been the strongest fighter among the Hong Chai. Without him, Qin’s seat as Shenshi might not exist.
“What Zhan did is his own mistake. What has it to do with us?”
Tuo’s gaze flickered. Those words had already sealed Zhan’s fate. Who would have thought—fearing Chang, wary of Wang—yet the one to abandon him without hesitation would be his own Shenshi.
“From the Beast God City to Beizhou is no short road. Once outside the Sacred Mountain, let’s see who can protect them then,” Qin went on smoothly. “For now, the temple cannot dispatch more forces.”
“I’ll return with Jicheng’s army!” Wang declared.
“Jicheng’s troops must come, yes,” Qin agreed. “But the journey will take time. Hei Yao may already be back in Beizhou by then.”
“Then we invade Beizhou, seize their lands!” Wang snapped.
Chang ignored him, looking instead at Qin. “You mean…”
Qin’s smile was harmless. “That one who’s been locked away for so long… perhaps it’s time he took a breath of fresh air.”
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