Chapter 107: The Water Spirit Ceremony

In the evening, Mei Na stopped by Sui Hua's home. She was afraid her friend wouldn't show up for the offering ceremony and decided to personally drag her to the lake.

"Sui Hua, I will not take any excuse from you. Go and get ready. We are going together."

Unaware of the ordeal her friend had gone through, Mei Na uncompromisingly pushed her towards her room, making her intentions clear.

Sui Hua resignedly sighed and entered her room.

Getting beaten by her brothers wasn't a new matter. In fact, it was an ordinary matter in all the villagers' homes. The many years of physical abuse had conditioned her body so well that the pain dulled and numbed before mid-noon.

With a little bit of powder on the exposed portions of her skin and all traces of the event disappeared.

This was how the females kept their dignity. By hiding the abuse they suffered from one another and keeping the matter private. After all, it wasn't like something was going to change by bearing their pain to someone else. 

In record speed, Sui Hua changed into a light blue blouse and tied skirt. Leaving her dark hair loose, she went out the door.

"Finally! Come, let's hurry! We are late!" Mei Na sprinted over and grabbed her friend's wrist, at which Sui Hua winced.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Noticing her reaching, Mei Na's brow furrowed and she raised the hand in an attempt to inspect. But before she could even complete the action, Sui Hua snatched her hand back.

"Are we going or not?" She asked in irritation.

Sensing her mood, Mei Na immediately nodded and dropped the topic.

"Of course, we're going! I have been waiting for you for so long just to attend this event together."

"Not an event. A sacrificial ritual." Sui Hua emphasized.

"Yeah, that too." Shrugging nonchalantly, she grabbed her friend's hand again and the two went out the wooden gate into the evening sunset.

On the east of the Budh Village was a clear lake twisting into the depths of a dense wood. The sound of the slashing water intermingled with the intermittent roars of the wild beasts, adding an air of mystery to the atmosphere.

Villagers stood by the side of the lake with a red palanquin in the center of their midst, while a few feet away, the village councilors amiably conversed among themselves.

"Will this ritual have any effect?" Elder Yu doubtfully asked a middle-aged man with brown hair in the center of their group. The man was the head of the Budh Village.

"Whether it will have an effect or not, we will only know after the successful completion of the ritual." The man replied pensively.

"But if it won't have any effect, then wouldn't we be sacrificing the life of an innocent girl for nothing?" Elder Mu asked in a similarly concerned voice.

"What's the point of talking about all this now? The ceremony will commence in a few heartbeats and there is no stopping it." Elder Wu'er finished in finality, silencing the chattering crowd.

His words rang true, for once begun, the ritual of offering could not be stopped. Having wasted enough time, the village head tiredly sighed and turned to the crowd.

"Fellow villagers, we are gathered here today to make an offering to the water spirit. As I am sure all of you are aware, our village has not seen rain for an entire year. And while we managed to survive, we suffered a devastating blow that affects our livelihood." Looking into the expectant gazes of the thinning population, the village head continued with dispirited eyes.

"For the future well-being of our village, we will be sacrificing Ming Yue, the eldest daughter of Elder Ming, to atone for our incautious actions. To pacify the rage of the water spirit and be blessed with rain. Now, please present the bride!" Waving his sleeve, Elder Yu stepped out of the red palanquin's way. 

Sui Hua and Mei Na arrived at this moment, her sight automatically falling on the red palanquin. 

"Sister Ming Yue must be in that sedan. I wonder how she looks." Mei Na gushed with enthusiasm, her dark eyes shining with happiness.

"Does it matter? After today, we won't be seeing her again." Sui Hua gritted the words through clenched teeth with a tight smile on her lips.

The animated conversation of the women and their glowing faces pierced her eyes, their bright smiles making her sick to her stomach.

She could not understand.

What was so exciting about drowning a young female to death? What part of the act was so thrilling that everyone was smiling so radiantly? 

The answer evaded her, making her feel like an alien among a nest of closely-knit kins.

"Bring the bride!"

"Offer her to the water spirit!"

"Offer her to the water spirit!"

The crowd chorused, making way for the team cautiously carrying the sedan into the lake. A little distance from the center of the lake, the bearers slowly lowered the sedan into the water. As the palanquin sunk with the flood of water, the team of bearers immediately ran out. 

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Sui Hua watched with rapt attention as the sedan slowly sunk, her heart hammering in a silent plea. Her sister Ming Yue was vanishing before her very eyes, and there was no way for her to help her.

Thong!

With a deafening ring that spread in the heavens, a loud explosion broke out. The wedding sedan housing the bride shattered with a loud boom and Ming Yue was exposed before everyone's eyes.

"What is going on? The palanquin shattered?"

"Is the water spirit rejecting her? Is that it?"

"If not, what else could it be? The water spirit is definitely not pleased with Ming Yue!"

"Will there be no rain this year, as well?"

'Is sister Ming Yue alright?' Sui Hua was pleased with the sudden development but also felt worried.

Amidst the shrieks of panic and confusion, two figures flew out from the dense woods and sent the water splashing and wind howling. In the giant hurricane of water and wind, they lightly landed on the center of the lake.

The villagers scattered back in fright, the sudden changes filling their hearts with apprehension and fear.

"Is it...is it the water spirit?" A village woman stuttered.

"Shut up! How can that be possible!?" A man's scream full of anger and denial answered in response.

"If not the water spirit, then what is it?"

This was what had the villagers on tenterhook. They wanted to know what was happening on the lake and whether or not their offering was accepted.

Obscured by the turbulent cyclone, the shadowy features of the two figures that carelessly floated on the lake could not be made out. Roars and howls came from the woods behind them, but they made no move.

After two breaths of time, the fierce wind and surging water finally calmed and settled down. In its absence, the appearances of the two figures were revealed. Garbed in black, a man with waist-length flowing black hair and grotesque mask stood beside a woman decked in white from head to toe. 

Her fair forehead smeared with blood and glittering golden eyes were the only features exposed.

As they silently floated in the lake, an oppressive aura of sacredness and overwhelming power radiated off their body. Traveling in invisible waves, the aura shocked the huddled crowd into stunned silence.

"Aurgh! Help me!"

Suddenly, the frozen atmosphere was shattered by the frightened cry of a female wildly thrashing in the lake. Her drenched head bobbed up and down as she repeatedly sunk in and out of the surging waves, gulping mouthfuls of water.

Princess Qamari rushed forth and stretched out her hand. Grabbing the female's wrist, she effortlessly pulled and threw her out of the water. With a loud thud, the girl landed on the side of the lake and coughed unstoppably.

"Cough, cough!"

After throwing up for the fourth time, she weakly fell on her side, her vacant eyes starring at nothing in particular. 

"Who are they?"

"Whoever they are, they have ruined our sacrificial ritual."

"Then, what do we do now? They are floating on water. They seem to be dangerous people."

"Does this mean that we can't question them?"

The village men whispered among themselves as they cautiously kept their eyes fixed on the two still floating on the water. From their indifferent expressions, they obviously weren't afraid of the huge crowd and had no interest in them.

"We can't act rashly. Let's wait and see what they will do. It won't be too late to act later on."

Sui Hua heard the whispers of the village men, her dark eyes flashing with a strange light when she sensed their fear towards the two strangers.

'They saved sister Ming Yue, so they can't be bad people. But the village men are scared of them. Why?'

She wondered in curiosity.

At this moment, Crown Prince Lail finally stepped forward with Princess Qamari cautiously following behind. Standing a distance from the murmuring crowd, he coldly asked.

"Is this the Budh Village?"

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