novelraw Chapter 956 - 525: ?
Chapter 956 - 525: ?
But just at that moment, she clearly felt the resentment on the hill being stirred as well. Now, upon sensing again, the fierce and ominous aura had already faded a bit. How was this related to the earlier ritual?
After observing the scene, she found that the questions in her mind had only increased instead of diminishing.
Qingluan, understanding her temperament gradually, quietly asked: "Mistress, do you wish to investigate further?"
"Indeed." Ning Xiaoxian stroked her chin and said, "Tonight, let’s have a good talk with her. I have a feeling there’s something strange about this woman’s secrets."
The excitement here was now over. She kept her promise and released Amao, handing over the silver molded into a ball to him. Before Amao turned to leave, she whispered lightly: "This drought won’t last long. When the normal rainwater arrives, you’d better leave this town quickly."
Amao’s body trembled. He said nothing, just ran away into the distance.
Although Divine Skills existed, she believed that most developments of things still had to conform to natural laws. This small town was only about two thousand miles from the Mirror Sea, and the weather was exceedingly hot, with a constant evaporation of large amounts of water vapor from the sea surface. Once the wind direction changes, it would be blown inland by monsoons, and then this drought would certainly be alleviated. This should be the primary source of rainwater for inland areas, yet this year it was delayed for some unknown reason. The weather system is complex and ever-changing, and no one can confidently say they fully comprehend its logic.
From high above, she overlooked the Tengshe River, twenty miles ahead of the town. Although the water level wasn’t high, there was indeed water in the river, showing that the water source was closer. Mortals need only to persist for at most another month and surely a rain will arrive. The Heavenly Dao must necessarily replenish the inadequate with the excess; even if Heaven is harsh on humans and sends forth numerous hardships, it will always leave a sliver of hope.
She could raise Gang Qi as a protective body on her exterior, so the rainwater could not dampen her. However, Ning Xiaoxian held up an oil paper umbrella and leisurely returned to the inn where she was staying, finally feeling the fatigue of long travels surging upon her. She requested a steaming bowl of mudfish noodles from the waiter and ate with the sound of rain outside accompanying her. The downpour continued for an hour, not a breath more, not a breath less; even artificial rainmaking couldn’t be so accurate, making her once more take notice, with her suspicions growing.
Just as the rain outside was stopping, with the eaves still dripping, Qi Zai remarked: "Mistress, there indeed are people spying from outside."
Leisurely, she picked up a pinch of noodles with her chopsticks: "As expected, these fellows really have become addicted to carrying out such deeds."
Ning Xiaoxian, a solitary young woman, arrived at this small town, and the townsfolk, being mere mortals, couldn’t perceive that she was a cultivator. Thus, as soon as she arrived, she was tailed by someone. Although she didn’t wish to stir up trouble, it didn’t mean she enjoyed being plotted against or trampled on.
She looked at the sky, then finally stood up and slowly walked out.
Expanding her Divine Thought, she indeed found two sneaky shadows trailing behind. Since entering the town, she’d only taught Amao and his gang of small-time thieves a lesson, without much of an outstanding performance, otherwise, upon hearing news, the town mayor would certainly have treated her with respectful distance.
The two responsible for surveillance didn’t plan on making rash moves, especially since the divine woman had just successfully prayed for rain in the afternoon, and it would be over a fortnight before the next act of ritual. However, seeing Ning Xiaoxian suddenly quicken her pace and turn into a small alley, they feared losing her, and quickly followed in.
Was there even a need to say more? These two unfortunates saw a flash of white before being thrown into disarray. Qi Zai carefully controlled his strength to avoid killing the two, while Ning Xiaoxian stood by and watched them get beaten black and blue before starting her interrogation.
It turned out the town mayor sent these two to specifically spy on visiting outsiders. The news of the small town capturing outsiders for sacrifice to Heaven had already spread quietly. Nearby poorer villagers dared not crowd in, thus inadvertently helping this small town fend off large numbers of incoming refugees. This way, only passersby unaware of the situation would come to the town to rest. These nameless travelers just happened to be what the mayor and the witch needed as sacrifices.
They could capture poor local families as sacrifices, but if forced too harshly, it might incite unrest. Therefore, the most suitable targets for human sacrifice remained the rootless outsiders. In troubled times, an outsider’s death was just a death; his family wouldn’t know how he disappeared, of course, it was essential first to probe their background carefully to avoid embarking on any mess.