14: Section 14

"[Time flew by, and you grew up safely.]"

"[You developed the Shang people's habit of divination to inquire about the good and bad fortune from ghosts and gods. You also went to the wilderness to catch many turtles for their shells and stole many ox scapulae from Nuli Lane.]"

"[No matter what you did, you would divine to ask the ghosts and gods whether the action would bring good or ill fortune.]"

"[The method was also very simple: engrave the character “ tell” (Gao) on a turtle shell, place it in a fire, take it out after a while, and then observe the cracks to discern the meaning.]"

"[Your behavior was very common among the Shang people; even before sleeping with one's wife to conceive, they would divine to see if the child conceived that day would be intelligent. Therefore, your actions were not seen as abnormal; instead, many adults appreciated your behavior.]"

"[Because the Shang Dynasty people had no reverence for life, but greatly feared ghosts and gods.]"

"[On Nuli Lane, you made many friends, almost all of them children of slave families, but you did not have any long-term friends.]"

"[None of the slave children would form long-term friendships with anyone.]"

"[No one knew what tomorrow would bring.]"

"[And indeed, many friends you associated with were captured and sacrificed to ghosts and gods.]"

"[As you grew older, you began to follow your father to learn bronze casting. Your father's bronze wares were always of the best quality, and thus he was highly appreciated by his superiors.]"

"[However, your father did not understand that the better the bronze wares he cast, the less likely he was to escape his status as a slave.]"

"[And in the year you turned ten, the Shang people's Divine Beast, Xuan Bird, fell ill.]"

Chapter 16: An Ordinary Person's Choices Are Not So Many

"[Xuan Bird is the Divine Beast of the Great Shang Dynasty.]"

"[Since the establishment of the Shang Dynasty, it has resided in Chaoge City, and no one knows how long Xuan Bird has lived.]"

"[But everyone knows that as long as Xuan Bird continues to protect them, the Shang Dynasty will not perish!]"

"[The current Son of Heaven, Di Xin, has a very strong connection with this Xuan Bird. The moment Xuan Bird fell ill, he felt that something was wrong with Xuan Bird.]"

"[Therefore, he immediately went to the spiritual mountain where Xuan Bird resided.]"

"[And Xuan Bird's condition was also very bad; its eyes were bleeding, and its body was covered in pustules, looking as if its life was nearing its end.]"

"[Di Xin was terrified and enraged upon seeing this.]"

"[He was terrified of the possible outcome for Shang Dynasty without Xuan Bird.]"

"[He was enraged because he believed the priests had not taken good care of Xuan Bird for it to be in such a state.]"

"[The High Priest said that Xuan Bird had contracted a severe illness of witchcraft poison, and it would require the sacrifice of thirty thousand human offerings to appease the wrath of the ghosts and gods.]"

"[As soon as this news was released, the entire Great Shang Dynasty began searching everywhere for suitable candidates, and for a time, everyone felt insecure.]"

"[Nuli Lane, where you resided, also received this message. A specific task was issued: your Nuli Lane must provide ten men and ten women to participate in the sacrifice.]"

"[All slave families fell silent, then returned home to discuss the matter.]"

"[Your father, Su Yin, was very scared. He was afraid that you would be chosen. A father's love for his son reached its peak at this moment.]"

"[You comforted your father.]"

"Father, it's alright. There are so many families in Nuli Lane; it's not certain they will choose us."

"[Hearing your naive words, your father's brows furrowed even deeper.]"

"[When the next day arrived, everyone in Nuli Lane gathered in a square, awaiting their fate.]"

"[The noble responsible for the selection was a strong man with feathers in his hair and a bow and arrow on his back.]"

"[And he immediately spotted you and your father in the crowd.]"

"[His name was Ziyang, and your father's downfall to slave status was thanks to him.]"

"[Seeing your father, this noble named Ziyang spoke a few words to the person beside him, and then the executioner responsible for selecting human sacrifices came to you and your father.]"

"[Without much exchange, he directly pulled you away from your father, and your father could only watch helplessly as you were taken away from him.]"

"[You were angry, you were unwilling.]"

"[But you had to endure.]"

"[Because you had asked the ghosts and gods before coming, and the answer they gave you was "good fortune"!]"

"[You would not forget your father's warning until the very last moment.]"

"[Absolutely do not expose your strength!]"

"[Ziyang looked at you with a smug expression, then looked at the anger in your father's eyes in the crowd. That feeling of conquest swept through his entire body.]"

"[He loved seeing you helpless and unable to do anything about him.]"

"[Soon, twenty human sacrifices from Nuli Lane were chosen and sent to the assembly area.]"

"[In the assembly area, there were disheveled, ragged slaves everywhere. No matter how they were before, at this moment, your destinies were the same.]"

"[The sacrifice was in ten days. During these ten days, slaves for the sacrifice were continuously brought in.]"

"[And you, in this assembly area, tasted a large piece of dried meat for the first time.]"

"[The taste of the dried meat was excellent.]"

"[It was made from smoked ox ribs.]"

"[You became addicted to this taste.]"

"[You hoped to eat this dried meat every day from now on.]"

"[You waited for a long time, and on the last day, you saw Ziyang, who had captured you, and his family being escorted to the altar by a group of lavishly dressed priests.]"

"[Seeing Ziyang and his family being escorted, you felt incredible.]"

"[Later, after listening to the explanation from nearby slaves, you understood the reason.]"

"[It was that the current Shang King was always troubled by Xuan Bird's illness, and in the eyes of the upper nobles, the more distinguished and exalted the status of the human sacrifice, the more it could please the ghosts, gods, or ancestors.]"

"[In the eyes of the ancestors and ghosts and gods, they greatly welcomed such human sacrifices.]"

"[And Ziyang's family was, fortunately, chosen.]"

"[You began to feel a sense of satisfaction in your heart. In your mind, it was because even the ghosts and gods could no longer tolerate Ziyang's evil deeds, which was why the Shang King chose Ziyang's family.]"

"[You also learned about Ziyang's family's rise to prominence from people's discussions: they had once captured 100 Qiang people for the Shang King. Qiang people were more valuable sacrifices than ordinary slaves, and the Shang King was very pleased, thus rewarding Ziyang's family, elevating them from commoners to nobles.]"

"[But this so-called "noble" family was now also placed on the altar, to please the ancestors and ghosts and gods.]"

"[Soon, the day of the sacrifice arrived. The first to be killed were Ziyang's noble family.]"

"[First, the infants and women were killed and thrown into the already dug sacrificial pit.]"

"[As for the men, they were split in half from head to toe with sharp axes, and the priests extracted their internal organs to dance an ancient dance around the altar.]"

"[King of Shang, Di Xin, sat opposite, watching all of this with a smile.]"

"[In his view.]"

"[There was nothing that sacrifice could not solve.]"

"[And as the priests' dance continued, a strong gust of wind swept across the sky.]"

"[The strong wind brought a dark cloud, and the dark cloud brought torrential rain.]"

"[The pouring rain extinguished the fire pillars on the altar, a scene that greatly startled everyone.]"

"[They were afraid, they were terrified.]"

"[They believed that the ghosts and gods were angry!]"

"[At this point, what do you choose?]"

"[Option 1: Take advantage of the heavy rain to immediately escape, leave Zhaoge, and go to a place where no one knows you.]"

"[Option 2: Jump into the sacrificial pit, hide among the corpses, and wait for the sacrifice to end.]"

"[Option 3: Actively offer yourself as a sacrifice to gain the favor of the ghosts and gods!]"

Looking at the sudden options.

Su Mo was a little surprised.

After more than ten years of simulation, this was the first time options had appeared.

Through these few life simulations, he had summarized an experience.

That is, the better the starting talent and the higher the status, the more frequently love affair life would give options, and you could even choose for anything.

But the opposite was also true.

The lower the talent and the lower the status, the fewer times options would appear.

It might even not give you a single chance to choose.

In a sense, this was the disparity in life.

Looking at the three options that appeared.

Su Mo thought carefully.

This was the first time options had been given in over ten years, so his choice had to be cautious.

After all, he hadn't even seen what Consort Su Daji looked like yet!

He definitely couldn't choose the third option; choosing it would immediately end this simulation.

The first and second options.

He had to consider them carefully.

The first option was very dangerous; there were many soldiers guarding outside the sacrificial ground.

Even if he successfully escaped, it would implicate his father in this life.

Now, he could only choose the second option and take a gamble.

Gamble that the priests didn't notice him and wouldn't check the sacrificial pit afterward!

Chapter 17: Escape, Qiang people Tribe

"[You chose to jump into the sacrificial pit.]"

"[Upon seeing the torrential rain, you immediately seized the moment when everyone was seeking shelter and no one was paying attention, and jumped into the sacrificial pit.]"

"[At the same time, you piled the bodies of women and children on top of yourself.]"

"[Although you were strong, your body was very thin, so you could hide well in small crevices.]"

"[The heavy rain came and went quickly, and the sacrifice continued. No one noticed your disappearance.]"

"[Bodies were continuously thrown down from above, and you were extremely panicked. You were afraid of being buried forever by the piled up corpses.]"

"[Thus, this sacrifice continued for three days and three nights, and all thirty thousand slaves were killed. The black blood soaked your entire body.]"

"[You were very hungry, and even though the blood was foul-smelling, you had to eat it. Only then could you sustain your life and hold on until the day you could leave.]"

"[On this day, you had a dream. In the dream, you became a free Xuan Bird, but were eventually shot by an arrow and fell from the Nine Heavens to the human world.]"

"[You woke up with a start.]"

"[After you woke up, there was a vague sensation that this sacrifice, which had lasted for three days and three nights and killed over thirty thousand people, had completely ended.]"

"[Relying on your strength, which was like that of a wild ox, you pushed aside layers of corpses. Covered in black blood, you crawled out of the sacrificial pit.]"

"[Now, with the moon bright and stars sparse, you quietly escaped back to Nuli Lane. Your father, Su Yin, was overjoyed to see you, and at the same time, terrified.]"

"[If anyone knew you were alive, you would face a fate more terrifying than being sacrificed.]"

"[Your father led you to the entrance of the sewer, where large amounts of feces and various foul-smelling sewage accumulated year-round. It was the place where Chaoge City discharged its waste.]"

"[The strong stench made you dizzy, but this was your only escape route.]"

"[Before leaving, you looked back at your father. You didn't know if you would ever see each other again in the future.]"

"[Urged by your father, you crawled into the pottery tunnel.]"

"[After three hours, you successfully crawled out of Chaoge City. The exit was a black swamp, which had long received the filth from the city.]"

"[After swimming out of the black swamp, you didn't know where to go, but subconsciously, you felt you should get as far away from Chaoge as possible.]"

"[After walking for an unknown period, you encountered a clear river. The feces and blood on your body made you extremely uncomfortable, so you jumped into the river to wash yourself.]"