Hearing the village chief's words, everyone was surprised.
The chief's statement clearly implied a hidden reason.
"Tell us, why would thousands of people from over a dozen villages lose their lives if she wasn't taken?"
Mingyue's curiosity, fueled by gossip, reignited. She stepped forward and asked.
"Immortal, you don't know, this is our local tradition."
The chief glanced at the sky and quickly began to explain.
It turned out they weren't taking the girl to be married, but to the Jade Pool on the mountaintop for a sacrifice.
This mountain was called Kongming Mountain.
At its summit was a deep pool known as the Jade Pool.
The water was bottomless, perpetually rippling with jade-green waves, never having dried up.
Legend had it that the bottom of the pool connected to the sea's eye, leading to the Dragon Palace.
Kongming Mountain stretched for fifty li, and thirteen villages surrounded it.
At that time, the total population was nearly ten thousand, consisting of ordinary farmers who lived by farming and hunting.
They lived off the mountain and the land, earning their keep.
Though not wealthy, they could maintain a decent life.
Generations had lived and thrived here, content with their lot.
Little did they know, a hundred years ago, the people of the dozen villages surrounding Kongming Mountain.
On the same night, they all had the same dream.
Someone calling himself the Great Immortal of Jade Pool appeared in their dreams.
He told them that every year, before the hour of Shen (3-5 PM) on the eighth day of the sixth lunar month.
They were to send a young woman in a red wedding dress to the Jade Pool on Kongming Mountain.
To be his bride. If they failed to comply with his command.
Or missed the appointed time, he would take all their lives.
Upon waking, everyone discussed the strange dream, finding it peculiar.
But no one paid it any mind, treating it as nothing.
They went about their business, and the next day was the eighth of the sixth month.
The person called the Great Immortal of Jade Pool appeared in their dreams again.
This time, he was furious, saying the villagers had not followed his decree.
He would take a hundred lives from each village.
As a warning. If the person was not sent before the hour of Shen seven days later.
Then no one would be spared.
The next day, upon waking, they discovered that each village.
Had exactly one hundred people dead, all having died in their sleep.
This instilled panic, and they believed they were targeted by a demon.
So, some prepared to leave and escape.
However, the next day, the bodies of those who had fled were neatly stacked at the village entrance.
To stay meant death, and escape was impossible. The village chiefs of the thirteen villages gathered to discuss.
They believed the Great Immortal of Jade Pool was a demon and pooled their money to invite several Taoist priests and monks to perform rituals.
But none of the invited pháp sư survived; they all perished.
Their attempt to perform rituals angered the Great Immortal of Jade Pool further.
That night, over a thousand people died in the thirteen villages.
Terrified, they decided to submit to save their lives.
They would follow the Great Immortal of Jade Pool's command. It was better for one to die than for all to perish.
However, the issue of which village would select the person, and whose daughter would be chosen, became a problem.
These were their own flesh and blood; no one was willing to send their child to their death.
In their helplessness, the thirteen village chiefs reached a consensus.
They would draw lots. They would first draw lots on behalf of their respective villages.
Arranging the order, one village would be responsible for one year.
This way, each village would only have to draw lots once every decade or so, ensuring over ten years of peace.
And the village whose turn it was that year would also draw lots within each household.
The household that drew the lot could only accept their misfortune.
Those who had no daughters or were unwilling to send their own children would purchase someone.
If a family was poor, they had no choice but to use their own daughters.
After they sent the first woman as required.
No one in the village died without cause.
Thus, they continued this practice every year, sending a bride.
Over time, people grew accustomed to it, and it became a tradition.
They called it a living sacrifice, offering a young woman each year.
Dressed as a bride and sent into the Jade Pool.
It was considered a form of ritual to ensure the village's peace.
The living sacrifice had continued for a century. Today was the first time a sacrifice had escaped.
Coincidentally, Ji Shiyou and his group encountered her and saved the sacrificial maiden.
"Outrageous! Such a practice has continued for a hundred years!
This means a hundred girls have lost their lives.
How could you do such a thing?
Your lives are precious, but were the lives of those sacrificed girls not precious?"
Mingyue, after hearing the village chief's account, gritted her teeth and shouted in anger.
Though she was a demon, she respected life; it was one of her few virtues.
She couldn't help but feel sorrow for the deceased women.
"What are you looking at me for? This matter must be dealt with.
This Great Immortal of Jade Pool must be a demonic cultivator.
Disciples of the immortal sects have the duty to slay demons and eliminate evil, have you forgotten?"
Seeing everyone looking at her, Mingyue realized she had gotten too emotional.
Her outburst was uncharacteristic of her usual demeanor with Ji Shiyou, so she quickly put on a stern face and reprimanded them.
"Yes, we obey the Senior Disciple's teachings."
The disciples hastily averted their gazes, not daring to look at her.
They drew their weapons, ready to ascend the mountain and eliminate the demon.
"Immortal, please don't! If the Great Immortal of Jade Pool knows we've invited more pháp sư.
He will surely punish us. He is immensely powerful.
Not only will your lives be forfeit, but the villagers of our thirteen villages will not survive either."
Seeing Tian Jian and the others about to ascend the mountain, the village chief turned ashen with fear.
He stood up, spread his arms, and blocked their path.
"All of you, come back. What's the rush?
If we go up the mountain like this, what if the demon hides?
We still need to go to Sifang Mountain; we don't have time to waste here.
If we fail to eliminate the demon and leave, what if he retaliates against the villagers?
Use your brains. Look how scared the village chief is.
Village Chief, you don't need to worry. We just won't let him know."
Mingyue called back Tian Jian and the others who were about to ascend, and reprimanded them again.
"Senior Disciple, what do you intend to do?
How can we do this without the demon knowing? We will cooperate fully."
Tian Jian, hearing Mingyue's words, knew the Senior Disciple had a plan.
However, knowing the Senior Disciple well, he couldn't guess what it was.
"We request Fairy Mingyue's assistance and cooperation."
Mingyue looked at Ji Shiyou, who had been silent, her eyes full of mischief.
"Alright, let's change clothes."
Ji Shiyou sighed and said helplessly.
In his opinion, like Tian Jian, they should have directly gone to Kongming Mountain to eliminate the demon.
But Mingyue's analysis was correct, earning his admiration.
He hadn't expected this little tree spirit to be not only greedy for wealth and food but also intelligent. He had already guessed Mingyue's plan.
It was for him to impersonate the sacrificed bride.
Just like before, the villagers would send him to the Jade Pool in a wedding procession.
This way, he could get close to the Great Immortal of Jade Pool, and the villagers would be at ease.
So, Ji Shiyou changed into a bright red wedding dress and entered the sedan chair.
The villagers carried him up the mountain, while Mingyue, leading Tian Jian and the others, concealed their presence and followed secretly.
The village chief led the wedding procession, trembling with fear, to the edge of the Jade Pool.
Everyone exerted their strength together, just as they had always done.
The person and the sedan chair were thrown into the pool together.
Then they fled down the mountain as if their lives depended on it, thinking.
Since the person was delivered, the rest was none of their concern.
Mingyue, hidden in the shadows, saw the sedan chair enter the water.
To her surprise, it didn't sink to the bottom but floated on the surface.
After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the water began to swirl around the sedan chair.
Faster and faster it spun, forming a bottomless vortex.
Then the sedan chair shattered with a bang, and Ji Shiyou's red figure fell towards the bottom of the vortex.
"I wonder if Ji Shiyou can deal with that Great Immortal of Jade Pool."
Seeing the black mist emanating from the vortex, Mingyue worried about Ji Shiyou's safety.
Just then, she felt a powerful force strike her from behind.
Then, her body flew up and fell into the vortex.