Chapter 9

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About half an hour later, someone brought over porridge, steamed buns, and stewed dishes. The village head personally ladled a bowl and brought it to the old Taoist, saying, "Master, you should eat something too."

The old Taoist took the bowl and chopsticks and said to Cao Yu, "You should go eat as well, and eat a bit more."

After giving his instructions, the old Taoist walked straight over to Li Wenjun.

The old Taoist flicked his finger, and a small fireball the size of a grain of rice flew out, burning through the thick hemp rope that bound Li Wenjun. Remarkably, Li Wenjun's body was not harmed at all.

The old Taoist waved his hand, dismissing the two big men guarding Li Wenjun.

The old Taoist handed the bowl and chopsticks to Li Wenjun and said calmly, "Eat."

Li Wenjun glanced at the old Taoist and asked, "Master, can I consider this a last meal?"

"It's not a last meal. However, to end the drought, someone must pay a price. The extent of the price depends on your cooperation," the old Taoist explained patiently, for reasons unknown.

Li Wenjun's expression was uncertain. He didn't believe what the old Taoist said, but what could he do if he didn't believe? His fate was no longer in his hands but in the hands of the old Taoist.

After thinking for a while, he still couldn't come up with a way to break the situation. He had no choice but to take the bowl and chopsticks from the old Taoist and start eating. No matter what, he needed to eat to have the strength to do anything.

The old Taoist thought Li Wenjun had submitted and chuckled, saying, "That's right."

The sixty-three boys and girls who had fled from the famine quickly devoured the food prepared by the village head.

The old Taoist had the village head lead the people to bring the sixty-three boys and girls to the threshing ground. He then personally guided them to position the children on the lines he had drawn. Even the infants who were still nursing were given a spot.

By this time, it was already getting dark. The lines and symbols on the threshing ground looked like demons about to break free from a painting. The previously cheerful boys and girls finally felt fear. Someone started crying, and soon the entire threshing ground was filled with sobs.

The old Taoist snorted and reached into his bag, pulling out a stack of yellow paper. These papers were cut into long strips, with many blood-red patterns and symbols, resembling smaller versions of the lines and symbols on the threshing ground.

The old Taoist flicked his wrist, and a yellow paper suddenly appeared on the foreheads of the boys and girls who had been positioned.

The moment the yellow paper touched their bodies, the boys and girls became dazed, standing still without crying or moving, not even their fingers.

Soon, sixty-one boys and girls were all pasted with the yellow paper, and it was Li Wenjun's turn.

Li Wenjun gritted his teeth, pushed off the ground with his feet, and lunged forward, preparing to escape.

"Grab him, quickly grab him," the village head shouted urgently.

Several strong men under the village head chased after Li Wenjun.

Li Wenjun moved swiftly, having observed and chosen his path while eating. If he could run out of the threshing ground and into the cornfield beside it, the green cover would make it difficult for them to catch him.

The men were initially some distance away from Li Wenjun. Even if they wanted to catch him, it would take some time, and that time was enough for Li Wenjun to run out of the threshing ground.

The old Taoist narrowed his eyes, reached into his robe, and a silver light flashed, instantly catching up to Li Wenjun.

Li Wenjun stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud. When he looked up, a silver rope had appeared on his body, binding him tightly.

The old Taoist strode over to Li Wenjun, lifted his foot, and kicked him away.

Li Wenjun flew through the air and landed heavily on the hard threshing ground with a thud. He felt a sweetness in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood. He felt as if all his bones had shattered, the pain unbearable.

"You ungrateful thing, if you weren't still useful, I would have burned you with a fireball," the old Taoist growled, glaring at Li Wenjun.

"Master, where should we put him?" the village head asked, running up to the old Taoist.

"Put him in the Tianxuan position of the Kan Palace," the old Taoist instructed.

"Should we also paste a yellow paper on him?" the village head asked.

The old Taoist glanced at the village head and said disdainfully, "What yellow paper? That's a binding talisman, a divine object."

"Yes, yes, yes," the village head said awkwardly, "I don't understand these things. Master, should we also give this ungrateful boy a binding talisman?"

"No need. The silver-embedded rope is a low-level magical tool I bought for three spirit stones. Unless he has a specialized cutting tool, he won't be able to escape. Now, except for Cao Yu, all the boys and girls have been positioned. You and your people should leave the threshing ground quickly. I'm about to perform the ritual," the old Taoist said, shooing the village head away.

The village head didn't dare to say anything and hurriedly led his people to place Li Wenjun in the Tianxuan position of the Kan Palace, then left the threshing ground.

By this time, a crowd had gathered outside the threshing ground, including residents of the military town and many refugees. They were mostly the parents and relatives of the boys and girls in the threshing ground. Although they had sold their children to the village head, it was impossible not to be concerned. They had no other options, otherwise, they wouldn't have done this.

The old Taoist brought Cao Yu to the last empty position in the Seven Stars and Nine Palaces array and said, "The success or failure of the Seven Stars and Nine Palaces array depends on you. You must fully cooperate and not have any other thoughts, understand?"

Cao Yu hesitated and nodded.

The old Taoist patted Cao Yu's shoulder and said, "Think about my promise to you and my divine abilities. You'll know what to do."

Cao Yu thought for a moment and nodded again, this time more firmly.

The old Taoist looked satisfied, raised his head, and saw a full moon rising in the distant sky.

"The time is right," the old Taoist muttered. He held the disc and triangular flags he had prepared and threw the flags into the air.

The flags planted themselves in the ground, their surfaces moving without wind, looking very eerie.

After doing this, the old Taoist continued to look up at the sky, watching the full moon rise and move toward the zenith.

Li Wenjun was unwilling to be a sacrifice. Regardless of whether the Seven Stars and Nine Palaces array could really end the drought, even if it could bring rain, he didn't want to risk his life. He still wanted to live and reunite with his family.

While the old Taoist was looking up at the sky, Li Wenjun was wriggling on the ground like a worm, trying to break free from the silver-embedded rope. However, as the old Taoist had said, it was a low-level magical tool, a divine object, and he, a mere mortal, couldn't possibly break free.

Li Wenjun was bound very tightly, but not with his hands tied behind his back. He was bound on the sides of his body while fleeing, so his hands were tied to the sides. The silver-embedded rope cut into his wrists, making his hands immobile, but his fingers still had some movement.

Li Wenjun wriggled on the ground for a while, but couldn't break free from the silver-embedded rope. He remembered the broken dagger he had exchanged for at the blacksmith's shop. He had tied the dagger to his calf. He curled up his body and used his fingers, which could still move, to reach for the dagger. What was a simple action for him normally was now extremely difficult.

As Li Wenjun slowly pulled out the dagger, the full moon continued to rise toward the zenith.

When the moon reached the zenith, the old Taoist's eyes suddenly shone with a sharp light, and he shouted, "Now!"

He slapped the disc, and a silver light shot up from it, heading straight for the full moon.

A moment later, a milky white light descended from the full moon, enveloping the entire threshing ground.

The sixty-three boys and girls bathed in the moonlight, but for them, it was not a blessing but a disaster.

The Tian Shu star was the head of the Seven Stars and Nine Palaces array. The nine boys and girls here were the first to change. Their faces rapidly aged, from children to teenagers, then to young adults, middle-aged, and old...

In an instant, the changes of a lifetime flashed across their faces, and their vitality was being strangely drained by the array.

As the boys and girls changed, red threads rose from their bodies, converging and rushing to the Tian Xuan star.

The boys and girls at the Tian Xuan star also underwent the same changes.

The village head, watching from the outside, felt a chill run down his spine. His worst fears had come true. The old Taoist had indeed not had good intentions in finding these boys and girls. He hoped that this vicious array would truly bring rain as the old Taoist had said; otherwise, he would never be at peace.

The village head still had some hope, but the hungry people watching were not satisfied. They had sold their children to the village head to be servants, to have a meal, not to lose their youth and age to death in an instant.

"Give me back my child!" a mother rushed out.

The village head quickly shouted, "Stop her!"

One of the village head's men rushed out and grabbed the mother tightly.

More people rushed out, trying to save their children. The village head hadn't brought many people; he was just a small village head and couldn't afford to hire many people to help him. He could stop ten or twenty, but not dozens or hundreds of hungry people.

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