Li Yanyan was also terrified at this moment. Her tears fell, drop by drop.
"WHIMPER... Donât kill me!" she cried. "Iâm a child born under a lucky star. People say that if someone bullies me, they will suffer great misfortune. If you kill me, youâll definitely suffer great misfortune. Great Wizard, can you spare my life?"
"Rest assured, in todayâs ritual, you wonât die!"
Todayâs ritual required a total of forty-nine boys and girls, but only forty-eight of them would die. The forty-ninth was this child with immense luck. She would be a living sacrifice, placed into a crystal coffin filled with various Arrays that would turn her into one of the living dead. Then, carrying the national fortune of Great Han, she would be transported to the royal court of Nanjiang. From then on, she would be the source of Nanjiangâs national destiny.
"Really? Great Wizard, youâre not going to kill me?"
Upon hearing that she wouldnât die, Li Yanyanâs face filled with excitement and uncontainable joy.
The Great Wizard nodded. "Naturally. Child, come and stand by my side. I will lead you in praying to the heavens together. May all the good fortune in the world gather upon you, may you henceforth have endless good luck, and may you pray for blessings for our Nanjiang royal family!"
The Great Wizard beckoned to Li Yanyan.
Li Yanyan obediently approached.
When Li Yanyan reached the Great Wizardâs side, two Soldiers carried over a small crystal coffin and placed it directly in front of her.
Seeing the crystal coffin, Li Yanyanâs small body flinched in fright, and she stumbled back several steps!
"Go in, child. This is your destined place."
Her destined place?
Li Yanyan was panic-stricken. Even at her young age, though she didnât understand what the Altar before her represented, seeing this coffin placed here, she knew it wasnât anything good.
"No! I wonât go in! I want to go home! Iâm Little Lucky Charm! My mother will ask Village Chief Grandpa to save me! I wonât go in! I am a chosen one of Heaven! I donât want to get into a coffin! I donât want to die!"
Terrified, Li Yanyan turned to flee, but how could she possibly escape from the Great Wizard?
The Great Wizard merely lifted his hand, and it was as if an invisible wall appeared before Li Yanyan, preventing her from taking another step forward.
"Wh-whatâs happening? Why canât I pass through?"
Li Yanyan was so frightened, tears streamed down her face.
A strange smile appeared on the Great Wizardâs wrinkled face. He pointed at the crystal coffin and said to Li Yanyan, "You can walk over there, child. Look, the path is right there. There is a bed. Go lie down obediently!"
As soon as the Great Wizard finished speaking, Li Yanyan immediately stopped crying. Her face became numb, and her eyes turned vacant. Like a Marionette, she walked towards the crystal coffin.
Ji Youlin, hidden in the tree, witnessed this scene, his face filled with horror.
Is this the Witchcraft of Nanjiang? To be able to control someoneâs mind with just a slight wave of the hand?
Li Yanyan climbed into the coffin herself and lay down obediently. It was now high noon; the auspicious time had arrived.
The Great Wizard struck the Altar forcefully with the staff in his hand and announced loudly, "The auspicious time has arrived! The ritual begins! Everyone, please pray with me to the Heavens!"
"Yes!"
The Great Wizard spread his arms, his staff pointing towards the sky. He began to murmur, chanting an invocation.
As the invocation was chanted, a red light emanated from the tip of the Great Wizardâs staff, shining directly into the coffin.
The children on the Altar each had a knife held to their necks.
They were now waiting for the red light to disappear, at which point they would slit these childrenâs throats, letting their blood soak this altar. Then, as the defiled altar reflected the Dragon Vein of Great Han, Nanjiangâs goal of transferring Great Hanâs national destiny would be achieved.