At the break of dawn, just before the fifth hour, the door of Liang Qu's house was pounded loudly.
It wasn't someone causing trouble—no one in Righteous Prosperity City dared to mess with Liang Qu, given his status.
The one knocking was Chen Tongmin, the grandson of Chen Zhao'an.
Liang Qu threw on his clothes and opened the door.
Chen Tongmin clasped his hands in greeting.
"Brother Shui, my grandfather sent me to ask if you're familiar with the sacrificial rituals and the prayer. You don't need to memorize it, but you should be able to read it smoothly without stumbling."
"How about I read it to you now? See how it sounds?" Liang Qu offered.
Chen Tongmin hesitated for a moment but nodded.
"That would be great, thank you, Brother Shui."
When it came to the River God Sacrifice, even Liang Qu, as a direct disciple of Master Yang, couldn't afford to be careless.
A slip-up would earn him the scorn of the villagers, but doing well would bring praise and elevate his status in Righteous Prosperity City.
Despite being exhausted from the previous day, Liang Qu had forced himself to practice the prayer over a dozen times last night.
He felt confident.
Standing face-to-face with Chen Tongmin, Liang Qu began reciting the prayer.
"Oh, River God, I stand here in Righteous Prosperity City, by the waters of the Jianghuai River, bearing the hopes and prayers of the people. Today, we gather to honor you and present this offering..."
Fifteen minutes later, Chen Tongmin nodded in approval.
"Brother Shui, you're as reliable as ever. With this level of preparation, the villagers will surely sing your praises."
"I can't compare to Elder Chen," Liang Qu replied modestly.
"The prayer is solid. Are you familiar with the ritual steps?"
"I grew up in Righteous Prosperity City. Even if I haven't personally participated, I've seen it enough times to know the drill. Go ahead, test me."
Chen Tongmin didn't hold back.
"After the ritual overseer calls for the offering, what should the chief officiant do?"
"First, offer incense, then pour the libation, and finally recite the prayer. After that, the villagers kneel in worship, and once the firecrackers are set off, the officiant steps down from the altar."
Chen Tongmin nodded again.
With both the prayer and the ritual steps down, there shouldn't be any major issues.
"Good. The ceremony starts at the first hour of noon. I'll come to fetch you at the third hour of the morning. Make sure to wear something clean and presentable. If you don't have anything suitable, I can find something for you."
"No need, I have a set ready."
"Alright, see you at the third hour."
As Chen Tongmin left, Liang Qu felt a flicker of excitement.
Over a thousand people would be watching him offer incense, pour libations, and recite the prayer.
It was his first time facing such a large crowd, and he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
He hoped everything would go smoothly.
First, a bath.
Liang Qu closed the door, heated some water, and scrubbed himself clean.
After days without fishing, the fishy smell on him had mostly faded, and most people wouldn't even notice it.
Once he was done, he tied up his long hair and put on the clothes and accessories gifted to him by his senior martial brothers and sisters.
He felt quite dashing.
Walking over to the table, Liang Qu tapped his fingers rhythmically on the surface.
The blue pearl on the table trembled and unfurled into a six-inch-long centipede, its blue armor shimmering with iridescent hues in the morning light.
The Heavenly Water Centipede crawled up Liang Qu's hand and coiled around his wrist, its hundred legs tightening seamlessly until it transformed into a blue jade bracelet.
Liang Qu hid it under his bracer and stepped outside.
As the ceremony approached, Bluestone Street was livelier than usual.
Liang Qu wore a long, flowing robe with wide sleeves, a garment that accentuated his tall and upright figure.
His presence was striking, a stark contrast to the common folk in their rough hemp clothes.
Many villagers who saw him couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.
The crowd from the previous day had only been a small portion of Righteous Prosperity City's population.
Many had only heard about Liang Qu through word of mouth, and now, seeing him in person, their thoughts were a jumble of envy, jealousy, admiration, and regret—regret for not having tied their families to his sooner.
"I once thought about arranging a marriage with Brother Shui. If it had worked out, wouldn't I be basking in glory now? Maybe I'd even be the one carrying the offerings today!"
"Your daughter with Brother Shui? Don't make me laugh. Have you even looked in the mirror?"
"What's wrong with my daughter? Huh? What's wrong with her?"
"Enough bickering! Someone like Liang Qu deserves nothing less than the county magistrate's daughter!"
"That's true," someone shouted, raising a thumb.
"Brother Shui, you're a real stand-up guy! I've got bricks and tiles ready. I'll come by your place soon to build that wall!"
Liang Qu clasped his hands and smiled.
"Thank you, Uncle Hu!"
"No need to thank me! I've got plenty of strength to spare. A hundred coins for a bit of labor? That's a deal you can't find anywhere else!"
"Exactly! Uncle's got strength to burn. Just let me know when you need help!"
In the countryside, labor was cheap, especially in winter when work was scarce.
Even a meal was enough to get people scrambling for jobs.
Getting a hundred coins for two days of work was a golden opportunity.
At noon, Chen Tongmin came to fetch Liang Qu, and the two headed to the wharf.
Villagers streamed out of the alleys along Bluestone Street, converging at the wharf.
A tall, tiered altar stood on a bluestone platform, with thirteen wooden steps leading up to a large table laden with fruits and vegetables.
Eight men stood at the altar's corners, holding large banners, while a group of drummers waited nearby.
Liang Qu spotted Chen Jiechang and Li Libo.
The three of them had trained together at the martial hall, and Chen Zhao'an had naturally assigned them the task of slaughtering the sacrificial animals before the offerings were made.
One held a sheep, the other a bull, waiting for the signal.
At the first hour of noon, everyone had gathered.
The village elders and Liang Qu stood to the left of the altar, beneath the eaves of a grand courtyard, flanked by two stone lions that added an air of majesty.
In front of the altar, over a thousand villagers stood in silence, waiting.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Boom, boom, boom!
Three strikes of the gong.
The ritual overseer, an old man, stepped forward with measured strides along the central axis of the altar.
He turned left at the quarter mark, facing the crowd with his back to the altar, and called out in a clear voice, "Present the offerings!"
Chen Jiechang took the lead, gripping the bull's nose ring and stepping forward, followed by Li Libo and Chen Tongmin, who led a pig.
The three reached the right side of the altar, where others helped hoist the animals up.
The beasts struggled fiercely, but chains held them fast.
Each man took a sharp knife and aimed at the animals' necks.
"Strike!"
At the overseer's command, the knives plunged into the necks, severing the arteries.
Bright red blood gushed out, splashing into wooden buckets that steamed in the cold air.
The thick scent of blood rose and spread across the wharf.
"Lift!"
The three men carried the buckets to the riverbank, following the rhythm of the drums.
"Pour!"
The buckets tipped, and the blood cascaded into the water, spreading like dark ink.
The wind carried the heavy metallic scent.
"Shamans, return to position!"
Five strikes of the gong.
Liang Qu saw two shamans step out from beside him, taking their places at the sides of the altar.
They began to chant and dance, and Liang Qu tightened his grip on the prayer scroll.
Once the shamans finished, it would be his turn.
"Chief officiant, proceed!"
Nine strikes of the gong.
The sound was deafening.
Liang Qu froze.
He saw a dark shadow scuttle across the tiled roof, disappearing behind the fireproof gable wall.
It was gaunt and withered, its skin as dark as old bark.
(End of Chapter)