Chapter 38: 038

Song Guiya recognized Xi Tongyue’s handwriting at a glance.

Even though it was written in modern simplified script, with the strokes deliberately altered, the characters shallowly incised into the leaf with a stone carried an inherent boldness—like iron hooks and silver strokes carved in gold.

It was the familiar mark she had caressed countless times on the Imperial Edict.

This suddenly made Song Guiya realize that, even though they both knew each other’s true identities without needing to spell them out, Xi Tongyue had always gone out of her way to avoid acknowledging her own.

But why?

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing Song Guiya’s solemn expression, Li Xingruo and Qin Yi leaned in and spotted the words on the leaf. “Who wrote this?”

Qin Yi guessed, “Teacher Xi?”

Song Guiya lowered her eyes and nodded.

Turning her back to the camera, Li Xingruo whispered, “Teacher Xi wants us to hit them from both sides?”

“Right,” Song Guiya said, deftly destroying the writing on the leaf. “Looks like the Program Crew changed up their scripted conflict.”

Song Guiya had done her research. She knew the Program Crew loved stirring up drama and wouldn’t let the guests slack off. She had figured they would tweak the tribal clash storyline this time around. That was why, when the Kaka Tacha warriors came to capture them, she could have fought them off—but after catching Xi Tongyue’s meaningful glance, she had chosen not to resist.

Xi Tongyue must have anticipated it too, so she wanted to turn the tables and try a fresh twist.

Qin Yi and Li Xingruo nodded in understanding.

But then Li Xingruo remembered something crucial. “I have a question.”

Song Guiya looked up at her.

Li Xingruo asked, “Who’s the ‘inside’ one?”

They were still locked up in the dungeon!

~~~

As noon drew near, the sun turned brutally scorching.

In the fields of the Kaka Tacha Tribe, three slender figures swung their hoes to till the soil, sweat pouring down like rain.

The Program Crew couldn’t keep the guests locked away for the entire episode, so they had been tossed into the fields at dawn by the tribesfolk to work the land.

Their guard had warned them: finish the slaves’ quota by noon, or no food.

Desperate for a meal, they had toiled nonstop for three full hours.

Song Guiya, trained in martial arts, held up well enough, though a sheen of sweat still glistened on her forehead under the relentless sun.

Qin Yi, nursing her injury, clenched her teeth and pushed through. Her fair face had turned bright red, flushed from exhaustion or heat or both.

Li Xingruo had never known hardship like this, but her stubborn pride wouldn’t let her hold the others back—not until her hoe struck a rock, the jolt nearly knocking the breath out of her. She dropped the tool on the spot, tears welling in her eyes.

The live stream chat exploded with fury aimed at the Program Crew.

“Having them farm under this brutal sun—real manual labor too? The Program Crew has gone too far!”

“I helped my grandpa farm back home once. Thirty minutes in the fields and I was wiped out. It’s not just the work; it’s the sun. Summer heat like that can knock you out cold. And I’m a big muscled guy!”

“The Program Crew is playing with fire here! What if someone gets hurt—who’s liable?”

“To be fair, you can’t blame the Program Crew. The guests all signed waivers. They could raise their hands and quit anytime. But they’re sticking it out to prove they’re worth loving.”

“Wuwu, feel so bad for Ruoruo.”

“Feel so bad for Yiyi.”

“Feel so bad for Yaya.”

Just then, escorted by a throng of tribesfolk, Xi Tongyue and Chief Jie passed by Song Guiya’s group on their way to the Sacrificial Altar at the far end of the village.

Xi Tongyue strode alone amid the hulking men without a hint of frailty.

Her bearing was so poised, she didn’t look like some coerced mascot at all. If anything, she resembled a female chieftain out for a casual patrol among her subordinates.

With all eyes on them, the two parties had no chance for words.

Song Guiya and the others simply watched Xi Tongyue go.

Once they were out of sight, Li Xingruo shook out her aching hand and turned to Song Guiya with worry in her voice. “Yaya, do you think last night’s plan will work?”

~~~

Xi Tongyue’s group reached the Sacrificial Altar, drawing Kaka Tacha tribesfolk from every direction. The warriors packed in tight around it, sealing off any gaps.

The night before, Xi Tongyue had lured him with the promise of real authority as chief to shield her. The High Priest and Third Elder had tried to drag her off for a live sacrifice, but he had blocked them cold.

Puppet or not, he was the tribe’s legitimate leader, backed by the people.

For them to defy him openly would amount to admitting they pulled his strings through sheer power.

Thus, Xi Tongyue had boldly exposed the High Priest and the Third Elder’s naked ambitions in front of the entire tribe—and walked away unscathed.

But how could the High Priest let her off so easily? He stubbornly insisted that without a live sacrifice of Xi Tongyue, the tribe would face utter annihilation.

Xi Tongyue countered that the prophecy on the turtle shell was too ambiguous to take seriously. Whether it heralded fortune or doom, the truth would reveal itself at high noon.

In the end, the High Priest had no choice but to compromise. He had Xi Tongyue placed under guard.

After making her request to send food to the captives, she made no further moves.

Chief Jie cast a leisurely glance at Xi Tongyue and drawled, “Chief Yue, I stuck my neck out for you yesterday. If you can’t prove today that you’re a bringer of blessings rather than curses, you’ll be burned alive, you know.”

“Even I, as tribe chief, won’t be able to save your life then.”

Xi Tongyue offered no reply. Her face remained impassive as she swept her gaze over the stark, empty sacrificial altar. Her deep eyes revealed not a flicker of emotion.

The revered High Priest, scepter in hand, was the first to ascend the altar.

“Two days ago, the heavens sent warning through the turtle shell. The Moon Maiden is a grave ill omen, bearer of disease and calamity. Only a live sacrifice can appease the fury of the gods and safeguard our tribespeople.”

“But this Witch Maiden is silver-tongued, sowing discord and beguiling the chief. The young and impetuous chief fell for her lies. Therefore, in the name of the priests of the Kaka Tacha Clan, we offer the Moon Maiden upon the altar. We beseech the gods to reveal their will!”

“Beseech the gods to reveal their will!” the three elders chorused loudly.

“Burn the Moon Maiden!” the tribespeople shouted right after.

“Protect our tribe!”

The voices of fifty primitively clad savages, belting it out at full volume, were deafening. They somehow mustered the full force and flair of 3D surround sound.

Even the viewers watching through their screens felt as if they were right there in the midst of it.

“I’ve only ever seen pictures of ancient sacrificial rites before. The sets in this variety show are so realistic—the effects are cranked to eleven. It’s pretty thrilling.”

“But the sacrifice is Xi Tongyue!!!”

“Nooo! We finally got to see Xi God on a variety show, and now she’ll get eliminated as the offering? No more Xi God after this!”

“What Witch Maiden? That’s my Moon God herself! You ignorant gorillas!”

“I just can’t stand seeing a beautiful big sister suffer… Let her go—burn me instead!”

Amid the wave of indignant protests, Xi Tongyue gracefully ascended the altar. With an enigmatic smile, she said, “High Priest, you’ve gone to such great lengths to whip up this frenzy. Aren’t you afraid you won’t be able to climb down from it later?”

“Hmph.” The High Priest snorted coldly. “Moon Maiden, a sharp tongue might buy you time, but it can’t alter reality.”

Xi Tongyue paid him no further mind. She extended one fair, jade-like arm, her five distinctively jointed fingers dancing lightly in the sunlight, as if savoring the caress of the noonday rays overhead.

“The time is perfect.”

No sooner had the words left her lips than a sheet of flames erupted behind her. It rose like a coiling fire dragon, belching smoke and fire. In the blink of an eye, tongues of flame spilled outward, igniting the perimeter of the altar and encircling Xi Tongyue in its center.

She stood there alone, her gaze calm and imperious as she surveyed the crowd.

Everyone present recoiled in shock, convinced it was some production mishap. The cameraman nearly ditched his gear to rush in and save her—again.

Fortunately, a closer look revealed that the blaze, for all its ferocity, posed no real danger.

The live stream viewers got a scare too.

“Holy crap, I thought something exploded. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Look at everyone else’s reactions—they’re shocked too. This doesn’t seem scripted. Xi Tongyue really is divine.”

“Xi God! Xi God!”

Once it sank in that this was no accident, the cast exchanged bewildered glances before slipping back into character. Inwardly, though, they couldn’t help grumbling about the director.

There’d been no mention of this scene last night. Changing the script on the fly without warning them? That was too much.

It had scared the hell out of them.

Director Wang: …

Do you believe in snow in June?

Before the High Priest could get a word out, a small sea turtle burst from the flames behind the altar, as if its backside were ablaze.

A closer look showed it was carrying a flat, oval-shaped stone on its shell—the turtle shell.

As it sped past Xi Tongyue’s feet, she scooped it up with one hand. Still in a panic, the turtle’s four legs flailed wildly in midair, making for a comical sight.

Xi Tongyue detached the stone from its shell, then set the creature down. It bolted away in a flash.

Its speed was like a bolt of lightning.

Everyone: ???

Xi Tongyue tossed the stone straight to Chief Jie below the Sacrificial Altar. He stared at her in bewilderment before lowering his eyes to the stone in his hand. Sure enough, it bore two lines of pictographic script engraved on its surface.

“Auspicious portent descends—do not neglect it. Any violation will bring heavenly wrath.”

Xi Tongyue emerged from the gradually dying flames, like a god delivering the spark of hope to humanity struggling for survival in the darkness.

Chief Jie: !!!

High Priest and Third Elder: ?!!!

The god’s gaze swept over the ashen-faced High Priest and Third Elder one by one before finally settling on Chief Jie’s face. In a lazy tone, she drawled, “The auspicious portent wants a slave to attend it personally. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”

Chief Jie snapped back to his senses and stammered, “N-No, not at all!”