Volume 7, Chapter 373 – She Wants to Defy the Heavens (Part 2)

Perhaps because this was not merely a dream, Qi Huang could clearly sense Lu Yao’s thoughts. She knew this pitiful girl intended to use her fragile life to confront the heavens during the grand sacrificial ceremony.

Lu Yao was well aware that her actions would change nothing. Yet, she wanted the world to know that even as an insignificant ant, she had once dared to say “no” to the heavens.

A tumult of emotions churned within Qi Huang. She desperately wanted to stop this girl from throwing her life away, but separated by time and space, she was powerless.

‘Forget it. Since fate is already sealed, perhaps this is the most meaningful way for her to die.’

Once Qi Huang came to this realization, her heart settled.

Over the next few days, Lu Yao spent her time traveling. She didn’t dwell on how to reach Golden Radiance Mountain quickly, what did it matter? This broken body of hers, no matter how well preserved, would still end up in a grave within a few months.

Five days later, Lu Yao arrived at the foot of Golden Radiance Mountain, exhausted and covered in wounds. Yet she did not rest. After washing briefly in a stream, she dragged her heavy legs up the mountain. The grand sacrificial ceremony was set to begin at noon that very day.

The emperor’s ceremony drew a massive crowd, nobles and commoners alike, making the mountain path bustling with activity.

As Lu Yao listened to the cheerful chatter around her, she reflected on her own tragic life. She felt utterly abandoned by the world, and her resentment grew fiercer.

“Why is it that in the same world, those who commit countless evils still prosper, while my family, kind and honest, suffers endless misfortune? They say karma is just. Where is our sin? They say the heavens have eyes. Where are those eyes?”

She repeated these questions in her heart, but no answer came. Her resolve to defy the heavens only hardened.

An hour later, Lu Yao finally reached the summit of Golden Radiance Mountain. As the site of imperial sacrifices for generations, the local authorities had built a massive altar surrounded by a plaza spanning dozens of acres.

The sacrificial rite was a tradition, symbolizing the emperor’s reverence for the heavens and his responsibility to the people. Naturally, he wanted witnesses as proof of his virtue. Thus, on this day, anyone could observe the ceremony, so long as they did not step onto the altar itself.

By the time Lu Yao arrived, the plaza was already packed. Merely reaching the edge of the altar seemed an impossible task, let alone defying the heavens.

Just as she was despairing, she spotted a beggar in the crowd. The man was so filthy that people instinctively shied away from him.

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A spark of inspiration struck.

Lu Yao rushed to a muddy path nearby, fighting back disgust as she smeared filth all over herself until not an inch of clean skin remained.

Qi Huang, whose consciousness was attached to Lu Yao, could feel the unbearable discomfort despite the barrier of time. It was a testament to the sheer sacrifice Lu Yao was making.

Ignoring the stares of onlookers, Lu Yao pushed forward. Her plan worked flawlessly, people recoiled at the sight of her, clearing a path.

Effortlessly, she reached the innermost edge of the altar. The only cost was her dignity, but what did shame matter to someone who no longer feared death?

Guards blocked further passage, but she was satisfied. From here, she could see the emperor’s back.

The ceremony had already begun. The emperor knelt in full prostration atop the altar, reciting prayers in a deliberately loud voice. The crowd remained hushed, allowing Lu Yao to hear every word clearly.

“Heaven bless Great Meng! May the nation prosper and the people thrive! Today, I, your humble servant, offer this sacrifice in gratitude and beseech your favor for bountiful harvests…”

His tone was pious, whether out of genuine concern for the people or fear for his throne, none could say.

“His Majesty is truly wise! He prays only for the people, never for himself.”

“Indeed, since his ascension, he has come to Golden Radiance Mountain every year for over two decades. Our nation’s prosperity is all thanks to him!”

“The journey from the capital spans thousands of miles, yet His Majesty endures the hardship without complaint. How fortunate we are to have such a ruler!”

“This only proves the heavens are just. Those who revere them receive their protection!”

The crowd murmured praises, faces filled with reverence.

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Lu Yao could bear it no longer. At this moment, she felt utterly isolated by the world. Her resentment erupted into fury.

‘Why is it that my family alone suffers endless calamity? What crime did we commit to deserve such cruelty from the heavens?’

“If the heavens truly have eyes, they must be blind in one!”

Her voice, clear and sharp, cut through the air. Those nearby heard it plainly.

Silence fell instantly. Shock flashed across the faces of those around her before they scrambled backward, terrified of being implicated.

“A heaven that cannot distinguish right from wrong, why worship it at all?”

Unrelenting, Lu Yao shouted toward the altar with all her strength.

This time, nearly the entire plaza heard. People turned in horror, searching for the madwoman who dared blaspheme during the sacred rite.

“Audacious!”

The guards roared, surging forward. How dare a mere girl defy the heavens in their presence?

Though frail, Lu Yao stood as firm as a poplar in the desert, unflinching before the armed soldiers. The onlookers, however, fled in terror.

Qi Huang’s heart ached. She knew the girl’s life was now counting down in seconds.

The commotion grew until even the emperor noticed. The ceremony ground to a halt.

“Impudent wretch! How dare you blaspheme in broad daylight? Do you not fear divine retribution?” the emperor bellowed, face red with fury.

“Blasphemy? Was I wrong?” Lu Yao retorted, undaunted. “My family lived honestly, never committing a single sin. Yet all five of us were struck with incurable illness. If the heavens are just, tell me, what crime did we commit?”

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Her voice echoed across the plaza, unanswered.

“If the heavens have eyes, why won’t they answer me?”

“If your entire family fell ill, you must have committed unspeakable evils. The heavens do not err!” the emperor snapped.

“What evils? Even convicts are judged with evidence! You, an emperor, slander my family without proof, what right do you have to rule?”

Her words were a blade. A dying woman feared neither heaven nor emperor.

“You dare?! First blasphemy, now treason. Have you no fear of death?” The emperor trembled with rage. Never in his life had he been insulted so brazenly.

“Death? I’ve longed for it! Do you know what these years have been like? Watching my family die one by one, all thanks to your ‘just’ heavens! Blind! Deaf! Worthless!”

She pointed at the sky, cursing.

“She’s insane! Not only disrupting the rite but cursing the heavens!”

“Shut up! If you want to die, go hang yourself! Don’t drag us down!”

“Your Majesty, execute her! If heaven is angered, all of Great Meng will suffer!”

“Kill her now, or your years of worship will be in vain!”

The crowd wailed, begging the emperor to slay this great sinner.

“Guards! Execute her on the spot!” the emperor shrieked.

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“Yes!”

A soldier stepped forward, his spear thrusting straight through Lu Yao’s heart.

Even in the dream, Qi Huang convulsed in agony, unable to scream.

“I… refuse… to accept this… Why… why…?”

Trembling from pain, Lu Yao muttered her defiance until, at last, her head drooped. A single tear of blood trailed from her right eye, freezing on her cheek.

Qi Huang’s consciousness faded, only to snap back moments later. The scene before her was unchanged.

‘This makes no sense. If this isn’t a dream, Lu Yao is dead. My consciousness should have returned.’

Before she could ponder further, murmurs rose from the crowd.

“Why… why hasn’t she fallen?”

“Investigate!” the emperor ordered.

A guard hesitantly approached.

Then, Qi Huang’s vision twisted.

The world changed.

Yin energy, dark and endless, surged from the surroundings, converging upon Lu Yao’s body like a whirlpool in the abyss.