Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“Anyone free, come help! Offer the sacrifice to the god!”

Shang Lin’s shout wasn’t particularly loud, yet everyone in the valley turned to look-except for Dong Hong, who was still soaking in the mud.

Thanks to Han Lie’s distribution, the elderly and the young in the valley had all received two mouthfuls of porridge to line their stomachs.

That warm, salty porridge, infused with the fragrance of green onions and enhanced by their hunger, was so delicious it brought tears to everyone’s eyes.

Hearing that they were to offer a sacrifice to the Supreme Deity, no one needed to be urged; they all came forward to help.

Aside from the children who wouldn’t let go of their empty bowls, their little tongues darting out to lick the bottoms, everyone stood up of their own accord.

Even the elderly in their seventies and eighties, whose legs trembled like the fluttering wings of a butterfly, came to lend a hand.

The cage containing the Danghu was about two people tall.

Working together, the crowd emptied the large pot provided by the god and, following a slanted ladder, placed the cage inside.

Just as Han Lie was about to follow it in, the bottle cap vibrated and suddenly soared into the sky.

Caught off guard, he stumbled back two steps.

He looked up at the rising water bottle cap, momentarily at a loss. “Supreme Deity… what about me?”

Qin Ying, who was busy reeling in the cotton thread to retrieve the bottle cap, took a moment to answer, “Stay in the bo-that world for now.”

“I still have things for you to do.”

Hearing that he still had a mission, Han Lie stood dazed for a moment before bowing his head and cupping his hands. “Understood.”

In truth, Qin Ying had never considered taking him as a sacrifice.

What would she do, take him out of the box and keep him as a pet in a matchbox?

Even if the Monstrous Beast was the Danghu Bird, she wouldn’t have wanted it if she hadn’t heard it could cure eye ailments.

Six months ago, Qin Ying’s right eye had suffered a traumatic injury.

Although she had immediate surgery, the subsequent sympathetic ophthalmia affected her left eye, causing her vision in both eyes to deteriorate rapidly.

The black spots in her right field of vision had been expanding. Without a miracle, she would have eventually gone blind.

Qin Ying needed this Strange Beast Danghu that could treat eye diseases-even if there was only a sliver of hope, she had to seize it.

As the cotton thread retracted, she slowly lifted the bottle cap hanging from the end of the line out of the box.

The cage holding the Danghu Bird was about two sizes larger than a sugar cube, covered with a black cloth.

From the vibrations traveling up the thread, she could tell the Monstrous Beast inside was still quite energetic.

Qin Ying’s entire focus was on the Danghu Bird.

Carefully using two fingers, she peeled back the black cloth on the cage bit by bit.

Inside the wooden cage, which was made of bars as thin as toothpicks, crouched a strange bird with its wings tucked in.

Qin Ying pinched the bottle cap and brought it closer to look.

One look was all it took.

This Monstrous Beast that once dominated the mountains and forests was now crashing around the cage like a tiny fly.

It looked bizarre; its appearance and plumage were similar to a pheasant, but its neck was covered in long, thick whiskers.

Qin Ying adjusted her glasses and asked Han Lie, “How do I use the Danghu to treat eye ailments?”

This question struck Han Lie as a bit odd.

Shouldn’t a god be omniscient and omnipotent?

However, he did not hesitate. His answer was simple and blunt: eat it.

After slaughtering it, removing the feathers, and gutting it, it should be stewed or roasted immediately.

The fresher it was, the stronger the effect.

After eating it and resting for a day, one’s vision would gradually clear.

But Han Lie made one thing very clear: he only knew the method; he had never personally seen anyone consume it.

A rare and ferocious creature like the Strange Beast Danghu, which was so difficult to capture, was something only a select few at the pinnacle of power in the Great Xia Dynasty could enjoy.

During the treatment, the Imperial Physician Director and the Imperial Physician Supervisor would be on standby to assist and mitigate any risks.

As for the specific timing of consumption, she would have to judge that for herself.

Qin Ying stood by the box, listening intently.

“Eat it?” Her gaze shifted to the Danghu Bird, causing its feathers to stand up like a fighting cock’s.

The Strange Beast Danghu was a tyrant in the mountains, preying on jackals and wolves, and occasionally venturing down the mountain to hunt humans for a rare treat.

It was violent and fierce by nature, devoid of any human-like sentiment.

It retained more animalistic traits and did not wonder why it had ended up in the hands of this giant human.
The creature merely bared its claws and flapped its wings in intimidation, pecking at the wooden cage that held it with its sharp beak.

Strangely enough, though the cage was tiny and appeared to be made of wood, the pecking of its beak produced a metallic clanging sound.

Seeing that Qin Ying remained motionless, the Danghu thought she had been cowed.

Its whiskers quivered as it vibrated its throat, letting out a croak like that of a frog.

After a long silence, Qin Ying finally made up her mind. “Time to go big or go home.”

She didn’t want to lose her sight forever.

If she lost this gamble, she would just accept her bad luck!

Before the Danghu Bird could even begin to comprehend the concept of her gamble…

…it heard Qin Ying speak again. “Since you’re so tiny, I might as well boil you.”

At the size of a peanut, it would be too easy to char it to a crisp if she tried to pan-fry, deep-fry, or roast it.

Boiling was the safest bet.

Never in its wildest dreams did the Danghu imagine that her expressionless contemplation was actually about how to cook it!

After the initial shock, it croaked and retreated in terror.

But no matter how much it trembled, Qin Ying’s decisive nature was absolute.

Once she decided to eat it, she wouldn’t hesitate.

Killing a wild bird the size of a peanut was even simpler than gutting a fish.

Using a pair of eyebrow tweezers and a grooming blade, she easily snapped the Danghu’s neck.

Because the Danghu was so small, Qin Ying didn’t feel much guilt over taking a life.

The real trouble, instead, was the cage it had been kept in.

It was made of an unknown wood that was nearly as hard as pig iron.

Qin Ying had to find a pair of iron pliers to force open the thin chain locking the cage before she could pull the Danghu’s corpse out.

Plucking the feathers and removing the internal organs was a bit more tedious, especially given Qin Ying’s failing eyesight.

She let out a long breath after finishing the ten-minute process.

By now, the pain in her right eye was nearly unbearable, and the dark spots in her vision had expanded.

Knowing that the meat would be most effective while fresh, Qin Ying didn’t dare stop despite her discomfort.

After a quick wash, she dropped the Danghu Bird into a stewing pot.

She didn’t dare add any spices, not even a pinch of salt.

While waiting for it to simmer, she began to prepare her final words.

Since she was risking it all on a gamble, she had to be prepared to lose everything.

Qin Ying wrote a short message and used her phone’s smart assistant to schedule it to be sent in twenty-four hours.

It was addressed to her eldest uncle.

If she died, she was counting on him to collect her body.

Qin Ying handwrote an explanation regarding the chest and placed it under her pillow.

Qin Ying’s uncle, Qin Zhiguo, was a police officer; whether it was handling a body or a mysterious chest, he was perfectly positioned for the task.

As for why she set the delay to twenty-four hours?

If she really did die from eating this, the weather was so hot that her body would start decomposing if she waited any longer than a couple of days!

Qin Ying had originally thought about writing an email to her best friend, Yao Zhenzhen.

But after some thought, she feared the matter of the chest would only bring her trouble and make her cry.

She decided to scrap the idea.

As for anyone else, Qin Ying thought for a moment and realized there was no one else worth worrying about.

When the steam rose from the stove and a faint meaty aroma began to waft through the air, Qin Ying stood up.

She tightly covered the chest on the dining table, bound it with cloth strips, and carried it to her bedroom by the bedside.

Then, she locked all the doors and windows.

After turning off the heat, she sat on the edge of her bed holding a small bowl of plain, watery Danghu broth.

The three mouthfuls of soup didn’t have any particular flavor.

As she swallowed, the tiny legs of the Danghu scratched against her throat, feeling somewhat itchy.

Qin Ying took off her glasses and lay down, resting her hands on her lower abdomen in a peaceful pose.

She slowly closed her eyes and murmured, “Grandmother, watch over me. Let me win just this once.”

Before the words had even fully left her lips, she clenched her fists.

Thick veins bulged across the backs of her hands and her forehead, and crimson blood began to leak from the corners of her eyes.

A swelling ache spread from her eyeballs, growing more intense by the second.

It felt as if two live octopuses had been stuffed into her eye sockets, thrashing wildly.

Just before the sheer agony caused her to lose consciousness in her carefully composed pose, only one thought remained in Qin Ying’s mind.

‘Dammit, it hurts!’