Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies-Chapter 1259: Sacrifice

Chapter 1259: Sacrifice

The death of the Twenty-seventh Concubine created a discordant minor episode for the arrival of Zhang Yi and the others.

Zhang Yi, who had originally planned to take a comfortable bath, was now in no mood for it.

He stroked Hua Hua's soft fur and, without showing any outward change, returned to the room with the others.

It was still daytime, and he had no plans to take action yet. He would wait for Pagyi Gesang to return, meet with him, and then decide on the next steps.

However, he had also made preparations. If the Pagyi Family wanted to do something to them because of the Twenty-seventh Concubine's death, Zhang Yi would not allow himself to be caught in a passive position.

Sure enough, not long after, the chief steward Lhobu came back to find Zhang Yi.

But this time, he was not here to apologize for the incident. Instead, he repeatedly expressed his apologies to Zhang Yi and the others.

"Honored guests, we are truly sorry for what just happened. It was our failure to manage our people properly that allowed her to disturb you."

"We sincerely hope you will not take this matter to heart."

Zhang Yi asked indifferently, "How is the investigation going?"

Lhobu bowed and replied, "We have already determined that she used a hairpin to slit her own throat."

Zhang Yi looked at him, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his lips. "You wouldn't happen to think her death has anything to do with me, would you?"

Upon hearing this, Lhobu quickly chuckled. "Honored guest, you are overthinking it."

After a pause, he continued, "Even if you truly wanted her dead, it wouldn't be a significant matter. After all, how could a woman like her compare to the dignity of your status?"

Zhang Yi and the others exchanged glances upon hearing this. It was clear that Lhobu didn't place much importance on what Pagyi Gesang called his 'concubines.' 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

This was hardly surprising. The number of women around Pagyi Gesang was probably countless.

Even if this Twenty-seventh Concubine had some beauty, to Pagyi Gesang, she was merely a plaything.

Based on what they had seen and heard since entering the Snowy Region, human life didn't seem to be held in high regard here.

Even if Zhang Yi had killed that woman, the Pagyi Family wouldn't turn against him over it.

Only Liang Yue and the women in the Shadow Space felt anger at Lhobu's words.

Zhang Yi said calmly, "Regardless, this matter has nothing to do with us."

Lhobu responded, "You are absolutely right. I believe you, honored guest, have nothing to do with this incident."

He added, "Before leaving, the family head mentioned that you would arrive today. However, he is unable to personally receive you due to a meeting he must attend."

"That is why he asked me to receive you distinguished guests on his behalf. Next, you are welcome to look around the Pagyi Family estate and appreciate the beautiful scenery of our home."

Pagyi Gesang knew that if Zhang Yi came, he would definitely explore everywhere to gather information.

Since he couldn't stop Zhang Yi, it was better to proactively offer to guide him, which could also earn some goodwill.

Zhang Yi and the others exchanged glances. They had originally planned to do just that.

So Zhang Yi nodded. "Excellent. This is my first time in the Snowy Region, and I was just thinking of taking a good look around!"

The matter of the Twenty-seventh Concubine was temporarily set aside.

Zhang Yi and the others tidied up a bit and then walked out of the courtyard.

Lhobu enthusiastically accompanied them, personally acting as Zhang Yi's guide.

Zhang Yi didn't refuse. After all, the place was vast, he was unfamiliar with it, and wandering aimlessly wouldn't lead to anything worthwhile.

The Pagyi Family estate was enormous. In this theocratic region, the mysterious aura of the Esoteric Buddhist Sect permeated everywhere.

Even the beams and pillars of the houses were adorned with ancient Sanskrit inscriptions, and images of Buddhas were carved all around.

Zhang Yi chatted intermittently with Lhobu, trying to extract some information about the Snowy Region from him.

Especially regarding Sangha Monastery, the Great Snow Mountain, and the Demon Kingdom.

However, Lhobu, being a shrewd man, spoke very cautiously. The information he provided basically aligned with what Zhang Yi had already learned beforehand.

Zhang Yi wasn't offended. He simply observed the land with his eyes.

Looking closely, he began to realize the terror of this region.

After the Apocalypse descended, the four great families and the forces led by Sangha Monastery completely took control of the entire Snowy Region.

Due to the panic among the people, the power of the Esoteric Buddhist Sect grew unprecedentedly.

Some ancient cultural practices began to flourish again.

Outside, on execution racks, hundreds of people were hung prominently. Professional executioners were there, skinning them and extracting their internal organs.

They worked with intense focus, as if engaged in some sacred task.

When they saw Zhang Yi and the others passing by, they instinctively sized them up from head to toe, then revealed rows of stark white teeth, giving Zhang Yi's group an exceedingly bizarre smile.

Zhang Yi felt somewhat uncomfortable inside, but on the surface, he looked calmly at Lhobu and asked with an air of nonchalance:

"Is the culinary culture in the Snowy Plateau Region so peculiar? Even preparing 'white meat' is done with such meticulousness?"

Upon hearing this, Lhobu simply smiled faintly, long accustomed to the bloody scene not far away.

"Honored guest, perhaps you are unaware. This is a sacred ritual."

"Sacred?"

Liang Yue frowned, a deep chill flashing in her eyes.

Such a scene made her extremely uncomfortable.

She had seen plenty of killing, but this spectacle still caused a physiological revulsion.

In fact, it wasn't just her. Zhang Yi, Old You, and Fatty Xu weren't faring much better.

If they hadn't experienced so many battles and seen so many corpses, they would have vomited long ago.

But now, in front of Lhobu and the others, they had to appear calm and unruffled so as not to be looked down upon.

At the very least, Zhang Yi could already hear several women in the Shadow Space retching violently.

Lhobu chuckled. "You may not know this, but in our Esoteric Buddhist Sect, sacrifice is a sacred matter. And the highest form of sacrificial offering is inevitably the body of a believer."

"It won't be long before our most important Prayer Festival begins. For this, each family must offer a sufficient quantity of human skins and organs to create ritual implements."

He pointed at the corpses being processed. "These are all our most loyal believers, carefully selected. Only their skin and organs can be used to create superior ritual implements."

Zhang Yi took a deep breath. Fortunately, his armor had an air filtration function that helped block out the thick smell of blood.

"What an interesting cultural tradition."

Zhang Yi quickly walked away from the area, not saying anything more.

Among the many ancient cultural traditions of Huaxu Kingdom, there were traditions of human sacrifice.

And in the eyes of the locals, this was a very ordinary matter.

There were even some sufficiently devout believers who took pride in being chosen.

The Esoteric Buddhist Sect cultivates for the next life. Thus, sacrificing everything in this life, no matter what hardships are endured, can be explained as paving the way for a life of superiority in the next life.

A hypocritical 'next life' can be interpreted infinitely—such is the power of religion.

After walking for a while, not far from the sacrificial harvesting grounds, Zhang Yi and the others witnessed an utterly ridiculous scene.

In a square before a temple, a high lama in red robes sat cross-legged on a stone platform. Below him were believers dressed in rags but with faces full of piety.

The high lama pressed his palms together, preaching to them.

"The ascetic practices of this life are to accumulate merit. The more merit you accumulate, the more you can enter the Western Pure Land after death."

"When that time comes, countless Buddhas and deities will personally come to welcome you. The path to the Pure Land is paved with gold and jewels. There, you will possess everything you desire. There is no cold or hunger. Everyone lives in happiness."

Author's Note