On the day of the great sacrificial ceremony, the people of the Witch tribe gathered below the high platform, and Shao He along with Pei Huaian and others followed, standing among the crowd, watching Amur on the platform.
He was dressed in the Clan Leader’s attire, holding a brocade box high above his head.
Seeing this, everyone kneeled to worship except for Pei Huaian and Shao He, who remained standing where they were.
However, this did not prevent Amur from continuing with other rituals, starting with prayers and worship to the ancestors, followed by sacrifices offered to the deities.
The so-called sacrifices were ritual offerings made from the blood and flesh of living beings. These offerings had to be newborn cattle or sheep to achieve the best effect.
This place was the altar, surrounded by many skinned and dismembered bodies of animals, along with various other offerings, making the entire scene feel deeply gloomy and terrifying.
After the sacrificial activity ended, the next phase was the sacrifice ceremony, led by a few venerable elders of the Witch tribe, accompanied by brave warriors ascending the altar. This ritual would last a long time, only completing at night.
That time period also happened to be the busiest moment within the Witch tribe.
Pei Huaian and others watched from below, noticing that the interior of the Witch tribe was indeed very prosperous and thriving.
"Be extra careful later."
Pei Huaian said with a somewhat serious expression, "Yes, you too, no matter when, your safety is the most important."
As time slowly passed, the sacrifice had reached its final part.
Amur finally revealed his true intentions, slowly opening the brocade box in his hands.
"From today onwards, I am the Clan Leader."
This declaration shocked the Second Elder and Third Elder; they tried to step forward to stop him, but were firmly held back by two guards.
The crowd below exchanged glances, everyone unclear about what had happened.
Amur continued, "I have already sought the greatest outside female doctor, yet she could not treat the Clan Leader, who is now in grave danger. From today onwards, I am your new Clan Leader."
One of the young men stepped forward and said, "If that is the case, why not let that female doctor come out, let her clarify what exactly is wrong with the Clan Leader."
"Exactly, we need to see him alive, or his body in death to know whether he truly died or was killed by someone."
The crowd murmured among themselves, and Amur had anticipated such a situation; he immediately glanced towards Shao He.
Shao He, catching his gaze, walked out from among the people and slowly approached the altar.
"I am the best female doctor from the Great Yao Kingdom, I swear that every word I speak here is true."
Amur seemed not to expect her to say that, but admiration showed in his eyes. Then, he whispered beside her, "Very good, just like that, as long as you can make them believe, I will let you leave immediately."
Having said that, he stepped aside, ordering the attendants to carry up the body of the Chief.
All gasped as they saw the body laid upon the high platform.
"The Clan Leader, it’s the Clan Leader."
"If any wizard doubts, everyone can come up and check the Clan Leader’s pulse for themselves."
Indeed, someone went up to the altar, examined for a while, and then shook his head and stepped down.
Seizing the moment, Amur declared again, "The female doctor I brought is naturally much more reliable than our wizards. If she says there’s no saving him, then there absolutely isn’t."
"What do you plan to do now?"
Amur calmly said, "I have decided to properly bury the Clan Leader, and lead you all out of the valley."
At Amur’s words, everyone fell silent, especially the younger generation, who showed signs of surprise on their faces.
They had long been reluctant to stay in the valley; if not for the valley rules, they would have fled long ago.
After a while, a tribe member asked, "Does the Great Elder plan to abolish the tribal rules?"
Amur answered without hesitation, "Why can’t we leave this valley? Are we to continue forever?"
"Yes, that’s right, I support the Great Elder."
Soon, such voices gradually arose, with the Second Elder and Third Elder shouting at the side, "No, we cannot leave!"
"Why can’t we?" the tribe members questioned.
The Third Elder angrily looked at them and said, "Do you think the outside world is that wonderful? With your condition, it’s uncertain whether you’ll live or die out there! Besides, it could bring disaster to the valley."
"The outside world has people too, why must we be trapped here while others can survive? Why can’t we?" Amur deliberately stirred up conflict within the tribe.
"Exactly, why can they, but we cannot?" the tribe members began to dissent.
This outcome was exactly what Amur had hoped for; it was greatly helpful to him and also gained him the support of the people, thus no longer fearing the Second Elder and Third Elder.
The Third Elder tried to persuade vehemently, but nobody listened to him; the Second Elder sighed and shook his head.
Seeing the situation, Shao He loudly said, "Please let me say one thing to you all."
Her voice instantly made the people of the Witch tribe stop and turn to look at her.
Even Amur was stunned, not understanding what she was about to do. Shao He slowly began, "You enjoy a peaceful life here, while people outside suffer from the pains of war, sometimes even lacking enough food to eat. That’s why the two Elders do not let you leave."