Chapter 20 Human Sacrifice

　　—Rule established by violence will inevitably be overturned by violence.

　　Only after the BullHead envoys had departed did Gongkong lead Su Ziqi and her four companions back to the great hall of the sacrificial platform in the inner city.

　　One day, with time on his hands, Gongkong came to visit them.

　　The moment Su Ziqi saw him she asked at once: “These past few days, especially at night, we keep hearing hammering and construction outside. What is that?”

　　“Sister Ziqi, we have been working through the nights, erecting platforms outside the city to receive the chieftains of the FireWorship Clan.”

　　“The FireWorship Clan? What sort of people are they, and why are they coming to your clan?”

　　“The FireWorship Clan serves the Black Clan Celestial Gods; their chieftain is named Lian Kui. They are also humans. They are coming to Wangqiu City to take part in the annual humansacrifice combat tournament.”

　　“Humansacrifice combat tournament?”

　　“Those BullHead envoys last time came precisely for the matter of the human sacrifices. After the Gongyou and FireWorship Clans were defeated in the War of the Gods, each year a combat is held to decide which side must offer the sacrifices.”

　　Su Ziqi’s face filled with puzzlement: “What exactly do the Green Clan of Evil Gods want with these sacrificial children?”

　　Ever since learning of the cruel human sacrifices upon this planet, the five had discussed the question among themselves.

　　Human sacrifice had once appeared in Earth’s ancient history as well, yet how could the threeeyed giants, who possessed advanced technology, still be so barbaric?

　　“No one knows. Once the sacrifices are offered they never return. But it is said that the seven elders of the Green Clan have already lived at least ten thousand years. Popular rumor holds that the Green Clan of Evil Gods require human sacrifices in order to prolong their lives.”

　　Dong Yifeng’s eyes widened in astonishment: “What—tens of thousands of years of life? That is simply incredible! Ziqi, ask him how the Green Clan of Evil Gods actually use the sacrifices to extend their lifespan.”

　　Su Ziqi, Zheng Ya, and Wang Yue all glanced sideways at Dong Yifeng, finding him remarkably insensitive: far from feeling the cruelty of the practice, he was interested only in the method by which the Green Clan gods prolonged their lives.

　　Su Ziqi asked Gongkong: “How many sacrifices do the Green Clan of Evil Gods demand from you each year?”

　　“More than ten years ago they required only a few hundred each year, but thereafter the quota increased year by year. Last year they demanded four thousand. Damn them—this year their ambition has swollen still further; they actually demand eight thousand.”

　　“What—eight thousand? They are far too cruel.” The three women opened their mouths in shock; none of them could imagine the bloody scene of eight thousand children being sacrificed.

　　“Not only that—this year they also demand twenty thousand ablebodied laborers. Both the sacrifices and the laborers never return. The Green Clan of Evil Gods harbor sinister designs; they deliberately stir enmity between our two great human clans, forcing us to hold a combat tournament each year in which each side sends one warrior. The loser supplies both the sacrifices and the laborers.”

　　“Gongkong, are you content simply to endure the Green Clan’s oppression and offer up your own children?” Su Ziqi could no longer restrain herself.

　　Wherever there is oppression there is resistance; she felt deep indignation that the humans of this planet were so oppressed.

　　At her words Gongkong’s habitual grin vanished; his face turned ashen, veins stood out upon his forehead, his fists clenched, and his teeth ground audibly. Suddenly he burst into loud sobs, pounding his head with his fists: “Who told us to lose the War of the Gods! The Green Clan says this is the punishment for the defeated. Damn them—I have a blood feud with the Green Clan that cannot be shared under the same heaven! Yet I am a useless waste, a worthless creature who cannot take revenge!”

　　Seeing the usual ruffian suddenly lose control, the three women were startled; they offered handkerchiefs and words of comfort until, after a long while, Gongkong’s emotions subsided.

　　Thereafter, at Su Ziqi’s request, Gongkong described further conditions upon Mu Star.

　　Before the War of the Gods, Mu Star had been entirely peaceful; the notion of human sacrifice had never existed.

　　The various clans of celestial gods had from ancient times enjoyed long lifespans—though not immortal, they commonly lived from a thousand to more than ten thousand years.

　　After the War of the Gods, however, the Green Clan of Evil Gods unified the world and began demanding sacrifices from the human race. It was said that the emeraldgreen third eye of the Green Clan gods could absorb the souls of mortals and thereby achieve eternal life.

　　Gongkong said that many of his childhood playmates had been seized by the Green Clan for sacrifice, and that his own father had died at their hands; that was why Su Ziqi’s words had so stirred him that he broke down in tears.

　　After hearing Gongkong’s account, Su Ziqi finally understood why he always referred to them as the “Green Clan of Evil Gods.”

　　This was a wondrous yet perilous planet upon which humans, together with all manner of strange races, lived alongside their socalled “Creator Gods.”

　　It was an age of “gods and men dwelling together.” The Green Clan of Evil Gods possessed supreme power of life and death, the supernatural ability to absorb human souls, and the capacity to soar through the sky and even travel among the stars.

　　To the Green Clan of Evil Gods the human race was less than pigs or dogs. Children were taken for sacrifice; ablebodied adults were conscripted for labor.

　　While Su Ziqi conversed with Gongkong, Dong Yifeng discussed with Huamei the lifespan of the Green Clan gods.

　　In 2069 the average human lifespan already exceeded one hundred and fifty years; longer life could be achieved through medicine and genetic technology.

　　Compared with humanity’s technological extension of life, the “Green Clan of Evil Gods” of whom Gongkong spoke prolonged theirs by supernatural means—something both Dong and Huamei found inconceivable.

　　Gongkong then, again at Su Ziqi’s request, described the humansacrifice combat tournaments.

　　For the first decade or more the two clans had alternated victories.

　　Four years earlier the situation had changed.

　　That year Elder Brother Gong Kang first represented the Gongyou Clan; his opponent was the foremost warrior of the FireWorship Clan, Wu Tian.

　　Wu Tian wielded a precious sword and shield; Gong Kang held an iron long spear.

　　Wu Tian charged with weapons raised; Gong Kang leapt into the air and hurled the spear with all his strength. The spear whistled through the air toward Wu Tian.

　　Wu Tian hastily raised his shield, yet he had not expected the force of Gong Kang’s throw to be so tremendous. The spear passed through the shield without losing momentum, drove clean through Wu Tian’s chest, and pinned him to the ground.

　　The foremost warrior of the FireWorship Clan had not lasted a single exchange against Gong Kang and died on the spot, filling the spectators with shock and awe; some even suspected Gong Kang of being a celestial being. Thereafter he was hailed as the foremost warrior of the Gongyou Clan.

　　Three years earlier Gong Kang again fought for the Gongyou Clan; the FireWorship Clan sent a massive giant of a man.

　　The giant stood more than two meters tall and lunged at Gong Kang with a long spear. This time Gong Kang fought barehanded.

　　His movements were extremely swift. After dodging the spear he spun behind the giant, seized collar and belt with both hands, and with a mighty heave lifted the man overhead before slamming him to the ground.

　　The giant’s leg bones snapped; he could no longer stand. Gong Kang won again.

　　Two years earlier Gong Kang once more represented the Gongyou Clan against a short opponent from the FireWorship Clan.

　　Again Gong Kang fought emptyhanded; the short man wielded two knives. Without many words they engaged.

　　Unexpectedly the short man’s footwork was extremely agile; Gong Kang, somewhat careless and without a weapon, suffered at the outset.

　　Gong Yi, watching, hastily drew the DragonFlame Sword that belonged to Gong Kang and shouted “Elder Brother, take the sword!” flinging it to him.

　　Before pure strength all technique is futile. Once Gong Kang held the sword the situation reversed at once. Seizing an opening he brought the blade down upon the short man.

　　The short man raised both knives to parry, yet he had not anticipated the weight of the blow; the sword pressed the knives downward and continued toward his head.

　　He hastily tilted his head aside; the sword sank deep into his shoulder. Unable to keep his footing he sank to his knees.

　　Gong Kang followed with a kick to the chest that sent him flying three meters; the short man spat blood and died.