"Sacrifice?!" Upon hearing this, the wicked man's eyes flashed with a fierce light, like lightning, before he asked in a low voice, "What is sacrifice? Why is it performed? And who organizes it?"

A deep sorrow and reluctance filled the man's brow, like a dark cloud. He sighed, "Heaven has sent a great flood to Qin, the Wei River surging like a raging torrent, causing widespread devastation. An old man says this is due to the displeasure of the River God of the Wei River, who demands that young boys and girls be given as servants, and that beautiful women be chosen as concubines, along with three kinds of sacrificial animals and six kinds of livestock as gifts..."

Upon hearing this, the wicked man's murderous intent erupted like a volcano. Not long ago, he had executed that official in Xianyang who was obsessed with superstition and deception, yet now such doctrines were still being promoted in the local area.

The wicked husband pressed on, "Then who exactly organized this event?"

"Who else could it be? Sorcerers and shamans, the Prefect of Longxi, Tai Xuan, trusts these people the most..." The man's voice carried a hint of anger, like a burning flame, "Natural disaster, natural disaster, and they actually expect women and children to quell it, how pathetic and hateful!"

"Does this Prefect of Longxi, Tai Xuan, not know that such superstitions are like a malignant tumor, only harming others and himself?" The wicked man raised an eyebrow, his voice as cold as the west wind in the dead of winter, its biting chill sending shivers down one's spine.

Seeing the wicked man's gloomy face, like the sky before a storm, the man sighed and said, "Sir, although the people are unwilling to accept this sacrifice, who dares to defy the wrath of the River God? If the Wei River is not calmed, I'm afraid the Qin land will never have a day of peace."

Upon hearing this, the wicked man's anger flared up like wildfire, growing ever more intense.

He knew that if such superstitious behavior was not stopped in time, it would spread like a plague and bring even more serious disasters.

He made up his mind to go to the Wei River in person to unveil the mystery of the so-called wrath of the River God and find out the truth.

"Come with me and take me to see that so-called sacrificial ceremony tomorrow?" The wicked husband sighed, then turned and left, not giving the man a chance to refuse.

"This... is, Grand Commandant!" The man hesitated, but dared not refute.

Upon returning to their lodgings, the wicked man ordered Zhang Erhe to summon all the officials of Gancheng.

Dozens of officials from Gancheng gathered together, all filled with doubt, wondering why the wicked man had summoned them.

Footsteps approached, and everyone quickly stood up and bowed, "We pay our respects to the Grand Commandant!"

The wicked man walked straight to the head seat with a cold face and sat down. His sharp eyes swept over the officials one by one, and none of them dared to meet his gaze.

The atmosphere inside the hall was eerily quiet. No one dared to meet the wicked husband's knife-like gaze; all lowered their heads, feeling a sense of panic.

"How dare you!"

The wicked man's sudden shout nearly made them fall to the ground in fright.

Magistrate Wang Ye of Gancheng County asked in a trembling voice, "Grand...Grand Commandant, what makes you say that? Is there something we have done wrong? Please enlighten us."

Who in the entire Qin officialdom didn't know the wicked nature of the husband?

He is not easily angered, but if he does get angry, it's a sure way to get his head chopped off.

"In the face of natural disaster, instead of providing disaster relief and helping the people, you resort to superstitious practices like offering sacrifices. Don't you know that you are fooling the people and harming the country?" The wicked man's voice was like thunder, making the officials present tremble with fear.

"Your Excellency, this is not what we wanted. It has been a long-standing rumor among the people, and we had no choice but to do this!" an official said in a trembling voice, and the others nodded in agreement.

Wang Ye wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with difficulty, "Grand Commandant, we are just county magistrates. How dare we interfere in the actions of Prefect Tai Xuan?"

"A desperate measure?" The wicked man sneered, his eyes blazing. "As an official, you should set an example and guide the people onto the right path, but instead you are misled by superstition. It's truly pathetic and lamentable!"

"I can understand that you subordinates dare not comment on the bizarre and outrageous things that Tai Xuan does. But why has no one reported this to His Majesty? I, the Grand Commandant, have come here in person, and no one has mentioned this matter."

"Could it be... that you think I, the Grand Commandant, am also a believer in ghosts, gods, and supernatural powers?"

He stood up, looked around, and said in an unquestionable tone, "I command you to immediately cease this absurd sacrifice and send the boys and girls chosen as sacrifices back home!"

"Tomorrow, you will all accompany me, the Grand Commandant, to this sacrificial ceremony!"

The officials looked at each other, but none dared to disobey the wicked man's orders. They all accepted the command and quickly dispersed to carry out the Grand Commandant's instructions.

Wang Ye walked at the back of the crowd, turned around, gritted his teeth, and whispered, "Grand Commandant, Tai Xuan will arrive in Gancheng this evening and will personally preside over the sacrificial ceremony tomorrow."

"Should we...should we keep your whereabouts in Gan City a secret?"

The wicked man nodded slightly. "Go and do it. If anyone leaks the news, I, the Grand Commandant, will execute them without mercy."

......

The next day, darkness before dawn enveloped the entire city, and bursts of noise could be heard from time to time, as if the whispers of demons were coming from within.

The wicked husband, who had been feigning sleep, suddenly opened his eyes like a sleeping lion, a cold smile spreading across his lips, as sharp as frost in the dead of winter. "Erhe, take my sword and gather a thousand men to set off!"

"Yes, Grand Commandant!" Zhang Erhe's thunderous reply came from outside the door.

Stepping out of the door, the city was eerily quiet, like a dead city, without a single person in sight. It seemed that the people had all come out to participate in today's sacrificial ceremony.

As dawn broke, the wicked man, like an arrow released from a bow, rode his swift horse and led a thousand fierce soldiers, galloping in a mighty procession along the road leading to the source of the Wei River.

Every now and then, a few rays of sunlight pierced through the dark clouds, falling like golden arrows onto the wicked man, illuminating his resolute and cold face. At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: today he would kill all those who spread supernatural and bizarre beliefs.

As the sky was once again obscured by dark clouds and the light grew dim, the wicked man and his companions finally arrived at the banks of the Wei River. They hid like ghosts in the dense forest along the riverbank, silently observing the movements in the distance.

The riverbank was teeming with people, with flickering firelight and a tense, eerie atmosphere, as if a nightmare was about to unfold.

The wicked man waved for his men to remain silent, and he slipped into the crowd like a ghost, his ears filled with the sounds of people's prayers and the sorcerer's incantations.

His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept over the children and women chosen as sacrifices. Seeing their eyes filled with fear and helplessness, like lambs to the slaughter, his murderous intent surged even higher.

"With natural disasters raging, you actually think you can avert them with children and women? Are you stupid or mentally challenged?" The wicked husband turned to look at the man, who appeared to be about fifty years old, standing in front of the altar on the high platform.

This man was none other than Tai Xuan, the governor of Longxi Commandery.

Standing beside him were four or five strangely dressed men, presumably the sorcerers and wizards.