Chapter 47: Black Rain Will Fall from the Sky

While the Imperial Master Xuan Yi and Xiao Yu were working tirelessly on the "Jingzhe Plan", Ajiu's "study life" in the Imperial Master's Mansion was also proceeding in a bumpy manner.

On this day, Master Zhou talked about the royal sacrificial rituals, mentioned the upcoming "Grand Prayer Ceremony", and that the Crown Prince would be the main priest.

"The Prayer Ceremony is a major national event, praying to God to bless our great dynasty with good weather, peace and prosperity for the country and the people. At that time, the Crown Prince will wear sacrificial clothing, ascend the altar to offer sacrifices to God on behalf of the emperor..." Master Zhou explained while shaking his head.

As Jiu was listening, there was a sudden buzzing sound in his little head and a blurry image flashed by.

She seemed... seemed to have had a similar dream.

In the dream, there was also a very high platform. On it stood a small child, about the same height as her, dressed in beautiful clothes, with a solemn expression on his face. Then, it suddenly began to rain. Black raindrops, dense and dense, fell on the child and on the many people below the platform...

"Master," Ah Jiu suddenly raised his hand, interrupting Master Zhou, a trace of uneasiness on his face, "Will it... rain black from the sky?"

Master Zhou was stunned. "Black rain? Why would Miss Jiu say that? Rainwater is usually colorless and transparent, so how can it be black?"

"But... I seem to have dreamed about it..." Ah Jiu tried hard to recall the scene in the dream, "In the dream, there was a little brother wearing golden clothes, standing on a very high platform, and then a lot of black things fell from the sky, like raindrops, and they had a stinky smell..."

As she spoke, she wrinkled her nose, as if she really smelled the smell.

Mr. Zhou thought it was just a child's dream talk, so he smiled and was about to continue teaching when he saw Ah Jiu suddenly widen his eyes, cover his mouth with his little hands, and look frightened.

"Sir!" Ah Jiu suddenly jumped up from the stool and ran out without caring that Master Zhou was still there, shouting, "Sir! Sir! Oh no! That little brother in the golden clothes is in trouble! Black stinking raindrops are about to fall from the sky and hit him!"

She rushed into the study of the Imperial Master Xuan Yi in a hurry, and scared the Imperial Master Xuan Yi who was pondering over an ancient book.

"Ajiu? What's wrong with you? You look so irritable!" Imperial Master Xuan Yi put down the scroll in his hand and frowned.

"Sir! Sir!" Ah Jiu gasped, his face flushed red. "I... I dreamed... the Prayer Ceremony... that little grandson of the emperor... black raindrops would fall from the sky... it was so smelly... the little grandson of the emperor would be... in great danger!"

Imperial Master Xuan Yi's brows furrowed more and more as he listened to Ajiu's fragmented description.

Although this girl's dream sounds absurd, considering the "sacrifice" and "ghostly air" mentioned in "The Awakening of Insects", could it be that... the so-called "sacrifice ceremony" will really trigger some kind of strange phenomenon in heaven and earth?

If this is true, the Crown Prince's situation will be more dangerous than they imagined!

Imperial Master Xuan Yi relayed Ah Jiu's absurd-sounding "dream prophecy" to Xiao Yu verbatim.

After hearing this, Xiao Yu's handsome brows knitted into a frown. He always believed seeing was believing, and instinctively repelled these mystical things. But the person speaking was Ah Jiu—a little girl with a unique way of thinking who always managed to say something shocking at the crucial moment.

"Black raindrops... a foul smell..." Xiao Yu pondered, "Master, how credible do you think this is?"

Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi gave a wry laugh. "Your Highness, if anyone else had said this, I would have denounced them as spreading rumors and misleading the public. But Ah Jiu... although she may be a bit clueless, her intuition, or rather her devious 'divinations,' can sometimes be so accurate that it makes one's scalp tingle. Combined with the records of the 'Netherworld Qi' in the 'Jingzhe Records,' I believe it's better to believe it exists than not."

Xiao Yu nodded, his expression solemn. "If what Ah Jiu said is true, then once the 'sacrifice ritual' succeeds, the consequences will be far beyond our imagination. Those 'black raindrops' are probably the embodiment of the 'ghostly aura'. Its corrosiveness and toxicity should not be underestimated."

"It seems that we not only have to stop the ceremony, but also try to find and control the 'Tears of the Stars' and the core members of the 'Night Owl Alliance' who are responsible for controlling it before the ceremony starts." National Master Xuan Yi said in a deep voice.

Xiao Yu mobilized the elite secret guards of the Regent's Palace and secretly screened all personnel who had access to the altar, the crown prince, and matters related to the "Prayer for Good Harvest Ceremony".

The key targets of investigation are naturally those who behave in a secretive manner or are involved with certain suspicious forces.

At the same time, Xiao Yu also sent people to secretly investigate the confidants around the Queen Mother. He did not doubt the Queen Mother herself, but was worried that the Queen Mother was old and could be easily deceived or exploited by those around her.

The investigation revealed some clues. A distant nephew of a head nanny at the Queen Mother's side had a secret connection to the previously raided outpost of the Night Owl Alliance!

As for Master Zhou, ever since he was frightened out of his wits by Ajiu's "Black Raindrop Theory", he returned home and the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.

The next day in class, Master Zhou asked the Imperial Master Xuan Yi about this matter in a roundabout way.

"Master Imperial Preceptor," Master Zhou asked cautiously, "What Miss Jiu said yesterday about the 'Grand Prayer Ceremony' and the 'Black Raindrops'... is there... is there something wrong?"

Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi knew he couldn't hide anything from this meticulous old scholar, so he half-seriously said, "Master Zhou, don't worry. Jiu just had a nightmare. Children tend to take dreams seriously. However, the 'Grand Prayer Ceremony' concerns the fate of the nation. As Imperial Preceptor, I must treat it with caution and consult various divinations, just in case."

He paused, then casually asked, "Speaking of which, Master Zhou, you are well-versed in history. Do you know of any similar records or legends in history regarding strange phenomena falling from the sky during sacrificial ceremonies, or anything related to 'black rain'?"

Master Zhou pondered for a moment, stroking his beard as he spoke, "Ordinary rain is naturally colorless and transparent. However, ancient texts do mention some unusual phenomena. For example, historical records state that in the last years of the previous dynasty, natural disasters and man-made calamities were constant, and in one place, 'blood rain' fell from the sky, which was considered a bad omen. As for 'black rain'... I've never heard of it. However, some strange stories and miscellaneous talks have mentioned that if evil spirits cause trouble and stir up the evil energy of the earth's veins, it may cause filthy objects to fall from the sky. The color is black or brown, and the stench is unbearable. If touched, the skin will ulcerate and the grass will wither..."

Imperial Master Xuan Yi was startled! The information Master Zhou had mentioned so casually actually matched Ah Jiu's description and their speculations!

In order to further verify his conjecture and to put pressure on the imprisoned "Owl Lord", the Imperial Master Xuan Yi decided to go to the dungeon himself.