Chapter 7: The Prophet's Bittersweet Joy

“Not human? What do you mean?” my grandfather asked anxiously.

But Zhao the Madman showed no intention of explaining. Instead, he sighed deeply and said, “Setting aside the unexpected appearance of those few formidable elders just now, this child is born under the Amaterasu Life Palace. Such a prodigy appears once every hundred years, but only once every thousand years does one become widely known. Do you know why?”

My grandfather shook his head.

He was a self-taught man; knowing that Yin Cang sends children was already impressive for him. He had no knowledge of the finer details.

Zhao the Madman continued, “Because such prodigies, regardless of their field, inevitably become the elites of their industries. The well-known Zhou Xingxing of the past century shared the same life pattern, but this pattern brings a minor tribulation every three years and a major one every five years, making survival difficult. Naturally, few succeed…”

“And by chance, this child’s birth hour is even more extraordinary than the usual Amaterasu Life Palace—it’s the Yin Son of Heaven. The hardships he faces are far more perilous!”

Hearing this, my grandfather grew even more anxious, completely ignoring his own injuries. He immediately knelt before Zhao the Madman!

One must understand, my grandfather never admitted defeat before. Today, not only did he concede, but he also knelt before his most resented rival!

“Zhao the Madman, I, Old Han, beg you—please let my grandson live! Even if it costs me my old life, I beg you…”

Zhao the Madman did not shy away.

Everything has cause and effect.

Having taken on the cause, he must bear the consequence. My grandfather’s kneeling was something Zhao could accept.

Because what happened next was extremely dangerous—my grandfather deserved to kneel until death.

Zhao sighed helplessly, “If my village can produce such a genius, it must be partly due to my own merit…”

“Very well, I will save this child, but you must make him promise me that once he finds the one who will protect him, he must do me a favor. Otherwise, I will never take such a risk.”

After saying this, Zhao’s murky eyes gleamed as he looked at me.

My grandfather didn’t understand, “He’s just a child, how can he promise anything…”

At that moment, I tightly closed my eyes, barely able to suppress my fever.

“You just need to promise!” Zhao said.

Then he went to the altar, and before hundreds of ancestral incense burners, pinched a bit of incense ash from each, placing them all into a container.

He then faced the villagers, eyes fixed on those children born during the hour of the Ox.

“Right now, we must seal this child’s spirit and intelligence to prevent anything beyond those known elders from noticing him. Those elders won’t return for three years. Before he turns three, he must find a suitable protector!”

The villagers, of course, were indifferent.

They had no interest in prodigies.

All they wished was for the dark sky to return to normal and for their crops not to be ruined.

Zhao then had the children born during the Ox hour drip their blood into the container filled with incense ash.

At first, the villagers accompanying the children were reluctant.

“Why should we use my child’s blood?”

“Children are precious!”

“What does this have to do with us?”

Faced with their protests, Zhao only said, “If you want the dark sky to return to normal, do as I say!”

People are like that.

Once their own safety is involved, they quickly cooperate.

Zhao mixed a small amount of the children’s blood with the incense ash in front of the ancestral tablets, rolling it into a small blood pellet.

Then he handed it to me.

Placed near my mouth.

Though I had my eyes tightly shut and barely any strength to move, I suddenly twitched my delicate little nose.

Then,

*Huff.*

I swallowed it in one gulp.

A newborn child who could speak and eat blood pellets—this shocked the surrounding villagers.

They all backed away, looking at me as if I were a monster.

Five minutes later, I nestled in my grandfather’s arms, my fever gone, no longer burning up.

I didn’t cry or fuss.

But my once-clear black eyes became dull and vacant.

Just by looking into them, one could tell I was a fool.

“It’s done!”

Everyone rushed outside, but the sky was still pitch black.

“That’s not right, Zhao! Is this really going to work? Why is the sky still dark?”

“Yeah, Zhao, don’t deceive us! My child has been pricked with needles several times. How can you face the villagers?”

“You owe us our children’s blood!”

Zhao, displeased, said, “Open your eyes and see what time it is!”

The village chief’s house was the wealthiest in the village.

He glanced at his wristwatch: “It’s eight o’clock at night. It should be dark.”

Only then did Zhao grow impatient and say to everyone, “Go home. Tomorrow at dawn, the sky will be bright!”

After this was settled, Zhao comforted my grandfather: on my third birthday, he must take me to choose a wife.

The engagement must be successful; only then could I survive the first tribulation.

Otherwise, survival was impossible.

Hearing this, my grandfather vowed to remember it and took me home.

When the family heard of this, their faces fell.

A child so young, how could he find a bride? And being a fool, which family would want their daughter to marry him?

But there was no other way.

They could only let me live peacefully for those brief three years.

Because,

It was very likely that when I turned three, no one would want me.

Then my life would only last three years.

At dawn the next day,

The sky brightened.

The villagers were very happy; Zhao truly had the ability, and they treated him with greater respect.

It seemed as if everything had returned to normal.

But I had become a genuine fool.

While other children learned to speak and walk,

I only sat in the earthen courtyard eating my own snot.

Or I would stare blankly at the direction of the back mountain, smiling foolishly.

My clothes were perpetually damp, either with snot or saliva.

If the family ignored me, it was fine.

But whenever they looked at me, they sighed deeply.

My father was the most obvious; whenever he saw me sitting in the yard eating snot, he would shout, “What a curse!”

He repeatedly asked my grandfather, “Is this… this truly the millennium prodigy you spoke of? I think he’s a freak. He could eat three pounds of snot a day!”

Upon hearing this, my grandfather kicked my father and said, “How dare you speak of your own child like that! My grandson is Heaven’s favored! Go do your work!”

After scolding my father, my grandfather smiled and came over to comfort me.

“Big grandson, don’t mind your dad. He knows nothing. You are the hope of the Han family!”

Sitting on the earth, I seemed to understand and shakily handed the snot bubble under my nose to my grandfather.

“Eat… eat…”

My grandfather immediately turned his back and sighed with every step.

Strangely, though I understood nothing, I possessed a peculiar ability.

Whenever someone died or held a joyous event, I could anticipate it.

Since I couldn’t speak, I would make a fuss.

Over time, the family realized that whenever I was restless, it meant either a celebration or a funeral was imminent.

Thus, I remained foolish for a full three years.

Finally, my third birthday arrived—the day to choose a wife.

But what I never expected was that I wouldn’t be going to someone’s home to choose a bride, but rather… to the cemetery!