Ngọc Ru Đường, an organization devoted to the worship of immortals, was the Chu King's dynasty's top-secret establishment. Its successive sect leaders could therefore use the Bagua formation to genuinely select "marvelous newborn women" from areas under the Chu King's jurisdiction to be Saintesses. These Saintesses were typically chosen right after birth and meticulously nurtured by Ngọc Ru Đường.
Saintesses were merely tools for the dynasty's supreme ruler, serving only two purposes: to become a favored concubine and bear the purest offspring, or to breastfeed the emperor's children in place of the empress.
The milk of these marvelous newborn women could increase the intelligence quotient (IQ) of the imperial offspring by at least 50%. Such high IQ brought immense benefits to those who ruled the Chu King's dynasty, the most obvious proof being the Chu King's dynasty's unparalleled glory for hundreds of years!
Ngọc Diệu Âm, the 26th Saintess of Ngọc Ru Đường, was at this moment kneeling in the ancestral hall, continuously repeating the incantations of the ritual master and kowtowing in gratitude along with the crowd.
She wore a pristine white outfit, adorned with simple, unembellished ornaments. Yet, Ngọc Diệu Âm's ethereal, otherworldly beauty and aura made people's eyes light up, like a captivating light drawing all gazes in the crowd.
At this moment, Ngọc Diệu Âm's heart was filled with a profound sense of helplessness.
After her coming-of-age ceremony at sixteen, she completed her training and was arranged to enter the imperial harem. Unfortunately, after Bao Si captured King You's heart, under Bao Si's own arrangements and suppression, Ngọc Diệu Âm had no opportunity to breastfeed the children in place of the empress, let alone get close to King You.
Ngọc Diệu Âm was confined by Xue Zang in the Heavenly Palace. Although she had several opportunities to seduce King You and become his favored concubine, she utterly disdained those who were solely focused on currying favor with Bao Si and completely disregarded the former empress's son, Ji Gongnie.
How could a man utterly devoid of responsibility ever win her admiration!
She never imagined, however, that due to her own proud demeanor, she would ultimately gain King You's exclusive favor, and that the former empress and her son would both be granted death by King You!
Ngọc Diệu Âm constantly blamed herself for this. If she had seduced King You earlier, would the former empress and her son not have met this fate?
No one could give Ngọc Diệu Âm an answer, not even she herself.
Ngọc Diệu Âm's time for reflection could not last long. In 771 BC, King You died. The natural cause of his death was not something Ngọc Diệu Âm, confined in the Heavenly Palace, could possibly understand.
Ngọc Diệu Âm and the other women from his harem summoned to the ancestral hall all understood that after the ritual, as implicated parties, they would be buried alive with the King.
Except for Ngọc Diệu Âm, their tears were all genuine. They wept not for King You, but for their own fates.
Ngọc Diệu Âm had long been tormented by unbearable inner suffering. Now, knowing she was about to die, she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "It's finally over!"
As she was buried in the pit, Ngọc Diệu Âm calmly and peacefully closed her eyes. Her mind recalled her lifelong reverence for immortals, and she joyfully thought: "My immortals, my devotion can finally become the embrace I've yearned for with you."
Suddenly, her body felt as if it had entered an area of continuous vibration. Ngọc Diệu Âm thought to herself, *Am I in hell or heaven now? Why is it so unsettling?*
"Hurry up, get to work! Get to work!" A coarse voice rang out beside Ngọc Diệu Âm's ear.
"No faking illness or fainting! This ship doesn't feed idlers. Get to work, or you can forget about dinner!" As the voice finished speaking, the surrounding sounds instantly became clear.
*Do souls also need to work, need to sleep?* As Ngọc Diệu Âm thought this, she opened her eyes!
She was immediately startled, for she was clearly on a ship!
In front of her stood a dark-skinned man, a leather whip in his hand, his mouth moving as he spoke to her.