Chapter 980: Chapter 976: Defective Memory…
With just a few words, Ye Tian conveyed his orders.
The Black Widow and Dracula also responded immediately, both saying “Yes!”
The martial artists at the Night King Hall had long since developed an unspoken understanding with Ye Tian, demonstrating extraordinary tacit cooperation. So, even if Ye Tian didn’t elaborate much, the Black Widow and Dracula understood Ye Tian’s actions and supported him.
Then, Ye Tian turned off his phone and looked at the Indian boy he had just rescued…
Although sitting on a rock, the boy’s posture was very upright, showing he had received a good education.
India, as a country, is vast in population with a wide wealth gap, and the literacy rate among Indians is amongst the lowest in the world…
In such a country where even culture struggles to spread, much less etiquette…
So, it was clear that this boy came from a wealthy family!
However, ever since being saved, the boy had been in a state of panic, so Ye Tian couldn’t ask him anything yet…
“Grumble~~”
A rumbling sound came from the boy’s stomach, making him blush with shame and unable to meet Ye Tian’s gaze.
Ye Tian smiled and asked, “Hungry?”
The boy nodded; even coming from a wealthy family, there are times when such a boy can go hungry.
“Then wait here, I’ll be right back!”
Ye Tian then ventured into the depths of the jungle.
Given Varanasi is a holy site in India, indiscriminate logging is forbidden around it, so the jungle outside the city is well-preserved, resembling a primeval forest!
Being a survival expert in the wild, Ye Tian could find suitable ingredients even in the dead of night!
With predators like jackals hunting in the jungle at night, they made the perfect prey. Ye Tian quickly spotted one, picked up a small stone, and hurled it fiercely at the jackal.
“Thud!”
With a crisp sound, the jackal fell to the ground, immobilized, having already breathed its last.
Having secured a jackal, Ye Tian carried it back to where the boy was. Being timid, the boy dared not wander in the jungle alone. Seeing Ye Tian return put his worries to rest.
Ye Tian glanced at the boy, then began skinning, gutting, and cleaning the jackal. Once everything was ready, he placed the carcass over the fire to roast.
Although Ye Tian had no seasonings on hand, his cooking skills were such that even without them, he could make the jackal taste incredibly delicious.
As the fat sizzled out from the jackal’s body, the delicious aroma filled the air. The boy hadn’t eaten for a long time, and his empty stomach couldn’t resist; despite his noble upbringing, he couldn’t help but salivate.
Ye Tian laughed and said, “Wait for it to be done, or you’ll get a stomachache!”
Under Ye Tian’s advice, the boy suppressed his urge to eat and waited in silence…
After a while, the jackal was finally cooked, its enticing aroma presented before the boy!
The boy could no longer restrain himself; he devoured it eagerly!
At this moment, the boy disregarded his manners, eating voraciously, tears streaming down as he consumed the jackal meat.
It seemed the boy was starving, and upon tasting the delicious food, he was moved to tears…
The boy ate more than half of the jackal, finally filling his belly. Satisfied, he let out a burp and resumed his polite sitting posture.
Having fed the boy, Ye Tian unreservedly asked, “Now that your stomach is full, you should tell me your story! Why were you a sacrifice, why did you suddenly scream… and who are you?”
“Hmm, I’ll tell you what I know, but there’s much I don’t understand either.”
The boy spoke nervously, while Ye Tian listened attentively.
The boy’s name was Shake, an Indian belonging to the highest caste, the Brahmin.
Shake came from a wealthy background; thus, he received good education and developed excellent manners.
However, while Shake was living carefree, he was suddenly taken to the inner city of holy Varanasi, where he was confined in a small room, deprived of food, and administered special drugs that flushed his system completely clean.
Shake then lost all awareness; when he regained it, he found himself about to be thrown into a vat of deadly snakes, narrowly escaping being eaten.
These incidents were why Shake screamed; he had thought he was doomed, but unexpectedly, Ye Tian intervened and saved him, allowing Shake to barely survive.
“…”
Hearing Shake’s story, Ye Tian’s expression darkened.
Given Shake’s young age and Ye Tian’s lifesaving deed, Shake certainly had no reason to lie. Plus, Shake’s demeanor and expression didn’t seem deceitful.
However, Shake’s account was full of gaps, with disjointed and incoherent elements that left Ye Tian unable to string them together. All Ye Tian gathered was that Shake, once captured, was forcibly starved and purged after confinement.
Ye Tian could understand this much; as a sacrifice, one must be thoroughly cleansed both inside and out…
“Is that all?”
Ye Tian asked in astonishment, to which Shake nodded.
“Yes, that’s all I know.”
Shake’s response left Ye Tian somewhat disappointed. After all, he had taken great risks to rescue Shake, sacrificing the chance to search for more intelligence in the inner city. If this was all the information he could get from Shake, it would be a loss for Ye Tian.
But on second thought, saving a young boy’s life was a good deed! Intelligence could always be gathered anew, but a life lost couldn’t be revived. Considering this, Ye Tian felt at peace…
“Shake, going through such things at your young age must have been tough! Since you don’t know much, I’ll take you home now! Don’t ever become a Divine Race sacrifice again! Where is your home?”
Ye Tian asked directly, but unexpectedly, Shake didn’t heed his words.
Looking at Shake’s eyes, they had turned vacant, devoid of any expression, just like those of the sacrifices Ye Tian saw in the temple hall in the inner city of Varanasi!
“What’s going on!?”
This situation astonished Ye Tian.
After Shake’s eyes glazed over, he clasped his hands together like a Hindu monk and began chanting…
“I am a sacrifice for the Divine Race; I live for the Divine Race, die for the Divine Race. For the Divine Race, sacrificing my life is worthwhile! The Divine Race is great and should rule humanity; humans are humble and should be enslaved by the Divine Race.”
Though just a child, Shake’s words outshone even those of the most devout Hindu devotees.
From Shake’s current state, Ye Tian finally understood why Shake couldn’t recount his experiences fully!
It was because an unknown force inside Shake was controlling his mind!
As a result, Shake’s memory had gaps, expressing absolute devotion to the Divine Race, willing to die for them, thus calling himself a sacrifice!
“They extend their claws even to such young children!”
Ye Tian clenched his teeth in anger. Despite the powerful force controlling Shake, Ye Tian refused to give in and was determined to fight it!
Outside the holy city of Varanasi lies the Ganges River, where Ye Tian had previously come into contact with the Ganges’ waters. The water held a force manipulating human thought; it hadn’t affected Ye Tian, meaning he had a way to control this force…
Thus, Ye Tian placed his palm atop Shake’s head. Unsure if he’d succeed, he decided to try, for if he didn’t, the young Shake might fall into an unrecoverable abyss!
“I can feel it!”
After injecting his energy through Shake’s Baihui acupoint, Ye Tian’s force clashed with the one controlling Shake!
Identical to the force felt in the Ganges’ water, but stronger inside Shake!
This very force was what controlled the young Shake…
Ye Tian poured his energy into Shake, attempting to suppress the force within him. However, it was no easy task; even for the highly skilled Ye Tian, it was challenging!
The force inside Shake grew stronger in response to resistance. Whenever Ye Tian attempted to expel it, it increased in power, pushing Ye Tian’s force back.
Since taking up martial arts, Ye Tian had never encountered such a bizarre force…
“It hurts! It hurts…”
As Ye Tian’s force clashed with Shake’s internal force, Shake’s body suffered ripping pain, and he cried in agony, nearly losing grip.
But Ye Tian couldn’t stop now, for stopping meant yielding to Shake’s internal force, dooming Shake to forever serve the Divine Race, as their sacrifice.