The day of sacrifice in the Qingyun Kingdom was marked by an extremely grand ceremony.
On such occasions, everyone in the kingdom would observe three days of bathing and fasting, whole - heartedly kneeling and praying to the heavens.
The object of their prayers was the Feng Royal Family, the founders of the Qingyun Kingdom.
No one knew whether the Feng Royal Family was just a legend or real people.
Anyway, in the largest square in the imperial capital of the Qingyun Kingdom, there were statues of four people on the outer square, three men and one woman.
The three men bore a certain resemblance to each other. They truly looked like immortals.
And then there was the only woman.
She was the dream girl of many men in the Qingyun Kingdom.
She was extremely beautiful. Every glance and smile of hers would almost make people's hearts skip a beat, and for three or five days afterwards, her figure would linger in people's minds.
The four members of the Feng Royal Family in the venue were Feng Zhan, Feng Lingtong, Feng Buran, and Feng Jin.
It was said that there were two main positions enshrined in the imperial mausoleum, hidden from the public.
Tomorrow was the day of sacrifice.
Su Mu was dressed in white, followed by numerous maids carrying lanterns behind him.
"Cough, cough, cough—"
"Your Majesty, it's windy. Let's go back."
Su Mu waved his hand.
"Tomorrow is the sacrificial ceremony. I have to go and check the arrangements in the square."
During the days of the sacrifice, Su Mu would always be extremely tense.
When he reached the statues, Su Mu nodded to the others. The maids and guards knew that the king wanted to be alone for a while.
This was his annual pre - sacrifice routine, which had never changed.
Su Mu bowed to each of the statues one by one.
After these actions, he sat down on a step. Opposite him was the statue of Feng Lingtong, the only woman among the four children of the Feng family.
Su Mu had participated in the repair of this statue back then.
The moonlight was so beautiful.
He stared at the statue and gradually became lost in thought.
Such a woman could only exist in myths, right?
She was so beautiful and her face was extremely gentle.
Her eyes were truly beautiful.
"The statue is already like this. What would the real person be like?" Su Mu smiled.
Like many others, when he was young, Su Mu had once come to this square to see the statues of the Feng Royal Family and had participated in the worship.
That first glance in his childhood had left an indelible impression on him. Even now, he still remembered the shock he felt when he first saw the statue of Feng Lingtong.
The people of the Qingyun Kingdom all said that the peerless beauty of the Feng Royal Family could not exist in real life. Such people could only be found in the heavenly palace.
Su Mu firmly believed this.
It was not until later, when he became the king of the Qingyun Kingdom and met the Emperor Venerable, that he realized that the legendary Feng Royal Family was real, and the statues were not as amazing as the real people.
However, over the years, Su Mu had never seen any other members of the Feng family except the Emperor Venerable.
He thought that perhaps those people were no longer alive.
"If only I could see you before I die," Su Mu murmured to the statue in front of him.
"I never dared to hope to be by your side. For someone like you, I would be satisfied just to watch you from afar."
Su Mu coughed, and blood stained his white clothes.
But he didn't seem to care. He wiped it with a handkerchief prepared in his sleeve, then looked up at the stars in the night sky and murmured, "When I was a child, I always thought life was wonderful, everything was wonderful. I had countless joys every day. But as I grew up, I realized that as long as people can live well, that's enough."
"I've lost hope in this society."
"My body is weak, and I can't give anyone a happy future. As the king, I have no concubines. This is very irresponsible to my people."
"I think after this year, I won't continue as the king. The Emperor Venerable is so powerful that he can find a more suitable king for the Qingyun Kingdom."
As Su Mu spoke, he was lost in the sight of Feng Lingtong's statue.
"Maybe I'm really daydreaming."
That first glance in his childhood had been so amazing that now, there was no room for anyone else in Su Mu's heart.
Su Mu supported himself on the stone pillar beside him and slowly got up.
"The divine being is truly a divine being. No matter how many times I talk about you, you never appear in my dreams."
For some reason, the stone statue seemed to tremble slightly at that moment.
Su Mu thought it was because his body was weak and his mind was unclear, so he was having an illusion.
"Tomorrow is the day of sacrifice. I'm telling you that this year's clothes are all ready. The one for you was made by my own hands."
"I don't know if the clothes will suit you. You might think it's very improper for a man like me to do needlework."
"Anyway, I'll come to see you every day before I die."
Su Mu's hand slowly caressed the statue.
This was the first time. It was the first time he had placed his hand on the statue. The four children of the Feng Royal Family were all high - above and inviolable.
They only dared to get this close during the sacrifice.
Su Mu slowly walked down the square.
The maids and guards immediately surrounded him and put a thicker cloak on him.
"Your Majesty, go back to the palace and rest. Tomorrow is the day of sacrifice. It's a very important matter. Your body can't withstand the strain."
"Okay."
"Let's go back to the palace—"
The group then walked towards the Changchun Hall in the palace under the night sky.
Su Mu was the king of the Qingyun Kingdom. Although his body was weaker than ordinary people, his mind was incredibly wise and intelligent, a rare talent in a century. That was why Yan Ruyu had chosen him from hundreds of thousands of people to be the king of the Qingyun Kingdom.
Over the years as the king, he had worked hard to govern the kingdom, and the Qingyun Kingdom was well - ordered under his rule.
Su Mu was also a very handsome man.
The line "Behold the banks of the Qi River, where the green bamboos sway. A noble gentleman, like jade carved and polished" could describe Su Mu.
He had a good appearance and a good demeanor.
So over the years, there had been many women showing their affection to him.
But every year, he had declined the batches of beautiful maidens on the pretext of his poor health.
Yan Ruyu could cure Su Mu's physical ailments, but she couldn't heal his mental illness.
This mental illness could only be gradually cured with the help of spiritual medicine after he completely relaxed his mind.
No one noticed that after Su Mu left.
On the large square.
The eyes of Feng Lingtong's statue seemed to move slightly.