What are you planning to do?

"Who am I?"

"Where am I?"

"Forget it, I'll deal with that later. But what are you planning to do with me, tied up like this?"

When Jiang Chen first woke up, he felt uncomfortable all over. As he finally managed to open his eyes, crusted with sleep and unsure how long they had been shut, he realized he was bound tightly and being carried by two burly men dressed in coarse linen garments. Alongside him was a horrifying pig's head with long tusks and a suit of iron-like scales, its eyes mocking him. To his right, a three-legged rare chicken was flapping and struggling.

Jiang Chen was astonished that such things from the Shan Hai Jing could exist in reality.

"Sacrifice, sacrifice, the heavens' grace will allow us to ascend to immortality..."

A group of children bounced around Jiang Chen, cheerfully chanting as they danced. However, the mention of "sacrifice" made Jiang Chen's heart sink.

These pigs' heads, these rare chickens, and himself—were they all to be sacrifices? Sacrifices meant to be killed!

Soon enough, Jiang Chen was carried to a massive pit. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that this pit had been created by some colossal impact. The surrounding rocks were shattered, the ground cracked, and trees burned. The area was in utter disarray, and villagers knelt around the pit, their faces a mix of excitement and solemnity.

A gaunt, dark-skinned elder wearing a double-horned crown adorned with vibrant feathers was performing a strange dance in the pit, chanting:

"Offerings laid before the soul, lighting incense to call it back. Great Demon, please bless our village with favorable weather and protection from beasts…"

The elder's long, rectangular face and coarse attire set him apart from the other villagers.

Jiang Chen strained to look around, and to his shock, he saw a terrifying head in the pit—one as tall as six people. Even more startling, this head was made entirely of titanium-chrome alloy, with its eyes and command center crafted from even more precious and sturdy super-light fusion glass. Its torn neck was littered with broken circuits.

"What the hell, such a huge mech!"

"Who ripped off this mech's head? What kind of battle did it endure? Where are the nuclear warheads? The anti-matter bombs? The black hole gravity cannons?"

Jiang Chen couldn't help but exclaim in shock, but one of the burly men carrying him barked, "Be quiet. That's the head of a fallen Great Demon. Even though the demon is dead, its head falling into our village is a sign from the heavens."

Another burly man added sternly, "The sacrifice must be sincere. No whispering allowed!"

The men bowed their heads in agreement, their voices subdued and their expressions solemn.

"Great… Demon…" Jiang Chen stared wide-eyed.

His mind was still foggy; aside from knowing his name was Jiang Chen, he could remember nothing else. But seeing the enormous mech head, he immediately recognized it as a type of war machine not belonging to this world.

Just then, the gaunt elder with the double-horned crown finished his dance and walked out of the pit. He was walking briskly, supported by a faint, dark aura under his feet, a sign of some mysterious power.

"Greetings, Village Shaman."

The villagers bowed in unison. The village shaman held great authority, overseeing all village matters and performing significant rituals like this one. It was said that the shaman could communicate directly with the heavens.

The shaman turned to the burly men, his expression grave. "It's time to offer the sacrifice. We must demonstrate our sincerity by using a human sacrifice. The process must be flawless."

"Yes!" The men replied in unison, saluting.

Jiang Chen protested, "Why am I being sacrificed?"

An elderly man with a patched-up coat jumped up, shouting angrily, "You little brat, every family contributed to send you to the sect's selection, but you were cast out by them, emptying our savings. How are you going to repay us?"

Another voice chimed in, "If you had married Sai Daifu's daughter, Sai Xishi, we might have believed you would repay us eventually. But you rejected her! You should take a look at yourself!"

"Everything was fine until you returned. Now, the head of the Great Demon fell from the sky, destroying countless fields and nearly killing Sai Daifu. You brought this disaster; if not you, then who else should we sacrifice?"

The crowd's anger was palpable, and they seemed ready to tear Jiang Chen apart.

Just then, a high-pitched, tearful voice cut through the crowd. Jiang Chen glanced up to see a massive figure emerging from the shadows.

A woman, weighing at least 250 pounds and as large as a mountain, strutted forward with imposing steps, her voice sweet and pleading. "Da Zhuang, it's not your fault my father was injured. If you agree to our marriage, I'll help repay your debts."

Her words and appearance were anything but flattering—she had a significant gap-toothed smile with missing teeth.

Jiang Chen was stunned, realizing the situation was even worse than he'd imagined. "How is this Sai Xishi even considered a beauty? This is a joke!"

Someone from the crowd quickly said, "Yes, Sai Daifu is wealthy. If you marry his daughter, you can repay your debt. We'll let you go."

"Sai Xishi is a pure and untouched maiden."

Jiang Chen cursed inwardly, "D*mn it, being handsome isn't a crime. This is clearly a case of someone desperate to marry off their daughter to anyone available!"

Seeing Jiang Chen's silence, Sai Xishi anxiously urged, "Da Zhuang, say something!"

Jiang Chen's face twitched with disgust as he struggled to look away from her gaping smile. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Forget it, just go ahead and kill me. This is beyond ridiculous."

"You ungrateful wretch!"

"How dare you disdain such a beautiful girl! Do you have the right to complain?""A bald man like you managing to get a wife is already quite an achievement. Now, you think you can marry a fairy?"

Voices of ridicule erupted around him. The overweight and overly made-up "Beauty of the Village" sobbed dramatically, her fingers, as thick as toes, pressing at her heavily painted eyes as though deeply aggrieved.

Jiang Chen's face turned ashen, struggling to keep his vomit at bay. "What a joke! Who said this was beautiful? Doesn't he fear the heavens' wrath?"

At that moment, someone bellowed, "Village shaman, the auspicious time has arrived. Quickly, sacrifice him to the great demon!"

"Use him as a human offering!"

"Kill him!"

The crowd roared in agreement.

The village shaman nodded and, holding a yellow talisman, dipped it into a bowl of water. He sprinkled the water on the sacred chicken, the pig's tusked head, and Jiang Chen himself, finally tossing the talisman onto the machine's head in the deep pit. Jiang Chen watched as sparks flew when the talisman touched the exposed wires.

"Electricity!" Jiang Chen's heart leaped with joy. "Wait! This machine—no, this great demon cannot be sacrificed with a human offering."

Someone snapped, "That's just a lie!"

Jiang Chen protested, "I know how to perform the ritual. If you don't believe me, let me down."

Some ignored him, while others hesitated, glancing at the village shaman. The shaman, who had never seen such a terrifying demon corpse, was uncertain. He looked at Jiang Chen solemnly and asked, "How should the great demon be sacrificed?"

Jiang Chen thought for a moment, smirking. "Do you have gold or silver? Treasures? The great demon loves those. Give them to me, and I'll perform the ritual."

"That guy is just talking nonsense."

"He's trying to swindle us for more money. Kill him!"

"He's a calamity! He brought the great demon's corpse here. Use his blood to atone!"

The villagers shouted, showing their disbelief.

Jiang Chen said, "I can prove it to you right now."

Someone immediately asked, "How will you prove it?"

Jiang Chen replied irritably, "First, let me down."

The village shaman nodded. With so many watching, they weren't afraid of Jiang Chen playing tricks.

Once freed, Jiang Chen stretched his stiff limbs and carefully examined the machine's head. Despite its enormous size, the intricate wiring inside was familiar to him, sparking flashes of memory that were shrouded in a heavy mist.

"Prove it now! How will you prove it?" someone impatiently demanded.

Jiang Chen shot him a displeased glance and moved to the machine's torn neck. The thick cables were exposed, telling a story of past battles.

Jiang Chen prayed silently, "Heaven, protect me… Heaven, protect me…" Under the gaze of countless onlookers, he connected two wires.

"Crackle, crackle…"

A massive current surged with sparks flying. Even in broad daylight, the flashes were visible, and there was a faint sound of machinery starting up, but only for a brief moment.

"The great demon's eyes lit up! I saw it!"

"I saw it too!"

The villagers outside the pit gasped in surprise. The village shaman, accompanied by several strong villagers, eagerly descended into the pit. He circled Jiang Chen and the machine's neck, then handed his staff to one of his followers. The follower picked up two exposed wires, and seeing one of them was copper core, Jiang Chen couldn't help but warn, "Old man, only I can perform the ritual for the great demon. Are you sure about this?"

The village shaman ignored Jiang Chen. He raised the wires high, just like he did with his staff, and began to dance the ancient sacrificial dance with a solemn face, chanting the ritual verses. The villagers behind him joined in, singing and dancing together. The onlookers outside the pit continued to bow and chant with increasing devotion.

Jiang Chen scowled, thinking, "What a bunch of fools. Don't blame me if things go wrong."

After an indeterminate amount of time, the dance and chant finally ended. With unwavering faith, the village shaman connected the two wires.

"Zap, zap, zap…"

A tremendous current coursed through the village shaman, making him tremble violently as he danced a more frenzied "dance." Dark, protective auras appeared around him.

The other villagers tried to help but ended up joining the "dance" themselves.

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes and casually disconnected one of the wires.

"Boom…"

With the current gone, the village shaman and the others were flung away as if struck by an invisible force. They continued to twitch, their bodies blackened and hair standing on end. Surprisingly, none of them died. The machine's current was so high it could easily kill someone, but these people's constitution was exceptional, particularly the dark aura surrounding them.

Jiang Chen, feeling quite smug, said, "So, do you believe me now? Only I can perform the ritual for the great demon."

The village shaman, weak and dazed, finally managed to gather himself, raising his hands and hoarsely declaring, "Prepare the offerings. Choose an auspicious time and date. Zhang Dazhuang will preside over the grand demon ritual!"

The announcement sent a wave of astonishment through the crowd. Only the village shaman was supposed to perform the ritual, but once Zhang Dazhuang began presiding over it, he would be set apart from the ordinary villagers.