Why am I, a cook, always involved in cases?

(Stability, a hidden but crucial factor.)

Not far away, a huge incense furnace stood silently, as if whispering the ancient sacrificial legend.

At this moment, Lin Zhiruo suddenly realized what the stolen sacrificial vessel was.

"boom!"

Lin Zhiruo slammed the table again and looked sharply at the civil servant who was frightened and stiff.

"Please forgive my abruptness! May I ask when and where the next sacrifice will be held?"

The civil servant was frantically flipping through the almanac, scratching behind his ear awkwardly.

"Today."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Zhiruo rushed out of the library without hesitation, without even picking up the scroll in her hand.

(The Altar of the Sky in the west corner, the turning point of fate.)

Lin Zhiruo quickly organized her thoughts while running. If her speculation was correct, there must be a carefully planned conspiracy behind this. Although every detail was not certain, as long as it was cleverly laid out, several links would echo each other and operate like a sophisticated mechanism.

This was just her guess, but if she guessed right, the consequences would be disastrous.

On the way, Lin Zhiruo caught a glimpse of a pagoda shaped like five stacked rings, with identical buildings symmetrically arranged on both sides. Officials stood solemnly, and their attire revealed that some kind of solemn sacrifice was taking place.

In this solemn atmosphere, a ragged maid tried to make her way through the crowd and was naturally stopped.

Lin Zhiruo was secretly anxious, but she had to speed up her pace because time was running out.

If we could find Quan Wushuang or Gao Zhongcheng to help, perhaps we could escape danger, but unfortunately, they are not here today.

"Please allow me to pass."

Lin Zhiruo pleaded, but the officer holding the rough hexagonal stick widened his eyes and firmly refused:

"A sacrifice is being held at this moment, and you are not allowed to enter without permission."

He was conscientious and had no ill intentions, but at this critical moment, Lin Zhiruo hated herself for not being able to speak well.

"This is an emergency, please let me in."

Lin Zhiruo explained eagerly, but the military officer remained unmoved.

"How dare you, a servant girl, interfere with the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the gods?"

His words were cold and ruthless. Indeed, Lin Zhiruo was just a powerless maid. If the military officer let her go easily because of her words, he would probably be to blame.

However, Lin Zhiruo also knew that she must not retreat at this moment.

(Perhaps, all will be well.)

But Lin Zhiruo knew very well that many irreparable tragedies often happened when people were careless.

She looked up at the military officer who was much taller than her. The officials around her also began to make a noise and cast curious glances at her.

"I have no intention of interfering, but this matter concerns human life. Please suspend the sacrifice."

Lin Zhiruo pleaded, but an official next to her sneered.

"If you have any opinions, you can report them to the court through the letter box."

His words were full of contempt for Lin Zhiruo's identity.

"It will be too late then. Please let me in."

Lin Zhiruo requested again, but was ruthlessly rejected.

This meaningless argument continued, and Lin Zhiruo should have given up, but she couldn't.

A sarcastic smile appeared on her lips.

"The altar has a fatal structural flaw. I'm afraid someone has tampered with it. If you don't let me in now, you will regret it. I've already warned you of the danger. If you still refuse..."

Lin Zhiruo pretended to cover her mouth with her palm, with a cunning glint in her eyes.

"Ah! Do you really want this to happen? Perhaps you are in cahoots with the thieves who did this..."

Before she could finish her words, a dull thud echoed in Lin Zhiruo's mind. When she came to her senses, she had fallen to the ground, and everything in front of her was dark.

Lin Zhiruo understood that she must not faint at this moment.

She seemed to hear the military officer's roar in the distance, but she could no longer make out the specific content.

She knew that she had angered the other party, and it would be difficult for anyone to endure being mocked by such a maid.

She did this on purpose, but she couldn't help it.

If she really fainted from this, everything would be in vain.

Lin Zhiruo struggled to stand up, her ears were burning and her eyes were white.

As her vision cleared, she saw another official trying to stop the military attaché who had his arms raised.

(Isn't even making trouble going to help?)

The sacrifice continued, and melodious music came from the altar, as if nothing had happened.

Lin Zhiruo resisted the swaying of her body and stood up, a drop of bright red blood dripping onto the ground.

(My nose is bleeding.)

She didn't care. Although it seemed like she was punched on the side of her ear, it was just hot and not painful.

Lin Zhiruo pressed her thumb against the wing of her nose to wipe away the blood.

Seeing this, the surrounding officials began to stir.

Lin Zhiruo realized that shedding blood in a sacrificial place might be a bit disrespectful, and felt a little guilty, but at the moment she had no time to apologize.