The scene that followed became the material for Leo’s nightmares in the days to come.
As the Miao People cut his own neck, blood spurted wildly, staining the rock beneath him a deep crimson.
Once the blood ceased to spray and his neck was completely severed, his head rolled onto the ground.
The Miao People reinserted his Miao knife into his waist, then bent down, reaching out to grab the head by its hair. With his left hand, he forcefully plucked out the two eyeballs from the eye sockets in his head.
Casually discarding the eyeballs to the side, the Miao People held the head up by the hair, facing the rocky ground ahead.
From the eye sockets of the Miao People, devoid of eyeballs, two beams of light shot out. As the beams swept across the rocky ground, a passageway appeared.
“Enter,” amazingly, the head in the Miao People’s hand could still speak.
Under Leo’s shocked gaze, the Miao People, holding his own head, began to petrify, eventually transforming into a stone statue.
Finally coming back to his senses, Leo looked at the dark passageway ahead and slowly walked towards it.
He presumed that the Curse King should be inside; by killing him, he could return to reality.
Entering the passageway, it was pitch black; Leo immediately summoned a fireball talisman for illumination.
The passageway had been artificially carved out of rock, feeling rough to the touch. By the light of the fire, Leo noticed some murals on the walls of the passage, accompanied by text. Leo couldn’t help but read the words on the wall aloud, “Jairo, our ancestor, the god of destiny…”
As he walked and read, Leo gradually learned about the deeds of Jairo depicted on the wall.
Jairo, originally an unnamed giant, was later named “Jairo” after having his head chopped off by the Yellow Emperor.
Jairo means “decapitated.”
Jairo was a talented and versatile servant of the Flame Emperor.
Throughout his life, Jairo had a deep love for music and composed numerous pieces. While the Flame Emperor was still alive, he composed a song for the Flame Emperor called “Plow.”
Additionally, there was “Harvest,” songs that praised Flame Emperor’s agricultural production and celebrated the prosperous life people led under the rule of the Flame Emperor.
Jairo was also a brave and skilled warrior, fiercely loyal to the Flame Emperor. After the Flame Emperor’s defeat, he remained by the Flame Emperor’s side.
Chi You raised an army to resist the Yellow Emperor and fervently invited Jairo to join.
Supporting Chi You, Jairo’s hope ignited, and he aimed to help the Flame Emperor reclaim the position of the Central Heavenly Emperor.
He approached the benevolent Flame Emperor, requesting to join Chi You in attacking the Yellow Emperor.
The Flame Emperor stopped him.
Later, during the battle between Chi You and the Yellow Emperor, Chi You was defeated and killed by the Yellow Emperor.
At this point, Jairo could no longer contain himself. He decided to avoid the Flame Emperor, taking action alone to confront the Yellow Emperor.
Deceiving the Flame Emperor, he wielded a shield in his left hand and a massive axe in his right, advancing unstoppably, all the way to the gate of the Yellow Emperor’s palace.
The Yellow Emperor’s grandson dispatched several generals to fight, all of whom were defeated by Jairo. In the end, they had no choice but to close the city gates, fortifying their defenses and urgently sending messengers to report to the Yellow Emperor.
Upon hearing that Jairo had reached his palace gates, the Yellow Emperor flew into a rage. He leaped off his throne, brandishing a sword, ready to face Jairo in battle.
Seeing the Yellow Emperor personally stepping out to fight, Jairo, without hesitation, charged towards him like a wolf towards a sheep, fiercely attacking the Yellow Emperor with his sharp axe.
Knowing Jairo’s bravery but lack of strategy, the Yellow Emperor understood that this was a moment of desperation for him, fighting recklessly.
Instead of engaging in direct combat, the Yellow Emperor decided to remain calm and composed, using a defensive strategy, waiting for the right moment when Jairo’s anger clouded his judgment and left him vulnerable, so the Yellow Emperor could strike a fatal blow and emerge victorious.
The Yellow Emperor remained calm and composed during the battle with Jairo, focusing on defense rather than offense, trying to provoke Jairo’s anger.
Jairo’s axe, sharp and powerful, relentlessly aimed for the Yellow Emperor’s head, but due to the Yellow Emperor’s tight defense, he couldn’t harm a hair on the Yellow Emperor.
The battle between them intensified, soaring through the skies, from heaven to earth, and back again; from the southwest to the central plains, and then to the southeast, with the sounds of battle shaking the heavens, and dust and debris flying everywhere.
Unknowingly, they fought to the side of Changyang Mountain, the birthplace of the Flame Emperor.
Growing increasingly anxious due to his inability to win, Jairo’s pent-up rage boiled in his core, his chest on the brink of exploding.
As Jairo’s axe swings slowed, his teeth grinding, nearby mountains and rivers shattered under his force.
The more urgent Jairo became, the calmer the Yellow Emperor remained. Unexpectedly, the Yellow Emperor seized an opportunity, feigned retreat, and then, as Jairo advanced, having forgotten to defend, the Yellow Emperor swiftly struck at Jairo’s neck when he was off guard.
A spray of blood burst forth, and in a thunderous moment, Jairo’s colossal head fell to the ground, rolling to the foot of the Mountain.
Although Jairo’s head had been severed, he was not dead, just frantic. He moved the axe to his left hand, squatted down, and frantically searched for his head on the ground.
In his haste, his right hand swung recklessly, breaking towering trees and crushing giant rocks.
The entire area around the Mountain was enveloped in dust, with trees and rocks flying everywhere.
Seeing Jairo’s frantic search, the Yellow Emperor feared he was about to find his head. Hastily raising his sword, the Yellow Emperor struck at the Mountain with all his might, causing a deafening roar as the mountain split in two, creating a wide crevice.
Jairo’s head rolled into the crevice with a resounding crack. The dark Mountain merged back together, burying Jairo’s head beneath the mountain.
Despite his head being buried and his body separated, Jairo was not content with defeat.
Suddenly rising to his feet, Jairo, holding a shield in his left hand and an axe in his right, with his two nipples as eyes and his navel as a mouth, fiercely attacked the Yellow Emperor.
Impressed by Jairo’s unyielding courage, the Yellow Emperor ordered two witch women, Ni Jie and Ni Qi, to offer four liters of wine and a horn filled with it, along with ample offerings, to appease Jairo’s restless soul north of Jairo’s body.
Only then did Jairo find peace.
After reading the entire story, Leo was bewildered. How could the Curse King he was seeking be connected to Jairo? Could it be that the Witchcraft Curse was also descended from the Flame Emperor?
After examining the murals, Leo continued walking forward through the dark passage, unsure of where it led.