### Chapter 16: Limited Choices for Ordinary People - Ah? The Wives I Abandoned Turned Out to Be Real

### Chapter 16: Limited Choices for Ordinary People **[The Xuanniao is the guardian divine beast of the Great Shang Dynasty.]** **[Since the inception of the Shang Dynasty, it has resided in Chaoge City. No one knows exactly how long the Xuanniao has lived.]** **[However, everyone is certain that as long as the Xuanniao continues to watch over them, the Great Shang will never fall!]** **[Emperor Shun of the present has a deep connection with the Xuanniao. The moment it fell ill, he sensed something was wrong.]** **[Thus, he immediately traveled to the sacred mountain where the Xuanniao dwells.]** **[The condition of the Xuanniao was dire. Blood streamed from its eyes, and its body was covered in boils, appearing as if death were imminent.]** **[Seeing this, Emperor Shun was filled with fear and anger.]** **[His fear stemmed from the possibility of the Great Shang's downfall without the Xuanniao.]** **[His anger was directed at the priests, believing their negligence had led to this state.]** **[The high priest declared that the Xuanniao had been afflicted by a severe witchcraft disease. It required the sacrifice of thirty thousand people to appease the angered spirits.]** **[Once this news spread, panic swept across the entire Great Shang Dynasty, as they began searching for suitable candidates for the sacrifice.]** **[Even in the slave alley where you reside, the decree reached you, demanding that ten men and ten women from your alley partake in the ritual.]** **[All the families of the slaves fell silent, then returned home to discuss the grim matter.]** **[Your father, Su Yin, was terrified of you being chosen; his love for his son peaked at this moment.]** **[You reassured your father.]** "Father, it’s alright. There are so many families in this alley; it doesn’t necessarily have to be us." **[But hearing your naïve words only deepened your father's worry.]** **[When the next day arrived, everyone in the slave alley gathered at a plaza to await their fate.]** **[The noble responsible for the selection was a burly man with feathers in his hair and a bow slung across his back.]** **[He immediately spotted you and your father among the crowd.]** **[His name was Ziyang, and it was because of him that your father fell into servitude.]** **[Upon seeing your father, this noble named Ziyang had a conversation with those around him. Then, the official in charge of selecting sacrifices approached you and your father.]** **[Without much exchange, he forcibly dragged you away from your father's side, and your father could only watch you leave helplessly.]** **[You were filled with rage and unwillingness.]** **[But you had to endure.]** **[Because before leaving, you had asked the spirits for guidance, and they gave you a favorable sign!]** **[Until the very end, you wouldn’t forget your father’s advice.]** **[Never reveal your strength!]** **[Ziyang looked at you with satisfaction, then at your father’s angry eyes in the crowd. The feeling of conquest surged through him.]** **[He delighted in seeing you powerless and unable to retaliate against him.]** **[Soon, twenty people from the slave alley were selected and sent to the consolidation area.]** **[In the compound, slaves with unkempt hair and ragged clothes filled the space. No matter their past, their fate was now identical.]** **[The sacrifice would occur in ten days. During this time, slaves were continually brought in for the ritual.]** **[It was in this area that you first tasted large pieces of dried meat.]** **[The flavor of the dried meat was magnificent.]** **[Made from smoked rib meat of cattle, it captivated your taste buds.]** **[You longed to savor such delicious meat daily.]** **[As the days rolled on, by the last day, you unexpectedly saw Ziyang and his family being escorted to the altar by a group of elegantly dressed priests.]** **[Seeing Ziyang and his family shocked you.]** **[The explanation from fellow slaves clarified the situation for you.]** **[The current Shang King, troubled by the Xuanniao’s illness, believed that the higher the status of those sacrificed, the more they could appease the spirits or ancestors.]** **[From the ancestors’ and spirits’ perspective, they welcome such high-status sacrifices.]** **[Ziyang's family had been "fortunate" enough to be chosen.]** **[You felt exuberant, believing that even the spirits couldn’t tolerate Ziyang’s malice, thus making the Shang King choose his family.]** **[Later, you heard about Ziyang's family’s rise to nobility. They had once captured 100 Qiang people for the Shang King. The Qiang people were more precious as sacrifices than ordinary slaves, which pleased the king and earned them their noble status.]** **[However, this so-called “nobility” was now subject as offerings to please the ancestors and spirits.]** **[On the day of the sacrifice, the first to be killed were the nobles of Ziyang's family.]** **[Infants and women were slain first, their bodies tossed into pre-dug sacrificial pits.]** **[Then the men were cleaved from head to toe by battle axes. Priests reveled around the altar, dancing ancient dances with their organs in hand.]** **[Shang King Shun sat across them, smiling as he watched it all unfold.]** **[In his eyes, there was nothing that couldn’t be solved by a sacrifice.]** **[As the priests continued their dance, a fierce wind blew from the horizon.]** **[The gust brought a crowd of dark clouds, which unleashed a torrent of furious rain.]** **[The pouring rain extinguished the flames atop the altar, stunning everyone.]** **[They were afraid, they were terrified.]** **[They believed the spirits were furious!]** **[At this moment, what do you choose?]** - **Option 1**: Seize the opportunity and flee during the rainstorm, escape Chaoge, and move to a place where no one knows you. - **Option 2**: Dive into the sacrificial pit, hide inside a corpse, and wait for the ritual to end. - **Option 3**: Offer yourself willingly, seeking to please the spirits! Facing these sudden options, Su Mo was taken aback. Having simulated countless lifetimes, this was the first time such choices appeared. From these simulated experiences, he gathered one clear insight: When he began with a better talent or higher status, the "Affinity of Life" offered more choices more frequently, allowing options for almost anything. Conversely, with lower talent and status, the appearances of choices dwindled significantly, sometimes offering none at all. In essence, this mirrored the disparities of life itself. Gazing at the three available options, Su Mo deliberated carefully. For the first time in over a decade, he was presented with choices, and he couldn’t afford to choose hastily. After all, he hadn’t even laid eyes on Su Daji’s visage yet! The third option was unquestionably out of the question; choosing it would end the simulation promptly. The first and second options required careful consideration. The first option bore significant risks, as soldiers to defend were all around the sacrificial site. Even if he succeeded in escaping, it might implicate his father in this life. Thus, the only feasible plan was to gamble on the second option. To wager on the possibility that the priests wouldn’t notice him and wouldn’t check the sacrificial pit afterward! **(End of Chapter)**