Therefore, at the beginning of every spring, Hera would undergo a baptism ritual to renew her chastity, in order to maintain the eternal bond of marriage with Zeus. During this time, Zeus would love only Hera, forsaking all other dalliances.
It was this very gesture and the favoritism in her heart that allowed the queen of the heavens to turn a blind eye to the tangled affairs between her, Hephaestus, and Ares.
The queen who governed marriage was vexed by her husband's unfaithfulness.
The Goddess of Love who yearned for affection lacked a romance of her own.
Perchance there was no greater irony in the world than this.
Aphrodite sneered and shook her head, then looked at her reflection in the Sacred Pool, blooming like a peach blossom, and couldn't help but show a satisfied smile.
However, she was happier than that woman now.
At this moment, The Three Graces, who had arranged the chariot, stepped forward, sprinkling spices and petals into the Sacred Pool, chanting divine words, and activating the power of the pool to restore chastity.
While waiting, Aphrodite suddenly furrowed her Dai Mei brows, covering her chest with her hand as her heart began to beat wildly for some unknown reason, and unprecedented panic and unease swirled and rose within her.
—It seemed as if something terrible was about to happen!
Meanwhile, in the distant woods outside The City of Paphos.
The handsome Prince Adonis was chasing an injured long-horned deer with his attendants.
Seeing the beautiful prey driven into an open field with no escape, the handsome Prince on horseback immediately got excited, drew his bow, and aimed at the deer's eyes.
Good, he intended to gift the unblemished deer hide to his beloved.
However, just as the Prince was about to release the fully drawn bowstring, the horse beneath him made a dull thud, neighed miserably, and flew backwards at high speed, followed by the crisp sound of shattering bones.
Instantly, Adonis was thrown a long distance, crashing into the bushes nearby.
At their master's command, four hunting dogs growled and sprang from the bushes, circling to the flank and snapping at the target.
Well done!
Seeing his hunting dogs block the wild boar's escape route, Adonis, excited, drew his bow and prepared to deliver a fatal blow to the beast.
"Thump thump thump!"
However, accompanying the series of muffled sounds that set one's teeth on edge, his carefully raised hunting dogs were heavily injured.
Two had their heads trampled into mush, blood and brain matter painting the ground, their limbs twitching in the throes of death; another hang limp on the tusks, like dried meat swinging pitifully; the last one, benefiting from the sacrifice of its companions, had successfully leaped onto the boar and bit down fiercely.
Yet, no matter how it clawed and gnawed, it could not leave a wound on the boar; in fact, it was the dog that was injured by the needle-like bristles all around, bleeding profusely.
Meanwhile, the obstructed demonic pig stopped in its tracks, and a viscous crimson glow burst forth from within.
"Bang!"
In an instant, the dog still biting on the boar's back was burst into a mist of blood and flesh as if crushed by an invisible hand.
Seeing such a brutally bloody scene from a distance, Adonis shook, his pupils contracting.
This was not a wild boar, but a demon pig coursing with Divine Blood!
Watching the beast shaking off the dog's corpse from its tusks and turning its mountainous body, a pair of blood-red eyes menacingly gazed at him.
Prince Adonis felt a chill crawl up his spine, instinctively releasing the bowstring and shooting the poised arrow.
Because of his love for hunting, his archery skills were quite refined, so even an instinctual shot managed to hit the target with ease.
However, before Prince Adonis could rejoice, the divine force-imbued bronze arrow was surprisingly deflected by the boar's bristles, and fell to the ground, powerless.