19: Chapter 19 Huangzu Sacrifice

Guanhai County.

Deep in the mountains, the light was dim.

Inside a secluded valley, the surrounding cliffs were as if cut by a knife, and only a narrow plank road led to the outside world.

The bottom of the valley had been leveled into an open space by some unknown force, and a three-zhang-high altar stood in the middle.

Around the altar, dozens of black candles as thick as a child's arm were lit.

The candlelight was eerie green, illuminating the entire valley with a ghostly aura.

At the top of the altar, a behemoth was crouching.

That was a weasel.

Its body length was a full two zhang, and its fur was glossy, casting an eerie golden-brown hue under the green candlelight.

Its back was arched, and its four paws squatted on the highest stone platform.

That face was no longer purely that of a beast.

Between its eyebrows, traces of a human could be vaguely seen.

It was precisely Huang Zu.

Huang Zu looked down at the kneeling crowd below the altar.

Below the altar, a dense crowd of people knelt.

They were all human running dogs under its command, and these running dogs knelt on the ground, not daring to let out a single heavy breath.

In front of them were dozens of burlap sacks.

The sacks were moving, and muffled sobbing sounds with mouths covered could be heard.

Inside were all young boys and girls!

Huang Zu's golden-thread-like pupils swept across the sacks, and the corners of its mouth hooked into a slight arc.

With this batch of young boys and girls to cast secret arts, presumably it could go a step further and break through to the Fourth-Turn realm!

By then, Guanhai County would completely become its territory!

Although the cultivation of monsters in this world was somewhat different from that of martial artists, ultimately they led to the same destination, and their cultivation realms were also divided into nine turns.

At this moment, a black-robed person kneeling at the very front raised his head and said,

"Reporting to Lord Huang Zu, there is still one group of men and horses that has not returned."

"Which group?"

Huang Zu's gaze sharpened.

"Hu Fu's group didn't come back."

The black-robed person swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"Hu Fu?"

Huang Zu's brows twitched.

It remembered this human.

A Second-turn Martial Artist, considered capable under its command.

"Where did he go and not return?"

Huang Zu inquired.

"Those few fishing villages on the eastern coast."

The black-robed person reported truthfully.

A look of doubt appeared in Huang Zu's eyes.

What could there possibly be in those broken fishing villages on the eastern coast?

How could they not come back?

There is a problem!

Huang Zu's brows furrowed.

It raised its right front paw, black light flickering at the tip of the claw, and pinched out a demonic art.

There was a strand of demonic Qi it left behind inside the bodies of its subordinate running dogs.

Relying on this strand of demonic Qi to cast its demonic art, as long as the other party was still alive, it could sense the other party's general location.

After a moment.

Its paw paused.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Hu Fu's aura, Hu Ba's aura, Hu Gu's aura.

They were all gone!

Huang Zu opened those golden eyes, its vertical pupils slightly contracting.

Dead.

One Second-turn Martial Artist, two First-turn Martial Artists, died just like that in the eastern fishing village?

Huang Zu naturally did not think that the villagers of the fishing village killed Hu Fu and the others, but instead speculated whether its enemies had made a move.

But soon, Huang Zu sneered, feeling that it was truly overthinking.

"I am at the peak of the Third-Turn. Within this Guanhai County, who can kill me? Who dares to kill me?"

Even if its enemies were pulling small tricks, it didn't matter!

In the face of its strength, any trickery was meaningless!

Below the altar, a black-robed person raised his head.

"Lord Huang Zu, should we send someone to investigate?"

"No need, the upcoming sacrifice is the top priority."

Huang Zu said coldly.

Below the altar, the kneeling crowd simultaneously raised their heads, gazing at that crouching figure.

Huang Zu's tail swayed gently, its pupils sweeping across those still-wriggling sacks, the greed in its eyes almost overflowing.

"Sacrifice—"

It paused, its voice suddenly rising, filled with excitement.

"Begin!"

The crowd below the altar all acknowledged in agreement.

A dozen black-robed people got up and walked toward those sacks.

Their movements were rough, untying the opening of the sacks and pulling the children inside out one by one.

The young boys and girls had their hands and feet tied and rags stuffed in their mouths, only able to make sobbing sounds.

The candlelight fell on those tender faces, illuminating terrified little faces one by one.

The black-robed people dragged the children onto the altar.

Huang Zu looked down condescendingly at all of this.

There was no pity in its eyes, only hunger.

That was flesh and blood food.

It was the stepping stone for it to reach the Fourth-Turn realm!

It raised its right front paw, and an eerie green light lit up at the tip of the claw.

As it cast its demonic art, the altar began to glow.

The eerie green light grew increasingly intense, illuminating the entire valley like a ghostly realm.

The boy kneeling at the very front raised his head and saw the ferocious beast shadow at the top of the altar.

He opened his mouth to shout, but all sounds were blocked by the rag.

Huang Zu did not look at him.

It merely raised its paw and lightly grabbed toward the children below the altar.

Eerie green light erupted from the tip of the claw, enveloping those tiny figures.

The black-robed people witnessed this sacrifice with their own eyes, but not a single one of them dared to make a sound.

They stood with their hands down by their sides, lowering their heads, not daring to look at what was happening on the altar.

In the valley, the green candlelight swayed in the wind.

That crouching figure was greedily sucking on those young lives.

Huang Zu opened its eyes, the light in its pupils growing a fraction brighter.

Almost there.

Almost there!

After absorbing this batch of offerings, it would be able to impact that step.

It stuck out its tongue and licked the corners of its mouth.

Then it closed its eyes and continued this sacrifice.

Not far away, the mist was churning.

The only plank road leading to the outside world vanished into the darkness.

...

Many days had passed since the wandering merchant's visit, and Qin Family Village had recovered its former peace.

Speaking of changes, the biggest change was the temple in the center of the village.

The temple door that had been crooked for decades had been remodeled by the village carpenter and closed tightly.

New tiles were added to the drafty roof, and thick paper was pasted over the windows with holes.

The courtyard wall was reinforced in a circle, the weeds at the base of the wall were pulled clean, and they were replaced by sea hibiscus spontaneously planted by the villagers.

The area around the divine statue was cleaned to a spotless state.

New coarse cloth was spread on the offering table, and the incense burner was replaced with a bronze incense burner.

Every day at the Hour of Chen, people would come to offer incense.

The incense fire inside the divine temple had never broken.

Qin Yin and Qin Mo moved directly into the house outside the temple that had been vacant for many years, just to be closer to the divine temple and to better handle some matters within the temple.

Every day, the two of them first went to the temple to offer incense, and then practiced martial arts in the courtyard.

Every day, Qin Ling kept his hands tucked inside his sleeves within the shrine, listening to the prayers of the villagers who came to offer incense.

At the beginning, the prayers were varied.

There were those praying for blessings that children wouldn't cry at night, those praying for blessings that the elderly's legs and feet would be nimble, and those praying for blessings that the family's chickens and ducks wouldn't be lost.

Hearing this, Qin Ling occasionally found it amusing, and occasionally found it heartwarming.

But recently, the content of the prayers had gradually changed.

"Lord Qinling bless us, let the sea be calm and the waves peaceful..."

"Lord Qinling bless us, let the fish catch of the next voyage out to sea be a bountiful harvest..."

"Lord Qinling bless us, our family's grain reserves are about to hit the bottom, hoping that the voyage out to sea goes smoothly..."

Listening to these prayers, Qin Ling naturally knew.

Ever since the fishing boats returned loaded with fish catches last time, the villagers had spent a period of time without worrying about food.

Bu**t this good time was clearly coming to an end.