novelapdf Chapter 5 The Sacrifice Begins
Chapter 5 The Sacrifice Begins
Jade Island.
At the seaside, the waves crash against the sand, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring spectacle.
Fang Qing's emotions were as turbulent as the ocean, recalling the information he had obtained from Ma Laosan.
"Good life...studying literature, family tradition?"
"Qi gathering technique... Immortals?"
Many clues were connected in his mind, forming a conjecture: "The Luo family can rule a region, so there must be cultivators in the family... It's just that their power is not as great as the Black Gu Sect. Others can only watch as they spread plagues within their territory... But for us mortals, they are a behemoth."
"Could the 'immortal' my Fang family's ancestor encountered a hundred years ago have the surname Luo?"
"The Luo family allowed our family to obtain the method of gathering Qi, enabling us to receive money every year, which we then used to start our primary education and cultivate our literary style... and then they gathered Qi for their own family... Is this consuming our family's destiny or our literary Qi?"
The thought sent chills down my spine.
To the Luo family, the Fang family was like livestock that had been raised for a hundred years!
"No wonder our Fang family, though poor, has children who can all read; now I know why!"
Fang Qing has now resolved another question that had been bothering her.
Logically speaking, even if a family has income from Qi gathering techniques, it's unlikely that they would spend it all on education.
"So... the Black Gu Sect's actions have actually disrupted the Luo family's plans. The Luo family is probably preoccupied with their own problems right now, otherwise they wouldn't have sent only Ma Laosan, a mere mortal, to deal with us..."
"But then again, are all the cultivators in the ancient Shu region this insidious? A single scheme can last a century, and even after the plan falls apart, with only a few members of my Fang family left, they relentlessly pursue the matter... Is it to silence witnesses, eliminate potential threats? Or to continue raising pigs?"
"Compared to this, Jade Island, where everything is laid out in the open, can be described as having 'simple and honest folk customs'."
Fang Qing's expression was solemn: "We can't go to the ancient Shu region recently."
The Luo family has cultivators!
After Ma Laosan's death, the level of attention will definitely be increased!
But right now, he's not strong enough!
"To deal with those cultivators over there, I'd at least need to possess magical power, right?"
"A century-old feud—what my Fang family has lost is far more than just a few hundred strands of 'Moonlight'... there must be something far more important!"
Fang Qing clenched his fists. To have been kept in captivity for a hundred years—what kind of grudge was this?
One day, he will definitely find out the truth and punish them one by one!
"The only good news is that Uncle didn't get caught last time... I hope he's lucky."
Fang Qing sighed and returned to Dahua Fishing Village.
……
As soon as we entered the village, several young people came to greet us.
The leader was very tall and had dark skin.
Fang Qing recognized them; they were all thugs from the village, and the leader was named "Ruan Qi".
"Fang Qing...you left, why did you come back?"
When Ruan Qi saw Fang Qing, her expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
"Of course I can't stand to see you bullying an orphan and a widow..." Fang Qing shook his head. Over the past three months, he had overheard a lot of news in the fishing village.
For example, each family has a quota and obligation to contribute to the "Sea Dragon King's Birthday" every year.
Without me, the Cha family would have paid an unimaginable price.
They might even be forced to the point of losing their family and lives, which is also a kind of exploitation of their own family.
"Hmph! I'll be waiting for you to die on Sea Dragon Reef!"
Ruan Qi's eyes flashed with a sharp light, as if he wanted to make a move, but he seemed to have some reservations and just sneered.
Fang Qing brushed past him and went to Old Man Cha's house.
"Young man, have you done your research these past few days? No other family could possibly be as well-off as you are."
Old Man Cha stroked the copper-mouthed pipe in his hand, a hopeful smile on his face, showing no sign of being driven to the brink.
'This old man... is quite calm.'
Fang Qing chuckled inwardly: 'If I clapped my hands and said I was done playing now, I wonder if he'd vomit blood?'
However, since they had "saved" him and formed a good relationship, he certainly couldn't do that.
"nature."
He nodded.
"Very good, I'll take you to register your household right away."
A smile appeared on Old Man Cha's face as he tapped his pipe on the bluestone slab beneath him: "You can rest assured that I'll take care of everything."
He planned to have Fang Qing settle in his home, so that it would be legitimate for Fang Qing to contribute during the Dragon King's Birthday celebration.
Yes, the so-called "treasure fish" was just a smokescreen thrown out by Old Man Cha from the beginning.
All he truly desired was for Fang Qing to perform the sacrificial rites on behalf of his family; that would be enough.
If you can get the treasure fish, it will be a pleasant surprise; if you don't, there's nothing to regret.
With the treasure fish, Pearl might have a safety net after the Immortal Destiny Tournament, but if her family is ruined before the tournament, she'll have nothing left!
"Um."
Fang Qing said nothing and nodded slightly.
Old Man Cha turned and left, but as soon as he turned his back, his eyes suddenly dimmed, as if he felt a little guilty.
……
"Set sail... to welcome the Dragon King!"
The birthday of the Dragon King of the Sea.
Accompanied by the desolate yet resonant voice of an old fisherman, dozens of small boats set off from "Dahua Fishing Village".
Fang Qing was wearing a straw raincoat, her face was painted, and she had an unknown feather stuck in her hair. She thought to herself, "This outfit...it's just awful."
However, at this moment, he stood with a serious expression, looking at the 'sacrifice' beside him.
These "offerings" included wine and meat, rare treats for fishermen, and the dark wine jars faintly exuded a medicinal fragrance.
To his surprise, after sailing several nautical miles, waves of fishing boats converged, like rivers flowing into the sea, forming a large fleet.
"How many people are actually attending this Sea Dragon Festival?"
Upon seeing this, Fang Qing couldn't help but gasp.
"The nearby Blackfish Village, Upper Red Village, Lower Red Village... they've all come."
"Hmph... Young man, you're ignorant. This 'Sea Dragon King's Birthday' is a celebration on our Jade Island... There are hundreds of 'Sea Dragon Reefs' alone."
Beside him, a fisherman with thin lips and dark skin sneered.
Fang Qing recognized him; this man seemed to be one of the thugs who had followed Ruan Qi back then.
"Hundreds of sea dragon reefs?"
He exclaimed inwardly, "This scale... is truly astonishing. Jade Island is quite large... But thinking about it, it makes sense. It's said that the proportion of ordinary people with the potential for immortality is almost one in a thousand. How many school-age children can a village possibly have?"
Hailong Reef!
From a distance, the reef looks like a giant turtle lying down with its limbs outstretched and its claws forming an excellent berthing spot.
At this moment, fishing boats docked one after another, and many fishermen formed a long snake, converging towards the center of the island.
"This island isn't small either..."
Fang Qing carried the wine with unwavering steps.
Most fishermen have practiced using the "thousand-pound sinker" technique; it's a fundamental skill.
Everyone walked quickly and arrived at the center of the island, where they saw a lake with a myriad of sunset glows, its surface shimmering and sparkling like golden liquid.
"We've arrived... at Panlongbo!"
"The ritual...begins!"
Several old fishermen called out, and a group of people began to set up offerings, a bonfire, and an altar...
Fang Qing noticed that everyone was moving very quickly, as if they were afraid of being late and not having enough time to run.
"Nighttime...it really is terrifying!"
He had no interest in appreciating it; he was simply making plans in silence.
Sure enough, once the ceremony was over, a group of people couldn't wait to run away, leaving only a few dozen strongmen guarding the offerings looking at each other in bewilderment.
In Fang Qing's eyes, he and his companions were less like guards and more like true "offerings"!
After all, in ancient times, human sacrifice was a common practice, commonly known as "human sacrifice" or "human pillar," etc.
The night was deep, and the darkness outside was like a giant beast with its jaws wide open, ready to devour anyone who might be caught in it.
Upon seeing this, Fang Qing silently made up her mind and took a few steps away.
"Wait... what are you going to do?"
The thugs who had been on the same boat with Fang Qing had been watching him closely. When they saw him about to leave, they immediately shouted.
"Just wander around... Anyway, no boat can leave Sea Dragon Reef after dark, that's an ironclad rule... And as long as the offerings don't leave the Panlongbo area, it's fine, right?"
Fang Qing kept walking and soon disappeared into the darkness.
On the altar, the huge torches flickered, illuminating the face of the scoundrel who had just spoken, making him look like a demon.
His face twitched a few times, and he sneered, "As expected of someone from another village. Leaving Panlongbo during the sacrificial ceremony... will only lead to a more miserable death!"
The strongmen from the other villages remained silent, simply moving closer to the torches.
The night grew even deeper.
An incense stick's time passed, a short while, half an hour...
rustle!
rustle!
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from all directions, as if some huge thing was squeezing the sand and grass, causing the surrounding bushes to groan in distress.
"Coming...coming."
On the altar, all the warriors were deathly pale. They might not recognize the owner of the voice, but they could already imagine from the rustling sound what kind of enormous creature was lingering and approaching...
closer, closer...
at last……
In his near-suffocating state, the thug saw two eerie, blood-red lights that rapidly grew larger, like two red lanterns in the darkness!
Hiss!
"ah!!"
……
"No...no!"
"Sea Dragon King... have mercy!"
"We have always offered our devotion and prayers..."
On another deserted island, countless warriors, sacrificed as offerings, screamed and fled, but could not escape being swallowed by the giant maw.
If viewed from above the clouds, it would appear to be a giant python with a waist thicker than a water bucket.
It devoured all the warriors, then with a flick of its tail, it scooped up the wine jars offered as sacrifices and drank them down like a whirlwind. Its actions became even more unrestrained and carefree. It casually climbed a hillside and began to breathe in and out of the bright moon in the sky.
Wisps of purple mist swirled around the blue serpent, making it appear even more dreamlike and ethereal.
"Good! This snake has finally mastered the art of breathing spiritual energy and has reached a higher rank, becoming a demon beast!"
Above the clouds, a giant green leaf is suspended.
At the tip of the leaf, a young man in a blue robe watched this scene and couldn't help but laugh: "Of the 108 islands and reefs, we've succeeded in this one. When we return, we'll be rewarded with a lot of merit... If this little blue one is capable, it might be able to activate a trace of dragon bloodline within it and become a second-tier demon beast. Perhaps our hopes for foundation building will rest on it..."
"Senior Brother Ye..."
Behind the young man in blue stood a younger disciple, his face showing reluctance: "Year after year, blood sacrifices are performed just to feed this group of sea serpents with dragon bloodlines?"