Evil

Qin Yan and Ba Wei exchanged a subtle glance, their eyes revealing a surprise beyond their expectations.

It has to be said that this village chief is a ruthless man.

After a moment of silence, Qin Yan slowly spoke, "Have you ever seen what that mountain god looks like?"

Yun Qiji recalled those painful memories and nodded slightly, "It was a lizard, very powerful!"

The other person said in a low voice!

"That's really interesting. The god you discovered and the god of this village are both quite interesting."

Cannibalism!

There are so many 'gods' in Qingzhou!

Qin Yan said with a half-smile.

This further convinced him that the appearance of these 'gods' was closely related to the Yinluo Way.

Led by Yun Qiji, the two arrived at the village, an extremely remote mountain village.

Most of the houses are simple wooden huts; brick and stone structures are extremely rare in this area.

Most of them consisted of walls, with roofs made of wood and thatch.

The arrival of Qin Yan and his entourage immediately attracted the attention of the entire village. Ordinary people looked at Qin Yan's clothes and the aura he exuded.

I felt this person was of immeasurable value.

One by one, they lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at each other, and secretly fought in the crowd or behind the house.

A sense of inferiority arose from the bottom of my heart.

At the same time, a villager watched Qin Yan and the others, then quietly ran towards a spot in the village.

"Brother Qin, Master, the Mountain God Temple is located on the mountainside south of the village. The Mountain God often stays in the Mountain God Temple."

Occasionally, they would go into the mountains to hunt, and when they returned, they would bring back some game to give to the villagers.

Qin Yan simply nodded slightly, his expression remaining largely unchanged.

After walking into the village for a short while, an elderly man with gray hair, surrounded by a group of burly men, came before them.

The villagers looked at Qin Yan and Ba Wei with wary eyes.

However, these people maintained a facade of restraint, awaiting the village chief's orders.

Faced with this group of people blocking the way...!

Before Qin Yan and the others could speak...

The old man bowed respectfully to Qin Yan and asked, "May I ask what brings you to our village, young master?"

"Grandpa Village Chief, they've come to get rid of the mountain god!"

Yun Qiji eagerly stepped forward, his face naturally showing excitement.

However, his words immediately caused the entire village to change their expressions drastically.

Their gaze gradually shifted from inferiority and wariness to anger and hostility.

It wasn't just these men; the women and children in the village were the same.

This sudden change caused Yun Qiji's smile to falter; even the most obtuse person could sense that something was amiss.

Faced with those hostile and hateful gazes, they were completely different from the kind and friendly uncles and aunts they used to be!

What's wrong with you all?

Yun Qiji was somewhat at a loss. These elders in front of him seemed so unfamiliar, and the look of disgust in their eyes was something he had never felt before.

Ba Wei placed his broad, comforting hand on his shoulder.

This finally put his mind at ease!

After a brief, eerie silence!

The village chief looked at Qin Yan and his companion with a hostile gaze. "Young master, I don't know what you've believed."

However, the mountain god protects the village and ensures its peace; please, young master, leave this place.

"Yes, get out of here, our village doesn't welcome you."

The group of burly men following behind the village chief also frequently swore, their expressions indignant, showing signs of ready to fight.

"This...!"

Yun Qiji stared in astonishment at this scene, wondering why these uncles and elders were reacting so strongly.

"Village chief, the mountain god is eating people!"

Yun Qiji looked at the village chief, his eyes gradually reddening. "Your grandson, my brother, and the children of those uncles and elders."

That mountain god has eaten so many people, why are you still protecting him?

His voice was hoarse and filled with barely suppressed anger as he finished speaking.

A hint of sadness flashed across the faces of some people in the crowd, but none of them stepped forward to say anything.

Upon hearing this, the village chief paused for a moment before shaking his head slightly.

"Child, the world is in chaos!"

Our village is protected by the mountain god, and no one has starved to death because of the chaos outside.

The price to pay is simply giving birth to one child each year.

Very few children die young in the village due to various reasons; the cost is minimal.

It's worth it to gain a year of peace and stability!

The village chief's voice was deep and filled with unquestionable authority.

The sacrifice of one child ensures a bountiful harvest for the entire village, preventing them from suffering from hunger.

This price is well worth it.

Although the families who lose their children will suffer grief, the villagers will provide compensation.

Provide this family with sufficient assistance.

Because of the presence of the mountain god, life in the village was no longer as austere as before, giving them a glimmer of hope.

They will never allow outsiders to disrupt their lives.

Upon hearing the village chief's answer, Yun Qiji was completely stunned.

That was a living, breathing life, not something to be exchanged for a bargaining chip or a sacrifice!

He never dreamed that these people would willingly give up their own children.

He couldn't understand, his eyes gradually turning bloodshot, and he roared, "Then my brother should become a sacrifice offered to that monster."

He deserved to eat you!

He thought the villagers were forced to sacrifice their children, but now he was wrong.

That's ridiculously wrong.

I'd rather not have this kind of stability!

Yun Qiji's chest heaved, and tears welled up in his eyes, falling to the ground and stirring up a wisp of dust.

"Child, you don't understand anything."

The village chief shook his head slightly. "We have lived here for generations, and it is already extremely difficult for us to survive on this meager and barren land!"

Now, with the protection of the mountain god, no one in the village has died from wild animals in the mountains.

They occasionally enjoy the wild beasts sent back by the mountain god.

We can't leave these mountains, and there's no place for us in the outside world.

Have you ever thought about it?

Without the protection of the mountain god, how many people would die in our village every year?

How many people die each year from various causes?

Now that only one person needs to be sacrificed, isn't it worth it?

Nowadays, almost every family has two or three children or more.

The village chief's words resonated deeply!

"The people of the imperial court don't care whether we live or die, and those high-ranking officials and nobles care even less about our lives."

Those officials are completely unreliable.

The only one you can rely on is this mountain god; he is not greedy.

Those outsiders, they practically want to suck our bones and marrow dry!

Compared to them, the mountain god was so merciful.

At this point, the village chief's eyes sharpened. "I will not allow you to bring outsiders to destroy everything here."

Disrupting the peace of the village.

No sooner had they finished speaking than the villagers surrounded the three of them with hoes, pitchforks, and other tools.

His eyes were fierce like a wild beast's, and his immense malice seemed to devour the three of them.

It was as if they had produced an unforgivable villain.

Qin Yan understood what these people were thinking; in this era, the infant mortality rate among ordinary people was not low.

No one can guarantee that a child will live to adulthood without any setbacks.

The price paid was heavy, but not so unacceptable.

A limited cost yields huge benefits.

This is why they were willing to exchange children for peace.