Sacrifice

Many of the common folk present could not bear to watch such a scene. But this was the local custom, and no one could change it. It had long since become entrenched.

Although this custom had long been banned, many places still retained this unhealthy practice.

Many men and women watched the children on the platform in silence, but quite a number of them looked at the shamaness with reverence and fanaticism in their eyes.

Clearly, without the recognition, support, and awe of most of the villagers, such a custom could not have endured. In the end, most people had been deceived into believing in such things.

This happened every year, all for the sake of worshipping the River God. Many villages in the surrounding area could not escape this ritual.

They took turns offering children as sacrifices each year, and this time, it was Baihe Village's turn.

The mother of one of the children wept her heart out at the scene. Her relatives held her back. Though the parents had caused a scene many times, many people had suppressed them and told them to respect this custom.

However, one middle-aged man said angrily, "Our village has been chosen several times in a row. This isn't normal! Why have we had to pick children for several consecutive years while the other villages haven't?"

An elderly villager beside him said, "What's not normal? The River God chose them. Do you think the River God was wrong?"

"If we don't worship the River God, who will protect our village?" The others acted as though it had nothing to do with them. After all, they were not their children.

"That's right. If we don't perform the sacrifice, with so many ferry crossings every year, who knows how many people will die on the