The Living Sacrifice of Qingqiu Kingdom (3/5)

"The fox then attempted to hold an illegal human sacrifice in the Qingqiu Kingdom."

Qingqiu Kingdom was a peripheral state belonging to the Great Xia system, a small country on the southern periphery.

However, because its founding emperor married a Nine-Tailed Fox.

Therefore, this country generally worships foxes and similar spirits.

Especially the multi-tailed fox, a special category, was placed on the same level as the Ancestor God.

In this situation, when a fox spirit with eight tails holds a ritual in an attempt to advance its rank, it naturally won't cause much of a disturbance.

Upon arriving at this point, they suddenly discovered that the number of infants in the Qingqiu Kingdom was significantly lower than in other states.

And this is not an isolated case in a village or region, but rather the entire country's number of newborns is below average.

It is no exaggeration to say that if this situation continues for another ten years or so, this small country called "Qingqiu" may simply disappear naturally.

"Illegal human sacrifice, primarily of infants?"

Hearing this, even Xiluo couldn't help but frown.

"Don't the gods of the Qingqiu Kingdom care?"

"Hasn't this already threatened their very foundation?"

All deities who have reached the point of establishing a nation, regardless of their initial intentions, are in some sense already bound to the nation they establish.

Even the Guifang Kingdom, which is proficient in the art of refining ghosts, would never be so insane as to sacrifice their own newborn child.

"That's why it was called an illegal human sacrifice."

Faced with Xiluo's question, he sighed in a tone of deep regret.

"I had no idea at the time that the human sacrifice was actually tacitly approved by the King of the Qingqiu Kingdom."

"The Kingdom of the Qingqiu Kingdom is weak and far from the Great Xia, and often faces threats and plunder from the gods of the mountains and fields."

"I even suspect their Ancestor God might have died long ago, otherwise a wild fox couldn't have gotten to this point---"

Li Boyang instantly understood the implied meaning behind the words.

"You mean, that fox wasn't a native of the Qingqiu Kingdom at all?"

Seemingly sensing Li Boyang's doubts, Yue explained with a slightly melancholy expression.

"This is the only thing I can be 100% certain of."

"Because if I follow the clues I found at the time, I've basically determined that the fox came from further south—"

"After all, if she were a native of the Qingqiu Kingdom, she would surely know the likes and dislikes of the Great Xia Common Lord, and would not risk the world's wrath by performing such a sacrifice."

He paused slightly, then continued to add...

"The reason I believe this human sacrifice was tacitly approved by the King of the Qingqiu Kingdom is also because of this consideration."

"Qingqiu Kingdom is a vassal state of Great Xia. If they are willing to seek help from Great Xia, the Common Lord will absolutely not stand idly by."

"The only thing I'm unclear about right now is how many people in the Qingqiu Kingdom know about this, and whether they are truly acting voluntarily."

Looking at Xiluo, who seemed a little lost, she seemed to realize something and added one last sentence.

In the myths and legends of our Central Continent, foxes have always been adept at bewitching people.

"That fox happens to possess similar abilities, making it hard not to suspect that it has controlled the ruler of the Qingqiu Kingdom."

Half an hour later, in the main hall of the mountain god temple.

"You really believed his story?"

Lying quietly on her clay sculpture, Xiluo wagged her tail and curiously observed Li Boyang was still throwing the Heavenly Mandate Bone Plastron for divination.

"I don't believe it."

Li Boyang calmly raised his head and said in a composed tone.

"That guy was hiding too much, and he mixed up a lot of the truth with the lies, making it impossible for anyone to tell the difference."

Immediately intrigued by Li Boyang's words, Xiluo blinked and pressed for an answer.

Stop beating around the bush, be more specific!

Curiosity is in the nature of living beings, and as a cat Xiluo is even more unable to suppress her curiosity.

"For example, he only said that he came here to chase that fox."

"But it never mentions how he disrupted the ritual."

"A human sacrifice tacitly approved and even participated in by the entire nation should not be stopped by one person."

After a slight pause, Li Boyang added.

"Well, what I mean is, his strength is clearly not at my level—"

"The idea of stopping a priest of this level sounds almost unbelievable."

Three years ago, Li Boyang stopped the Guifang Kingdom's human sacrifice and forced them to turn the Hundred Lands Mountain Range into a forbidden zone.

But that was a privilege he obtained after defeating the Gods of the Five Directions.

No matter how you look at it, he is not qualified to be compared with Li Boyang three years ago.

"Anything else?"

Continuing to press for answers, Xiluo could tell from Li Boyang's expression that he must have made some even more important discovery.

"While I was chatting with him just now, I carefully observed his Facial Features and destiny."

After a slight hesitation, Li Boyang seemed unsure of his own observation.

"He's a dead man, or rather, a living man who shouldn't exist—"

In the "Nine Chapters of the Lower Mysteries" left by the Witch of the Huai River.

There are two chapters specifically designed to teach one's successors to discern human nature and the hearts of others.

Li Boyang felt that this might be due to certain experiences of the Witch of the Huai River in her lifetime, which caused her to have a somewhat overreacted understanding of human nature and human emotions.

Undoubtedly, "Fate Principles" and "Facial Features" did indeed make up for Li Boyang's lack of understanding of human nature to a great extent.

This can be seen from the current positive, enterprising, and prosperous Li Household Village.

However, the "Nine Chapters of the Lower Mysteries" technique, which had always been invincible, seemed to have no effect on Yue.

His Facial Features and Fate Principles chart all indicate that he is a person who should not exist.

"So you still decided to save him?"

She suddenly bent over and stood up, Xiluo voice unusually sharp at that moment.

"You're playing with fire! I'm going to take care of him right now!"

Now it was Li Boyang's turn to blink in confusion, and then he quickly reached out to stop Xiluo.

"No, he's just got a slightly unusual fate; he's not really dead!"

"Besides, he destroyed the blue brick road that our village worked so hard to build. Letting him off so easily would be too lenient on him."

After a slight pause, Li Boyang continued with a smile.

"Our most pressing task right now is to figure out why he dared to chase that fox alone."

"And what exactly is the fox's purpose in coming here!"

"The divination results from the Heavenly Mandate Bone Plastron tell me that the fox's arrival here was no coincidence!"

Upon hearing this, Xiluo stopped what she was doing, but still gave Li Boyang a wary look with an unusually gloomy gaze.

"Little one, although I gave you the Nine Chapters of the Lower Mysteries ' and the Heavenly Mandate Bone Plastron, I still have to give you a piece of advice."

"Don't be too superstitious about those things, and don't repeat my sister's mistakes."

"Human hearts are fickle and human nature is unpredictable. Even a prophet who truly understands Heavenly Mandate would find it difficult to truly see through the heart of an ordinary person."

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