Moreover, the strength Qin Fang displayed along the way had already been astonishing. Yet even with such strength, he found this instance somewhat challenging, indicating the magnitude of the trouble.

"In fact, even if you hadn't mentioned it, we were planning to tell you that we would be leaving the mountains tomorrow. Now we're just moving up the schedule slightly…"

Actually, they had already packed up everything. Having stayed in the mountains for such a long time, the elderly man's health had improved a lot, and it was estimated that he could live another half to a full year.

This was the greatest effort Qin Fang could make, and Luo Sang's family was quite thankful, treating Qin Fang as if he were their life-saving benefactor.

They wished the old man could live a long and healthy life, but the conditions in the mountains were too rudimentary, and the old man was unwilling to leave the mountains and live in the city with Auntie Song; he just wanted to quietly spend his last days...

Auntie Song couldn't persuade her elderly mother, who had lived here for decades. It was obviously impossible for the elder to agree to leave her hometown in the last stage of her life.

Moreover, they had been in the mountains for a significant amount of time already, and Auntie Song and Uncle Wen had their own jobs outside and couldn't stay indefinitely. It was time for them to leave.

Coincidentally, when Qin Fang brought it up, there was naturally no reason for them not to agree…

What was originally thought to be a troublesome matter was easily resolved. Qin Fang and Song Qingshan didn't have much luggage, so the group directly bid farewell to Luo Sang's family and set off on the trail down the mountain.

People often say it's easy to ascend but hard to descend a mountain, yet sometimes going downhill may not be so difficult… At least for Qin Fang and the others, their pace was relatively fast.

After days of mountain life, Wen Yan was no longer the delicate lady who had never ventured into the mountains, moving nimbly along the mountain paths. With some accommodation from Qin Fang, she could keep up with their pace…

Tang Xin also followed calmly, chatting occasionally with Wen Yan, and their relationship had become much more harmonious. At the same time, she learned quite a bit about Qin Fang from Wen Yan.

Knowing that Qin Fang had several girlfriends did not provoke much reaction from Tang Xin, for she came from Tang Sect, which is similar to ancient times where men having multiple wives and concubines was commonplace, and she was not particularly bothered.

If it were otherwise, she could not have gotten along so well with Wen Yan, given that Qin Fang had previously stated that Wen Yan was his girlfriend. If she were the jealous type, she would have attacked Wen Yan first.

Moreover, she had not directly expressed her feelings for Qin Fang, so he was still in the dark.

Zhuoma did not travel with Qin Fang and the others. Although she was considering leaving the mountains, she had not yet fully decided, and she at least needed to inform her family, so she rode back to Gelan Tribe alone…

Although the descent was relatively quick, it was still impossible to exit the mountains in one day, especially since they had started in the afternoon. They had to stay overnight in a village and could only continue their journey out of the mountains the next day.

Coincidentally, the tribe where Qin Fang and his companions stayed was hosting a grand sacrificial event, presided over by a highly respected Sacrificial Priest. It was a lively event in the mountains that attracted people from several neighboring villages to watch.

Woo Woo Woo Woo~~~

With the deep sound of horns, the sacrificial ceremony officially began, and just as Qin Fang and his group arrived, it was already progressing to the most critical part—the blood sacrifice!

Sacrifice, in fact, has existed in human society for a very long time, such as offering sacrifices to heaven… Although modern people have gradually abandoned such activities, they still exist in some ancient tribes.

Just like these mountain villages, where the environment is very primitive and ancient, sacrifices still hold a significant place.

This can be seen from Song Qingshan being established as a divine messenger, whose status is said to be comparable to that of the High Priest, the highest position in sacrificial rites…

There are many ways of performing sacrifices, and in Miao Village, offerings usually include fruits and livestock. However, during more significant occasions, a blood sacrifice is held.

Ordinary sacrifices are nothing extraordinary, akin to how outsiders visit temples to burn incense and worship Buddha, without any anomalies.

But the blood sacrifice is different—

A blood sacrifice is not merely about offering some fresh blood; it requires not animals, but living humans…

The requirements for this offering are also stringent; it must be a virgin who has just turned sixteen. Those who have lost their virginity, are married, or even betrothed are unacceptable. Only the purest of bodies are needed because it is believed to be a Holy Woman offered to the divine, requiring an immaculately holy body to meet the standards.

Otherwise, if the divine is angered, not only will the prayers be unsuccessful, but it could also bring boundless calamities to the tribe…

The mountain people live off the land and water, barely scraping by on ordinary days. If natural disasters strike, it becomes incredibly tough to survive, and deaths from starvation are not uncommon. Therefore, everyone hopes for the divine's blessing, ushering in a prosperous year.

To gain the divine's protection, naturally, the best and most perfect offerings must be presented…

Unfortunately, this tribe has had a tough year recently. First, many skilled hunters mysteriously disappeared in the mountains without a trace of their bodies. Then, a torrential downpour caused a severe landslide, burying dozens of people and destroying many fields and food supplies…

A series of cruel blows has made survival for this tribe extremely difficult, forcing them to urgently conduct an elaborate blood sacrifice, hoping the divine ruling the heavens would show mercy and bless them, making their tribe's days smoother and happier.

For this blood sacrifice, the tribe had been preparing for quite some days, specially selecting the most fitting offering before commencing, and Qin Fang and his group happened to encounter it.

"Blood sacrifice…"

When Qin Fang heard this news, his first reaction was—absurd.

The lives of the people in Miao Jiang are backward, and many of their practices are superstitions. Although Qin Fang had some understanding and acceptance of witch doctors, it did not mean he approved of such sacrificial practices.

It's known that outside, such activities are considered feudal superstitions, prohibited by the government and definitely subject to crackdowns.

Not to mention, this sacrificial activity outrageously involves using living humans for blood sacrifice—utterly inhumane.

Even Song Qingshan had a very displeased look upon hearing this news. Although the human rights awareness in Dragon Country cannot compare with that of foreign countries, it is far from condoning such disregard for human life, especially for such an ignorant and superstitious activity.

"Xiao Qin, just observe this and don't meddle too much…"

Seeing that Qin Fang seemed resentful towards this sacrificial activity, Uncle Wen and Auntie Song couldn't help but advise him. They naturally disapproved of such activities too, but the mentality of the mountain people was closed and somewhat ignorant, still believing in the effectiveness of these sacrifices.

Even the girl chosen as the offering volunteered herself; when selecting the offering initially, nearly every unmarried girl in the tribe was eagerly vying for this slot… It seemed like an exceptional honor, an immediate elevation in status once achieved. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to cast your recommendation and monthly votes at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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