Building a sect from scratch.

Chapter 43 The Village Under Captivity
Wang Ergou complained in the group chat: "I think this game is weird. I can't figure it out. What, is there some kind of evil god path? Offerings? Kill me to entertain everyone?"

"Dog Bro, have some compassion! I think this NPC is almost broken!"

"He's broken! I'm broken too! And he's broken too!"

Before Wang Ergou could mutter anything more, a crisp ding-dong sound rang out, the task system flashed, and the task details changed again.

[New Sect Headquarters]: [After investigation, it was discovered that this strange village seemed to have been deceived and kept captive by some evil forces for over a hundred years. Fortunately, the arrival of the Taiyin Sect disciples exposed the lie. Everyone decided to protect this village and develop it into the first town under the Taiyin Sect's name, which will also serve as the Taiyin Sect's headquarters here. (Shareable, maximum number of users: unlimited) (Rewards: 2000 Exp, 100 Sect Contribution Points)]

"Good grief, this mission is just waiting for us here."

Although Wang Ergou's mouth never stopped, he was only talking in the group chat. As a result, in the old man's eyes, the man in front of him, who claimed to be a disciple of the Taiyin Sect under the Guangcheng Sect, remained silent and had a very strange expression when asked what tribute he needed.

A wave of panic and unease washed over the old man. He swallowed hard, then knelt down again, pleading, "Immortal, there aren't many people left in the village. If you need anything, we can tend to the spirit fields and medicinal herb fields. If you require offerings, we can prepare all the necessary sacrifices. It's just that the village population is so small. Could you... could you spare us the human sacrifice? Even... even just a few years would be fine..."

"No, no, wait a minute," Wang Ergou was so startled by these words that he almost jumped up. He first helped the old man up, and then reassured him, "Don't be anxious. I just need to discuss this with my group... uh, with my fellow disciples! But our Taiyin Sect is a legitimate cultivation sect, how could we possibly need human sacrifices! Hmm, you can spread the word first, that from now on, our Taiyin Sect will protect your village, no human sacrifices! What the hell, human sacrifices! It sounds so unreliable!"

As he spoke, Wang Ergou pulled out his disciple token and added, "Look, our disciple token even has the Guangcheng Sect's mark on it!"

The old man's hands trembled as Wang Ergou supported him. He first brought the jade token to his eyes and stared at it intently. Then he moved it away and squinted to carefully examine the pattern at the bottom of the jade token. He then ran his finger over the pattern, and a faint spiritual energy wrapped around it. Then, the pattern representing Guangcheng Sect emitted a faint light—although the light was fleeting.

The old man murmured, "It really is the Guangcheng Sect...it really is the Guangcheng Sect!"

Then, almost weeping with joy, he gripped Wang Ergou's hand tightly, stared into his eyes, and asked, "Are you really not going to use human sacrifices?"

Looking at the old man, Wang Ergou felt a strange pang of sadness. He blinked twice unconsciously, then suddenly raised his voice: "What the hell do you want human sacrifices for! What kind of evil heretics need human sacrifices! Don't worry! We, the Taiyin Sect, are here to... cough, to save everyone! We don't need human sacrifices!"

……

From the time An Ya'er could remember, she was called An Ya'er; she didn't have a formal name.

She is the village chief's eleventh great-granddaughter. Her mother wanted to name her, but the village chief said that she might end up serving the water goddess, so there was no need to give her a formal name.

Does serving the Water Goddess mean you don't need to have a name?

An Ya'er's little head was filled with curiosity and confusion.

However, her mother still secretly gave her a name: Anning.

The village was mostly peaceful. In Anning's memory, her mother would get up at dawn every day to prepare breakfast for the family. After telling her older sister to take care of herself, she would go with her father and older brother to tend the medicinal herb fields and wouldn't return until evening.

During the day, my older sister would take me to feed the chickens and rehydrate ramie. She didn't like rehydration because it smelled really bad.

However, there were also times when the atmosphere was not good—every year during the Spring Festival, it was the strangest time in the village. All the uncles and grandfathers, as well as my mother and sister, all had worried faces, and I didn't know why.

But she loved the New Year because she could eat fried pork cracklings, a rare treat, at the dinner table. Later, her brother would secretly hide his share of meat and then share it with himself and his sister.

The meat was boiled in plain water and rubbed with toilet salt. It was bitter and astringent, but full of the aroma of oil, so fragrant that it made you want to swallow your tongue.

One year after the New Year, white cloth was hung at the house of Ping Ya'er, who often played with her. Ping Ya'er said that her father had drawn a lot, but the family couldn't be without strong laborers to tend the medicinal herb fields, so Ping Ya'er's grandfather asked to go and serve the Water Goddess. Ping Ya'er's grandparents both went to serve the Water Goddess, which made An Ning very strange. Why would the Water Goddess need two old people who could barely walk fast to serve her?
Until one day, Anning finally understood that serving the Water Goddess meant never coming back; it meant "death." Just like her younger sister before her, small and curled up on the bed, growing cold and lifeless.

Later, Pingya disappeared too. It was said that she was taken away by a deity to enjoy a life of luxury, where she could eat meat every day... But why did everyone's eyes show pity?

If someone is taken away by a deity, does that mean they "die"?
Anning asked her great-grandfather, who knew everything. He said that the village was blessed by the gods, and no one could enter without their permission, so they had to respect the gods.

Anning asked curiously, "What is a 'deity'?"

"Gods and immortals possess boundless magical power and can transform into all sorts of forms, like an old man, like a woman..."

Anning then asked, "What are immortals called?"

"Foolish! How could you, a little girl, know the names of immortals?"

Great-grandfather's expression turned terrifying: "If you encounter someone whose face you've never seen before, you must run away quickly. They might be a deity. If you offend a deity, you'll pay with your life!"

An Ning shuddered and dared not ask any more questions; she didn't want to 'die'.

Anning doesn't quite remember the weather that day, only vaguely recalling that it was a very sunny day. She heard someone shouting, "The gods have come!" and then many people hid inside their houses. Pingya'er's father wanted to pick her up and hide, but Anning felt that she should go and tell her great-grandfather.

The gods can take people away, and those they take away will "die," and she doesn't want anyone to "die."

after that……

What happened next? Anning couldn't quite remember... Oh right! It seemed like her great-grandfather shouted something!
What did they shout again?

"No human sacrifice! Did everyone hear that?! No human sacrifice! No more human sacrifice!"

The old man was so excited that he cried and laughed, leaving Wang Ergou completely at a loss.

Doors and windows in the village were opened one after another. In an instant, the world seemed to come alive. People rushed out of their houses and courtyards, making a noisy commotion. The whole village seemed to be revitalized.

Wang Ergou saw an old man running barefoot and stumbling wildly through the fields, shouting in a hoarse and withered voice, "The immortals of Guangcheng Sect have come! The immortals of Guangcheng Sect have come to save us!"

But many more people sat on the ground and wept bitterly.

"I feel a little unwell,"

In the team chat, I don't know when, everyone stopped making sarcastic remarks.

In the chat window, which had been quiet for a long time, a player's words suddenly scrolled out: "The quest says it will take hundreds of years, so let's say it takes hundreds of years. If one person dies every year, that's at least a hundred people."

"This village doesn't seem to have even a hundred houses in total, does it?"

Finally, we've surpassed 1000 followers! Oh, and everyone's welcome to join our group! I've posted the group number in my book club circle. I'll be giving out red envelopes in the group when the book is officially released!
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(End of this chapter)