As spiritual energy revived, I, having acquired certain attributes, gradually ascended to immortalit

Chapter 149 Divergence?

At the village entrance, the sounds grew louder and louder, and the torchlight flickered erratically.

"I've already killed all the demon's minions. Do you think this matter can just be left like this?"

Looking at the villagers still kneeling on the ground, their faces numb in the firelight, Shen Qing knew that explaining was useless, so he just continued talking to himself.

"I said I would deal with those demons, so no more blood offerings are allowed."

Are you going to keep humans in captivity and treat them as food, a survival of the fittest? Then let's see who is truly stronger.

"Location."

Shen Qing repeated it one last time. As the saying goes, things shouldn't happen more than three times. Seeing his serious expression, the village chief didn't dare to say anything more.

Not long after.

Watching Shen Qing and Xiao Qi walk away from the village, none of the villagers dared to stop them until the two completely disappeared into the darkness.

A voice trembled as someone in the crowd finally spoke up: "Village...Village chief, should we send someone else to deliver the tribute?"

Many people nodded in agreement after hearing this.

Compared to Shen Qing, who merely killed a half-demon, the fear brought by those demons was deeply ingrained in their bones.

Day after day, year after year.

Adding to this the coldness and oppression of the supernatural beings, each of them looked down on others and didn't even regard these villagers as their own.

They preferred to believe that Shen Qing was trying to escape rather than that he was going to hunt down those powerful demons.

The villagers surrounded the village chiefs, their voices growing increasingly urgent.

"At least let those demon lords know that we're not with this supernatural being. We can't just wait like this!"

"Send another person! Bring more tribute; perhaps that will appease that giant wolf's anger!"

"Yes, village chief, we're still in time! That giant wolf has a terrible temper; he even eats his own minions!"

The village chief didn't speak, but just stared silently in the direction outside the village until the surrounding sounds gradually quieted down.

He looked away, but shook his head.

"Do you really intend to continue being food for others?"

As the voice faded, the crowd fell silent, with only the crackling of the burning torches remaining. After a moment of silence, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.

"I don't want to!"

He was a young man with a missing leg, supported by a wooden stick. His eyes were red and his fists were clenched tightly.

"My sister was chosen last year, and I watched with my own eyes as she was taken away by demons—how could I possibly allow that!"

He wouldn't have lost that leg if he had wanted to.

"I don't want to either!"

"Why should we be eaten by demons?!"

With this outburst, more and more young people stood up, and their long-suppressed anger and resentment, once they found an outlet, could no longer be contained.

"That's enough!"

Suddenly, an elderly man, clearly quite old, walked out from the crowd with a cane – Uncle Chen, the oldest person in the village.

They are also responsible for selecting those who will become blood sacrifices.

"Village chief, what are you doing?" Uncle Chen looked at the village chief, his cloudy eyes full of confusion.

Before the village chief could speak, the young people questioned, "Uncle Chen, why must we become food for those demons?"

'

"That powerful being has already gone to slay the demons. Don't we even have the courage to wait?"

Uncle Chen turned around and looked at those young faces.

"What can we do? We are no match for those demons, and neither is that supernatural being. Without sending blood offerings, the whole village will not survive."

"Yes, it's been so many years! It's not like we haven't resisted, but every time we've died an even more gruesome death!"

Some in the crowd echoed, while others remained silent, subtly dividing the village's hundred-plus residents into two groups.

On one side was a young man with red eyes and clenched fists, and on the other side was an old man who had witnessed the true power of demons and was gradually falling silent.

"Ah Niu".

Uncle Chen ignored the crowd's argument and looked at the boy with hunched shoulders in the crowd.

He dared not raise his head, his whole body trembling, but there was nothing he could do. After Xiao Qi, he would be the next tribute of blood food.

Women and young children, because their flesh is tender, are the most beloved food of those demons.

The village chief looked at Uncle Chen, a strange emotion in his voice, "But if this continues, it won't be long before we are all eaten up by them."

"That means we'll live as long as we can."

Meanwhile, on the way to the demon's lair.

There were low hills on both sides, and the moonlight shone down on a narrow path in the middle, barely illuminating the way ahead.

Shen Qing walked in front, and Xiao Qi followed behind, having to jog a few steps every now and then to keep up.

"A five-headed, sixth-rank demon?"

After listening to Xiaoqi's hesitant and stumbling explanation, it has to be said that she has a fast learning ability; she was able to communicate with others after only a few hours of contact.

Shen Qing roughly understood that there were five demons at the sixth rank, each occupying a territory.

He also had some seventh or eighth-rank demons under his command, but their total number was not too large, and they were wary of each other, which is why the people of Xiaoqi's village were able to survive.

Even so, this village, which originally had nearly a thousand people, now has only one or two hundred people left.

"Thanks."

-

Xiao Qi suddenly spoke up.

"What?"

Distracted, Shen Qing didn't hear Xiao Qi's stammering voice clearly, but asked about the distance again.

How far is it from the nearest demon's lair?

Xiao Qi stood on tiptoe and looked ahead, then held up a few fingers to indicate that there was still at least an hour's journey ahead.

Shen Qing frowned slightly as he looked at the straw sandals on Xiao Qi's feet, and then waved his hand.

In the void, a ghostly horse engulfed in eerie green flames emerged from the flames and landed on the ground without making a sound.

"S-Sir!"

Xiao Qi was startled and instinctively grabbed Shen Qingyi's sleeve, almost running away.

But the next second, seeing the mischievous creature lower its head and become docile in front of Shen Qing, he realized that it was not a demon.

Then, Xiaoqi's eyes lit up. She started circling around the mischievous boy.

What young man wouldn't be curious about a magnificent steed engulfed in flames?

"This is... a horse?"

Xiao Qi's eyes widened, and she stammered out a few words. She thought of the situation outside that the village chief had described, but it didn't seem as nice as what was in front of her.

"Sit down."

Shen Qing patted the saddle.

Xiaoqi is too slow. An ordinary person, wearing straw sandals, has already walked for several hours during the day. If this continues, it will probably waste a lot of time.

However, Xiaoqi shook her head vigorously, refusing to go up.

"Sir——————————"

He gestured with his fingers, pointing to himself and then to Guima, as if to say, "I dare not."

Shen Qing raised an eyebrow. He dared to climb such a high mountain alone to become a tribute to demons, but now he doesn't dare to ride a ghost horse?

"Alright, stop calling me 'sir' all the time."

Shen Qing waved his hand, feeling that the title made him sound like some kind of bully who oppressed the people.

"Just ride it, otherwise at this speed, when will we ever reach those demons' lair?"

As he spoke, Shen Qing lifted Xiao Qi onto the horse's back as if she were a chick.

This is a perfect example of Lord Ye's love of dragons.

She looked at it with great delight, but when she actually sat on it, Xiao Qi's body stiffened instantly, and she gripped the saddle tightly with both hands.

Her face had some small freckles, making her look like a frightened tabby cat.

It wasn't until the mischievous horse started running that Xiaoqi realized she hadn't been burned or fallen.