The Master of Konoha's Legacy

Moreover, we have lived here for generations, and we can only pray that it is a god and not a monster.

As he spoke, the riverside horn's expression gradually turned sinister, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes as he looked at the crowd, and he said in a deep voice:

"You need to think this through. Here we have food and women."

If the entire village were to relocate, it would be extremely difficult to find a suitable place to live.

You wouldn't want to go to town and become slaves to those samurai lords, never even having the chance to touch a woman your whole lives, would you?

As soon as he finished speaking, a fierce look flashed across everyone's faces.

These people's ancestors were slaves who fled to this place, and none of them wanted to lose their current life.

Fortune favors the bold, and besides, all the rumors suggest that the mountain is probably not a monster.

Besides, monsters also have their own habits.

Like the stone swallow, it basically doesn't eat people.

If a mountain were to become a monster, it probably wouldn't be interested in flesh and blood.

"Village chief, we understand. We'll do whatever you say." Everyone looked at the big horn by the river with firm eyes.

Big Horn by the river nodded in satisfaction, stroking his chin as he said:

“I’ve heard from elders that if you want to receive the protection of the gods, you need to worship them.”

"Then what should we worship?" a villager who looked a little young asked.

An elderly villager beside him said thoughtfully, "It is said that outsiders use wild animals or slaves to worship gods."

Wild animals can be captured, but as for slaves, there are none here.

If all else fails, the only option may be to sacrifice the villagers.

Upon realizing this, everyone turned their gaze to the face of the man by the river.

But then he saw the big horn on the riverbank staring expressionlessly at the small fish curled up on the ground, and said in a cold voice:

“You said, ‘Offer her as a sacrifice to the mountain god.’”

The Mountain God will probably like it.

[Chapter 427 Preparations for the Sacrifice: Seeking the Gods at Night]

At this moment, Xiao Jiao absentmindedly returned to his room in the center of the village.

The room had no lighting fixtures such as oil lamps, only a simple wooden table, four wooden stools, and a bed covered with hay.

In the darkness, Xiaojiao relied on her memory to find her way to the bed. She curled up on the bed, hugging her legs, and stared blankly at the sky outside the window.

What happened today was too shocking, and Xiaojiao can't tell whether she feels angry or scared right now.

The houses in the village are all close together, and at this time of day, strange moaning sounds should be heard everywhere.

But the village was unusually quiet today.

As time passed, the chaotic thoughts in Xiaojiao's mind gradually calmed down, and a wisp of doubt welled up in his heart.

The father and the others were discussing why they should leave the little fish behind.

Was it to treat the small fish?

They won't do anything to the little fish, will they?

Thinking about the behavior of the men in the village, Xiao Jiao inexplicably thought of this.

No, with my father around, he wouldn't allow anyone to do such a thing.

Trusting his father, Xiao Jiao shook his head abruptly, trying to shake the thought out of his mind.

But somehow, this thought became like a thorn deeply embedded in my heart.

In the dimly lit room, Xiaojiao couldn't stop her mind from wandering.

What if?

Given Xiaoyu's current condition, she probably won't have much ability to work in the future and won't be able to help herself in daily life.

Father might not let Xiaoyu marry him.

Perhaps the only value of small fish is their ability to reproduce.

For Xiaojiao, Xiaoyu was his childhood sweetheart and first love, and no one could tolerate such a thing.

Suddenly, Xiao Jiao, who was sitting on the bed, got up as if possessed, and carefully left, heading outside.

What usually takes two or three minutes took Xiaojiao more than ten minutes to walk.

As we approached the open space near the edge of the village, we finally heard a sound.

But no one spoke.

Didn't we say we were going to discuss it?

Xiao Jiao's doubts deepened, and he slowly peeked out from around the corner.

Suddenly, the pores of the little horn contracted sharply.

On the open ground where more than a dozen torches once stood, wooden stakes had been driven into the ground at some point.

The little fish was tied to a wooden stake and had animal fur stuffed in its mouth.

As for the group of people from Dajiao by the river, they all wore indifferent expressions and silently carried firewood back and forth, placing it under the wooden stakes.

This wasn't the first time Xiaojiao had seen this kind of scene.

In the past, when the village caught large wild animals, they would often stick them on wooden stakes and roast them.

Now the scene is repeated, but this time it's his beloved woman tied to a wooden stake.

why?

In front of the wooden stake, the riverbank antler calmly watched the small fish, his eyes showing no pity.

Just then, He Bian Dajiao noticed a villager who was tending to someone else's firewood winking at him.

He immediately turned around to look.

A small, thin figure stood silently in the darkness.

But the extremely familiar silhouette allowed Big Horn by the river to recognize who it was at a glance. He immediately strode forward and said in a deep voice, "What are you doing here?"

Xiao Jiao stared intently at the little fish, which was tied to the wooden stake and was struggling and writhing. He opened his mouth, then stiffly raised his head to look at his father, whose face was gloomy, and said hoarsely:

"What are you doing... what are you doing...?"

Seeing his son like this, He Bian Dajiao's heart softened. He took a deep breath and said gently:

"We need to offer her as a sacrifice to the mountain god so that he can protect us and allow us to live here safely."

A sacrifice?

Xiaojiao heard this word for the first time, but considering Xiaoyu's situation, he instantly understood the meaning of sacrifice.

As for the mountain god that my father mentioned, it could only be the owner of the stone hand we saw tonight; that must be the hand of the mountain god.

Little Horn's face turned pale instantly. He stared incredulously at Big Horn by the river and said in a hoarse voice:

"Why her? Didn't you promise me?"

Avoiding Xiaojiao's gaze, Dajiao looked at the small fish wriggling on the wooden stake by the river and said:

"She is the only person who has ever seen the Mountain God."

And judging from her appearance, the Mountain God seems quite pleased with her.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jiao turned his head with difficulty and looked at Xiao Yu as well.

"Waaaaah..." Perhaps the little fish still remembered Xiaojiao in its subconscious, because when it saw Xiaojiao looking over, it struggled even more.

Xiao Jiao's eyes turned bloodshot. He slowly lowered his head, knelt on the ground with a thud, and gritted his teeth, saying:

"Father, please do not offer the little fish to the mountain god."

I will work hard, and when I become a great samurai, I will be able to protect everyone too.

But to everyone's surprise, Big Horn by the river shook his head firmly and said:

"There is no room for negotiation on this matter. The Mountain God is someone who can kill Shi Sangyan with ease."

Even a samurai cannot do this easily.

That's a god.

"How can we keep her here?" Xiaojiao asked, unwilling to give up.

However, He Bian Dajiao no longer had the patience to continue persuading his lost son in this situation, especially since the surrounding villagers were all secretly watching them.

But then, the man by the river turned cold and barked, "Go back."

Xiao Jiao remained kneeling in place, unmoved.

Just as Dajiao was about to call someone to take Xiaojiao back, Xiaojiao seemed to have suddenly come to a realization. He silently got up, turned around, and walked towards the village.

Watching the lonely figure in the small corner gradually disappear into the darkness, Dajiao by the river sighed deeply, and then continued to direct the villagers to prepare for the sacrificial ceremony.

This was also the first time that a so-called sacrificial ceremony had been set up at the riverside corner.

I have no idea whether the mountain god in my heart will be satisfied with the little fish as a sacrificial offering.

But apart from Xiaoyu, it seems there is no better alternative.

For this small village, men are an indispensable resource.

The adult women generally had unusual relationships with the men in the village.

Choosing them will more or less cause dissatisfaction among some people.

I will grow old, and every hunt carries the risk of disability and death.

If something happens to me in the future, I can't guarantee that those who hold grudges won't take advantage of my misfortune.

There are no laws or regulations binding people here; whoever has the strongest fist has the right to speak.

Underage women also have value in reproduction and simple labor.

On the contrary, Little Fish, in her madness, only wastes the village's food and needs to be taken care of; she's a complete burden.