"Look upstream!" Lin Fang said with a smile.
A few of them followed the river upstream and soon saw a temple bustling with devotees.
The temple was extrely lavish and covered a vast area, flanked by a bell tower and a drum tower. In the center courtyard stood a huge bronze cauldron enveloped in swirling incense smoke, wrapping around the cauldron entirely.
"Such a thriving incense offering!" exclaid Little Fox. Along their journey, they had never seen a temple so filled with devotees.
Approaching the temple gate, they saw a wooden plaque hanging above the door with swirling dragon and phoenix characters: Inspiration King’s Temple.
"Great Inspirational King, who is this deity, and why have I never heard of him before?" Bashan Tiger asked, puzzled.
"In the Mortal World, there’s a saying ’every ten miles the customs change.’ How many places have you been, how many divine spirits do you know?" Yi Hailong replied unkindly, striking a blow.
"I’ve been mingling among the elders for a few days. I’ve heard of many well-known Immortals, but I’ve never heard the na of the Great Inspirational King."
As the two Little Monsters argued, a change occurred in the temple. A man holding a child ran out, followed by a group of people chasing after him.
"Chen Yi, stop right there!" the crowd shouted.
But the man paid no heed, running at full speed with the child, who was terrified and crying loudly in his arms.
"Boss, could that be a human trafficker?" Bashan Tiger asked eagerly, ready to perform a heroic deed.
"It doesn’t seem like it. Although the child is crying, he still very much depends on this man. He is likely his father."
As they spoke, the man nad Chen Yi dashed past them, with a group of people panting heavily as they chased him.
"Stop right there! Do you want to be the sinner of Chen Family Village?" An elderly man roared angrily, his breath puffing out his beard.
"To ensure favorable weather, must I sacrifice my child to that detestable Great Inspirational King?" Chen Yi shouted back in anger.
"It’s a sacrifice. Only through sacrifice can we have peace and a bountiful harvest."
"We’re so close to the Tongtian River, yet you have never thought about irrigation. Instead, you put your hope in a monstrous Monster; it’s ridiculous."
"Silence! Do not defile the divine spirits," the old man shouted with frustration, looking around worried that the Great Inspirational King might be near.
"Today you force to sacrifice my child; next year it will be your turn. No matter how big Chen Family Village is, one day this Monster will consu us all. Today you coerce ; tomorrow you will coerce yourselves," Chen Yi yelled in fury.
However, the young and strong n of the surrounding area had caught up with him, trapping him.
Soone took the child from his arms, and the child cried out in fear, "Daddy!"
Seeing this, Chen Yi bit his lip until it bled. He struggled fiercely but was pinned to the ground by several strong n.
"Let go! You too have children. Sooner or later, what’s happening today will happen to you."
"Calm down, Chen Yi. We cannot defeat the Great Inspirational King. If he gets displeased, it can snow in June, ruining all our crops," a strong man whispered.
"Exactly. We can’t handle the Great Inspirational King. If he gets angry, then our Chen Family Village really won’t survive," another man added.
Chen Yi was pinned to the ground, angrily pounding his fists into the earth, until his palms were dyed a bright red with blood.
After a long ti, a few strong n saw that the villagers had brought the children back and slowly relaxed their hold on Chen Yi, saying in a deep voice, "I know this is hard on you, but what can we do, this is our fate."
The n’s words were tinged with a desolate emotion as they slowly left the place.
The sky was filled with dark clouds, and a fierce wind swept in, causing the great river to roar loudly.
Chen Yi lay on the ground, his eyes blurred with tears, his mind flashing with the images of his child growing up. The despair of being a father yet powerless surged in his heart, and the man began to cry loudly.
Crying out in grief, his voice shaking the heavens, carrying far into the temples where the welcoming of the divine spirits had already begun, casting a shadow of sorrow over the people there.
Many glared hatefully at the golden-armored deity in front of them, cursing that damned monster to die.
"Let’s all hold back a bit, if it gets out, it’ll only bring more disaster," the leading elder said with furrowed brows, instructing in a low voice.
Everyone cursed his servility behind his back, but who would have thought that the first pair of children sacrificed were his own grandchildren.
But what could hatred do when all of them were re mortals? How could they oppose such a ferocious monster? The gods and Buddhas in the heavens seed as dead, silent to their prayers, leaving them to just watch as their beloved grandchild t death.
Who knew the hatred in his heart?
When all was said and done, the elder cast a glance at the children sitting in the dish, showing a trace of reluctance. There was a ti when his own grandchild sat there innocently, feeding the monster.
"Let’s go, let’s go back," the elder said with a heavy heart, waving his hand, as tears fell despite his efforts to hold them back.
All left with heavy hearts, many casting pitying glances at the child sitting on the table eating the fruit, but there was nothing they could do but turn their heads and leave.
Without the children, the village would lose its life, and if things continued this way, the village would only face extinction.
Chen Yi lay on the ground, ignoring everyone, filled with sorrow and anger.
Gradually, people left the place filled with sadness and despair, leaving only Chen Yi lying on the ground.
But now he too was powerless, for on the offering table in front of the deity was a spell of the Great Inspirational King, and once inside that wooden dish, one could never get out again.
"Stop crying!" A warm voice sounded in his ear.
The voice was unfamiliar, and Chen Yi lifted his head to see a young man in a Daoist robe, looking at him kindly.
"Who are you?" he asked warily.
"Soone who can help you," was the reply.
On hearing this, Chen Yi’s face showed a bitter smile as he said, "Do you know what I’m facing? You can’t help."
"Isn’t it the Great Inspirational King? How about I help you rescue your child?"
Chen Yi looked incredulously at the young man before him, then sighed and said, "You better not go and throw away your life!"
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