The cave was inhabited and was used exclusively for sacrifices. At this moment, the entrance to the cave was full of things, a little grains, and more living creatures, all of which were tied with hemp rope and lying on the ground with their limbs tied horizontally.

There were about a dozen geese, eight roe deer, six antelopes, four wild boars, and two wildebeests.

The cave hall is very large and can accommodate hundreds of people, but there are only about 20 households in the village, so the hall is not crowded.

The big guys usually work and live in their respective caves, and when they get together at this moment, they can't help but greet each other and make homely meals, and the laughter and laughter in the cave hall are like the atmosphere of the previous year.

"Ahem!" the elders of the village coughed a few times to signal everyone to be quiet, and then beckoned to the young men, who first carried the two wildebeest in and laid them down at an offering table.

On the offering table were incense burners, dried fruits, and snacks, and a scroll hung on the wall of the cave directly above it.

Tao Yunjin looked closely at the picture on the painting shaft, it was not a god or a bodhisattva, it was actually a bird with five long tail feathers.

She asked Ah Yi in surprise, "Do you worship a bird?"

Ah Yi: "That's not an ordinary bird, it's a golden phoenix." It inhabits Yan Island, where there is a twin sycamore tree, and the golden phoenix's nest is on the paulownia tree. ”

Tao Yunjin was surprised again: "You are worshipping a demon, and it is a real demon?"

Ah Yi: "Otherwise?"

Tao Yunjin held his forehead with one hand: "Shouldn't it be worshipping the Jade Emperor, Shakya Rulai, and Kong Sheng Laozhuang?"

Ah Yi: "I've never seen one." ”

Tao Yunjin was speechless, she hadn't seen it either.

The old people of the village began to recite the old words aloud, to the effect that they would pray for a good harvest of hunting, that the wind and rain would be smooth, that wild beasts would not harm people, and that the village would be peaceful every year.

Then he cut the throat of the wildebeest, collected the blood in a large wooden barrel, and placed it on the offering table.

Then the wild boar, antelope, roe deer, goose, etc. were carried up in turn, and the throat was also cut and blooded, and then placed on the offering table.

Twenty buckets of blood were placed on the long and narrow offering table, and the cave hall was filled with a thick bloody atmosphere.

The corpses on the ground were neatly placed in large to small sizes, and there was not a single trace of fur scattered or bloody.

Then the villagers knelt down behind the corpse, their foreheads touched the ground, and said in unison: "Respectfully invite the Golden Phoenix Divine Venerable to enjoy!"

Most of them lay motionless on the ground, as if time stood still.

Lu Yi stood straight, and there were many people around him who did not kneel.

Tao Yunjin couldn't help but be curious, looked around, glanced at the offering table through a few rows of backs, and then stared at the round eyes.

The blood in those twenty barrels fell at a breakneck pace until it bottomed out.

Then the corpses on the ground disappeared one by one, and it seemed that someone had actually swallowed the sacrifices one by one.

This strange situation made Tao Yunjin shudder, and he turned his head to look around, could it be that the five-tailed divine bird was really in the cave?

Tao Yunjin vigorously stabbed Ah Yi: "The golden phoenix is here to eat?"

Ah Yi nodded: "The old people in the village say so." ”

Then he looked around and said in a low voice, "But Grandpa Godfather said that it wasn't Jin Huang who ate it." ”

Tao Yunjin had long noticed that Grandpa Godon was not in the cave hall: "Who is that?"

Ah Yi: "Grandpa said that the people in the village don't understand, Jin Huang is not a Yuan Demon, and there is no need for blood food sacrifices, most of our sacrifices are eaten by a Yuan Demon in this forest." However, after eating the blood food sacrifice, the Yuan Demon did not come to trouble the villagers, and the effect was the same. ”

Tao Yunjin hurriedly shouted: "What is the Yuan Demon, why does the Yuan Demon need blood food sacrifice?"

Ah Yi: "Yuan Demon, that is, the demon who does not cultivate the Flood Furnace, only cultivates the Yuan Dan, they need a lot of blood food to maintain their cultivation and physical functions." The biggest threat to our village, except for the beasts, is the Yuan Demon. Most mortals below the rank of mage did not live to be forty years old, and were either taken away by fierce beasts or died by primordial demons. ”

Tao Yunjin looked at the empty wooden barrel on the offering table, and felt that this situation was simply absurd: "Most of the people in your village died from the Yuan Demon, but now they are killing the sacrifice Jin to sacrifice to them?"

Ah Yi knew her thoughts, nodded in agreement: "My father was killed by a Yuan Demon, and my mother avenged my father, but she died with that Yuan Demon." So I don't kneel. Grandpa also allowed me not to kneel. ”

Tao Yunjin pointed to a black figure on the ground: "What about them? Do they know what they are doing?"

Ah Yi scratched his head: "Grandpa mentioned it to them once, but he was blasted out." Then he told me not to mention it again. ”

Walking out of the cave hall, I saw Grandpa Gan standing under a tree not far away, looking over here.

Lu Yi walked over: "Godgrandpa?"

Grandpa turned around and walked to his cave: "Come." ”

The furnishings of his cave ** are very simple, not even as good as Lu Yi's, and there is only a blanket made of coarse wool on the ground. But all the furniture displays, pots and pans are very neatly arranged, which is completely different from Yaogu's cave.

Lu Yi usually doesn't come here, because his godfather is short, so the roof of the cave is very low, and as soon as he comes in, he rubs the top of his head against the cave wall from time to time.

Grandpa Godfather saw that he was uncomfortable standing in the cave, so he said, "Sit down." ”

Turning around and sitting down on the thick woolen blanket, he turned up a corner and groped in the haystack below.

Lu Yi sat on a stool, but the stool was also very low, so it was better to sit on the ground.

Grandpa Godfather took out a black mahogany box, looked at it for a long time, and seemed to be caught in some memories of the past, his face was unusually serious.

Lu Yi looked at the box curiously, not knowing what was inside.

Grandpa Godfather stretched out his hand and solemnly handed the box to Lu Yi.

Lu Yi hurriedly got up to pick it up, almost overturned the stool, and rubbed the low table next to him a few steps away, and the clay pot on the table rattled.

Lu Yi was startled, turned his head to look, and slammed into the roof of the cave in a panic, slamming an oil lamp hanging on the roof of the cave.

Grandpa stood up unhappily, held the oil lamp steady, and put the low table and stool back in the same position as before.

Lu Yi didn't dare to move, he bent over and stood tremblingly, and only dared to sit down when his godfather put the room back in order.

When he opened the box in his hand, he saw a small fine woolen cloth spread inside, and a chalcedony the size of a quail egg was lying inside.

He pinched the chalcedony, the style was simple and unpretentious, about some years, but it didn't seem to look like a precious variety.

Lu Yi remembered that he was going to go into the city tomorrow to buy New Year's goods, and he probably knew what his godfather meant, and said in frustration: "Godgrandpa, have we reached this point? ”

Bang! I was struck the top of the head!

Grandpa scolded angrily: "If you dare! If you sell this thing, I will tear you up!"

Lu Yi rubbed the bulge on the top of his head, wanting to cry without tears: "I'm just guessing." ”

Grandpa God's breath was turbid, and his face was solemn: "This is handed down from my ancestors." I have no children or daughters, so I will pass them on to you. You'll be eighteen in a few days, so keep it and don't sell it or give it away, do you hear?"

Lu Yi nodded vigorously, a little moved in his heart, although his godfather has the word "dry", he is no different from his own grandfather.

Tao Yunjin looked at the chalcedony curiously, and asked, "Grandpa, how much is this worth?"

Bang! Another slap on the top of the head!

Grandpa shouted: "Priceless!"

Lu Yi nodded like a chicken pecking rice, and didn't dare to speak indiscriminately.

When he got up to leave, he glanced behind him and saw that Grandpa Gan picked up the dust in the corner and was wiping the stool that Lu Yi had sat on.

Lu Yi suddenly had a feeling of being hurt in his heart: "Godgrandpa, I just changed my clothes......"

Grandpa gave him a blank look: "You kid has never washed his clothes." ”

Back in his cave, Lu Yi took out the chalcedony and looked at the sunlight for a while, the jade was translucent, and there were many filamentous markings inside, probably some mineral impurities, but the color was extremely light and the shape was extremely fine, and it could not be seen if you didn't look carefully.

Tao Yunjin was very interested: "Heirloom! I will enter the city tomorrow, go to the pawn shop and ask how much it is worth." ”

Ah Yi hesitated: "Grandpa said that he would not be allowed to sell." ”

Tao Yunjin shrugged: "If you don't sell it, it's an estimate." ”

She pinched her chin and thought for a while, then suddenly asked, "Why did you give you the heirloom?"

Ah Yi took it for granted: "My godfather treats me as my grandson, and I also treat him as my grandfather." ”

Tao Yunjin raised an eyebrow: "How do you know that he doesn't have a real grandson?"

Ah Yi Yusai, the godfather came to Huangshi Village a few years ago, and it is said that at his age, he may have already become a family.

Tao Yunjin played with chalcedony and said thoughtfully: "Do you know where he came from?"

Ah Yi shook his head: "I haven't heard him mention it." My mom and dad knew about it, but they didn't tell me either. ”

Tao Yunjin was surprised that he had been ignorant for so many years: "His martial arts skills are so strong, he can't be an ordinary hunter, right?"

Ah Yi stared at her speechless.

Tao Yunjin nodded his head: "You, you, you're really not ordinary stupid." ”

Ah Yi was a little unhappy: "So what? He is my godfather! He is good to me, Aunt Yao is also good to me, except for them, I have no other relatives." ”

Tao Yunjin frowned: "This is not the same thing! I did not deny my godfather's feelings for you." But to judge a person rationally, you can't confuse it with feelings, do you understand?"

Ah Yibang tightened the corners of his lips, but his voice was a little lacking: "What is there to judge? Anyway, I know that he is not a bad person." I don't like it when you judge him. ”

Tao Yunjin rolled her eyes: "Okay, okay, he's a godfather, I won't say it." ”

On the second day, Lu Yi got up early in the morning, and for the people of Huangshi Village, entering the city is always a lively and happy thing.

Passing through a small wood, a few miles to the southwest, over a hill, you can hear the sound of rushing water, extremely fierce and loud, it is the Pengjiang River, the largest river in the Yunling area, irrigating this dense primeval forest.

Songcheng is on the edge of the Peng River, and it is the closest town to Huangshi Village.

Entering the city with Yaogu and the others, Lu Yi pushed a small cart loaded with a large number of medicinal herbs, mushrooms, fruits, animal skins, animal jerky, animal bones and other items.

The people of Songcheng like these souvenirs very much, and the price is very sufficient. After all, the Terrans mainly live in towns and cities, and there are not many who dare to live outside the cities.

Therefore, many demons have taken a fancy to this and will also appear in the Songcheng Bazaar. Most of them yearn for human social life, and often turn into human beings, although they will also carry the head of a beast, but their words and deeds are very similar to people.