Chapter 57 Sacrifice

They decided to approach the tower, hoping to find some clues.

As they drew closer, the ancient and eerie atmosphere of the baby-abandoning tower grew stronger.

The trees surrounding the tower seemed taller and more lush than those in other places, as if guarding some secret for the tower.

As they approached the tower, a cold wind blew by, rustling the leaves as if telling ancient stories.

Luo Qing looked up and saw that the tower was mottled, as if the traces of history were engraved on it.

They cautiously entered the tower, where a sense of oppression permeated the dim light.

As their footsteps echoed, they discovered that the tower was filled with the remains of infants, each one small and seemingly incredibly fragile.

Luo Qing's heart sank. She squatted down and carefully examined the skeletons.

She noticed that all the skeletons were of girls.

Each skeleton was wrapped with a thin red thread, as if telling the story of their existence.

Luo Qing gently stroked the red threads, a nameless sadness welling up in her heart.

Mu Qimeng and Mo Ming stood silently to the side, their faces filled with shock and confusion.

Although they knew that the village favored sons over daughters when they heard the names of the village chief and Sun Pandi, they were still deeply shocked when they saw the remains of so many innocent female infants.

A surge of intense anger and sorrow welled up in Luo Qing's heart; she couldn't imagine the pain and despair these baby girls had endured.

She stood up abruptly and sneered, "They abandon girls while craving offspring; they deserve to be childless!"

Luo Qing's words echoed in the empty tower, accompanied by the echo of her cold laughter, as if awakening those innocent souls lying quietly.

Her gaze wandered among the baby skeletons, each one a silent accusation, making her anger even more uncontrollable.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, causing the candles inside the tower to flicker and their light to dance on the bones, as if mourning these innocent lives.

Luo Qing clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white with anger.

"This kind of village, these kinds of customs, are simply an insult to humanity!" she shouted angrily, her voice echoing inside the tower with a resolute force.

Mu Qimeng and Mo Ming were affected by her emotions, and they stood beside her, their eyes also flashing with anger.

Qi Ru patted her shoulder reassuringly, "Once this is resolved, we'll give them a proper burial."

Qi Ru's words calmed Luo Qing down a little.

She took a deep breath, trying to pull herself out of her anger.

She knew that the most important thing now was to find out the truth about this village so that justice could be served for these innocent baby girls.

She stood up and surveyed the skeletons inside the tower with a determined look.

Every skeleton tells a story of past suffering, and she cannot allow these innocent souls to continue to be buried.

Luo Qing turned and walked towards the tower gate, her steps firm and powerful. Mu Qimeng and Mo Ming followed closely behind, their faces also filled with determination.

As they emerged from the tower gate, the setting sun cast its golden rays upon the fields.

Luo Qing looked up, her eyes flashing with determination. She knew that this battle had only just begun.

Instead of returning to the wooden house, the group walked all the way to the temple where the fairy was said to reside, as the village chief had mentioned.

As night falls, starlight adorns the deep night sky, and a gentle breeze sweeps across the fields, carrying a touch of coolness.

Luo Qing, Mu Qimeng, Mo Ming, and Qi Ru stood in front of the temple, which was ancient and mysterious, as if it carried countless stories and secrets.

The stone door of the temple was half-open, letting in a faint, dim light.

Luo Qing took a deep breath and stepped into the temple first. Her heart was beating slightly faster, and each step felt particularly heavy.

The temple was dark and solemn. They walked through narrow corridors and came to a spacious hall.

In the center of the main hall stands an ancient statue of a goddess, with a kind face and deep eyes.

"This must be the lost fairy of Yaohu Lake."

Luo Qing carefully observed her surroundings and noticed that something seemed to be drawn on the wall.

She took a few steps forward, and in the dim light, she could see the painting on the wall.

It was a mural depicting a goddess. Although the colors had faded and become mottled, one could still feel the splendor of its former glory.

The goddess in the painting sits on a lotus throne, holding a celestial staff, her gentle gaze looking down upon all living beings.

Beside the goddess, there is a painting of a young girl with her hands clasped together and a pure smile on her face. She looks somewhat similar to the village chief, Tao Ruonan.

In the lower right corner of the mural, a line of blurry text caught Luo Qing's attention. She leaned closer to examine it closely, and the text seemed to be telling a story about a goddess and a girl.

The story mentions that the girl is Tao Xi, the eldest daughter of the Tao family. She is the incarnation of a goddess who descended to earth to protect the villagers as the village chief, ensuring good weather and abundant harvests.

However, as time passed, the villagers gradually forgot the goddess's blessings, and the preference for sons over daughters became prevalent. Girls were regarded as an ominous sign, and countless innocent female infants were abandoned in the baby tower.

The goddess was furious and decided to leave, no longer protecting the village.

Without the goddess's protection, the village seemed to have lost its soul and fell into endless darkness and despair.

The sky began to darken, the wind howled, the rain poured down, the farmland yielded no harvest, disease raged, and the villagers lived in dire straits.

The villagers panicked and shifted blame to each other, pointing fingers at each other's mistakes.

Anger and panic permeated the air, threatening to engulf the entire village.

Suddenly, a loud voice pierced the silent night sky, "It's all the fault of Village Chief Tao Xi! She angered the goddess, which is why she has been punished like this!"

The crowd erupted in whispers, echoing each other's sentiments and placing all the blame on Tao Xi.

Angry eyes and accusatory words pierced Taoxi like sharp swords.

Tao Xi stood in the center of the temple's main hall, facing the angry villagers, her eyes filled with helplessness and sorrow.

She tried to explain, tried to defend herself, but the angry crowd wouldn't listen.

Amid the villagers' fervent accusations, Tao Xi's figure appeared increasingly lonely and vulnerable in the center of the temple's main hall.

Her face was pale, and her eyes gleamed with despair.

She tried to defend herself, but the angry words struck her heart like sand in a storm.

Suddenly, a villager rushed forward, shoving Tao Xi and shouting, "It's all your fault! You angered the goddess! You must pay the price!"

Other villagers also rushed forward, their emotions driven by anger and panic, as if they had lost their minds.

They surrounded Taoxi, their accusations and insults rising and falling, as if trying to drown her in the endless waves of sound.

The villagers rushed forward and tied Tao Xi up, intending to use her as a sacrifice.

The firelight danced in the night sky, illuminating the villagers' angry and contorted faces.

They huddled around the fire, their eyes gleaming with fervor.

Tao Xi was tightly bound to a wooden post beside the fire. Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes were filled with fear and despair.

The flames licked at the wooden pillar, crackling and popping as if mocking her helplessness.

Tao Xi's clothes were charred black by the flames, and her skin was marked with burning marks.

The villagers held their torches high, their faces appearing particularly ferocious in the firelight.

They shouted loudly, their voices filled with anger and fanaticism.

Burn her! Burn her!