Chapter 304 Sacrifice to Jiang
Even though Lu Yu didn't quite believe this, the strange wind and waves made him feel uneasy.
Finally, as the old sailor said, a ceremony was held on the ship and the "toll" was paid as tribute to the river god.
Strangely enough, after a short while, the dark clouds in the sky actually dispersed, and the wind and waves subsided immediately!
If everyone wasn't still feeling scared, everything that happened before would have seemed like a dream.
On that trip, Lu Yu did not dare to take the water route again when he returned, but he encountered bandits on the way. All his money and goods were robbed, and he almost lost his life.
Lu Yu returned home in shock and finally began to recall the legends about the Lu family's patron saint that he had heard from his elders when he was a child.
Those legends have different times, places and people, but they all have one thing in common, that is, ever since their ancestors invited the guardian god, the Lu family has always been able to turn misfortune into good fortune and disaster into blessing.
The Lu family gradually grew rich from a remote small town in the north and eventually moved to the capital to settle down, which was also regarded as the credit of the patron saint.
Thinking of this, Lu Yu finally realized a problem.
Everything was going wrong for him, and his family business was shrinking. It really all started when that statue was inexplicably broken!
It was only then that he began to panic. In the past few months, he has been praying to gods and Buddhas and looking for capable people to bring his patron saint back.
But he either met a liar or a mediocre person, which not only did not help his kindness, but also made him lose a lot of money, which made the situation worse.
His business has continued to shrink in the past few months, and other things have not been going well.
Later, he heard about the deeds of Tianming Pavilion. Many people said that the pavilion master was very capable, so he immediately came here with the attitude of giving it a try.
At this point, Lu Yu sighed heavily and said:
"Just a few days ago, my wife fell and broke her head in our yard. Sigh... the various accidents and incidents that have happened this year are more than everything I've experienced since I was a child. It really is because the guardian angel disappeared..."
"Master, as long as you can help me bring back the guardian deity, you can take whatever you want from my house's storehouse! Even if you empty it, I won't hesitate!"
After all, as long as he can get the "Guardian Angel" back to the Lu family, he will be able to make a comeback soon. In comparison, the property in the warehouse now is naturally nothing.
Yun Qingqing listened to him finish his words with a cold look in her eyes, and suddenly asked in a calm voice:
"You said that when you crossed the river, you paid a 'toll' to the river god to ensure safety. What did you pay as tribute?"
Lu Yu's face darkened and he remained silent for a long while.
Yun Qingqing said again:
"The guardian deities can indeed protect the safety of the home, and some with stronger abilities can even bring prosperity to the contracted family. However, simply losing a guardian deity will not lead to a decline in fortune and frequent troubles."
"...What do you mean?" Lu Yu frowned. "It's clear that everything started with the shattering of the statue, yet you're telling me that all the bad luck the Lu family has encountered over the past year has nothing to do with this?"
“If you must say there is a connection, it’s just that the guardian deity has left and is no longer there to help you solve your problems. But the root of all this bad luck lies with the Lu family, commonly known as retribution in this life.” Yun Qingqing said in a calm voice with a cool look in her eyes.
Lu Yu stood up suddenly, looking angry and ready to refute.
But Yun Qingqing said calmly:
"So now, can you tell me what the 'toll' that was paid when crossing the Yangtze River was?"
The momentum that Lu Yu had just built up suddenly vanished, and he froze in place, his expression changing again and again.
Yun Qingqing stood up:
"I can help Lu Ding find the guardian deity, but the prerequisite is that you must tell the truth, otherwise you should find someone else."
After saying that, she was about to walk out.
Lu Yu was anxious now, and went forward to hold her, but Zhiluo raised her hand lightly and raised a light wind, which blew him aside.
"If you are disrespectful to the Pavilion Master again, don't blame me for being rude." Zhiluo looked at him with her lips red, but there was a hint of coldness in her eyes.
Lu Yu said anxiously:
"Master, please stay. I have my say!"
Yun Qingqing then stopped and waited for him to speak.
Lu Yu hesitated and sighed, then finally said:
"The old sailor said that the river god doesn't accept gold, silver, or treasures, and the toll must be paid in the form of a living person. Boys and girls would be even better. There happened to be a woman with a child on the ship with the caravan heading south, so..."
Zhiluo took a breath:
"You sacrificed someone else's child to the river god?"
Yun Qingqing said calmly:
"Travelers join caravans for safety. You took this mother and child with you for money, didn't you? Not only did you fail to deliver them safely as agreed, but you also sacrificed them along the way to offer sacrifice to the river?"
Since he had already said it, Lu Yu's discomfort quickly turned into a self-righteous defense:
"We have no choice. If we don't do this, everyone on the boat will be buried at the bottom of the river, and the little kid won't survive either! It's better to let him keep everyone on the boat safe!"
"But his mother tried desperately to stop him, but in the end, when she couldn't, she jumped into the river with the little kid! We never wanted to risk her life any more!"
Zhiluo gritted her teeth in anger:
"According to what you said, if a good woman had her child killed by you and was heartbroken and threw herself into the river, is that her fault?"
"What can you do then?" Lu Yu looked helpless and turned to Yun Qingqing. "Master, you said you would help me find my guardian angel if I told the truth. Now I've said what I need to say, and you can't go back on your word!"
Zhiluo almost wanted to tell him to get away right then and there, but when she received Yun Qingqing's gaze, she was stunned for a moment and finally endured it.
Yun Qingqing said:
"I already know why the Lu family's guardian deity, or the patron saint you mentioned, left. If we want to find him, your entire family must be present."
Seeing her agree, Lu Yu immediately put the matter on the river behind him and nodded repeatedly:
"Alright! I'll call everyone over right away. Master, please wait a moment!"
Soon, a group of people gathered in the hall.
During this period, Lu Yu also explained the population situation of the Lu family to Yun Qingqing.
Lu Yu is the second child in the family. He has an older brother who died of a sudden illness two years ago. He has a younger brother and a younger sister who are both minors.
Mr. Lu has not been in good health in the past two years, so the position of head of the family fell to Lu Yu.
Yun Qingqing listened to what he said without saying anything, but her eyes remained cold.
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