They looked at each other, then fell silent.
Anyway, the person can't escape from inside the house, and the people outside are still searching house to house. They'll find the offerings sooner or later. It's just sleeping, right? He wants to see how arrogant this person will be when he wakes up!
It's just giving the opponent some time to adjust; it's definitely not that they were intimidated by the cold shoulder!
They waited for a whole day.
I don't know if Yin Xiu didn't sleep all night, so he was woken up by noise as soon as he fell asleep in the morning. He was in a bad mood, closed the door and went back to sleep. He didn't wake up until dusk.
He stood up sleepily, then remembered that there seemed to be two other people outside, so he reached out and pushed open the door.
Looking out, the wooden house was surrounded by a huge crowd. Almost the entire village was gathered outside, each holding a weapon, looking worried and hesitant, blocking the way but not daring to come in.
A sea of people surrounded the wooden house, making it impossible to move, but no one dared to come forward and knock on the door.
Seeing Yin Xiu finally wake up and leave the house, the previously quiet, frozen, and even slightly sorrowful crowd suddenly became alert. All the men picked up their weapons and nervously pointed them at Yin Xiu, not daring to breathe loudly.
"You! Tell me! Where did you hide Ye Jia?! Is it in your room?!"
They searched the entire village but couldn't find him. They suspected that Ye Jia was in the house, but they were afraid of this stranger who had suddenly appeared in Hai Village. After hesitating several times, they finally didn't dare to come in. It was already dusk, and they decided that if Yin Xiu didn't come out, they would take the initiative to attack.
Fortunately, while the crowd hesitated and dawdled, Yin Xiu woke up and came out, which relieved them.
"Ye Jia isn't here." Yin Xiu stretched and yawned, looking completely unconcerned. "Give up on using Ye Jia as a sacrifice."
The crowd cursed and swore, just as they were preparing to fight Yin Xiu to the death, but before they could even grip their weapons, Yin Xiu stared straight at them and said, "I will take Ye Jia's place as a sacrifice."
These words shocked everyone present, leaving them stunned and wondering if they had misheard.
They exchanged glances, whispering amongst themselves, still doubting whether they had misheard.
Who would willingly throw their life away? This matter originally had nothing to do with him, but he insisted on getting involved, even going so far as to offer sacrifices, just to take the blame for himself. Did he write his own name in the Book of Life and Death?
Ignoring their shock, Yin Xiu, with his sword slung across his shoulder, strolled leisurely towards the sea, bathed in the glow of the setting sun. "The altar is already set up, isn't it? It's by the sea, right? I'll be there now. You all better get ready."
The crowd was a little confused by the instructions, but they still subconsciously tidied up and prepared for the sacrifice after dark.
Everyone went about their own business, completely bewildered. Even the person responsible for taking Yin Xiu to the beach was utterly confused.
Looking at Yin Xiu beside them again and again, they couldn't believe that this threatening man had suddenly become their sacrifice. They were all prepared to fight him to the death, but the result was so unbelievable.
"What...what are you thinking? Don't you know what it means to be a sacrifice? You'll be offered up to the gods!" Even the guards were bewildered and asked Yin Xiu, "Even if you've never seen a god, you should know that being a sacrifice doesn't end well, it's mostly death!"
"I know," Yin Xiu said calmly. "What I meant was, my boyfriend is that god?"
The guard's face contorted in disgust. "So young, and already mentally impaired."
That's their great god, a god they both revere and fear. Boyfriend? What nonsense is this person spouting? How could such a great being condescend to be a human's boyfriend? Besides, this person is clearly a man!
The guard's gaze toward Yin Xiu shifted from complex emotions and fear to pity.
Yin Xiu ignored it and simply followed the directions to the seaside.
In the afterglow of dusk, the sea surface was unusually calm, shimmering. The tall sacrificial altar, built of wood, was ready, and the ground was covered with arrays that Yin Xiu could not understand.
Meat was offered on both sides of the platform, and countless people knelt and worshipped below, creating a solemn and serious scene.
A person nearby brought over a rope, looking at Yin Xiu hesitantly, "Generally speaking, it should be tied up, because we're afraid the offering will escape... but you..."
"No need to tie me up, I won't run away." Yin Xiu waved his hand, walked onto the sacrificial altar on his own, and sat on it to wait for night to fall.
Some people below were kneeling in worship, some were muttering to themselves, and some were just watching without participating. Ya Ya's mother was among them.
She looked at Yin Xiu, sighed, shook her head, and then turned and left.
As darkness fell completely, torches were lit on the beach, their twinkling lights illuminating the greedy faces of the group. Their expressions became excited, and their prayers grew louder.
The man at the head stepped forward, holding a torch high and facing the crowd. He shouted, "Close your eyes! Kneel! Pray! Offer your sincerity to summon the gods. When the gods take away the offerings, our sea village will be prosperous once again."
"This special sacrifice will usher in a new life for us! All of you, call out freely! The great God will hear your call from the depths of the abyss!"
The sounds of kneeling and praying gradually grew louder, and the excited faces became distorted.
Yin Xiu sat on the chair on the high altar, staring motionlessly at the faces below, feeling bored.
Despair can indeed drive the useless to extremes, and these people are the best proof of that.
They could have chosen to break down the wall that blocked their way out, they could have pointed their weapons at those outside the village who wanted them dead, but they didn't. Instead, they chose to turn their weapons on their own people, sealing themselves in this small seaside village to wait for death, placing their hopes on something intangible, and sacrificing their own kind.
Looking down from above, it was rather amusing.
The countless noisy prayers grew louder and resounded throughout the night sky, muttering and muttering, and then suddenly stopped at some point.
The villagers facing the altar and the sea all closed their eyes. They suddenly sensed something and all shut their mouths, lying motionless on the ground, not daring to lift their heads.
The sudden silence made the entire beach feel eerily quiet.
Yin Xiu also sensed that something had appeared behind him in the sea, staring at him.
The damp chill sent a shiver down his spine, and his body instinctively gripped the knife with heightened alertness.
But the thing behind him just stared at Yin Xiu without making any move, seemingly sizing him up as a small sacrifice.
Just when Yin Xiu thought it wouldn't make a move, a wave of darkness suddenly swept over and engulfed Yin Xiu.