Chapter 13 I’ll Decide for Her!
When Nezha arrived at Lizhu Village, it was already noon. Due to their haste, the two elderly had fallen behind, leaving only Li Cunxin by his side.
No, there was also the big black dog, wagging its tail and panting, nearly rolling its eyes from exhaustion.
Through Li Cunxin’s explanations along the way, Nezha had grasped the general idea of the situation.
In the region around Chentang Pass, the practice of sacrificing young boys and girls to the Sea Dragon King had continued for at least three to four hundred years, claiming thousands of lives. The origins of this practice were beyond tracing.
As for which household’s children were chosen, it was determined through a lottery among the village families. If unlucky, the selected family had to hand their children over to the village’s Great Witch.
The Divine Enthronement world is filled with countless demons and deities. In the ten-mile radius around Chentang Pass, countless ghosts and spirits were worshipped by various villages and tribes, and the Great Witch was the person responsible for conducting rituals in each village, even holding a higher status and prestige than a village head.
Lizhu Village was two miles from the rocky seaside. It was famous for two things: the pearls from the sea and the Pearl Gatherers who dove deep to collect them.
The pearls were so precious they could be offered to Zhaoge for the Emperor, yet Lizhu Village was most renowned for its Pearl Gatherers. Unlike the sheltered noble ladies from affluent households, these women were known for their health and grace. It was said the nobility of Zhaoge preferred the Pearl Gatherers even more than the pearls themselves.
From afar, Lizhu Village looked like a cluster of small brick courtyards. As one approached, the salty sea breeze made it clear that apart from a two-story building on the east side of the village, every household’s courtyard was in ruins.
Pearls are precious, Pearl Gatherers are famous, yet regardless of how much filth is involved, Lizhu Village remains poor.