I Steal the Ancestors' Sacrifices to Nourish Myself-Chapter 72 - 43: Emptying Shanghu

Shui Tuan returned to the ancestral temple with a pale face.

"Have you reassured them?"

An aged figure with blood-red eyes sat cross-legged beneath the ancestral divine tablets.

It was Shuilan, the Ancestral Temple Keeper of the Upper Lake Division.

"They won’t cause trouble if there’s food, but this can’t go on. Sooner or later, we will be discovered."

Shuilan’s face darkened. He understood all too well that it was only a matter of time before they were exposed.

Not to mention the moody and cannibalistic alien race in the cave, who laugh as they feast on humans.

Currently, the Upper Lake is in a dilemma, riding a tiger that is difficult to dismount.

It’s easy to invite them in, but impossible to send them away!

Believing in the bewitchment of the Gu Insect, the Blood Witch, initially brought benefits, but retribution came unexpectedly fast.

When the Gu Insect was still around, the two pieces of ’Blood Curse Wood’ had miraculous effects, putting the alien race to sleep.

Now, the Gu Insect is dead outside, and the Blood Curse Wood is missing. They have no means to appease this alien race.

"We still need to find the Blood Curse Wood."

Shuilan spoke, "Call for the Clan Leader, have him go to the Cyan Bird and Ape Mountain Divisions. No matter the cost, we must connect with the ’Great One’ in the mountains, and use this opportunity to search the forests for the Blood Curse Wood."

For the past two years, they’ve frequently visited the Cyan Bird and Ape Mountain Divisions. The three divisions were once close, having jointly established the Ruins Market.

Yet now, the two divisions remain secretive, repeatedly blocking the Upper Lake’s entry into the forests.

When it comes to the secrets of the northern core, the two divisions remain silent.

All they know is that both divisions are assisting the Blazing Flame Tribe in the mountains, working for a ’Great One’.

They have attempted to capture people from the Cyan Bird and Ape Mountain Tribes, and even approached the Blazing Flame Tribe near the northern forest, only to find nothing.

As for the Clan Leader, it was naturally Shui Xing who was re-elected after Shui Miao died outside.

Shui Xing quickly arrived at the ancestral temple.

Shuilan advised Shui Xing, "Even if they want Spirit Rice seeds, give it to them. Tell them this season’s Spirit Rice is about to be harvested, and we’ll just treat it as seeds for them."

After everyone left the ancestral temple, Shuilan’s body trembled under his broad robes as he knelt heavily towards the divine platform, taking nearly half an hour before rising.

Now, he no longer felt the excitement of swiftly eliminating several tribes to gain resources, only endless fear remained.

He reached into his robe and pressed lightly. As he withdrew his hand, his palm was stained with blood.

Trembling, he walked into a stone room on the other side of the temple and reached for an open jar, grabbing the powdered witch medicine inside and rubbing it on his body.

After applying the witch medicine, he went to the water field behind the temple.

The water field, shining with a faint spiritual light, spanned only five acres.

The seedlings in the field were as sturdy as small trees, their grains as large as dates, crystal clear.

Yet amidst these crystal grains, faint threads of blood red color could be seen.

...

Five days later, Shui Xing returned from lobbying the Cyan Bird and Ape Mountain Divisions, bringing good news to Shuilan.

With the cost of Spirit Rice seeds, Ruins Market shares, and other sacrifices, the two divisions finally agreed to allow the Upper Lake Division to join.

"Ancestral Temple Keeper, Cang Hex and Ape Peak want us to escort a batch of slaves to the Great Marsh, at least four thousand people. This means losing a large number of our miner slaves and field slaves."

"Give them. Take the men and escort them yourself, using the opportunity to search for Blood Curse Wood."

Shuilan was currently more concerned about finding the Blood Curse Wood quickly, as the alien race beneath the temple would soon be uncontrollable.

Additionally, he felt he needed the Blood Curse Wood himself. If successful, he too could become a true Blood Witch.

"Bring more clan guards with you and discreetly spread them out."

...

The next day, nearly a thousand clan soldiers were dispatched from the Upper Lake Division.

Under the leadership of Shui Xing and two other Celestial Vein Martial Artists, a large number of slaves from the mines and fields were taken north.

Several days later.

Shen Can, after careful observation, coupled with his Divine Sense, discovered a sinister aura permeating the Upper Lake Division from inside out.

Though the tribe had ten thousand clansmen, its daily activities were quieter than his Blazing Flame Tribe.

Children, who were usually noisy, were silently subdued in the Upper Lake.

Some children’s eyes appeared vacant, filled with bloodshot stains at the corners.

The only semblance of happiness was in the cave beneath the ancestral temple, where the strange alien race laughed before consuming humans.

This abnormal daily routine of the tribe made it easier for him.

Through sensing key locations within the Upper Lake Tribe, he identified three clan stores.

The tribe’s heritage spanning a thousand years certainly showed in the complexity of their strategies.

The largest clan store beneath the temple held essential resources like grains, meat, beast hide, and tendons.

Beneath that clan store was another, storing higher-grade beast hide and tendons, Spirit Rice, and ores.

In the marsh lake in the tribe’s west, there lay just two beast-hide-covered boxes.

Shen Can first entered the lake marsh’s clan store.

Without witchcraft, this store would be impossible to open unless the water was drained.

The store was small, containing only a stone table with two boxes wrapped in beast hide on top.

Using his Divine Sense, Shen Can opened one of the stone boxes, revealing a small square seal about an inch in length and width.

Shen Can took the seal and inspected it with his Divine Sense. The text was ancient, yet recognizable.

’Command of Lin’

Lin, ruler of the forest.

Command, who issued the decree?

Shen Can weighed the seemingly bronze-cast seal, realizing it could be used as a Witch Artifact through Divine Sense branding.

This at least indicated that a powerful tribe had once existed on this vast land, establishing a certain order.

Of course, judging by the size of the seal, the forest governed by the issuer wasn’t extensive.

Then, Shen Can opened the other stone box.

Inside was a one-foot-long bone fragment with broken edges, etched with faded golden script reminiscent of bird and insect inscriptions.

It appeared to be a ritual text, though what it consecrated remained unclear.

The bone fragment was like yellow jade, with a warm texture.

Afterward, Shen Can proceeded to the second clan store beneath the temple.

Here lay rare items.

Three jars of Spirit Rice seeds, each containing over a hundred grains.

Seven witch medicines with over a century of medicinal potency.

More than a hundred witch medicines uncommon in recent decades.

All stored in wooden boxes, wrapped in beast-oiled hemp cloth, each labeled with a record.

Shen Can selected the most valuable items first, from high to low grade, inside out.

Like a hamster, he made a trip after another, moving items outside the Upper Lake Tribe.

Meanwhile, no clansmen from the Upper Lake Division visited the clan stores.

His only concern was the cannibal creature in the cave above the clan store. Luckily, this creature alternated between eating and sleeping, and occasionally laughing maniacally.

Soon, the small rare items were mostly moved, and Shen Can began to carefully select again.

Using a beast hide bag as a transport tool, each time he tied the bag tightly to prevent contents from soaking.

"Hmm."

After packing a bag of ores, Shen Can cast his Divine Sense into the cave, observing the cannibal creature to prepare for departure.

However, he discovered the creature was not asleep.

A human skull inscribed with runes floated before the creature.

Blood energy gathered around, absorbed by the skull and consumed by the creature.

This was cultivation.

In Shen Can’s perception, not only did remnants of white bones release blood energy, but bizarre auras from all directions converged here.

Feeling the air’s movements, he dared not move for fear of disturbing the influx.

It wasn’t until dawn that the creature completed its cultivation.

A pouch-like object the size of a fist emerged from its mouth, swallowing the skull.

"Storage Witch Artifact!"

Shen Can observed the pouch consumed again by the monster, then glanced at his beast hide bag.