Thinking of sacrifices.
Zhang Wei's eyes darted. Senluo Division was conducting sacrifices in the Northeast. What was their purpose?
Sacrifice, whether in Great Xia or abroad, had existed since ancient times. Especially in ancient times, almost every place had the custom of sacrifice, and it still exists today, though these are usually common, morally questionable sacrifices.
For instance, in the Fujian and Min regions, people would worship gods monthly, offering sacrifices. In some remote areas, sheep and pigs were slaughtered as sacrifices to the deities for peace and prosperity. Nowadays, most sacrificial offerings are food items, not taboo.
But in ancient times.
Sacrifices were not limited to pigs, sheep, fruits, and biscuits, but also humans. Especially during great droughts and other disasters, ancient people would sacrifice humans, choosing young boys and girls, virgins, and others, to offer to so-called river gods and other deities, praying for rain and the eradication of disasters.
Besides that.
Sacrifices were not only made to deities but also involved various taboo sacrificial rituals. For example, when ancient people built bridges, they would sacrifice humans as living pillars to ensure the bridge's stability and prevent collapse after completion. Some sacrificed lives to prolong their own lifespan, while others sacrificed humans in the forging of precious swords.
"I wonder what the purpose of Senluo Division's sacrifice is, and which kind of taboo sacrifice it is."
Zhang Wei murmured, continuing to read the post's content and comments.
It could be seen.
Some users in the comments shared his thoughts, having also considered sacrifice and discussing and speculating on the purpose of Senluo Division's sacrifice.
Even.
It was rumored that the Wei Dao Division's analysis team had also focused on sacrifice as the purpose of Senluo Division's activities in the Northeast, and was currently collecting clues to investigate Senluo Division's sacrificial purpose.
"Sacrificing humans, demons, and ghosts, this should not be an ordinary sacrifice, and causing such a stir, it's definitely not a small ritualistic sacrifice."
Zhang Wei muttered to himself.
There were many types of sacrifices, and they were not easy to find. However, if it was a large-scale ritualistic sacrifice, the types would be fewer. As far as he knew, the most common type of large-scale taboo ritualistic sacrifice was appeasing gods, and these gods were not benevolent deities like Guanyin Bodhisattva, but evil gods, malevolent gods, and fierce gods.
This was also common in the West, such as sacrificing lives to summon Satan, the seventy-two demons of Solomon, and so on.
After thinking for a while.
Zhang Wei couldn't figure it out, so he dismissed the thoughts from his mind and his gaze fell on the post about Senluo Division capturing the grandson of the Huang family patriarch.
Seeing this.
Zhang Wei recalled his agreement with Captain Huang Qingshan:
"I wonder how the progress of rescuing the Huang family patriarch is."
When he went to support the Northeast, Huang Qingshan had approached Zhang Wei and asked him to help rescue the Huang family patriarch within two years. At that time, Zhang Wei felt he was weak and did not give a clear answer, only responding that he would consider it.
However.
Now that he was close to reaching the Ghost King level, and with the help of Old Man Willow, Huahua, and the system points, he should have some ability to help the Huang family patriarch.
At once.
Zhang Wei called Huang Qingshan, intending to ask about the situation.
The call was answered quickly.
"Zhang Wei, why do you have time to call me today?"
Hearing Huang Qingshan's voice on the phone, Zhang Wei replied with a smile:
"Haha, of course, I wouldn't call without a reason, Captain Huang. I just saw the Wei Dao Division forum and saw someone saying that the situation in the Northeast seems not optimistic, with three Qilin Guards having died in the line of duty. How has the situation been recently?"
Mentioning the situation in the Northeast, Zhang Wei could feel a moment of silence and a faint sigh from the other end of the phone. Even without seeing Huang Qingshan, Zhang Wei could guess that Huang Qingshan was probably rubbing his temples.
As expected.
Huang Qingshan, far away in the Northeast, rubbed his temples upon hearing Zhang Wei's words and said with a wry smile:
"Alas, that post is true. Three Qilin Guards have died in the line of duty, two from the Northeast and one from the support team. Although the expansion of losses was ultimately avoided, and quite a few ghosts and ghost exorcists from Senluo Division were captured alive, ... the mastermind was not caught."
As soon as he said this.
Zhang Wei's eyebrows twitched, and he said directly:
"Captain Huang, are you saying that the Senluo Division personnel who came to support and caused the deaths of three Qilin Guards, as mentioned in the post, are the mastermind of Senluo Division in the Northeast this time?"
Huang Qingshan nodded with a solemn expression:
"Most likely the mastermind. Her strength was too great, exceeding our estimations. She is comparable to that man with glasses from Senluo Division that the Wei Dao Division encountered during the operation to eradicate Senluo Division decades ago. Do you know about the man with glasses, Zhang Wei?"
"I know. Xiao Xue and the others told me before. Captain Huang, if this mastermind has shown herself, can't the Wei Dao Division carry out an arrest? Can you reveal information about this mastermind?"
"An arrest is already underway. There's no harm in revealing it. The wanted lists for Senluo Division's high-ranking members are always released. This is no exception, as it can prevent other ghost exorcists and ghosts from being harmed and provide timely information to our Wei Dao Division."
Huang Qingshan said, summarizing briefly:
"The mastermind is very powerful, preliminarily estimated to be similar to the man with glasses. She is a ghost of a little girl, suspected to have become a ghost after being dismembered in life, but there are also techniques of a corpse stitcher."
"Corpse stitcher?"
Zhang Wei's eyes lit up at the mention.
Huang Qingshan seemed to know what Zhang Wei was thinking and said directly:
"Are you thinking about your iron coffin zombie incident?"
"Yes." Zhang Wei nodded noncommittally.
"Our Wei Dao Division's speculation team also thought of this. Because the mastermind, apart from looking like a little girl, strangely has some body parts that are suspected to be pieced together, which is the technique of a corpse stitcher."
Huang Qingshan sighed and continued:
"If it is indeed a corpse stitcher, then it will be difficult to handle. Corpse stitchers can control corpses and also stitch dismembered corpses. That little girl might not be the mastermind's true appearance, making the arrest very difficult."
"No wonder you've been sighing so much, Captain Huang. So that's how it is. But can you investigate from the clue of the corpse stitcher? Nowadays, this trade is becoming rarer and rarer. There shouldn't be many people who know this skill."
"Indeed, this is the only thing that gives me some relief. We have already started investigating corpse stitchers gradually. Also, Zhang Wei, be careful. If that iron coffin zombie is truly related to Senluo Division's corpse stitcher, then you have been targeted by Senluo Division's mastermind in the Northeast. This is a high-ranking member of Senluo Division."
Huang Qingshan said this.
Although he solemnly warned Zhang Wei to take it seriously, Zhang Wei didn't care. He wasn't only targeted by a high-ranking member of Senluo Division because of the corpse stitcher, but also because Huahua, his contracted pet, was by his side. That presence was no less significant than a corpse stitcher.
However, Zhang Wei still said:
"Thank you for the reminder, Captain Huang. I will be careful. By the way, besides the Senluo Division's mastermind in the Northeast being a corpse stitcher's ghost, are there any other developments?"
Zhang Wei then shared his speculations about sacrifice.
Huang Qingshan listened and said:
"Sacrifice, this is also the current investigation direction of the Wei Dao Division's speculation team. It still depends on the search for clues."
Afterward.
After discussing the matter of sacrifice for a while, Zhang Wei didn't keep him in suspense and asked Huang Qingshan again:
"By the way, Captain Huang, I saw in the post that the grandson of the Huang family patriarch was captured. I'd like to ask about the progress of treating the Huang family patriarch. Has he been successfully treated?"
"Don't mention it. It gives me a headache every time."
Huang Qingshan sighed again. Although he said it was a headache, he still informed Zhang Wei, as Zhang Wei was also one of the potential candidates to save the Huang family patriarch in the future:
"We have recruited quite a few people recently, and the first batch has been organized to rescue the Huang family patriarch, but the result... alas, four died, and the others are still alive but all failed."
Regarding Huang Qingshan's mention of deaths.
Zhang Wei was not surprised. The Five Great Immortals of the Northeast had existed since ancient times, and the Huang family patriarch was one of them. He was an absolutely ancient and powerful being. How could it be without danger to save such an existence? That was precisely why he had not dared to accept the rescue request back then.
At this moment.
Huang Qingshan continued:
"It's just that the Huang family patriarch hasn't been cured, otherwise it wouldn't be Senluo Division's turn to capture the Huang family patriarch's grandson. Senluo Division is clearly taking advantage of the Huang family's weakness to make a move."
"Originally, there were not enough personnel in the Northeast, and now four have failed and died. I am like a bitter melon now, filled with worry."
"However, our Wei Dao Division does not intend to give up. We have already started organizing the second and third batches. If all else fails, we will let that Fengmen Zombie go, as the Wei Dao Division has already made a deal with it."
Zhang Wei thought about it and said:
"Captain Huang, count me in for rescuing the Huang family patriarch. But before that, can you tell me how the Huang family patriarch is being treated? And... I don't plan to rescue him now. Can I do it after some time? I've had some insights recently and plan to improve my strength a bit more before attempting the rescue, which would be safer."
Originally, Zhang Wei felt his strength was sufficient.
But after learning that four people had died, he felt it would be better to reach the Ghost King level first.
At the same time.
Upon hearing Zhang Wei's words, Huang Qingshan's worried frown, which had been furrowed for days, finally relaxed:
"Zhang Wei, what did you say?! Say it again? You agreed to rescue the Huang family patriarch? Really? Don't lie to me. I'm old and can't handle jokes, hahaha."
In the past, if Zhang Wei had agreed to rescue the Huang family patriarch, Huang Qingshan wouldn't have been overly excited. At most, he would have been happy that there was one more person to help rescue the Huang family patriarch.
But now it was different.
In the past few days, he had heard his subordinates talk about Zhang Wei's deeds. He had killed Ghost Kings until his hands were sore.
He still remembered.
When he learned that Zhang Wei had killed a Ghost King for the first time, Huang Qingshan was incredibly shocked. At that time, Zhang Wei's strength in the Northeast was not as strong as his, and after leaving, his strength had surpassed his by a little, but now he could even fight Ghost Kings one-on-one.
He originally thought it was Zhang Wei's luck and that he had trump cards.
But as Zhang Wei repeatedly reported killing Ghost Kings and making deals with the Wei Dao Division, Huang Qingshan's shock gradually turned into dullness.
Therefore.
Now that he learned Zhang Wei was going to rescue the Huang family patriarch, Huang Qingshan was excited. Zhang Wei's physical body was not only strong now, but his strength had also surged, giving them great hope of rescuing the Huang family patriarch.
Immediately.
Upon receiving Zhang Wei's affirmative reply, Huang Qingshan excitedly said:
"Hahaha, good, great, great. You wait until your strength gets stronger, then it will be more secure. It's not too late. I'll report it for you first. How about you and Wu Nian go together then? You two can keep an eye on each other."
...