Chapter 128 The Truth

Combining elements like late night, deep forest, kowtowing, stone plate, and spilled blood, it's not hard to guess that the former residents of Black Rock Town are now conducting some kind of ritual.

Or rather, a sacrifice.

The woman clearly plays the role of a priestess in it.

Then, the style of the next picture changes abruptly, with a huge and terrifying monster emerging from the stone plate...

Sharp, twisted horns, a thick body, fins that are stronger and more powerful than those of fish, and a pair of bat-like wings on its back covered with tiny scales.

Even more terrifying is... the horrifying maw that could almost bisect a person.

Faced with such a creature, Chen Ran and Jiang Cheng were both uncharacteristically silent.

They were no strangers to it, having seen it once before, on the first stone door, the same dark纹雕刻 (darkly patterned carvings).

"Brother Hao," Chen Ran said, looking at Jiang Cheng as if he could see through his thoughts, reminding him softly, "There were 35 people in the team that entered the forest."

Jiang Cheng stared at the old woman, and after a moment, replied, "There are 36 people. You didn't count the dead man."

"Ah, yes," Chen Ran said with a squinting smile.

When they entered the forest, 35 living people were carrying a dead man. When they left the forest, the dead man who was being carried was gone, the wooden board was empty, but the team had become 36 people.

Combining this with the scene they witnessed near the stone plate, the ability of the stone plate... or, more accurately, the ability of this sacrifice, becomes obvious.

Resurrection...

It can resurrect the dead.

Raising the dead and regrowing bones, such bizarre things actually happened.

Jiang Cheng could imagine the shock in the hearts of those outsiders who already had some basic knowledge of modern medicine when they accidentally discovered this scene.

No, it should be said, the awe!

This completely subverted their understanding.

And then, the seed of greed in their hearts began to take root and sprout.

Few people can resist the lure of longevity, and they were no exception.

The subsequent pictures confirmed this.

They began to contact the townspeople more and more frequently, subtly probing for information, trying to glean some secrets about the sacrifice.

Moreover, they no longer had the intention of repairing the ship, but instead devoted all their energy to uncovering the secrets of the sacrifice, so as to use it, and the locals, to serve themselves.

As time passed, the townspeople gradually realized that these outsiders were becoming less and less interested in leaving this place, and their interest in that forest was greatly increasing.

Thus—

Conflict... inevitably occurred.

The fuse was a child.

The child of the outsiders.

He seemed to be suffering from a very rare disease, and was held in his mother's arms, on the verge of death.

A group of outsiders surrounded the woman and child and came to the largest and most magnificent building in the town, after which an old man walked out of the building.

The old man's clothes were obviously more exquisite than those of the other townspeople. Jiang Cheng thought he should be the town chief, or a tribal leader.

In the previous painting of the night-time sacrifice in the forest, the old man was leading the team.

At first, the attitudes of both sides were relatively mild, but then the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. The expressions on both sides began to change, and finally a fierce argument broke out.

Townspeople kept coming from all directions, and the outsiders' helpers gathered more and more. They took weapons from the ship and distributed them to everyone. A cold light faintly reflected from the spear-like weapons.

Colder than the cold light were the eyes of these people.

It's not hard to guess that they hoped the old man would use the power of the altar to help the child overcome the difficulties.

Perhaps in their minds, since the sacrifice could resurrect the dead, then saving a dying person was even easier, of course, provided the townspeople were willing.

But the reality was that the old man sternly refused their request.

Moreover, in the later paintings, the old man seemed very angry, shaking his hand and pointing to the ship that had been repaired and was docked on the shore, meaning very clearly that he was asking them to leave as soon as possible.

In the end, the two sides broke up unhappily.

But on this night, the accumulated desire and greed finally erupted.

Although the number of outsiders was slightly smaller than the number of townspeople in Black Rock Town, their weapons were more sophisticated. They formed small teams of about 10 people, armed with weapons, first disarming all the guards arranged in the town, and then dragging the sleeping townspeople from their homes and driving them to the central square of the town.

That's right, the square where Jiang Cheng and the others ate.

Soon, the old man was tied up with his hands behind his back and brought before the leading man.

The unarmed townspeople were ordered to kneel down, and the armed outsiders stood beside them as guards. The identities of the rescuers and the rescued were instantly reversed.

There were no longer castaways in need of rescue here, only a group of robbers taking the opportunity to make trouble.

Everyone knew that asking the townspeople to save the child was just a pretext. The child's life or death had nothing to do with them. At most, he was just a guinea pig.

The important thing was that they, who considered themselves civilized people, needed a plausible excuse.

The specifics of their conversation are unknown, but according to the information revealed in the paintings, after a dozen townspeople were beheaded, the old man finally compromised.

Under his leadership, a group of people escorted the townspeople and marched into the forest.

The outsiders cruelly threaded ropes through the collarbones of the townspeople, stringing them into a long line, while they themselves held weapons and torches, walking in groups of three or five beside the queue as escorts.

Unlike the townspeople, who were full of fear, the outsiders' faces were filled with fanaticism and desire. Since ancient times, people's thirst for life has reached a morbid state.

No one can escape death, but countless people have tried their best.

And now... the opportunity was right in front of them.

How could they remain calm?

The worship that had been enlightened by science all bowed down to the shock brought by miracles, just like the darkest period when theology and science alternately fought each other.

The gazes of the women who were slandered as heretics and bound to stone pillars as they looked towards the Catholic Church in the raging fire.

Those guys with emerald rings on their little fingers directed the ignorant believers to pile up stacks of firewood at their feet.

They were not afraid of hell, because this place was hell.

Soon, under the guidance of the old man, they found the strange white stone plate. The crowd began to stir. Countless things that people had been searching for and pursuing all their lives were now being touched by them.

Before the ritual began, the old man had repeatedly advised them.

But at this moment, who would listen to advice? When a ferocious-looking strong man put his weapon on the neck of a trembling little girl, the old man helplessly closed his mouth.

Later, the old man personally took the dying child from the woman's arms, then walked to the stone plate, respectfully placed the child down, and placed the child's hands steadily on his chest.