After traveling through time, I rely on force to survive

Chapter 258 Who is he?

The open space outside the temple was packed with people, three or four deep.

Li Qingqing bypassed the soldiers guarding outside and sneaked in, only to find that a makeshift altar had been temporarily erected in the center of the large open space.

It's called a simple altar, but it's actually just a large open space enclosed by earthen embankments that extend outwards from the central open area.

The edge of the open space was enclosed by a low earthen embankment.

The earthen embankment, barely reaching an adult's calf, has carved out a sacred area that no one else is allowed to enter.

Everyone stood outside the low earthen embankment.

Inside the low earthen mound, directly above, sat the Ying chieftain and the Wei governor side by side, with soldiers protecting them on either side.

In the very center of the altar stood a wooden statue of the mountain god, and the shaman was praying before it.

Not far away, there was a large wooden stake with two people tied to it.

The young man was pale, his eyes filled with despair.

The older adult man didn't seem afraid; he frowned and coughed weakly every now and then.

A pile of firewood had already been set up around them, and when the time came, the people holding torches on both sides would light it.

Li Qingqing glanced around casually and, seeing that the two were not in immediate danger, immediately pulled Bai Ye to a corner of a building where they wouldn't be noticed by the soldiers or others.

She looked around to make sure no one was watching, then mysteriously beckoned to Bai Ye with her finger.

"Lower yourself a little, I have something to say to you."

Bai Ye was slightly taken aback, feeling that his master looked exactly like a cunning little fox.

He lowered his head as instructed, and Li Qingqing quickly leaned close to his ear and whispered, "You must go to the mountain spring immediately..."

A quick, clear tone of voice, mixed with warm breath, brushed past Bai Ye's earlobe, bringing a slight tickle.

Bai Ye felt a burning sensation on the tips of her ears.

Li Qingqing did not notice anything unusual about him.

While keeping a watchful eye on her surroundings, she quietly slipped a pre-drawn mountain spring route and a black fireball into Bai Ye's hand, giving him further instructions.

"Hide this well, and remember to clean up the scene so no one finds it..."

Bai Ye discreetly put away the item Li Qingqing handed him, straightened up, and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Li Qingqing then took a step back, a smile playing on her lips, and raised an eyebrow at Bai Ye, "Bai Ye, I'm going to put on a good show today!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a burst of rapid drumbeats suddenly came from the direction of the temple.

Li Qingqing glanced at Bai Ye from afar, then nudged him, "Go quickly, be careful!"

At the center of the altar, the shaman raised his right hand, and the drumming stopped abruptly.

He wore a long black robe and a colorful mask, turned to face the crowd, and announced in a loud voice:

"Fellow tribesmen! For thousands of years we have lived here, and the mountain god who protects us has bestowed upon us an endless stream of sweet spring water! But now! The spring water is about to dry up! Our days of suffering are about to begin!"

At this point, the witch doctor suddenly pointed at the two bound men, his voice abruptly turning shrill and piercing.

"All of this stems from them! It was their arrogance that offended the mountain god! It was their collusion with the evil spirits of the underworld that stole the source of life that originally belonged to us! They made us suffer unbearable thirst! They caused our lives to wither and die!"

Upon hearing this, everyone showed expressions of fear, and even Chief Ying's face turned somewhat grim.

Wei Duhu, sitting upright to the side: ...

He wanted to fit in, but... I just can't!

At this moment, he felt an intense hatred for Li Qing and Li Feng.

If these two hadn't insisted on keeping him here, he wouldn't have been forced to come to this barbarian land!

No! His life should not be spent here! His future generations must not be assimilated by these people!

How can someone aspire to be the head of a chicken and the tail of a phoenix?

He should follow Da Yuan closely and follow in Qin Xiang's footsteps to strive for a bright future!

Protector Wei remained expressionless, but secretly made up his mind.

No matter what, he had to find a way to see Prime Minister Qin in person. Considering how much money he had amassed over the years, Prime Minister Qin would certainly not stand idly by!

The witch doctor continued.

"Fellow tribesmen! For the continuation of our tribe, for the survival and prosperity of our people, we have no other choice but to offer them to the mountain god to appease his wrath! When the sins turn to ashes, the sweet spring will surely gush forth again to nourish our people for generations to come!"

"Come, my people! Let us pray together! Shout out loud: Burn them! Only in this way can we wash away our sins! Only then will the mountain god continue to bestow upon us sweet springs!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding crowd immediately began shouting wildly, "Burn them! Burn them!"

Overwhelmed by emotion, Chief Ying immediately stood up and shouted, "Light the fire!"

The two men standing nearby, holding torches, directed the torches towards the base of the woodpile, and the dry branches instantly burst into flames!

As the flames were about to engulf everything, everyone wore expressions of anticipation, as if the mountain spring would be revitalized in the next moment.

At this moment, Ana arrived in a hurry with a small group of people.

She anxiously pushed through the crowd, and when she saw what was happening before her, her face turned deathly pale, and she could no longer care about anything else.

"Father—!" Ana cried out, rushing inside without thinking.

Seeing this, the people on both sides quickly reached out and grabbed her tightly.

"Hey--"

Just then, water appeared out of nowhere and landed precisely on the woodpile, instantly soaking the firewood underneath.

Everyone was slightly taken aback, and for a moment there was complete silence, not knowing what had happened.

The two men holding torches exchanged a puzzled look, then stuck the torches into the pile of firewood.

Then, the unknown water jet poured down again, extinguishing the torches in their hands.

Now that everyone could see the source of the water column, they immediately looked in that direction, but they didn't see anyone suspicious at all.

At this moment, Li Qingqing had already flashed into the space and begun to prepare for her appearance.

Judging by the time, Bai Ye's side should be starting soon too; she just needs to wait a little longer.

The area around the altar was already bustling with noise and various sounds.

"This...this is holy water falling from the sky?"

"It must be the mountain god's intervention! The mountain god heard our prayers!"

Ana, who had been crying loudly, suddenly stopped and shouted, "The mountain god has forgiven us! Please release my father! The divine messenger will be here soon!"

The shaman and the Ying chief exchanged a glance, and the shaman immediately shouted to stop them.

"Fellow tribesmen! This is a test from the mountain god! He is watching to see if we will waver! Quickly rekindle the fire and let the mountain god see our loyalty!"

"boom!"

Just then, a thunderous roar came from afar, drowning out the witch doctor's voice.

Everyone turned around in shock, looking in the direction of the loud noise.

But before everyone could come to their senses.

Immediately afterwards, thick smoke billowed from a certain part of the altar, mixed with an extremely strong and refreshing fragrance.

Before everyone's eyes, everything blurred, and when the smoke cleared, a figure appeared out of thin air in the center of the altar!

The man was wrapped in a fox fur coat and wore a black lacquered mask. Most notably, he was holding a deer antler staff in his hand.

A brightly colored pheasant feather was sticking out of the tip of the antler!

He stood there quietly.

He exuded an aura of majesty and mystery that was impossible to look directly at, instantly overshadowing the witch doctor beside him.

"Who is he?"

"Am I seeing things? He's wearing a valuable fox fur coat?"

"My God! The witch doctor was carrying a wooden staff, but he was holding a deer antler staff!"

"Who exactly is he? Why is he staring at the witch doctor?"

The crowd was stunned for a moment, then began to whisper among themselves, asking questions and even comparing him to the witch doctor, which infuriated the witch doctor.

"who are you?"

The witch doctor moved his feet, creating some distance between himself and the other person.

Li Qingqing remained silent, simply watching the witch doctor who was also wearing a mask.

At this moment, Ana remembered Li Qingqing's previous instructions and immediately shouted:

"He is a divine messenger! A divine messenger sent by the mountain god!"