Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 13: Unbearable Cruelty

Tang San pressed his lips together, feeling an overwhelming urge to rush forward. However, Wang Yanfeng’s obstruction gave him pause, giving Tang San time to cool his head.

While the Wolf Wind Lord was most likely at the fifth order, the High Priest could very well be at the sixth. If he started a fight the way he was now, the only possible conclusion would be getting himself killed without accomplishing anything. Yet he couldn’t help but feel that he had to do something. Though the humans here were practically soulless beings, they were still of the same human race—humans like him!

When the wolf demons were killing humans, it was almost like they were slaughtering livestock. In fact, in the eyes of these demons, humans were of no higher status than animals.

The High Priest's voice sounded again.

"Present the offerings!"

Tang San shifted his stance slightly, moving away from Wang Yanfeng's obstruction and taking a good look at what was going on. Wang Yanfeng seemed to have sensed his movements as he turned his head toward Tang San, furrowing his brow slightly.

At that moment, the other people who had experienced an awakening finally processed what was going on and started trembling in fear. This time, Tang San appeared scared as well. When Wang Yanfeng saw his expression, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Then, he extended his right hand and pushed Tang San back again, positioning him behind his back.

Tang San wasn’t sure of Wang Yanfeng's exact role within the Wind Wolf Clan. However, based on his earlier observations during the awakening ritual, he could tell that Wang Yanfeng still retained a sense of humanity.

Before he was pushed back to the place behind Wang Yanfeng, Tang San saw naked human women being carried onto the altar—one by one, for a total of ten. There was no doubt in his mind that these were also among the offerings that the High Priest had mentioned.

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Tang San trembled violently, and he didn't have to fake it. Despite witnessing the numerous human deaths in Wind Wolf Town, he had never seen such brutal and merciless killings before this.

Even in his previous life, such intense rage had been rare. As a former God King, he had always maintained tight control over his emotions. However, right at this very moment, how could he possibly stay calm?

"Oh, great ancestors! Today, your descendants offer you the most delectable blood sacrifice. Please bless your descendants and let the Wind Wolf lineage thrive and prosper. Commence the blood offering!"

Upon the shrill, piercing cry of the High Priest, the ten human women who were brought to the altar had their throats slit. They died instantly, and rivers of blood drench the altar underneath. The haunting howls of the wolf demons reverberated through the Wind Wolf Town once more.

For the wolf demons, the grand sacrificial ceremony was a moment of exhilarated frenzy.

They just...died. Ten humans...just died.

Tang San closed his eyes, overwhelmed by pain.

Right this moment, there was no doubt in his heart. He wanted to transform this world and everything within it. He yearned to liberate humans from being treated as mere livestock, awaken their potential, and topple the dominion of demons and nymphs.

In any world, the law of survival prevailed. He knew that he had to empower humans to bring about change, and there was no other way.

The sacrificial ceremony continued, lasting a full half-hour before coming to a close.

Tang San's head was bowed throughout the ceremony, and it was clear that he was trembling. He avoided looking toward the altar and stood silently behind Wang Yanfeng. However, his determination was unwavering. While his first goal was to look for his wife on this Falan Planet, he had just taken on another profound, heavy responsibility within this Daemon Continent.

As the ceremony came to an end, the wolf demons scattered.

"Follow me."

Wang Yanfeng turned around and motioned toward Tang San, Ling Muxue, and the other three humans who were proven to possess the wind wolf bloodline.

The five of them cautiously followed Wang Yanfeng to a house on the western side of Wind Wolf Town.

This house vastly differed from the one they had previously occupied in the village. The building had two stories and was made of wood and stone. It had a front yard enclosed by a fence made of wooden stakes, covering an area of about a hundred square meters.

Wang Yanfeng opened the courtyard door, leading them into the yard. A door on the second floor swung open, and a beautiful woman stepped out.

"Is it finally over?" the woman whispered when she saw Wang Yanfeng's return.

"It is done," Wang Yanfeng replied, sighing softly.

Hearing this, the woman lowered her head, eyes welling up with tears.

"Were there children this time round?"

"Yes...five of them didn't pass," Wang Yanfeng said somberly.

The woman knew what it meant for someone to fail this test. She lowered her head, and Wang Yanfeng pulled her into a gentle embrace.

"Come in now."

The woman’s voice was hoarse, low, and quiet.

Wang Yanfeng and the woman welcomed Tang San and the others into the house. It was warm, with a crackling fireplace. The decor was straightforward, but the room they were in had all the necessary furniture. The ground floor had rooms on both sides and a staircase leading to the upper floor.

Sensing the warmth inside the house, Tang San and the other four were somewhat moved. Everything else aside, it was still a significant improvement from their previous situation.

The woman moved to the side and poured some hot water, offering a cup to each of them.[1] As Tang San held the cup in his hand, he suddenly felt like he was given a new lease on life, while Ling Muxue couldn't hold back her flowing tears.

Wang Yanfeng sighed and spoke, "You're both fortunate and unfortunate. Being chosen means you've been granted a new chance at life. My dear children, starting today, I will be your teacher. I hope that you will do your best to learn everything I teach you. You can only survive by studying hard and acquiring the skills you need to defend yourselves. In three years, there will be another evaluation. You must defeat the wolf demons of your age to become official vassals. Otherwise...well, you've witnessed what happened to those youngsters today."

He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "I'm not sure if you can fully comprehend what I'm saying, but I'll put all my efforts into teaching you. Starting today, you'll live here with me. You will have your own house only after you pass the assessment and become vassals."

He turned to the woman beside him and introduced her. "This is my wife, Qiu Jing. We've both gone through what you experienced today. We survived by becoming vassals. In the next three years, you'll have to work diligently to qualify as vassals so that you don’t have to be slaves anymore.

"Now, go rest. My wife will take you to your rooms. Two boys will share one room, and the girl will have her own. Tomorrow, your study program will begin.

"Always wear this badge and keep it on you. When you go out, remember to take it with you. This badge will distinguish you from slaves."

With that, Wang Yanfeng handed out a wooden badge to each of them. The badges were adorned with intricate patterns and embedded with a bone-like material resembling a wolf's fang.

Their rooms were on the ground floor, and Qiu Jing led them there right away.

Tang San was assigned to share a room with a boy who was just over ten years old. A shared bathroom was on the ground floor, and Qiu Jing instructed them to clean themselves properly. After washing up, they each received a set of coarse linen clothes. Although the cloth was rough, it was thick and it kept them warm.

After cleaning up, the children assembled on the first floor for dinner. The meal consisted of some root vegetables, boiled and seasoned with salt, and cooked meat. Considering their situation, it was actually quite a substantial meal. Even though it was not seasoned with anything but salt, the meat soup was still flavorful, and it somewhat lifted everyone's mood.

Tang San couldn't help but notice that Ling Muxue's eyes were red and swollen, and she did not eat as much as everyone else.

Wang Yanfeng asked for their names, and to his surprise, among the five, besides Tang San and Ling Muxue, the other three didn't even have actual names. They only had simple code names.

1. Chinese people tend to drink warm/hot water as opposed to ice water, as traditional Chinese medicine states that hot water is beneficial to the body. ☜