Tang San pursed his lips tightly; in that instant, he truly felt an urge he could barely resist to rush out. However, Wang Yanfeng's intervention gradually cooled his boiling blood.
The Wind Wolf Lord was likely a strong fighter above the Fifth Stage, and that high priest probably was of the Sixth Stage. If he went out now, he would achieve nothing but his own death. But even if the human slaves here could be described as soulless, weren't they the same kind as him?
When the Wolf Monster killed humans, it was no different from slaughtering livestock, with humans deemed even less valuable than animals in their eyes.
"Present the offerings!" At this moment, the high priest's voice sounded again.
Tang San slightly shuffled his footsteps, avoiding Wang Yanfeng's obstruction to look outside. Wang Yanfeng seemed to sense it, turning his head to look at him with a slight frown.
Meanwhile, the other children who had awakened were shivering in horror. Tang San now wore a frightened expression, which, upon seeing, Wang Yanfeng felt slightly relieved and pushed him back behind with his right hand.
Although Tang San did not know what status this individual held within the Wind Wolf Tribe, from his previous assessment of them and his actions now, he at least had a heart that leaned towards humanity.
Before being pushed back, what he saw were naked human women being lifted onto the stage.
Ten in total; without a doubt, these were the offerings the high priest had spoken of.
Tang San's body was trembling; he didn't even have to fake it.
Although he had already seen too many human deaths in Wind Wolf Town, this direct, large-scale slaughter—and such a cruel one at that—was something he had never witnessed before.
Even in his previous life, he rarely felt as angry as he did now. Formerly the First-Generation God King, he believed he had stable control over his emotions. But how could he remain calm now?
"O great ancestors! Today, your descendants present you with the freshest of blood food. Please continue to bless your children, that the Wind Wolf Line might grow robust and strong. The blood offering is presented!"
Accompanied by the high priest's shrill cry like a blend of ghostly wails and wolf howls, the throats of the ten women brought to the altar were slashed, their blood flowing and staining the altar as the piercing howl of the wolves spread throughout Wind Wolf Town once more.
For them, the sacrifice ceremony was a moment of frenzied excitement.
Ten more were dead. Tang San closed his eyes in agony.
At this moment, there was no hesitation in his heart. He would change this world, change everything here; he wanted to ensure that humans here were no longer treated as livestock, awaken the humans, and overturn the rule of the Monster Clan and Spirit Clan.
In any world, it is the law of the jungle. Only by making humans truly strong, can all of this be changed.
The sacrificial ceremony continued, lasting a full half-hour before coming to an end.
Tang San kept his head down from start to finish, his body seemingly shivering without once looking in the direction of the altar. He just silently stood behind Wang Yanfeng. At this moment, his heart was unwaveringly firm. Besides finding his wife, in this Falan World, on the Demon Monster Land, he had another weighty responsibility!
After the sacrifice ended, the Wolf Monsters dispersed, and Wang Yanfeng turned to Tang San and the other four, including Ling Muxue, saying, "Come with me."
The five of them followed him, trembling, and under Wang Yanfeng's lead, they were taken to a house on the west side of Wind Wolf Town.
The house they were taken to was incomparably different from the ones they had lived in the village before.
This was a house built of wood and stone, still in the style of a two-story building, with a yard in front, fenced by wooden stakes, enclosing a small courtyard of about a hundred square meters.
Wang Yanfeng pushed open the courtyard gate and brought the five of them into the yard.
The door to the two-story building opened, and, to their surprise, a beautiful woman came out. Seeing Wang Yanfeng's return, she hurried forward and asked in a low voice, "Is it over?"
Wang Yanfeng sighed, "It's over."
The woman bowed her head, her eyes reddening slightly, "Just these five children this time?"
"Yes. Five others didn't make it through."
Clearly understanding what failing meant, the woman lowered her head. Wang Yanfeng embraced her and gave her a gentle hug.
"Come in first," the woman said in a hushed voice, her tone noticeably hoarse.
Under the guidance of Wang Yanfeng and the woman, Tang San and the others were brought into the house.
The house was warm; the walls were adorned with fireplaces radiating comforting heat. The decor was simple but complete with tables, chairs, and benches, rooms on both sides, and stairs leading to the upper floor.
Feeling the warmth of the house, although the four people with Tang San were somewhat at a loss, it was a relief compared to their previous panic.
The woman poured several cups of hot water and handed them out to each of them. Holding the cup in his hand, Tang San suddenly felt like he was being treated as a person again. Ling Muxue couldn't help but cry softly.
Wang Yanfeng sighed and said, "You are lucky, but also unlucky. By being chosen, you have been given a new life. Children, starting today, I will be your teacher. You need to learn certain things from me. Only by studying well and gaining the ability to protect yourselves can you truly survive. In three years, there will be another assessment, and you will need to defeat your peers among the Wolf Monsters to truly gain the qualifications of a vassal. Otherwise, you also saw what happened to those children today."
He paused then continued, "I don't know if you understand what I am saying, but I will try my best to teach you. From today on, you will live here with me until you pass the assessment and become vassals and can have your own house."
He turned to the woman beside him and said, "This is your mistress, her name is Qiu Jing. We once went through everything you experienced today. We survived because we had the qualifications of vassals. In the next three years, you must also strive to gain such qualifications so that you no longer have to be slaves. Alright, go and rest for now. The mistress will take you to your rooms. Two boys per room, and this girl will have a room to herself. Tomorrow I will begin your instruction. Make sure to carry this badge with you at all times, wearing it on your person. If you want to walk outside, always bring it with you. With it, you won't be mistaken for slaves."
As he spoke, Wang Yanfeng gave each of them a wooden badge, which was carved with patterns and inlaid with a piece resembling a wolf's tooth, but not the sharp fanged kind.
The rooms they were to stay in were all on the ground floor. Tang San was paired with a boy just over ten years old.
Qiu Jing led them to their rooms; there was a communal restroom on the first floor, and Qiu Jing asked each of them to wash their bodies first. After cleaning themselves, each received a set of clothes made from coarse linen. Although the linen was rough, it was thick and provided decent warmth.
After cleaning themselves, everyone gathered on the ground floor for a meal.
They ate some tuber-like plants, simply boiled and seasoned with a bit of salt, along with some cooked meat. For slaves, it was definitely considered a feast. Drinking the savory yet bland meat soup seemed to soothe everyone's spirits significantly.
Yet Tang San noticed that Ling Muxue's eyes remained swollen, her gaze vacant, and she ate very little.
Wang Yanfeng asked for their names, and among the five, besides Tang San and Ling Muxue, the other three didn't even have names, just simple designations.