This tree still has the remains of a corpse, and for this kind of evil thing, Zha Wenbin has always had no good impression. In his view, the original sacrificial activities were all based on various bloodshed and killings, among which there was no lack of live sacrifices. The objects of sacrifice were often slaves or prisoners of war, allowing those high-and-mighty gods to use various reasons to persecute them, and even more so, like the person in front, using the legendary soul-destroying nail to knock people's souls out of their bodies, never to be reborn, which made him feel extremely disgusted.

  But sympathy is just sympathy, after all, this is history. The Chinese civilization has been self-proclaimed for five thousand years, but how much of it has been passed down by the world, and how much has been buried in the dust of time? What he saw was only a certain kind of sacrificial ritual that was popular at the time. As for history, people can only show respect and awe, because you cannot change it, nor can you recreate it.

  People like Cha Wenbin originally understood that the way of gods and ghosts is only a thought away. Used well, it can save the world and deliver people; used poorly, it's killing people without a trace. After all, apart from fate, there are too many accidents in life, especially for someone like him who has been exploring the will of heaven ever since he lost his daughter.

  For ordinary people, reincarnation or life and death are just natural arrangements. However, for him, the Tao is the ultimate goal to pursue. Because a Taoist may give fortune-telling and guidance to countless people in his lifetime, but he will never give himself a reading, which was also told by his master since he started learning at a young age. As for the reason, Zha Wenbin had thought about it before, and finally came to this conclusion:

  Because once a person catches a glimpse of their own future, they will try every means to change their fate. From the perspective of destiny, this is irreversible. Whether you are destined for wealth and nobility or whether you will encounter difficulties, these are all predetermined. No matter how skilled you are at fortune-telling, your fate remains the same; the result of hard work can only make it look slightly better, but cannot fundamentally change it.

  Another reason is that everyone has a private heart, and Wen Bin is no exception. Everyone hopes that their own eight characters will have a better future, always feeling that fate should not be so unfair to themselves. This makes it easy to have incorrect ideas about one's own destiny, which can lead to changes in the pursuit of the Tao. Therefore, many true masters can only interpret their own destiny through others in order to avoid bias.

  So, Cha Wenbin thinks that his master warned him not to divine his own fate because he was afraid of being influenced by personal desires and making inaccurate predictions. He also feared that knowing his own destiny would make him disheartened and lazy, and even more so, that his efforts to change his fate would fall into the trap of fate itself. However, this person often ends up suffering precisely because they try to avoid it, and the cause and effect are unclear and inexplicable. He simply closes off his curious heart and strives to understand the Way of Heaven, especially after learning that besides fate, there is an even more profound and inexplicable heavenly mandate at work. As a result, he becomes increasingly indifferent to his own fate.

  Since you're here, make yourself at home. This is also what Zha Wenbin has been telling himself in his heart as he navigates this desolate world. If fate requires him to come here and take a walk, even if it means dying here, it's all part of the plan. Hiding is ultimately futile; it's just a matter of choosing between a clear death or a confused one.

  Cha Wenbin examined the corpse and did not find any soul-destroying nails or other underworld equipment, nor was there any sign of a ghost. The only thing left was a incomplete skeleton, with only the sharp bronze still telling him about the killings of the past: the twisted body, the heart-wrenching screams, the blood flowing from the bronze tree branches into the blood groove in the middle, and then into the vessel at his feet. When the last drop of blood had flowed out, the priests hurriedly left with the bronze vessels full of fresh blood, leaving behind only the dry corpse to slowly decay in the wind, slowly rotting away.

  As for the purpose of their actions, it may be to punish or to sacrifice. The ancient people did have records of blood sacrifices. According to historical records, in the history of various nations, there were instances where live humans or animals were used as sacrifices to ensure a rich harvest and peaceful life for the tribe. You cannot view these seemingly barbaric and bloody behaviors with modern eyes, because they are part of history. We can only interpret them, not criticize them.

  After confirming that it was a blood sacrifice, Cha Wenbin couldn't bear to think about it anymore. The bronze tree's base had a cauldron-like object with black stains left behind, which were enough to explain everything. Those were the marks left after the blood oxidized. It seemed that to thoroughly understand this place, they would have to continue exploring deeper. They knew too little about history, especially civilizations that had already disappeared. No one could explain how they built their history or how they eventually became extinct. There were countless unsolved mysteries around the world, and it was believed that there were even more unknown ones buried underground or lost in the river of time. Just like the Tao he was good at, his master only taught him spells, talismans, and rules passed down for thousands of years. Who created these things? He had only heard legends about them. What was the truth behind it all? Who knew? Who truly cared?

  Just like the six soul nails in his hand, the ghost seal and the bronze door are identical, and the five elements, three realms, eight trigrams, and ten bronze coffins outside are perfectly crafted. Even he, a Taoist priest, couldn't help but sigh in admiration. However, these things are clearly only understood by a few modern people who are well-versed in Taoism, yet they can be seen everywhere in this underground world, which seems unrelated to the surface world. The mysterious text is also closely related to the "Ru Yi Ce". Who cast those exquisite and large bronze instruments? And who is the living dead person lying in the coffin? The ancient legend of Huang Di's battle with Chi You has been replicated here, but what is the true face of Qi Feng Mountain? The legend of Ying Long Gao Shui has already been witnessed by him, and there are countless stories about the three-legged toad that has become his partner. In short, there are too many questions and mysteries.

  Chaozi and Zhuoxiong are dead or alive, have they escaped this dangerous area? Lao Wang and Leng Yiran were injured by whom, and even the Resurrection Incense couldn't save them. What will become of their fate? At present, his own path ahead is still unknown, yet he has to worry about so many things. Cha Wenbin felt really tired for the first time. If he was just a farmer, would he still be in that small mountain village, rising with the sun and resting with the sunset? If it weren't for saving his aunt's life and forcibly snatching her soul back, would his daughter be nestled in his arms, being playful and affectionate?

  His birth seemed to have been arranged to be tied to all this, as he was raised by his master and became a Taoist; because his master met his aunt by chance, he let his grandfather know him; because of his grandfather's relationship, he went to rescue his sister-in-law, lost his daughter; finally, because of me, he got to know Old Wang and He Lao, and realized that there was still the existence of fate; finally, because of them, he came here in a daze, Cha Wenbin sat under the bronze tree, carefully thinking back on his life, sighed: "Pal, this is probably my fate, do you think I should calculate a fortune for myself too, to predict our future good or bad luck, and ask where we are going?"

  The three-legged frog naturally wouldn't understand what was on his mind, its large eyes blinked only once, and it just crouched on the ground staring at him. Maybe it also wanted to open its mouth to comfort this "person" who had a lot of fate with itself, or maybe it didn't understand anything at all, but just coincidentally understood human nature and followed Zhao Wenbin together. After all, it was just a frog, even if it was a spiritual beast, it was still just a frog.

  Zha Wenbin stroked the three-legged toad's nose, seemingly enjoying the touch of this oversized toad's nose. Perhaps from the bottom of his heart, he really regarded it as his friend. He sighed and said: "Alright, alright, buddy, let's continue on our way. Old rules apply, if there's anything off, you remind me. Next time, don't wait until I'm in danger before lending a hand, or else who'll come to open the door for you?" After finishing speaking, he gently patted the toad's nose as a warning.

  The toad puffed out its belly and let out a "ribbit" sound, which was taken as a response. The two of them made their way through the damp cave, taking slow and reluctant steps, one in front of the other, until they slowly disappeared into the darkness.

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