Chosen One, how did I end up as the villain?

On stage

The sorceress paused, then struck the hand drum in her other hand with the hand that was burning fire.

"Thump"

The drums sounded again, but this time the sound was much louder than before.

Like a resounding bell, the sound was long and drawn out, making it hard to imagine that it was produced by a single drum.

"kneel"

Tian Dafu knelt down on both knees facing Mangdang.

Seeing this, the villagers followed suit, and the crowd below the stage immediately knelt down.

The scene was like a strong wind sweeping through a field, where people fell one after another like straw.

May the Earth Dragon bless my Langmu with favorable weather and abundant harvests.

Tian Dafu spread his hands out and then kowtowed forcefully.

The muffled thud was enough to show his sincerity.

The villagers below were equally enthusiastic, banging their heads on the ground with loud "thuds," doing their best to bang their heads.

Talent!

Qin Huaiyu felt sorry for them just watching them. These guys were really stubborn; given time, they would surely achieve great success.

The two female guards standing to the side stared in disbelief, their heads buzzing.

"Wow, that's impressive! This gift shows great sincerity."

"More than that, I saw stars when I looked at it, this brain is crisper than a wooden fish."

However, the sacrificial ceremony continued.

The sorceress on stage beat the drum again.

Tian Dafu straightened up and said solemnly:

"My second wish is that the Earth Dragon Lord will grant my villagers all their wishes."

After saying that, he kowtowed again.

The villagers followed suit and had a second round of success.

"Thump"

The drums sounded three times.

"My third wish is that the Earth Dragon Lord will protect my village and its residents and ensure their safety."

Another round of heavy fighting

Tian Dafu then stopped, stood up with the red mark on his forehead, and said:

"Offer sacrifices."

As soon as the words were spoken, two villagers carried a pre-processed goat to the table.

Upon seeing this, the sorceress struck a drum and made it sound.

"Buzz"

The drumbeats shifted, becoming muffled like horns.

"With drums as our signal, we express the wishes of the people, hoping that the Earth Dragon Lord will have mercy on us."

With that, the flame in his hand suddenly shot up, its pale gray color particularly striking.

The villagers below the stage knelt down, clasped their hands together, and bowed their heads in devout prayer.

They were just like believers, each one of them exceptionally solemn.

The scene fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop.

Suddenly, the surrounding firelight flickered, as if a strong wind had suddenly risen and blown down from Mangdang.

"Ghost, ghost, ghost!"

Suddenly, a scream broke the silence.

Qin Huaiyu was startled and quickly looked behind him.

Fang Lie, who was mentally challenged, pointed at Mangdang Mountain with a face full of fear.

What's wrong?

Qin Huaiyu turned his head, but after just one glance, his eyes narrowed.

A crimson light surged within the thick fog halfway up the mountain, and within the halo, a gigantic beast seemed to be present.

It is shaped like a long dragon, about a hundred feet in size, cutting across the mountain ridge.

Its body resembles a spire, with overlapping scales that make it appear exceptionally hard.

However, because the head was turned inward and the distance was very far, the whole picture could not be seen clearly.

"Earth Dragon, it's Lord Earth Dragon."

Someone shouted something, and the villagers were startled and all looked up at Mangdang Mountain.

"It's a miracle! It's a miracle! Lord Earth Dragon must have heard our voices!"

"Quickly, quickly, kneel down and worship!"

Before the excitement had subsided, the crowd knelt down and kowtowed one after another like madmen; the scene was as chaotic as could be.

On stage

The masked witch stood frozen in place, her hand suspended in mid-air, oblivious to the fact that the flames on it had already gone out, though her expression was hidden by her face.

Tian Dafu, standing next to him, stared wide-eyed, his white beard twitching involuntarily.

It really worked!

Why didn't those sacrifices appear? Could it be that they were truly moved by their sincerity?

But did I put my heart into it...?

"That place looks like it's in the direction of Shiming Village."

Chu Yanxi frowned, her fair face revealing an indescribable expression.

Pu Liu's expression changed drastically, and he said:

"Miss Chu is right, it really is! Could the rumors be true, and that Shiming Village disappeared because it angered the earth dragon?"

"Yes, yes, it must be, there really is an earth dragon," the guard echoed, but he was clearly so shocked that he was incoherent.

"If it's that, how are we supposed to investigate? What if we anger it..." someone exclaimed in alarm.

"Are there even enough of us to fill its teeth?!"

Earth dragon?

Qin Huaiyu's expression turned serious. "Interesting. Since you dare to show up, I'll have to see what you're capable of."

"You all stay here, I'm going up the mountain."

"What?!"

Pu Liugang was greatly alarmed. "My lord, do not act rashly. It is not worth risking your life for this."

"The advisor is right. We must not provoke such a behemoth. You must not go, sir. What will we do if something happens to you?"

The guards quickly tried to dissuade him, after all, these were people sent down from above, and they had to put on a show; as for their true feelings...

If you want to die, no one's stopping you!

Qin Huaiyu did not answer, but made a move to leave.

At the same time, the giant object on the mountainside seemed to sense something, and the bluish-white halo quickly receded, returning to darkness in the blink of an eye.

"He's gone, Lord Earth Dragon has left," someone said.

"Why haven't you accepted the offerings? Is the master dissatisfied?"

"Then can we still be protected by them?"

The villagers started talking about it.

"Huff, huff"

The mountain wind howled, and human voices were indistinct.

"Something's not right, the wind has suddenly picked up," Chu Yanxi said, offering a reminder.

Qin Huaiyu stopped and looked up at the deep forest next to the village.

The light there was dim, and the shadows of the trees swayed and rustled.

Something seemed to be moving towards the village at an incredibly fast speed.

His expression changed, and he shouted:

"Oh no! Quickly, tell everyone to disperse!"

No sooner said than done, before the group could act, two enormous black shadows leaped high into the air and swooped down.