Not following the expected path? Reborn and unexpectedly married to a demon.

"Master Tianqing, who else is there?"

Qi Tianqing shook his head and said, "When the time comes, you will know. Right now, let me explain the Bagua sacrificial array on this map to you."

"The Eight Trigrams Sacrifice Array?" Qi Minglan and Chu Luo were both puzzled.

"The four locations on this map were selected based on the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) orientation and the intention behind the sacrificial array. There should be five more locations on the missing half of the map."

Chu Luo originally thought there might be four locations on the remaining map, but she didn't expect there to be five.

Qi Tianqing asked Chu Luo, "You came to collect the debt, but what problems have arisen in these places?"

Chu Luo pointed to Shouyuan Village and Yinhe Village and recounted the tragedies that occurred in both places.

Qi Minglan was stunned, finding it hard to believe that all these people had died because of his junior brother, Qi Minghuang.

Qi Tianqing sighed, "To use an entire village as a sacrifice, what a terrible thing to do."

"What is the purpose of this sacrificial array?" Qi Minglan asked, as he had never heard of such an evil array before.

"To exchange one's life for another, to extend one's lifespan, to seek immortality."

Qi Tianqing's words were similar to what Chu Luo had thought.

"Will all the people in these nine places die?" Chu Luo asked.

Qi Tianqing explained the Eight Trigrams sacrificial formation to them in detail.

She then realized that such a place had auspicious feng shui, and the people who lived there were mostly long-lived. Over the years, like sand being washed away by waves, each generation would live longer than the last.

Based on some recollections, these places were discovered by a group of Taoist priests under Feng Zhe, led by Qi Minghuang, after research.

Besides performing rituals, Feng Zhe's healers and doctors would also dissect and study these people, using their flesh and blood to concoct medicines.

Of these nine locations, one is the center of the Bagua formation, and three of the remaining eight locations are not used for death sacrifices, but rather to generate resentment.

"This is truly evil magic, using the resentment of dead souls to create such a formation!" Qi Minglan was furious.

Chu Luo knew that the Mustard Valley must be the place where resentment arose.

The sheer terror of Mustard Valley alone was enough to send chills down one's spine; the thought of having three such places left Chu Luo speechless.

"Is this kind of formation really useful?" Chu Luo asked.

Qi Tianqing frankly admitted, "This was originally a concept from a obscure corner of a book. The prototype of this formation was used for tombs. There are many schools of Taoism, each with its own theories. As for whether it will be useful, we'll have to see the results."

Qi Tianqing actually didn't approve of this method.

Chu Luo also found it absurd, but Feng Zhe did indeed live a long life in the end, so she wasn't sure if this evil magic really worked.

She hoped not; what meaning was there in continuing a life like Feng Zhe's?

Qi Tianqing took a complete map, did some calculations, and circled several places on the map.

"We don't know the birth date of the person who initiated the sacrificial array, so we can only calculate the approximate location," Qi Tianqing said, handing the map to Chu Luo.

"Qi Minghuang, I will arrange for someone to clean up. If you ever need any help from Wangchen Mountain in the future, just let me know. Even if you're unwilling, you can still be considered half a disciple of Wangchen Mountain."

Qi Tianqing quickly resolved the matter that Chu Luo had asked him for, and he even knew about the things she had learned from Wangchen Mountain.

"Thank you, Daoist Tianqing. We'll meet again someday." Chu Luo got up to leave.

"Don't rush off, there's still important business to attend to," Qi Tianqing said with a smile, stopping her.

Chu Luo looked puzzled. She had already achieved all her goals for coming here, and even gained something extra.

"Haven't we finished talking about everything? Is there anything else important?" she asked.

Master Tianqing stroked his beard and said, "Naturally, it's your business."

"What do you want?"

"Your destiny," Qi Tianqing said.

Upon hearing this, Shu Tong stopped swinging and strained her ears to hear every word the old Taoist priest said next.

Upon hearing this, Chu Luo unconsciously placed her hand on her chest.

Her heartache had almost never recurred since she started climbing Wangchen Mountain.

But she knew that her heartache was not cured and would eventually kill her.

Before Qi Tianqing could speak, Chu Luo interrupted, "I know, but it's not important. As long as my wish can be fulfilled, Chu Luo's life, whether long or short, is meaningful."

Qi Tianqing shook his head. "You are righteous and awe-inspiring, but you are the one who breaks the deadlock. If you become a clay idol, forget about saving people; everything will be in vain, and the evildoer will continue to do evil."

Chu Luo didn't want to die, but her illness was probably not as simple as a common physical ailment.

"Old Taoist priest, do you have a way to save her?" Shu Tong leaped down from the vines and landed in front of the crowd.

Shu Tong secretly channeled her internal energy into Chu Luo several times, which stabilized her condition.

But it was precisely because she had channeled her inner energy to protect Luo's heart that she was even more aware that Luo's illness was gradually developing at an uncontrollable speed.

We need to find another way to save her.

Chu Luo had been disappointed too many times and had given up hope.

"Her illness is something she was born with; she won't fully recover until the knot of her destiny is untied and her resentment is extinguished."

"However, many things have changed now, and her pain has intensified. I'm afraid she won't be able to hold on for much longer, nor will she be able to do much."

"A knot of destiny?" There were some legends about the place Shu Tong came from. She had heard some of them, but not in detail.

"I've heard that only resentment and bitterness can solidify into a knot of destiny; the more causes and effects there are, the deeper the resentment, and the harder the knot of destiny becomes to untie."

Qi Tianqing nodded and said, "That's right."

"Is your destiny related to the owner of that Bagua sacrificial array?" Shu Tong asked Chu Luo.

Chu Luo nodded.

Shu Tong just heard Qi Tianqing say that he couldn't prevent the disastrous consequences.

This terrible consequence involves so many lives; the more karma there is, the more resentment arises.

She knew that if even a reclusive master like him was powerless, then Chu Luo's predestined fate was no small matter.

Fortunately, not that many people have died yet.

What she didn't know was that Chu Luo's fate was not only tied to the lives of the people in Shouyuan Village and Yinhe Village, but also to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Dazheng.

She has carried these hatreds and resentments for lifetimes.

"You can't solve it, but is there any way to alleviate it?"

Shu Tong thought for a moment and asked, "If it weren't for that, this old Taoist wouldn't have kept Chu Luo here."

Chu Luo noticed that Shu Tong was quite different today; she was talking much more than usual, more than she had ever spoken on her own initiative in total.

Moreover, this person's imposing aura was hard to conceal.

Qi Tianqing said, "Yes, let her stay on Wangchen Mountain. Regardless of the lives of ordinary people, I will teach her. She can live for two more years without suffering."

"Then let's stay," Shu Tong thought, believing that she could find another way to save her within two years.

After two years without illness, Chu Luo really wanted to go back to her old ways, especially since her illness was flaring up more frequently and intensely, causing her excruciating pain.

She was afraid that if things continued like this, one day she would commit suicide because she couldn't bear the excruciating pain.

She sighed, composed herself, and firmly shook her head. "I can't do it. Thank you for your kindness, Daoist Tianqing."

Shu Tong was shocked by her answer. "What nonsense are you talking about? What do those people's lives have to do with you? You're suffering from illness every day, and what's wrong with living a few more days well? I think you've gone mad."

Chu Luo looked at Shu Tong and said, "I don't live for myself alone. I want to dedicate my life to something meaningful. I can't just live a life of ignominy."

Chu Luo's eyes were resolute and unwavering.

Shu Tong walked away angrily. She had never seen such a stupid person before, and she couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to them.

Whether she lives or dies is up to her.

Besides, the old Taoist priest only promised two years; perhaps she could have other, better methods...