The sound of bells.

Xiao Cheng and Fang He exchanged a glance, then shook their heads in confusion: "No, we didn't see Lingdang at all yesterday."

"How could that be?" Player 4 frowned even more. "The bells are clearly hanging at the door, every household has one, don't you... the shrine maiden's house have bells?"

“No, they are wooden signs.” Xiao Cheng described the two wooden signs to her. “They are made of locust wood. There is a very old locust tree outside our room.”

“It’s not a locust tree, it’s a peach tree,” Number 4 said confidently. “I noticed on my way here that all the other villagers’ yards have peach trees.”

The witch and the other villagers did not live together. On the way there, Xiao Cheng and his group were kept under close watch by the witch and had almost no chance to look around.

“Locust wood attracts ghosts, peach wood wards off evil spirits,” Fang He said thoughtfully. “Do you have a coffin? Sealed up, placed in the courtyard.”

"Yes!" Number 4 nodded. "The villagers seem to have a lot of awe about it. They don't dare to get close or talk about the coffin. I secretly looked at it last night, and the lid was nailed shut. I don't know if there's anything inside."

"Then..."

Just as Xiao Cheng was about to say something, the witch shouted loudly at the entrance of the ancestral hall, "You two! The village chief allows you to enter the ancestral hall with me!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the other villagers cried out in shock and turned to look at them. Their expressions varied, but there was no doubt that entering the ancestral hall was an extremely unusual event.

"Let's go, we'll talk about these things later." Fang He looked around at the villagers. "Xu Chu and Player No. 7 are not here. We can ask them about the bell sound when we have the chance; maybe we'll get some new clues."

“Okay, I understand,” Number 4 nodded and said. “You will be in direct contact with the shrine maiden, so be careful.”

Under the watchful eyes of the villagers, Xiao Cheng and Fang He walked up to the village chief and the witch.

“You are honored. The village chief has agreed to let you stand before the true god.” The priestess’s voice was filled with barely concealed excitement. “The true god will bring you purification.”

To be honest, Xiao Cheng didn't really want to be purified, but the adult world is often beyond one's control. She could only force a smile and say with feigned surprise, "That's great! I've been looking forward to this day for so long!"

The village chief was clearly satisfied with her reaction, and his gaze softened.

“The true god accepts your advance worship; outsiders should not have this right. Remember to follow the rules, follow the priestess, and do not offend the true god.” Then he waved his hand, “Go.”

The ancestral hall is quite large, and nearly a hundred candles are lit on the shelves on the walls, yet it still appears dim and cold.

Inside the main hall stands a screen wall several meters high, with exquisite reliefs carved on it, matching the pattern on the door of the shrine maiden's house.

Passing through the screen wall, there is a tall, pure gold statue with three heads and eight arms. The three heads wear Nuo masks, and each hand holds a different weapon.

Xiao Cheng: "..." Is this setting definitely not plagiarized from Nezha?

"Please remain silent for a moment," the priestess said in a very soft voice, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Then she quickly walked out through the side door, and soon brought back a golden basin filled with water, which she placed neatly in front of Xiao Cheng and Fang He.

"Please." She bowed slightly, then slowly stepped aside, knelt down facing the statue, and solemnly recited something that resembled scripture.

Xiao Cheng's lips twitched; he never expected that he would have to retire from his criminal life here.

"Wash?" she asked Fang He silently with her eyes.

"Wash." Fang He nodded, and the two of them put their hands into the water at the same time.

On the other side, the priestess chanted faster and faster. She repeatedly rose and fell, going back and forth nine times. Then she kowtowed forcefully, stood up, and began to dance a bizarre dance on tiptoe.

Xiao Cheng felt an invisible force pulling her hand in place, rendering her completely immobile. The water in the basin grew hotter and hotter, eventually boiling over, then instantly subsiding and turning pitch black.

As the shrine maiden's dance came to an end, the water level became shallower and shallower until all the water evaporated, leaving only a thin layer of pure black crystals at the bottom of the basin.

Xiao Cheng looked completely bewildered and scratched it with her fingers. It was hard and felt like sand. What was the principle behind this? Were her hands really that dirty?

"Congratulations, you have completed the initial purification." The priestess walked over slowly and said with a smile.

The dance she just performed seemed to have taken a toll on her; she looked pale, as if the blue paint on her body had faded.

She took a tuft of cotton-like stuff from her bosom and bent down to throw it into the golden basin.

Blue flames suddenly burst into flames, quickly burning away the black crystals at the bottom of the golden basin.

“Now, you are qualified to speak before the idol.” The priestess looked up at the tall idol. “Oh God, please forgive the impurity of the believers.”

Seeing her seemingly possessed state, Xiao Cheng couldn't help but ask, "Have you really seen the true god?"

“That was a miracle beyond words.” The priestess’s eyes gleamed with fervor. “From that moment on, I vowed to take over the priestess’s position and become the most qualified person to serve the true god.”

She succeeded as the priestess.

Xiao Cheng raised an eyebrow slightly, and continued to ask calmly, "What about your previous shrine maiden?"

"In the place closest to the true god," the priestess said wistfully. "It will be soon. I hope the true god can take me to that place. Only those recognized by the true god can truly reach there."

"Ah..." Xiao Cheng couldn't quite understand her so-called faith. "Then God above, I hope it will be as you wish."

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