But the priest didn't have the ability to find people out of thin air, so he brought them along to seek Tang Nian's help.

Tang Nian originally wanted to take this opportunity to investigate the priest again, but unexpectedly the woman kowtowed several times in a row, even when her scalp was bleeding.

"Please, Celestial Master, help me. I was rude before, and I apologize!"

"Get up! I'll help you."

Tang Nian wasn't doing it for the sake of these women, but these were turbulent times, and she didn't know what the person behind the scenes was up to.

If it really was done by someone behind the scenes, we might still be able to find some clues.

"Thank you, Celestial Master! Thank you, Celestial Master!"

The women were overjoyed and thanked Tang Nian profusely.

When did your child go missing?

Tang Nian asked several women, and they all began to recall.

"I only took a nap in the afternoon, and when I woke up, my child was gone. It's strange, because I usually don't take afternoon naps!"

"Yes, me too. This afternoon, I suddenly felt sleepy for some reason, took a short nap, and when I woke up, my child was gone."

The accounts of the individuals were largely similar: they all took a short nap in the afternoon, and when they woke up, their children were gone.

"Don't you usually keep your child by your side at all times? How could they get lost just because you're sleeping?"

Tang Nian looked at the woman she was arguing with.

The woman lowered her head in shame: "I... I fell asleep while holding the child. It's all my fault. The child was most likely taken away, but I didn't wake up..."

If what these people say is true, then it seems that the person who secretly took the child away is being far too brazen!

"All right!"

Tang Nian rubbed her temples with two fingers, her mind racing with thoughts of how to find her child.

Since she is a Taoist priest, she should use the methods of a Taoist priest to find people.

"Do you have any of the child's personal belongings?"

Yes, I have it!

The woman quickly searched her body and soon pulled out a yellowed strip of cloth from somewhere.

"This is the strip of cloth I used to wrap the child to stop him from urinating. This child likes to urinate all the time, Master..."

The woman handed the smelly strip of cloth to Tang Nian, feeling embarrassed.

Seriously, this is a real headache.

Tang Nian didn't argue much, took it, and went straight out the door.

Before leaving, he reminded the priest behind him to comfort the women, assuring them that he would be back soon.

...

Outside the temple, Tang Nian looked at the snow on the mountainside, glistening with moonlight at night, and felt as if the snow seemed to be moving closer to the mountain.

"Never mind, finding them is the priority!"

Tang Nian took out the strip of cloth and began to deduce the reasoning.

This is a Taoist spell for finding people and asking for directions, but it requires a personal item belonging to the person being sought.

Tang Nian kept making hand seals, and soon her eyes shone with golden light.

From her line of sight, one could see that the strip of cloth in her hand was emitting a golden thread that stretched far into the distance.

The golden thread naturally points to the missing child.

Following the golden thread, Tang Nian continued her journey.

Soon, Tang Nian passed through the temple and headed towards the back mountain.

Strangely enough, it started snowing heavily on the back mountain. In just half a day, the ground was so snowy that your calves would sink in when you stepped on it.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the golden threads gradually dissipated into the air.

Tang Nian then stopped walking.

"It's nearby."

Looking around, the wind and snow blurred my vision, and I could only see very close by.

Tang Nian uttered obscure notes, and the wind and snow suddenly fell silent. Snowflakes slowly fell, and not far away, there were three snowmen.

The three snowmen looked exactly like the three snowmen in the county magistrate's mansion, only much smaller.

If the people in the mayor's mansion are adults, then these three snowmen are definitely children.

Wait, a child?

"Found it!"

Tang Nian's eyes lit up, and she pushed over three snowmen with one hand, revealing a child inside whose face was blue from the cold.

Fortunately, they are all still alive.

...

The priest stood outside the temple, the wind howling and snowflakes falling.

He nervously rubbed his hands together, his eyes constantly darting into the distance, hoping that Tang Nian would return safely with the missing children.

The women around them were also extremely anxious. They hugged each other tightly and prayed that the children would be safe and sound.

Whenever a gust of wind blew by, they would nervously peek out, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tang Nian.

Just then, footsteps could be heard in the distance.

The priests and women immediately stood up, their eyes fixed on that direction.

Soon, Tang Nian's figure came into their sight.

She was holding a child in her arms and leading two other children by the hand as she walked towards them.

"Celestial Master! Celestial Master!"

When the women saw Tang Nian returning with the children, they cheered and rushed forward to thank her.

"Thank you so much, Celestial Master, for saving my life! Thank you so much, Celestial Master!"

They knelt on the ground in excitement and kowtowed repeatedly.

Tang Nian smiled slightly and shook her head: "Get up quickly, the children are still cold, take them back first."

The priest also stepped forward, looking at Tang Nian with gratitude.

I wanted to say something to express my gratitude, but the words just wouldn't come out.

In the end, all I could manage to say was "thank you."

Tang Nian nodded without saying anything more.

If the priest could actually say something, she would still find it problematic.

She carried the children into the temple and found a warm place for them to rest.

The priests and women gathered around the children, asking them with concern about their health.

Tang Nian, however, focused her attention on the well outside the house.

She sensed a surge of spiritual energy in the well water, and a sense of doubt arose in her heart.

She then turned to look at the child being fussed over by the women, and understood.

I see.

No wonder she felt the spiritual energy in the well had suddenly become so concentrated; it was because of the disappearance of these children.

Tang Nian looked at the priestess and noticed that her eyes were darting away, and she didn't dare to meet Tang Nian's gaze.

Tang Nian understood that all of this must be related to the priest.

But she didn't say anything; she just observed silently.

After settling the children in, Tang Nian left the temple.

Seeing this, the priest quickly stepped forward to persuade him to stay: "Master Tang, it's getting late. Why don't you rest in the temple for the night before you leave?"

Tang Nian originally wanted to return to the prefectural governor's mansion to find Ming Huan, but the priest, contrary to his usual behavior, asked her to stay.

After hesitating for a moment, Tang Nian agreed to the priest's request.

As soon as it was light, the priest found Tang Nian.

For some reason, she started rambling on and on about how she became a temple priestess.

The temple on the mountain has existed for many, many years, but no one knows which deity it enshrines, and the incense offerings in the temple have always been meager.

By the time it came to the priestess's generation, she was the only girl left to guard this dilapidated temple.

It might not be a single person who goes up the mountain to pray for blessings for a whole week.

Why doesn't she go down the mountain?

It's not that she doesn't want to, it's that she can't.