Shangguan Ziqi shook his wife's hand and said, "We will step up our guard when we return to the inn tonight. Once our cargo is unloaded, we will leave here as soon as possible."

However, what they did not know was that when Cassim returned to the temple he immediately gave the order.

"We will act tonight. Those four foreign women are very suitable for the requirements of the gods. We must bring them back unharmed. This is the will of the gods."

The subordinates obeyed the order.

As night fell, the inn gradually became quiet.

Shangguan Ziqi's family and Emperor Qiming all lived in several guest rooms on the first floor.

Ten guards took turns guarding the stairs and the courtyard.

Yu Yuanzheng had just put her three children to bed and gently closed the door connecting the two rooms.

"The children were so excited today that Changrui even talked in his sleep for a while." She walked over to Shangguan Ziqi, who was deep in thought, and said softly.

Shangguan Ziqi raised his head and held his wife's hand: "They have seen so many things they have never seen before, that's why they are so excited."

"Yeah. What are you thinking about?"

"The more I think about the high priest the guide mentioned today, the more I feel something is wrong. His eyes are like a poisonous snake staring at a frog." Shangguan Ziqi has been thinking about the man he saw on the street today.

They just came here, it is impossible for them to have any grudge against him.

Yu Yuanzheng nodded, frowning: "Didn't I tell you at the time? Especially when I was watching Chun Xi and the others. I told them not to act alone, and to ask the guards to accompany them if anything happened."

As they were talking, there was a light knock on the door. Chuncao's voice came from outside the door: "Princess, we want to go to the back to relieve ourselves."

Yu Yuanzheng opened the door and saw the four sisters standing outside. Chunyi was holding a small lantern. "It's so late, can't we wait until dawn?"

Chunshui blushed and explained: "I drank that sweet juice at night, and the reality is..."

"Let the breeze accompany you." Shangguan Ziqi stood up and said.

Chunshui waved his hands quickly: "Don't bother Brother Qingfeng, the four of us will be fine. The innkeeper's wife said that the small woods at the back are a place for convenience, and many female guests go there."

Before the four of them came, they went to the inn's proprietress and asked her through gestures.

Yu Yuanzheng hesitated for a moment and looked out the window.

The moonlight was bright, and the path from the backyard of the inn to the woods was clearly visible.

"Then you must act together and don't separate. Carry lanterns and shout loudly if anything happens."

"Understood, Princess." The four girls responded in unison and tiptoed downstairs.

Shangguan Ziqi walked to the window and watched four figures pass through the courtyard at the back and walk out of the woods.

The faint light of the lantern flickered in the darkness like a tiny firefly.

"I hope we are worrying too much." Shangguan Ziqi murmured softly.

The grove is just behind the inn, not far away.

Four girls walked along a path in the woods.

"What a crappy Shenduo country. They actually go to the toilet directly in the woods. They don't even have a toilet. It's really weird. They're not as good as our Haiyue Island." Chunye complained.

"I heard from the princess that this is their local custom. You can't build a toilet in the house. That's a blasphemy to the gods." Chun Xi shook his head helplessly.

The night wind blew through the leaves, making a rustling sound, occasionally mixed with the calls of a few unknown birds.

"This place is really scary at night." Chunshui held Chunyi's arm tightly.

Chun Ye was relatively calm: "What are you afraid of? The inn is just in front of us. The guards will hear you if you shout."

The last spring grass suddenly stopped and looked back warily: "Did you hear any sound? It sounded like footsteps."

The other three also stopped and listened with bated breath.

Apart from the sound of wind and chirping insects, there seemed to be nothing unusual.

"You're too nervous." Chun Xi laughed, "You must have heard it wrong."

They did not go any further, but took care of their urgent needs on the spot, and then the four of them returned together.

The moonlight shines through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows, and the path looks even more secluded than when we came here.

Chuncao stopped again, and this time her voice was trembling: "Someone really followed us. I heard footsteps. They were very light, but they were there."

Chun Xi raised the lantern and shone it around. He only saw the shadows of the trees and could not see anything unusual. "Don't scare yourself. Go back home quickly. The princess must be worried."

Just then, a strange fragrance wafted over, with a faint sweetness, like a mixture of some spices and flowers.

Chunye was the first to react and covered her nose: "Something's wrong, don't breathe."

But it was too late.

Chunshui was the first to shake, and his eyelids felt heavy as if they were filled with lead.

She fell limply to the ground.

Chun Xi was next, and the lantern slipped from her hands and rolled to the side.

Chunye struggled to shout, but no sound came out and she eventually fell down.

Chuncao tried to escape, but after taking two steps her legs went weak, her vision went dark, and she lost consciousness.

Four dark figures jumped out from the bushes, skillfully tied up the four men's hands and feet with cloth strips, blocked their mouths, and then put them in sacks.

The entire kidnapping process took only a few breaths, and was completed so cleanly that it was shocking.

The kidnapper in charge took off his mask, and the moonlight shone on the snake-shaped pattern on his forehead. It was none other than Cassim's confidant, the spy who had reported to him before, the chief of the temple guards, Vikas.

"Check to make sure they are not injured," Vikas ordered. "The high priest wants intact sacrifices."

The subordinate quickly checked it and nodded in confirmation.

Vikas waved his hand with satisfaction, and several people carried the four unconscious sisters of the Chun family and disappeared silently into the depths of the woods.

Before leaving, he hung the lantern on a branch. The flame of the lantern was still flickering as usual, which made it look even more eerie in the night.

About two hours later, a breeze came.

"Your Highness, Princess, the four sisters of the Chun family have not returned for more than two quarters of an hour."

"Oh?" Yu Yuanzheng was surprised.

The four of them went out together, and according to reason, they should have returned in such a long time.

"Hurry up and look in the woods." Shangguan Ziqi ordered immediately.

Qingfeng took the order and followed.

But he came back after a while.

"My Lord, my Princess, the person is missing."

"What?" Yu Yuanzheng was shocked.

"The lanterns they were carrying were still lit, but the people were gone."

"Something happened, it must have happened!" Yu Yuanzheng said anxiously.

"Let's go and take a look in the woods." Shangguan Ziqi's face turned pale.

Shangguan Ziqi brought Yu Yuanzheng and the guards to the woods.

"It was here that I saw the lanterns they were carrying just now." Qingfeng pointed to a location.

"It's all my fault. I should have arranged for guards to follow." Shangguan Ziqi was also very upset.

Just now I was thinking that since they are women and they are going to the toilet, it is not necessary to let male guards follow them. Besides, there are four of them, so they can call for help if they encounter danger.

Besides, the forest is just behind the inn, very close.

As a result of this slight negligence, the person disappeared.

"Call all guards and search the area around the inn immediately." Shangguan Ziqi gave the order immediately.

Soon, the whole inn was in commotion.

The guards were divided into several teams, some searched the inn, and some searched the woods for clues.

Emperor Qiming and the old prince were also alarmed and stood in the courtyard with serious expressions waiting for news.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, Qingfeng hurried back to report: "Your Majesty, we found traces in the woods, there are several footprints, judging by the size, they are men's footprints.

We also found this on a branch.”