Night fell, like a huge black curtain, shrouding the entire valley in deep darkness.
In the distance, the outlines of the mountains had long since faded into the night.
Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the clouds, its silvery glow penetrating the dense forest and illuminating every inch of the valley, as if draping this ancient land in a mysterious veil.
The mist in the valley had not yet dissipated, and under the moonlight, it looked like a flowing veil, wrapped around the branches of the trees and the roofs of the houses.
Occasionally, a night breeze would blow by, rustling the leaves, and upon closer listening, one could hear the sound of bells ringing in response.
In the central square of the tribe, a bonfire was lit, its flames leaping and crackling in the night wind.
At this moment, the attire of the Nanxiang people was quite different from that during the day; they were all wearing dark shaman robes embroidered with silver runes.
They sat around the altar, chanting ancient incantations in a low voice, their voices echoing through the valley as if resonating with the heavens and earth.
Under the interplay of firelight and moonlight, their faces appeared exceptionally mysterious and solemn.
Moonlight, campfire, and incantations intertwined, immersing the only outsider observer, Wang Xiuxiu, in the mysterious night.
The sacrificial ceremony lasted for about half an hour.
As the Nanxiang people dispersed, Wang Xiuxiu stared at their figures for a long time, unable to come back to her senses.
"Mr. Wang, Mr. Wang?"
"Your Holiness."
This saintess is not the same as that saintess. Strictly speaking, the little girl who claims to be the saintess of Nanxiang is named Nanwei, and she is the future saintess.
At this time, the one in power in Nanxiang is the true Holy Maiden, who is also Nanwei's biological mother.
"Mr. Wang, my daughter has already left."
"Oh, oh, oh! Let's hurry and follow them!"
The saintess nodded, then turned and walked away.
Wang Xiuxiu followed half a step behind the Holy Maiden, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
The night was as dark as ink, so thick it was impossible to see through.
The saintess moved with light steps, the lantern in her hand emitting a faint light that barely illuminated the rugged path ahead.
"This is the entrance," the saintess said, stopping in her tracks and pointing to a seemingly ordinary rock.
Upon closer inspection, Wang Xiuxiu discovered a crack beneath the rock that was almost seamlessly integrated with the ground; it would have been impossible to notice without the guidance of the Holy Maiden.
The saintess crouched down, and somehow touched something that loosened the rock, revealing a path where there seemed to be no way out.
The path was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. The Holy Maiden squeezed in first, and Wang Xiuxiu took a deep breath and followed her in.
After walking for a long time, a faint light suddenly appeared in the darkness ahead.
The two quickened their pace and soon arrived at a spacious cave.
The cave was narrow and damp, filled with the smell of earth and moss. A few oil lamps were lit inside, casting a dim, yellowish light that made the cave appear shadowy.
In the center of the cave, there was a simple wooden bed with a figure lying on it.
Wang Xiuxiu's heart sank, and she quickly walked to the bedside.
The person in the bed was Lu Jingze.
His face appeared exceptionally pale under the light, and his eyes were closed, as if he had been unconscious for some time.
Wang Xiuxiu reached out to untie the rope binding his wrists.
However, the moment his hand touched her, Lu Jingze's eyes snapped open.
The next moment, Wang Xiuxiu was caught off guard and forced onto the bed, a sharpened stone pressed against the side of her neck.
"Jingze! It's me!"
"Xiuxiu? You were kidnapped by that witch too?"
The pressure on her body suddenly eased, and Wang Xiuxiu quickly got up.
Once on the ground, Wang Xiuxiu rubbed her shoulder, which was sore from his weight, and then glared at him with her hands on her hips, saying, "I wasn't killed by bad guys, but I almost died at your hands!"
"I...I...I was wrong..."
"Alright, alright, I forgive you. Didn't you go to find herbs? How did you end up tied up here?"
Lu Jingze covered his face with his fist and coughed awkwardly a few times. "I'll talk to you about this later. We shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's leave first!" he said, pulling Wang Xiuxiu along to leave.
Upon seeing the Holy Maiden at the cave entrance, Lu Jingze immediately shielded Wang Xiuxiu behind him.
"Who are you?"
Wang Xiuxiu peeked out from behind him and tugged at Lu Jingze's sleeve.
“Jingze, this is the holy maiden of the Nanxiang tribe. She is the one who brought me here to save you.”
"Saintess?"
Clearly, he had thought of something unpleasant, and Lu Jingze's expression suddenly turned very ugly.
"I was brought here by that person who called herself a saint."
Wang Xiuxiu looked at the Holy Maiden with a slightly embarrassed expression.
She took a few steps forward, seemingly oblivious to their conversation, and stared at Lu Jingze in a daze.
"The Holy Maiden? The Holy Maiden?"
It took several calls to finally bring the saintess back to her senses.
"Well, gentlemen, let's go back to the village first. I will definitely give you both an explanation for this matter."
Wang Xiuxiu brought Lu Jingze back to the village, and the caravan members all came up to greet and care for them.
A short while later, the caravan members who had accompanied Lu Jingze to search for herbs were also brought back.
Unlike Lu Jingze, who was merely imprisoned, these people were in a much worse state.
Wang Xiuxiu quickly sent them back to rest and have a meal.
After everyone left, only Wang Xiuxiu and Lu Jingze remained in the room.
Wang Xiuxiu couldn't help but ask her question again.
It turned out that when Lu Jingze left that day, he felt as if he was being controlled by a mysterious force, and he kept spinning in the same place for a long time.
Suddenly, a mist rose in the forest, and when he woke up again, he was already in the cave he had just been in.
For the past few days, he had been feeling drowsy and unable to muster any strength. When he finally regained some strength, he secretly untied the rope while the demoness was away.
Why don't you run?
"They ran away, then went back."
"ah?"
"This valley is very strange. If you are in it, you will just keep going around in circles. I originally wanted to take that demoness hostage and leave with me, but I didn't expect you to find me first."
As he spoke, Lu Jingze looked at Wang Xiuxiu, his eyes almost sparkling with admiration.
Wang Xiuxiu felt as if she had saved a fallen man.
"Is that all? Something doesn't seem right. Are you hiding something from me?" Wang Xiuxiu asked suspiciously.
"No, why would I hide anything from you? And you? How did you get here?"
"I was brought here by that little saintess, who should be the demoness you mentioned."
Lu Jingze's face instantly turned cold.
Wang Xiuxiu felt a chill and quickly comforted him, "But don't worry, the true saintess of the Nanxiang tribe is compassionate. She has promised to let us leave first thing tomorrow morning."
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