"Ah!"
With a scream, everyone's eyes snapped open, filled with confusion.
Why did this child's voice sound so mature?
It was truly grating on the ears.
Many people, their gazes filled with curiosity, looked towards the raised platform, cautiously observing the scene unfolding above.
They all wanted to know what had happened to elicit such a wretched cry from a child.
However, upon clearly seeing the situation on the platform, the expressions on their faces turned incredibly strange. A mixture of wanting to laugh and not daring to laugh made their shoulders tremble uncontrollably.
It turned out that the one screaming just now was not the child at all, but the previously swaggering Taoist priest.
The peach wood sword that should have been inserted into the child's chest was now plunged directly into the Taoist priest's own chest. The child, bound to the pillar, aside from a look of fright on his face, had suffered no harm whatsoever.
The turn of events was too sudden. No one had expected the Taoist priest to resort to self-harm. For a moment, they all looked at him, bewildered.
They suspected that this method of casting spells was one they had never encountered before.
At the same time, they felt the Taoist priest was increasingly formidable. With such a deep wound in his chest, he hadn't even cried out and could still stand there calmly.
If the Taoist priest knew what these people were thinking at this moment, he would surely burst into tears on the spot.
It wasn't that he didn't want to scream, but he simply couldn't. Didn't they see his face turning red?
Enduring the searing pain, he slowly pulled the peach wood sword from his chest and hastily popped a pill into his mouth.
The Taoist priest's actions once again drew gasps from the crowd. If the occasion were more fitting, some would have even applauded.
Such a powerful move was not something seen every day.
The village chief, standing next to the Taoist priest, was also startled by his companion's actions and couldn't help but cast a look of admiration.
He had always thought the Taoist priest was a charlatan, lazy and lacking any professional integrity. But now, seeing the Taoist priest resort to such self-inflicted harm to ease his conscience, he felt a surge of respect.
Indeed, his perspective had been limited. This world truly had dedicated individuals. He would cooperate with the Taoist priest again if he had the chance.
Not wanting to waste the Taoist priest's excellent opening sacrifice, he stepped forward and berated the crowd, "Do you now understand the seriousness of this matter?"
"The Daoist priest has washed away the sins with his own blood for the lives of our villagers. Therefore, these people absolutely cannot be allowed to live, or everyone in the village will perish."
Having spoken, the village chief looked at the Taoist priest and said respectfully, "Daoist priest, please continue your work and help our village overcome this crisis."
The Taoist priest stopped the bleeding from his wound and nodded at this. His gaze, filled with malice, fell upon the figures bound to the pillar, his killing intent unmasked.
These individuals dared to inflict injury upon him; this time, they would pay dearly.
However, just as he was about to thrust the peach wood sword forward again, it suddenly swung in a strange arc and plunged into himself once more.
Two bleeding wounds appeared on his body simultaneously, causing him to split his mouth open in pain. But bizarrely, no sound escaped his lips.
The village chief, watching the Taoist priest injure himself again, couldn't help but gasp.
For this meager sum of money, there was no need to risk oneself so desperately.
(Sigh)
Having bled so much, who knew how many chicken legs it would take to recover? Would he even be able to take on the next job?
As this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly remembered something.
He hurried over and quietly reminded the Taoist priest not to engage in internal competition and disrupt the market.
Otherwise, if the Taoist priest performed such extraordinary feats for the same amount of money, how would he make a living in the future? He was no longer young and couldn't handle such stimulating scenes.
The Taoist priest, hearing the village chief's reminder, gave him a huge glare, wanting to impale his head with the peach wood sword he held.
Was he trying to self-harm?
His brain wasn't a bottomless pit that he would use such methods to earn money.
"You try it." The Taoist priest tossed the peach wood sword to the village chief. Since they were teammates, he shouldn't be the only one getting hurt.
He wanted to see who was actually plotting against him.
To prevent the Taoist priest from continuing to "internally compete," the village chief took the peach wood sword, gritted his teeth, and lunged towards the child before him.
Although he was a little scared, he was even more afraid of not being able to make money.
"Thwack."
Just as the peach wood sword in the village chief's hand was about to strike the child, it suddenly made a strange arc and plunged into himself.
The village chief, ignoring the pain in his body, stared at the Taoist priest with wide eyes.
Silently, he questioned, what was going on?
Why had he injured himself so inexplicably?
The Taoist priest shook his head, indicating that he also had no idea where the problem lay. Even though he had been fully focused just now, he still hadn't noticed anything unusual.
Everything seemed to happen naturally.
Watching the Taoist priest and the village chief repeatedly self-harm before their eyes, the others couldn't help but step back, a collective murmur arising in their hearts.
Could it be that the method of punishment had changed? It wasn't about killing anymore, but about attacking their consciences.
They were attempting to torment their hearts by harming themselves.
Having been injured in succession, the village chief and the Taoist priest no longer dared to hold the peach wood sword and quickly discarded it.
They were deeply worried that if they continued, the peach wood sword might end up in their own heads next time.
"Who?"
The village chief looked at the surrounding onlookers, his face filled with anger.
It was clear that someone was secretly playing tricks today, and he was determined to find out who.
He had been the village chief for so many years, accustomed to wielding power, and no one had ever dared to insult him.
Hearing the village chief's words, the others all lowered their heads, afraid to speak, lest they inadvertently provoke his anger and draw trouble upon themselves.
Seeing that no one answered, the village chief's sharp gaze began to scan the crowd.
Anyone who met his gaze quickly averted it, fearing they might attract unwanted attention.
The village chief's gaze finally fell upon Su Xi, and he suddenly asked, "Who are you? Was it you causing all this just now?"
Hearing the village chief's question, Su Xi nodded and replied earnestly, "You are correct, I did it."
The village chief had initially intended to use some methods if Su Xi denied it. But faced with Su Xi's honest confession, his expression froze, and he was unable to say the rest of his words.
How had the plot taken such a turn?
Although he couldn't understand it, his anger was difficult to conceal. He rallied his men, intending to attack Su Xi.
The village chief's ability to lord over the village was certainly related to the strength he commanded.
At this command, his thugs, without hesitation, charged towards Su Xi.
Each thug was built like a bear, strong enough to fight a tiger on a normal day. Dealing with a frail woman like Su Xi was child's play.
Seeing this scene unfold, the other villagers turned pale with fear. They wanted to step forward and help, but under the fierce gazes of the thugs, they couldn't move their feet, only offering looks of pity.
However, Su Xi, facing the approaching men, showed no fear at all. Instead, her face was filled with a smile.
If someone was seeking death, then she couldn't be blamed.