The village girls returned home one after another.
What was once a silent and desolate village instantly became lively and bustling.
"My daughter is back too!"
"Mine as well!"
The villagers were overjoyed.
Where there was joy, there was also sorrow. Not all girls had returned safely.
Some villagers anxiously looked around, unable to spot their daughters.
The village chief quickly grabbed a woman who was beaming with excitement: "Have you seen my daughter?"
The woman's expression dimmed slightly. Biting her lip, a trace of pity crossed her eyes: "Those who... could return have returned. Those who haven't... have likely already died..."
"What!"
"My... my daughter is dead?"
The village chief seemed to lose all his strength. The staff in his hand dug deep into the earth, and he leaned on it for support.
Other villagers who hadn't found their daughters hurried over: "Where is my daughter? Why have so many returned, yet so many are still missing?"
The woman sighed, her face etched with helplessness: "They were harmed by the High Priest and can never return."
"The High Priest?"
"Didn't you marry the Heavenly God? Didn't the Heavenly God take good care of you? Why were you harmed by the High Priest?"
"Are all the girls who didn't return harmed by the High Priest?"
The villagers chattered, their hearts pounding with anxiety and grief at the thought of their daughters not returning.
Mentioning the High Priest, the returning girls could no longer suppress their anger and resentment: "The Heavenly God is fake! All of this is a lie fabricated by the High Priest! In reality, it was the High Priest who married us!"
"If any girl refused, he would imprison us in the dungeon to fend for ourselves!"
"He even extracted the girls' souls! Once the soul leaves the body, death follows soon after!"
"Our village was not cursed; it was this wicked High Priest causing trouble in the shadows!"
Their angry voices grew louder.
The villagers erupted, discussing the matter frantically. Upon learning the truth, they were filled with immense rage.
Feng Ninghe glanced at the unconscious High Priest.
Dragged all the way, the High Priest had fallen into a coma.
Despite the commotion outside, the High Priest showed no signs of waking.
"I want to kill this so-called High Priest!"
"How dare he deceive us and cause me to never see my own daughter again! My poor daughter!"
The villagers wailed and cried.
The village chief wiped away tears that streamed down his cheeks, his other hand tightly gripping his wooden staff.
One of the girls, as if remembering something, quickly pointed: "Father, Mother, they are the ones who saved us. If not for them, we would not have been so lucky! We might have died by now."
"Yes, not only did they save us, but they also saved many other suffering girls from other villages."
The girls looked gratefully in the direction of Feng Ninghe and her companions.
The villagers hurried forward to express their thanks.
The village chief, having lost his daughter, his eyes filled with unconcealable sorrow, still approached them to express his gratitude: "You are the benefactors of Chen Family Village. We must thank you properly!"
Feng Ninghe smiled and replied: "These girls have already thanked us by cooking for us. You don't need to be so polite."
The village chief sighed and slowly shook his head: "That's not right. A life-saving grace cannot be repaid with just a meal, let alone saving so many people."
Feng Ninghe shook her head again, a hint of composure in her expression: "Anyone seeing such a situation would have stepped in to help. We have brought the High Priest to you. How you deal with him is up to you."
Xiao Zhao, understanding the situation, tossed the High Priest over.
The High Priest's bruised and swollen face was comically grotesque. His features were still vaguely discernible through the contorted flesh.
Seeing the High Priest, the village chief trembled with rage: "This wicked perpetrator! He harmed so many innocent girls! All for his own selfish desires! Is he dead?"
Xiao Zhao chuckled and softly explained: "Don't worry, he's just fainted, not dead. For such a wicked person, why would we let him die so easily? He must suffer the full punishment."
The village chief bit his lip, his gaze fixed on the High Priest: "You're right. If he dies easily, it would be too kind to him!"
"I say we should throw him into a pig cage! Make him wish he were dead!"
"Burning him alive would also be good! A pyre is excruciatingly painful. Every inch of his skin will burn with unbearable agony! He dared to play God with us, so let him suffer the flames in front of all of us!"
The villagers were furious, their angry eyes glaring at the High Priest, wishing they could immediately beat him to death.
The village chief did not speak immediately. Instead, he looked at Feng Ninghe: "Benefactor, these girls of Chen Family Village were saved by you. Why don't you decide how to deal with the High Priest?"
Feng Ninghe's cool eyes lowered slightly, gazing at the unconscious High Priest: "This person has caused much harm to your Chen Family Village. You decide how to deal with him."
The village chief nodded approvingly, his hands gripping his wooden staff, his eyes resolute: "In three days, the so-called High Priest will be executed by fire! We will let all the villagers who were harmed witness his punishment!"
The villagers behind him nodded in agreement, expressing their approval.
At this moment, the High Priest groggily opened his eyes.
Seeing so many people before him, he was startled and his eyes widened, staring around.
"Chen Family Village! You brought me to Chen Family Village!"
At this moment, the High Priest's eyes were filled with terror. The villagers looked at him with resentment. If looks could kill, he would have died a thousand times over.
He knew that once the villagers discovered the truth, they would resent him and would not let him off easily!
The High Priest tried to struggle, but he was tightly bound and had no chance of breaking free.
"Can you let me go? If you let me go, I will find all sorts of rare treasures for you! I guarantee Chen Family Village will become prosperous!"
The High Priest attempted to negotiate.
The village chief, however, struck him hard with his staff, his eyes blazing: "If you can bring back those dead girls, I will consider letting you go!"
How could the dead be resurrected?
Moreover, those girls had already turned into white bones.
The High Priest became anxious.
Xiao Zhao raised his paw and struck the High Priest hard on the head.
*Clang!*
With a single blow, the High Priest fell unconscious again.
Xiao Zhao grunted softly, gently rubbing his hands: "So much talking. It's much quieter when he's unconscious."