Neither Chen Jie's leg nor Chen Yi being chosen by the celestial being was a pleasant matter for the Chen family...
The wedding procession walked into the woods, and after stepping into a formation, they vanished without a trace.
Axi hurriedly pointed at the formation, "This is the formation I spoke of. With my cultivation, I have enough ability to step into it. But I was afraid of being discovered, so I stopped before the formation."
Feng Ninghe then conveyed a message to Xiao Zhao with her thoughts, inquiring about the situation within the formation.
The scene within the formation was entirely different from the woods.
It was desolate and eerie, sending shivers down one's spine. Not far away, a grand palace stood on the flat ground.
Xiao Zhao looked around vigilantly and replied with his thoughts, "Master, the scene here is sinister and terrifying. You can come in, but be extremely cautious."
The Great Priest's gaze fell upon Xiao Zhao, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "If it were any other girl, she would have cowered in fear by now. You have quite a bit of courage, not crying, not making a fuss, and not asking questions."
Xiao Zhao raised his eyebrows and looked at the Great Priest, "Is the celestial being in the palace?"
The Great Priest seemed to hear a joke, glancing at him with narrowed eyes. "There is no such thing as a celestial being in this world. Little beauty, just serve me well. If you make this old man comfortable, I promise you won't suffer."
"No celestial being?"
Xiao Zhao was suddenly startled. "Didn't they say a celestial being chose me and wanted me to marry him?"
In his panic, a touch of pitiable vulnerability appeared on his delicate cheeks, making him look lovable.
The Great Priest chuckled, his eyes fixed on Xiao Zhao.
His gaze was utterly lecherous, making one want to throw a punch.
The flesh on Xiao Zhao's cheeks twitched violently, his pupils constricting involuntarily.
If he hadn't wanted to uncover more secrets, he wouldn't have had so much patience. He would have already thrown a punch at that pig-like face!
The Great Priest reached out his lecherous hand again and stroked Xiao Zhao's cheek. "This old man is the celestial being! If you are obedient, I will ensure you have food and clothing. If you are disobedient, I will lock you in prison! I will rip out your soul and send you to the underworld!"
"Oh my, what's the rush?"
Xiao Zhao endured his irritation, putting on a charming smile like an actor in a play, and slapped his hand away. "Since it's the wedding night, we must at least drink the cross-cupped wine. Don't be in such a hurry, Great Priest."
His budding charm, both proactive and restrained, made some people's hearts flutter.
The Great Priest's mood instantly improved, and he nodded heartily. "You are quite sensible, much more interesting than those dull and boring women."
Xiao Zhao covered his mouth and smiled, his eyes cast down as he secretly rolled them. His expression didn't change much. "Great Priest, if they are disobedient, can't you just lock them up? Why rip out their souls?"
Facing the question, a hint of depth appeared on the Great Priest's face, and he couldn't help but glance at Xiao Zhao. "Rip out their souls, of course, it has its uses. You talk too much."
Fearing he might reveal too much, Xiao Zhao quickly smiled. "I just remembered Xiao Ya from my village. She's like a walking dead person, without consciousness. She's probably already dead by now, isn't she?"
"Xiao Ya?"
The Great Priest grunted, recalling something. "That girl was quite memorable. She dared to bite me on our wedding night! I ripped out her soul. That girl was lucky, though, she managed to stumble out of here by accident!"
Xiao Zhao feigned timidity and shrunk into a ball, blinking his bright eyes. He quickly said, "Don't worry, Great Priest, I will be honest and obedient. I will never cause you trouble. I will serve you perfectly!"
The soft, feminine voice was pleasing to the ear.
The Great Priest stroked his chin, looking at him with a hint of satisfaction. "It serves you right. Only those who are obedient and sensible have a chance to stay by my side. As for those who are disobedient, they won't be so lucky..."
Outside the formation.
Feng Ninghe narrowed her eyes, having heard every word Xiao Zhao said.
She couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Xiao Zhao's act was quite convincing, leaving no room for criticism.
"Did that Qilin say anything?"
Si Jianye spoke, his cold male voice falling slowly.
Seeing Feng Ninghe standing motionlessly, he knew she was communicating with Xiao Zhao mentally.
He was not one to meddle in others' affairs. Normally, he would never bother with such matters.
But now, two people were particularly concerned about this matter, so he reluctantly got involved.
Si Xin Xin blinked her bright eyes and quickly spoke, "Mother, did Xiao Zhao see the so-called celestial being?"
Facing the question, Feng Ninghe no longer hesitated and revealed everything she knew.
The Great Priest, under the guise of a celestial being choosing a bride, was marrying girls from Chenjia Village. In reality, he wanted to marry himself.
Obedient girls were kept to serve him, while those who disobeyed had their souls ripped out. The purpose of ripping out souls was unknown.
Upon learning the whole story, Bai Nian Nian gritted her teeth and stomped her feet in indignation. "I knew it was all a charade! The Great Priest harming innocent people for his own selfish desires is truly excessive!"
Even Feng Xing's cheeks showed a hint of anger. "We absolutely cannot let him get away with this! He must be brought to justice!"
Feng Ninghe gazed at the formation before them. "Let's go in and take a look, then observe the situation. Xiao Ya's soul is locked away. We still need to find a way to see where her soul is hidden."
Si Jianye raised his hand, and a gap appeared in the formation. "If any outsider steps into the formation, the person who set it up will be alerted. You can enter now."
Without hesitation, everyone strode towards the formation.
Inside the formation, withered trees with only bare branches were visible everywhere, and dead leaves covered the ground.
A faint black mist swirled around the palace not far away.
"Achoo!"
Upon entering the formation, Si Xin Xin couldn't help but sneeze and rubbed her nose with her small hand. "Why do I feel so cold here?"
Grandpa Luo smiled and calmly surveyed their surroundings. "Many people have died here. The resentment is heavy, hence the coldness."
As they walked, Bai Nian Nian seemed to step on something and looked down.
A bone lay on the ground.
"Why is there a bone here?"
She couldn't help but question, picking up the bone, which was neither large nor small.
Feng Ninghe raised her eyes and scanned the surroundings. She immediately saw a skull that had turned into bone not far away, her expression instantly darkening. "These are human bones."
"Ah!"
Bai Nian Nian's face turned pale, and her hand trembled involuntarily. The human bone instantly fell to the ground. "This... it's actually human bones!"
She quickly followed Feng Ninghe's gaze and immediately saw the skull.
Looking around, human bones could be seen occasionally.
It was evident that many people had died here.
Feng Xing's eyes narrowed, a few glints of light flashing in them. "It seems there are even more people dead inside the palace. Master, what should we do next?"