Firmly Grasped

The night was silent, and the evening's ceremony had passed without incident.

Zhou Ping pushed open the slightly worn door of his house, exhaustion weighing heavily on him.

The room was simple in structure, with no unnecessary furniture—just a bed, a table, and a water vat.

Zhou Ping walked straight to the vat, scooped up a ladle of water, and gulped down several mouthfuls before the unease in his heart subsided slightly.

It was madness—utter madness. The entire Zhou Mountain Village had gone insane!

Ever since that strange divine decree descended, everything had spiraled out of control.

From Ancestor Zhou, who was on the verge of death, inexplicably ascending to godhood, to every wish being granted through prayer—

The entire village had lost its mind.

Praying took only a few sticks of incense, but toiling in the fields meant enduring the scorching sun and backbreaking labor.

The effort required was incomparable, and so were the rewards.

When a hundred years of farming might not match the wealth gained from a single granted wish, everything was bound to change.

Though such wishes were fulfilled for only a rare few, everyone believed they would be the next lucky one.

Who wouldn’t want something for nothing, especially when the rewards were so great?

Greed had blinded them all.

Everyone had conveniently forgotten one thing—what was the price?

At this moment, Zhou Ping felt like a lone boat adrift in the ocean. When everyone else was lost in frenzy, the one who remained calm was seen as the madman.

He couldn’t speak out, because no one would believe him.

What terrified him most was realizing that he, too, couldn’t escape.

Zhou Ping had discovered that he could no longer leave the vicinity of Zhou Mountain Village.

No matter how he tried, no matter what method he used to determine direction, he always ended up circling the village.

After noticing the anomaly, Zhou Ping had attempted to flee, disguising his movements—pretending to hunt or gather herbs.

But after two failed attempts, he knew…

The entire Zhou Mountain Village was doomed.

If the so-called deity were truly righteous and mighty, why would it confine its radiance to this insignificant corner?

Zhou Mountain Village was wretchedly poor—having enough to eat was considered luxury.

All that remained to exploit were the impoverished villagers. One sought wealth, the other life—perhaps it was a twisted match made in hell.

Now, there was only one desperate option left.

Ever since Ancestor Zhou’s ascension to godhood, merchants had begun frequenting the village, buying and selling goods.

Under the pretense of worshipping Ancestor Zhou, they purchased supplies at high prices and sold necessities and trinkets at low ones.

This practice had, to some extent, discouraged villagers from leaving.

But it wasn’t absolute—some still tried desperately to escape.

Yet within days, those who left would return in disarray, recounting tales of chaos, violence, and cruelty outside.

Every single one of them said the same thing.

Gradually, no one in Zhou Mountain Village wanted to leave anymore—no more news from the outside world came in.

Nor did outsiders enter. The village became a closed circle where everyone knew each other, making strangers glaringly obvious.

Late at night, as Zhou Ping pondered, he felt as though an invisible hand was pressing down on Zhou Mountain Village like an ant unable to flee.

Whether blessed or cursed, none of it was within their control.

A bitter, mocking sense of desolation spread through Zhou Ping’s heart.

Why was he the one who could see those things?

Why did he have to uncover the truth?

Why did he have to know all this?

Wouldn’t it be easier to lose himself in this delusion, like the rest of the maddened villagers?

The thought struck him like lightning. His eyes widened, and he slapped himself hard across the face.

What was wrong with him?

How could he even entertain such an idea?!

The sound of the slap had barely faded when a sweet, teasing voice broke the silence:

"What’s wrong? Did a mosquito bite your face?"

Zhou Ping’s pupils shrank in terror. His limbs froze as his gaze snapped toward the source of the voice.

There stood a petite girl in a pale pink dress, her face hidden behind a white rabbit mask.

"Y-you… who are you?"

His throat felt parched. Had he been discovered after all?

The rabbit-masked girl glanced around casually before answering in a calm tone:

"Strictly speaking, I’m your only lifeline."

Zhou Ping didn’t rush to respond. After all, even a lifeline had its price.

If he wanted salvation, he had to prove he was worth saving.

Did this masked girl know about his ability to see through the unseen?

Taking a deep breath, he steadied his voice:

"What do you want me to do?"

"Hmm, good question." The girl’s gaze lingered on him. "Why don’t you start by telling me about that old man?"

Zhou Ping hurriedly replied, "He’s Ancestor Zhou, the eldest in our village, the one who—"

"Stop." The girl’s eyes, visible behind the mask, flashed with impatience.

Her tone turned dismissive. "I’d hate to think you’re a fool. You won’t get a second chance. Think carefully before you speak—my time is limited."

Zhou Ping studied her. She wasn’t tall—by all accounts, she could pass for a child.

Yet the pressure she exuded was overwhelming.

Quickly adjusting his thoughts, he spoke again, his voice steady:

"This place… is being manipulated."

Chen Baiqing remained expressionless. Controlling emotions wasn’t difficult—her master’s teachings made it easier.

Soothe when tense, press when relaxed.

Simple enough.

Outside the illusionary barrier of Zhou Mountain Village…

Chen Mouguang looked anxious as he turned to Chu Xingchen.

"Senior… are you sure it’s safe? She’s just a Golden Core cultivator."

"Relax. Bai Xuanling reluctantly gave her high-grade protective gear—it even guards against soul attacks, though I doubt she’ll need it."

Chu Xingchen appeared calm, though inwardly, he was tense.

Chen Baiqing’s safety was guaranteed. Aside from Bai Xuanling’s treasures, Chu Xingchen had also left a failsafe to monitor her condition.

Most importantly, they had a full backup team ready to act.

The barrier was cleverly constructed—a maze layered with a detection mechanism for intruders.

To achieve this, the barrier had almost no defensive capabilities.

It would shatter at the slightest touch.

Chu Xingchen knew little about formations, and even the Tianyan Sect’s Nascent Soul expert could only shake his head after a brief inspection.

Chen Mouguang’s theory was the darkest—if the barrier was triggered, the entire Zhou Mountain Village might be obliterated to erase all evidence.

He apologized for the oversight—to avoid alerting anyone, he had observed from afar without investigating thoroughly.

The situation had taken an unexpected turn.

They were here to gather information, not to send people to their deaths.

The plan to force their way through had already fallen eighty percent short.

Just as they were about to retreat and reconsider, Chen Baiqing quietly suggested—she might be able to pass through without triggering the barrier's alarm.

Chen Baiqing privately transmitted her voice to Chu Xingchen—the grand formation seemed to be composed of spiritual energy, and she believed she could deceive it.

Chu Xingchen was stunned upon hearing this. Normally, fooling a few gullible fish in the sect was one thing, but…

Spiritual energy—could that be tricked too?

The weight behind the title 【Heaven-Bewitching Demoness】 just kept rising?!

However, given Chen Baiqing’s cautious nature, the fact that she voiced such an idea meant she was likely very confident.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Chu Xingchen initially refused. Even the slightest risk was too much—he didn’t want Chen Baiqing stepping into danger.

"If it were the Eldest Senior Sister or Second Senior Brother, would Master let them go?"

"Master may still see Baiqing as young, but Baiqing wants to help. Baiqing has already reached the Golden Core stage."

Chu Xingchen met Baiqing’s resolute gaze, and the words of refusal stuck in his throat.

Chen Baiqing simply transmitted her voice again:

"Baiqing isn’t just good at sharing candied fruits."

At that, Chu Xingchen could only sigh in resignation—once again, he had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by this Heaven-Bewitching Demoness.