In the small courtyard at night, several hunters wielding long knives and axes charged directly at Tong Qingshan.
Tong Qingshan sneered, his spear thrusting like raindrops, moving so fast it blurred.
In an instant, several muffled groans were heard, and the hunters led by He Ling collapsed to the ground, blood flowing in the courtyard.
Only He Ling, who hadn't made a move, remained standing there.
At this moment, Tong Qingshan pointed his spear at He Ling and demanded, "Speak, what do you intend to do?"
Surprisingly, He Ling wasn't afraid of Tong Qingshan. She replied coldly, "Tong Qingshan, do you think you can flaunt your power in our village?"
The next second, He Ling began to hum a strange chant: "He Bo possesses me, my body is He Bo's body, grandparents reveal your spirit, He Bo possesses me..."
Her tone was eerie, and a strange aura swept in from outside the courtyard, suddenly enveloping He Ling.
"Hmm?" Tong Qingshan's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he thrust his spear at He Ling.
However, He Ling's body seemed to become ethereal, and Tong Qingshan's spear only pierced a shadow.
The next moment, He Ling's figure appeared beside Tong Qingshan, as if she could teleport.
Moreover, He Ling now hovered in the air, her feet not touching the ground, her face expressionless, staring intently at Tong Qingshan like a ghost.
"Playing tricks!" Tong Qingshan shouted angrily, thrusting his spear at He Ling again.
But He Ling vanished once more, reappearing behind Tong Qingshan.
At this moment, Little Grapes awoke, and Zhang Chu brought her to the courtyard.
Seeing the situation, Zhang Chu immediately said, "Qingshan, use the Divine Pattern!"
Tong Qingshan nodded, his aura bursting forth, and twelve brilliant stars appeared behind him!
Immediately, Tong Qingshan swept his spear, the twelve stars flickering simultaneously, and golden Divine Patterns spread out, enveloping He Ling.
He Ling could no longer evade, the Divine Patterns struck her, and she let out a muffled groan, flying backward and crashing to the ground, spitting blood, her face turning pale.
Just then, Little Grapes suddenly pointed at the courtyard entrance, "It ran away!"
"Who ran away?" Zhang Chu asked, looking toward the entrance but seeing nothing.
Little Grapes said, "An old man, hunched over, leaning on a staff, he didn't move his feet, just floated away."
Zhang Chu's heart skipped a beat, realizing that it wasn't He Ling who acted, but the village's Guardian Deity.
"He Bo Village... He Bo?" Zhang Chu pondered, sensing something amiss.
Typically, a Guardian Deity doesn't get involved in villagers' disputes.
But the Guardian Deity's power is undeniable, definitely surpassing Tong Qingshan.
Because the Guardian Deity can withstand the night of Yaoxu, but Tong Qingshan cannot.
"Speak, what do you want?" Tong Qingshan demanded angrily.
He Ling, blood at the corner of her mouth, looked incredulous, "Impossible, impossible, how could you defeat me! This is impossible!"
Tong Qingshan's spear lightly pressed forward, grazing He Ling's neck, "Stop wasting time, tell us what you intend to do."
He Ling shivered in fear, hurriedly pleading, "We mean no harm, we just want you to stay."
Saying this, He Ling took out two wet, cherry-like bright fruits from her bosom and said, "Look, if you eat these, you won't leave our village."
Tong Qingshan remained silent, looking at Zhang Chu instead.
Zhang Chu asked, "Why only two fruits? What do you plan to do with Little Grapes?"
He Ling dared not hide, "He Bo has taken a liking to her, he wants us to weave a grass mat, place Little Grapes on it, and send her into the river."
"What!" Tong Qingshan was furious, "Your Guardian Deity, eats people?"
He Ling replied, "Not eat, but take a concubine. Our Guardian Deity takes a concubine every three years, being chosen by the Guardian Deity is a great blessing."
"The women in our village dream of being by the He God's side, everyone dresses up, hoping to be chosen by the He God."
Saying this, He Ling looked at Little Grapes, "Such a blessed child, just arrived and already chosen by the He God, becoming the He God's concubine, a blessing many women dream of."
Little Grapes clung tightly to Zhang Chu in fear.
Zhang Chu held Little Grapes, softly comforting her, "Don't worry, Father and the teacher will protect you."
Tong Qingshan suddenly asked Zhang Chu, "Teacher, what should we do?"
Zhang Chu didn't look at He Ling, but sighed lightly, "Let's go, perhaps their Guardian Deity is waiting for us."
Tong Qingshan immediately grabbed his spear, opened the courtyard door, and stepped onto the village street.
The entire village was shrouded in a faint glow, the long street empty, most people already asleep.
At this moment, He Ling followed them out, saying, "Once you come to He Bo Village, you can't leave. The He God won't let you go, it wants to protect you."
Almost as soon as He Ling finished speaking, an old man with a cane, hunched over, appeared at the street corner.
He Ling immediately knelt down, excitedly kowtowing.
Zhang Chu and Tong Qingshan tensed up, Tong Qingshan's spear pointed at the He God, his eyes filled with vigilance.
"Are you the He God?" Tong Qingshan asked.
The old man's voice was indifferent, "Young man, didn't your elders tell you not to point weapons at a Guardian Deity?"
Saying this, the old man lightly tapped the ground with his cane, and the next second, Tong Qingshan's spear bent as if made of mud, the tip pointing to the ground!
He Ling shouted, "You two, kneel quickly, the He God is magnanimous, as long as you stay in He Bo Village and offer Little Grapes as a concubine, the He God won't trouble you."
"Wow..." Little Grapes cried out in fear.
Zhang Chu held Little Grapes tightly, gently patting her back, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid."
Tong Qingshan shouted, "You want to keep us? Dream on!"
The old man sighed lightly, "It's been a long time since I killed anyone..."
Saying this, the old man lightly tapped the ground with his cane again, and a terrifying Divine Pattern spread along the ground, like a stone thrown into a river, rippling outward.
Zhang Chu and Tong Qingshan saw the spreading Divine Pattern transform into real water ripples at some point.
Even fish were swimming inside...
The water ripples spread slowly but terrifyingly, everything on the ground vanished as the ripples passed.
Stone tables, farm tools, all swallowed by the ripples, sinking into the ground, gone forever.
"Not good!" Tong Qingshan's heart raced, feeling a sense of powerlessness.
He wanted to turn and protect Zhang Chu and Little Grapes, but when he tried to move, he was horrified to find the space around him felt like it was filled with lead, no matter how he struggled, he couldn't move an inch.
At this moment, Tong Qingshan gritted his teeth and shouted, "No!"
He wanted to fight desperately, but in front of the He God, his level was insufficient.
Even with veins bulging on his neck, his body drenched in sweat, he still couldn't move.
He could only watch helplessly as the ripples spread toward him.
"It's over..." Tong Qingshan despaired.
But just then, Zhang Chu suddenly shouted, "Stop!"
As Zhang Chu's voice fell, the layers of water ripples stopped.
At the same time, Tong Qingshan felt his body lighten, regaining his ability to move.
At this moment, Tong Qingshan quickly turned to look at Zhang Chu.
He saw Zhang Chu holding a piece of zaoye, which emitted a hazy glow, halting the ripples!
"Hmm?" The He God raised his head, staring at the zaoye in Zhang Chu's hand, his expression gradually becoming serious.
At this moment, Zhang Chu spoke, "He God, we are just passing through, we don't wish to have a conflict with you."
The He God carefully observed the zaoye in Zhang Chu's hand, his expression shifting between doubt and uncertainty.
Finally, at a certain moment, the He God's expression changed dramatically, retreating several steps, trembling, "Divine... Divine King!"