Under immense pressure, the village chief seemed to be struck by lightning, "Bai Zanhe, that girl has come back."
"What has she come back for?" I couldn't help blurting out, feeling an indescribable sense of crisis.
Seeing my expression, the village chief also grew tense, "She said she doesn't want any more girls in the village to be chosen as the Maiden of Luohua Cave, so she has decided to come back... to fulfill her duty... to marry the Dragon God."
"With her hatred for you and your son, do you think that's likely?"
Yu Longting saw me shivering slightly from the cold wind.
He took off his outer robe and draped it over me.
Immediately, my chilled body was wrapped in warmth, "Thank you."
"Is there a problem with Bai Zanhe? Does she mean harm to the village?" The village chief seemed to recall something, his face turning dark all at once.
Though I knew there was little hope, I still harbored a sliver of luck, "Has Sister Zanhe gone to the island?"
"She's... she has..." The village chief, aware of the disaster he had caused, nodded dumbly, "Then should I drive her away, or... or drown her in the river?"
"It's too late, the moment she set foot on the island you all were ensnared. Take us to see her." My heart opposed the village chief's words about "drowning her in the river," but I still stifled a breath.
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"Quickly lead the way, take the Dragon God and Lady Dragon God to see."
The village chief, who held a very high status in the village, beckoned towards the back.
The villagers who had come along spontaneously moved to the front to lead the way.
Many people expressed their dissatisfaction with Bai Zanhe, "This wretched woman, refusing to marry the village chief's son and causing her own grandfather's death, and bringing disaster to the village as well."
"Ultimately, choosing her to be the Maiden of Luohua Cave wasn't enough to keep her settled, she ran away outright."
"To be a wife to a deity is such a great blessing, she doesn't know how to be content; she really doesn't seem like one of our people from Barbarian Village."
After hearing this, I felt quite upset. Seeing Bai Zanhe, with her lips blue-purple, collapsed beside the horse stable, I ran up to her, "Have you been poisoned by the Poison Barrier?"
"Yes, when I passed through the Poison Barrier... even though I held my breath, the toxin still penetrated through my skin..." Bai Zanhe looked up, her eyes also surrounded by dark circles.
The poison from the Poison Barrier is very fierce; it can intoxicate people not only through the respiratory tract but also through skin absorption.
I rummaged through and pulled out a packet of herbs made by Granny Long for her, "Smell this under your nose, Sister Zanhe, why did you suddenly come back to Barbarian Village?"
"Thank you, I just don't want... any more Falling Cave Girls to appear; let this backward custom end with me." Bai Zanhe smelled the herbs I gave her and said, her gaze flickering, deliberately avoiding my eyes.
She seemed to have an itch on her neck and reached back to scratch a few times.
With my Spiritual Eye, I detected Demon Qi on Bai Zanhe; she was no longer the Bai Zanhe from before, more likely directly controlled by Demon Qi, "You're not this kind of person; if given a chance, you would definitely stay far away from Barbarian Village, you are someone who especially longs for freedom."
"How... how long have you known me, and you think you know what kind of person I am?" After hearing my words, Bai Zanhe's gaze intensified for a moment, then she loudly retorted.
The itching on the back of her neck seemed to intensify, making her scratch more heavily and frequently...
Just then, a woman holding a child hurried over, her skirt stained with dark red blood, "Something terrible has happened! Something terrible! All my poultry are dead, bitten to death, and my... my husband was bitten too..."
"Didn't your family have a water demon for protection? How could this have happened?"
Some incredulously asked, "The village has always been peaceful, with no wild beasts around; you must be talking in your sleep."
Most people looked skeptical, making the woman increasingly anxious, "If you don't believe me, you can come to my house and see for yourself, they really were bitten to death, all their necks broken."