The great statue standing in the center of the valley shone brightly.

Under the protective barrier, someone shouted, "Look! The Mountain Granny has manifested!"

Just now, Hu Zhile had instantly taken down Liang Shizhen with a fast move, too fast for the villagers to see clearly.

At this moment, the demon wind was so fierce it seemed like the mountains might collapse and the ground might crack. They were somewhat fearful and stopped capturing people and gathering firewood, instead kneeling collectively to beg the Mountain Granny for protection.

"Which fellow cultivator is visiting Shiliang Village, troubling us mere mortals?" An old voice echoed amidst the gusts of demon wind.

The next second, a white-haired, kindly looking old lady appeared in the black vortex.

She leaned on a phoenix-headed cane, wearing a blue and white cloud-patterned robe, standing beside Liang Shizhen. After glancing at the wound on his chest, her face turned somber.

"Fellow cultivator, since you follow the path of worship, I advise you to treat mortals as people." Ling Di immediately released the aura of a Great Demon Beast of the Tribulation Crossing Realm and said coldly, "You not only collect their offerings but hold four rituals a year, leaving the villagers without enough to eat. Look at the poor children..."

It pointed at the newly-silenced crying Daniu and Meiwa’Er. "In their growth years, yet due to the heavy burden of offerings, their whole family goes hungry. So hungry they can’t sleep, they have to sneak into the wilderness to find wild fruits to eat.

We kindly brought the children back, but what does this High Priest do? He doesn’t inquire or reason, instead falsely accuses the children of bringing in man-eating demons. Not only does he want to kill us, but he also plans to burn these two children along with their parents alive!"

Ling Di sighed heavily, "Fellow cultivator, if you are not an evil cultivator, you should have compassion in your heart. Since you are already protecting the village and receiving offerings, why commit such actions that hinder cultivation and incur sin?"

The old lady originally came with anger but was too intimidated by the overwhelming pressure of the Great Demon Beast at the Tribulation Crossing Realm to act recklessly.

After hearing these words, she was utterly bewildered.

"Elder, perhaps there’s some misunderstanding, please allow me to understand the whole story." She respectfully saluted Ling Di, then turned to look at Liang Shizhen with a shocked gaze, "Four rituals a year? Since when?

When I established Shiliang Village and assigned the role of the High Priest to your Liang family’s ancestor, I was clear — the villagers would lead simple, sincere lives with devotion and incense.

Rituals were to be held once every two years, during which the High Priest would distribute my blessings. What have you been doing?"

With these words, everyone except the Liang family was stunned.

Hu Zhile: ???

How could the situation turn around so quickly?

Old Dog’s ears perked up, stretching its neck to watch the drama, barking excitedly, as there’s juicy gossip!

"Granny, don’t listen to their demonic words!" Liang Shizhen was completely dumbfounded. He assumed the female demon was just stronger than him, but definitely wouldn’t stand a chance against Granny.

As soon as she saw he was injured, surely she’d fly into a rage and strike them dead with her cane, and then it would be up to him to determine right and wrong. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

He never expected the seemingly insignificant little white dog would jump out, speaking so sharply against him!

He panicked and feared, dry-mouthed, waving his hands, "Granny, may you discern the truth. Since the Liang family took on the role of High Priest, we’ve done our duty without excess, they’re fabricating to deceive you! They... they are evil cultivators, they abducted two children to the village, wanting to eat us."

Ripping open his clothes to reveal a bloody wound, Liang Shizhen falsely accused, "See, this is what the female evil cultivator scratched with her nails, she... she said she wanted to eat my heart and liver!"

The old lady slightly frowned, looking at the luxurious silk and jewelry on him and his family, and then at the villagers kneeling in their ragged clothes; she had made up her mind.

At this time, Wang Wu, who was bound and nearly dragged off to be burned alive, suddenly had a revelation after a series of shocks—there’s a great discrepancy between rituals every two years with blessings and four times a year with none.

Since Liang Shizhen tried to burn down his entire family, if he didn’t clear things up, and let him get away with it, his whole family would surely die!

"Mountain Granny, we devoutly believe in you and burn incense for you. Even if we go hungry ourselves, we dare not skimp on the offerings four times a year!"

Faced with life and death, he shouted hoarsely, "In bad years, those who can’t afford the offerings must borrow from the High Priest, incurring lifetime debts they can never repay. We have never seen any blessings, please seek justice for us!"

Seeing their deceit about to be exposed, the Liangs rushed forward to gag him, even as some of them with sycophantic smiles tried to argue that they were greedy, difficult villagers.

"Do you really think I’m old and muddle-headed?" The old lady chuckled in anger, slightly moving her cane. Instantly, the ropes binding Wang Wu and his wife loosened.

Finally free from strangling ropes, Li Suhua angrily rebuked, "The Liang family exploits Granny’s prestige to rule the village with an iron fist.

If Liang Shizhen fancies a girl, he will demand extra bride price. If the groom’s family can’t afford it, the bride must sleep with him for three nights before marriage.

Thus many families in the village secretly kill and dispose of their firstborn children to avoid raising children for Liang Shizhen!

Anyone refusing his abuse and trying to flee Shiliang Village is dragged back and skinned alive to hang on the tree at the village entrance; if not caught, their family members suffer in their place.