After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

The woman was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, staggered, and followed closely behind.

Jiang Dusheng led her to the front hall, gestured for her to sit down, and then sat down himself to the side.

She didn't rush to ask questions, but poured half a cup of warm water and gently pushed it in front of the woman. "Have some water first, calm down. Tell me slowly."

The woman dared not sit down completely, only touching half of the stool. She held the warm water that Jiang Dusheng pushed over in her hands, and before she could speak, tears streamed down her face, mixing with the water.

She put down the cup, knelt down with a "plop," and touched the ground with her head.

"Master! I beg you! Save my daughter, Xiaolian! She's about to be sent to the mountain god as his bride!"

His voice was shrill and filled with despair.

Jiang Dusheng frowned slightly and helped the person up. "Don't do this. Get up and tell me the whole story."

The woman sat down, sobbing, and said intermittently, "My name is Huang Aman, and I live in Liushu Village at the foot of Xiaoqingshan Mountain, thirty miles outside Changling City."

"It's just my daughter Xiaolian and me in my family, relying on each other for survival. Our village is nestled against a small mountain. Life is a bit tough, but we are happy and peaceful."

"About five months ago, the village's shaman, Wang, suddenly said that she had dreamed of the mountain god appearing for several nights in a row."

A hint of fear appeared on Huang Aman's face. "The mountain god said that our village has good feng shui, but it lacks sincere incense offerings."

"If we could build a temple and properly worship there, it would surely bless our village with good weather and abundant harvests, and bring blessings and longevity to every household, allowing them to live a good life."

"At first, the villagers didn't believe it, but the old woman Wang spoke in great detail and even pointed out a place in the mountain valley behind the village, saying that it was a sacred cave."

"Several daring young men went to see it and came back saying that the place was indeed quite peculiar; not a blade of grass grew there, yet it had a strange fragrance."

"Later, a few wealthy families in the village took the lead, and everyone contributed money and labor, and a small mountain god temple was built in that mountain valley."

"On the day the temple was completed, Granny Wang presided over the sacrificial ceremony, which is quite strange..."

Huang Aman's voice lowered, filled with a chilling recollection of what happened afterward: "Those who went to the temple to pray for children soon became pregnant; those who prayed for wealth found their lost money; and those who prayed for illness gradually recovered. The temple's incense offerings suddenly became very popular."

"Grandma Wang said the mountain god likes clean and tidy offerings, so we offered the best rice, noodles, fruits, and vegetables; she said the mountain god likes to hear chants, so we went to the temple to kneel and pray morning and evening..."

"Things in the village were indeed much smoother than before."

"But things changed two months ago!" Huang Aman's voice suddenly became sharp, filled with suppressed fear. "Wang the witch came out of the temple, her face ashen, saying that the mountain god said he had used up his divine power to protect our village and needed to replenish it."

"They want us...they want us to choose one unmarried woman each month, dress her in a bright red wedding gown, and send her to the temple to serve the mountain god as a bride for one night!"

"Otherwise...otherwise we will take back all the rewards and protection, bring down calamities, and then you must leave the village!"

Jiang Dusheng's eyes were calm, his fingertips unconsciously twirling the Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist, as he asked, "How did the villagers react?"

Huang Aman's tears flowed even more fiercely. "How could we react? At first, everyone was scared and panicked. What family would want to send their perfectly good daughter there?"

"But...but the sorceress Wang said it's a blessing from the mountain god, that the chosen woman is going to enjoy happiness, to serve the gods, and to bring honor to her ancestors!"

"Moreover, the benefits offered by the mountain god were too tempting, and everyone was reluctant to give them up! Some elders even said that it was her good fortune to be able to exchange a woman for the peace and prosperity of the entire village!"

"In the first month, the girl chosen was from the Zhao family in the east of the village, named Xiao'e." Huang Aman's voice trembled so much it was almost broken.

"The girl cried her heart out, and even contemplated suicide by banging her head against the wall, but in the end, her family forced her to drink some calming medicine, dressed her in bright red, and carried her into the temple."

"The next morning, she did come out on her own, but she was drowsy and her eyes were glazed over. She wouldn't answer anything when asked, just like... just like her soul had been left in the temple."

"The old woman said she was blessed by the mountain god and would marry into a wealthy family and enjoy a life of luxury! But... but just a few days later, the girl threw herself into the river at the village entrance!"

"The Zhao family cried, but the old woman Wang said that Xiao'e was unlucky and could not bear the mountain god's blessings, so she took her own life. The villagers believed it, or... pretended to believe it."

"The second month, it was the Sun family's turn." Huang Aman's breathing became rapid, her fingers digging tightly into her knees. "This time, the Sun family was more cautious and didn't completely believe Wang the fortune teller's nonsense. They secretly kept watch outside the temple all night."

"Later, they told acquaintances that they heard strange noises coming from the temple in the middle of the night, along with the faint sounds of a girl crying and struggling!"

"They tried to rush in, but it was as if they were blocked by something invisible."

"The next morning, when Miss Sun came out, she was wearing a brand new silk dress, with a shiny silver hairpin in her hair, and her face was rosy."

"When you ask her about what happened at night, she just shakes her head blankly and doesn't remember anything."

"The old woman said it was a reward from the mountain god. The Sun family received the clothes and jewelry, and seeing that their daughter didn't seem to have any external injuries, they kept quiet."

At this point, Huang Aman trembled violently: "This month... the name that came out of the divination sticks... was my Xiaolian."

"I refuse! I'd rather die than accept this! What kind of legitimate deity would want a living person as a bride? This is clearly an evil god! A monster that eats human souls!"

She grabbed Jiang Dusheng's sleeve tightly, as if grasping at a last straw, and burst into tears:

"Master! Please! Save Xiaolian! There are only three days left. They've locked her up in the house and have people guarding her, afraid I'll run away with her!"

"I sneaked out and heard people on the way saying that you are incredibly powerful, even able to subdue the ghosts haunting the palace... Please save my daughter! I'm willing to be your slave!"

Jiang Dusheng quickly supported Huang Aman's trembling arm.

Those arms were thin and bony, yet they conveyed the strength of a mother who was making a desperate gamble.

Her gaze swept over Huang Aman's brows, where the dark aura that symbolized the calamity of her close relatives was now pressing heavily on her children's palace, with an ominous blood-red light faintly emanating from its edges.

Is the mountain god demanding a living bride and offering sacrifices to her regularly?

The prayer beads on Jiang Dusheng's fingertips stopped spinning.

This doesn't sound like the work of a righteous god who has been officially appointed by the Heavenly Court.

It seems more like some evil spirits and monsters entrenched in the mountains and fields took advantage of the villagers' ignorance and greed to carry out the business of absorbing yin to replenish yang.

If she guessed correctly, the two women had become mentally impaired because their life force had been extracted.