Cunning

Song Yao hesitated for a moment.

These citizens were probably just blinded by the worms, but she wasn't sure what the situation was with Jiang Jin and those cultivators.

Were their minds controlled, or were they demons in disguise?

Her cultivation was lacking and her divine sense was sealed, so she couldn't tell for now. Shaking her head, she said, “It's hard to tell with people. Let's leave them for now.”

Ning Zhou agreed. “Alright.”

His strength came in handy at this moment.

He diligently carried the people outside and piled them up, while Song Yao was responsible for giving anyone who accidentally woke up a light thwack to keep them sleeping peacefully.

Just as they finished moving everyone out, two figures rushed over from the far end of the long street, their footsteps frantic and their robes fluttering in the wind.

Ming Ran and Cheng Yue each held an infant in their arms. Looking slightly disheveled, they shouted from afar, “Seventh Senior Sister! Ning Zhou!”

“Run!! My aunt, uncle, and the others have gone mad! They're heading this way!”

Song Yao frowned and turned to look toward the Ming family residence.

In the night sky, several streaks of sword light could be faintly seen sweeping over from the direction of the Ming family estate. They were extremely fast, and their heavy spiritual pressure bore down on them, clearly indicating hostile intent.

Song Yao's eyelid twitched. Without hesitation, she flicked her fingers, and the babies in their arms flew up and landed in the courtyard.

Then she turned to Ning Zhou and said, “Do it.”

Realizing what she meant, Ning Zhou immediately activated the Fire-Driving Talismans in his hand and threw them into the courtyard.

The talismans unfurled, transforming into several fiery dragons that lunged straight into the courtyard. Shrills of agony instantly rang out, accompanied by the sound of sizzling flesh.

“Stop—!!!”

A sharp, furious roar echoed from a distance, rapidly drawing closer.

Song Yao saw the newcomers clearly and quickly calculated her options.

They were all from the Ming family, and their cultivation levels were not low.

One or two would be fine, but if they all came at her at once, she would probably be beaten to a pulp.

Needless to say, her junior brother and sisters stood no chance either.

They couldn't win.

Forget it.

She withdrew her gaze and spit out a single word, clean and simple: “Run.”

Just as she turned her head and was about to move, Ning Zhou suddenly cried out in pleasant surprise behind her, “Fourth Senior Brother!?”

She paused and turned around.

At the end of the long street, dozens of human-shaped paper talismans flew out from the shadows.

Spiritual energy flowed as the paper talismans unfurled, grew, and took shape in the air, transforming in the blink of an eye into dozens of translucent, pale-gold figures.

Though the figures had no facial features, they carried an imposing aura that brooked no offense. With their arms spread wide, they formed an invisible wall, blocking the Ming family's path completely.

Then, a figure clad in moon-white robes descended from the sky, stepping on runes, and landed right in front of the Ming family.

His robes fluttered, cold as frost.

When he tilted his head to look over, his cold, indifferent eyes landed solely on Song Yao. “Leave this to me. Lin Mu, find the exit.”

Song Yao was dazed for a moment.

Except for the times she got beaten up, she was usually the one standing in front of him when they went out hunting demons, trying to look cool.

Now that the roles were reversed, he was actually the one getting to show off.

She sighed at the unpredictability of life, then glanced back at the Ming family.

The Ming family were all sword cultivators. Although Hall Master Ming and Daoist Huachao were not among them, the strength of the others was not to be underestimated.

She didn't know if her Fourth Junior Brother, a talisman cultivator, could hold them off.

But he had always been reliable. Rather than worrying about him, she might as well find a way to get out as soon as possible.

So she gave Ming Ran and the others a look, and they headed back into the courtyard.

The fire in the courtyard had not yet died down. Orange flames licked the eaves, sending waves of heat rolling over them, and the air was thick with the smell of burning and a sickening stench.

She squinted, scanning the sea of fire.

The corpses of the worms were almost entirely burned away, leaving only charred patches on the ground and occasional popping sparks.

Since the demon infants were dead but the demon realm still remained, it could only mean that these infants were not the source.

What was the source then?

Behind her, the other three walked over after exchanging information.

Ning Zhou was deeply shaken. “Two Ming Rans? Why are there two of them? And Jiang Jin... I've already snapped out of it, so why hasn't he? Is he crazy? Why is he protecting these worms like this?”

Cheng Yue lowered her eyes in thought. “You guys are different. Jiang Jin, those Ming family cultivators, and the other Ming Ran might have had their minds directly controlled, or they could be demons in disguise, created specifically to protect these demon infants.”

“You, like those citizens, are just food for these infants. You weren't directly controlled, just temporarily deluded.”

Ning Zhou gasped, “What? I'm just food?!”

Song Yao caught the key point in her words. “Jiang Jin, Ming Ran...”

Ming Ran quickly asked, “Little Master, did you think of something?”

Song Yao: “Both you and Jiang Jin offered incense at the Antong Shrine, right?”

Cheng Yue was quick-witted and immediately understood. “Do you mean they were controlled by the Child-Protecting Goddess because they offered incense at the Antong Shrine?”

Ming Ran was startled, suddenly remembering something. “Right! When I came out of the Antong Shrine after offering incense, you guys were all gone. I found it strange at the time—how could you leave without saying a word?”

Ning Zhou: “What are you talking about? We clearly entered the city together...”

Before he could finish, he realized something was off, and his hair stood on end. “So the one who entered the city with us from the very beginning was already the fake Ming Ran?”

Song Yao nodded. “Eighty percent likely.”

Put this way, everything became much clearer.

After Ming Ran, Chen He, and Jiang Jin entered the Antong Shrine, they were deluded into offering incense to the Child-Protecting Goddess. When they came back out, they had been replaced.

For some unknown reason, the real Ming Ran had also managed to escape after they entered the city.

This was why, despite being the first to run into the city, she ended up meeting Song Yao—who had walked in leisurely—in the alleyway.

Wait.

Chen He?

No wonder Chen He, who usually insisted on protecting them and rushing to the front, had said he wanted to stay outside the demon realm this time.

The others obviously realized this as well and spoke in unison, “Oh no! Those two medical cultivator seniors are still outside with Senior Brother Chen!”

“Could they be in danger?!”

Song Yao was much calmer than them. “They need nourishment, so they probably won't kill easily. Let's find a way to get out first before considering anything else.”

“Little Master is right!”

Ming Ran nodded. “In any case, we have to destroy the demon realm. But we still don't know what its source is.”

Song Yao looked toward the city gates. “There are no other possibilities.”

Cheng Yue followed her gaze and gasped slightly. “Do you mean the Child-Protecting Goddess? How can the source of a demon realm be outside of it?”

Generally speaking, a demon realm was formed when a demon's resentment was too deep or when it took root somewhere.

The demon realm was attached to the demon, so the demon should naturally be inside the demon realm.

Song Yao pondered. “The demon realm unfolded after the first couple seeking a child gave birth. If these children are clones of the Child-Protecting Goddess, then it's not impossible for the source to be outside the demon realm.”

Ning Zhou's mouth fell wide open. “Such a cunning demon?!”

Only after worshiping the Child-Protecting Goddess could the demon realm be opened and entered. Those with bad luck were directly controlled by her, while those with good luck who managed to enter the demon realm were treated as nourishment.