Wait a minute, please wait a minute.
At a crucial moment, a clear and crisp female voice suddenly descended from the heavens.
The eerie harmonies suddenly came to an abrupt halt, and everyone straightened up in surprise, staring in some confusion at Wu Zhú mián who had climbed onto the Bodhi Tree.
She was seen holding a girl's white silk, wrapping it around the branches with a swift, whooshing motion several times, then pulling it tightly and tying it into a dozen or so neat knots.
Finally, she even showed everyone that string of ugly knots and spoke to them in a tone of indulgence, "Alright already, stop making noise. It's just hanging up there, isn't it?"
The cry from under the tree rose up one after another, watching Wu Zhú mián who climbed the tree with no care.
The two divine messengers pointed at her immediately, "You you you... how dare you climb the divine tree! Disrespectful! This is profane! Come down this instant!"
As her "sister," the woman showed a look of being terrified, shivering and muttering, "Lady Moon, do not be angry. It is all her fault. If there is blame, it should only be hers."
However, Wu Zhú mián remained calm and composed, and asked in all sincerity, "Isn't it said that as long as the silk cloth is hung on the tree, everything will be fine?"
Someone stepped forward to refute, "This method is not acceptable! It's a cheat!"
Wu Zhú mián asked back, "Has Lady Moon said that it is not allowed?"
A moment of silence fell over the crowd.
The two divine messengers shouted angrily, "What is not allowed is not allowed! Choosing a bride for Lady Moon is a serious matter. Such petty tricks are absolutely not acceptable!"
Wu Zhú mián did not hesitate at all, immediately glared back, "Do you think you're a divine messenger and what you say can represent Lady Moon? Who do you think you are?"
Seeing her such impolite, everyone was startled.
Without waiting for them to respond, Wu Zhú mián spread her hands wide, acting like a troublesome person: "If Lady Moon really doesn't agree, she would have definitely untangled this silk cloth and thrown it back. Has She done so? No, She hasn't. What does that mean? It means that She approves."
She reached into her chest and pulled out the dagger that He Liusheng had just stuffed in her, the sharp and cold blade cutting back and forth on the silk cloth with force, but leaving no mark: "See for yourself, even a knife can't cut it! Isn't this enough to show Lady Moon's intention?"
After all, she not only tied it into a dozen knots but also covered it with a layer of spiritual energy.
A group of people huddled together whispering.
"She seems to have a point?"
"Is Lady Moon really in agreement with this method?"
"Then... Can my daughter be selected too?"
This remark hit a nerve with most people, their eyes growing hot with excitement.
Bai Li Yun outside the crowd was a bit dazed. Wait, did this cannon fodder get the wrong script? Shouldn't she just die quietly? How does she look so at ease?
On the other side, the two divine messengers discussed for a long time. Mainly, seeing that the crowd had been stirred up, they could only reluctantly agree with a grudging nod and said to Wu Zhú mián who was on the tree, "Since Lady Moon has agreed, we have no objections either."
The crowd on the sacred Bodhi tree quickly swelled with people, and all the young girls who came to participate in the bride selection this year were selected, joyfully entering the Moon Goddess Temple.
Su Lingyi used magic to hang the silk cloth on the tree and looked at Wu Zhú mián directly for the first time, her eyes filled with approval: "Though you are an ordinary mortal, you don't panic in difficult situations and have quite a bit of courage."
Wu Zhú mián's expression remained unchanged: "A great exaggeration."
He Liusheng was still somewhat worried: "Even so, we are now in danger. We haven't even seen the shadow of the Yin Monsters. We should not be too impulsive in our actions, lest we cause some unfortunate consequences."
He meant well, so Wu Zhú mián nodded and replied with a sound, then shared her discovery with them: "Before entering here, I found something strange in that dilapidated Moon Goddess Temple."
At this moment, Bai Li Yun and Chu Yi also walked over.
Bai Li Yun suppressed the inquiry in her eyes and smiled somewhat bashfully, "Seeing how we have found nothing, even an ordinary mortal without spiritual power is outperforming us."
Su Lingyi was also half-believing, half-skeptical. At the time, she and He Liushang had almost turned the Moon Goddess Temple upside down, but found nothing. What could an ordinary mortal without any knowledge discover?
Wu Zhú mián remained unfazed: "The Bodhi tree in the yard..."
"Bodhi tree?" Bai Li Yun interrupted her, her eyes blinking vividly, her voice soft, "Miss, are you mistaking something? That Bodhi tree is just an ordinary tree. It doesn't even have a trace of spiritual energy."
Chu Yi nodded in agreement.
Wu Zhú mián ignored them, continuing to say, "What I want to say is not the Bodhi tree, but the light and shadow on the ground."
"The wind, tree swaying, and the change in the direction of the sun can randomly cause changes in the light and shadow on the ground. But after observing for about a stick of incense time sitting on the threshold, I noticed that the movement of those light and shadows was constant and very regular."
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces revealed a surprised expression. They indeed had not noticed this point.
Chu Yi frowned and made up his mind immediately: "I will investigate with Master He. You three stay together, so you have a chance to help each other in case of trouble."
He Liushang pressed down on his sword.
Wu Zhú mián pretended not to see it and nodded in the direction where the voice came from, imitating Su Lingyi's manner.
Chu Yi and He Liushang carefully approached the Bodhi tree.
Seeing that Wu Zhú mián really had said something reasonable, Bai Li Yun's expression became somewhat stiff. This unconventional "cannon fodder" unexpectedly made her feel a sense of crisis.
"Oh," she sighed, even her scolding voice was soft and gentle: "Miss, why didn't you say it earlier? If you had said it earlier, maybe we wouldn't have been pulled into the realm of the Yin Monsters and faced these unknown dangers."
Wu Zhú mián looked up and down at Bai Li Yun, raising her eyebrows and smiling in a completely harmless manner: "I really wanted to say it earlier, but at that time, Madam You were terrified and hid behind Master Kunyu. Seeing you so scared, I was also nervous in my heart, so I forgot."
She reciprocated with her previous words: "After all, people who cultivate the way of immortality like you are so afraid, let alone me, an ordinary person without any spiritual power. You wouldn't agree with me, would you?"
Looking at Wu Zhú mián's innocent smile, Bai Li Yun's face turned red and white alternately, almost unable to maintain the soft and innocent expression.
"Puff---"
Seeing Bai Li Yun embarrassed, Su Lingyi felt incredibly relieved and chimed in: "Bai Junior Sister, four cultivators from our four major sects together couldn't find the problem, which is rather embarrassing. You'd better keep it to yourself."
Bai Li Yun's face turned completely black.
"What are you three whispering about?"
At this moment, the two divine messengers walked over, their gaze at Wu Zhú mián was very unfriendly, and they urged menacingly: "Since you have been selected, go to the Moon Goddess Temple quickly. Haven't you seen that everyone else has gone in? Why are you still lingering around?"
Wu Zhú mián smiled and said, "Let's go."
She turned and walked towards the Moon Goddess Temple. Su Lingyi and Bai Li Yun with a black face followed behind her.
The grand door stood wide open, and the air was filled with the scent of incense ash. The green square bricks extended from the door to the deity statue and the altar, with their fine patterns resembling the cracks of tortoise shells. The dim light of the overcast sky shone through the character-shaped lattice windows, fragmenting into gliding light spots on the ground.
The deity statue, which was seated on the lotus throne, was about 16 feet tall, but its face was completely covered by a large white cloth, looking like a hanging funeral veil. It emitted a pale light, and the shadows between the folds of the cloth were deep and shallow, giving people an eerie and uneasy feeling.
The area of the Moon Goddess Temple was even more mysterious and spacious than imagined. There were actually four small doors on the wall that connected to the small side rooms behind.
Because of Wu Zhú mián's previous words, Bai Li Yun and Su Lingyi unconsciously directed their gaze to the floating light spots. However, after staring at them for a long time, all they managed to do was to strain their eyes, without noticing anything unusual.
There were twelve young girls of similar age in the temple. The number was about three to four times higher than in previous years. The two divine messengers who had just entered the temple couldn't help but give Wu Zhú mián a cold look before they even spoke. Their tone was filled with hostility: "Congratulations, you have gained the qualification to serve Lady Moon."
Wu Zhú mián pretended not to notice and only stared at the deity statue.
Seeing her lack of reaction, one of the divine messengers sniffed coldly and walked towards the altar, lighting each lotus bud-shaped lamp one by one.
The other one clasped his hands together, his eyes behind the mask becoming devout and fervent: "After this, you will go to the side room to get ready... three in a room, Lady Moon has chosen whom to be the bride. As soon as the time comes, she will take people away."
She looked at the young girls in front of her with expectant expressions and smiled with deep meaning: "Of course, those not chosen don't need to be disappointed either. There might still be a chance for you to become a divine messenger, close to serve Lady Moon, just like us."
"So, the divine messengers used to be the candidates for Lady Moon's brides?"
Wu Zhú mián's eyes flickered slightly.
