Ji Shiyou and his group were in a hurry to reach Sifang Mountain and did not notice Jun Shuxue's unusual behavior.
At noon, they arrived at the foot of a mountain.
"Senior Brother, it's already noon. We've been traveling for half a day. Can we let everyone eat something and rest?"
Tian Jian walked up to Mingyue and Ji Shiyou and asked cautiously.
At the dilapidated temple, Senior Brother had suddenly become angry. The group had left without even eating breakfast and had traveled for about a hundred miles. Now their stomachs were rumbling, and Tian Jian had to gather his courage to make the suggestion.
"Alright, rest here."
Mingyue was also hungry and had been holding on. She didn't want to travel without breakfast, but she was angered by Jun Shuxue. Hearing Tian Jian's request, she quickly seized the opportunity and agreed.
She was about to sit on the ground when Ji Shiyou grabbed her.
"Image."
Ji Shiyou reminded her in a low voice. He couldn't understand why Mingyue, a female demon, was so careless about her appearance.
"You live a tiring life."
Mingyue immediately straightened up and pretended to be like Ji Shiyou usually was. With dignified manners, she found a stone and sat down properly. However, she felt that sitting like this was even more tiring than standing. She secretly made a face at Ji Shiyou and grumbled in a low voice.
Ji Shiyou was about to offer her a wild fruit he had picked on the road yesterday. Hearing Mingyue's grumbling, he withdrew his hand. He brought it to his own mouth and took a big bite, eating half of the fruit.
"Stingy! Give me some."
Mingyue saw that the fruit was bright red, and after Ji Shiyou bit into it, juice flowed out. It looked very sweet. Being greedy, she snatched it away and stuffed the remaining half into her mouth.
"Mmm, so sweet! Is there any more?"
After swallowing the fruit whole, Mingyue, still wanting more, asked Ji Shiyou. She didn't seem to mind that Ji Shiyou's saliva was on the fruit she had eaten.
"Yes, it's all for you."
Ji Shiyou was not as insensitive as Mingyue and looked a bit embarrassed. He took out four or five more wild fruits and gave them all to Mingyue. He then got up and walked to the side, pretending to admire the scenery, but actually calming himself down. He didn't know what was happening to him. He clearly disliked Mingyue, the tree demon, but after spending these past few days together, he found himself distracted whenever he was with her, unable to focus his mind. This was not good. He was a cultivator and needed to calm his mind and focus. If this continued, it would affect his cultivation. He needed to get his body back as soon as possible and part ways with Mingyue. Ji Shiyou thought to himself.
Just as he was lost in thought, the sound of a suona drifted from the distance. Ji Shiyou collected his thoughts and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw many people approaching in the distance. Judging by their attire, they were ordinary farmers. They were escorting a sedan chair, with suona playing joyous music and gongs and drums beating. It seemed to be a wedding procession from a nearby village. The disciples of the Golden Crow Palace, including Mingyue, all stood up to make way. They watched as a procession of about a hundred people, carrying a sedan chair, passed by them and headed up the mountain along the mountain path.
"Is this a wedding escort? It's so lively, and the sedan chair looks beautiful too."
Mingyue came up to Ji Shiyou and said excitedly. This was the first time she had seen such a scene. She wished she could ride in that sedan chair and experience it.
"Something's not right."
Ji Shiyou said to himself, watching the wedding procession heading up the mountain.
"What's not right? It looks very lively!"
Mingyue didn't care if Ji Shiyou was talking to her. She didn't understand, so asking was the right thing to do.
"Everyone in this wedding procession is a man, not a single woman. This is not in accordance with the law and customs. Moreover, a wedding is a joyous occasion, but they don't have a hint of happiness on their faces. Instead, they look panicked, their bodies are stiff, as if they are escorting someone to their death."
Ji Shiyou explained, still staring at the wedding procession going up the mountain.
"You're overthinking it. Perhaps the local custom is for men to escort the bride. The bride's family is reluctant to see her leave, so it's understandable that they're not happy."
Although Mingyue didn't understand, she liked to argue with Ji Shiyou, so she made up excuses to refute him. Just then, a figure rolled out of the sedan chair. It was a woman in a wedding dress, her hands bound. After rolling out of the sedan chair, she ran towards the foot of the mountain. The wedding escort, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, was stunned for a moment. Then, they dropped the sedan chair and chased after the woman.
"This isn't a wedding escort, it's a kidnapping! I can't believe this is happening in broad daylight. Save her!"
Tian Jian and the others were also stunned by the incident. But seeing the bride bound, they immediately realized what was happening. They shielded the woman running towards them and blocked the pursuers.
"Miss, what happened? Why are they tying you up? Are they bandits?"
Tian Jian untied the ropes on the woman and asked with concern. However, the woman seemed to be trembling all over from fright. She was too nervous to speak and could only cry.
"Who are you people? This is our village's business. Don't meddle in our affairs and hand over the person."
A man in his forties from the wedding procession walked out and said fiercely.
"In broad daylight, under the bright sky, you dare to commit violence and kidnap someone. And you're so righteous. Is there no justice here? Miss, don't be afraid, we will definitely not let them succeed."
Tian Jian supported the woman and shouted at the man.
"Who says we are kidnapping her? She is from our Bibo Village. I am the village chief. You outsiders, don't talk nonsense. If you delay the wedding procession, you will bear the consequences!"
Seeing that Ji Shiyou and the others were not locals, and that they looked distinguished and carried weapons, the village chief softened his tone but still insisted on taking the woman back.
"Miss, is what he says true? If he is lying, we can uphold justice for you."
Tian Jian was not an impulsive person. Seeing the man who claimed to be the village chief speaking so righteously, he didn't think he was lying. He turned to the bride behind him and asked for confirmation.
"What he says is true. She is the one the village chief bought. But I don't want to go to my death, I don't want to go."
The woman started crying again after speaking, appearing terrified.
"Even if you are the village chief, if she doesn't agree, you have no right to force her to marry. We will protect this young lady."
Tian Jian's attitude was firm. It was the duty of immortal sect disciples to help the weak and punish evil when they encountered it.
"Then don't blame us for being impolite. Attack! Time is running out, get her back."
Seeing Tian Jian's stance, the village chief looked at the sky and ordered the villagers to snatch the woman back. Although he was the village chief, he was just a rustic villager. He had never encountered immortal sect disciples and didn't know about their existence. He thought they were just some rich young masters, and with so many of them, and only a dozen or so on the other side, it should be no problem to snatch the person back.
"Nu Tao, show them your power. Remember, no injuries allowed."
The immortal sect had regulations against harming ordinary people. So, Tian Jian asked his junior brother, Nu Tao, to come forward and deter them.
"Second Senior Brother, just watch!"
Nu Tao stepped forward and looked at the hundred or so people rushing towards them. He curled his right index finger and cast a spell. A boulder weighing a thousand pounds by the roadside immediately split into pieces.
"Mercy, great immortal! Mercy, great immortal!"
The villagers were terrified by Nu Tao's display of power and immediately knelt and begged for mercy.
"Do you still insist on taking her away now?"
Tian Jian, seeing that the villagers had been intimidated, pointed at the village chief and asked.
"Great immortal, even if you kill us all, this person must still be taken away. Otherwise, it won't be just us few who die. The dozen or so villages around Bibo Tan, thousands of villagers, will all perish."
The village chief, though frightened, still insisted on taking the woman away.