The temple was crowded with a large number of devotees, as if it were a special festival.
Naturally, the vast majority of them were locals from this village, all very familiar with each other.
The entire hall was filled with an array of delicious food and fine wine, and on the stage, beautiful elves were performing seductive dances.
However, the devotees here showed little interest in these things.
Perhaps it was their daily routine, so familiar that it couldn't stir any excitement.
They gathered in groups of three or five, whispering amongst themselves.
"Old Wang, you're here! Come over quickly, I have something to ask you!"
Village Chief Hu greeted Zhang Chen with a smile.
Zhang Chen and the three women hurried over.
Zhang Chen was used to such situations, often transforming.
But it was the first time for the three women, who were a little nervous about being exposed.
"By the way, Old Wang, your house is at the entrance of the village. Tell me, where did those people who visited my house today come from?"
The village chief asked.
"What guests? We have guests in our village?"
Zhang Chen feigned ignorance.
He clearly remembered that when he had transmigrated, he hadn't encountered anyone at the village entrance, and had suddenly appeared near the farmlands.
The surrounding farmers were far away, busy harvesting, and no one had noticed him.
"See, that's what I said, Old Wang doesn't know!"
"We don't know how these guys arrived; they just suddenly appeared."
Village Chief Hu said, his face full of doubt.
"Logically, our village is shielded, and not even on maps. Unless they are from our Mother Goddess Cult, no one else could possibly find the entrance."
"Could it be... that these people are also from the Mother Goddess Cult?"
"But if people from the Mother Goddess Cult suddenly came to our village, why wouldn't they give any notice?"
"The sacrificial convoy is arriving tonight, there's no reason to send a group of people in advance, and have them specifically stay in my house."
Village Chief Hu pondered, increasingly baffled.
"Forget it, don't overthink it, Village Chief. After the sacrifice tonight, we should go find new wood pets."
"This wood pet is no longer useful; the crops are yielding less and less!"
A middle-aged woman villager said.
"Yes, yes, the fruits from my land are clearly much smaller than at the beginning of the year!"
"Big fruits sell well, but these cheap ones only fetch about double the price in the market. How are we supposed to live!"
"Exactly, this wood pet must be replaced. If this continues, our entire village will starve."
Other villagers chimed in.
If Zhang Chen hadn't seen the luxury and ample food supply here, he would have truly believed these were starving villagers, based on their conversation.
In reality, their complexions were ruddy, and they were all healthier and wealthier than one could imagine.
They spoke this way merely because of insatiable greed.
"Well, let's wait until this sacrifice is over. After all, wood pets are not easy to find. It's too extravagant to discard it after squeezing out its last bit of value!"
The village chief said with a frown.
"The wood pet they're talking about is the Elven Tribe's chief, who has been imprisoned here for years, draining her energy to ensure the harvest of crops!"
Miaoyin quietly reminded Zhang Chen.
"I see. No wonder the crops here grow against common sense."
"Is this a nature-based ability?!"
Zhang Chen muttered to himself.
A moment later, the main doors opened, and a group of burly men in Mother Goddess Cult uniforms walked in.
Following them was a gaunt, lecherous-looking man.
"Welcome, Protector!"
Upon seeing the lecherous man, everyone bowed in greeting.
"Rise. Where is the wood pet?"
The lecherous man asked indifferently, without even lifting his eyelids.
"Here!"
The village chief gestured towards the stage.
The elves on the stage immediately moved aside and retreated.
Then, the stage opened on both sides, revealing an elf chained up.
She was as thin as a skeleton, with red tear stains on her face and wounds all over her body.
"Hmm, our Holy Church is now brewing a great plan that requires a large amount of resources!"
"Once this is accomplished, you will be credited with the first merit, and everyone's rank within the church will be elevated by three levels!"
The lecherous man said in a hoarse voice, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he looked at the wood pet.
"Thank the Holy Lord!"
Everyone bowed again.
"These people are too cruel!"
Miaoyin, hiding behind the crowd, understood the situation from the elf's gestures and relayed it to Zhang Chen.
"The Elven Chief possesses the ability to alter plant growth, but this ability is limited. However, under extreme emotions, her power multiplies."
"These people likely noticed this and are torturing the chief relentlessly, causing her pain, thereby maximizing the energy release from her body."
"This is why the surrounding crops can grow continuously, regardless of the season, and without the need for soil restoration."
"The chief is truly pitiful; she's being tortured to death!"
After Miaoyin finished translating, the elf couldn't help but shed a few tears.
The three cat girls were also furious upon hearing this.
If they hadn't been afraid of interfering with Zhang Chen's plan, they would have charged out and fought these Mother Goddess Cult members to the death.
Then, the lecherous man spoke.
"Prepare to begin the ritual!"
With that, he sat down in the best viewing spot in front of the stage, crossed his legs, as if preparing to enjoy a spectacular performance.
Shortly after, the Elven Chief's daughter was also brought in, similarly restrained by shackles.
Then, several burly men holding a black scepter slowly approached the stage, displaying the pink, brilliant crystal at the top of the scepter to the Mother Goddess Cult villagers.
The crowd immediately cheered.
"Now, strike!"
Suddenly, the elf on the stage spoke.
Four or five dancing elves drew daggers from their braids and charged at the burly men, seemingly trying to seize the scepter.
At this moment, with a creak, the main doors of the hall were also opened.
Hundreds of elves, armed with various weapons, rushed into the hall.
Simultaneously, the elves serving as attendants began attacking within the crowd.
The villagers were caught off guard by the sudden uprising of the usually submissive elves, and moreover, they could communicate in human language despite previously being unable to speak!?
The scene descended into chaos, with more than ten villagers falling into pools of blood.
However, the lecherous man sitting in the center of the venue remained unmoved, his expression nonchalant as he watched everything unfold.
The villagers' combat prowess was mediocre, on par with the elves.
However, they were ambushed and unarmed, thus caught completely by surprise.
Seeing the situation turning in their favor, the elves rushed onto the stage, preparing to seize the scepter.
At this moment, the lecherous man finally brushed off his clothes, stood up, and said with a smile.
"This farce must end now."