After a brief moment of contemplation, Serene Hayes signaled to her subordinates and approached Christopher Yard. "I'll accompany you. If something happens to you, the chief will surely blame me." After organizing the abducted individuals and instructing them to remain vigilant, Serene Hayes turned to Christopher Yard and spoke. Christopher Yard was surprised to hear her words. This girl had taken the initiative to protect him, which was truly unexpected. He nodded in agreement. With someone looking out for him, he naturally wouldn't refuse. Since Christopher Yard and his group were unfamiliar with the terrain, they proceeded cautiously, constantly scanning their surroundings for any unexpected situations. After a few minutes, Christopher Yard finally spotted a couple of villagers. These two villagers were dressed in simple and worn-out clothes. Their expressions were plain and honest, and they wore tattered shoes on their feet. Their faces were smeared with mud, giving them a simple and honest appearance. "These two villagers seem a bit..." Christopher Yard squinted his eyes and noticed that the two villagers were holding a bowl in their hands. There seemed to be something inside the bowl, but before Christopher Yard could see clearly, the villagers completely covered the contents with their bodies. These two villagers hadn't noticed Christopher Yard's presence. They quickly ran in a certain direction while holding the bowl. Christopher Yard and Serene Hayes exchanged puzzled glances and secretly followed them. During their pursuit, Christopher Yard and his group didn't encounter any other villagers, which made them even more curious. How could a village have so few residents? When the two villagers finally stopped, Christopher Yard and the others were taken aback. They saw a large group of villagers gathered there, each holding a dark shovel in their hands. They raised the shovels high and repeatedly shouted: "Sacrifice the living, may the spirits rest, protect our great dragon, for eternity!" "Sacrifice the living, may the spirits rest, protect our great dragon, for eternity!" "Sacrifice the living, may the spirits rest, protect our great dragon, for eternity!" "...""What on earth!" Christopher Yard couldn't help but exclaim after hearing what these people were saying. He felt like he had traveled back in time. They were even praying for the spirits to rest. Even Serene Hayes, who stood beside him, was astonished. Were they really not in a time travel situation? Christopher Yard rolled his eyes and looked closely. He saw the villagers in front of him shouting and throwing everything from their bowls in a certain direction. After emptying their bowls, the villagers stepped aside, and in that moment, Christopher Yard saw a middle-aged man dressed as a Taoist priest, wearing a Taoist hat, and holding a peach blossom sword. He began chanting. "The nine celestial bodies move in order, the beginning of the universe lingers, the essence of the flower shines, and the primordial spirit disperses!!" "The nine celestial bodies move in order, the beginning of the universe lingers, the essence of the flower shines, and the primordial spirit disperses!!" "The nine celestial bodies move in order, the beginning of the universe lingers, the essence of the flower shines, and the primordial spirit disperses!!" "..." The villagers naturally didn't understand what the Taoist priest was saying, and even Serene Hayes next to Christopher Yard didn't know. However, Christopher Yard had excellent hearing and caught every word the Taoist priest uttered. "What on earth!" Christopher Yard was now completely confused. Could it be that this Taoist priest came here to exorcise evil spirits? Judging from the current situation, were the villagers no longer afraid of the police? Why did they suddenly seek the help of a Taoist priest? He shook his head, and suddenly a thought flashed through his mind like lightning. His eyes widened, and he muttered, "Damn, could it be that they're trying to drive us away?" Holy crap! Christopher Yard's face was now filled with disbelief. Besides this, he couldn't think of any other explanation for why the villagers, who were previously afraid of the police, would suddenly seek the help of a Taoist priest to exorcise evil spirits.Exorcism was definitely something only a Taoist priest would do. In that case, it was highly likely that these villagers had been influenced by this Taoist priest. But why weren't they afraid of the criminals? A question from Scarlett slowly emerged in Christopher Yard's mind. It seemed that in order to find the answer, they would have to apprehend this Taoist priest first. Christopher Yard shared his thoughts with Serene Hayes next to him. Serene Hayes was momentarily stunned, but she didn't doubt it. If they wanted to understand the reason behind the villagers' peculiar behavior, they had to take action now. The Taoist priest picked up a talisman next to him and lit it. Christopher Yard initially thought that the Taoist priest would throw it into the air and ignore it. However, to his astonishment, the priest threw the talisman directly onto the ground. Christopher Yard, who had been closely observing the Taoist priest, hadn't noticed anything on the ground before. But now, when he noticed it, his pupils slightly contracted in that instant. The ignited talisman didn't fall to the ground but landed on the body of a man lying there. His eyes were vacant, and his hands and feet were bound, rendering him completely immobile.The man's clothes were soaked in blood, and if Christopher Yard's guess was correct, it was definitely black dog blood. Christopher Yard furrowed his brow as he observed the scene. While others might not understand why this person was in such a state, he knew very well that the man had been drugged. The drug seemed to paralyze the person's nerves, making him appear lifeless. However, Christopher Yard knew that the man was not dead. When the talisman from the Taoist priest fell, the man's body trembled. From the talisman, Christopher Yard could also see traces of some kind of powdered medicine. In that instant, the nearby villagers gasped in astonishment and began to dance and gesture excitedly. "Help... help me..." The man weakly uttered these three words, but amidst the villagers' excitement, it was as if they hadn't heard him at all. They continued to shovel the nearby yellow soil and threw it at the man. It was as if the man waking up was the greatest reward for these villagers. Christopher Yard found this situation very strange, but before he could say anything, Serene Hayes, who stood beside him, couldn't bear it any longer. She waved her hand at the police officer behind her and rushed forward. "Hands up, cover your head, don't move!" Serene Hayes pointed her gun directly at the Taoist priest next to her and spoke in a cold tone. However, the Taoist priest only paused for a moment, showing a hint of panic, but his face was mostly filled with a cold smile. As the Taoist priest maintained his smug expression, the villagers in close proximity merely gazed at Serene Hayes and her team. Instead of launching an attack or putting up resistance, their faces reflected the same blend of fear and resignation as the Taoist priest.