2 This Is the Sense of Ceremony

“Another one. Looks like our luck is good today!”

Suddenly, a figure darted out from the cornfield, clutching a rusty, blood-dripping knife.

The two men clearly formed a pincer movement, slowly advancing toward Yun Ran.

“That girl’s much prettier. After we’re done, we can still sell her for a good price!”

Yun Ran’s eyes turned icy as they swept over the two men, her presence radiating countless bloodthirsty energies that aggressively dispersed into the surroundings.

Even the once vibrant cornstalks nearby wilted under the influence of this sinister aura.

These men were the very embodiment of unforgivable evil, burdened with deep sin—well within her scope of punishment.

She formed a hand seal with one hand and uttered a single word: “Bind!”

Immediately, the two ferocious men were tightly shackled, unable to move.

Before they could react, their toes lifted off the ground.

They tried to scream but their mouths wouldn’t open, faces contorted in terror at the unknown.

“Hands stained with blood, perpetrators of countless evils, today you’ll taste the wrath of the Five Thunders!”

With that, Yun Ran bit her finger and, drawing a thunder-invoking talisman in midair, instantly struck it upon the two men.

She was skilled in talisman drawing; though she usually only drew talismans for safety, when faced with villains, she became the righteous light!

Though the sky had been clear moments before, dark clouds suddenly gathered overhead, followed by flashes of lightning and thunder.

The divine punishment struck precisely on them; they screamed in agony, barely clinging to life as they fell to the ground.

Watching the fine strands of celestial thunder, Yun Ran sighed softly. This body was too weak—if it were her old physique, these two scoundrels would have been utterly annihilated without a breath left.

“What’s going on? Why did the heavenly punishment suddenly descend?”

The divine strike had indeed alerted many hidden masters nearby, who began investigating to see if some mischief was afoot.

Yun Ran looked at the two men lying like dead dogs, then walked toward the spot where the other man had emerged, where she found another youth stabbed.

Seeing the slight rise and fall of his chest, Yun Ran didn’t dare move him. She noticed his fingers, already attempting to staunch the bleeding.

When he finally resigned and pressed harder, blood flowed again, so she drew a life-preserving talisman on his face.

As soon as she finished, the talisman vanished, and the youth’s face, once pale, became considerably flushed.

[Host, those two were top wanted criminals, each with a bounty of 300,000. You’ve struck gold!]

Yun Ran had always been penniless—if not for the support of junior disciples, this senior sister might have become the first tragic joke of dying poor.

Hearing the mention of a bounty from the ginseng fruit, she wasted no time and immediately reported to the police, fearing any delay.

Soon, three police cars arrived, followed by an ambulance.

Yun Ran was taken to the station to give her statement. After a while, two officers entered, noticing her casually crossing her legs.

The younger officer couldn’t help but twitch at the sight—a young girl faced with such scenes, yet calm as if visiting a friend.

The senior officer, experienced with eyes seeming to pierce everything, asked, “You subdued them?”

“Sort of.”

The scorch marks from the lightning were undeniable, and Yun Ran confessed honestly—mainly worried the bounty might slip away.

“What do you mean by ‘sort of’?”

“Oh, I was just contemplating life when I heard a cry for help. I rushed over and saw them attacking someone, so I tried reasoning with them.

But they wouldn’t listen and tried to attack me, so I got angry and called down the heavenly punishment to deal with them!”

The police officers exchanged glances.

You really should think about what you’re saying!

“We’ve checked your identity—you’re the third young lady of the Yun family in Haicheng. Two days ago, you returned with the family to Qing Shui Town for ancestral rites. Since you’re under 18, we’ve contacted your guardian…”

The rest was unspoken but clearly implied that Yun Ran was disliked by the Yun family, notorious for her bad reputation, competitive nature, and habitual lying.

In Qing Shui Town, anyone with a shred of dignity wouldn’t trust her.

If the Yun family found out she was fabricating stories even at the police station, Yun Ran would be in serious trouble.

She grew annoyed immediately. “You don’t really think those two wanted criminals suddenly had a change of heart and just lay on the ground waiting for you to arrest them, do you?

Besides, I saved those two young men over there! Be honest, you just don’t want to give me the bounty!”

Even as the former third young lady of the prestigious Yun family, her personal spending money was under ten thousand yuan.

Six hundred thousand yuan was a fortune.

Afraid the money would be lost, Yun Ran quickly calculated with her fingers, confirming it would end up in her hands, and a smile spread across her face.

The young officer’s gaze flickered slightly. He had asked friends in Haicheng about Miss Yun—the consensus was that she was extremely greedy.

Now, it seemed he was right, and he felt a bit of sympathy for Mrs. Yun.

“The suspects were caught because of your call, so the reward is yours. However, since you are under 18, the money will be given to your guardian.”

If this were the original Yun Ran, she might have been forced to watch the money go to Qu Ying.

But she was different—her mental state fluctuated wildly.

She intended to slap that unworthy woman who called herself a mother. If Qu Ying dared to take her money, she would slap her in front of the entire Yun family!

“My specialty is drawing talismans and feng shui; of course, I’m also proficient in divination. You’re lucky today—I haven’t used my three daily divinations yet, so let me have a read for you.”

Yun Ran glanced at the senior officer, then closed her eyes, nodding and mumbling incantations learned from her master uncle—a ritual to inspire trust and generosity.

Just as the senior officer grew impatient, Yun Ran suddenly opened her eyes wide.

“You are a man of integrity with your own principles, yet you harbor an unresolved heartache that disturbs your peace, causing you to neglect your family. Your wife could no longer bear it and left you, taking your daughter.”

The young officer’s eyes widened; he didn’t even know his master’s private affairs. Could this third young lady really be a mystic?

But Yun Ran wasn’t done.

“Years ago, during a mission with your senior apprentice brother, your mistake caused him to disappear without a trace. You have never given up searching for him all these years.”