"Who's there?"
A sudden shout shattered the mysterious and eerie atmosphere in the clearing.
The people from Dayang Village quickly turned around and saw a group of men, young and old, dressed in simple clothes and carrying sticks and hoes, rushing over with an aggressive air.
Leading them was an old man wearing a sheepskin hat and holding a simple blade.
His dark face was flushed with anger as he shouted, "What's the meaning of this? Coming here to worship the forest without a word? Are you trying to steal all the blessings from the surrounding villages? Or are you trying to summon some evil thing to harm us who make a living in this old forest?"
Seeing their hostile approach, the villagers from Dayang Village also stood up, grabbing whatever tools they could find.