Black python!
Shui Miao was startled and instinctively dared not move. She heard the young women behind her scream, “Snake! A big snake!”
They were extremely shocked—it was the largest snake they had ever seen in their lives.
Ma Po recognized this snake; it was the “Black Dragon God” of the Longshen Temple. In Ma Po’s heart, this black snake was at the same level as the “Great Immortal,” although she had never actually seen the black snake demon’s power.
The “Great Immortal” was a female ghost who had died long ago in the village but had cultivated to enlightenment. She shared a blood relation with Ma Po, and often told her stories about the black snake demon.
However, Ma Po was so frightened she couldn’t speak.
When Shui Miao first saw the black python, her immediate thought was naturally to run. But after a moment’s hesitation, she began to wonder—this snake must be highly venomous. Could its venom help break her seal? Yet the next moment, to Shui Miao’s and everyone else’s surprise, the black python suddenly turned and slithered into a hole beneath the grass.
The black python had made way for Shui Miao, causing everyone a false alarm.
But Ma Po was puzzled—seemingly, the python was afraid of Shui Miao. Then why hadn’t the “Great Immortal” returned yet?
“Let’s go find Lord Long Five.”
Shui Miao glanced at the dark hole beneath the grass—it was half a meter in diameter, pitch-black and bottomless.
Since the black python hadn’t attacked her, there was no need to provoke any trouble. Shui Miao quickly signaled the young women to lead the way westward toward the western village. Ma Po, filled with unease, walked at the back, constantly looking behind. Her original purpose had been to ask Shui Miao for help with the “Great Immortal,” but now that she had encountered the “Black Dragon God” while the Great Immortal remained missing, she couldn’t help but suspect—had the Great Immortal been destroyed by the Black Dragon God?
The young women knew the direction to the western village but didn’t know exactly where Lord Long Five lived.
Because of Long Five’s notorious reputation, the young people from the eastern village hardly knew anything about the western village.
But Ma Po did.
Black Python!
Shui Miao was startled and instinctively froze, not daring to move. Just then, he heard the young woman and the others behind him screaming, “Snake! A huge snake!”
They were utterly astonished—it was the largest snake any of them had ever seen in their lives.
Granny Ma recognized the snake. It was the “Black Dragon God” from the Dragon Temple. In her mind, this black snake held the same status as the “Great Immortal,” even though she had never personally witnessed the black snake demon’s power.
The “Great Immortal” was a long-deceased female ghost from the village who had cultivated her way to enlightenment. She was related to Granny Ma by blood and had often told her stories about the black snake demon.
However, Granny Ma was too terrified to speak.
At first glance, Shui Miao’s immediate thought was to flee. But after a moment’s hesitation, he began to wonder: *It must be highly venomous. Perhaps its venom could help me break the seal?* Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the black python suddenly turned and slithered into a hole beneath the grass.
The black python had made way for Shui Miao, giving everyone a false scare.
But Granny Ma was deeply puzzled. *It seemed the black python was afraid of Shui Miao, but why hasn’t the “Great Immortal” returned yet?*
“Let’s go find Master Long Wu.”
Shui Miao glanced at the black hole under the grass. It was about half a meter in diameter, dark and seemingly bottomless.
Since the black python hadn’t attacked him, Shui Miao saw no reason to provoke trouble. He quickly urged the young woman and the others to lead the way as they continued toward West Village. Granny Ma followed anxiously at the rear, constantly turning to look behind her. Her only purpose in coming was to seek Shui Miao’s help for the “Great Immortal.” But now, having encountered the “Black Dragon God” without any sign of the Great Immortal, she couldn’t help but wonder: *Had the Great Immortal been destroyed by the Black Dragon God?*
The young woman and the others knew the direction to West Village but had no idea where Master Long Wu’s house was located.
Due to Master Long Wu’s notorious reputation, most young people from East Village knew little about West Village.
But Granny Ma knew.
At everyone’s urging, she led them to the edge of a forest and pointed toward several bamboo houses. “It’s over there. I… I won’t go any further.” Granny Ma had witnessed the horrors of gu insects and would rather die than let those parasites invade her body. To her, that would be a fate worse than death.
“Wait here for me…”
Shui Miao’s vision was exceptionally sharp. From a distance, he could see countless disgusting gu insects behind the gauze nets—a sight so horrifying it made his skin crawl. He thought to himself, *I should have brought a pesticide sprayer to douse these insects with deadly poison. Better yet, I should kill that Master Long Wu too. Even if I end up serving decades in prison, it would be better than letting him harm people here.*
Unexpectedly, the young woman’s friends took out some insect-repelling herbs they always carried with them.
“Even with herbs, you shouldn’t go. These herbs can’t ward off all types of gu insects. I advise you to leave as soon as possible,” Granny Ma nervously warned everyone. The claim that herbs could repel insects was something the “Great Immortal” had told her to spread, but Granny Ma herself wasn’t sure if it was true.
“Enough. All of you stay here. Let me go take a look first.”
Impatient, Shui Miao shouted and strode down the path toward the bamboo houses. Along the way, he noticed droplets of blood on the ground and slowed down, becoming more cautious. Lifting the curtain, he saw Master Long Wu lying on a recliner with his eyes closed, his pus-covered hand slowly chewing on a herb leaf…
Master Long Wu’s face was deathly pale.
Shui Miao examined him and suddenly noticed blood under the recliner. On a nearby bamboo stool lay blood-stained scissors and needles, partially covered by herb leaves but not entirely concealed.
“Hmph!”
Seeing that the gu sorcerer was merely a wretched old man, Shui Miao snorted coldly. He looked at Master Long Wu and questioned, “Are you the evil gu sorcerer who killed Zhang Ling’s eldest and second brothers just because you were scared by a dog?”
“…”
Hearing this, Master Long Wu’s eyes snapped open.
He had just stitched his wound, applied medicine, dragged the corpse inside, and covered it with a white cloth. Sitting down, he heard an unfamiliar voice outside. He had hoped to scare the stranger away by pretending to be intimidating, but to his surprise, the stranger not only entered his house but also spoke to him in a disrespectful tone.
When he opened his eyes and saw that the intruder was Zhang Ling, he was utterly shocked!
“Are you human or a ghost?”
Master Long Wu was naturally terrified. The last time Zhang Ling had sought revenge, he had intercepted him midway, poisoned him with gu, and watched as Zhang Ling, driven to madness, drowned in the Shui Long River. Now, seeing him again, Master Long Wu couldn’t fathom it—he thought he was seeing a ghost. Yet, he wasn’t entirely certain, as he was under the protection of the Black Dragon God and had numerous talismans outside his house. Logically, a ghost shouldn’t dare to approach.
Shui Miao narrowed his eyes. “Did you kill Zhang Ling too?”
He observed Master Long Wu’s expression and sensed something unusually guilty about him.
“N-no, I didn’t kill him. Don’t you dare falsely accuse me!” Uncertain of the situation, Master Long Wu flatly denied it. Staring at Shui Miao, he asked, “Who are you? Why do you look exactly like Zhang Ling?”
“Because I am Zhang Ling!” Shui Miao raised his hand, deliberately saying this.
Master Long Wu shook his head agitatedly. “Impossible! Could it be that the corpse I retrieved wasn’t Zhang Ling’s?”
“Oh…”
Suddenly understanding, Shui Miao said, “So it was you who dug up the body. Let me see—did you also kill Zhang Juan’s entire family?” He walked further into the house. Although the interior was dimly lit, Shui Miao had already noticed several white cloths covering something inside.
He spoke casually, as if it were none of his concern.
“I’ll ask you one last time: who are you?” Feeling mocked, Master Long Wu grew furious. Shui Miao’s appearance had completely disrupted his thoughts, and he sensed a strong threat. He moved a bamboo basket beside him, revealing a row of bamboo holes, each with a red string connected to the gauze nets outside. Pulling the strings would open the nets, releasing the disgusting gu insects.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that I want to know why you harm people indiscriminately. Also, I’d like to see what exactly makes a gu sorcerer so formidable.” In one swift motion, Shui Miao pulled off a white cloth, revealing a corpse—Li Ermao’s body, completely naked, with red spots that had turned black.
Inside the room, there were six more corpses covered with white cloths.
Shui Miao uncovered them one by one…
In total, there were seven naked corpses. Two had been dead for a long time, reduced to hollow shells that resembled skeletal frames with dried skin stretched over them. Besides Zhang Juan, Li Ermao, and Li Gang, there were also two children’s corpses, covered with squirming insects—a nauseating sight that Shui Miao avoided examining closely.
Strangely, the corpses showed no signs of rotting despite being kept indoors.
Apart from the bodies, the room was filled with wooden shelves stacked densely with pottery jars of various sizes and types. Under the wooden bed holding the corpses were bamboo baskets filled with medicinal herbs, and in the corners were potted plants with unusually large leaves. The room had no windows and was exceptionally dark.
“It seems you’re someone the Zhang family from East Village hired from outside. As the saying goes, ‘a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake.’ What you’re doing doesn’t seem very proper, does it? If it’s about money, we can negotiate,” Master Long Wu said, observing how Shui Miao moved around the room as if it were his own home. He knew this person meant trouble and couldn’t be allowed to leave alive. “If you refuse money and insist on humiliating me, I’ll risk my life to teach you a lesson. But young man, you’re still very young!”
“True, I am young, but so what? Since I’m here, I’m not afraid of you. Stop trying to intimidate me.” Shui Miao walked up to Master Long Wu, noticed him gripping the red strings, and followed the bamboo connections to the gauze nets outside. He smirked and said, “Old man, aside from releasing insects to bite people, do you have any real skills?”
“You… you’re not afraid of gu insects?”
Seeing Shui Miao’s relaxed demeanor, Master Long Wu grew even more uncertain.
He suspected that this young man had come prepared, possibly with a way to counter his gu insects.
“Please, no more nonsense. Do you know any spells? Dark magic will do. Try casting a few on me—let me see what you’ve got. Come on, do it now.” Shui Miao was deliberately seeking someone powerful to help him break the seal.
Master Long Wu indeed possessed some knowledge of dark magic; otherwise, he wouldn’t have survived his severe injuries. However, he couldn’t comprehend this person who proactively sought trouble. *Why would someone like this exist? Is he a fool, a master, or simply a madman?*
“You’re really asking for trouble?”
Master Long Wu hardened his heart. *If someone seeks death, I won’t mind killing one more.*
“Come on, even if I am seeking death, use your real skills. I won’t blame you. I can’t wait!” Shui Miao squatted down, looking at Master Long Wu with genuine impatience.
“Fine, I’ll grant your wish…” Master Long Wu frowned deeply, paused, then raised his other hand and slowly reached into a bamboo basket. He pulled out a leather belt and handed it to Shui Miao. “Here, hold this belt for me first…”
“A belt!?”
Shui Miao licked his lips, unsure what trick Master Long Wu was playing. He reached out to take the belt, but the moment he touched it, the belt suddenly transformed into a venomous snake and bit his finger!
“You all stay here, don’t come over…”
Black Python!
Shui Miao was startled and instinctively froze, not daring to move. Just then, he heard the young woman and the others behind him screaming, “Snake! A huge snake!”
They were utterly astonished—it was the largest snake any of them had ever seen in their lives.
Granny Ma recognized the snake. It was the “Black Dragon God” from the Dragon God Temple. In her mind, this black snake was on the same level as the “Great Immortal,” even though she had never personally witnessed the black snake demon’s power.
The “Great Immortal” was a long-deceased female ghost from the village who had cultivated her way to enlightenment. She was related to Granny Ma by blood and had often told her stories about the black snake demon.
However, Granny Ma was too terrified to speak.
At first glance, Shui Miao’s instinct was to flee. But after a moment’s hesitation, he began to wonder: *It must be highly venomous. Perhaps its venom could help me break the seal?* Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the black python suddenly turned and slithered into a hole hidden in the grass.
The black python had made way for Shui Miao, giving everyone a false scare.
But Granny Ma was deeply puzzled. *It seemed the black python was afraid of Shui Miao, but why hasn’t the “Great Immortal” returned yet?*
“Let’s go find Elder Long Wu.”
Shui Miao glanced at the black hole in the grass. It was about half a meter in diameter, dark and seemingly bottomless.
Since the black python hadn’t attacked him, Shui Miao saw no reason to provoke trouble. He quickly urged the young woman and the others to lead the way as they continued toward West Village. Granny Ma followed anxiously at the rear, constantly glancing back. Her only purpose in coming was to seek Shui Miao’s help for the “Great Immortal.” But now, having encountered the “Black Dragon God” without any sign of the Great Immortal, she couldn’t help but wonder: *Had the Great Immortal been destroyed by the Black Dragon God?*
The young woman and the others knew the general direction of West Village but had no idea where Elder Long Wu’s house was located.
Due to Elder Long Wu’s notorious reputation, most young people from East Village knew little about West Village.
But Granny Ma knew.
At everyone’s urging, she led them to the edge of a forest and pointed toward several bamboo houses. “It’s over there. I… I won’t go any further.” Granny Ma had witnessed the horrors of gu insects and would rather die than let those parasites invade her body. To her, that would be a fate worse than death.
“Wait here for me…”
Shui Miao had exceptional eyesight. From a distance, he could see countless disgusting gu insects behind the mesh nets. The sight was so horrifying that it made his skin crawl, and he felt as if his goosebumps were about to burst through his clothes. *I should have brought a pesticide sprayer,* he thought. *I’d douse these gu insects with highly toxic pesticide, killing them all. Better yet, I’d take down that Elder Long Wu too. Even if I were sentenced to decades in prison, it would be better than letting him harm people here.*
Unexpectedly, the young woman’s friends took out some insect-repelling herbs they always carried with them.
“Even with herbs, you shouldn’t go. These herbs can’t ward off all types of gu insects. I advise you to leave as soon as possible,” Granny Ma nervously warned everyone. The claim that herbs could repel insects was something the “Great Immortal” had told her to spread, but Granny Ma herself wasn’t sure if it was true.
“Enough. All of you stay here. Let me go check it out first.”
Impatient, Shui Miao shouted and made his way along the path toward the bamboo houses. As he walked, he noticed droplets of blood on the ground and slowed down, becoming more cautious. Lifting the curtain, he saw Elder Long Wu lying on a recliner, his eyes closed. One of his hands, covered in blisters, held a medicinal herb that he was slowly chewing…
Elder Long Wu’s face was deathly pale.
Shui Miao observed him closely and suddenly noticed bloodstains under the recliner. On a nearby bamboo stool lay bloodied scissors and needles, partially covered by herb leaves but not completely hidden.
“Hmph!”
Seeing that the gu sorcerer was just a wretched old man, Shui Miao snorted coldly. He looked at Elder Long Wu and asked suspiciously, “Are you the evil gu sorcerer who killed Zhang Ling’s eldest and second brothers just because you were scared by a dog?”
“…”
Hearing this, Elder Long Wu’s eyes snapped open.
He had just stitched his wounds, applied medicine, dragged the corpse inside, and covered it with a white cloth. He had sat down, thinking he could scare away any strangers by lying there menacingly. But to his surprise, not only had the stranger not left, but he had entered the house and was now questioning him in a disrespectful tone.
When he opened his eyes and saw that the visitor was Zhang Ling, he was utterly shocked!
“Are you human or a ghost?”
Elder Long Wu was naturally afraid. The last time Zhang Ling had come for revenge, he had encountered him on the road, cast a gu curse on him, and Zhang Ling had drowned in the Shui Long River after losing his mind. Yet here he was again today, standing right in front of him. Elder Long Wu couldn’t make sense of it and wondered if he was seeing a ghost. But he wasn’t entirely sure—after all, he had the protection of the Black Dragon God, and his house was surrounded by protective charms. Ghosts shouldn’t be able to approach.
Shui Miao narrowed his eyes. “Did you kill Zhang Ling too?”
Reading Elder Long Wu’s guilty expression, Shui Miao sensed something was off.
“N-no, I didn’t kill him. Don’t you dare falsely accuse me!” Unclear about the situation, Elder Long Wu flatly denied it. He stared at Shui Miao and asked, “Who are you? Why do you look exactly like Zhang Ling?”
“Because I am Zhang Ling!” Shui Miao raised his hand, deliberately saying this.
Elder Long Wu shook his head agitatedly. “Impossible! Did I not retrieve Zhang Ling’s body?”
“Oh…”
Suddenly, Shui Miao understood. “So it was you who dug up the body. Let me see—did you also kill Zhang Juan’s entire family?” Shui Miao stepped further into the house. Although the interior was dimly lit, he had already noticed several white cloths covering something.
Shui Miao spoke casually, as if it were none of his business.
“I’ll ask you one last time: who are you?” Feeling mocked, Elder Long Wu grew furious. Shui Miao’s presence had completely disrupted his thoughts, and he felt a strong sense of threat. He moved a bamboo basket beside him, revealing a row of bamboo holes, each with a red string connected to the mesh nets outside. Pulling the strings would open the nets, releasing the disgusting gu insects.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that I want to know why you harm people indiscriminately. Also, I’d like to see what exactly makes a gu sorcerer so powerful.” With a swift motion, Shui Miao pulled aside a white cloth, revealing a corpse—it was Li Ermao’s body, completely naked, with red spots that had turned black.
Inside the room, there were six more corpses covered with white cloths.
Shui Miao uncovered them one by one…
There were seven naked corpses in total. Two had been dead for a long time, reduced to hollow shells that resembled skeletal frames covered with dried skin. Besides Zhang Juan, Li Ermao, and Li Gang, there were also two children’s corpses, swarming with wriggling insects—a horrifying sight that Shui Miao didn’t examine closely.
Strangely, the corpses showed no signs of rotting despite being kept indoors.
Apart from the bodies, the room was filled with wooden shelves stacked densely with pottery jars of various sizes and types. Under the wooden bed holding the corpses were bamboo baskets filled with medicinal herbs, and in the corners were potted plants with unusually large leaves. The room had no windows and was exceptionally dark.
“It seems you’re someone the Zhang family from East Village brought in from outside. As the saying goes, ‘a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake.’ What you’re doing doesn’t seem very proper, does it? If it’s about money, we can negotiate,” Elder Long Wu said, seeing how Shui Miao moved around the house as if he owned it. He knew this person meant trouble and couldn’t be allowed to leave alive. “If you’re not here for money but to humiliate me, then I’ll risk my life to teach you a lesson. But young man, you’re still very young!”
“True, I am young. But what of it? Since I’m here, I’m not afraid of you. Stop trying to scare me,” Shui Miao retorted. He walked up to Elder Long Wu, noticed him gripping the red strings, and followed the bamboo poles to see they were connected to the mesh nets outside. Smiling, he said, “Old man, besides releasing insects to bite people, do you have any real skills?”
“You… you’re not afraid of gu insects?”
Seeing Shui Miao’s relaxed demeanor, Elder Long Wu grew even more uncertain.
He suspected this young man had come prepared, perhaps with a way to counter his gu insects.
“Please, stop wasting time. Do you know any spells? Dark magic will do. Try a few on me—let me see what you’ve got. Come on, do it now,” Shui Miao said, genuinely hoping to find someone powerful enough to help break his seal.
Elder Long Wu did know some dark magic. Without it, he wouldn’t have survived his severe injuries. However, he couldn’t figure out this person who seemed to be inviting trouble. *Why would someone like this exist? Is he an idiot, a master, or just a madman?*
“You’re really asking for trouble?”
Elder Long Wu hardened his heart. If someone was seeking death, he wouldn’t mind adding one more to his count.
“Come on, even if I am seeking death, use your real skills. I won’t blame you. I can’t wait!” Shui Miao squatted down, looking at Elder Long Wu with genuine impatience.
“Fine, I’ll grant your wish…” Elder Long Wu frowned deeply. After a moment, he raised his other hand and slowly reached into a bamboo basket, pulling out a leather belt. He handed it to Shui Miao. “Here, hold this belt for me first…”
“A belt!?”
Shui Miao licked his lips, unsure what trick Elder Long Wu was playing. He reached out to take the belt, but the moment he touched it, the belt suddenly transformed into a venomous snake and bit his finger!
But to her surprise, the young women took out some insect-repelling herbs from their belongings—they always carried these on them.
Black Python!
Shui Miao was startled and instinctively froze, not daring to move. Just then, he heard the young woman and the others behind him screaming, “Snake! A huge snake!”
They were utterly shocked—it was the largest snake they had ever seen in their lives.
Granny Ma recognized the snake. It was the “Black Dragon Deity” from the Dragon God Temple. In her mind, this black snake was on the same level as the “Great Immortal,” even though she had never personally witnessed the black snake demon’s power.
The “Great Immortal” was a long-deceased female ghost from the village who had cultivated her way to enlightenment. She was related to Granny Ma by blood and had often told her stories about the black snake demon.
However, Granny Ma was too terrified to speak.
At first sight of the black python, Shui Miao’s immediate thought was to flee. But after a moment’s hesitation, he began to wonder: *It must be highly venomous. Perhaps its venom could help me break the seal?* Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the black python suddenly turned and slithered into a hole beneath the grass.
The black python had made way for Shui Miao, giving everyone a false scare.
But Granny Ma was deeply puzzled. It seemed the black python feared Shui Miao, so why hadn’t the “Great Immortal” returned yet?
“Let’s go find Master Long Wu.”
Shui Miao glanced at the black hole beneath the grass. It was about half a meter in diameter, dark and seemingly bottomless.
Since the black python hadn’t attacked him, Shui Miao saw no reason to provoke trouble. He quickly urged the young woman and the others to lead the way and continue toward West Village. Granny Ma followed anxiously at the rear, constantly looking back. Her only purpose in coming was to seek Shui Miao’s help for the “Great Immortal.” But now, although they had found the “Black Dragon Deity,” the Great Immortal was nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t help but wonder: *Had the Great Immortal been destroyed by the Black Dragon Deity?*
The young woman and the others knew the direction to West Village but had no idea where Master Long Wu’s house was located.
Due to Master Long Wu’s notorious reputation, most young people from East Village knew little about West Village.
But Granny Ma knew.
At everyone’s urging, Granny Ma led them to the edge of a forest and pointed toward several bamboo houses. “It’s over there. I… I won’t go any further.” Granny Ma had witnessed the horrors of gu insects and would rather die than let those creatures invade her body. To her, that would be a fate worse than death.
“Wait here for me…”
Shui Miao had exceptional eyesight. From a distance, he could see countless disgusting gu insects behind the gauze nets. The sight was so horrifying that it made his skin crawl, and he felt as if his goosebumps would tear through his clothes. *I should have brought a pesticide sprayer,* he thought. *I’d douse these gu insects with highly toxic pesticides and kill them all. Better yet, I’d take down that Master Long Wu too. Even if I ended up serving decades in prison, it would be better than letting him harm people here.*
To his surprise, the young woman’s friends took out some insect-repelling herbs they always carried with them.
“Even with these herbs, you shouldn’t go. They can’t ward off all types of gu insects. I advise you to leave as soon as possible,” Granny Ma nervously warned everyone. The claim that herbs could repel insects was something the “Great Immortal” had told her to spread, but Granny Ma herself wasn’t sure if it was true.
“Enough. All of you stay here. Let me go check it out first.”
Impatient, Shui Miao shouted and made his way along the path toward the bamboo house. As he walked, he noticed droplets of blood on the ground and slowed down, becoming more cautious. He lifted the curtain and saw Master Long Wu lying on a recliner, his eyes closed. One of his hands, covered in blisters, held a medicinal herb that he was slowly chewing…
Master Long Wu’s face was deathly pale.
Shui Miao studied him and suddenly noticed bloodstains under the recliner. On a nearby bamboo stool lay bloodied scissors and needles. Although there were herb leaves scattered about, they couldn’t completely conceal the tools.
“Hmph!”
Seeing that the gu sorcerer was just a wretched old man, Shui Miao snorted coldly. He looked at Master Long Wu and asked suspiciously, “Are you the evil gu sorcerer who killed Zhang Ling’s eldest and second brothers just because you were scared by a dog?”
“…”
Hearing this, Master Long Wu’s eyes snapped open.
He had just stitched his wounds, applied medicine, dragged the corpse inside, and covered it with a white cloth. He had sat down, thinking he could scare away any strangers by lying there menacingly. But to his surprise, not only had the stranger not left, but he had entered the house and was now questioning him in a disrespectful tone.
When he opened his eyes and saw that the visitor was Zhang Ling, he was utterly shocked!
“Are you human or a ghost?”
Master Long Wu was naturally terrified. The last time Zhang Ling had sought revenge, he had intercepted him midway, cast a gu curse upon him, and Zhang Ling had drowned in the Shui Long River. Yet here he was again today. Master Long Wu couldn’t comprehend it and wondered if he was seeing a ghost. But he wasn’t entirely certain—after all, he had the protection of the Black Dragon Deity, and his house was surrounded by numerous protective charms. Logically, ghosts shouldn’t dare to approach.
Shui Miao narrowed his eyes. “Did you kill Zhang Ling too?”
He observed Master Long Wu’s expression and sensed that his guilt was unusually evident.
“N-no, I didn’t kill him. Don’t you dare falsely accuse me!” Uncertain of the situation, Master Long Wu flatly denied it. He stared at Shui Miao and asked, “Who are you? Why do you look exactly like Zhang Ling?”
“Because I am Zhang Ling!” Shui Miao raised his hand and said this deliberately.
Master Long Wu shook his head agitatedly. “Impossible! Did I not retrieve Zhang Ling’s corpse?”
“Oh…”
Suddenly, Shui Miao understood. “So it was you who dug up the body. Let me see—did you also kill Zhang Juan’s entire family?” He stepped further into the house. Although the interior was dimly lit, Shui Miao had already noticed several white cloths covering something inside.
He spoke casually, as if it were none of his concern.
“Let me ask you one last time: who are you?” Feeling mocked, Master Long Wu grew furious. Shui Miao’s appearance had completely disrupted his thoughts, and he sensed a strong threat. He moved a bamboo basket beside him, revealing a row of bamboo holes, each with a red string attached. These strings were connected to the gauze nets outside—pulling them would release the disgusting gu insects.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that I want to know why you harm people indiscriminately. Also, I’d like to see what exactly makes a gu sorcerer so powerful.” In one swift motion, Shui Miao pulled aside the white cloth, revealing a corpse—it was Li Ermao’s body, completely naked, with red spots that had turned black.
Inside the room, there were six more corpses covered with white cloths.
Shui Miao uncovered them one by one…
There were seven naked corpses in total. Two had been dead for a long time, reduced to hollow shells that resembled skeletal frames covered with dried skin. Besides Zhang Juan, Li Ermao, and Li Gang, there were also two children’s corpses. These two were covered with wriggling insects, making the sight extremely nauseating, so Shui Miao didn’t examine them closely.
Strangely, the corpses showed no signs of rotting despite being kept indoors.
Apart from the bodies, the room was filled with wooden shelves stacked densely with pottery jars of various sizes and types. The entire space was cluttered with these items. Additionally, under the wooden bed holding the corpses were bamboo baskets filled with herbs, and potted plants with unusually large leaves stood in every corner. The room had no windows and was exceptionally dark.
“It appears you’re an outsider brought in by the Zhang family from East Village. As the old saying goes, ‘a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local serpent.’ Your actions seem rather inappropriate, don’t they? If it’s a matter of money, we can certainly discuss it,” Master Long Wu remarked, watching Shui Miao move about the house as though it were his own. He recognized that this individual was trouble and couldn’t be allowed to leave alive. “If you reject money and are determined to humiliate me, then I’ll stake my life to stand with you. But young man, you’re still very young!”
“True, I am young. But so what? Since I’m here, I’m not afraid of you. Stop trying to scare me,” Shui Miao retorted. He walked over to Master Long Wu, noticed him gripping the red strings, and followed the bamboo poles to see they were connected to the gauze nets outside. He smirked and said, “Old man, besides releasing insects to bite people, do you have any real skills?”
“You… you’re not afraid of gu insects?”
Seeing Shui Miao’s relaxed demeanor, Master Long Wu grew even more uncertain.
He felt that this young man must have come prepared, possibly with a way to counter his gu insects.
“Please, stop wasting time. Do you know any spells? Dark magic will do too. Try casting a few on me—let me see how it feels. Come on, do it now,” Shui Miao said, genuinely hoping to find someone powerful enough to help him break the seal.
Master Long Wu indeed possessed some knowledge of dark magic. Without it, he would not have survived his grave injuries. Yet, he couldn’t comprehend this individual who proactively sought out trouble. *Why does such a person exist in this world? Is he a fool, a master, or simply a madman?*
“You’re really asking for trouble?”
Master Long Wu steeled his resolve. Since someone was courting death, he had no qualms about taking another life.
“Come on, even if I am seeking death, use your real skills. I won’t blame you. I can’t wait!” Shui Miao squatted down, looking at Master Long Wu with genuine impatience.
“Fine, then I’ll grant your wish…” Master Long Wu frowned deeply, paused for a moment, then raised his other hand and slowly reached into a bamboo basket. He pulled out a leather belt and handed it to Shui Miao. “Here, hold this belt for me first…”
“A belt!?”
Shui Miao licked his lips, unsure what trick Master Long Wu was playing. He reached out to take the belt, but the moment he touched it, the belt suddenly transformed into a venomous snake and bit his finger!
“Alright, you all stay here. Let me go check first.”
Impatiently, Shui Miao shouted and then walked down the path toward the bamboo huts. Along the way, she noticed scattered drops of blood, so she slowed down and became more cautious. Lifting the curtain, she saw Lord Long Five lying on a reclining chair with his eyes closed. His pus-covered hand was slowly chewing on a piece of herbal leaf…
Lord Long Five’s face was deathly pale.
Shui Miao glanced at him and suddenly noticed bloodstains beneath the chair. Beside it, on a bamboo stool, lay a pair of bloody scissors and sewing thread. Though partially covered with herbal leaves, the blood hadn’t been fully concealed.
“Hmph!”
Black Python!
Shui Miao was startled and instinctively froze, not daring to move. Just then, he heard the young woman and the others behind him screaming, “Snake! A huge snake!”
They were utterly astonished—it was the largest snake any of them had ever seen in their lives.
Granny Ma recognized the snake. It was the “Black Dragon God” from the Dragon God Temple. In her mind, this black snake was on the same level as the “Great Immortal,” even though she had never personally witnessed the black snake demon’s power.
The “Great Immortal” was a long-deceased female ghost from the village who had cultivated her way to enlightenment. She was related to Granny Ma by blood and had often told her stories about the black snake demon.
Yet, Granny Ma was too terrified to speak.
At first sight of the black python, Shui Miao’s immediate thought was to flee. But after a moment’s hesitation, he began to wonder: *It must be highly venomous. Perhaps its venom could help me break the seal?*
To everyone’s surprise, however, the black python suddenly turned and slithered into a hole hidden in the grass.
The black python had made way for Shui Miao, giving everyone a false scare.
But Granny Ma was deeply puzzled. It seemed the black python was afraid of Shui Miao, yet why hadn’t the “Great Immortal” returned?
“Let’s go find Master Long Wu,” Shui Miao said.
He glanced at the black hole in the grass, about half a meter in diameter, dark and seemingly bottomless.
Since the black python hadn’t attacked him, Shui Miao saw no reason to provoke trouble. He quickly urged the young woman and the others to lead the way as they continued toward West Village. Granny Ma followed anxiously at the rear, constantly looking back over her shoulder. Her only purpose in coming was to seek Shui Miao’s help for the “Great Immortal.” But now, having encountered the “Black Dragon God” with no sign of the Great Immortal, she couldn’t help but wonder: *Had the Great Immortal been destroyed by the Black Dragon God?*
The young woman and her companions knew the direction to West Village but had no idea where Master Long Wu’s house was located.
Due to Long Wu’s notorious reputation, most young people from East Village knew little about West Village.
But Granny Ma knew.
At everyone’s urging, she led them to the edge of a forest and pointed toward several bamboo houses. “It’s over there. I… I won’t go any further.” Granny Ma had witnessed the horrors of gu insects and would rather die than let those parasites invade her body. To her, that would be a fate worse than death.
“Wait here for me…”
Shui Miao’s eyesight was exceptionally sharp. From a distance, he could see countless disgusting gu insects behind the gauze nets—a sight so horrifying it made his skin crawl. He thought to himself, *I should have brought a pesticide sprayer to douse these insects with deadly poison. Better yet, I should take down Long Wu himself. Even if I end up serving decades in prison, it would be better than letting him continue harming people.*
Unexpectedly, the young woman’s friends took out some insect-repelling herbs they always carried with them.
“Even with herbs, it’s not safe. These can’t ward off all types of gu insects. I advise you to leave as soon as possible,” Granny Ma urged nervously. The claim that herbs could repel insects was something the “Great Immortal” had told her to spread, but Granny Ma herself wasn’t entirely convinced.
“Enough. All of you stay here. Let me go check it out first.”
Impatient, Shui Miao strode down the path toward the bamboo houses. Along the way, he noticed droplets of blood on the ground and slowed his pace, growing cautious. He lifted the curtain and saw Long Wu lying on a recliner, his eyes closed. One of Long Wu’s hands, covered in blisters, held a medicinal herb that he was slowly chewing.
Long Wu’s face was deathly pale.
As Shui Miao observed him, he noticed bloodstains under the recliner and a bloodied pair of scissors and needle thread on a nearby bamboo stool. Though partially covered by herb leaves, the blood was still visible.
“Hmph!”
Seeing that the gu sorcerer was merely a wretched old man, Shui Miao snorted coldly. “Are you the evil gu sorcerer who killed Zhang Ling’s eldest and second brothers just because you were scared by a dog?”
Hearing this, Long Wu’s eyes snapped open.
He had just stitched his wounds, applied medicine, dragged the corpses inside, and covered them with white cloth. He had sat down, hoping to scare away any strangers by pretending to be intimidating. But instead of leaving, this stranger had entered his home and was now questioning him in a confrontational tone.
When Long Wu saw that the intruder was Zhang Ling, he was utterly shocked.
“Are you human or a ghost?”
Long Wu was naturally terrified. The last time Zhang Ling had come for revenge, Long Wu had encountered him midway, cast a gu curse on him, and watched as Zhang Ling, driven insane, drowned in the Shui Long River. Yet here he was again, standing before him. Long Wu couldn’t make sense of it and wondered if he was seeing a ghost. But he was also uncertain—after all, he was under the protection of the Black Dragon God, and his house was surrounded by protective charms. Logically, ghosts shouldn’t be able to approach.
Shui Miao narrowed his eyes. “Did you kill Zhang Ling too?”
He could tell from Long Wu’s expression that something was off.
“N-no, I didn’t kill him. Don’t falsely accuse me,” Long Wu denied, his voice shaky. He stared at Shui Miao and asked, “Who are you? Why do you look exactly like Zhang Ling?”
“Because I am Zhang Ling!” Shui Miao raised his hand, deliberately provoking him.
Long Wu shook his head in agitation. “Impossible! Did I not retrieve Zhang Ling’s corpse?”
“Oh…”
Suddenly, everything clicked for Shui Miao. “So you dug up the body. Let me see—did you also kill Zhang Juan’s entire family?” He strode further into the room. Though it was dimly lit, Shui Miao had already noticed several white cloths covering something inside.
He spoke casually, as if it were none of his concern.
“I’ll ask you one last time: who are you?” Feeling mocked, Long Wu grew furious. Shui Miao’s presence had completely disrupted his thoughts, and he sensed a grave threat. He moved a bamboo basket beside him, revealing a row of bamboo holes, each with a red string connected to the gauze nets outside. With a pull of those strings, the nets would open, releasing hordes of disgusting gu insects.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is why you harm innocent people, and I want to see what makes a gu sorcerer so formidable.” In one swift motion, Shui Miao pulled back a white cloth, revealing a corpse—Li Ermao’s naked body, covered in dark red spots.
There were six more corpses covered in white cloth inside the room.
Shui Miao uncovered them one by one.
Seven naked corpses in total. Two had been dead for a long time, reduced to hollow shells—little more than skeletons with dried skin stretched over them. Besides Zhang Juan, Li Ermao, and Li Gang, there were also two children’s corpses, swarming with wriggling insects—a sight so nauseating that Shui Miao didn’t look too closely.
Strangely, the corpses showed no signs of rotting despite being kept indoors.
Aside from the bodies, the room was packed with wooden shelves densely lined with clay pots of various sizes and types. Beneath the wooden bed that held the corpses were bamboo baskets filled with herbs, and in every corner stood potted plants with unusually large leaves. The room had no windows and was exceptionally dark.
“It seems you’re someone the Zhang family from East Village brought in from outside. As the saying goes, ‘a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake.’ What you’re doing doesn’t seem very proper, does it? If it’s about money, we can negotiate,” Long Wu said, observing how Shui Miao moved around the room as if he owned the place. He knew this person meant trouble and couldn’t be allowed to leave alive. “If you’re not here for money but to cause me trouble, then I’ll risk my life to keep you company. But young man, you’re still very young!”
“True, I am young. But so what? Since I’m here, I’m not afraid of you. Stop trying to scare me,” Shui Miao retorted. He walked over to Long Wu, noticed the red strings he was holding, and followed them to the bamboo poles connected to the gauze nets outside. Smiling, he said, “Old man, besides releasing insects to bite people, do you have any real skills?”
“You… you’re not afraid of gu insects?”
Long Wu grew even more uneasy seeing Shui Miao’s relaxed demeanor.
He suspected this young man had come prepared, possibly with a way to counter his gu insects.
“Please, spare me the nonsense. Do you know any spells? Dark magic will do. Try a few on me—let me see what you’ve got. Come on, show me now,” Shui Miao said, genuinely hoping to find someone powerful enough to help break his seal.
Long Wu did know some dark magic—without it, he wouldn’t have survived his severe injuries. But he couldn’t figure out this person who seemed to be inviting trouble. *Why would anyone like this exist? Is he an idiot, a master, or just a madman?*
“You’re really asking for trouble?”
Long Wu steeled himself. If someone was seeking death, he wouldn’t mind adding one more to his tally.
“Come on, even if I am seeking death, use your real skills. I won’t blame you. I can’t wait!” Shui Miao squatted down, looking at Long Wu with genuine impatience.
“Fine, I’ll grant your wish…” Long Wu frowned deeply, paused, then raised his other hand and slowly reached into a bamboo basket. He pulled out a leather belt and handed it to Shui Miao. “Here, hold this for me first…”
“A belt!?”
Shui Miao licked his lips, unsure what trick Long Wu was playing. He reached out to take the belt, but the moment he touched it, the belt transformed into a venomous snake that sank its fangs into his finger!
…
Hearing this, Long Five’s eyes flew open.
He had just sewn up his wounds, applied medicine, dragged the corpse into the house, and covered it with a white sheet. He had just sat down when he heard a stranger’s voice outside. Originally, he had hoped pretending to be dead would scare the stranger away. But he hadn’t expected the stranger not only to stay but to enter the house and question him so rudely.
When he opened his eyes and saw the visitor was Zhang Ling, he was utterly shocked!
“Are you a ghost or a human?”
Black Python!
Shui Miao was startled and instinctively froze, not daring to move. Just then, he heard the young wife and the others behind him screaming, “Snake! A huge snake!”
They were utterly shocked—it was the largest snake any of them had ever seen in their lives.
Granny Ma recognized the snake. It was the “Black Dragon God” from the Dragon Temple. In her mind, this black snake was on the same level as the “Great Immortal,” even though she had never personally witnessed the black snake demon’s power.
The “Great Immortal” was a long-deceased female ghost from the village who had cultivated her way to immortality. She was related to Granny Ma by blood and had often told her stories about the black snake demon.
However, Granny Ma was too terrified to speak.
At first glance, Shui Miao’s instinct was to flee. But after a moment’s hesitation, he began to wonder: *It must be highly venomous. Perhaps its venom could help me break the seal?* Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the black python suddenly turned and slithered into a hole beneath the grass.
The black python had made way for Shui Miao, giving everyone a false scare.
But Granny Ma was deeply puzzled. *It seemed the black python was afraid of Shui Miao, but why hasn’t the “Great Immortal” returned yet?*
“Let’s go find Elder Long Wu.”
Shui Miao glanced at the black hole under the grass. It was about half a meter in diameter, dark and seemingly bottomless.
Since the black python hadn’t attacked him, there was no need to stir up trouble. Shui Miao quickly urged the young wife and the others to lead the way as they continued toward West Village. Granny Ma followed anxiously at the rear, constantly turning back to look. Her only purpose in coming was to seek Shui Miao’s help for the “Great Immortal.” But now, they had found the “Black Dragon God,” yet the Great Immortal was nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t help but wonder: *Had the Great Immortal been destroyed by the Black Dragon God?*
The young wife and the others knew the direction to West Village but had no idea where Elder Long Wu’s house was located.
Due to Elder Long Wu’s notorious reputation, most young people from East Village knew little about West Village.
But Granny Ma knew.
At everyone’s urging, Granny Ma led them to the edge of a forest and pointed toward several bamboo houses. “It’s over there. I… I won’t go any further.” Granny Ma had witnessed the horrors of gu insects before. She would rather die than let those insects infest her body—she believed even death wouldn’t cleanse her if that happened.
“Wait here for me…”
Shui Miao had exceptional eyesight. From a distance, he could see countless disgusting gu insects behind the mesh nets. The sight was so horrifying that it made his skin crawl, and he felt as if his goosebumps would tear through his clothes. *I should have brought a pesticide sprayer,* he thought. *I’d douse these gu insects with highly toxic pesticides and kill them all. Better yet, I’d take down that Elder Long Wu too. Even if I were sentenced to decades in prison, it would be better than watching him harm people here.*
Unexpectedly, the young wife’s friends took out some insect-repelling herbs they always carried with them.
“Even with herbs, you shouldn’t go. These herbs can’t ward off all types of gu insects. I advise you to leave as soon as possible,” Granny Ma urged nervously. The claim that herbs could repel insects was something the “Great Immortal” had told her to spread, but Granny Ma herself wasn’t sure if it was true.
“Enough. All of you stay here. Let me go take a look first.”
Impatient, Shui Miao shouted and made his way along the path toward the bamboo house. As he walked, he noticed droplets of blood on the ground and slowed down, becoming more cautious. Lifting the curtain, he saw Elder Long Wu lying on a recliner, his eyes closed. One of his hands, covered in blisters, held a medicinal herb that he was slowly chewing…
Elder Long Wu’s face was deathly pale.
Shui Miao studied him and suddenly noticed blood under the recliner. On a nearby bamboo stool lay blood-stained scissors and needles, partially covered by herb leaves but not completely hidden.
“Hmph!”
Seeing that the gu sorcerer was just a wretched old man, Shui Miao snorted coldly. He looked at Elder Long Wu and asked suspiciously, “Are you the evil gu sorcerer who killed Zhang Ling’s eldest and second brothers just because you were scared by a dog?”
“…”
Hearing this, Elder Long Wu’s eyes snapped open.
He had just stitched his wounds, applied medicine, dragged the corpse inside, and covered it with a white cloth. He had sat down, thinking he could scare away any strangers by lying there menacingly. But to his surprise, not only had the stranger not left, but he had entered the house and was now questioning him in a disrespectful tone.
When he opened his eyes and saw that the visitor was Zhang Ling, he was utterly shocked!
“Are you human or a ghost?”
Elder Long Wu was naturally afraid. The last time Zhang Ling had come for revenge, he had encountered him on the road, cast a gu spell on him, and Zhang Ling had drowned in the Shuilong River. Yet here he was again today. Elder Long Wu couldn’t make sense of it and thought he was seeing a ghost. But he wasn’t entirely sure—after all, he had the protection of the Black Dragon God, and there were numerous protective charms outside his house. Ghosts shouldn’t dare to approach.
Shui Miao narrowed his eyes. “Did you kill Zhang Ling too?”
Shui Miao observed Elder Long Wu’s expression and sensed that his guilt was unusually evident.
“N-no, I didn’t kill him. Don’t you dare falsely accuse me!” Uncertain of the situation, Elder Long Wu flatly denied it. He stared at Shui Miao and asked, “Who are you? Why do you look exactly like Zhang Ling?”
“Because I am Zhang Ling!” Shui Miao raised his hand, deliberately saying this.
Elder Long Wu shook his head agitatedly. “Impossible! Did I not retrieve Zhang Ling’s corpse?”
“Oh…”
Suddenly, Shui Miao understood. “So it was you who dug up the corpse. Let me see—did you also kill Zhang Juan’s entire family?” Shui Miao stepped further into the house. Although it was dim inside, he had already noticed several white cloths covering something.
Shui Miao spoke casually, as if it were none of his business.
“I’ll ask you one last time: who are you?” Feeling mocked, Elder Long Wu grew furious. Shui Miao’s appearance had completely disrupted his thoughts, and he sensed a strong threat. He moved a bamboo basket beside him, revealing a row of bamboo holes, each with a red string. The strings were connected to mesh nets outside—pulling them would release the disgusting gu insects.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that I want to know why you harm people indiscriminately. And I want to see what exactly makes a gu sorcerer so powerful.” In one swift motion, Shui Miao pulled off the white cloth, revealing a corpse—it was Li Ermao’s body, completely naked, with red spots that had turned black.
Inside the room, there were six more corpses covered with white cloths.
Shui Miao uncovered them one by one…
There were seven naked corpses in total. Two had been dead for a long time, reduced to hollow shells that resembled skeletal frames covered with dried skin. Besides Zhang Juan, Li Ermao, and Li Gang, there were also two children’s corpses. These two were covered with wriggling insects, making them too disgusting to examine closely.
Strangely, the corpses showed no signs of rotting despite being kept indoors.
Apart from the corpses, the room was filled with wooden shelves stacked densely with clay pots of various sizes and types. Under the wooden bed holding the corpses were bamboo baskets filled with herbs, and in the corners were potted plants with unusually large leaves. The room had no windows and was exceptionally dark.
“It seems you’re someone the Zhang family from East Village brought from outside. As the saying goes, ‘a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake.’ What you’re doing doesn’t seem very proper, does it? If it’s about money, we can negotiate,” Elder Long Wu said, seeing how Shui Miao moved around the house as if it were his own. He knew this person meant trouble and couldn’t be allowed to leave alive. “If you refuse money and insist on humiliating me, I’ll risk my life to teach you a lesson. But young man, you’re still very young!”
“Yes, I am young. So what? Since I’m here, I’m not afraid of you. Stop trying to scare me.” Shui Miao walked up to Elder Long Wu, noticed him gripping the red strings, and followed the bamboo poles to see they were connected to the mesh nets outside. He smiled and said, “Old man, besides releasing insects to bite people, do you have any real skills?”
“You… you’re not afraid of gu insects?”
Seeing Shui Miao’s relaxed demeanor, Elder Long Wu grew even more uncertain.
He felt this young man must have come prepared, possibly with a way to counter his gu insects.
“Please, stop wasting time. Do you know any spells? Dark magic will do. Try a few on me—let me see what you’ve got. Come on, do it now.” Shui Miao was deliberately seeking someone powerful to help break his seal.
Elder Long Wu was indeed versed in some dark arts. Without them, he would not have survived his grievous wounds. Yet, he couldn’t comprehend this individual who proactively sought out conflict. *Why does someone like this exist? Is he a fool, a master, or simply a madman?*
“You’re really asking for trouble?”
Elder Long Wu hardened his heart. If someone was seeking death, he didn’t mind killing one more.
“Come on, even if I am seeking death, use your real skills. I won’t blame you. I can’t wait!” Shui Miao squatted down, looking at Elder Long Wu with genuine impatience.
“Fine, I’ll grant your wish…” Elder Long Wu frowned deeply, paused, then raised his other hand and slowly reached into a bamboo basket. He pulled out a leather belt and handed it to Shui Miao. “Here, hold this belt for me first…”
“A belt!?”
Shui Miao licked his lips, unsure what trick Elder Long Wu was playing. He reached out to take the belt, but the moment he touched it, the belt suddenly transformed into a venomous snake and bit his finger!
Shui Miao narrowed her eyes. “So you killed Zhang Ling too?”
Judging from Long Five’s expression, Shui Miao felt his nervousness was abnormal.
“No, no, I didn’t kill him. Don’t make false accusations!” Not knowing the situation, Long Five denied everything, then asked Shui Miao, “Who are you really? Why do you look exactly like Zhang Ling?”
“Because I am Zhang Ling!” Shui Miao raised her hand deliberately.
Long Five shook his head in agitation. “Impossible! Then wasn’t the body I retrieved not Zhang Ling’s?”
“Oh…”
Shui Miao suddenly understood. “So it was you who dug up the corpse. Let me see—did you kill Zhang Juan’s entire family too?” Shui Miao stepped further into the house. Though dimly lit inside, she had already seen several white sheets covering something.
Shui Miao spoke casually, as if nothing concerned her.
Black Python!
Shui Miao was startled and instinctively froze, not daring to move. Just then, he heard the young woman and the others behind him screaming, “Snake! A huge snake!”
They were utterly shocked—it was the largest snake they had ever seen in their lives.
Granny Ma recognized the snake. It was the “Black Dragon God” from the Dragon God Temple. In her mind, this black snake was on the same level as the “Great Immortal,” even though she had never personally witnessed the black snake demon’s power.
The “Great Immortal” was a long-deceased female ghost from the village who had cultivated her way to immortality. She was related to Granny Ma by blood and had often told her stories about the black snake demon.
However, Granny Ma was too terrified to speak.
At first glance, Shui Miao’s instinct was to flee. But after a moment’s hesitation, he began to wonder: *It must be highly venomous. Perhaps its venom could help me break the seal?* Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the black python suddenly turned and slithered into a hole beneath the grass.
The black python had made way for Shui Miao, giving everyone a false scare.
But Granny Ma was deeply puzzled. *It seemed the black python was afraid of Shui Miao, but why hasn’t the “Great Immortal” returned yet?*
“Let’s go find Master Long Wu.”
Shui Miao glanced at the black hole beneath the grass. It was about half a meter in diameter, dark and seemingly bottomless.
Since the black python hadn’t attacked him, Shui Miao saw no reason to provoke trouble. He quickly urged the young woman and the others to lead the way as they continued toward West Village. Granny Ma followed anxiously at the rear, constantly glancing back. Her only purpose in coming was to seek Shui Miao’s help for the “Great Immortal.” But now, they had found the “Black Dragon God,” yet the Great Immortal was nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t help but wonder: *Had the Great Immortal been destroyed by the Black Dragon God?*
The young woman and her friends knew the direction to West Village but had no idea where Master Long Wu’s house was. Due to Master Long Wu’s notorious reputation, most young people from East Village knew little about West Village.
But Granny Ma knew.
They asked her to lead the way, and she brought them to the edge of a forest. She stopped and pointed toward a few bamboo houses. “It’s over there. I… I won’t go any further.” Granny Ma had witnessed the horrors of gu insects and would rather die than let those worms invade her body. To her, that would be a fate worse than death.
“Wait here for me…”
Shui Miao’s vision was exceptionally sharp. From a distance, he could see countless disgusting gu insects behind the gauze nets. The sight was so horrifying that it made his skin crawl, and he felt as if his goosebumps would tear through his clothes. *I should have brought a pesticide sprayer,* he thought. *I’d douse these gu insects with highly toxic pesticides and kill them all. Better yet, I’d take out that Master Long Wu too. Even if I were sentenced to decades in prison, it would be better than letting him harm people here.*
To his surprise, the young woman’s friends took out some insect-repelling herbs they always carried with them.
“Even with herbs, you shouldn’t go. These herbs can’t ward off all gu insects. I advise you to leave as soon as possible,” Granny Ma urged nervously. The claim that herbs could repel insects was something the “Great Immortal” had told her to pass on to others, but Granny Ma herself wasn’t sure if it was true.
“Enough. All of you stay here. Let me go check it out first.”
Shui Miao impatiently snapped and then made his way along the path toward the bamboo houses. As he walked, he noticed droplets of blood on the ground and slowed down, becoming more cautious. He lifted the curtain and saw Master Long Wu lying on a recliner, his eyes closed. One of his hands, covered in blisters, held a medicinal herb that he was slowly chewing…
Master Long Wu’s face was deathly pale.
Shui Miao examined him and suddenly noticed blood under the recliner. On a nearby bamboo stool lay a bloody pair of scissors and some thread. Although there were herb leaves covering them, they couldn’t completely hide the bloodstains.
“Hmph!”
Seeing that the gu sorcerer was just a wretched old man, Shui Miao snorted coldly. He looked at Master Long Wu and asked suspiciously, “Are you the evil gu sorcerer who killed Zhang Ling’s eldest and second brothers just because you were scared by a dog?”
“…”
Hearing this, Master Long Wu’s eyes snapped open.
He had just stitched his wound, applied medicine, dragged the corpse inside, and covered it with a white cloth. He had sat down, thinking he could scare away any strangers by lying there menacingly. But to his surprise, not only had the stranger not left, but he had entered the house and was now questioning him in a disrespectful tone.
When he opened his eyes and saw that the visitor was Zhang Ling, he was utterly shocked!
“Are you human or a ghost?”
Master Long Wu was naturally afraid. The last time Zhang Ling had come for revenge, he had encountered him on the road, cast a gu spell on him, and Zhang Ling had drowned in the Shui Long River. Yet here he was again today. Master Long Wu couldn’t make sense of it and thought he was seeing a ghost. But he wasn’t entirely sure—after all, he had the protection of the Black Dragon God, and there were so many protective charms outside his house. By all means, ghosts shouldn’t be able to approach.
Shui Miao narrowed his eyes. “Did you kill Zhang Ling too?”
He observed Master Long Wu’s expression and sensed that his guilt was unusually evident.
“N-no, I didn’t kill him. Don’t you dare falsely accuse me!” Unclear about the situation, Master Long Wu flatly denied it. He stared at Shui Miao and asked, “Who are you? Why do you look exactly like Zhang Ling?”
“Because I am Zhang Ling!” Shui Miao raised his hand and said this deliberately.
Master Long Wu shook his head agitatedly. “Impossible! Did I not retrieve Zhang Ling’s corpse?”
“Oh…”
Suddenly, Shui Miao understood. “So it was you who dug up the corpse. Let me see—did you also kill Zhang Juan’s entire family?” He strode into the room. Although it was dim inside, Shui Miao had already noticed several white cloths covering something.
He spoke lightly, as if it were none of his business.
“I’ll ask you one last time: who are you?” Feeling mocked, Master Long Wu grew furious. Shui Miao’s appearance had completely disrupted his thoughts, and he sensed a strong threat. He moved a bamboo basket beside him, revealing a row of bamboo holes, each with a red string. These strings were connected to the gauze nets outside—pulling them would release the disgusting gu insects.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that I want to know why you harm people indiscriminately. And I want to see what exactly makes a gu sorcerer so powerful.” With a swift motion, Shui Miao pulled off the white cloth, revealing a corpse—Li Ermao’s body, completely naked, with red spots that had turned black.
Inside the room, there were six more corpses covered with white cloths.
Shui Miao uncovered them one by one…
There were seven naked corpses in total. Two had been dead for a long time and had turned into hollow shells, more like skeletons with dried skin stretched over them. Besides Zhang Juan, Li Ermao, and Li Gang, there were also two children’s corpses. These two were covered in squirming insects, making them too disgusting to examine closely.
Strangely, the corpses didn’t emit any foul odor despite being kept indoors.
Aside from the corpses, the room was filled with wooden shelves stacked densely with pottery jars of various sizes and types. The entire room was packed with these items. Under the wooden bed holding the corpses were bamboo baskets filled with herbs, and in the corners were potted plants with unusually large leaves. The room had no windows and was exceptionally dark.
“It seems you’re someone the Zhang family from East Village brought from outside. As the saying goes, ‘a strong dragon doesn’t suppress a local snake.’ What you’re doing doesn’t seem very proper, does it? If it’s about money, we can negotiate,” Master Long Wu said, seeing how Shui Miao acted as if he owned the place. He knew this person meant trouble and couldn’t be allowed to leave alive. “If you refuse money and insist on humiliating me, I’ll risk my life to keep you company. But young man, you’re still very young!”
“Yes, I am young. So what? Since I’m here, I’m not afraid of you. Stop trying to scare me.” Shui Miao walked up to Master Long Wu, noticed him gripping the red strings, and followed the bamboo poles to see they were connected to the gauze nets outside. He smiled and said, “Old man, besides releasing insects to bite people, do you have any real skills?”
“You… you’re not afraid of gu insects?”
Seeing Shui Miao’s relaxed demeanor, Master Long Wu grew even more uncertain.
He felt this young man must have come prepared, possibly with a way to counter his gu insects.
“Please, stop wasting time. Do you know any spells? Dark magic will do too. Try a few on me—let me see what you’ve got. Come on, do it now.” Shui Miao was deliberately seeking someone powerful to help him break the seal.
Master Long Wu was indeed versed in some dark arts. Without them, he would not have survived his grievous wounds. Yet, he could not comprehend this individual who proactively sought out conflict. *Why does such a person exist? Is he a fool, a master, or simply a madman?*
“Are you really asking for trouble?”
Master Long Wu hardened his heart. If someone was seeking death, he didn’t mind killing one more person.
“Come on, even if I am seeking death, use your real skills. I won’t blame you. I can’t wait!” Shui Miao squatted down, looking at Master Long Wu with genuine impatience.
“Fine, I’ll grant your wish…” Master Long Wu frowned deeply, paused, then raised his other hand and slowly reached into a bamboo basket. He pulled out a leather belt and handed it to Shui Miao. “Here, hold this belt for me first…”
“A belt!?”
Shui Miao licked his lips, unsure what trick Master Long Wu was playing. He reached out to take the belt, but the moment he touched it, the belt suddenly transformed into a venomous snake and bit his finger!
Black Python!
Shui Miao was startled and instinctively froze, not daring to move. Just then, he heard the young woman and the others behind him screaming, “Snake! A huge snake!”
They were utterly astonished—it was the largest snake any of them had ever seen in their lives.
Granny Ma recognized the snake. It was the “Black Dragon God” from the Dragon God Temple. In her mind, this black snake held the same status as the “Great Immortal,” even though she had never personally witnessed the black snake demon’s power.
The “Great Immortal” was a long-deceased female ghost from the village who had cultivated her way to enlightenment. She was related to Granny Ma by blood and had often told her stories about the black snake demon.
However, Granny Ma was too terrified to speak.
At first glance, Shui Miao’s immediate thought was to flee. But after a moment’s hesitation, he began to wonder: *It must be highly venomous. Perhaps its venom could help me break the seal?* Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the black python suddenly turned and slithered into a hole beneath the grass.
The black python had made way for Shui Miao, giving everyone a false scare.
But Granny Ma was deeply puzzled. It seemed the black python was afraid of Shui Miao, so why hadn’t the “Great Immortal” returned yet?
“Let’s go find Master Long Wu.”
Shui Miao glanced at the black hole under the grass. It was about half a meter in diameter, dark and seemingly bottomless.
Since the black python hadn’t attacked him, Shui Miao saw no reason to provoke trouble. He quickly urged the young woman and the others to lead the way as they continued toward West Village. Granny Ma followed anxiously at the rear, constantly looking back over her shoulder. Her only purpose in coming was to seek Shui Miao’s help for the “Great Immortal.” But now, having encountered the “Black Dragon God” without any sign of the Great Immortal, she couldn’t help but wonder: *Had the Great Immortal been destroyed by the Black Dragon God?*
The young woman and the others knew the direction to West Village but had no idea where Master Long Wu’s house was located.
Due to Master Long Wu’s notorious reputation, most young people from East Village knew little about West Village.
But Granny Ma knew.
At everyone’s urging, she led them to the edge of a forest and pointed toward several bamboo houses. “It’s over there. I… I won’t go any further.” Granny Ma had witnessed the horrors of gu insects and would rather die than let those insects invade her body. To her, that would be a fate worse than death.
“Wait here for me…”
Shui Miao’s vision was exceptionally sharp. From a distance, he could see countless disgusting gu insects behind the gauze nets. The sight was so horrifying that it made his skin crawl, and he felt as if his goosebumps were about to tear through his clothes. *I should have brought a pesticide sprayer,* he thought. *I’d douse these gu insects with highly toxic pesticides and kill them all. Better yet, I’d take out that Master Long Wu too. Even if I were sentenced to decades in prison, it would be better than letting him harm people here.*
Unexpectedly, the young woman’s friends took out some insect-repelling herbs they always carried with them.
“Even with herbs, you shouldn’t go. These herbs can’t ward off all types of gu insects. I advise you to leave as soon as possible,” Granny Ma nervously warned everyone. The claim that herbs could repel insects was something the “Great Immortal” had told her to spread, but Granny Ma herself wasn’t sure if it was true.
“Enough. All of you stay here. Let me go check it out first.”
Impatient, Shui Miao shouted and made his way along the path toward the bamboo houses. As he walked, he noticed droplets of blood on the ground and slowed down, becoming more cautious. Lifting the curtain, he saw Master Long Wu lying on a recliner with his eyes closed, slowly chewing on a herb with his pus-covered hand.
Master Long Wu’s face was deathly pale.
Shui Miao studied him and suddenly noticed blood under the recliner. On a nearby bamboo stool lay a bloody pair of scissors and some thread. Though covered with herb leaves, the bloodstains were still partially visible.
“Hmph!”
Seeing that the gu sorcerer was just a wretched old man, Shui Miao snorted coldly. He looked at Master Long Wu and asked suspiciously, “Are you the evil gu sorcerer who killed Zhang Ling’s eldest and second brothers just because you were scared by a dog?”
“…”
Hearing this, Master Long Wu’s eyes snapped open.
He had just stitched his wounds, applied medicine, dragged the corpse inside, and covered it with a white cloth. He had sat down, thinking he could scare away any strangers by lying there menacingly. But to his surprise, not only had the stranger not left, but he had entered the house and was now questioning him in a disrespectful tone.
When he opened his eyes and saw that the visitor was Zhang Ling, he was utterly shocked!
“Are you human or a ghost?”
Master Long Wu was naturally afraid. The last time Zhang Ling had come for revenge, he had encountered him midway, poisoned him with gu, and watched as Zhang Ling, driven insane, drowned in the Shui Long River. Yet here he was again today. Master Long Wu couldn’t make sense of it and wondered if he was seeing a ghost. But he wasn’t entirely sure—after all, he had the protection of the Black Dragon God, and there were so many protective charms outside his house. By all reasoning, ghosts shouldn’t be able to approach.
Shui Miao narrowed his eyes. “Did you kill Zhang Ling too?”
Reading Master Long Wu’s expression, Shui Miao sensed that his guilt was unusually evident.
“N-no, I didn’t kill him. Don’t you dare falsely accuse me!” Unclear about the situation, Master Long Wu flatly denied it. He stared at Shui Miao and asked, “Who are you? Why do you look exactly like Zhang Ling?”
“Because I am Zhang Ling!” Shui Miao raised his hand, deliberately saying this.
Master Long Wu shook his head agitatedly. “Impossible! Did I not retrieve Zhang Ling’s corpse?”
“Oh…”
Shui Miao suddenly understood. “So it was you who dug up the corpse. Let me see—did you also kill Zhang Juan’s entire family?” Shui Miao stepped further into the house. Although it was dim inside, he had already noticed several white cloths covering something.
Shui Miao spoke casually, as if it were none of his business.
“I’ll ask you one last time: who are you?” Feeling mocked, Master Long Wu grew furious. Shui Miao’s appearance had completely disrupted his thoughts, and he sensed a strong threat. He moved a bamboo basket beside him, revealing a row of bamboo holes, each with a red string connected to the gauze nets outside. Pulling the strings would open the nets, releasing the disgusting gu insects.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that I want to know why you harm people indiscriminately. Also, I’d like to see what exactly makes a gu sorcerer so powerful.” In one swift motion, Shui Miao pulled aside the white cloth, revealing a corpse—Li Ermao’s body, completely naked, with red spots that had turned black.
Inside the room, there were six more corpses covered with white cloths.
Shui Miao uncovered them one by one…
There were seven naked corpses in total. Two had been dead for a long time, reduced to hollow shells that resembled skeletal frames covered with dried skin. Besides Zhang Juan, Li Ermao, and Li Gang, there were also two children’s corpses, covered with wriggling insects—a nauseating sight that Shui Miao didn’t examine closely.
Strangely, the corpses showed no signs of rotting despite being kept indoors.
Apart from the corpses, the room was filled with wooden shelves stacked densely with pottery jars of various sizes and types. Under the wooden bed holding the corpses were bamboo baskets filled with herbs, and in the corners were potted plants with unusually large leaves. The room had no windows and was exceptionally dark.
“It seems you’re someone the Zhang family from East Village brought from outside. As the saying goes, ‘a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake.’ What you’re doing doesn’t seem very proper, does it? If it’s about money, we can negotiate,” Master Long Wu said, seeing how Shui Miao moved around the house as if he owned it. He knew this person meant trouble and couldn’t be allowed to leave alive. “If you refuse money and insist on humiliating me, I’ll risk my life to teach you a lesson. But young man, you’re still very young!”
“Yes, I am young. So what? Since I’m here, I’m not afraid of you. Stop trying to scare me,” Shui Miao retorted. He walked over to Master Long Wu, noticed him gripping the red strings, and followed the bamboo connections to the gauze nets outside. Smiling, he said, “Old man, besides releasing insects to bite people, do you have any real skills?”
“You… you’re not afraid of gu insects?”
Seeing Shui Miao’s relaxed demeanor, Master Long Wu grew even more uncertain.
He felt that this young man must have come prepared, possibly with a way to counter his gu insects.
“Please, stop wasting time. Do you know any spells? Dark magic will do. Try a few on me—let me see what you’ve got. Come on, do it now.” Shui Miao was deliberately seeking someone powerful to help break his seal.
Master Long Wu did know some dark magic. Without it, he wouldn’t have survived his severe injuries. However, he couldn’t figure out this person who had come looking for trouble. *Why would someone like this exist? Is he an idiot, a master, or just a madman?*
“You’re really asking for trouble?”
Master Long Wu hardened his heart. If someone was seeking death, he didn’t mind killing one more person.
“Come on, even if I am seeking death, use your real skills. I won’t blame you. I can’t wait!” Shui Miao squatted down, looking at Master Long Wu with genuine impatience.
“Fine, I’ll grant your wish…” Master Long Wu frowned deeply, paused, then raised his other hand and slowly reached into a bamboo basket. He pulled out a leather belt and handed it to Shui Miao. “Here, hold this belt for me first…”
“A belt!?”
Shui Miao licked his lips, unsure what trick Master Long Wu was playing. He reached out to take the belt, but the moment he touched it, it suddenly transformed into a venomous snake and bit his finger!
Inside the house, there were six more bodies covered with white sheets.
One by one, Shui Miao lifted them…
A total of seven naked corpses. Two had been dead for a long time, reduced to hollow shells, more skeleton than flesh, wrapped only in dried skin. Besides Zhang Juan, Li Ermiao, and Li Gang, there were also two small children’s corpses, crawling with insects—so horrifying that Shui Miao didn’t even bother to look closely.
But strangely, the corpses inside the house didn’t emit any foul smell.
Besides the corpses, the house also contained many wooden shelves arranged in rows, each filled with countless jars of various sizes and types. The entire room was packed with such items. Additionally, beneath the wooden beds where the corpses lay were bamboo baskets filled with medicinal herbs, and in each corner stood potted plants with unusually large leaves. Moreover, there were no windows, making the place especially dark.
“So, you must be someone sent by the Zhang family from the east village. As the saying goes, even a mighty dragon cannot overpower a local snake. What you’re doing here seems rather impolite. If it’s money you want, we can talk.” Seeing Shui Miao acting as if she owned the place, Long Five knew this person was no ordinary visitor—someone who absolutely could not be allowed to leave alive. “But if you don’t want money and insist on humiliating me, then I’ll go down with you. But young man, you’re still so young!”
“That’s right, I am young, but what of it? Since I’ve come, I’m not afraid of you. Stop trying to scare me.” Shui Miao approached Long Five and noticed him holding the red thread. Following the bamboo tubes outward, she saw they were connected to the mosquito netting outside. She smiled slightly. “Old man, besides releasing insects to bite people, do you have any real skills?”
Black Python!
Shui Miao was startled and instinctively froze, not daring to move. Just then, he heard the young woman and the others behind him screaming, “Snake! A huge snake!”
They were utterly shocked—it was the largest snake any of them had ever seen in their lives.
Granny Ma recognized the snake. It was the “Black Dragon God” from the Dragon God Temple. In her mind, this black snake was on the same level as the “Great Immortal,” even though she had never personally witnessed the black snake demon’s power.
The “Great Immortal” was a long-deceased female ghost from the village who had cultivated her way to enlightenment. She was related to Granny Ma by blood and had often told her stories about the black snake demon.
However, Granny Ma was too terrified to speak.
At first glance, Shui Miao’s instinct was to flee. But after a moment’s hesitation, he began to wonder: *It must be highly venomous. Perhaps its venom could help me break the seal?* Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the black python suddenly turned and slithered into a hole beneath the grass.
The black python had made way for Shui Miao, giving everyone a false scare.
But Granny Ma was deeply puzzled. *It seemed the black python was afraid of Shui Miao, but why hasn’t the “Great Immortal” returned yet?*
“Let’s go find Elder Long Wu.”
Shui Miao glanced at the black hole under the grass—half a meter in diameter, dark and bottomless.
Since the black python hadn’t attacked him, he saw no reason to cause trouble. He quickly urged the young woman and the others to lead the way as they continued toward West Village. Granny Ma followed anxiously at the rear, constantly turning to look behind her. Her only purpose in coming was to seek Shui Miao’s help for the “Great Immortal.” But now, they had found the “Black Dragon God,” yet the Great Immortal was nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t help but wonder: *Had the Great Immortal been destroyed by the Black Dragon God?*
The young woman and the others knew the direction to West Village but had no idea where Elder Long Wu’s house was. Due to Long Wu’s notorious reputation, most young people from East Village knew little about West Village.
But Granny Ma knew.
They asked her to lead the way, and soon they arrived at the edge of a forest. Granny Ma stopped and pointed toward several bamboo houses. “It’s over there. I… I won’t go any further.” She had witnessed the horrors of gu insects and would rather die than let those worms invade her body. To her, that would be a fate worse than death.
“Wait here for me…”
Shui Miao had exceptional eyesight. From a distance, he could see countless disgusting gu insects behind the mesh nets. The sight was so horrifying that it made his skin crawl, and he felt as if his goosebumps would tear through his clothes. *I should have brought a pesticide sprayer,* he thought. *I’d douse these gu insects with highly toxic pesticides and kill them all. Better yet, I’d take down that Elder Long Wu too. Even if I ended up serving decades in prison, it would be better than letting him harm people here.*
Unexpectedly, the young woman’s friends took out some insect-repelling herbs they always carried with them.
“Even with herbs, you shouldn’t go. These herbs can’t ward off all types of gu insects. I advise you to leave as soon as possible,” Granny Ma urged nervously. The claim that herbs could repel insects was something the “Great Immortal” had told her to spread, but Granny Ma herself wasn’t sure if it was true.
“Enough. All of you stay here. Let me go check it out first.”
Impatient, Shui Miao shouted and made his way along the path toward the bamboo house. As he walked, he noticed droplets of blood on the ground and slowed down, becoming more cautious. He lifted the curtain and saw Elder Long Wu lying on a recliner, his eyes closed. One of his hands, covered in blisters, held a medicinal herb that he was slowly chewing.
Elder Long Wu’s face was deathly pale.
Shui Miao studied him and suddenly noticed blood under the recliner. On a nearby bamboo stool lay a bloody pair of scissors and some thread. Though covered with herb leaves, the bloodstains were still visible.
“Hmph!”
Seeing that the gu sorcerer was just a wretched old man, Shui Miao snorted coldly. “So you’re the evil gu sorcerer who killed Zhang Ling’s eldest and second brothers just because a dog scared you?”
“…”
Hearing this, Elder Long Wu’s eyes snapped open.
He had just stitched his wound, applied medicine, dragged the corpse inside, and covered it with a white cloth. He had sat down, thinking he could scare away any strangers by pretending to be intimidating. But to his surprise, not only had the stranger not left, but he had entered the house and was now questioning him in a disrespectful tone.
When he opened his eyes and saw that the visitor was Zhang Ling, he was utterly shocked!
“Are you human or a ghost?”
Elder Long Wu was naturally terrified. The last time Zhang Ling had come for revenge, he had encountered him on the road, cast a gu spell on him, and watched as Zhang Ling, driven mad, drowned in the Shui Long River. Yet here he was again today. Elder Long Wu couldn’t make sense of it and wondered if he was seeing a ghost. But he wasn’t entirely sure—after all, he had the protection of the Black Dragon God, and his house was surrounded by protective charms. Logically, ghosts shouldn’t be able to get close.
Shui Miao narrowed his eyes. “Did you kill Zhang Ling too?”
He observed Elder Long Wu’s expression and sensed that his guilt was unusually evident.
“N-no, I didn’t kill him. Don’t you dare falsely accuse me!” Unclear about the situation, Elder Long Wu flatly denied it. He stared at Shui Miao and asked, “Who are you? Why do you look exactly like Zhang Ling?”
“Because I am Zhang Ling!” Shui Miao raised his hand, deliberately saying this.
Elder Long Wu shook his head agitatedly. “Impossible! Did I not retrieve Zhang Ling’s corpse?”
“Oh…”
Suddenly, Shui Miao understood. “So it was you who dug up the body. Let me see—did you also kill Zhang Juan’s entire family?” He walked further into the house. Though the interior was dim, Shui Miao had already noticed several white cloths covering something.
He spoke casually, as if it were none of his business.
“I’ll ask you one last time: who are you?” Feeling mocked, Elder Long Wu grew furious. Shui Miao’s appearance had completely disrupted his thoughts, and he sensed a serious threat. He moved a bamboo basket beside him, revealing a row of bamboo holes, each with a red string. These strings were connected to the mesh nets outside—pulling them would release the disgusting gu insects.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that I want to know why you harm people indiscriminately. And I’d like to see what exactly makes a gu sorcerer so powerful.” In one swift motion, Shui Miao pulled off a white cloth, revealing a corpse—Li Ermao’s body, completely naked, with red spots that had turned black.
Inside the room, there were six more corpses covered with white cloths.
Shui Miao uncovered them one by one…
There were seven naked corpses in total. Two had been dead for a long time, reduced to hollow shells that resembled skeletal frames covered with dried skin. Besides Zhang Juan, Li Ermao, and Li Gang, there were also two children’s corpses, swarming with wriggling insects—a nauseating sight that Shui Miao didn’t examine closely.
Strangely, the corpses showed no signs of rotting despite being kept indoors.
Apart from the bodies, the room was filled with wooden shelves stacked densely with pottery jars of various sizes and types. Under the wooden bed holding the corpses were bamboo baskets filled with herbs, and in every corner were potted plants with unusually large leaves. The room had no windows and was exceptionally dark.
“It seems you’re someone the Zhang family from East Village brought from outside. As the saying goes, ‘a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake.’ What you’re doing doesn’t seem very proper, does it? If it’s about money, we can negotiate,” Elder Long Wu said, seeing how Shui Miao moved around the house as if he owned it. He knew this person meant trouble and couldn’t be allowed to leave alive. “If you’re not here for money but to humiliate me, then I’ll risk my life to teach you a lesson. But young man, you’re still very young!”
“Yes, I am young. So what? Since I’m here, I’m not afraid of you. Stop trying to scare me,” Shui Miao retorted. He walked up to Elder Long Wu, noticed him gripping the red strings, and followed the bamboo poles to see they were connected to the mesh nets outside. He smirked. “Old man, aside from releasing insects to bite people, do you have any real skills?”
“You… you’re not afraid of gu insects?”
Elder Long Wu grew even more uncertain seeing Shui Miao’s relaxed demeanor.
He felt that this young man must have come prepared, possibly with a way to counter his gu insects.
“Please, stop wasting time. Do you know any spells? Dark magic will do. Try a few on me—let me see what you’ve got. Come on, do it now.” Shui Miao was deliberately seeking someone powerful to help break his seal.
Elder Long Wu did know some dark magic. Without it, he wouldn’t have survived his severe injuries. However, he couldn’t figure out this person who had come looking for trouble. *Why would someone like this exist? Is he an idiot, a master, or just a madman?*
“You’re really asking for trouble?”
Elder Long Wu hardened his heart. If someone was seeking death, he didn’t mind killing one more person.
“Come on, even if I am seeking death, use your real skills. I won’t blame you. I can’t wait!” Shui Miao squatted down, staring at Elder Long Wu with genuine impatience.
“Fine, I’ll grant your wish…” Elder Long Wu frowned deeply, paused, then raised his other hand and slowly reached into a bamboo basket. He pulled out a leather belt and handed it to Shui Miao. “Here, hold this for me first…”
“A leather belt!?”
Shui Miao licked his lips, unsure what trick Elder Long Wu was playing. He reached out to take the belt, but the moment he touched it, it suddenly transformed into a venomous snake and bit his finger!
Seeing Shui Miao’s relaxed expression, Long Five felt increasingly uneasy.
Black Python!
Shui Miao was startled and instinctively froze. Then he heard the young woman and others behind him screaming, “Snake! A huge snake!”
They were utterly shocked—it was the largest snake they had ever seen in their lives.
Granny Ma recognized the snake. It was the “Black Dragon God” from the Dragon God Temple. In her mind, this black snake held the same status as the “Great Immortal,” even though she had never personally witnessed the black snake demon’s power.
The “Great Immortal” was a long-deceased female ghost from the village who had cultivated her way to enlightenment. She was related to Granny Ma by blood and had often told her stories about the black snake demon.
However, Granny Ma was too terrified to speak.
At first glance, Shui Miao’s instinct was to flee. But after a moment’s hesitation, he began to wonder: *It must be highly venomous. Perhaps its venom could help me break the seal?* Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the black python suddenly turned and slithered into a hole beneath the grass.
The black python had made way for Shui Miao, giving everyone a false scare.
But Granny Ma was deeply puzzled. It seemed the black python was afraid of Shui Miao, so why hadn’t the “Great Immortal” returned?
“Let’s go find Elder Long Wu.”
Shui Miao glanced at the black hole under the grass. It was about half a meter in diameter, dark and seemingly bottomless.
Since the black python hadn’t attacked him, Shui Miao saw no reason to provoke trouble. He quickly urged the young woman and the others to lead the way as they continued toward West Village. Granny Ma followed anxiously at the rear, constantly looking back. Her only purpose in coming was to seek Shui Miao’s help for the “Great Immortal.” But now, they had found the “Black Dragon God,” yet the Great Immortal was nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t help but wonder: *Had the Great Immortal been destroyed by the Black Dragon God?*
The young woman and her companions knew the direction to West Village but had no idea where Elder Long Wu’s house was. Due to Elder Long Wu’s notorious reputation, most young people from East Village knew little about West Village.
But Granny Ma knew.
At everyone’s urging, she led them to the edge of a forest and pointed toward several bamboo houses. “It’s over there. I… I won’t go any further.” Granny Ma had witnessed the horrors of gu insects and would rather die than let those insects invade her body. To her, that would be a fate worse than death.
“Wait here for me…”
Shui Miao had exceptional eyesight. From a distance, he could see countless disgusting gu insects behind the gauze nets. The sight was so horrifying that it made his skin crawl, and he felt as if his goosebumps would tear through his clothes. *I should have brought a pesticide sprayer,* he thought. *I’d douse these gu insects with highly toxic pesticides and kill them all. Better yet, I’d take down that Elder Long Wu too. Even if I were sentenced to decades in prison, it would be better than letting him harm people here.*
Unexpectedly, the young woman’s friends took out some insect-repelling herbs they always carried with them.
“Even with herbs, you shouldn’t go. These herbs can’t ward off all gu insects. I advise you to leave as soon as possible,” Granny Ma nervously warned everyone. The claim that herbs could repel insects was something the “Great Immortal” had told her to spread, but Granny Ma herself wasn’t sure if it was true.
“Enough. All of you stay here. Let me go take a look first.”
Impatient, Shui Miao shouted and made his way along the path toward the bamboo house. On the way, he noticed droplets of blood on the ground and slowed down, becoming more cautious. Lifting the curtain, he saw Elder Long Wu lying on a recliner with his eyes closed, his pus-covered hand slowly chewing on a herb…
Elder Long Wu’s face was deathly pale.
Shui Miao examined him and suddenly noticed blood under the recliner. On a nearby bamboo stool lay blood-stained scissors and needles, partially covered by herb leaves but not entirely concealed.
“Hmph!”
Seeing that the gu sorcerer was merely a wretched old man, Shui Miao snorted coldly. He looked at Elder Long Wu and asked suspiciously, “Are you the evil gu sorcerer who killed Zhang Ling’s eldest and second brothers because you were scared by a dog?”
“…”
Hearing this, Elder Long Wu’s eyes snapped open.
He had just stitched his wounds, applied medicine, dragged the corpse inside, and covered it with a white cloth. He had sat down, thinking he could scare away any strangers by lying there menacingly. But to his surprise, not only had the stranger not left, but he had entered the house and was now questioning him in a disrespectful tone.
When he opened his eyes and saw that the visitor was Zhang Ling, he was utterly shocked!
“Are you human or a ghost?”
Elder Long Wu was naturally afraid. The last time Zhang Ling had come for revenge, he had encountered him on the road, cast a gu spell on him, and Zhang Ling had drowned in the Shui Long River. Yet here he was again today. Elder Long Wu couldn’t make sense of it and wondered if he was seeing a ghost. But he wasn’t entirely sure—after all, he had the protection of the Black Dragon God, and there were so many protective charms outside the house. By all means, ghosts shouldn’t be able to approach.
Shui Miao narrowed his eyes. “Did you kill Zhang Ling too?”
He observed Elder Long Wu’s expression and sensed that his guilt was unusually evident.
“N-no, I didn’t kill him. Don’t you dare falsely accuse me!” Unclear about the situation, Elder Long Wu flatly denied it. He stared at Shui Miao and asked, “Who are you? Why do you look exactly like Zhang Ling?”
“Because I am Zhang Ling!” Shui Miao raised his hand, deliberately saying this.
Elder Long Wu shook his head agitatedly. “Impossible! Did I not retrieve Zhang Ling’s corpse?”
“Oh…”
Shui Miao suddenly understood. “So it was you who dug up the corpse. Let me see—did you also kill Zhang Juan’s entire family?” He stepped further into the house. Although it was dim inside, Shui Miao had already noticed several white cloths covering something.
He spoke casually, as if it were none of his business.
“I’ll ask you one last time: who are you?” Feeling mocked, Elder Long Wu grew furious. Shui Miao’s appearance had completely disrupted his thoughts, and he sensed a strong threat. He moved a bamboo basket beside him, revealing a row of bamboo holes, each with a red string connected to the gauze nets outside. Pulling the strings would open the nets, releasing the disgusting gu insects.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that I want to know why you harm people so recklessly. And I want to see what exactly makes a gu sorcerer so powerful.” With a swift motion, Shui Miao pulled aside the white cloth, revealing a corpse—Li Ermao’s naked body, covered in dark red spots.
Inside the room, there were six more corpses covered with white cloths.
Shui Miao uncovered them one by one…
There were seven naked corpses in total. Two had been dead for a long time, reduced to hollow shells that resembled skeletons with dried skin stretched over them. Besides Zhang Juan, Li Ermao, and Li Gang, there were also two children’s corpses, swarming with wriggling insects—a nauseating sight that Shui Miao didn’t examine closely.
Strangely, the corpses showed no signs of rotting despite being kept indoors.
Apart from the corpses, the room was filled with wooden shelves stacked densely with pottery jars of various sizes and types. Under the wooden bed holding the corpses were bamboo baskets filled with herbs, and in the corners were potted plants with unusually large leaves. The room had no windows and was exceptionally dark.
“It seems you’re someone the Zhang family from East Village brought from outside. As the saying goes, ‘a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake.’ What you’re doing doesn’t seem very proper, does it? If it’s about money, we can negotiate,” Elder Long Wu said, seeing how Shui Miao moved around the room as if it were his own home. He knew this person meant trouble and couldn’t be allowed to leave alive. “If you refuse money and insist on humiliating me, I’ll risk my life to teach you a lesson. But young man, you’re still very young!”
“Yes, I am young. So what? Since I’m here, I’m not afraid of you. Stop trying to scare me.” Shui Miao walked up to Elder Long Wu, noticed him gripping the red strings, and followed the bamboo poles to see they were connected to the gauze nets outside. He smiled and said, “Old man, besides releasing insects to bite people, do you have any real skills?”
“You… you’re not afraid of gu insects?”
Seeing Shui Miao’s relaxed demeanor, Elder Long Wu grew even more uncertain.
He felt this young man must have come prepared, possibly with a way to counter his gu insects.
“Please, stop wasting time. Do you know any spells? Dark magic will do. Try a few on me—let me see what you’ve got. Come on, do it now.” Shui Miao was deliberately seeking someone powerful to help break his seal.
Elder Long Wu was indeed versed in some dark arts. Without them, he would never have survived his grievous injuries. Yet, he couldn’t comprehend this individual who had come seeking trouble on his own accord. *Why does someone like this even exist? Is he a fool, a master, or simply a madman?*
“You’re really asking for trouble?”
Elder Long Wu hardened his heart. If someone was seeking death, he didn’t mind killing one more.
“Come on, even if I am seeking death, use your real skills. I won’t blame you. I can’t wait!” Shui Miao squatted down, looking at Elder Long Wu with genuine impatience.
“Fine, I’ll grant your wish…” Elder Long Wu frowned deeply, paused, then raised his other hand and slowly reached into a bamboo basket. He pulled out a leather belt and handed it to Shui Miao. “Here, hold this belt for me first…”
“A belt!?”
Shui Miao licked his lips, unsure what trick Elder Long Wu was playing. He reached out to take the belt, but the moment he touched it, the belt suddenly transformed into a venomous snake and bit his finger!
“Please, stop wasting time. Do you know any magic? Any dark arts will do. Try them on me. Let me feel them. Come on, do it now!” Shui Miao was deliberately seeking someone powerful enough to help break her seal.
Of course, Long Five did know some dark techniques. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have survived such severe injuries. Yet, he couldn’t figure out this person who had come looking for trouble. Why would someone like this exist in the world? Was he an idiot, a master, or just a madman?
“So you really want to die?”
Long Five gritted his teeth. If someone was looking for death, he wouldn’t hesitate to oblige.
“Come on, even if I really am looking for death, go ahead and use your real skills. I won’t blame you. I’m practically begging for it!” Shui Miao squatted on the ground, staring at Long Five, clearly eager.
“Fine then… I’ll grant your wish.” Long Five frowned deeply. After a pause, he slowly reached his other hand into the bamboo basket and pulled out a belt, handing it to Shui Miao. “Here, hold this belt for me first…”
“A belt!?”
Shui Miao licked her lips, puzzled by Long Five’s intentions, and reached out to take the belt. But the moment she touched it, the belt suddenly transformed into a venomous snake, biting down hard on her finger!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage