Shui Miao turned around and walked back along the path they had come, confirming with the old woman whether it was indeed the giant black python. The old woman quickly affirmed it was the same snake. Shui Miao then asked how he could help if the snake had burrowed underground—was he supposed to crawl in after it?
After hearing Shui Miao’s response, the old woman wisely shut her mouth.
Indeed, Shui Miao had no intention of helping the old woman.
Besides, he had never heard of the black serpent harming people—how could he just casually agree to such a thing? He wasn’t some idle thug with nothing better to do, to be bossed around at will.
Even if the black serpent had harmed people, wasn’t there still the “Immortal” around?
Shui Miao wished nothing more than to escape the Immortal’s surveillance, even secretly hoping the Immortal would be killed by the serpent. He didn’t believe that after running this far, hiding deep within these remote mountains and forests, he could still be discovered by Lingxu Sect of the Immortal Realm. Even less did he believe that the sect’s esteemed master would be unable to handle such a minor matter as himself—would they really send many disciples down to the mortal world just to capture him? That seemed highly unlikely.
At this moment, Shui Miao not only doubted the thousand-year-old female ghost’s motives, but also questioned the truth of everything she had said.
※※※
The raging fire alarmed the people of West Village.
Crowds gathered to watch, though none dared approach too closely. Only the youngest son of Old Master Long rushed forward to try to put out the flames, but in the chaos, he was bitten by some escaping insects and lost his life. Old Master Long had two sons: the elder, Long Kui, ran a medicine shop in the county and was a businessman. Upon hearing the news, Long Kui hurried back by carriage. When the villagers of East and West Villages learned that Old Master Long had perished in the fire, they secretly rejoiced—finally, a scourge had been removed. But upon seeing the younger son die from the insect bites, the villagers rushed home to fetch their various pesticides, loading sprayers to douse the area.
Shui Miao had killed someone—a grave matter. Naturally, the old woman and the sisters of the young bride kept quiet.
Shui Miao went directly to the riverside where he had first awoken, sat cross-legged on a stone, and closed his eyes.
The old woman and the others hurried after him…
Before anyone could speak, Shui Miao, still with his eyes closed, said bluntly, “Go away. I want to stay here alone. Young bride, your husband, Zhang Ling, is already dead. My name is Shui Miao—I’m from another village. I used a spell to take his form. Now, I’ve avenged your husband, which can serve as compensation for impersonating him. When you return, feel free to tell everyone I killed Old Master Long. I’ve never experienced imprisonment before—perhaps a visit to jail won’t be so bad.”
After saying this, Shui Miao fell silent.
No matter how much the young bride pleaded, Shui Miao remained silent.
Helpless, they all left.
But not long after, the young bride returned with bedding and a mat, bringing food for Shui Miao.
It seemed she had decided to stay by his side, come what may.
Shui Miao ignored her, resolved to sit in meditation for a long time without eating. He would wait until hunger reached its peak, believing that the jade pendant would then activate, dispersing the yin energy sealing his dantian and spiritual senses.
The young bride had to accept this reality.
As for emotions, Shui Miao wanted only a swift and decisive end—never again would he allow himself to get close.
Yet, this proved an excruciating process.
No matter what the young bride said, Shui Miao remained unresponsive. When she tried to feed him, he sat like a clay statue.
Helpless again, the young bride also refused to eat, simply embracing Shui Miao and silently keeping watch.
Night fell, and a cold wind blew. The young bride shivered and sneezed, yet she draped her coat over Shui Miao.
Shui Miao remained motionless, though his heart stirred uncomfortably.
By midnight, the young bride, shivering from the cold, began to cry. Sobbing, she said, “Why are you treating me like this? What did I do wrong? I married you—I belong to you. Yet you deceived me. How could you? If you despise me so much, I won’t live anymore. I’ll die right here in front of you…”
With that, she suddenly ran into the Shuilong River.
With no choice, Shui Miao opened his eyes. “What will it take for you to believe me?”
Seeing that Shui Miao had finally spoken, the young bride rushed to his side. “You finally spoke! You still care about me, don’t you? You do love me, right?”
“You’re so foolish…”
Shui Miao shook his head. “I really am not Zhang Ling. What more must I say for you to believe me?”
“You are! You are him! How could there be two identical people in this world? You say it’s a spell, but that doesn’t even exist. I won’t believe you unless you change back to your real form right now,” the young bride insisted Shui Miao was Zhang Ling.
Shui Miao sighed softly, gazing at the young bride beneath the moonlight. “If I could prove I’m not Zhang Ling, would you still choose to die for the Zhang Ling who’s already gone?”
“…”
The young bride was momentarily stunned—she had never considered that question.
Shui Miao continued, “If I prove I’m not Zhang Ling, promise me you’ll live—live for yourself, if no one else. Live, experience more of life, and find your own happiness. Would you do that?”
Shui Miao looked at her sincerely.
The young bride’s heart trembled, and she couldn’t help but believe him.
Seeing that she didn’t respond, Shui Miao motioned her closer, leaned in, and whispered a phone number into her ear. “Tell her my name is Shui Miao. Ask her not to alert anyone, and to come secretly, one by one. When she arrives, you’ll know I’ve told you the truth.”
“Really?”
The young bride looked at Shui Miao with lingering doubt.
Shui Miao gave no reply, simply closing his eyes again and resuming his meditation.
“Fine! I’ll go now…”
Without hesitation, the young bride turned and ran toward the town.
Not long after she left, a white-robed female ghost suddenly appeared about five or six meters from Shui Miao, saying softly, “You’re wasting my master’s efforts. She saved you, yet you seek death.”
Shui Miao opened his eyes and looked at the female ghost. She wore all white, her face was especially delicate, and she looked like a noble lady from ancient times.
“Hehe…”
Shui Miao didn’t need to ask to know she was the “Immortal” the old woman had mentioned.
“Is that so amusing?”
The white-robed ghost looked at Shui Miao with surprise. She knew this young man was no ordinary person, for that night, the yin energy she had released into the young bride had been effortlessly neutralized by him.
Shui Miao shook his head lightly. “This world is full of deception. Often, what we believe to be the truth is actually a lie in others’ eyes, while what others believe to be the truth is, in my eyes, a conspiracy. In the end, we don’t know who told the truth or who lied, yet we still cling to that uncertain truth or falsehood, dying in confusion. Isn’t that ridiculous?”
“What do you mean?”
The white-robed ghost frowned, suddenly having an idea. “Are you saying protecting you is my master’s conspiracy? That I’m just a foolish pawn?”
“Hehehe…”
Suddenly, a sinister laugh echoed. A black-robed woman appeared on the river’s surface: “Ah, Ru Feng, you’ve only now realized you’re a foolish pawn?”
“You’re the black serpent demon?” Shui Miao turned his head and saw a half-human, half-serpent face hidden beneath the black robe. From her voice, she seemed to be a female demon.
“Yes. You have good eyesight. You must be a practitioner of the Daoist sect. I’ve come here actually to befriend you,” the black serpent demon said frankly.
The white-robed ghost, however, shouted at the serpent demon, “Enough! Black serpent demon, this isn’t your place to speak. If you know what’s good for you, leave now. Otherwise, I’ll call my master, and you won’t even know how you died.”
“Oh please, threatening me with your master again? You’ve scared me like this for decades—can’t you come up with a new threat?” the serpent demon mocked. Then she turned to Shui Miao: “Hey, little brother, I don’t know why, but I really like you. When I saw you on the road today, I knew you were no ordinary man!”
“Is that so! Snake demon beauty, speaking of that, I should thank you for letting me pass earlier,” Shui Miao wanted to play mediator, using the serpent demon to counterbalance the white-robed ghost. So he continued, “Truthfully, your straightforwardness is the kind I like. If you don’t mind, we can be friends from now on.”
“Ha! Bai Feng, did you hear that? The young man has taste—he didn’t call you beautiful, he called me beautiful. You’re not jealous, are you?” The serpent demon seemed intent on provoking the white-robed ghost, mocking her with every word.
The white-robed ghost waved her sleeve and turned to Shui Miao, “Though I don’t know your background, I do know you’re trouble. Let me make this clear—my master has assigned me to watch you for a month. During this month, no matter what tricks you try, I’ll be watching. If you don’t cooperate, don’t expect me to be merciful. After a month, do as you please.”
Shui Miao was about to speak when the serpent demon, quick-witted, jumped in: “Little brother, looks like you really are someone important! Much more impressive than that old man Long. How about this—I’ll keep you company for the month, chat with you, keep you entertained, and after a month, I’ll even accompany you on your cultivation journey. How about that?”
The serpent demon finally bypassed the white-robed ghost and set her sights on Shui Miao.
Shui Miao paused, thinking for a moment, then shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t stay here for a month. I killed Old Master Long, and I’ll be arrested soon. You two can visit me in prison.”
“Please, no one cares about that old man’s death—not even his eldest son will seek revenge,” the serpent demon clearly knew much about the Long family. “Besides, with me and Bai girl here, who do you think can take you away?”
“Black serpent demon, our paths do not align. I suggest you stay out of this.”
The white-robed ghost glared fiercely at the serpent demon, wanting to attack but clearly restraining herself.
The serpent demon was not pleased. “Hey, Bai Feng, can’t you at least be reasonable? When did I become the evil one? As a snake, if I don’t eat small animals, do you expect me to survive on grass and mud? Occasionally eating a few humans—those are just drowned corpses. I’m a cleaner of nature, don’t you understand? Besides, this young man doesn’t mind me, so why do you keep pushing me around? I’m protecting him, not you. Stop interfering with me!”
The black serpent demon, sinister in nature, was also sharp-tongued and eloquent.
The white-robed ghost glared back. “You helped Old Master Long kill so many people—how dare you claim you’re not evil?”
“Did I?!”
The serpent demon blinked and retorted, “Miss Bai Feng, which eye of yours saw me helping that old man release insects? Which eye saw me plotting to kill people? I merely frightened people at the village entrance, asking for offerings. Isn’t that more honest than you, possessing old women and pretending to be gods? Besides, I’ve always been polite, calling you Bai Feng, Miss. But you keep calling me the black serpent demon—how is that being righteous? Can’t even speak politely, yet you pretend to be a righteous person—don’t you feel ashamed?”
The black serpent demon was a venomous python native to the area. Since childhood, she had shown spiritual awareness, understanding human speech. In the village, there was a primary school run by a married couple who often quarreled. The serpent demon admired the sharp-tongued wife and often eavesdropped on their arguments. Over time, she picked up quite a sharp tongue herself.
“How dare you twist the truth! I’ll beat you to death!”
Unable to contain herself any longer, the white-robed ghost attacked the serpent demon.
But the serpent demon, as playful as a child, taunted, “Come on then!” and dove into the river, swiftly swimming away.
The white-robed ghost followed into the water, chasing closely.
This ghost and demon were clearly bitter rivals!
Shui Miao couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Yet from their recent exchange, he felt things weren’t as serious as he had imagined. The white-robed ghost, with her noble demeanor, wasn’t as fearsome as he had thought. Now, with this mischievous serpent demon involved, he only needed a bit of persuasion to control and manipulate them to his advantage.
After a moment’s reflection, Shui Miao decided to focus first on lifting the seal. Other matters could wait. To break the seal, he needed to find a ghost or demon to possess him and break through the seal—this was the only viable method. Between the white-robed ghost and the serpent demon, the latter seemed more useful. Asking her to find some spirits to possess him shouldn’t be a problem.
As Shui Miao pondered, he suddenly felt a chill at his back—a yin presence approaching…
“Old Master Long, you’ve finally arrived!”
Shui Miao’s heart stirred. Smiling faintly, he slowly turned around and saw a ghost standing not far behind him—it was none other than Old Master Long himself!
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