Chapter 40: Releasing the Turtle and Gaining the Secret

In the village for so many years, Li Quezi had always been looked down upon by everyone. Today, unexpectedly belittled again by Shui Miaozhe, a member of the younger generation, Li Quezi couldn’t hold back any longer. He was determined to prove himself, no matter what it took.

After a loud outburst from Li Quezi, Li Dafu, who was lying on the ground, suddenly began convulsing.

Seeing this, Shui Miao was startled and quickly channeled his energy to activate his Yin-Yang eyes.

Needless to say, after becoming more proficient in energy manipulation, Shui Miao’s ability to open his Yin-Yang eyes had also improved.

In an instant, his Yin-Yang eyes were activated. He saw the talisman on Li Dafu’s forehead emitting a seven-colored radiant glow. The gray evil aura surrounding Li Dafu’s body rapidly weakened under the influence of this radiant glow. Soon, gray vapors began emerging from Li Dafu’s seven orifices, resembling evaporated steam.

Li Dafu kept convulsing, his face showing an expression of extreme agony.

As Shui Miao continued watching, he noticed Li Dafu painfully turn his head toward him. Li Dafu stretched out his hand with all his might, seemingly begging Shui Miao to save his life.

Shui Miao was momentarily stunned, unsure of what to do.

Xiong Ying also watched in astonishment. He kept glancing at Li Quezi, his eyes filled with disbelief. He had always thought Li Quezi wasn’t particularly capable—just a morally corrupt trickster, a fraud who deceived others and was obsessed with women. He never expected this old man to actually possess real skills capable of eliminating an evil spirit! Just this single act was enough to prove that Li Quezi was a hidden master of profound abilities.

However, just as everyone was stunned, a sudden “splash” came from the riverside!

At first glance, an ordinary person might assume it was just a fish leaping from the water.

Shui Miao and his grandfather instinctively looked toward the river and saw a large surge of gray mist rising from the river. This gray mist seemed like a living entity, swiftly floating toward Li Dafu. In an instant, it enveloped Li Dafu’s body, covering the talisman on his forehead.

“Hu!”

The gray mist swirled, generating a sinister wind that snatched away the talisman on Li Dafu’s forehead, sending it fluttering into the nearby grass. Immediately afterward, the gray mist rapidly retreated, returning into the river. Li Dafu also stopped convulsing. He lay on the ground, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, his eyes wide with terror, his expression as if he had just awoken from a nightmare.

“Cursed! Where did that evil wind come from!?”

Li Quezi’s face turned bright red with shame. He jumped up in anger, cursing the heavens and damning the earth…

Although he knew how to use talismans, Li Quezi did not practice energy cultivation and was unable to see the gray mist. He believed it was just an ordinary wind that had ruined his efforts. Thus, he ranted furiously, trying to save face, unaware that both Shui Miao and Xiong Ying could clearly see the gray mist. No matter how much he raged, it was nothing more than a pretentious performance.

“I’m not dead… I’m still alive… am I alive?”

Li Dafu suddenly sat up. He hugged his head with both hands, murmuring in terror: “Just now, did it feel like I was buried alive? Uncle Xiong, did you see that? Was I really buried alive? Or… or is my mind broken?”

Li Dafu had felt a sudden “buzz” in his head, then everything went black, and he couldn’t breathe.

Previously, he had been possessed by something unclean, but this time felt distinctly different.

During that breathless period, he couldn’t hear or see anything, only able to smell the strong stench of earth. His mind was filled only with terror.

“Fool, nothing’s wrong. You’re just exhausted. Don’t think too much about it. It’s okay, everything’s fine,” Xiong Ying squatted down and gently patted Li Dafu’s head, like a father comforting his son. In reality, Xiong Ying was subtly channeling spiritual energy into Li Dafu to help him recover and dispel his fear: “Don’t be afraid. It’s broad daylight, and we’re all here. What’s there to fear? Your mind isn’t broken. It’s just that today’s card game was too intense, and your body isn’t in good shape. Your brain is just tired, causing some confusion. It’s a kind of mental illness called overexertion and nervous exhaustion.”

Xiong Ying spouted nonsense, using psychological suggestion to guide Li Dafu away from negative thoughts, gradually calming his emotions.

“But I clearly felt just now…”

Li Dafu wasn’t so easily fooled. He had experienced it firsthand—how could he forget so easily? A few simple words wouldn’t deceive him.

However, from his tone of voice, it was evident that he was already feeling better.

Xiong Ying interrupted Li Dafu: “If you don’t believe me, ask Shui Miao. He’s the most honest. He can confirm that nothing happened just now—you simply fell asleep.”

“That’s right! Uncle Li, when we came over, you were sleeping on the ground,” Shui Miao scratched his head, clearly not very comfortable with lying.

Li Dafu blinked, then turned to Li Quezi: “Old Uncle Li, I remember you were holding my hand just now. You were right beside me, so you must know what happened?”

“Hehe, of course your old Uncle knows. He’s not an idiot.”

Xiong Ying’s words carried hidden meanings. He smiled and, while Li Dafu wasn’t looking, picked up the talisman from the grass and slipped it into his pocket.

Seeing the talisman taken by Xiong Ying, Li Quezi felt both angry and anxious.

But appearances were important. Today’s failed exorcism was extremely humiliating. If word got out, he feared no one would respect him anymore.

“Er… Well… You were swaying unsteadily just now, so I gave you a hand. But I’m weak, couldn’t support you, so I laid you down. Then, as soon as you fell asleep, Shui Miao and the others arrived, and you woke up. Seeing how pale you looked, I suggest you take that big turtle I caught home and make a nourishing soup to recover your strength,” Li Quezi, a master of deception, not only covered up the story skillfully but also took the opportunity to promote his turtle—truly cunning and sly beyond measure.

Saying this, Li Quezi went to the riverside to retrieve his bamboo basket…

However, just as he arrived at the riverbank, he slipped and tumbled toward the water.

Seeing gray mist rise from the river and envelop Li Quezi, Shui Miao didn’t hesitate and rushed over to save him…

Strangely, as soon as Shui Miao approached, the gray evil aura retreated back into the river.

Nevertheless, Li Quezi had already fallen into the water.

Shui Miao arrived in time and pulled him out!

Li Quezi scrambled onto the bank, his face pale with lingering fear. He had clearly felt a force suddenly trip him and drag him into the river. It must have been that evil entity trying to kill him. When the incident happened to Li Dafu, he hadn’t felt much. But when it happened to himself, he finally understood how terrifying it truly was.

Surprisingly, Shui Miao felt very calm inside.

Standing by the riverside, looking at the bamboo basket in the water, he saw the gray evil aura clearly enveloping the turtle. Looking at the faint outline of the turtle in the water, Shui Miao began to wonder: could all of this simply be the work of this turtle? It was obvious the turtle possessed some spiritual power. It had just saved the female ghost possessing Li Dafu. Why did it save her? What was its purpose? Was it hoping that Shui Miao would help release it?

Shui Miao stood motionless by the riverside, his mind blank, causing unease in those watching.

“Xiao Shui, come up quickly, come up!”

Grateful that Shui Miao had just saved him, Li Quezi was especially concerned for the boy.

Xiong Ying frowned tightly. Unable to see the gray evil aura in the water, he urged, “Shui Miao, what are you looking at? Come back with us.”

“Okay…”

Without turning back, Shui Miao responded and squatted down to retrieve the bamboo basket from the water. He opened the lid and released the turtle back into the river.

Seeing this, everyone was stunned but said nothing.

The turtle didn’t immediately swim away. Shui Miao watched it circle in the water a few times before slowly swimming toward the deeper part of the river.

Watching the turtle swim away, Shui Miao felt a strange sense of comfort inside.

Many people feel an indescribable comfort after doing something good. At this moment, Shui Miao’s sense of comfort was particularly strong. Suddenly, he had an epiphany: animals also possess spiritual awareness and know gratitude. Perhaps he should eat less meat from now on. If he ever encountered a spiritually aware creature opposing him, he might find himself in serious trouble.

After washing his hands and returning to the shore, Shui Miao took out 5,000 yuan from his bag and handed it to Li Quezi: “Consider this turtle as purchased from me, Grandpa Li. I suggest you stop fishing in the future.”

Shui Miao didn’t say it directly, but Li Quezi, who had practiced cultivation, understood the implied meaning.

“No, no, I can’t take this money…” Li Quezi refused the money persistently. He knew accepting it might provoke the evil entity to come after him again.

Seeing Li Quezi’s refusal, Shui Miao didn’t insist. He put the money back into his bag, looked up at everyone, and noticed their confused expressions. Internally, he chuckled. Was it really so strange that he had acted unusually generous today? Hadn’t he been stingy before simply because he was poor?

“Kid, are you okay?”

Xiong Ying was somewhat puzzled by Shui Miao’s unusual behavior.

“I’m fine, perfectly fine,” Shui Miao turned and pointed at the river: “Just now, I suddenly thought about how difficult it must have been for such a small turtle to grow so large. If we had eaten it, that would have been too cruel. So I decided to release it. Grandpa, you wouldn’t mind, would you?”

“Hehe, why would I mind!” Hearing Shui Miao’s words, Xiong Ying nodded in satisfaction: “You’re finally seeing reason. This is exactly why I’ve always discouraged you from eating meat. That you could realize this proves you have a natural affinity with the Dao. Your future prospects are boundless, and your mastery of Daoist arts will surely rise steadily. Unlike certain people, who’ve lived long lives yet remain confused, committing only evil deeds.”

Xiong Ying’s last sentence was a veiled jab at Li Quezi.

Under normal circumstances, Li Quezi would have jumped up and started cursing back.

But this time, Li Quezi acted unusually. He grabbed Shui Miao’s hand: “Kid, come here. Let me teach you the incantation of the Seven Stars Soul-Stabilizing Talisman just now.”