“If I let him go, will you really spare me?” The snake spirit glanced at Liu Laoshi, who had already fainted in her arms, then at the strangely expressioned Madam Fan. After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke, though her voice sounded hesitant and her expression was unnaturally shifting, clearly still doubtful about Madam Fan’s previous persuasive words and undecided.
After all, in the snake spirit’s mind, the old hag’s character was still questionable, and how much of her words could be trusted was uncertain.
Right now, Liu Laoshi was a human shield in her grasp, the only bargaining chip she had. The old woman had always hesitated to act because of this hostage. If she released him now, and the old hag suddenly turned her back, she would be completely helpless.
“Of course! Who in these villages doesn’t know that I, Madam Fan, always keep my word?” Madam Fan’s forehead dripped with large beads of sweat, and she clenched her teeth, clearly in severe pain. She thought to herself, damn, this time I really miscalculated. If I had known earlier that even spirit possession couldn’t deal with this monster, I wouldn’t have wasted so much effort. Now, I’ve failed to catch the fox but ended up with a mess. Thinking this, she wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve and complained loudly about the unbearable heat and how suffocating it was just performing a spell.
“But… what if you break your promise?” Thinking Madam Fan was about to act, the snake spirit finally voiced her concerns, her eyes fixed tightly on Madam Fan after speaking.
It seemed this fellow now believed her words about ninety percent. Sigh, her old life was probably saved. Madam Fan exhaled deeply but still restrained her joy, merely coughing twice deliberately and folding her hands behind her back, assuming a posture of a venerable hermit.
“So that’s what’s been bothering you?” Her shoulders shook, and she smirked with a cackle: “Don’t worry, I’ll not only let you go but also offer some incense at your dwelling place. I’ll also instruct the nearby villagers not to disturb your cultivation, Great Snake Immortal. Let me swear to heaven to prove my sincerity!” Saying this, Madam Fan actually raised her right hand and made a solemn oath gesture, mumbling to the sky as if in earnest, then loudly declared in a voice audible to everyone in the room: “If I break this oath, may lightning strike me down and let me die a miserable death!”
“Fine, old woman, I’ll trust you today.” The snake spirit laughed. She naturally knew that people like shamans, mediums, priests, monks, and nuns, who made a living dealing with the yin and yang, understood feng shui, fate, and heavenly principles. Precisely because of this, they took oaths, especially solemn ones, very seriously. Generally speaking, even in the face of the greatest accidents, they would not break their promises. Therefore, after Madam Fan solemnly swore before everyone, the snake spirit was completely convinced of her sincerity.
“Good.” Madam Fan nodded appreciatively: “Knowing when to advance or retreat shows you have some sense. I’ve been in this business a long time, and I don’t like fighting and killing. I prefer everyone sitting down together, discussing difficulties and demands calmly. Wouldn’t that be much better?”
“I was wrong. I failed to recognize your greatness. I rarely come out, so I didn’t know your abilities. If I had known, hehe, even if you gave me a hundred胆, I wouldn’t dare to confront you!” The snake spirit flattered with a cheerful tone. Although Madam Fan knew that nine out of ten words from a monster were lies, these soft and warm words made her feel a bit elated.
“I was wrong. I failed to recognize your greatness. I rarely leave my hideout, so I didn’t know about your remarkable abilities. If I had known earlier—hehe—even if you gave me a hundred胆, I wouldn’t dare to oppose you!” The snake spirit said joyfully, lavishing flattery. Although Madam Fan understood that nine out of ten words spoken by a monster were likely lies, these pleasant and soothing words still made her feel somewhat delighted.
“Now that you understand, we won’t chat further. Let’s each attend to our own business!” Madam Fan proudly waved her patched sleeve: “Release him, and you leave!”
“Please don’t forget, my cultivation place is at Lingguan Temple. Just bring incense offerings there,” the snake spirit said greedily narrowing her eyes.
Hmph, as expected, all creatures under heaven share the same nature—bullying the weak and fearing the strong, insatiably greedy. Madam Fan cursed inwardly. However, the current situation was still disadvantageous for her. To secure her victory, she naturally patted her chest repeatedly, saying that a bit of incense was nothing, promising to deliver it the next day without delay. The snake spirit was indeed delighted, thanked her repeatedly, and withdrew her long tongue, releasing Liu Laoshi as promised.
“Dad!” Liu Dashao dropped his oil bottle and rushed forward to embrace the swaying Liu Laoshi. His expression was sincere, his voice tinged with sobs, clearly showing his deep concern for Liu Laoshi. It seemed that although the old man often scolded him as a “youngster,” Liu Dashao’s heart held his father in an irreplaceable position. At this moment, Liu Laoshi slowly opened his heavy eyelids, trembling hands reaching to touch Liu Dashao’s face. Then, his pale face, deprived of oxygen, looked dazed and mumbled: “Where’s the youngster?”
“Dad, feel me, the youngster is right here, right beside you. You mustn’t have anything happen to you! If something did, what would I do?” Liu Dashao could no longer restrain himself and burst into tears, throwing himself into Liu Laoshi’s arms.
“Don’t worry, my life is cheap, even Yama King doesn’t want it. See, I’m back for my beloved son. ” Liu Laoshi smiled, trying to comfort his son, but then coughed violently. Liu Dashao immediately checked his pulse, and after a moment, his worried expression eased slightly: “Dad, don’t talk anymore. Save your strength until you recover. Rest now! Your pulse is still unstable, but there’s no major problem.”
“Alright, I’ll listen to you, son.” Liu Laoshi nodded.
As the warm father-son moment continued on one side, Madam Fan frowned and asked the snake spirit, who was about to leave Tian Cunzhang’s body: “Great Snake Immortal, what exactly happened to Lingguan Temple? I remember the temple used to be quite effective and popular for quite a while back then, but why is it in such a state now? Moreover, I clearly feel that these days, Xiushan Village and Xiushui Village have not been very peaceful. There must be something behind this.”
The snake spirit’s expression changed slightly, then she shook her head after a while: “I’m not very clear about it either, but as you guessed, something strange has indeed happened recently. I can’t figure it out either.”
“Oh?” Madam Fan’s eyes sharpened, and her voice stretched slightly. She knew that whatever matter caught the attention of this snake spirit, one of the five great folk immortals, must be extraordinary.
“Kikiki…” The snake spirit twisted her waist: “Originally, I wasn’t going to tell you, but since you’re offering me incense, I’ll give you a hint. Since last month, after your provincial archaeological team built a dam nearby and dug up a lot of things, we who have been cultivating here for generations noticed that the malevolent energy within dozens of miles has increased tenfold, even a hundredfold compared to usual. Because of this, many dormant monsters and ghosts have resurfaced. I suspect something underground might be about to emerge.”
“What?!” Madam Fan’s eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief and fear.
“Scared, Madam?” The snake spirit seemed very satisfied with Madam Fan’s reaction, laughing heartily again: “Let me give you a parting advice. As you said, one must know when to advance or retreat. This thing is beyond your ability to handle!” As soon as the last word left her mouth, Madam Fan felt a blur before her eyes. Tian Cunzhang simultaneously collapsed to the ground, his facial expression no longer twisted and distorted as before. From this, it could be seen that the snake spirit had indeed departed. However, Madam Fan remained cautious. She squatted down and firmly pressed two fingers against Tian Cunzhang’s left middle finger until he cried out in pain, “Ouch!” Hearing a male voice, Madam Fan finally relaxed and sat on the ground, gasping for breath. The composed and calm expression she had maintained earlier completely faded at this moment. Her face turned sallow yellow, countless sweat beads pouring down like a stream, making her old face look pitiful, and her back was already soaked with sweat.
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