Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

The snake charmer who kept Erqing was well aware that Erqing's body grew faster than other snakes. Other snakes in the trade would never exceed two feet in length, but Erqing kept growing. If Daqing hadn't died early, it probably would have grown at the same rate as Erqing.

However, he felt that his excessive pampering of the two green snakes was partly to blame. Both green snakes were very intelligent and he never had to worry about their performances, so he gave them the best food, which is why they grew faster than the other snakes.

But when Erqing was released two years ago, it was only a little over three feet long. In just two years, Erqing has grown into a terrifying snake that is over ten feet long. This is not the growth rate that a normal snake can have.

"Erqing...cough..."

When Erqing's name was called, he stopped chasing, and the snake-man also stopped running. He turned around and looked carefully at the familiar yet unfamiliar snake. It was indeed Erqing.

Before he could say anything, Erqing suddenly lunged forward, wrapped herself around him, and pinned him to the ground.

“Cough, cough…”

Having a snake coil around one's body is one of the most common performances by snake charmers. Erqing was clearly repeating his old performance, but that was before. Now, Erqing's body is as thick as a bowl, and he simply cannot bear such weight. He has even begun to feel suffocated.

The snake-man lay on the ground, giving loud commands. Erqing, who was wrapped around him, received the order and slowly released him. It was still as intelligent as before, but its size was too large to be used by humans.

After climbing off the snake-man, Erqing touched the bamboo box on the ground with her head. The snake-man understood her meaning, got up and opened the bamboo box. Xiaoqing came out of the box, and the two snakes immediately wrapped themselves together, like two people who had been separated for a long time embracing.

Seeing this, the snake man couldn't help but laugh. When he came here, he was worried that Erqing had already gone to live elsewhere. If he released Xiaoqing, the snake would inevitably be lonely.

"Back then, you were the one who brought Xiaoqing here. Now that it's grown up, you can take it with you. It will have plenty of food and drink in the deep mountains. Just don't disturb any travelers outside, lest you bring disaster upon yourself."

Although Erqing didn't actually hurt anyone, its size was such that it could easily cause accidents if it landed on someone. The description of a snake that was over ten feet long and incredibly fast would easily attract wealthy people with a penchant for the unusual, ultimately leading to hunters surrounding and killing it.

"Now you have company. Let's go to the deep mountains and cultivate diligently. Perhaps one day you can become a divine dragon."

After hearing his words, Erqing crawled into the bushes by the roadside, while Xiaoqing remained where she was. After a rustling sound, Erqing dragged a cloth bundle back and placed it at the snake man's feet.

After putting the things down, the two snakes lowered their heads and darted away, with Erqing in front and Xiaoqing behind, reminding the snake man of how Erqing had led Xiaoqing back to the temple a few years ago.

The grass they crawled through was slightly sloping, and some movement tracks could be seen. The snake-man would quietly watch the grass until he could no longer see any trace of them or hear any other sounds, and then he would look down at the package at his feet.

The cloth wrapping the package showed signs of tearing, as if it had been ripped from somewhere. The package itself wasn't large, but when you lifted it, you could hear clattering and rattling inside, as if there were quite a few things inside.

The snake-man was also curious about what Erqing had given him. With no one around, he opened the package. Inside were a jumble of things, including various fragments of jade from who-knows-where, herbs with bits of soil, and even a piece of amber. They were all odds and ends, mostly human items; it was impossible to guess where Erqing, a snake, had scavenged them from.

There was a tightly sealed jar, which was much more exquisite than the other items in the package, and it was also the largest item inside.

"This is?"

The snake-man took out the jar. Unlike the other odds and ends, this jar was not only complete and exquisite, but also sealed very well, like a vessel that only a wealthy family would use.

He opened the jar a crack, and a sweet aroma immediately wafted out. He saw the golden color inside; it was a jar of excellent honey.

"This is Xiaoqing? She's a bit timid."

Deep in the woods, out of the snake charmer's sight, Juan Shoutian, Yuan Wuxiang, and Xi Fangping stood watching Erqing lead a green snake back.

Compared to the enormous Erqing, Xiaoqing, whose body was as thick as a child's arm, seemed small. Upon seeing a group of strangers, Xiaoqing huddled next to Erqing's tail, clearly frightened.

Performing in the bustling city of Dongjun, it shouldn't be afraid of people, but these people in front of it are clearly different from the audience. They are as smart as Erqing, which means that Xiaoqing is also naturally intelligent and can distinguish some special people.

Erqing didn't react much to this comment; it understood that the other party was implying that it had bitten the other party before.

But it's not entirely its fault. Who would just pull a snake out of its den like that? If it hadn't been startled, it wouldn't have bitten Yuan Wuxiang in an attempt to break free. And while the other guy was unharmed, the one biting almost broke its own teeth.

Erqing led Xiaoqing deep into the forest. They would follow the snake charmer's instructions to cultivate themselves in the mountains and not provoke passersby.

"We should go too."

After the calamity of the Bee Kingdom was resolved and two days of rest, Xi Fangping's soul body had basically returned to normal, although he still looked somewhat disheveled. The marks from the torture were gone, including the most severe vertical wound that had split a person in two.

Now, Xi Fangping looks no different from a normal living person. There's no need to worry about him falling apart at any moment. His strength has been restored, and he has a more formal complaint. All they need to do now is head south to Erlang Shen's residence.

……

"The problem of bone products in the market has been largely solved, but many of these products are processed in strange ways, and the bones are no longer recognizable. The only way to identify the victims is through their relatives and friends."

"It's enough that someone can take care of his funeral arrangements."

At least those with demon bones and divine beast bones have family and friends who can avenge them from afar, but many things that look like human bones are simply beyond the reach of their families.

"So many people died tragically, so they should be able to seek justice in the underworld. Moreover, there is the Pig Dragon Clan. As long as they explain the situation to the judge, they can be made lenient. Even if a divine beast dies, it can still send messages through dreams. It is really suspicious that there has been no news for so long."

"Perhaps someone in the underworld is stopping them."

“That’s right. My father and I thought so too. A few days ago, the Dragon Palace sent people to the Underworld to inquire, but they were brushed off by the ghost messengers there, as if the King of Hell was someone who couldn’t be seen by people.”

It's really strange. The underworld is a place to judge souls. The Dragon Palace just wanted to ask where the souls of the victims were, what their situations were, and whether any had been reincarnated. They can occasionally meet in heaven. Why is this so abnormal? They can't even see each other.

Originally, if the underworld had simply done a favor and allowed them to contact the souls of the victims to find out what happened, the matter would have been over. But the underworld acted strangely, which makes one wonder.

“There must be something fishy about the underworld. The Dragon Palace plans to choose a day to go to the underworld and ask them about it.”

"As it should be."

"...Immortal Master, could you please come closer to speak?"

Although this distance would not affect their communication, and both of them had extraordinary hearing, the Third Prince still wondered if they really had to stand like this as if they didn't know each other.

"I have no intention of forming deep friendships with anyone; this distance is just right."

At this moment, the distance between Tian Shanzi and the Third Prince of the Dragon King can be described in one sentence: he was on the riverbank and the Third Prince was on the opposite bank. However, in reality, there was no river between them, only open ground, which made the distance appear even greater.

“But the immortal has saved my life.”

When Jian Feidao left with his men, he explained Tian Shanzi's aloof personality. Great masters always have some quirks, and the Third Prince understood this. However, every time he came, the other party would want to retreat eight hundred miles away, as if he were some kind of monster.

He wanted to properly repay the other party for saving his life, so the Third Prince personally reported the progress of the case in Haishi, hoping to find an opportunity to invite the other party to the Dragon Palace to repay him properly. However, the other party started by creating distance, making it impossible to find an opportunity to invite him.

"That was just a coincidence, Third Prince, you don't need to worry about it."

It wasn't as big as the other party claimed. He just happened to run into them, the enemy was scared away, and he happened to have the ability to send the seriously injured Third Prince back.

"I will tell my fellow practitioners about the mysteries of the underworld. Someone will accompany you to the underworld at that time."

If there really are time travelers mingling in the underworld to take advantage of the chaos, it's safer to have those who are equally special identify them.

"That immortal..."

"I will remain here. Does the Third Prince have anything else to discuss?"

"……No."

After much hesitation, the Third Prince still didn't bring up his desire to invite Tian Shanzi to the Dragon Palace. He had been rejected before, and judging from the other party's attitude now, it would probably be the same no matter what.

"In that case, Tian Shanzi will take his leave. Please."

Before he could finish speaking, the Heavenly Fan vanished in a flash of light, giving the other side no time to continue.

In a town far inland, Ling Ziling finally caught up with Miss Wu going to the Ten Kings Temple to pay her respects. Before Yang Danian could climb over the wall that night, she beat up all the hooligans around the Ten Kings Temple.

Don't talk about being innocent. Miss Wu came to pay her respects, and these idle people were loitering around here, lecherously staring at her. She could tell with her peach wood sword that these guys had ill intentions. None of them were innocent in this beating.

"Hmph, you only remember the good times, not the bad ones."

Ling Ziling stood with her hands on her hips in front of the Ten Kings Hall. She was also a beautiful girl, but because of her many achievements, no rogue dared to mess with her.

Miss Wu also looked at the girl in pink with curiosity. Ling Ziling's reputation had long spread throughout the town. The Wu family had strict rules and did not allow female members to go out casually. She had heard of Ling Ziling before, but had never seen her in person.

The reason she came to the Ten Kings Temple to worship this time is that her family has already arranged two marriages for her, but both times the men died in accidents before the marriage. Now everyone around her says that Miss Wu is a jinx to her husbands, so she thought that she could come to the Ten Kings Temple to worship and perhaps change her fate.

Speaking of changing one's fate, everyone says that an immortal has come to the town and has been living in the southwest mountain for a long time. Wu Shiyu saw that his daughter's husbands had died in both of her marriages, and no one dared to marry her. He wanted to ask the immortal for directions and ask him to tell his daughter's fortune.

But upon hearing that the immortal was in the mountains in the southwest, he abandoned the idea. The mountains in the southwest have always been very strange, with only a few fixed routes that can be taken. If you deviate from these routes, you will always be lost in a maze, as if someone has set up a formation in the mountains.

In the past, there were always people who didn't believe in the superstition and would run into the place. At best, they would be so frightened that they would be bedridden, and at worst, they would simply disappear without a trace. Whether they were woodcutters or hunters, no one ever found them again.

Just recently, the incident involving the Mountain God with the Lantern occurred. People who got lost in the mountains were all brought back. Wu Shiyu felt that the "Mountain God" might be an immortal living in the mountains. The physical characteristics described by others matched those of the previous immortals, except that the whisk had been replaced by a lantern and the bronze sword on his back was gone.

Having lived here for so many years, we've heard countless stories of monsters in the southwestern mountains. There are supposedly several different kinds of monsters, but we've never heard of any mountain gods or local deities. This lantern-bearing mountain god only appeared after the legend of the immortals spread in the town, so it's clearly part of the same group.

However, the mountains in the southwest are too eerie, so it's best not to go unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, Wu Shiyu sent his daughter to the Ten Kings Hall to pay her respects. Both of her husbands had died, so this matter should be under the jurisdiction of the underworld. Recently, he also heard that a scholar was judged and his heart was replaced, making him smarter, which means that the judges in the Ten Kings Hall are in charge. It's always good to pay a visit.

Miss Wu naturally knew about immortals, and the girl in front of her also possessed divine power. With a flick of her whisk, she could send several adult men flying. It was said that she could also draw talismans to summon lightning. She wondered if this Taoist priest was related to the legendary immortals.

She thought this way and asked the question. The thugs were afraid of spirits because they had all been beaten by her, and some had even been taught a lesson by her lightning talisman. But the reason they were beaten was basically that these guys did something inhuman, like harassing passing girls. The people here who were least afraid of spirits were women.

"The immortals in the mountains, you must be Senior Jianzi and the others, right? Of course I know them. But the mountain paths are indeed difficult to traverse. There aren't even any paths around the Opening Realm. What do you want to be?"

It was a bit unexpected that Miss Wu took the initiative to strike up a conversation, since Ling Ziling was now quite famous and most people would avoid her.

But then I thought about it again, and the fact that Ms. Wu was able to shout for help immediately after the thugs broke into her home meant that she must have some ability to act.

Seeing that Ling Ziling was indeed related to the immortals and even addressed them as seniors, Miss Wu was overjoyed to learn that Ling Ziling was no ordinary Taoist priest and was on the same path as the immortals. She quickly told them about her situation and asked if there was a way to change her fate.

"You're a jinx to your husband? Who said you're a jinx to your husband?"

After hearing the whole story, Ling Ziling immediately asked a question in return.

"But they..."

He did indeed die after the engagement was made, but before she married him.

"How did the first one die?"

He fell into the water, caught a cold, and died.

"What about the second one?"

"He also contracted the disease and suddenly passed away."

"That's none of your business."

Ling crossed her arms, casually draping her whisk over her shoulder.

"This disease wasn't contracted because of you, the cause of death has nothing to do with you, you didn't even meet each other. Isn't this a typical case of bad luck and inability to withstand adversity? Why do you say you're a jinx to your husband?"

Ms. Wu: ...That seems to make some sense...