Beijing isn't far from Northeast China, and the legend of the Five Immortals - fox, weasel, hedgehog, snake, and rat - is quite popular in Lu Village.
According to the village head, Lu Erzhong, not only would they never harm weasels, but even pregnant mice would be spared by the villagers.
Then... how could this weasel named Huang Dabiao claim that the people of Lu Village had killed his entire clan?!
"You're lying!" I sneered, pinching Lu Xiaojuan's middle finger. "Since you can possess a human body and speak human language, you must have some spiritual power. Aren't you afraid of being sent to the animal realm and reborn as a pig or a dog for slandering others?"
"Sir! If I tell even a single lie, may I be struck by lightning!" To my surprise, Lu Xiaojuan quickly swore a poisonous oath. "None of the people in Lu Village are good. Even if I don't cause them trouble, they won't live long. If you don't believe me, go out and take a look tonight. Hehe! I guarantee it'll open your eyes!"
I kept smiling. "Trying to change the subject! Let's settle this first. Are you leaving or not?"
"I'm not leaving! I've taken a fancy to Lu Xiaojuan!" the weasel said, stroking its face with the other paw. "She's been a kind girl since childhood and would give me steamed buns to eat. I won't let her suffer!"
"Then don't blame me for being rude!"
I really couldn't figure out what these non - human creatures were thinking!
Judging from its words, Lu Xiaojuan had been kind to it. But instead of repaying the kindness, it made the poor girl run around naked and even violated her innocence. It was truly a brute!
The angrier I got, the angrier I became. I reached into my bag from behind with my left hand and took out a small yellow porcelain bottle. I slapped it onto Lu Xiaojuan's philtrum. Then, with my right hand, I pinched her middle finger and slid it towards the base of the finger.
"Squeal!!" The weasel couldn't bear the pain and let out a shrill cry. It followed the path of the ghost vein and burrowed into Lu Xiaojuan's philtrum, only to be captured by the small yellow porcelain bottle in my hand.
I immediately let go of my right hand, took a piece of yellow paper with a cinnabar charm on it, rolled it up, and stuffed it into the bottle's mouth.
Uncle Li, Aunt Li, and Lu Erzhong, who had been watching from the side, were completely stunned. Seeing his daughter collapse limply on the ground as I let go, Lu Erzhong couldn't help but step forward and ask, "Is... is it captured?"
"Yes!"
I stood up from the ground. Suddenly, I felt dizzy and my body swayed. I almost fell to the ground.
Si Jiangchen, who was behind me, was quick - witted. He immediately put his arm around my waist and stuffed a small chocolate ball into my mouth.
"Do you have something to eat?" Si Jiangchen was asking Lu Erzhong.
"Yes, yes!"
Seeing that I had captured the weasel that had been bothering his daughter for months with just a few moves, Lu Erzhong was overjoyed. He immediately shouted into the house, "Wife! Hurry up and cook for the young sir!!"
"Wife?!"
Lu Erzhong shouted twice, but his wife didn't come out of the house. A sense of extreme unease welled up in his heart.
He had told his wife to stay by their daughter's side at all times. But now that their daughter had been acting so wildly, his wife still hadn't shown up.
"First, carry your daughter into the yard!" I said, chewing on the chocolate and pointing at Lu Xiaojuan.
The poor girl was lying face - down on the ground, vomiting violently...
Lu Erzhong quickly nodded in agreement. He and Uncle Li and Aunt Li carried Lu Xiaojuan and rushed into the yard through the gate.
I struggled to follow them in, but Si Jiangchen refused to let go. Instead, he picked me up, turned my chin, and licked the corner of my mouth. Then he gave me a deep kiss, which made me almost go limp. I could only grab his shirt to show my resistance.
"......What are you doing?!"
Finally, when Si Jiangchen was satisfied and ended the kiss that tasted faintly of cigarettes, I wanted to scold him loudly, but my voice came out weak and sounded more like a plea.
"You had some sugar on your face." Si Jiangchen said matter - of - factly as he wiped my face. "I gave it to you."
"You, you! You!!"
I was so angry at his lazy attitude that in the end, I could only squeeze out four words through my gritted teeth: "You're too much!"
Finally breaking free from his arms, I stuffed the yellow porcelain bottle that I had been holding tightly back into my backpack. Then I opened the door and walked into Lu Erzhong's house.
The thick black aura hadn't dissipated. It still hung heavily over the yard.
Lu Erzhong and Uncle Li walked out of the east wing.
There was obvious anxiety on Lu Erzhong's face. "Sir, my wife is missing! This woman! I told her to watch our daughter, but now she doesn't know where she's gone!!"
I pondered for a moment. I couldn't help but miss the compass that I had broken.
If I had it, finding people or ghosts would be a breeze!
I couldn't help but glance at Si Jiangchen again. He had already put a cigarette in his mouth and was lighting it with a lighter.
"Rustle..."
Suddenly, a faint sound came from the kitchen in the west wing of Lu Erzhong's house. Then, a middle - aged woman in a red cotton - silk blouse walked out, carrying an enamel basin.
"You stupid woman! Instead of watching our daughter, what are you doing in the kitchen? All you know is how to eat!"
Lu Erzhong had been shouting in the yard for a long time, but his wife hadn't shown up.
He was full of anger now. He raised his hand and was about to hit his wife.
Lu Erzhong's wife was of short stature and a bit chubby. She had the usual bob haircut of a rural woman. There was a deep blood hole on her left cheek. Although it had scabbed over, the flesh on both sides had shrunk towards the middle, distorting her whole face in a strange way.
Seeing her husband raise his hand to hit her, Lu Erzhong's wife quickly raised her hand to protect her face and said in a small voice, "Our daughter wants to eat meat... I was preparing the meat in the kitchen."
"Hey, Village Head, don't be angry. Sister - in - law is doing this for the sake of our daughter!" Uncle Li quickly stepped in to mediate when he saw that a fight was about to break out.
"Humph!" Lu Erzhong glared angrily at his wife. "Are you deaf or dumb? Can't you even answer me?"
As he said this, he suddenly remembered the yellow dog they raised at home. It hadn't come out even after he had been shouting for so long. So he kicked over the dog food bowl and cursed, "Are the people deaf, and the dog is deaf too?!"
"Village Head, calm down. Sister - in - law has cooked something. Let Miss Du have some too." Uncle Li stood beside Lu Erzhong, trying to smooth things over.
Hearing what Uncle Li said, Lu Erzhong's wife turned to look at me and Si Jiangchen. A strange smile appeared on her distorted face.
"......Which family's girl is this? She's so beautiful. Come on, taste Auntie's cooking."
With that, she lifted the lid of the enamel basin and held out whatever was inside.