Grandpa Hu was taken aback, clearly not having thought of that either. But looking at my expression, he said with some confusion, "You're not telling me you've fallen for that snake demon, are you?"
"She's not a snake demon," I argued loudly. My feelings for Zhao Yixian couldn't be swayed by a few words from Grandpa Hu. If it hadn't been for her just now, those female ghosts would have torn me apart—I'd heard them say with my own ears that they were going to rip me to shreds.
"It's over, she didn't answer the phone. She's probably…" Grandfather set down the phone, saying with some frustration.
Grandpa Hu said, "Let me go take a look. Brother Zhao, the boy does have a point. That snake demon took the jade ring—maybe she really does want to marry him. It's worth a try."
Grandfather nodded and said, "Mm, that's all we can do. Brother Hu, you need to be careful. Right now I can only watch over the boy. If that snake demon wants to take a life, she can have these old bones of mine."
I listened in a daze. I understood perfectly well what he meant, but I still believed Zhao Yixian wasn't a snake demon, and certainly didn't want to take anyone's life.
"Grandfather, I'll wait in the bedroom. If she really is a snake demon, then so be it," I said, looking at Grandfather after Grandpa Hu had left.
Grandfather gave me a blank look and said, "Fine, go on in. I'll keep watch outside. If anything happens, shout loudly."
I nodded. Though I was still afraid, my conviction that Zhao Yixian was helping me grew even stronger. If she really was a snake demon who wanted to kill me, then I'd give her my life—after all, she'd saved it, so I'd just be returning the favor.
Wearing the oversized groom's attire, I returned to the bedroom and sat directly on the bed, my mind still on Zhao Yixian. Every single image of her was so beautiful that in my heart, even if I could only see her one more time, dying would be worth it. The fear in my heart vanished completely. I waited quietly. The room was dark, with a pair of white candles burning on the table, already about a third consumed.
I waited from the Zi hour all the way to the Chou hour, but still there was no sign of anything in the room. I grew anxious, because I didn't know whether the person who'd taken my jade ring was Zhao Yixian. If she really had taken it, why hadn't she come to find me? Could it be that she didn't like me anymore?
As I waited, I started to feel drowsy. Just as I was about to close my eyes, Grandfather suddenly burst in. He looked at me still sitting alone on the bed and let out a sigh. "It seems this snake demon really has latched onto you. She took the betrothal gift but won't come to you—she's trying to torment you to death slowly."
"Grandfather, if Zhao Yixian really is a snake demon, then she's still a good person. If she wants my life, I'll give it to her willingly," I said, standing up firmly.
"You worthless brat, you're completely bewitched! Have you forgotten how those six people in the village died? If she were a good person, would she have killed them?" Grandfather shouted angrily, raising his hand to hit me again.
His reminder instantly deflated my confidence. Right—if Zhao Yixian were a good person, why would she have killed those people? But that thought was dispelled in an instant. In my heart, Zhao Yixian was no villain at all. She was so gentle.
Grandfather's hand never came down in the end—not because he didn't want to hit me, but because his phone rang. He opened that old-man phone of his, and the volume was extremely loud. It was Grandpa Hu calling.
"Brother Zhao, take the kid and get out of the house now! The troupe's car has already plunged off the cliff—it's clearly the work of those female ghosts from Burial Mound Mountain. They'll be coming back for you soon." Grandpa Hu's urgent voice crackled through the phone, and with that, the line went dead.
"Did you hear that? Strip off those clothes and come with me, now!" Grandfather said urgently.
I scrambled to my feet, then stubbornly declared, "Grandfather, Zhao Yixian will come to save me. She's a celestial fairy from heaven—she won't let those female ghosts hurt me."
Grandfather's face turned ashen with anger. He charged over in two strides, reaching out to grab my groom's attire. But at that moment, Zhao Yixian's voice rang out again: "That's right, the boy speaks the truth. I won't let those female ghosts harm him."
Zhao Yixian's graceful figure appeared at the doorway, looking even more enchanting under the dim, yellowing lamplight.
"Zhao Yixian!" I ducked sharply to avoid Grandfather and ran straight toward her, throwing myself into her arms.
Grandfather saw her too, and with a sigh, he said, "Great Immortal, what happened back then was the fault of my worthless grandson. But six people are already dead—surely your vengeance is satisfied. My grandson has told me everything. He didn't strike to kill, so why do you insist on hounding him so relentlessly?"
Zhao Yixian smiled serenely, pulling me tightly into her embrace. Her two full, soft mounds pressed against my head without the slightest hesitation, soothing me as she said, "Old sir, I fear you misunderstand me. Zhao Mo saved my life—how could I ever wish to harm him?"
"Saved you?" Grandfather and I asked in unison.
Zhao Yixian explained, "When humans die, they become ghosts; when animals cultivate, they become spirits. Since ancient times, animal cultivation has always defied the heavenly way. Even to earn the right to take human form requires five hundred years of cultivation, and to truly attain the final fruit, one must shed two of three, keeping only one. That day, as I and two other spirit serpents were vying for the final fruit and unable to defend ourselves, we encountered the six villagers. I thought all three of us would lose everything and perish in that tribulation. But as luck would have it, I fared better—though my vital energy was severely damaged, I escaped with my life and ended up recovering in Zhao Mo's coffin."
Hearing Zhao Yixian's words, I finally understood what had happened. She truly was a snake spirit, but since we had already consummated our bond as husband and wife, it didn't matter to me. I quickly asked, "Fairy Sister, tell Grandfather that you had nothing to do with those six deaths, right?"
Zhao Yixian sighed regretfully and said, "That's correct. I didn't kill those two. But they beat the other two spirit serpents to death, and the serpents' divine consciousness latched onto them. That consciousness lay dormant for seven years, and after seven years, death was inevitable. I wanted to save them, but I lacked the power to do so."
"I see. So this Gui Xi of mine only brought disaster upon us," Grandfather said. For some reason, he believed Zhao Yixian's words.
Zhao Yixian shook her head. "Old sir, that's not quite it. You know as well that Zhao Mo's Mingge is extremely yin—he is destined to face a Guihuo. I sensed it the moment he approached me, and after reading his birth chart just now, I'm even more certain that this fate cannot avoid the Guihuo. Zhao Mo is twelve this year—twelve is the number of earth, and there is still a thread of hope. At thirteen, it turns toward heaven; from earth to heaven, there is no turning back—a death sentence with no escape. The Guihuo from Burial Mound Mountain nearby is fierce, but I can still suppress it to some extent. If he were to face the Guihuo next year instead, Zhao Mo would have no chance of survival whatsoever."
Zhao Yixian's tone was sincere, her words utterly without pretense. "What the young lady says is absolutely right. I too have noticed this boy's special Mingge, but I failed to grasp this deeper meaning. Now that great calamity is approaching, I wonder how he should avoid it?" Grandfather said with some concern.
I looked at Zhao Yixian and said, "Grandfather, don't worry. Fairy Sister is incredibly capable—she scared off those female ghosts with just a few words."
Grandfather shook his head and said, "The Zi hour favors immortals, while the Chou hour favors ghosts. Moreover, with us on stage, and the Gui Xi troupe having their own tricks to bewilder the spirits, the current situation is not one Miss Zhao can handle so easily."
I turned to look at Zhao Yixian, asking with some worry, "Fairy Sister, is what Grandfather said true?"
Zhao Yixian nodded silently, then looked at me with a gentle smile and said, "Little husband, rest assured. As long as you obediently follow my lead, I guarantee your safety."
That address of "little husband" made me feel wonderful all over. At that moment, I felt I was the happiest person in the world.
"Alright, I'll listen to you?" I quickly asked, then added, "But will you be safe?"
"You call him little husband? Young lady, do you intend to consummate with this boy?" Grandfather asked in surprise.
Zhao Yixian replied without any hesitation, "I have accepted the betrothal gifts, so it is only proper that I consummate with him. Besides, before this, we have already shared intimacy—when Zhao Mo had not yet gone up the mountain to summon the ghosts. Had we not done so and left my aura upon him, he would likely have been harmed on that mountain. And since you, old sir, know that I currently lack the means to deal with those female ghosts, after we consummate a second time, it will suppress his Jiyin Mingge from manifesting further. The hour has already passed, so you should understand this is the only way to save him."
"I naturally understand, but this will deplete your cultivation, Miss Zhao. Those female ghosts will absolutely not let you off easily," Grandfather said.
Zhao Yixian shook her head and said, "There's no time to worry about that now."
"I'll take my leave then. Thank you, Miss Zhao." Grandfather bowed respectfully, his face filled with helplessness.
Grandfather was helpless, but my heart was surging with spring desires, my body burning hot. Recalling the pleasures of the night before and Zhao Yixian's endless tenderness, my heart grew even more restless.
After Grandfather left, Zhao Yixian merely raised her hand slightly, and a gust of wind from nowhere closed the door. I stared blankly at the door for a moment, then was lifted into Zhao Yixian's arms.
"Little husband, tonight was meant to be our wedding night, yet we cannot hold each other until dawn. Time is short, so I ask that you give your all." Zhao Yixian laid me on the bed, her warm, seductive voice sounding by my ear, making my whole body burn with heat.
Though I didn't understand the meaning behind her words, I had a vague sense of foreboding.
"Fairy Sister, it sounds like there's more to your words?" I quickly stripped off my clothes.
Zhao Yixian let out a soft laugh and said, "If eternity cannot be ours, then having once possessed is enough. With you in this life, I ask for nothing more." With those words, her warm lips pressed against mine, and the room was instantly filled with boundless tenderness.