No one could truly feel their despair, nor could anyone else forgive on their behalf.
"What exactly is this so-called mountain god?" After hearing the story of Baixian Town, Ning Wei still felt that the true face of the mountain god was veiled, as if she had never truly grasped it.
"The dead had no one to complain to. Conveniently, a mountain god temple appeared in the town, and they spoke of the mountain god as incredibly efficacious, drawing many to offer incense."
"Some boldly made wishes, even willing to exchange offerings, and their desires were all fulfilled."
"The mountain god was clad in a skin. After this skin was shed, Ning Wei, what do you think it truly was?" Ci Yun liked to speak in riddles, positioning himself as an elder guiding Ning Wei to think for herself.
"It's vengeful spirits, hundreds of them," Ning Wei stated with certainty.
The vengeful spirits had found a place to reside. In a way, it was an accidental good deed by the townspeople.
However, human desires are boundless, and these desires fueled the growth of the vengeful spirits.
No longer content with their current state, they used the exchange of wishes to gain the faith and incense of countless people.
This still wasn't enough; they craved more.
Thus, they resorted to harmful acts, such as draining vital essence, which defied the heavens.
This intersected with the funeral they had encountered upon entering the town.
Yu Baohua at the funeral, driven by personal desires, had given them an opportunity.
"Then why did they target me?" Ning Wei couldn't fathom this either.
She had no desires; by all rights, she shouldn't have been considered an offering in their eyes.
Ci Yun gazed intently at Ning Wei. "There's no need for me to elaborate on your uniqueness. Your vital essence is equivalent to that of hundreds of people. By obtaining you, they can shed their other half and become a complete, invincible entity!"
Ning Wei suddenly understood. Her uniqueness lay in her blood.
She had never imagined that she, someone dreaded by ghosts, would one day become the target of a group of them.
"There are still things I don't understand. I hope the master can enlighten me." Ning Wei fixed her gaze on Ci Yun, her eyes filled with earnestness.
"Speak."
"I once saw a black and white twin-headed snake. What is their relationship? The white snake asked me for help, but I don't know exactly how."
Ci Yun slowly explained, "The white snake appeared at just the right time. It also received the subsequent incense offerings, thus gaining sentience. However, with the amplification of desire, vengeful spirits directly possessed it, gradually forming another entity, the black snake."
Therefore, the black and white represented two extremes.
One was the white snake, unwillingly drawn into the vortex, accidentally gaining sentience, its original nature still benevolent.
The other was the black snake, already enlarged by desire and given a physical form.
"By absorbing your vital essence, the black snake can completely devour the white snake. Your fate is now intertwined with the white snake's. Only by helping the white snake defeat the black snake can you survive; otherwise, your disappearance means its disappearance."
If the benevolent white snake were to vanish completely, the black snake would reign supreme here, and no one could subdue it.
"Then what must I do to make the black snake disappear?" Ning Wei earnestly inquired.
"There are two paths you can choose. First, your blood has the effect of dispelling evil. If the black snake comes for you again, you only need to bleed yourself dry to the last drop to completely purify it. Second, they exist because of faith. If their faith collapses, they will naturally disappear."
Everyone looked at Ci Yun with hope, only to find that the two methods he presented were both difficult to achieve.
Firstly, they couldn't sacrifice their companions for their own sake. Secondly, given the townspeople's various attitudes towards the mountain god, they had witnessed firsthand that changing years of faith in a short period would be challenging.
Ning Wei, however, remained unfazed. She said leisurely, "My master once told me that I had a destined tribulation, and perhaps this is it. I just didn't expect to face it at such a young age."
She wasn't exaggerating. After spending a year in the Taoist temple, her talent was evident. Her master had specifically cast a divination for her, resulting in that pronouncement.
Ning Wei still remembered her master's words: "Do not fear, face it directly. This is destiny, and no matter who you are, you cannot escape its grasp."
So, was she now to face destiny head-on and overcome this tribulation?
Ci Yun said with a double meaning, "Tell me which path you decide on, and I can help you."
Ning Wei looked at the large rooster and black dog Ci Yun kept, guessing their purpose.
These were both animals that dispelled evil. Ci Yun had kept them, likely for a crucial moment.
As for when that moment would be, there was no need to ponder; it would undoubtedly be for the first path he had suggested to Ning Wei.
"Come back to me when you've decided. Everyone, please leave." Ci Yun's task for the day was to answer questions. He had said all he needed to, and there was no reason to keep them.
Ning Wei finished her tea. As it cooled, the bitterness intensified.
She was the first to leave the courtyard, with the others following closely.
Everyone's attention was on Ning Wei, and they failed to notice a familiar figure emerge from the house after they left.
Li Ye slowly descended the stairs and sat in the seat Ning Wei had just vacated.
Ci Yun poured him tea and gestured for him to taste it.
Li Ye looked at the teacup with a gentle gaze. His thin lips parted. "Actually, there is a third path, isn't there?"
Ci Yun merely smiled, remaining silent.
They looked at each other without speaking and proceeded to drink tea, cup after cup.
It wasn't until the entire pot of tea was consumed that Ci Yun spoke.
"Have you found your answer?"
Li Ye's eyes darkened as he toyed with the teacup, letting the tea leaves fall onto the back of his hand.
"Although I've found the past, I didn't expect to face another choice, which I find quite difficult to let go of."
Ci Yun expressed confusion. "Although I cannot fathom your true nature, with your abilities, there should be nothing you cannot accomplish. Beings like us should not have such things as 'letting go' or 'difficulty letting go'."
Li Ye looked at Ci Yun, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "You are merely a white snake with some sentience. How dare you speak of 'us' to me?"
Facing Li Ye's commanding presence, Ci Yun did not get angry.
What he said was not wrong. Even though he wore human skin and had a name, he was still a snake within.
His lifelong wish was merely to defeat his other self.
Ci Yun had not revealed everything to Ning Wei, and Ning Wei had not pressed him about his true identity.
If the black snake disappeared, the white snake would vanish along with it.
However, none of that mattered. It had been fortunate enough to receive years of incense offerings, and this life was now without regret.