Perhaps it was Ning Wei's inner plea that worked, for she actually saw the white snake.
The scene was still the familiar wooden house and small river, a place of peace and tranquility.
A large snake, entirely snow-white, coiled not far away. Its eyes were narrowed, whether it was contemplating existence or asleep was unclear.
Ning Wei guessed the former, as she had learned the truth from Ci Yun. Since the white snake was so determined to deal with the black snake, it must be too troubled to sleep.
Knowing the white snake was on her side, Ning Wei’s courage grew considerably.
She walked closer, her gaze fixed on the gleaming scales, more beautiful and dazzling than diamonds.
At some point, the white snake opened its eyes. Ning Wei was not afraid; instead, she reached out and touched a scale.
The texture was just as she imagined: hard and cold, like a century-old block of ice.
"I agree to your proposal. Do you have any good ideas to quickly deal with that black snake?"
The white snake spoke in human tongue, "I will use rooster’s blood and black dog’s blood to create a formation, trapping the black snake within. You must drain the last drop of blood from your body. Your blood has the effect of warding off evil and can hasten its demise."
Upon hearing this, Ning Wei felt a surge of astonishment.
She stepped back two paces, gazing up at the white snake’s head, trying to find an answer in its eyes.
"Are you... Ci Yun?" Ning Wei asked, incredulous.
The white snake nodded.
Ning Wei was speechless and sat down on the ground with a thump.
No wonder Ci Yun had always kept a large rooster and a big black dog in his yard; he was waiting for her, the destined person.
She had regarded the white snake as her last hope, believing there might be other methods.
She never expected that the white snake she longed for had been by her side all along.
"So, I am doomed to die this time?" Ning Wei wasn't afraid, just felt that dying this way would be too unremarkable.
Ever since her master told her about a fated tribulation, she had constantly imagined what kind of event she would face.
Drowning, being hit by a car – she had considered all sorts of deaths, but never draining the last drop of her blood.
To be honest, this method of death was rather heroic and a bit tragic.
Had she been too reckless in the past, was this retribution?
The white snake nudged its head towards Ning Wei's, rubbing gently against it as if to comfort her.
Ning Wei patted the white snake's head and sighed softly.
She realized that since arriving in town, the number of times she had sighed could rival those of the past decade.
Perhaps facing death, she was still feeling sad inside?
Ning Wei was unsure; she didn't want to believe she was actually fragile.
"Let me go back. I'll find you when I've made up my mind."
The white snake nodded, slowly slithering into the water until its entire body was submerged.
It was at this moment that Ning Wei opened her eyes.
The scene before her was a patch of darkness, and the scent of soil filled her nostrils.
It was not yet dawn, and everyone was fast asleep.
Ning Wei closed her eyes again, pushing all her chaotic thoughts aside and clearing her mind.
With the crow of a rooster, everyone began to wake up, one by one.
Tang Tang and the others had slept soundly all night, suggesting that the entity was truly arrogant.
The previous night had only been a warning. Now, it was like a hunter lurking in the shadows, observing its prey, and Ning Wei was already its possession.
The mood was somber. After breakfast, the Meng couple went about their own tasks.
Aunt Meng went to deliver food to the Yu couple. Privately, many people were still discussing their affairs heatedly, and whenever Uncle Meng and his wife heard it, they would try to stop it.
Normally, when Aunt Meng went, she would also tidy up the house for the young couple while delivering food, thus taking some time.
But today was different; Aunt Meng returned unusually quickly.
Ning Wei and the others were still gathered in the courtyard, discussing how to deal with the entity, when they saw Aunt Meng rushing back, without even her basket.
"What's wrong?" Tang Tang, seeing Aunt Meng out of breath, quickly grabbed a stool and urged her to sit.
Once Aunt Meng recovered, she told them, "Fang Fang ran away!"
Everyone was greatly surprised.
Normally, when Aunt Meng visited the Yu family, the main gate was left open, and Fang Fang would always sit in the yard waiting for her.
When she went this morning, the gate was shut tight, and Aunt Meng wondered if they hadn't woken up yet.
Concerned for their health, Aunt Meng asked a neighbor to climb over the wall and open the door. Upon entering the house, they found Fang Fang was not there, while Yu Jiansheng began to pour out his troubles like a waterfall.
For the past two days, Fang Fang had been taking advantage of caring for him, eating the meals Aunt Meng sent over only after he had finished, and then giving him the leftovers.
Before dawn this morning, Fang Fang had taken all the money in the house, beaten Yu Jiansheng soundly, and left Bai Xian Town without looking back.
As for where she had gone, no one knew.
That wasn't all. After Fang Fang left, a rumor began to circulate in town: Yu Baohua had fallen into her current predicament entirely because of the mountain god.
The mountain god had lured them into making wishes that harmed lives, so it wasn't a true mountain god, but a demon disguised in its skin.
Ning Wei and the others were dumbfounded. They never expected Fang Fang to have such a trump card.
Fortunately, she had already left Bai Xian Town. Based on their understanding of the black snake, its reach probably didn't extend beyond the town's boundaries.
Aunt Meng had rushed back specifically to share this news. With Fang Fang gone, Yu Jiansheng's affairs would have to be handled by the town.
After saying all this, she murmured to herself, bewildered, "Has this Fang Fang been possessed and gone mad? How could she say such things to slander the mountain god? This is a grave disrespect!"
Ning Wei and Zhu Yulian exchanged glances, and then Zhu Yulian asked Aunt Meng, "Does everyone believe what Fang Fang is saying?"
Aunt Meng waved her hand, "How could they? The mountain god has protected us for so many years. Would people believe something someone says casually and betray the mountain god's protection?"
Speaking of this, Aunt Meng had much to recount, "You all don't know, my son was sick once, and no amount of medicine could cure him. It was only after visiting the mountain god that he slowly got better. To us, the mountain god is our guardian!"
Seeing Aunt Meng's attitude, they could all guess the majority of people's thoughts.
Only those who had suffered greatly, like Fang Fang, could truly recognize the mountain god's true nature.
Therefore, the second path Ci Yun had mentioned, changing everyone's faith in the mountain god, seemed like an incredibly arduous task.
Aunt Meng had rushed back precisely to share this news.
Not receiving the response she had expected from Ning Wei and the others, Aunt Meng excitedly left again. She intended to go out and continue discussing it with others on the street.
Lately, the town's news had been incredibly dramatic, one event following another without seeming to end.