671 Must Be Returned
Su Xiaozhi was too calm. Ever since the start, when she called so many people here, she had planned it.
Madam Li and Madam Zhou looked at Su Xiaozhi again and were afraid. In the past, Su Xiaozhi was timid and did not dare to resist them like this.
This was not like Su Xiaozhi at all. Could Su Xiaozhi have been possessed?
"If such an ugly matter is exposed, how will our descendants be seen in the future? Moreover, our parents have passed away. It's our fault as sons not to let them rest in peace. If you say that we slandered you, at most, we'll apologize to you."
Su Dalang also reacted. He looked at Su Xiaozhi sharply, signaling her to stop.
Su Erlang also laughed. He sighed and looked at Su Xiaozhi sadly. "Sis, it's all our fault for being too impulsive. Now that I think about it, I'm really sorry for wronging you. Father and Mother were not in good health. Father was already lying in bed and couldn't get up. It was difficult for him to even raise his hand. Mother couldn't get up either. Only their upper bodies could move. They were already dying. It's all our fault for being petty."
The two families cooperated and wanted to muddle through. Everyone unanimously hoped that Su Xiaozhi would not make a big deal out of it.
Actually, Madam Wang and Old Master Su were not killed by either of them. They were already going to die.
They just wanted to find a reason to blame Su Xiaozhi.
However, they did not expect Su Xiaozhi to become a different person. In the past, Su Xiaozhi had always lowered her head and endured such things silently. She would not say a word. Who knew that she would change today? She even invited so many people to seek justice for herself.
How unlucky. If they had known, they wouldn't have hit her.
Su Dalang and Su Erlang gave in. The village chief and the others looked at Su Xiaozhi.
This matter started with Su Xiaozhi. What outcome she wanted depended on her.
Madam Wang and Old Master Su were already dead. If they had not been poisoned to death, this matter should have been a family matter. If Su Dalang and Su Erlang admitted defeat, would Su Xiaozhi let it go?
Everyone had different thoughts. Su Xiaozhi's expression was calm. She looked at Su Dalang and Su Erlang and said, "From what Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law, and Second Sister-in-law said, you're admitting that you wronged me."
In the past, she might not have held on to it, but today, she had not forgotten why she was here.
No matter what her parents had done in the past, they had all dissipated with their death. However, she was still alive. Su Dalang and Su Erlang's families were still around. If she were to bear the crime of killing her parents, she would never be able to clear her name in the future.
She had already done many things wrong. She would never back down on this matter.
Su Xiaozhi's question made everyone wait for Su Dalang and Su Erlang to answer.
Old Master Wang, Old Master Li, and the others looked at Su Dalang and Su Erlang.
The few grandmasters of the Su family were getting impatient from waiting. They knocked the ground with their tobacco sticks and said in an old and hoarse voice, "What exactly is going on? Which one of you siblings killed them!"
Old Master Su and Madam Wang were gone. In the eyes of the clan, whatever grudges they had in the past would dissipate with their deaths. However, if there was such a rebellious unfilial child among the younger generation, they should be punished.
Su Dalang and Su Erlang were not afraid of Su Xiaozhi, but they were afraid of the clan.
The two brothers looked at each other indignantly, but there was nothing they could do. Su Xiaozhi was acting like she was possessed. She was completely different from before. She refused to give in.
Su Dalang glared at Su Xiaozhi, then said to the grandmasters, "It's all a misunderstanding. It's all a misunderstanding. Father and Mother's health wasn't good. Actually, after Xiaozhi returned last night, mother called us brothers into the room and cried and scolded us. In the end, she seemed to be possessed and began to make arrangements for her funeral. At that time, we didn't take it to heart. When we woke up in the morning, we realized that they had passed away..."
"The more we thought about it, the more we felt that something was wrong. We thought that our mother's abnormality yesterday was because she had suffered grievances. Xiaozhi came this morning and we tried to get something out of her. Who knew that she had gold on her? We misunderstood even more... Now that the truth is out, we also realized that we had wronged Xiaozhi and made her suffer. As her elder brother, I'll take the lead and apologize to Xiaozhi. I hope you won't be angry."
With that, Su Dalang turned to Su Xiaozhi and bowed to her.
This was the best solution he could come up with in a short period of time.
Su Erlang rolled his eyes and quickly reacted. He nodded and echoed, "Sigh... Xiaozhi, I apologize to you too. You're a magnanimous person. Don't hold a grudge against Eldest Brother and Second Brother."
Su Dalang and Su Erlang admitted defeat. Madam Li and Madam Zhou also followed closely behind and apologized to Su Xiaozhi.
"I'm really sorry for making you suffer. We apologize to you. Please don't be angry with us."
Madam Li pretended to wipe the corners of her eyes, thinking that Su Xiaozhi should be satisfied now that they had apologized.
"Xiaozhi, sigh... It's all our fault for being so rash. Xiao Lei and the others always say that you're the best aunt. It's normal for a family to have a misunderstanding. Now that we've talked it through, it's fine. Don't you think so?"
Madam Zhou echoed.
She hoped that Su Xiaozhi would give up and turn the matter into a small matter.
Madam Li and Madam Zhou tacitly went to pull Su Xiaozhi, wanting to express their intimacy.
Su Xiaozhi retracted her hand with a distant expression. She said calmly, "Since you've wronged me, please return the gold that Father and Mother gave me."
She had to have this piece of gold.
This was her innocence. She wanted everyone to know she was innocent.
What Su Dalang and Su Erlang snatched had to be returned to her respectfully.
Su Dalang and Su Erlang did not look good when Su Xiaozhi asked for the gold.
They had already apologized, but she actually wanted to ask for more!
Madam Li and Madam Zhou also fell silent. That piece of gold was worth dozens of taels. It was really hard for them to take it out and give it to Su Xiaozhi.
Not only were Su Dalang and Su Erlang unhappy, but Su Chao, Su Shun, Su Lei, Su Qing, and the others also looked dissatisfied.
Su Qing glared at Su Xiaozhi resentfully and said, "Aunt, you're already married. How can grandpa and grandma give you gold? Your words won't hold water. Father, Mother, and Second Uncle have already apologized to you. What else do you want? You can't be too greedy."
This money should be shared between the two families. No matter what, Su Xiaozhi would not get a share.
Su Shun also pursed his lips and said strangely, "Aunt, why didn't I know you were like this before?"
Su Xiaozhi's heart gradually turned cold. She sneered and looked at her nephews, who all had complaints. She said sarcastically, "My good nephews, you have studied for a few years. You should know that it's wrong to snatch someone else's things, right? Your family snatched my gold from me. It's only fair to return it to me now."
672 She Won
"You can make wild guesses and accuse me. Then can I say that you did something treasonous to Father and Mother in the middle of the night and angered them to death? Brother Qing, Brother Shun, aren't you afraid? Have you forgotten how biased your grandparents were when you were studying? Aren't you afraid that they will come to collect their debts in your nightmares?"
Su Xiaozhi looked at Su Shun and Su Qing. Her stern tone shocked Su Shun and Su Qing.
Only the two families knew about what happened last night, but Su Xiaozhi's questioning made it seem like she saw it.
Both of them felt a little guilty and were silent for a moment.
"You really aren't learning the good things. Each generation is getting worse and worse. All of you have studied in vain. How embarrassing!"
The grandmasters of the clan were very angry. Snatching money from a married daughter was embarrassing.
If Old Master Su was still around, he would definitely point at his nose and scold him.
Su Dalang and Su Erlang also felt ashamed to be lectured by the highest-ranking person in the clan.
The two brothers looked at Su Xiaozhi hatefully, wanting to signal her to back down with their eyes.
However, after Su Xiaozhi understood, she only sneered. She looked at Su Dalang and Su Erlang and said coldly, "Eldest Brother, Second Brother, this is the last time I'll call you that. Father and Mother are gone. If you treat me like this, our sibling relationship will be severed. Return my things to me. From now on, I, Su Xiaozhi, and your families will go our separate ways."
When she said this, Su Xiaozhi's heart ached.
Actually, that was what she was most unwilling to do. She had always hoped that her siblings would be fine and not make a scene. But now, she could not lie to herself.
Perhaps it would be better for other people's brothers to slowly resolve many things and lead to rapprochement, but it was impossible for her family.
Even if she endured it, she wouldn't get what she wanted. They would only think that it was all her job. They would only think that she hadn't done enough.
She was very sad, but she didn't want to be wrong again. So, she decided to end it here and never see them again.
"Su Dalang, Su Erlang, return what you took from Su Xiaozhi. Otherwise, if she reports it to the officials, this matter won't be so easy to resolve."
The officer frowned and said. After listening for so long, they finally understood.
As for who was the one who angered Old Master Su and Madam Wang to death, there was no way to pursue this matter. When a person died, it was like a light going out. Everything disappeared like smoke. Su Dalang and Su Erlang were both their sons. The two of them had raised them to this day.
As long as they were not beaten to death or poisoned to death, there was nothing to pursue. However, snatching the gold was a big deal. If Su Xiaozhi refused to relent, it would definitely blow up.
Su Dalang and Su Erlang's faces were green. That piece of gold was worth at least 50 taels.
They were unwilling to hand it over just like that.
If they had known that the old ones were hiding gold, they would not have given Su Xiaozhi a chance to take it.
If he took out the gold now, it would undoubtedly be hard on them.
Su Dalang gritted his teeth and looked at Su Xiaozhi. "Su Xiaozhi, why do you think your mother gave you the gold? I think you stole this gold."
In the end, the temptation of gold was greater than surrender. After circling around, Su Dalang still bit down on Su Xiaozhi's words.
Su Erlang was silent. Anyway, he would get a share of the gold.
Su Xiaozhi sneered. "Brother, are you going back on your words?"
"Alright, then I'll insist on reporting it to the officials. Let the officials investigate thoroughly. I believe there must be traces left in Father and Mother's house."
Su Xiaozhi looked at Su Dalang coldly. A sad guess surfaced in her heart. She didn't want to believe it, but looking at Su Dalang and Su Erlang now, she knew that what she didn't want to believe was the truth.
Last night, when her father wanted to give her gold, her mother knew. Even if she was shocked and couldn't believe it, she let her take it away. She was afraid that others would find out and deliberately cursed her.
Therefore, it was impossible for her parents to be angered to death because of her.
That could only have happened after she left. She would never know what had happened last night, but whatever it was made her feel heartbroken and sad.
"Give it to her, Father. Return it to her. We have to have backbone. It's normal for us to be blinded by money for a moment. After all, we're all mortals, but we can't let our descendants look down on us. In the future, our descendants might be very promising. We can't ruin our foundation for a few taels of silver."
Su Shun's face was a little pale as he spoke to Su Dalang.
Today, Su Xiaozhi was different. They could all feel it.
There was no benefit in continuing to pester her.
Moreover, his mind was filled with the memories of when his grandfather was alive and how he had glared at him yesterday. Because of his guilt, he was even more afraid.
He was afraid that Su Xiaozhi would not let go of the matter and that the officials would come and investigate.
They were the ones in the wrong and guilty. If they still had to go against Su Xiaozhi's litigation, they would be the ones to suffer sooner or later.
Su Dalang was unwilling. He did not poison them. His parents were petty and angry. It was no wonder, but the value of this gold was real.
Su Shun looked at Su Dalang, his lips already a little pale. "Father—"
Su Dalang was unwilling.
The officer, Old Master Li, said, "Since you can't explain it clearly, let's report it to the officials. Let the authorities decide."
Old Master Li glanced at Su Xiaozhi and wondered if she would let it go.
Su Xiaozhi was quite famous.
Everyone said that she was a good daughter. Which family didn't want such a daughter? However, when they stood at the head of their in-laws' family, they sneered at her and hated her to the core. Everyone said that if they had such a daughter-in-law in their family, they would really be unlucky. Many people said that such a daughter-in-law should be taught a lesson. Otherwise, every brick and tile in the family would probably be used by her to support her maiden family.
"Then report it to the authorities."
This time, Su Xiaozhi did not back down at all. No matter what happened in the end, she only knew that she could not retreat. If she retreated now, she would only lose her gold. However, after a while, her good brothers would still bring up the past and say that she had angered her parents to death. At that time, her parents would already be buried in peace. She could not seek justice for herself even if she wanted to because she did not ask for the gold back. Over time, everyone would think that she had done something wrong. Otherwise, why would it be left unsettled?
"I'll return it to you. I'll return it to you. Get out of my house and never take another step in." Su Dalang's eyes were red as he angrily took out the gold and threw it at Su Xiaozhi. His face was red as he looked at Su Xiaozhi. He wanted to drink her blood and eat her flesh. Because of his anger, Su Dalang panted.
673 She Won 2
Su Xiaozhi calmly picked up the gold and put it away. She knew that she had won. She looked at the two families who had treated her as an enemy and said calmly, "None of us knows the truth about last night. Only your families know. However, I, Su Xiaozhi, have a clear conscience no matter if it's in the past or in the future. When Father and Mother were alive, I did everything I could and couldn't do. No matter how many years have passed, I'm not afraid of anyone talking about me, Su Xiaozhi. However, there are gods everywhere. People can't see, but gods can."
Su Xiaozhi smiled. She looked at Su Dalang and Su Erlang's families and swept her gaze across the familiar faces. She swallowed and said again, "I'm like this. I hope you're the same. It's best if Father and Mother died of illness. If not, there will be retribution one day."
Su Xiaozhi's words sounded like the truth, but also like a curse.
People looked at Su Dalang and Su Erlang with complicated expressions.
Old Master Wang couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. It was sad to raise a son like this.
"Of course Father and Mother died of illness. We misunderstood you previously and it's our fault. Now that the misunderstanding has been explained and the gold has been returned to you, if you say those words that will cause criticism, don't blame us for being rude to you."
Madam Li said angrily. She did not get the gold, so it was blinding to look at Su Xiaozhi.
Everyone looked at Su Xiaozhi. The Su family was staring at the gold in Su Xiaozhi's hand. If Su Xiaozhi took out the gold now, they would still be willing to acknowledge her.
Su Xiaozhi did not look at the Su family. She turned around and bowed deeply to the village chief and the others. "Thank you for coming to seek justice for me. Thank you."
"Village Chief, I want to sell my house. If the villagers need it, 15 taels of silver will do."
Su Xiaozhi said that she wanted to sell the house. A few years ago, when she settled down, the house was built quite well. Coupled with the foundation and the surrounding fields, it was worth far more than 15 taels.
As soon as Su Xiaozhi said this, someone chimed in, "Xiaozhi, is what you said true? I want to buy your house. Are you really going to sell it?"
Su Xiaozhi nodded. "Yes, I'm going to sell it."
Su Xiaozhi looked at the village chief and said, "Uncle, if your family needs it, I'll sell it to you first."
This time, she was ready to go back. And she was never coming back.
Old Master Wang was indeed a little moved. He looked at Su Xiaozhi. "Xiaozhi, thank you. If you've really considered it, my family is willing to buy it."
Su Xiaozhi smiled. "Then please follow me, Uncle."
Old Master Wang nodded.
Su Xiaozhi looked at the grandmasters in the family again. She bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, grandmasters. Please be witnesses today. From now on, I, Su Xiaozhi, will have nothing to do with Su Dalang and Su Erlang's families. From now on, we will never interact again."
Severing ties between siblings was much simpler than severing ties between father and son.
Usually, after establishing it, they really didn't interact anymore.
Even if they were not far apart, they would never see each other again.
After Su Xiaozhi left, the onlookers dispersed and got busy with their own work.
Everyone knew that Su Xiaozhi had taken back that piece of gold.
People guessed that Su Dalang and Su Erlang were guilty and did not dare to go to court with Su Xiaozhi, so they compromised.
No one knew the truth. They could only sigh.
Su Xiaozhi did not attend her parents' funeral and sold the house for the money. She packed her things and left Southern Mountain Village.
She walked in silence. By the time the others realized what was going on, she had been gone for a long time.
—-
Su Xiaozhi returned to Xiaohu Village. As she became more and more familiar with the surroundings, she gradually teared up.
She was uneasy.
Seeing smoke rise from the once-familiar house, Su Xiaozhi's footsteps gradually became heavier.
When she reached the house, she did not dare to show herself.
Madam Cao opened the door and came out. When she saw Su Xiaozhi, the basin in Madam Cao's hand fell to the ground.
Su Xiaozhi knelt down and kowtowed to Madam Cao.
"Mother, I'm sorry. I'm here to atone for my sins."
Su Xiaozhi was afraid that Madam Cao would not accept her.
Madam Cao only sighed faintly and reached out to help Su Xiaozhi up. Madam Cao did not say anything and pulled Su Xiaozhi into the house to eat.
Hu Changyang saw Su Xiaozhi. He was not as kind as Madam Cao. His face was cold. He did not greet his mother or speak.
Su Xiaozhi's heart ached, but she knew that she deserved this. She owed her children too much.
Madam Cao had been observing Su Xiaozhi. Su Xiaozhi's change was beyond her expectations, but how long would it last?
She was old, and her body would only get worse. She might collapse one day.
Hu Changshou had gone into the fog. She did not know if he could come out safely. If Su Xiaozhi came back, she could more or less help support the family.
After all, she was the children's mother. How bad could she be? Although she didn't know what had happened, it was good as long as Su Xiaozhi realized her mistakes.
Madam Cao picked up some food for Su Xiaozhi. "Eat more."
Su Xiaozhi's tears fell like rain as she ate in big mouthfuls.
At night, Hu Changyang washed up and went back to his room to sleep.
Su Xiaozhi and Madam Cao shared a room.
She personally washed Madam Cao's feet. Madam Cao didn't want her to, but she couldn't dissuade her.
After lying down, Madam Cao sighed and said, "Xiaozhi, don't leave after coming back this time. Don't blame me for being nosy. Shou and Yang already have their own plans. They have a balance in their hearts. Some things are gone after they're used up."
Tears welled up in Su Xiaozhi's eyes. She nodded in a choked voice. "I understand. I know what I have to do."
She knew that she was not a determined and decisive person. Now that she had come to her senses, she would use the rest of her life to atone for her sins. She would shut her heart and her mouth.
Su Xiaozhi took out gold and silver and handed them to Madam Cao. "Give them to Shou and Yang."
Madam Cao held the heavy gold and silver and had mixed feelings.
In the end, Madam Cao accepted it and said softly, "Alright, go to sleep. In a few days, we'll go and offer incense and pray for Shou to return safely."
Madam Cao's tone was pious. That was her eldest grandson, the eldest grandson of the Hu family. She was willing to lose ten years of her life in exchange for her grandson's safety.
Su Xiaozhi closed her eyes. She could not absolve herself of the blame for the sins she had committed.
If the heavens were on her side, she hoped that they could bless her son's safety, even if she had to exchange her life for it.
—-
Hu Changshou walked into the fog alone. He was very vigilant. His breathing became lighter, as if he was worried that he would alarm something.
When his vision became better, he was shocked by the dense forest. This was the foreign world. It was very different from the outside world. It was more comfortable to breathe, and the trees were larger. Everything was full of vitality.
674 Bad Luck
Hu Changshou first observed his surroundings and found traces of people walking past. He decided to follow the traces.
If everything went smoothly, he would only be two or three days late. He would follow the traces and eventually find Xiaolu and meet her.
He had some understanding before. The beasts in the foreign land were more ferocious and bigger than those outside. He was just a little stronger and was not omnipotent, so the best and safest way was to catch up to Su Xiaolu and the others.
In the first two days, Hu Changshou had indeed followed this method.
He kept looking for traces and making marks to prevent himself from getting lost. This way, he would not be lost in the fog before he caught up to Su Xiaolu.
During the day, he would just eat some dry rations. At night, he would find a big tree to climb up.
After ten days, Hu Changshou did not catch up to Su Xiaolu and the others.
He was a little depressed. He hadn't found any traces today, so he would have to walk the rest of the way on his own.
Where should he go?
Hu Changshou finally decided to continue walking forward.
Perhaps the heavens were blessing him. After moving forward for half a day, he saw some traces again. It looked like a fight had occurred. Many branches had been swept off.
The marks looked like a mess.
He became more careful and continued forward following the traces. About half an hour later, he heard someone talking. Hu Changshou was delighted and chased after them without thinking.
"Trash, useless trash. What's the use of raising you? It's better to raise a dog. You're about the same age and have been defeated by her several times. Now, you can't even deal with a big snake."
Madam Bai Liu scolded in a deep voice. Bai Xu, who was following her with her head lowered, clenched her fists. Her clothes were stained with blood and she staggered when she walked, but Bai Liu did not wait for her.
Bai Xu endured the pain and tried her best to keep up. Her lips were pale and her eyes were filled with flattery. Her tone was also the same. "Grandma, Xu'er is useless. Please give Xu'er another chance. Next time, Xu'er will definitely succeed. Xu'er will definitely get the snake gall of that demonic snake for Grandma."
"Hmph, if it doesn't work next time, it's useless for me to keep you. I'll just feed you to the snake."
Bai Liu's expression was dark as she glared at Bai Xu with indescribable disgust.
She walked very quickly. Bai Xu staggered to keep up, and blood dripped all the way.
Hu Changshou was caught off guard and faced Bai Liu. When Hu Changshou saw that there were only the two of them, he felt that something was wrong. He did not panic and quickly calmed down.
Bai Liu frowned and looked at Hu Changshou. He said calmly, "Young man, are you alone?"
Hu Changshou only pondered for a few seconds before saying, "No, I came with a friend."
Bai Liu smiled. "Where's your friend? This wilderness is sparsely populated. Apart from the three of us, I don't think there's anyone else here. I don't like liars."
Bai Liu could tell at a glance that Hu Changshou was lying.
Hu Changshou was alarmed. He turned around and ran.
But soon, a sharp wind blew. Hu Changshou felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and fell uncontrollably.
He rolled on the ground and quickly stood up again, facing Bai Liu in a defensive posture.
Bai Liu smiled. "You overestimate yourself."
As soon as they fought, she knew that Hu Changshou did not have Internal force. He looked like he knew some martial arts, but that was all.
There was nothing to be afraid of. Bai Liu quickly sealed Hu Changshou's acupoints and tied him up. She dragged Hu Changshou and threw him to Bai Xu. She said coldly, "Keep an eye on him. In the future, use him as bait. If you can't take down that demonic snake this time, don't blame me for being heartless."
"Grandma, don't worry. Xu'er will definitely not disappoint you this time."
Bai Xu bit her lip and looked at Bai Liu with determination.
She yearned for a comforting look from her, but she only saw coldness in Bai Liu's eyes.
Bai Liu continued to walk forward coldly. Bai Xu pushed Hu Changshou and slowly followed behind.
Hu Changshou had been very silent since he was kidnapped. Perhaps he sensed the strange relationship between the old and young.
This girl called Xu'er was injured and bleeding, but the elder clearly did not care at all and even kept blaming her for being useless.
Hu Changshou observed his surroundings.
Bai Xu glared at him coldly and said fiercely, "Behave yourself, or I'll break your tendons."
Hu Changshou retracted his gaze and said in an honest and low voice, "Miss, don't worry. I won't have any ideas."
Bai Xu ignored Hu Changshou. She was tired and her head was dizzy. Her footsteps were like a thousand catties. She really wanted to stop and rest, but if her grandma did not stop, she could not.
Her breathing was heavy, and her vision was getting blurry.
"Miss, your arm is bleeding. This grass can be chewed and applied to the wound to stop the bleeding."
Hu Changshou reminded her softly.
Perhaps it was his gentle kindness that made Bai Xu adrift for a moment. She did not scold Hu Changshou.
But she was still very cold. "It's none of your business. You can't even protect yourself."
Bai Xu ignored Hu Changshou and only asked him to walk faster.
Bai Xu's gaze followed Bai Liu closely. Seeing that Bai Liu finally stopped, she heaved a sigh of relief.
Grandma finally decided to rest.
Hu Changshou looked at Bai Xu. For some reason, his heart seemed to be touched. When Bai Xu was not paying attention, he expended a lot of effort to pull the grass.
He and Bai Xu walked not far from Bai Liu.
Bai Liu had already sat down. She sat cross-legged and took out some dry rations. She ate some and put them away. She closed her eyes and meditated.
Bai Liu did not care about Bai Xu at all, so she did not know that Bai Xu had fainted after sitting down.
Perhaps because she was certain that Hu Changshou would not be able to escape, Bai Liu did not even take him seriously.
Hu Changshou sighed. It was inconvenient for his hands to be tied up. He really didn't want to escape. This old woman was advanced in martial arts, so he couldn't escape.
He looked at the pale and unconscious little girl and put the herb into his mouth to chew. The medicinal juice was very bitter. After chewing it, he approached Bai Xu and realized that the clothes on one of her arms had rotted, revealing the hideous wound inside. Hu Changshou applied the chewed medicinal juice on Bai Xu.
He realized that she also had a wound on her leg. He applied medicine for that too.
After everything, he sat quietly and greedily breathed in the spiritual energy. From time to time, he would look at Bai Xu.
Looking at Bai Xu, Hu Changshou thought of Su Xiaolu. He sighed. There were very few girls like Su Xiaolu in the world. Su Xiaolu was a bright moon.
On the other hand, there were many girls who were just stars in the sky, like Miss Xu'er.
Before encountering danger, Hu Changshou was nervous. Now that he was really in danger, he was very calm. Perhaps this was his fate and his end. He would just treat it as his bad luck.
If he was lucky, he might be able to see the morning sun tomorrow and the day after. Hu Changshou thought so before he fell asleep.
675 I Won't Let You Go
Bai Xu woke up in the middle of the night.
She first looked at Hu Changshou warily and realized that he had fallen asleep instead of escaping. Bai Xu heaved a sigh of relief.
If Hu Changshou escaped while she was unconscious, Grandma would punish her again.
No matter how seriously injured she was, as long as she did not do what Grandma had told her to do, she was guilty.
Bai Xu raised her hand and realized that the wound did not hurt so much anymore. She took a look and saw the dregs of herbs falling to the ground under the moonlight.
Bai Xu was stunned. She could not help but glance at Hu Changshou. She recalled what Hu Changshou had said.
Many emotions surged in her heart.
Bai Xu was about to get up when he realized that there were also herbal dregs on her calf. She lowered her eyes in a daze and did not move again.
After a while, Bai Xu came back to her senses. She looked at the sleeping Hu Changshou with a confused expression.
She didn't understand why Hu Changshou would do such a thing.
Bai Xu's gaze moved down and finally landed on Hu Changshou's hand. Her gaze turned cold and she was no longer confused. What could a person who was about to die want? He just felt that she was a little girl who was easy to coax and wanted to trick her into letting him go.
He wanted to deceive her with just a small favor.
Bai Xu's eyes were cold. She took out a piece of dry biscuit and threw it at Hu Changshou. She turned around as if nothing had happened.
Hu Changshou was woken up by the impact. Then, he saw the biscuit under the moonlight. He picked it up with difficulty and ate it in small bites. He thanked Bai Xu softly. "Thank you, Miss."
Bai Xu did not respond. She did not care.
After eating, Hu Changshou whispered to Bai Xu, "Miss, I want to relieve myself."
Bai Xu's lips curled up. She knew it.
She ignored him.
Hu Changshou didn't mind. He whispered again, "Miss, everyone has these needs. You don't want me to lose control, right?"
Bai Xu looked at Hu Changshou and said coldly, "Then go. Don't play any tricks. Otherwise, I'll break your leg with a whip."
Bai Xu got up. Although her wound still hurt a little, this pain was nothing to her.
She pushed Hu Changshou to the forest below.
She kept smiling coldly at Hu Changshou, waiting for him to coax her.
Hu Changshou did not look at Bai Xu much. He just unbuttoned his pants after reaching the tree. He said apologetically, "Miss, the sound might insult your ears, why don't you walk further away? If you're worried, you can tie me to the tree with a rope to prevent me from escaping."
Bai Xu sneered. "There's no need. I don't care about these things, and I don't have any taboos."
Next, he would probably have to talk about applying medicine for her.
Bai Xu sneered in her heart. She had already thought of what she would say next.
As long as he said that, not only would she not be soft-hearted, she would only tell him coldly, "Who asked you to be a busybody? I didn't ask you to help me."
However, what Bai Xu thought did not happen.
After she finished speaking, Hu Changshou did not speak.
After a while, Bai Xu heard a pattering sound, like rain.
She quickly realized what it was and Bai Xu frowned.
It didn't take long for the noise to stop.
After a while, Hu Changshou heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Miss, I'm done."
Bai Xu brought Hu Changshou back until they were not far from Bai Liu. Hu Changshou sat down and closed his eyes to sleep. He did not even mention anything other than relieving himself.
Bai Xu frowned and pursed her lips. She could not help but glance at Hu Changshou. In the end, she bit her lip and comforted herself that this must be an even deeper scheme of his.
He did not speak because he was deep in thought. He was still conserving his energy. He must have remembered the two days that Grandma had mentioned, so he would definitely wait for an opportunity to take action in the next two days.
Thinking of this, Bai Xu felt more at ease.
She was no longer suspicious. She focused on circulating her energy to heal her injuries faster.
The next day, Bai Liu did not give Hu Changshou anything to eat.
Bai Xu did not either. She did not mention anything about Hu Changshou applying medicine for her.
On the third day, Bai Xu was much better. She was no longer limping.
When Hu Changshou had to relieve himself, Bai Xu supervised him.
After leaving Bai Liu, Hu Changshou smiled and said softly, "Miss, your injuries recovered very quickly. That's good. That herb is very easy to recognize. If you're injured next time, you can find some. It's also very easy to use. You can chew it and apply it to your wound, or crush it with a stone and apply it to your wound."
"This herb doesn't have much use. Its only use is that it's especially effective in stopping bleeding. In the past, when I cut my hand and bled, just a little medicinal juice would immediately stop the bleeding."
Hu Changshou couldn't help but laugh. Su Xiaolu was the one who told them about these simple medicinal theories.
The poultry at home would contract the plague. What herbs to use to quickly recover and what should be avoided, were all taught to them by Su Xiaolu.
Xu'er also looked like she often got injured. Some of her scars did not heal well and looked like they had rotted for a long time.
She probably did not know about medicine. If she could remember this herb, she would recover faster when she was injured in the future.
"I can't let you go even if you tell me this."
Bai Xu sneered. She did not have the time to beat around the bush with him, so she could not be bothered to pretend with him. She directly told him coldly not to do this. This was useless to her!
Hu Changshou smiled faintly. "It's okay."
After saying this, Hu Changshou stopped talking. From Bai Xu's words, he already knew what she meant. Perhaps he did not mean that, but she thought he did.
There was no need to explain anything. They did not know each other to begin with.
Hu Changshou remained silent and obediently followed Bai Xu back.
Hu Changshou had not eaten anything for the past two days. No matter how good his body was, he looked a little weak.
Bai Xu looked at his back and stopped in her tracks to pull Hu Changshou's rope. Hu Changshou was puzzled and turned around. "What's wrong?"
Bai Xu lowered his eyes. "If you want to eat something, I can give it to you."
Hu Changshou looked at Bai Xu's clenched fists and shook his head. He chuckled and said, "No need. Miss, you don't have to think too much. I did that because I have a cousin who looks like you. That's why I did that."
With that, Hu Changshou turned around and walked forward.
This time, Bai Xu did not pull the rope.
However, when they returned to Bai Liu, Bai Liu was not meditating. She looked at Bai Xu coldly. Her cold gaze made Hu Changshou feel that something was wrong.
As expected, in the next second, Bai Liu berated coldly, "B*tch, kneel down."
Bai Xu was stunned and puzzled, but she immediately knelt down and apologized. "Grandma, don't be angry. Xu'er knows her mistake."
676 Being Used as Bait
"You know your mistake? I don't think you know your mistake at all."
Bai Liu walked in front of Bai Xu and said coldly. She looked down at Bai Xu from above. Without any warning, she raised her foot and stepped on Bai Xu's shoulder, forcing her down on the ground.
"You said you know your mistake. Tell me, what did you do wrong?"
Bai Liu was cold and mocking, deliberately making things difficult for her.
Bai Xu looked up at her with difficulty. There were tears in her eyes. She endured the tears and pain and said with difficulty, "Grandma, please tell Xu'er. Xu'er will definitely change."
"You'll change? I don't think you will."
Bai Liu's eyes turned cold as she stepped on Bai Xu's shoulder even harder.
Hu Changshou's heart ached. He couldn't help but say, "Madam, she's your granddaughter. She's still young and doesn't know anything. Please be easy on her."
When Hu Changshou heard Bai Xu call Bai Liu Grandma, he thought that Bai Liu was Bai Xu's grandmother.
Bai Liu glanced at Hu Changshou coldly. A strong gust of wind blew over, and Hu Changshou was beaten back a few steps. He fell to the ground with difficulty and panted.
Bai Liu squatted down and pinched Bai Xu's chin. She spat, "You're so young and don't have any other skills, but you've learned enough to seduce men at such a young age."
Bai Xu broke down and shook her head with tears in her eyes. "I didn't, I didn't, Grandma, I didn't..."
Bai Xu did not know why Grandma said that. She felt very ashamed and sad.
Her face hurt, but her heart was even sadder.
Bai Liu threw Bai Xu's chin away in disdain. "No, then why is he smiling at you? What did you guys say behind my back? Did you guys do something dirty behind my back? Bai Xu, oh Bai Xu, you disgust me. How did I raise such a useless and ugly thing like you? I think you shouldn't be called Bai Xu. You should be called Bai Whore, you despicable thing."
With that, Bai Liu spat in disgust.
Bai Xu understood that she had been seen talking to Hu Changshou.
Hu Changshou heard it too. He didn't expect this woman to flare up over such a thing.
Hu Changshou was also very angry. How old was Bai Xu? She looked younger than Su Xiaolu. It was not time for her to get married at all.
He had not thought in that direction, but he did not expect this woman to think so.
Hu Changshou coughed twice and said, "Madam, there are thousands of men in this world. Do you think so for every man who has spoken to your granddaughter?"
Bai Liu glanced at Hu Changshou coldly. "Who do you think you are? How dare you talk to me like that!"
Bai Xu's eyes were red as she tightened her grip on the whip. She looked at Bai Liu pleadingly and said, "Grandma, don't be angry. Xu'er will kill him now. Xu'er was wrong. Xu'er shouldn't have spoken to him."
Bai Xu held her whip and walked towards Hu Changshou angrily.
Hu Changshou looked at Bai Xu. He could tell that both of them were abnormal.
However, he did not think that this was Bai Xu's fault. From the looks of it, it was obvious that Bai Xu was made this way by this old lady.
Hu Changshou looked at Bai Liu and mocked coldly, "I think you're just a pitiful worm who was abandoned and hurt by a man. You raised your granddaughter like this because you were hurt and abandoned. Although I'm not a big shot, I think I'm nobler than you. You've been hurt before, so why didn't you look for the person who hurt you? Why do you hurt your own granddaughter, who's weaker than you and respects you?"
"In my opinion, you're the ugly one. You don't dare to take revenge on whoever hurt you because you don't have the ability, so you only know how to bully the weak. And you don't even dare to bully a male grandson. You only dare to bully girls."
Hu Changshou said all the mocking words in his heart. He looked at Bai Liu in disdain, as if he was looking at a pitiful worm.
Bai Liu was stunned for a few seconds before reacting. She was furious and rushed towards Hu Changshou angrily. She grabbed Hu Changshou's neck with one hand. She was so angry that her expression was a little ferocious. "I'm going to kill you!"
Hu Changshou felt his neck being grabbed and suffocated. He felt himself being lifted up and kicked uncontrollably.
But he still managed to mock her. "I was right. You're—angry from embarrassment."
He looked down on Bai Liu. The mockery and disdain in his eyes pierced Bai Liu's heart.
Bai Xu swung his whip over. "Shut up. I won't allow you to say that about my Grandma."
Clap! Clap!
The sound of a whip tore through the air.
Hu Changshou did not dodge. He couldn't.
Seeing that he was about to be whipped, Bai Liu suddenly raised her hand and waved it away. Her internal energy nullified Bai Xu's whip and even flipped her to the ground.
Bai Liu had already let go. Hu Changshou fell to the ground and coughed with difficulty.
Bai Liu glared at Hu Changshou and gritted her teeth as she said coldly, "I won't kill you now. I want you to be bait. I want you to be bitten to death by the demonic snake. I want you to be in so much pain that you want to die. I want you to pay the price for the shallow and ignorant words you said!"
After Bai Liu finished speaking coldly, she turned around and left. When she was far away, she meditated and regulated her breathing.
Hu Changshou panted and looked at Bai Xu worriedly.
Bai Xu calmed down for a while before getting up. She did not look at Hu Changshou and sat further away.
Seeing that she was fine, Hu Changshou did not say anything.
Everyone had their own fate. His fate was like this, and so was Bai Xu's.
The night passed quickly. The next morning, Bai Liu threw something at Bai Xu.
Bai Xu quickly walked towards Hu Changshou.
Bai Liu stared coldly, as if she would not let Bai Xu off as long as there was anything strange in her eyes.
However, Bai Xu did not. She walked over, pinched Hu Changshou's chin, and poured it into his mouth.
The little girl's eyes were filled with disgust and hatred for him.
Bai Liu sneered. "Strip him naked and apply this on him."
Bai Xu did as she was told and quickly stripped Hu Changshou down to his underwear.
She smeared a foul-smelling juice on Hu Changshou's body.
Then, Bai Liu stood up and walked forward. Bai Xu pushed Hu Changshou and followed.
"What's your name?"
Bai Liu suddenly asked.
Hu Changshou did not answer.
Bai Liu was not angry. She sneered and stared at Hu Changshou. "It's fine if you don't want to tell me. You won't be able to live anyway. It's useless to know your name. However, you're the first lowly thing who dared to speak to me like that. If you don't tell me your name, I'll take your things out to investigate. When I find out, I'll kill everyone related to you."
Bai Liu's words made Hu Changshou furious.
Bai Liu smiled. Her tone changed and she said coldly, "If you tell me your name, You'll take responsibility for what you did and I'll let your family off."
Hu Changshou stared at Bai Liu and said coldly, "Hu Changshou, my name."
"Ahahaha, this is too funny. Hu Changshou, I think your name is Bai Changshou. You're more like a short-lived ghost1." Bai Liu laughed sarcastically.
677 Being Used as Bait 2
After laughing, Bai Liu said, "Don't worry, I won't find trouble with your family, but I'll find them and tell them that you're dead. Knowing that you're dead and died very miserably, they'll definitely cry. Tsk tsk—"
Seeing Hu Changshou's furious but helpless expression, Bai Liu was greatly satisfied. Since Hu Changshou had provoked her, she would use the same method to take revenge.
If Hu Changshou embarrassed her, she could also make him wish he was dead.
Hu Changshou was indeed very angry, but he could not say anything. His gritted teeth and trembling lips made Bai Liu very happy.
"Hahahahahaha..."
Bai Liu walked in front, smiling as she walked.
Hu Changshou clenched his fists and finally let go.
Bai Liu had indeed provoked him. He didn't care if Su Xiaozhi found out about his death, but he cared about his grandmother and brother. If he died, they would definitely be in pain and sad when they found out.
However, this was the helplessness and pain of being at the mercy of others.
It was easy for Bai Liu to take his life.
There was silence along the way. Bai Liu brought Hu Changshou and Bai Xu to a cave entrance.
This hole was as thick as a water vat. When one approached, there was even a fishy smell.
Bai Xu went forward and untied the rope on Hu Changshou's hand. She then tied Hu Changshou's feet.
From the beginning to the end, Bai Xu did not look at Hu Changshou again or say a word.
She pushed Hu Changshou down and pulled the other end of the rope. She pointed her toes and flew towards a big tree fork. During this time, Hu Changshou was hung upside down.
Hu Changshou saw Bai Xu and Bai Liu fly to another tree branch and hid themselves.
As bait, Hu Changshou did not shout. He swayed until he stopped moving. However, the stench on his body spread far and wide with the wind.
Hu Changshou knew that they were probably going to catch a snake, but how big a snake must it be to use a human as bait?
Two hours passed...
Four hours passed...
Six hours passed...
Hu Changshou felt all the blood in his body freeze. He looked at the place where Bai Xu and Bai Liu were hiding. They were still hiding there and had not left. Clearly, they were very sure that the demonic snake would come.
The sky was getting darker and darker. Through some cracks, one could see the beautiful sunset.
Hu Changshou let go of his thoughts. He thought that it would be good to see such beautiful scenery before he died.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle—"
There was a faint sound. Hu Changshou felt a pain in his leg. He subconsciously exclaimed, and his body began to sway.
Hu Changshou looked around and finally saw the demonic snake that Bai Xu and Bai Liu were talking about.
His heart was filled with shock.
This could indeed be said to be a demonic snake. It was a huge black snake, and it was thicker than a human.
It slithered slowly towards him, as if attracted by the smell on his body.
Hu Changshou remembered that this was what Bai Xu had smeared on his body. This smell could probably lure the snake to eat him.
Perhaps it was poisonous. After the snake ate him, it would be more convenient for Bai Xu and her grandma.
Hu Changshou began to struggle.
The violent shaking made him look like he was swinging on a swing.
"Pa—"
The rope around his feet loosened and he hit the ground.
The snake had already slowly slithered closer. Hu Changshou didn't care about anything else. He got up and ran. His sharp eyes saw a stick and he picked it up.
He ran in a roundabout route. When he turned around, he saw that the snake was also chasing after him madly.
Hu Changshou fell by accident.
Almost in the next moment, the tail of the demonic snake curled up.
Hu Changshou could clearly feel his legs break in an instant.
The broken half of the sharp stick in his hand could come in handy now.
Hitting a snake at seven inches of its length was a fatal spot, even for such a big snake.
Hu Changshou did a rough calculation and confirmed a location. He didn't have time to think too much. He raised the stick high and stabbed down.
He only had this one chance. If he was wrong or missed it, he wouldn't have another chance.
However, to Hu Changshou's surprise, the stick pierced through. He was strong, and the stick almost completely sank into the snake's seven-inch position. Hu Changshou felt his lower body relax, and he saw the snake twisting crazily. Its tail swept around violently. Hu Changshou felt as if his waist had been broken.
His vision was blurring as he saw Bai Xu and Bai Liu fly down.
Bai Xu flew towards the demonic snake, lashing out with the whip in her hand.
The snake's movements became softer and softer. Gradually, there was no more movement.
"Hmph, you have a long life. You accidentally stabbed its seven-inch position."
Bai Liu looked at Hu Changshou and snorted coldly. Then, she walked towards the corpse of the demonic snake.
Hu Changshou looked at the huge snake. It was no longer moving. It was lying on the ground. No matter how he looked at it, it looked terrifying.
Bai Xu leaned against the tree and panted.
Bai Liu walked towards the snake, took out her sword, and cut it open at the snake's seven-inch position.
The seven-inch position seemed to be a little different. Bai Liu reached in and stirred it. After a while, she took out a green snake egg the size of a chicken egg.
Bai Liu smiled, looked up, and swallowed it whole.
She licked the blood from the corner of her mouth and revealed a satisfied expression. Just as she was about to examine the corpse of the demonic snake...
Something big screeched and rushed over.
Bai Liu immediately flew back to Bai Xu's side.
Hu Changshou was also scared witless when he saw what was coming.
It was a huge snake twice the size of the previous one. It reached the snake's corpse and pushed its head against it as if it wanted to lift it up.
However, that snake was already dead. There was a pot-sized hole at the seven-inch position. The snake's gallbladder had been eaten by Bai Liu, so it was impossible for it to revive.
"Grandma, leave quickly. This snake is clearly the mother of the previous one. The snake's strength is terrifying. It's not a good idea to fight it head-on."
Bai Xu said worriedly to Bai Liu.
They had dealt with the demonic snake before. She was even injured. The snake's tail slapped with terrifying strength, and its skin was so hard that it could not be pierced.
The snake's abdomen was softer, but they couldn't reach it at all.
Hu Changshou knew that the seven-inch position of the snake was only lucky enough to take the life of the demonic snake.
However, this one was in a furious state. Its destructive power could only be terrifying.
Bai Liu did not move. She looked at Bai Xu coldly and said in disgust, "Why? Do you feel sorry for your lover? He hasn't played his true role as bait yet. Now that there's another one, it's a good time for him to be useful."
Bai Xu's heart ached, but she still shook her head and explained, "Grandma, my heart doesn't ache for him."
She was just worried about the danger.
"Hiss —"
When the huge snake could not move the corpse on the ground, it stood up and let out a cry similar to a lament. Then, it locked onto Bai Liu's direction.
678 Abandon
Being stared at, Bai Liu was shocked. She realized that she had been targeted because she had eaten snake gallbladder.
She frowned and took out a bottle of divine medicine from her pocket. She opened the bottle and poured it into her mouth. After chewing the divine medicine, the fragrance entered her throat and covered the fishy taste in her mouth.
But snakes were vengeful things.
It did not give up after targeting Bai Liu. It did not even look at Bai Xu and Hu Changshou.
Bai Liu flew onto the tree, and the huge snake swept its tail without hesitation. A tree as thick as a person's waist was directly cut off.
"Grandma, let me help you."
When Bai Xu saw this, she flew over to help without hesitation, even though she was injured.
When she was injured, Bai Liu did not help her at all.
Bai Xu flew over and whipped the snake to save Bai Liu.
The whip hit the snake without leaving a trace. It only infuriated it.
The snake roared angrily and whipped its tail with all its might. Bai Xu was sent flying after taking a hit.
The snake continued to lock Bai Liu down. After dealing with Bai Xu, it attacked Bai Liu.
As it chased after Bai Liu, it swung its tail. Bai Liu could not withstand it.
"Hiss —"
Bai Liu watched as black liquid spewed out of the snake's mouth. She hurriedly dodged, but her arm was still stained with a few drops. She frowned. The few drops of poison almost instantly corroded her clothes to her arm. It hurt. It was a heart-wrenching pain.
She dodged in a sorry state. If she did not think of a way to shake off this vengeful thing, she would probably not be able to escape today.
Not only did she have to guard against the powerful snake tail, but she also had to guard against the extremely corrosive snake venom.
Bai Liu was a little frustrated.
She flew towards Bai Xu and led the snake in her direction. Bai Liu ordered Bai Xu loudly, "Xu'er, cut its stomach with the crescent blade."
Obediently, Bai Xu took out a dagger. When Bai Liu lured the snake over, she bent down and rolled, inserting the dagger into the snake's abdomen.
Such a demonic snake could only be pierced through the abdomen, but its softest part should be the seven-inch position.
When the dagger pierced into the snake, it hurt. Bai Xu grabbed the dagger and refused to let go. She wanted to use this method to make the snake tear open the wound wider and deeper.
Bai Liu watched as Bai Xu pulled the attention over. She smiled coldly and smashed something on Bai Xu's body. The bottle broke and Bai Xu's face and body were covered with the fishy juice.
Bai Liu said fiercely and coldly, "Trash, I've raised you for so long. You're finally useful."
After saying this, Bai Liu flew away without looking back.
She had already obtained a snake gallbladder. It was enough.
This snake was a vengeful thing. If she dealt with this, she might suffer a huge loss. This kind of demonic snake carried spiritual power and had terrifying strength. She did not want to die here.
Now that Bai Xu had diverted its attention, she could take this opportunity to escape.
Bai Liu abandoned Bai Xu.
Bai Liu fled. Bai Xu widened her eyes and shouted, "Grandma—"
She couldn't believe that her grandma had abandoned her. How could her grandma abandon her?
However, no matter how unwilling Bai Xu was to believe it, this was the truth.
Bai Liu abandoned Bai Xu and used her as a sacrifice to save her own life.
The stench stimulated the snake, and the pain in its abdomen successfully diverted its attention. It gave up on chasing Bai Liu and collided with the tree, sending Bai Xu flying.
Hu Changshou shouted, "Miss Bai Xu, don't move. As long as you don't move, snakes usually won't take the initiative to attack people."
Snakes weren't interested in things that were still.
But he didn't know if this kind of snake was the same.
Bai Xu lay on the ground for a long time without moving. It was not that she did not move, but it was difficult for her to move. Her entire body was in pain.
Hearing Hu Changshou's words, she thought that it was ridiculous and wanted to mock him. The big snakes in the other regions could not compare to this snake. Moreover, they had the smell of food on them. This juice was the smell that the demonic snake liked. In the eyes of the snake, they were food to begin with.
"Hiss —"
The snake let out a sharp cry.
In just a short while, Bai Liu had already escaped far away.
The snake returned to the corpse of the other snake and nudged it again, finally letting out a sharp cry.
It turned around and swam towards Bai Xu.
Hu Changshou was anxious when he saw this. He also realized that something was different about the huge snakes in the foreign region. They held grudges. Bai Xu had replaced Bai Liu, so all its hatred was targeted at Bai Xu.
Bai Xu glanced in Hu Changshou's direction and said calmly, "Hu Changshou, leave quickly. This thing hates me and can't care about you now. Take the antidote and run. This antidote can cure the poison you took. Just find a place with water to wash yourself."
Bai Xu threw something at Hu Changshou.
Hu Changshou caught it and frowned.
Bai Xu did not look at him anymore. She tightened her grip on the whip, as if she was accumulating strength for the final battle.
Hu Changshou had mixed feelings. Such a girl had suffered so much, but she still gave him a way out at this time.
She was not what she appeared to be.
If Hu Changshou ran now, with the antidote and Bai Xu holding the snake back, there was a high chance that he would be able to escape.
But he gripped the bottle tightly, unable to move.
The snake pounced at Bai Xu. Bai Xu rolled a few times to avoid it and staggered to her feet, swinging her whip.
Bai Xu did not have the time to care about Hu Changshou. Her whip was not strong, and she was not agile. Her internal organs were in pain.
After being hit by the snake's tail, she felt that she was cut in half. She could not hold the whip in her hand anymore.
She felt herself hit a tree and hit the ground. She saw the snake's tail hit the ground hard. She was sent flying. The snake used its head to push against her. Instead of eating her immediately, it tortured her.
Bai Xu vaguely felt that this huge snake seemed to have some intelligence and was more than an ordinary beast, but that was all.
This was because its hatred would be diverted. If its intelligence reached a certain level, Bai Liu would not be able to use this method to escape.
She felt pain all over her body and only hoped for relief.
As her consciousness became weaker and weaker, she landed heavily on the ground. In a daze, she saw the snake's entire body straighten into a straight line as if it had been struck by lightning.
Bai Xu caught his breath and saw a pillar of blood as thick as a bowl separated from the snake's body. As if it had a consciousness, it was sucked in a direction. She turned around and saw that all the snake's blood had been sucked into Hu Changshou's mouth.
She was very surprised. How did he do that?
The snake's body went limp. It opened its mouth and spat out a mouthful of venom into the blood. Finally, it smashed into the ground.
"No..."
Bai Xu only had time to shout, but it was too late. All the snake blood, including the venom, had already been sucked into Hu Changshou's mouth.
She saw that Hu Changshou's stomach was as big as a pregnant woman's. His eyes were closed and he did not move at all. Bai Xu swallowed. She knew that Hu Changshou had saved her.
679 Survive
Bai Xu choked. She did not understand why someone she had only met for a few days would use his life to save her. She was clearly not good to him at all.
Why didn't he run? Why did he save her?
Hu Changshou had saved her, but her beloved Grandma had abandoned her and even sacrificed her life.
Bai Xu felt terrible. She could not tell if it was hatred or resentment.
She looked at the sky for a long time. Night had fallen and the stars were shining.
Bai Xu moved her body and crawled to the snake's corpse with difficulty. She grabbed the dagger and began to cut open the snake's corpse.
Grandma wanted to eat the snake gallbladder at all costs. It should be good stuff.
She had barely survived. She wanted to live.
When she found the snake gallbladder, it was as big as two eggs. Bai Xu endured her disgust and swallowed it raw like Bai Liu.
The taste was not good, and it was uncomfortable. However, not long after the snake gallbladder entered her stomach, she gradually felt a strong force.
The injuries in her body had been repaired by this strange power. She could feel all the injuries healing, driving away all the pain and exhaustion.
The wounds on her arms and legs were healing at a visible speed. Bai Xu looked at this scene in surprise. In an instant, she understood that Grandma had always wanted to eat the organs of these beasts because they contained huge power.
The stronger the demonic beast, the stronger its power.
Snake gallbladders were famous for their medicinal value, so it was definitely not wrong to take their guts.
After a while, Bai Xu stood up and slowly walked to Hu Changshou's side. She saw that his stomach was as big as a drum, as if it was bigger than the stomach of a woman who was about to give birth. Bai Xu pondered for a moment and she recalled that whenever Grandma saw pregnant women, she would always spit on them and curse softly, "Shameless."
Bai Xu's thoughts surged, and her gaze turned into disgust. She was about to leave, but after taking a few steps, she stopped.
Was Hu Changshou dead?
Bai Xu returned. She walked to Hu Changshou's side and squatted down. She first tested Hu Changshou's pulse. It was hard to imagine that Hu Changshou was still alive.
Bai Xu's eyes darkened and she muttered to herself, "You saved my life, so I should return it to you. This way, I won't owe you anything, but if you swallow that poison, I can't detoxify it either. Whether you live or die depends on your luck."
After saying that, Bai Xu stood up. She made a simple cart and dragged Hu Changshou up. Then, she pulled him to the cart.
Looking at the two snakes, Bai Xu frowned. In the end, she walked over and took some snake meat away.
She didn't want to lose the snake skin, but she gave up because she couldn't handle it. Grandma had never wanted these things in the past. Grandma always said that she didn't want useless things.
After leaving that place, Bai Xu found a safe cave and settled Hu Changshou in. She fed the antidote to Hu Changshou and ignored him.
She had experienced too much today and it had dealt her a heavy blow. She had never thought that her Grandma, whom she had always relied on, would abandon her.
Her heart seemed to be empty, and she didn't know what to do.
The foreign land was strangely quiet at night, and Bai Xu could not sleep the entire night.
At dawn the next day, she came back to her senses. She glanced at Hu Changshou and tested his pulse.
Hu Changshou was still alive. His stomach seemed to have become smaller.
Bai Xu tried to call him. "Hu Changshou, wake up."
Bai Xu nudged Hu Changshou, but Hu Changshou showed no signs of waking up.
Bai Xu pressed Hu Changshou's stomach. It was hard.
Bai Xu placed the snake meat into the cloth bag and crushed it into minced meat. She fed Hu Changshou some and ensured that he swallowed it. Then, she ignored him.
She would continue to go on her way.
She thought that Hu Changshou would die. After all, his stomach was very hard. That was definitely something ordinary people could not achieve. However, he was still alive when she tested Hu Changshou's pulse every day.
She would feed Hu Changshou something to eat every day. Not much.
Hu Changshou's stomach was also getting smaller by the day.
After a month, he returned to normal.
One day, he woke up.
Bai Xu was hammering the minced meat. Hu Changshou looked at her back and said hoarsely, "Miss Bai Xu."
Bai Xu was stunned. Then, she turned around and stood up. She sized Hu Changshou up. "You're awake."
Hu Changshou nodded. "But I can't move my limbs yet."
He had only woken up, but his body was still as stiff as a rock.
Bai Xu walked over and pressed Hu Changshou's stomach. It was soft. She pinched his arm. It was also soft. She frowned. "You lied to me!"
As she spoke, Bai Xu angrily pulled Hu Changshou up. However, Hu Changshou's head tilted to the side and he did not have any strength to react.
Hu Changshou smiled helplessly at Bai Xu and said, "Miss Bai Xu, I'm not lying to you."
Bai Xu let go and Hu Changshou slammed back into the cart.
Because Bai Xu was too rough, Hu Changshou could not lie back down properly. He smashed into the cart and fell uncontrollably to the ground in a twisted position.
Bai Xu looked at him for a while before she dragged him back to the cart. She said coldly, "You saved my life. I'll return the favor. Now that you're awake, we don't owe each other anything."
"Yes, thank you, Miss Bai Xu."
Hu Changshou could not deny it.
Bai Xu looked at him and said, "If I leave now, you'll definitely die like this. I'll give you another half a month. If you're still like this after half a month, I won't bring you along. I can't bring a burden along."
When she mentioned burdens, Bai Xu's eyes moved, but in a moment, that abnormality disappeared.
"Okay, thank you."
Hu Changshou nodded. He felt that Bai Xu was a little different.
He knew that it was because of her Grandma who had abandoned her and dealt her a blow. He did not know why she saved him, but he was very grateful to be alive now.
He was actually not familiar with Bai Xu. It was already a miracle that Bai Xu did not abandon him.
If he could not recover like this, Bai Xu would not be able to keep bringing him along. Anyway, he was unwilling to go back like this. He would treat it as a stolen lifetime. If he could not leave, he would rather sleep here forever.
Hu Changshou did not ask Bai Xu to do anything for him.
He would eat whatever Bai Xu gave him. If Bai Xu did not feed him, he would not eat. It was the same for the next few days. Hu Changshou did not ask for anything. They would not speak much to each other all day long.
Sometimes, Bai Xu would kill some beasts and take their hearts. After she finished eating, she would take some meat and grind it into minced meat for Hu Changshou.
When she was free, Bai Xu was in a daze.
During this period of time, she had completely lost the clean appearance of a young lady. Many of the bloodstains on her face were dry and congealed, her hair was messy, and her clothes were a little tattered. Many of the bloodstains had already been stained black.
Thirteen days had passed, but Hu Changshou showed no signs of improvement.
One night, it was raining. Hu Changshou saw that Bai Xu had been sitting outside for a long time and could not help but say, "Miss Bai Xu, take shelter from the rain. You'll catch a cold if you get drenched too much."
680 Kindness
He did not want to speak because he felt that Bai Xu did not want to talk to him. In fact, he thought Bai Xu hated him.
However, seeing that she had been drenched in the rain, Hu Changshou still reminded her.
If Bai Xu did not move, he would be no different from the surrounding trees.
The rain washed away the blood on her body. Hearing Hu Changshou's words, she turned to look at him. Hu Changshou had already become very thin. Bai Xu smiled sarcastically. "You can't even protect yourself, yet you still have the time to care about others."
"It's just a reminder. It's good if you listen, but it's fine if you don't want to listen."
Hu Changshou was very calm and did not mind Bai Xu's sarcasm at all.
"There are still two days left. Aren't you afraid?"
Bai Xu suddenly asked. She did not understand why Hu Changshou was so calm without any fear. Was he not afraid of death, or did he think that she would not abandon him?
Hu Changshou only smiled at Bai Xu's question and replied calmly, "There's nothing to be afraid of. It's all fate. I'm already satisfied that I could live for another month."
"Why do you think that? Grandma—"
Bai Xu was very curious. Thinking of Grandma, the curiosity in her eyes dimmed and turned cold. She turned around and said coldly, "Forget it. It has nothing to do with me. I don't want to know."
The atmosphere was extremely cold. Neither of them spoke again. Only the sound of raindrops falling on the leaves decorated the night.
Hu Changshou also closed his eyes in a daze. He was about to fall asleep when he heard Bai Xu suddenly speak.
"In two days, I won't bring you along anymore," Bai Xu said.
Hu Changshou swallowed and replied softly, "Yes, I know."
After a moment of silence, Bai Xu spoke again. "Do you have any siblings at home? Will your parents despise you for being a burden that can't move?"
Hu Changshou did not respond immediately. Bai Xu continued, "If they don't mind, I can send you out."
"There's no need to trouble Miss Bai Xu. I'm not going home."
Hu Changshou spoke. Bai Xu looked cold and strange, not like a normal woman, but she was not that bad. She did not leave him behind. She did everything she could.
Hu Changshou looked at the dark night and said softly, "When I was nine years old, my father passed away. My grandmother's health isn't good, and I have a younger brother. He's already eleven. The world isn't peaceful now. It's too much of a burden for me to go back. I am prepared to die here."
"Oh."
Bai Xu replied calmly.
It was still raining, and they both fell silent.
After a long time, perhaps thinking that Hu Changshou had fallen asleep, Bai Xu said in a low voice, "I don't know who my parents are. Ever since I could remember, there has only been Grandma."
"Grandma was very strict with me. She taught me martial arts and brought me to many places. Grandma doesn't like women and hates men. I'm already very grateful that she raised me. She's my only family. She's my grandma and my Master. I hope she can be happy. I'll do whatever she asks me to do. I swore that when I grow up, I'll definitely avenge her and eliminate all the enemies she hates."
"I never thought that she would abandon me. I thought that no matter what she had experienced, we were each other's only family. When we encountered danger many times, Grandma never abandoned me. I thought that she would never abandon me."
"But this time, she didn't take me with her. She doesn't want me anymore. Why is she heartless enough to abandon me after all I've done? Could it be that she really doesn't have any feelings for me in the past ten years?"
By the time Bai Xu finished muttering to herself, her words were already filled with resentment and hatred.
In the quiet night, the only response was the sound of the rain.
Bai Xu looked at the forest in the distance, clenched her fists, and gritted her teeth.
Hu Changshou did not sleep. He pondered for a long time before deciding to speak. He said softly to Bai Xu, "Miss Bai Xu, your Grandma has never really doted on you. She only treats you as a tool to be used. Since you are useful, she brought you along. When you are useless, she will not hesitate to abandon you and replace you. Perhaps the next time we meet, there will be a replacement for you by her side."
"I don't know if you've ever farmed before. Ordinary people farm every year. In your Grandma's eyes, you're just a farming tool. If it's broken, she'll repair it when she can, but when she can't, she will throw it away and replace it."
Hu Changshou made an analogy and Bai Xu laughed when she heard that.
"Hehe, is that so?"
Bai Xu mocked herself coldly. She looked up at the sky and swallowed.
Tears mixed with rain fell. The truth she was unwilling to admit was exposed by Hu Changshou. There seemed to be a big hole in her heart. It hurt so much.
The world was so big that she couldn't seem to find a place to stay. She didn't even know what to do in the future.
She couldn't find the meaning of her being in the world.
She was the knife in her grandma's hand. She would hit wherever Grandma wanted her to hit. If Grandma threw her away, she would not be able to find her meaning.
"Miss Bai Xu, the world is vast. Perhaps you feel terrible now, but it will pass eventually. One day, you will definitely find yourself. You are you, not a tool that anyone can use."
Hu Changshou's voice was soft and gentle.
Bai Xu suddenly turned around to look at him. Under the night sky, she could not see his expression. There was only his dark outline. Bai Xu had a strange feeling in her heart. She could not help but ask, "What about you? What will happen to you when I leave in two days? Are you really not afraid of death?"
Hu Changshou chuckled and shook his head. "I am afraid. Before you leave, I beg you to bring me to a dense forest. I'm afraid of death. I won't give up easily. I can't move, but if insects crawl past the corners of my mouth, I'll eat them. If it rains, I'll drink the rainwater. If I'm lucky, I can last for eight to ten more days. Perhaps in these ten days, my luck will improve again."
Hu Changshou did not lie to Bai Xu. This was his plan. If he was lucky, he might really get better and get out alive.
If he was unlucky, he would live for a few more days. No matter what, he would not lose out.
"Oh."
Bai Xu responded lightly. It was unknown if she was satisfied with Hu Changshou's answer.
This time, neither of them spoke again.
In the end, Hu Changshou could not persuade Bai Xu to avoid the rain. The two of them stayed silent.
The sky gradually brightened. Bai Xu stood up and left. Not long after, she returned with blood and minced meat at the corner of her mouth. As usual, she fed the minced meat to Hu Changshou.
On this day, the two of them did not say a word, as if the conversation last night did not exist.