Why did that man have a weasel-like tail behind him? Why were the large ears on top of that child’s head moving? Why did that woman’s face look so much like a horse’s? Why did the small baby in the arms of the old tea seller on the street suddenly turn into a ginseng root? Why were there giant swallows with human faces flying in the sky?
As these questions kept popping up in his mind, cold sweat trickled down Mei Si’s back, sobering him up halfway.
Since childhood, Mei Si had been fascinated by celestial beings, demons, ghosts, and other supernatural entities. He had read many folk tales and records of strange occurrences. Now, looking at these abnormal scenes before him, Mei Si immediately guessed that he might have stumbled into some mysterious world of supernatural creatures.
Although he enjoyed learning about these mystical things, he also understood that if such beings were to appear before him in reality, it would be best for an ordinary person like himself to run away. Otherwise, being eaten was no joke!
Mei Si’s legs weakened, but his eyes sparkled as he looked at everything around him. Despite being somewhat afraid and aware that his current situation was precarious, he couldn’t help but think: encountering supernatural beings, and so many at once, was a rare opportunity! If he didn’t take a good look now, he would surely regret it later!
Coincidentally, today happened to be the Zhongyuan Festival. The barrier between the supernatural market and the mortal markets had weakened. The energy of humans and ghosts was intense outside, and the supernatural beings inside the market were less sensitive to human presence than usual. Moreover, there were many beings in the market who could fully transform into human form. As a result, a weak human like Mei Si walking through the supernatural market filled with otherworldly creatures went unnoticed for a while.
And so, Mei Si carefully avoided the supernatural beings around him while searching for a way out. His eyes darted everywhere, taking in the scenes of the market. He secretly decided that when he returned, he would draw everything he saw. He had already thought of a name for it: “Scroll of Supernatural Wonders.”
As he walked, Mei Si suddenly froze. Because at the foot of a building shaped like a flying wild goose spreading its wings, he saw a familiar figure.
That veiled woman with a slender figure looked like… Madam Liu, Liu Taizhen from the Liu family? Mei Si suspected he might still be drunk and shook his head, rubbing his eyes. However, Liu Taizhen didn’t disappear.
She was surrounded by a group of supernatural beings. Mei Si was too far away to hear clearly what was happening, but he could see Liu Taizhen alone in the middle, encircled by many creatures.
This was bad. Had she, like him, accidentally entered this place and been discovered as a mortal? Mei Si’s heart sank, and he began to feel anxious. Although Liu Taizhen didn’t get along with Elder Sister Zhen, she was still a living, breathing person. He couldn’t stand by and watch her die.
Save her! Gritting his teeth, Mei Si slapped his face to clear his head, then looked around for a solution. Suddenly, he spotted a cart in a corner nearby, piled high with straw. Mei Si’s eyes lit up. Glancing at the surrounded Liu Taizhen, he hurried over and began pushing the cart.
Meanwhile, Liu Taizhen was encircled by a group of supernatural beings, but they all kept an arm’s length away from her, maintaining a distance. Even their voices were lowered, afraid of angering her with too much noise.
“Snake Lord, it’s rare to see you out. Please accept this Zhongyuan Festival gift!”
“Snake Lord, thanks to your help last time, we haven’t had a chance to thank you properly. We prepared these gifts long ago. You must accept them!”
“Snake Lord, about the matter I mentioned to you before, have you considered it? My younger son may not have much talent, but he’s exceptionally handsome…”
As the creatures were speaking, suddenly a loud shout was heard, and a large cart came crashing towards them. No one expected such audacity in the Snake Lord’s presence. They were all stunned for a moment. A few creatures instinctively dodged, revealing the frowning Liu Taizhen in the center.
The cart overturned, crashing into the group of supernatural beings. In the chaos, Liu Taizhen was grabbed by the hand and pulled out of the circle by Mei Si, who fled with her into a quiet street beside the Yan Tower.
The creatures left behind were dumbfounded. After a long while, one of them pointed in the direction the pair had disappeared and asked, “What… what was that?”
“The Snake Lord… was taken away?”
“Who was that just now? Is there anyone in our market so bold as to directly grab the Snake Lord’s hand? Doesn’t the Snake Lord dislike being touched the most?”
“The Snake Lord didn’t seem angry or swallow him whole, so perhaps they know each other?”
The creatures were puzzled, while Liu Taizhen, who had been pulled by Mei Si to a secluded corner, looked coldly at this suddenly appeared Mei Si.
Why him again? Last time he was possessed by a spirit and sneaked into the supernatural market. This time, he didn’t seem to be possessed.
Perhaps he still had some lingering effects from the previous possession, and having stayed in the Yan Tower for some time, coupled with it being the special day of the Zhongyuan Festival, he somehow managed to accidentally enter the supernatural market again.
Thinking this, Liu Taizhen felt a slight headache. Due to Wu Zhen, she couldn’t do anything to this young man. She couldn’t hit or scold him, and after erasing his memory, she’d still have to send him out.
It was truly troublesome.
“Are you alright?” Seeing no supernatural beings in pursuit, Mei Si finally relaxed a bit. He turned to look at Liu Taizhen, who was frowning and lost in thought, and asked, “Are you in shock?”
“Let go,” Liu Taizhen said coldly.
Only then did Mei Si realize he was still tightly holding Liu Taizhen’s hand. He quickly released her wrist and stepped back. On such a summer night, it was already stuffy, and he had just run a long distance while pulling someone. He was covered in sweat, his hand also sweaty, almost wetting Liu Taizhen’s wrist. Yet her hand was cool, feeling like soft jade when held.
Mei Si felt embarrassed by the thought that suddenly popped into his mind. He uncomfortably wiped his hand behind his back before putting on a serious expression and saying, “Do you know where you are right now?”
Liu Taizhen merely wiped her wrist and looked at him coolly without speaking. Although Mei Si had seen Liu Taizhen several times before, he had never spoken to her. She always sat to the side, never engaging with the banter of the young men and women, despite being a year younger than their Elder Sister Zhen. How could she have such a detached, world-weary demeanor?
Mei Si grumbled inwardly but considering the urgent situation, he decided to explain the current circumstances to Liu Taizhen thoroughly, completing his good deed.
“We seem to have accidentally entered the realm of supernatural beings. Have you read any strange tales? It’s like those places where demons and ghosts gather. You must have noticed earlier, those surrounding you weren’t human. If I hadn’t appeared, you might have been eaten by now.”
Mei Si spoke very seriously and solemnly, hoping to make this indifferent older sister realize the gravity of the situation.
“So, our most urgent task now is to quickly find the exit and return to our world without being discovered by the supernatural beings here. Do you understand?”
Liu Taizhen looked at him as if he were an idiot, without saying a word.
Mei Si felt both irritated and uneasy under her strange gaze. Somehow, he felt the situation seemed off again, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong.
He coughed dryly and continued stubbornly: “Although we haven’t been on good terms in the past, we’re both human after all. Now that we’re in this predicament, we need to help each other.”
Liu Taizhen adjusted the veil on her head. “Are you finished?”
Seeing her uncooperative attitude, Mei Si became annoyed. The young man furrowed his brows and looked at her sharply, “I know it’s hard for you to accept such strange things suddenly, but you saw all that with your own eyes earlier. Why are you still being so difficult? If you don’t appreciate my good intentions, I won’t bother with you!”
Liu Taizhen looked at him coldly and curled her lip. “Did I ask for your help?”
Mei Si was truly flushed with anger by this difficult older sister. He huffed twice and stopped trying to reason with her. He turned and walked away, leaving Liu Taizhen alone.
“Talk about ingratitude! With such a strange temper, no wonder she doesn’t get along with Elder Sister Zhen!” Muttering to himself, Mei Si stormed out of the corner angrily. But as he walked, he began to slow down, hesitating.
Although he was still angry, could he abandon such a defenseless woman alone? He had heard she had suffered from heart disease since childhood, which was why she hadn’t married at her age.
What if… something happened to her…
Mei Si’s steps became slower and slower until finally, with a dark face, he turned back. Standing at a distance, he said in a sullen voice: “If Elder Sister Zhen knew I left a weak woman behind in danger, she would surely kill me. So even though I don’t like you, I’ll still take you out of here.”
Liu Taizhen paused, silently thinking coldly to herself: “If Wu Zhen knew I left you to die among supernatural beings, she would surely blame me. So even though I don’t like you either, I still have to send you away.”
However, seeing Mei Si’s dark face, Liu Taizhen flexed her wrist, still displeased.
When she was unhappy, she had to do something about it.
Liu Taizhen suddenly beckoned to Mei Si, “Come here.”
“What for? You call and I’m supposed to come?” Despite his words, Mei Si was already walking over.
“Look,” she said.
Mei Si was puzzled. “Look at what…”
Before he finished speaking, he realized that the Liu Taizhen before him had turned into… a snake. The white snake’s cold eyes stared at him, a bright red tongue flicking in and out.
Frozen in place, Mei Si was drenched in cold sweat. His pupils constricted, and he couldn’t move or speak.
The great snake moved closer to him, its tone particularly terrifying, “You’re mistaken. There aren’t two humans here, only you are human. I am a supernatural being.”
“A man-eating supernatural being.”
Under Liu Taizhen’s deliberate intimidation, Mei Si finally fainted again with a thud.
With a cool breeze, Liu Taizhen returned to her human form. She looked down at the stiff-as-a-board Mei Si, snorted, and then placed her hand on Mei Si’s forehead. With a grab and a flash of green light, she erased this segment of his memory. Then, using her slender arm, she lifted Mei Si by his belt and carried him through the bustling supernatural market to its entrance, where she tossed him out with a flick of her wrist.
She wiped her hands and walked back, noticing the supernatural guards at the market entrance dozing off again. Feeling irritated, she stomped her foot, causing a tremor that woke up all the guards.
The guards had just awakened when they heard the usually non-troublemaking Snake Lord, who was far more responsible than the Cat Lord, say: “Guard properly, and don’t let things that don’t belong in the supernatural market wander in again.”
The guards felt wronged. True, they were responsible for guarding the main entrance, but they usually only woke up when powerful beings tried to break in. If just any small cat or dog entered, there was nothing they could do. Wasn’t it overkill to expect them to handle such minor intrusions?
But the Snake Lord didn’t care about all that. Having said her piece, she returned directly to the Yan Tower.