Some cultivators offered high prices, wanting to take Mendong away, but his parents refused to sell their son and firmly rejected them. Later, the prices offered by outsiders grew higher and higher, and more and more people came to “buy the child.”

Having such a child was too conspicuous. So on one winter night, a great fire started in the couple’s home. The blaze was fierce, and both husband and wife died in that fire, while their young son disappeared without a trace. The villagers couldn’t find the child’s remains in the ashes.

“Later, when Seventh Master Uncle and Fifth Master Uncle were traveling outside, they happened to discover cultivators practicing evil arts. When they killed those evil cultivators, they found Junior Brother being abused and brought him along.” Meng Ying looked toward Mendong, who was helping Dou Niang pick medicinal herbs, and said softly.

When Gu Baiying encountered Mendong, it had already been half a year since Mendong was captured by those cultivators to be used as a tool for finding spiritual herbs. Since those evil cultivators could kill innocent people to obtain the “Immortal Spirit Aperture,” they naturally wouldn’t treat Mendong well either. Poor Mendong, just a child, was forced to search for medicinal herbs day and night until he was alarmingly thin.

Zanxing didn’t know Mendong had such a past. Upon hearing this, she pondered: “No wonder he’s so close to Seventh Master Uncle.”

To Mendong, Gu Baiying was not only the person who brought him back to Taiyan Sect and rescued him from the fire pit, but probably also the benefactor who avenged his parents in his heart.

“When Junior Brother was first brought back to Taiyan Sect, he would cry non-stop whenever he left Little Master Uncle, so the Sect Leader let him live in Xiaoyao Hall and stay with Little Master Uncle daily.” Meng Ying sighed. “I think the reason Junior Brother is so close to Xu Dou Niang is that he remembered his background. Junior Sister, please don’t tease him about this matter.”

Zanxing coughed lightly: “Now that I know the reason, I naturally won’t bring up this matter again.”

She followed Meng Ying’s gaze toward Mendong. This child always dressed in pink and tender, clean clothes, and occasionally had some bad habits, but she hadn’t expected that he was also someone with a bitter fate.

Over there, Mendong was squatting on the ground with Dou Niang sorting medicinal herbs.

Speaking of which, Dou Niang was several years older than Mendong. Mendong looked like a pampered young master living in luxury at Taiyan Sect, while Dou Niang had already learned to work and do chores early on.

“Little Immortal Master,” Dou Niang was still somewhat embarrassed, “you should go sit and rest on the side. I can finish all this work by myself.”

Mendong’s face was red: “It’s fine, I’m happy to help.”

His hands were white and tender, his fingers as plump and delicate as scallion segments, while Dou Niang’s hands were very rough. Dou Niang smiled: “Do people from your great sect all know magic? Can you conjure things?”

“Of course!” Mendong answered without thinking. “The senior sisters and brothers in our sect know everything and can even fly!”

“Can fly?” Dou Niang looked at him with bright, sparkling eyes. “Then can Big Brother Tian fly too? Can he take me flying together?”

Mendong was about to say “yes,” but when the words reached his lips, he suddenly remembered that their Yuanli was all sealed in this place. Forget about cultivation techniques—they couldn’t even open their Qiankun Bags, so they probably couldn’t give Dou Niang a feast for the eyes.

Seeing Mendong stammering and unable to speak, Dou Niang said understandingly: “It’s alright. Big Brother Tian told me before that great sects have many rules, and your masters don’t allow you to cast spells casually outside. It’s okay!”

The more she said this, the more frustrated Mendong became. What he originally said was the truth, but now it seemed like he was bragging. He could only lower his head to sort the medicinal herbs. With this lowered head, he saw a red-colored grass among the pile of weeds in front of him.

He picked out this red grass.

This red grass was flat and long, not as tough as other grasses, soft and limp. Mendong murmured: “Toothless Grass.”

“What is Toothless Grass?” Dou Niang looked over.

“A type of grass containing spiritual energy,” Mendong said, handing the grass to her. “If cultivators eat it, it can increase their cultivation. If ordinary people eat it, it can extend their lifespan and benefit their health greatly.” He said, “I didn’t expect there would be Toothless Grass here. Crush this grass and boil it with water for half an hour, then drink it.”

“Really?” Dou Niang treasured it like a precious gem, grasping the Toothless Grass and saying excitedly to Mendong, “Father’s health hasn’t been good this year. Will he get better after taking this?”

Mendong nodded.

“Little Immortal Master, thank you!” Dou Niang looked at him earnestly. “Could you please help me check if there’s any more Toothless Grass in here? If not, I’ll go cut grass by the riverbank tomorrow. It would be great if I could find another stalk.”

Mendong coughed lightly: “I can.”

“You’re so kind!” Dou Niang was so excited she could barely speak clearly. “You’ve helped our family so much, but our family is too poor—we don’t know how to repay you.”

Tian Fangfang, watching from the side, clicked his tongue: “If you didn’t know better, the next line should be ‘I can only repay you with my body.'”

Gu Baiying rolled his eyes.

Zanxing reminded: “Doesn’t our sect forbid romance?”

“Who said that?” Tian Fangfang asked.

Zanxing gestured toward Mendong with her mouth: “It was said several times when we were in Li’er Kingdom—the sect doesn’t allow dual cultivation, right, Master Uncle?”

Gu Baiying was called upon, stunned for a moment, then said impatiently: “Naturally.”

While they were chatting idly, Xu Fu walked in from the backyard, holding a stack of neatly folded clothes and hats. Seeing Mendong squatting on the ground helping Dou Niang sort dry grass, he was startled and quickly said: “Dou Niang, how can you let the Immortal Master…”

“It’s alright.” Mendong stood up, acting like an adult with serious intent: “I had nothing else to do anyway.”

Xu Fu nodded uneasily. Dou Niang saw the clothes he was holding and asked curiously: “Father, what are these…”

“You silly girl, you even forgot about the Auspicious Snake Festival. Today is the seventh day of the fourth month.” Xu Fu stuffed the clothes into Dou Niang’s hands. “Stop picking grass. After you wash up, when it gets dark, come out with me.”

Dou Niang was startled and slapped her forehead: “Oh my! I was so happy to see Big Brother Tian that I even forgot about the Auspicious Snake Festival!”

Upon hearing this, Zanxing asked Xu Fu: “What is the Auspicious Snake Festival?”

Xu Fu smiled: “The Auspicious Snake Festival is a holiday in Wufan City. Every year on the night of the seventh day of the fourth month, the Saint leads the adults of the Serpent Witch Clan to the Wudan Forest Desert to worship the Divine Snake. The people of Wufan City also go together.”

“Though it’s called worship, it’s singing and dancing,” Dou Niang held the clothes and patted the dirt off her hands. “The red drum dance here is beautiful, and there’s lots of delicious food at the Auspicious Snake Festival—roasted lamb, glutinous rice wine, and competitions too. Big Brother Tian, you came at just the right time. If you, immortal masters, don’t mind, come with us to the Auspicious Snake Festival tonight! I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!” The little girl enthusiastically extended the invitation.

Everyone looked toward Gu Baiying.

The young man’s slender fingers lightly tapped twice on the chair back. He looked at Dou Niang with an ambiguous expression: “You’re saying the Saint will also be at the Auspicious Snake Festival?”

Dou Niang nodded: “Of course, the Saint has to preside over the worship. We can’t usually see the adults—we can only see them once a year at the Auspicious Snake Festival.”

Zanxing thought to herself that this Serpent Witch was quite mysterious. She just didn’t know if their Yuanli being sealed in this place had anything to do with the Serpent Witch.

Gu Baiying stood up and walked to Xu Fu’s side, his gaze falling on this man.

Though young, he was somewhat taller than Xu Fu. Though he smiled at the corners of his mouth, his gaze was very indifferent, and his aura oppressive, forcing Xu Fu to rub his hands uneasily and avoid Gu Baiying’s eyes.

Gu Baiying patted Xu Fu’s shoulder and said lightly: “Sounds very interesting. Since that’s the case, we few would also like to go and experience it.”

Dou Niang hadn’t yet noticed the undercurrents and was extremely happy upon hearing this: “Wonderful! Then I’ll hurry and make lanterns. Tonight will be very lively!” She pulled Xu Fu outside, saying as they went: “Father, we probably don’t have enough lanterns at home. We need to make several more for the immortal masters.”

The two went into the inner room. Meng Ying looked at Gu Baiying and hesitated: “Master Uncle…”

Gu Baiying lowered his eyes, his voice calm: “I just tested him. He has no Yuanli on his body—he is an ordinary person.”

Gu Baiying was not a kind and gentle person. When he patted Xu Fu’s shoulder just now, it wasn’t to comfort this seemingly nervous old man.

“That Auspicious Snake Festival sounds somewhat wrong,” Mu Cengxiao also said.

It was indeed wrong. Not coming early or late, but coincidentally encountering the annual Auspicious Snake Festival just as they entered the city—no matter how you heard it, it had the flavor of waiting for prey to fall into a trap.

“From what Dou Niang just said, they’re going to worship the Divine Snake,” Zanxing pondered. “Could it be that when we get to the desert, a giant python will directly swallow us all whole?”

“There you go again, having another fit of paranoia,” Mendong looked at them coldly. “People kindly invite you to participate in their festival, but you’re being suspicious behind their backs. If you don’t want to go, then don’t go. Why ruin others’ good intentions?”

Zanxing: “…You’re now blinded by love.”

“You’re the one blinded by jealousy!”

“What are you arguing about?” Gu Baiying impatiently interrupted their words. “Even if there’s something strange about this city, it’s mostly because of the Saint. Since tonight is the Auspicious Snake Festival, perfect—let’s meet this Saint and see what she’s really about.”

Zanxing tugged at his sleeve: “But we have no Yuanli now.”

“Yang Zanxing,” Gu Baiying raised an eyebrow, “is this all the backbone you have?”

“Don’t you still have preserved strength?” Zanxing was surprised and looked at the others. Tian Fangfang shook his head at her.

Meng Ying stood up: “Since we’ve already decided, everyone must be very careful tonight. This place isn’t within Duzhou’s maps, so if there is something strange, there’s probably deception involved.”

This was indeed true. Whether it was Gufeng Mountain before or Li’er Kingdom, they were at least familiar places. But this Wufan City, for decades or hundreds of years, no one had ever mentioned it voluntarily. Whether the road ahead brought fortune or disaster, there were no omens at all. What was worse, their Yuanli was depleted, and their Qiankun Bags couldn’t be opened.

The enemy in darkness, we in light—this was never a good thing.

Moreover, the Auspicious Snake Festival…

It didn’t sound very auspicious.