Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Three sets of statues remained.
Having dealt with the first set, the rest became much easier, like pulling a thread that could tear the whole cloth apart.
Based on the experience with the first set, the remaining ones must also be related to snakes.
Li Yuebai turned his attention to the second set.
A gorgeously dressed Egyptian woman, her expression sorrowful and desperate, lay on the ground with a basket in front of her, seemingly containing some figs…
Adding the snake, what kind of reference was this? It shouldn’t be too obscure, given the well-known Adam and Eve.
Who was the most famous woman in Egypt?
Cleopatra!
Cleopatra!
Her death was widely known, first appearing in the account of the Greek biographer Plutarch, who said that after her defeat, she asked her maid to bring her a small basket of figs, in which a small poisonous snake called “Aspis” was hidden. She put her hand into the basket, allowing the snake to bite her to death…
Therefore, this statue depicted the scene before Cleopatra’s death.
In other words, all that was needed was to put the correct venomous snake in that basket.
“It’s a very small venomous snake, found in Central Asia and North Africa many years ago, it’s called Asipis…” Li Yuebai’s explanation became increasingly complicated.
“It might be an Egyptian cobra.” Liang Jing frowned, carefully picking out a slender, young cobra.
After placing it in the basket, the same change occurred: the statue froze, then turned into a puff of white smoke, and the scene cleared up again.
Only two sets of statues remained.
The third set should depict a god from Indian mythology.
Li Yuebai immediately thought of the background music from his time playing in the mud in Northeast China.
There were so many Indian gods, and one with four arms, three eyes, a crescent moon on its head, a tiger skin around its waist, and a trident in its hand…
Li Yuebai tried hard to recall the pictures he had seen.
A year ago, Indian mythology TV series were very popular online. Some young girls, with their particular tastes, were completely obsessed. One girl even used to project all the pictures onto the big screen during class presentations, earnestly explaining— this is Brahma, this is Vishnu, this is Krishna, this is Shiva…
Shiva! Shiva, the god of destruction! That’s him!
Li Yuebai didn’t have a photographic memory and recalling it was incredibly painful. Fortunately, Shiva was so distinctive, with so many iconic features, that he managed to barely remember.
What does Shiva have to do with snakes?
….
“Ah, I don’t like Shiva! He actually wears a snake around his neck, it’s disgusting!” a girl exclaimed, covering her eyes. “I hate snakes the most!”
“That’s what Shiva looks like,” the girl presenting the PowerPoint said disdainfully. “How could you stupid mortals understand?”
“But this snake is neither yellow nor black, it’s so ugly,” someone else said.
….
So, what kind of snake was it again?
A yellowish-black cobra with black stripes, its flat head and flamboyant markings were quite distinctive.
“Sister Liang, a yellow cobra with black stripes!” Li Yuebai shouted, gathering his strength as he charged towards the Shiva statue.
In the illusion, his fighting prowess seemed weakened, far less formidable than Gu Xisha’s usual strength, but not as idiotic as himself— just passable.
The Shiva statue was enraged, its trident thrusting fiercely at him. Li Yuebai dodged and rolled, causing the trident to embed itself deeply in the ground, difficult to remove for a while.
Taking advantage of this opening, Liang Jing boldly grabbed the yellowish-black cobra and approached.
“Throw,” Li Yuebai commanded in a low voice, “Aim at the statue’s neck, throw.”
Liang Jing gritted her teeth, exerted force, and released the cobra like a rope.
The moment it touched the neck of the Shiva statue, it immediately coiled around it as if drawn by some force, its yellowish-black body turning into grayish-white plaster, merging with the Shiva statue. The Shiva statue instantly froze, completely still. A few seconds later, it turned into white smoke.
The fourth group was good in that it was Chinese, but bad in that it was completely indistinguishable.
Qin Shihuang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song could all be attributed to this statue.
This middle-aged man exuded a grand and imposing aura, with an air of imperial majesty, yet he wasn’t wearing formal attire, nor did he wear any twelve-tasselled headdress. Perhaps he was an emperor who hadn’t yet risen to power?
An emperor and a snake…
Li Yuebai, emboldened, followed Liang Jing to the box where the snakes were kept.
Most of the snakes were dark-colored or patterned, except for one that was completely pure white.
Li Yuebai couldn’t help but think of the Legend of the White Snake.
However, this statue clearly had nothing to do with the Legend of the White Snake.
The middle-aged man’s movements were consistently distinctive— wielding a long sword, slashing the ground repeatedly.
What was he chopping? A snake?
Li Yuebai felt a lightbulb go off in his head. The story of Emperor Gaozu of Han slaying a white snake to start his rebellion! What a famous folk tale! It probably lost its popularity after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, which was why he only remembered it now.
This story was first written by Sima Qian in the *Records of the Grand Historian*. It said that when Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, was a village head in Pei County, he encountered a giant white snake while traveling in the mountains. His subordinates were afraid and suggested taking another route, but Liu Bang, emboldened by alcohol, said, “What is there for a great man to fear when traveling the world?” He then cleaved the white snake in two with his sword. On his way back, he encountered an old woman weeping by the roadside. The old woman said, “My son was the son of the White Emperor, who transformed into a giant snake and lay across the road, only to be slain by the son of the Red Emperor!” From this, people widely believed that Liu Bang was the “son of the Red Emperor,” and his rise to power began.
After the white snake was placed under the sword of this “Emperor Gaozu of Han,” the entire exhibition hall shook and vanished in an instant… Soon, the chaotic laboratory reappeared before his eyes.
Liang Jing swayed, regained her balance, and looked around in confusion before turning her face away from Weng Zichen.
“I… I broke your illusion.” Liang Jing’s voice trembled slightly. “Weng Zichen, what else do you want? I’ve already signed the divorce papers; from now on, we have nothing to do with each other!”
“Do you really think I’ll keep my word?” Weng Zichen stepped forward with a crazed smile, walking towards Liang Jing step by step. “Right now, I just want to drain your blood…”
Li Yuebai calmly drew his knife, preparing to counter.
Unexpectedly, before Weng Zichen even reached Liang Jing, his expression shifted from madness to despair. He suddenly knelt on the ground and burst into tears!
“Help, help me!” He stared incredulously at his scaly hands, his strange eyes fixed on Li Yuebai and Ye Qing. “You’re police officers, you must have a way, right? I don’t want to become like this, I don’t want that thing to possess my body anymore, save me!”
….
Three hours later, at the Municipal Public Security Bureau.
Even Director Yang, who was least convinced of vampires’ existence, had to admit the reality after reviewing Weng Zichen’s medical report and X-rays.
“Two brains and two hearts? Can this be explained scientifically?” Director Yang frowned as he looked at the report, which clearly stated the facts in black and white.
“A preliminary explanation is possible, but the specific principles require further in-depth research.” The doctor also looked puzzled. “The patient’s body has been invaded, with a smaller external heart added next to the original heart, and a new neural center covering the original brain… Simply put, it has changed from one heart and one brain to two hearts and two brains.”
So this was the principle behind the possession by the dormant entity! Li Yuebai understood.
“Furthermore, judging from his medical history, Weng Zichen originally had a missing heart valve, but now, the defect has been repaired, which is suspected to be related to external invasion…” the doctor continued.
Vampires had strong regenerative abilities; so after possession, they could naturally repair the original damage.
“Then, do you have any way to remove the foreign heart and brain?” Director Yang asked.
“I’m sorry, we can’t do that.” The doctor sighed, “The invading heart is too close to his original heart, and the connection is too tight. If we rashly remove it, it will damage the original heart and cause life-threatening danger. The same applies to the brain; the invading brain is almost like a layer covering the original brain, making it impossible to separate.”
This time, unlike Ma Xiaoting’s case last time, the snake demon Lilith’s possession speed was significantly faster than that of the maid Ampsa. It quickly invaded, rapidly growing into a heart and nervous system. Everything was already set in stone, and it was absolutely impossible to expel it with garlic like last time.
“This can’t go on.” Director Yang frowned. “What if, in a few days, the vampire’s mind takes over and controls Weng Zichen to harm people?”
“In fact, in the two cases we witnessed before, the vampire’s mind was dominant,” Li Yuebai interjected. “The first two victims completely lost their self-control, while only Weng Zichen miraculously seized the initiative.”
Ye Qing nodded silently from the side.
“How did he manage to suppress the influence of the external mind?” Director Yang slammed his hand on the table, puzzled. “Based on past records, Weng Zichen’s personal moral standards are not high. Why him?”
Silence fell over the conference room.
Li Yuebai tentatively said, “Perhaps—I’m sorry, what I’m about to say isn’t very scientific—maybe it’s related to willpower, emotions, or something like that?”
“Willpower and emotions?”
Li Yuebai nodded. “Yes, through several interactions, I feel that Weng Zichen is a typical romantic personality, immersed in his own world, somewhat obsessive. Perhaps it’s this personality that makes him less susceptible to being completely controlled by the vampire’s brain.”
“Is there any scientific basis for this?” Director Yang turned to the doctor.
“Neuroscience is a very complex discipline. Captain Gu’s statement might be plausible.” The doctor also frowned, finally giving an uncertain answer.
Li Yuebai reviewed the existing plot data in the system again, becoming increasingly convinced of his conjecture.
Because in the original plot, the male protagonist, Ye Qing, was also possessed by a dormant vampire, and similarly used willpower to force back the vampire’s brain from trying to control him, always keeping his own brain in control.
It seems this isn’t a cheat code for the male protagonist, but a universal principle.
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