Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Clothes were piled up in his yard, along with other belongings, forming a small mountain in the corner.
He spoke, rummaging through the clothes, “Maybe we should take them tonight.”
His hand rested on the clothes, and suddenly he felt something move beneath them, as if something alive was there.
Caught off guard, the hairs on his body stood on end, and he stumbled back several steps.
The others, oblivious, asked, “What’s wrong?”
He swallowed hard. “There…it feels like something’s moving down there.”
Everyone retreated in unison, the girls even jumping onto the bed. “Holy crap, could it be a rat?”
“A rat in the clothes??”
“It seems a bit bigger than a rat…” the man said, his eyes wide. He looked at his hand, remembering the feeling, and felt a chill run down his spine.
“There are some small animals on the mountain, what’s so strange about that?” Another bolder boy stepped forward, holding a stool, and swiftly lifted the clothes.
Suddenly, something stood erect!
“Aaaah—” a scream rang out.
Beneath the clothes was a snake as thick as an adult man’s wrist, with black and yellow stripes. Startled, it reared up, its mouth open revealing sharp teeth, its forked tongue flicking.
Even the bravest boy dropped his stool and ran away.
Snakes couldn’t be provoked; startled as it dodged the stool, it began to wriggle on the ground.
Those near the door scrambled out, while the rest, unable to keep up, stood on the beds or tables— or rather, except for Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan, who remained rooted to the spot.
Xie Lingya even remarked, “Snakes hibernate in the dead of winter; only pet snakes and those in zoos don’t.”
Everyone hoped that the students who had fled would wake the staff at the guesthouse; surely the villagers in the mountains knew how to deal with snakes? Seeing Xie Lingya and his companion still standing on the ground, preoccupied with the problem, they grew anxious. The snake was still slithering around. “Hurry up and climb up!”
“Snakes can climb too,” Xie Lingya said calmly, looking at the student from the group. “It’s so cold up here, no snakes would wake up. This snake probably isn’t from the mountains.”
“What, what do you mean?” They were dumbfounded.
Xie Lingya continued to look at the man. “Snakes usually hibernate until spring. But recently, the weather in Zhuyang has warmed up, so maybe some snakes will mistakenly think spring has arrived and wake up— I mean, is it possible that it has been hiding in those clothes to keep warm since we set off?”
In that instant, the student’s hair stood on end even more than when he suddenly saw the snake.
Xie Lingya’s analysis was so meticulous that he couldn’t find any flaws at first glance. Indeed, he had looked around the guesthouse when he entered. How could such a large snake suddenly slip in? The owner’s mother had been sitting by the door knitting the whole time; she couldn’t have missed it. Not to mention that when he visited the homes of ethnic minorities, they said they had homemade herbs that, when hung at the door, would keep snakes, insects, and rodents away.
The thought that the snake might have been in the car the whole way, or even that he himself had put it in, made his scalp tingle!
At that moment, the snake spotted the only two creatures still on the ground and swam towards them in an S-shape.
At the same time, hurried footsteps came from outside; the people from the guesthouse had arrived.
Everyone watched in horror as the two men didn’t flinch, and the snake charged straight at them. Xie Lingya even half-squatted down…
The large snake hissed as it swam to Xie Lingya, raised its head, then abruptly stopped, before turning sharply and swimming back, seemingly faster than before, as if something was chasing it.
Everyone: “???”
The guesthouse owner, holding a stick, had already entered. Seeing such a large snake, he gasped, “Where did this snake come from? I’ve never seen its pattern before.”
His words seemed to confirm Xie Lingya’s earlier suspicions; the classmate who had apparently put the snake, clothes and all, into the car almost fainted.
The shopkeeper sprayed the snake with realgar water, then rolled it up with a stick and caught it in a net, finally putting an end to the alarm.
But more shocking than this traditional mountain method of catching the snake was Shi Changxuan and Xie Lingya’s composure under pressure, or rather, their audacity.
“Could it be because of that ‘mountain-entry talisman’?” a girl timidly asked.
After she finished speaking, she noticed everyone staring at her.
Not with suspicion, but with a sudden realization!
Right, wasn’t Baoyang Temple famous for its talismans?
Also, there had been rumors at school lately that the principal had invited a Taoist priest from the school to assess the feng shui of the new dormitory building, and the construction was done according to the master’s advice.
Students from other departments might not know, but how could the philosophy department not know? Only the religious studies major had a Taoist priest! And Xie Lingya, who was more like a Taoist than a Taoist!
Suddenly, everyone unconsciously touched their own “mountain-entry talisman.” Could it be that if they hadn’t dodged, the snake wouldn’t have dared to approach?
“The mountain-entry talisman is for protection against poisonous gas and wild beasts like tigers and leopards, not snakes,” Xie Lingya shattered their illusions.
“Then how did you do it?”
“I brought medicine,” Xie Lingya said vaguely.
Everyone thought about how the boss had used realgar water to make the snake weak, so this explanation seemed plausible.
Only the person who saw what looked like a tail sticking out of Xie Lingya’s sleeve at the door looked again, as if possessed, and saw again that something thin and long slid down Xie Lingya’s sleeve, circled his middle finger, and then quickly retracted.
This time he really saw it clearly.
He opened his mouth, looking at Xie Lingya in shock, only to find Xie Lingya still unfazed. He instantly wondered if his eyes were broken, or… was it some strange thing raised by unscientific professionals?
Rumors about poisons and Gu suddenly flooded his mind, and he couldn’t help but look at Xie Lingya with awe.
Xie Lingya was completely unaware that he had gained the identity of a sorcerer in the eyes of others. He pinched the tail of the docile dragon in his sleeve as a compliment.
Back home, Xie Lingya told Shi Changxuan, “Although it’s thin and short and only spits water, it’s still somewhat useful.”
Don’t underestimate the docile dragon’s small size; it has already reached another level, far beyond what ordinary snakes can compare to. That snake, though large, is still far inferior to the docile dragon; it would surely flee in terror.
After saying this, he saw Shi Changxuan fall into a long silence. “…………”
Xie Lingya pondered his words, suddenly understanding something, and gave Shi Changxuan a mischievous smile. “Oh, Senior Brother, you don’t say much, just thinking strange things.”
Shi Changxuan: “…”
He reached out and, like taking off a bracelet, tore the docile dragon off, hanging it on the lamp, and then took Liu Lingtong down as well, placing it on the bedside table.
Shi Changxuan silently watched him for a while, then took down Phytolacca God and put it in the drawer.
In the darkness.
Phytolacca God: “…Sigh.”
Liu Lingtong: “…”
….
The next day, everyone wore their own coats up the mountain; no one wanted to wear the military overcoats that had been wrapped in snakes. Fortunately, everyone had brought down jackets, which weren’t very warm or windproof, but they were enough.
Shi Changxuan occasionally helped Xie Lingya up, his ear tips slightly red.
Xie Lingya half-hung on him as they climbed the mountain. Looking out, they saw snow-covered mountains and a vast sky. The other students were having a blast taking pictures and picking icicles from the trees.
They stood under a pine tree covered in snow. Xie Lingya cupped Shi Changxuan’s face and kissed him, the chill of the snow melting in the warmth of their lips.
Shi Changxuan naturally wrapped his arms around Xie Lingya’s waist and pulled him into his embrace.
At the same time, Phytolacca God and Liu Lingtong, who were on either side of the two, bumped their wooden heads together because of this embrace.
Phytolacca God: “…”
Liu Lingtong: “…”
Sigh, a bit awkward…
After a while, Xie Lingya was still a little lost in the moment. Even though it was just Shi Changxuan sucking his lips, it felt like his very marrow was being sucked away. His whole body felt weak, and his cheeks were flushed.
Suddenly, a thin voice shouted forcefully, “Stop kissing!!”
Xie Lingya jumped, paused for only a moment, and then immediately separated. Then, somewhat amused, he said, “You scared me. You don’t have to be so excited if someone comes.”
Phytolacca God said angrily, “No one is coming. I can’t stand it anymore!”
Xie Lingya: “…”
Shi Changxuan: “…”
Liu Lingtong also said sadly, “Master, I bumped my head…”
Xie Lingya was both amused and exasperated. He moved Liu Lingtong a little, thought for a moment, and then said, “Anyway, you’re not allowed to bother us anymore. Being sensible is what makes a good child. Look at the docile dragon, it never says anything.”
Phytolacca God and Liu Lingtong: It needs to be able to talk too??
….
Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan spent two days wandering around the mountain before returning to Baoyang Temple.
Upon returning, preparations for the opening of the Chongen Zhenjun Temple of Sazu were underway. A Dharma assembly was to be held to welcome the statue of Sazu into the temple and then consecrate it.
Sazu was the master of the temple’s main deity, naturally making him extraordinary. Xie Lingya widely invited believers to participate in the assembly. Moreover, this auspicious day happened to fall on a weekend, making the temple extremely lively that day.
Xie Lingya was busy with preparations, only able to rest briefly when the assembly began, with Zhang Daoting presiding over the consecration. While the majority of the crowd was in the Sazu Temple, Xie Lingya sat on a kneeling stool with Shi Changxuan in the Lingguan Hall, taking advantage of the fact that the patriarch knew their relationship to act with impunity.
Actually, it wasn’t exactly impunity; Xie Lingya had merely squeezed Shi Changxuan’s hand, remembering how Shi Changxuan had blushed when he squeezed his hand before.
Shi Changxuan grabbed Xie Lingya’s hand and looked down at it. Long ago, Shi Changxuan had noticed Xie Lingya’s beautiful hands— long, slender, and fair, smooth as jade. Back then, when he had written talismans with his fingers, the tips were stained with bright red cinnabar, extremely striking, almost piercing to the eye…
Shi Changxuan lifted his hand, and under his gaze, lowered his eyes and gently kissed his fingertips.
Xie Lingya felt a tingling sensation in his fingertips, a moment of dizziness. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a shout.
“Lingya!”
Xie Lingya looked up in surprise. His father was at the door with Song Jing, holding Sisi in his arms, his face extremely grim.
Father Xie knew there was a Dharma assembly at Baoyang Temple, so he had come to visit his son over the weekend, bringing his sister along to surprise him. Who knew he would see this scene?
Xie Lingya was somewhat surprised, but he had already mentally rehearsed what it would be like to confess to others, so he quickly composed himself, stood up, and said, “Dad, let me talk to you.”
He walked over and reached out to take his father’s arm.
Song Jing’s face tightened. She wanted to persuade Father Xie to calm down, but considering her own status, she hesitated to speak.
“What are you talking about! I’ll break your legs!” Father Xie rarely yelled at him. Ever since Xie Lingya entered his rebellious phase in his youth and they had a conflict, he hadn’t dared to raise his voice to his son. This loud shout seemed to bring back the imposing presence of the tall father he once was.
He always told his son not to become a monk, but who knew he didn’t become a monk instead went straight to messing around with men.
The docile dragon in Xie Lingya’s hand was startled by Father Xie’s thunderous voice and popped its head out.
Father Xie looked down and saw the snake wrapped around Xie Lingya’s hand. He exclaimed “Damn it!” and took several steps back, falling hard on his backside on the steps. His imposing manner vanished, and tears streamed down his face. He cried out in anguish, “I… I think I broke my tailbone…”
Xie Lingya: “…”
Xie Lingya wanted to help him up, but Father Xie saw the snake and shouted, “Don’t come any closer!”
Xie Lingya had no choice but to turn around and see Shi Changxuan striding over to carry Father Xie to the clinic.
Mr. Xie’s buttocks were aching terribly. He was angry and ashamed, but he lacked the backbone to say he’d rather crawl there.
….
The clinic.
Although Mr. Xie didn’t say anything, Hai Guanchao gleaned the truth from his eyes, Song Jing’s embarrassed expression, Shi Changxuan and Xie Lingya’s demeanor, and the fact that Xie Lingya hadn’t mentioned his father coming today.
He asked Xie Lingya in horror, “Teacher Xie, I thought your ruthlessness had a limit. You can’t just hit someone because your father doesn’t approve of you being together, can you?”
That’s why Teacher Xie is Teacher Xie; in most families, it would be the father breaking the son’s leg!
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