By the time I found the big black snake, it had already been beaten to death by the villagers.

This huge snake was running rampant in the village, and the villagers were afraid it would harm their livestock and children. So they spontaneously organized themselves, some holding hoes, some carrying sticks, and others wielding machetes. They surrounded and intercepted the big black snake under a courtyard wall, then swarmed and ** it on the spot.

"Long time since I've seen such a big snake!"

"Yes, the snakes in the mountains have been very active lately due to the hot weather. We should scatter some realgar powder!"

"Quickly burn it. I heard that completely black snakes are very ominous!"

The villagers discussed among themselves and then carried the ** snake away.

I sighed with relief. I never expected that the snake, which even Lame Ku hadn't been able to handle, would be eliminated by me and Fatty. It seemed that this snake was the unluckiest snake in the world. It was about to ascend and transform into a dragon but died miserably under the random beatings of a group of rough men. Just thinking about it felt ridiculous.

Even the snake itself didn't expect that its cultivation of a thousand years would be dealt with by two little kids. Even if it hadn't been ** to death, it would have been extremely frustrated.

Although the snake was **, Fatty was in danger.

I hurriedly ran back as fast as I could. When I saw Fatty still lying on the ground motionless, my heart trembled. I reached out to check his breath and could faintly sense a slight trace of it.

Fatty's face was dark, and he looked terrifying.

Fatty was poisoned by the snake venom. After some thought, I quickly carried him on my back and rushed all the way to the home of Jiu Ye, the snake catcher, to ask for his help in saving Fatty.

Jiu Ye was a professional snake catcher, and he should know how to detoxify the poison.

After Jiu Ye saw Fatty's symptoms, he told me to go to Hook Mountain and look for a plant called "Half Lotus." It looked like a lotus flower but only had half of its petals, which was quite unique, hence the straightforward name: Half Lotus.

Jiu Ye said, "As the saying goes, 'With half a lotus at home, one can sleep with snakes.' This Half Lotus is the nemesis of venomous snakes. Go and pick some, then crush and stew it into a soup. Drink it three times a day. Of course, what I'm telling you is just a remedy for ordinary snake venom. I'm not sure if it can neutralize the venom of a demon snake!"

I nodded and asked Jiu Ye to send Fatty back home, then I went straight to Hook Mountain overnight.

The Half Lotus plant was very recognizable, and I quickly harvested a bag full of it before hurriedly returning to the village.

It was already midnight, and everything was quiet. When I arrived outside Fatty's house, I heard sobbing sounds coming from inside.

Entering the house, I saw a middle-aged couple holding Fatty, crying sorrowfully.

I handed the Half Lotus to them and said, "Uncle, Auntie, this is an antidote herb. Crush it quickly, then stew it into a soup for Fatty to drink!"

Fatty's father took the herb hurriedly and rushed to the kitchen.

Fatty's mother suddenly stood up and pushed me angrily, pointing to the door, she said, "Get out! Get out quickly! You bringer of misfortune! Wherever you go, disaster follows. When my Fatty came to study with you, he was fine. How did it turn out like this? I used to think people called you a bringer of misfortune as a joke, but now I finally see it! Yang Cheng, I beg you, please leave quickly. Stop causing trouble for our Fatty!"

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Bang!

The door was slammed shut. I stood frozen at the door, feeling a mixture of emotions, not a good feeling at all.

I treated Fatty as a friend, not only saving his life but also forgiving him for betraying me. How did I become the culprit who brought calamity to Fatty?

I admit that Fatty ended up like this because he saved me, but it's not my fault. When Fatty came to find me, he happened to encounter the snake. It was his own fate, destined to face this calamity. As a friend, all I could do was try my best to save him.

Feeling dejected, I returned home. The house was empty, with no one there. Liu Qingqing was also absent, and the silence made me uneasy.

Feeling exhausted, I lay on the bed and fell asleep.

In a daze, I saw a figure approach the bed. It turned out to be Fatty.

Fatty was dressed in funeral clothes, his face dark, covered in corpse spots, staring straight at me.

"Fatty! Fatty! What happened to you?" I anxiously called out to him.

Fatty suddenly burst into tears, blood flowing from every pore, his appearance hideous. "Wuwuwu, I died so miserably! Yang Cheng, it's all your fault. It's because of you that I ended up like this. I died so miserably. I want you to pay with your life..."

Fatty reached out to grab me, choking my neck, depriving me of breath.

"Ah!" I screamed, rolling off the bed and falling on the floor, my butt hurting.

** wiping the cold sweat off my face, I heard a rooster crowing outside. It was already morning.

I hadn't been to school for several days. My dad's sick leave for me had expired, so I casually washed my face and carried my backpack to school.

The entire day, Fatty's seat remained empty, and my heart was in turmoil, feeling restless.

If Fatty didn't come to school, it meant that the Half Lotus didn't work in detoxifying him, right?

After enduring until the end of the school day, I grabbed my backpack and ran to Fatty's house.

Many people were gathered at Fatty's house, including many of his relatives. Fatty's mother was crying and shouting, and his father, with red eyes, pulled a villager aside, asking for help in ordering a coffin from the town.

Did Fatty really die? They were already preparing a coffin for him?

I was shocked and dared not enter through the main entrance. I could only run to the backyard of Fatty's house and quietly climb over the wall.

Through the glass window, I saw Fatty lying on the bed in the bedroom, covered in a thick black gas, looking as if he was dead.

Fatty was practically my only friend, and I still highly valued our relationship. If Fatty really died for me this time, I would carry a burden in my heart for the rest of my life.

Obviously, ordinary snake medicine couldn't cure the venom of a demon snake. Fatty's situation was urgent, so I decided to go find Lame Ku, hoping he could save Fatty's life.

I rushed to Lame Ku's house overnight. The house was dark and silent, without a sound.

Lame Ku had mentioned that he would be in seclusion for a period of time. If it weren't for desperation, I wouldn't have wanted to disturb him. But for the sake of saving Fatty, I came despite my fear.

I hesitated for a moment, then raised my hand to knock on the door. Suddenly, I heard Lame Ku's voice from inside the house, "Yang Cheng, why are you here?"

Hearing Lame Ku's voice, my heart couldn't help but rejoice. I knelt down at the threshold and pleaded with Lame Ku to find a way to save Fatty.

I quickly recounted the incident of the snake seeking revenge on us and how Fatty and I had ** the snake to Lame Ku.