Hiss! The snakes continuously hissed, coiling their bodies and preparing for an attack. A colorful mass of snakes dominated the scene, resembling a carpet of flowers in the yard. If it were anyone else, they would surely be frightened by such a sight. But I am not afraid of snakes. I know that these venomous snakes are the "Forbidden Guard" summoned by Liu Qingqing to protect me. If it weren't for these snakes guarding the yard, those yellow-skinned creatures would have already broken through the walls and attacked. Faced with such a large group of snakes, the yellow-skinned creatures dare not make any rash moves.

Hundreds of yellow-skinned creatures and hundreds of snakes face each other in a standoff. The pale moonlight pours into the yard when suddenly one of the yellow-skinned creatures stands up on the wall. It places its two claws on its chest, as if bowing to the silver moon in the sky, and bows three times. On the wall, the other yellow-skinned creatures also stand up in unison and pay homage to the moon.

The strange behavior of the yellow-skinned creatures leaves me dumbfounded. I turn to Liu Qingqing and she furrows her brows. "The yellow-skinned creatures are paying tribute to the moon! It seems this grudge will never be resolved!" I curiously ask, "What does it mean for the yellow-skinned creatures to pay tribute to the moon?" Liu Qingqing sighs, "When the yellow-skinned creatures pay tribute to the moon, it signifies their eternal oath of enmity towards you. They will continue to torment you until your death!"

I shudder at the chilling words. These yellow-skinned creatures have sworn to kill me and won't rest until they succeed. Who did I provoke? I never intentionally antagonized the yellow-skinned creatures, yet they fixate on me. Am I so easy to bully? Ku Qie, a cripple, says I am destined to be haunted by filthy things my whole life. Perhaps, that's my fate!

I take a deep breath, a surge of determination wells up within me. I clench my teeth and fiercely declare, "Come at me, let them come, I will kill them one by one, pair by pair!" I never wanted to be enemies with the yellow-skinned creatures, but they have repeatedly caused trouble for me. I can't bear it anymore, no more patience is needed. If they want a fight, then let's fight. I won't fear them!

The yellow-skinned creatures stay on the wall until midnight before gradually leaving. After the yellow-skinned creatures depart, the snakes also leave, disappearing swiftly as if carried away by the wind. The yard becomes empty, devoid of any trace. Liu Qingqing says, "Many snakes are hibernating. It's already impressive to find this many snakes to defend. If it were summer, I could gather a thousand snakes and scare those yellow-skinned creatures away!" I nod in agreement, perhaps due to the emotions in the moment, and suddenly kiss Liu Qingqing on the cheek. She covers her face, slightly shy, and says, "I haven't fully transformed into my human form yet, Yang Cheng. Wait for me, wait until I complete my training and become fully human!" My heart surges, and I repeatedly nod, "Yes, I'll wait for you. I promise to wait for you!" The promises of children are always so pure and innocent.

The atmosphere in the bedroom became somewhat awkward. Liu Qingqing and I sat facing each other for a while, when suddenly I remembered the commotion in the yard earlier. Did no one in the house wake up? There was no reaction at all, were they sleeping so deeply?

Liu Qingqing said, "I used a little spell to put them into a deep sleep because I was worried that the scene earlier would scare them. Since the day Second Uncle Xie's corpse scared my mother, her health hasn't been good, and she can't handle any more shocks!"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

I held Liu Qingqing's hand and said, "With such a considerate daughter-in-law like you, my mother will be overjoyed!"

Liu Qingqing smiled and swiftly returned to the rafters, saying, "Get some rest early!"

Mischievously, I asked, "Aren't you going to sleep with me tonight?"

Liu Qingqing replied, "You reek of alcohol, it's disgusting. I don't want to sleep with you!"

I raised my arm and took a whiff, indeed, the smell of alcohol was strong. It was my first time trying it, and I found that alcohol was quite enjoyable because it gave people a great deal of courage. No wonder the elderly often say, "Alcohol emboldens the cowardly."

The end of the year quickly approached, and in the blink of an eye, it was New Year's Eve.

Outside, the cold wind blew, but inside the courtyards, a strong sense of warmth flowed. Children who were away studying came back, and those who worked elsewhere returned as well. A large group of people gathered around a table, eating, drinking, and sharing the joys and sorrows of the past year.

Father and mother had already gotten up early, busy in the kitchen preparing the New Year's Eve dinner.

Nowadays, many city dwellers prefer to dine out for the New Year's Eve meal, thinking it's convenient and carefree. But in the countryside, the New Year's Eve meal must be eaten at home to symbolize the reunion. Therefore, in rural areas, the New Year's Eve dinner is highly valued. Generally, preparations begin from the moment they wake up in the morning, and the formal dinner starts when the lights are lit in the evening, continuing until late night, known as "staying up late."

Some people also have a custom of offering a pot of rice, cooked in advance and served for the New Year. It's called "leftover rice" because it signifies having leftover food all year round that cannot be finished. This pot of leftover rice is usually cooked with a mixture of white rice and millet, commonly known as "two-rice meal," representing having both gold and silver, symbolizing a "gold and silver meal."

Grandfather asked me to invite Ku Qie to our house for the New Year's Eve dinner. Ku Qie usually lived alone and spent the New Year's Eve alone, so it must be quite lonely.

Ku Qie had done us a favor, and privately, we considered him part of our family.

I quickly ran to the neighboring village. Ku Qie was somewhat surprised by my arrival.

Living alone, Ku Qie's home was indeed quite desolate. When I went to fetch him, he was cooking a bowl of plain noodle soup with two eggs, even though it was New Year's Eve.

Ku Qie usually took odd jobs everywhere. In fact, he wasn't short on money, but living alone, he preferred simple meals.

I invited Ku Qie to have dinner at our house, and he was quite touched. After hesitating for a moment, he agreed.

But before leaving, Ku Qie finished the bowl of plain noodle soup completely. He said that one must remember their roots, regardless of having money or not, and should always adhere to the principles of diligence and frugality.

On the way, Ku Qie asked me, "I heard that you did something significant when I wasn't around, dealing with a white-haired corpse all by yourself?"

I scratched my head and smiled, saying, "It's all thanks to your help!"

I explained in detail to Ku Qie about how I dealt with Xie Second Uncle's corpse, and he nodded repeatedly, very satisfied, saying, "Well done! You're quite calm in handling things at such a young age. It seems you haven't stopped studying the 'Three Pure Books' I gave you recently, have you?"

I nodded and excitedly discussed the "Three Pure Books" with Ku Qie, talking about many things from the books.

Ku Qie patted my head and said, "I've always said that you have extraordinary talent. Hahaha, I didn't misjudge you! This is great. Before I met you, what I feared the most was that the 'Three Pure Books' would be lost forever without a successor!"