"I fancy you!" said Old Immortal Wang.

"What?" Granny Fan’s eyes widened like light bulbs, and she stood there stunned for a long moment.

"Didn't you hear me? Then I'll say it again, speak louder." As Old Immortal Wang uttered those words, he instantly felt a wave of relief wash over him, shedding all pretense.

"I fancy you!"

"I adore you!"

"I love you to death!"

"Pfft..." Young Master Liu couldn't hold it in and tumbled right off the slope. Fortunately, the ground below was soft grass, so he wasn't hurt. Terrified, Granny Fan rushed up and clamped a hand over Old Immortal Wang’s mouth, looking as if she were caught between a tiger in front and a wolf behind. She scolded, "You shameless thing, what are you blurting out? If this gets to the gossip mongers, where am I supposed to show my old face in the future?"

"I don't care. I've held this in for thirty years, and it feels terrible not to say it. It’s not too late now. Go back and tell your children to let you remarry and be my wife! I won't treat you poorly; I'll cherish you well!" Old Immortal Wang continued.

Young Master Liu picked himself up from the ground, thinking that Old Immortal Wang was truly an extraordinary character. He stood far off and gave him a thumbs-up: "Damn, Old Immortal Wang, you're something else. I, Young Master Liu, have never bowed to anyone in my life, but you, you son of a gun, are the first!"

"You... you stop stirring up trouble!" Granny Fan’s face flushed crimson, sinking almost into her clothes, while Old Immortal Wang chuckled foolishly. He just winked and made the gesture of two thumbs toward Young Master Liu.

These sweet nothings were quickly set aside. The three returned to the village, planning to deliberate further. At Young Master Liu’s earnest invitation, they went to his home. Old Man Liu Honest and his wife were naturally warm in welcoming Granny Fan. Just then, Ma Xiaoyan also arrived, so the group gathered around the stove, cracking melon seeds and bantering. Old Man Liu Honest was quite pleased with Ma Xiaoyan, his future daughter-in-law, and went outside to husk some grain. About an hour later, as they were chatting happily, Old Man Liu Honest suddenly rushed in: "Granny Fan, Wei Fuguo is here. He keeps asking if you are around..." He hadn't finished speaking when a man in his forties stumbled through the door, "Oh, Granny Fan, you really are here! Hurry and come see my Xiulian! Something terrible has happened!"

Granny Fan was greatly alarmed and stood up from her stool, "What kind of thing happened?"

Old Immortal Wang and Young Master Liu were also curious. This man was an acquaintance from the village, named Wei Fuguo, usually quite mild-mannered. When working in the production team, he was as lively as a tiger, capable of doing the work of two, so Young Master Liu had a deep impression of him. Wei Fuguo’s wife, Lü Jinlian, was known throughout the four townships as a veritable tigress, a fiery pepper. When arguing with women, she specialized in pulling hair and threatening to sleep with their men; when arguing with men, she specialized in kicking them in the groin and threatening to sleep with their fathers. She was exceptionally vicious, and most people felt a shiver when they saw her.

Wei Fuguo was already drenched in sweat from anxiety, "She... she... she suddenly went mad this afternoon!"

Old Man Liu Honest, who had come over upon hearing the commotion, was also greatly shocked. It might be believable if someone else went mad, but for such a strong woman to go mad—that was truly hard to credit!

Granny Fan quickly offered him a chair, saying, "Don't rush; the more anxious you are, the more confused you become. Sit down and catch your breath first. Explain things clearly, and we’ll see if we can help you find a solution."

Wei Fuguo composed himself and asked for a bowl of water. "She was perfectly fine when we were transplanting rice seedlings the day before yesterday. Yesterday she developed a slight fever, and today she absolutely refused to get out of bed."

"I originally wanted to invite Granny to come take a look, but then I remembered you went back to town on the tractor last time, and this Old Master Wang was also helping out with Secretary Li’s funeral procession, so I didn't want to bother you. I thought maybe you were tired and needed some rest to see if you’d get better. But who knew, she slept until the afternoon, then suddenly got up. I went to burn some paper offerings at the old family grave mound and saw her standing at the doorway. I was quite happy and thought I’d go say something." At this point, Wei Fuguo’s eyes were filled with panic, his trembling gaze mixed with a glimmer of fear. He paused briefly before speaking again, "But before I could even open my mouth, she came out brandishing a cleaver. I was so scared I almost ran away; my legs went weak. Luckily, she didn't chase me, she just stood in the pile of rice stalks cursing with the cleaver in hand. When I came here, she was still cursing in the rice ditch! Fortunately, my two children were sent to their uncle's house early, otherwise our two little ones in the Wei family would surely have ended up as filling for Sun Erniang's dumplings."

Granny Fan frowned, "What was she cursing about?"

Wei Fuguo blushed, "Just cursing about things like not being filial, having no respect for ancestors, and so on."

"Oh, I see!" Granny Fan narrowed her eyes, seeming to grasp something. Just as she was about to ask more, Old Immortal Wang interjected first, "Did you encounter anything strange or peculiar in the past few days?"

Wei Fuguo thought for a moment and said, "There was one strange event, but it wasn't exactly bizarre."

"Then tell us, the clearer the better!"

"En!" Wei Fuguo nodded.

It turned out that the day before yesterday, the team was still working in the fields. Wei Fuguo and Lü Jinlian were in the Fifth Team. They had an uncultivated plot this year that they planned to convert into dry land for spring planting next year. By the end of the day, only a small patch remained, and the people from the First Team had all arrived. This piece of land used to be Lü family ancestral grounds. Although the red flag was flying high now and educated youths had been sent down, people no longer believed in such superstitions. Still, there was some taboo. So, when they began digging, they first cleared away the grave mounds. The few scattered bones found inside were reburied in the mass grave, complete with incense burning and kowtows, making it quite formal. As everyone worked together, a woman who was on reasonably good terms with Lü Jinlian joked, "If you haven't moved all your ancestors, no one will dare plant this field! Look at your ancestors; they were all fierce people!"

Lü Jinlian swung her hoe, "Fierce my foot! What fierceness does a dead person have? Anyone who dares to obstruct our revolutionary work, we'll smash them!"

The small team leader of the Fifth Team happened to be nearby. Hearing this, he was delighted. Wanting to flatter this fierce woman to facilitate his work in the future, he shouted loudly, "Did everyone hear that? Comrade Lü Jinlian's spirit, her enthusiasm, is something we should all learn from! Come on, everyone clap!" Lü Jinlian was very pleased and stood up straight, ready to receive the applause.

Who knew that only the Fifth Team leader clapped a few times, and no one else paid any attention. Annoyed, she snorted, swung her hoe down with force, and heard a dull thud, as if it had hit something. She twisted the hoe sideways, scraped away the dirt, and discovered a round, white object. "Huh? What the heck is this?" she blurted out.

The woman next to her craned her neck to look, and her face turned pale, "Oh my god, this looks like the top of a human skull!" Several people gathered around and carefully dug it out with shovels. Sure enough, it was a human skull. The team leader sucked in a sharp breath. Why was another one of these things turning up? Hadn't they cleared everything? "Come, come, dig around carefully here and see if there are any other bones." The people dug a bit more but found nothing else—just this single skull.

As for Lü Jinlian, the moment such an object was unearthed, her heart grew hot with irritation. Why? Because when this thing showed up, they would have to burn incense and paper offerings and transport it to the mass grave. If this continued, they wouldn't finish this piece of land before dark. She had a pile of chores waiting at home!

Sure enough, the leader was shouting, "Uh, Wei Fuguo, go to the brigade office and see if there are any incense papers left. I remember we had some leftover this year." Wei Fuguo was just about to go when Lü Jinlian walked over, "Don't bother getting anything, it’s just a dead person’s head, why all the fuss?"

With that, she picked up the skull, under the stunned gaze of the crowd, walked to the foot of the hill a few dozen meters away, where there were many pits dug for a tree-planting effort that never materialized. She tossed the skull into a pit and shouted back toward them, "You all keep digging so we can knock off early! I'll bury this damn dead man's head first!"

Everyone watched, dumbfounded. Everyone knew Lü Jinlian was fierce, but to be this fierce was an eye-opener for them all!

Lü Jinlian shoveled some dirt over the skull while staring at it, growing angrier and angrier, "You damned hard head, not staying on your neck and running around everywhere, wasting my time!" Flushed with anger, she swung her hoe around and brought it down.

Lü Jinlian smashed the skull, quickly buried it, and immediately returned to hoeing the field. The team leader was utterly convinced, muttering to himself: This is a leader—decisive and efficient in their actions! He couldn't help but feel a pang of inadequacy.

Lü Jinlian developed a fever that same night she returned home, wanting to sleep before she had even finished shelling the peanuts. Wei Fuguo told her to go rest first. Who knew that she would sleep for two days? When she finally got up, she had turned into a madwoman! How could Wei Fuguo not be anxious?

When Granny Fan heard this, she exchanged a look with Old Immortal Wang, and in that silent communication, they both had an understanding. She turned to Wei Fuguo and said, "I suspect a malevolent spirit has possessed her!"

Old Immortal Wang became excited. He packed up the small bundle of tools he carried and said to Granny Fan, "Senior Sister, you rest. I’ll be right back!"

Young Master Liu quickly asked, "Isn't Granny Fan going?"

Old Immortal Wang shot him a look. "How can you be so inconsiderate, boy? Senior Sister is a woman; running here and there, though she doesn't say it, her legs are tired. Let her lie down and rest! Why use an ox-slaughtering knife to kill a chicken? I, this Yin-Yang master, can handle this trivial matter easily."

Wei Fuguo, realizing the wisdom in gathering many people’s input, saw that only Old Immortal Wang was going back with him and was still very worried, saying, "Mister, are you sure you can handle this?"

Old Immortal Wang snorted, "This small matter? Nothing to fear!"

When Ma Xiaoyan heard there was nothing to fear, she encouraged Young Master Liu to take her along to see, saying if there was any heavy lifting, they could all help out! These young people had been feeling stifled these past few days, and hearing there was such an exciting spectacle to watch, she was eager to go, finding it better than just waiting around at home.

Old Immortal Wang had often been ridiculed by these youngsters, with talk of him being a charlatan and his practices being an "opiate for the people." He felt a bit wronged. This time, he agreed to let them tag along, thinking, "This time I’ll show them if I’m a fraud or not!"

Accordingly, Old Immortal Wang took a few sheets of talisman paper and borrowed a steel pen from Ma Xiaoyan to draw heavy lines on them. Young Master Liu stared blankly, "Old man, I’ve seen this stuff since I was little, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone drawing talismans with a steel pen!" Ma Xiaoyan only then realized Old Immortal Wang was drawing talismans and cried out, "Are these talismans? I thought Uncle Wang was just writing notes asking us to deliver messages! No wonder I couldn't recognize the writing!"

Old Immortal Wang stroked the goatee on his chin smugly, "As long as a person has spirit, the talisman has spirit! Drawing talismans is about drawing the spirit!"

Young Master Liu said, "So you mean, as long as a person has spirit, drawing a turtle would also work? Is that right?"

Old Immortal Wang wasn't offended, chuckling, "That's not entirely right! It’s like Chairman Mao’s selected works. Printed in a book, it’s his selected works; reading it helps people progress. Printed in a newspaper, it’s still his selected works; reading it, we can still progress! But if you change the words inside, then it’s no longer his meaning!"

The group nodded repeatedly, agreeing that the analogy made things clear. They didn't stop to consider whether his comparison was appropriate or relevant.

Carrying the wooden sword and talismans looked conspicuous, so Old Immortal Wang found a bag, stuffed them in, and briskly set off. Wei Fuguo walked ahead, while Young Master Liu leisurely walked behind, leading Ma Xiaoyan.

The distance from the Liu family to the Wei family was about a hundred meters, and the walk left them all sweaty. When they arrived at the Wei house, there was no one around. Knowing a madwoman was holding a cleaver, everyone held their breath. They checked the rice stalks—no one was there.

Wei Fuguo said with a tremor, "Did she run away... or go inside?" Young Master Liu shielded Ma Xiaoyan behind him. After experiencing so much, he wasn't afraid of ghosts anymore, but the young lady was! Besides, he had some reservations about the madwoman with the cleaver. Though he had been a soldier and knew a little martial arts, he lacked real combat experience, so he wasn't entirely confident if things escalated to a fight.

Old Immortal Wang comforted them, "If she's possessed, she can't run far, likely just wandering around this house. Since no one is in the rice stalks, she’s probably hiding inside."

Old Immortal Wang led the three carefully to the edge of the rice stalks, about twenty meters from the front door. Below the edge of the rice stalks was a steep slope leading down to the Wei family's pond. As they approached, Old Immortal Wang instructed, "This ground is muddy, be careful not to slip when you run later. Don't run backward; the pond is down there. Run back toward the path!" Seeing that everyone looked a bit tense, he couldn't help but smile and say, "This is a small thing! Don't worry, safety first, just be careful. If something serious happened, I wouldn't dare bring you two kids along. If something went wrong, how would we explain it to the young miss?" With that, he winked meaningfully at Young Master Liu. His words were quite suggestive; if Granny Fan had heard, she would surely have blushed crimson, punched him, and cursed him as an old shameless fellow.

Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter. The four stood near the base of the rice stalks, and Old Immortal Wang said, "Brother Fuguo, call out to your wife!" Wei Fuguo cleared his throat and called out, "Uh, Lian ai..." At the sound of that voice, Young Master Liu almost fell over. Ma Xiaoyan covered her stomach, clutching it in pain. For a man of forty-odd years to call out like that—it was too much! Then again, Wei Fuguo and Wang Weizhen were quite a pair of jokers.

Old Immortal Wang wiped his brow with his sleeve, "I told you to call her by name; if you call like that, the thing won't understand!" Wei Fuguo quickly asked, "What thing? What do I call the thing? Brother, I'm very timid, don't scare me!" Old Immortal Wang said impatiently, "Just call her as I tell you! Why so many questions, big brother, sister?"

Taking courage, Wei Fuguo yelled loudly, "Lü Jinlian!" The shout was so loud that Old Immortal Wang quickly told Young Master Liu and the other to "Watch the doorway! If she rushes out, you run! If she doesn't rush, just watch me show you some real skills! Uh, Brother Fuguo, shout again!"

"Lü Jinlian!" Wei Fuguo shouted again. There was no movement at the door. All they could hear was the wind rustling the rice stalks. Old Immortal Wang was wondering when he suddenly heard a commotion behind him. He turned around and saw Lü Jinlian, wielding a large cleaver, charging up the steep slope from the pond with a fierce look. That Wei family cleaver was truly huge, almost as big as Lord Guan's great saber! In that moment of distraction, Lü Jinlian was less than three meters away from them.

"Run!" Young Master Liu let out a shout that shook the heavens. The sound almost deafened the other two. Turning back, Wei Fuguo’s legs instantly went weak, but fortunately, Granny Fan and Old Immortal Wang caught him. As for Young Master Liu, he was scared out of his wits, wishing his parents had given him two extra legs. He ran with all his might, his mind completely blank. Granny Fan reacted quickly, shouting, "Run inside! Close the door!" At this, Wei Fuguo also snapped back to alertness and dashed forward. Just as the four were about to reach the doorway, the so-called formidable Young Master Liu face-planted onto the ground with a thud.

Young Master Liu was still somewhat conscious and yelled, "Don't worry about me, get inside first!" When he lifted his head, the other three were already inside, and Wei Fuguo was already latching the door. Who was going to help him? Young Master Liu was furious: These sons of bitches, they run faster than me when escaping! Before he could dwell on it, a strong gust of wind rushed toward him from behind.

He didn't need to think to know the one coming was the saber-wielding Lü Jinlian. In a moment of panic, Young Master Liu had a flash of desperate wit. Without turning around, he lashed out a kick backward. Thwack! Lü Jinlian lost her footing, and the extra-large cleaver, trailing a cold gust of wind, swung past Young Master Liu’s head with a solid whoosh. This completely unnerved Young Master Liu, weakening his body. If that had landed, wouldn't she have chopped my skull off like a pig's head!

Young Master Liu seized the chance to spring up and leaped right inside the doorway. Fortunately, Wei Fuguo hadn't fully shut the door yet. Once Young Master Liu was in, Wei Fuguo quickly bolted the door. Young Master Liu immediately confronted him, "Wei Fuguo, you’re quick to shut the door!"

Wei Fuguo said sheepishly, "I was worried, weren't I?"

"Granny Fan, you take charge here. What should we do now?"

Granny Fan calmed down and said, "All of you stay inside and don't come out. I have my own way of dealing with this!"

Wei Fuguo quickly asked, "If you have a way, why did you rush us inside? Couldn't we have solved it outside?"

Old Immortal Wang glared, "It's just that I haven't handled these things in a while; I was careless and didn't take out my sword earlier!"

Saying this, he placed the bag on the ground and pulled out the wooden sword. Just then, there was a loud crash against the door—Lü Jinlian had struck it with her blade. Everyone quickly backed away. Old Immortal Wang retreated so fast that Wei Fuguo stepped on his shoe, sending him tumbling to the ground with a plop. Young Master Liu felt like crying at this moment; this man who claimed to have a solution for everything seemed to have none. Seeing that Old Immortal Wang had also wet his pants, his confidence plummeted further.

The group peered through the crack in the door and saw Lü Jinlian’s blood-red eyes darting around, her mouth smeared with mud. Only then did they realize she had been scooping up mud from the pond edge to eat earlier.

Old Immortal Wang cleared his throat, stepped forward, held the wooden sword out in front of his chest, and shouted sternly, "Who are you? State your name!" Strange as it was, Lü Jinlian's face suddenly showed a look of fear, and she took a small step back. Old Immortal Wang saw this trick worked and quickly formed a mudra with his left hand, pushing it forward. Lü Jinlian shrieked and retreated five meters away. Only then did the three realize that Old Immortal Wang did possess some genuine skill.

Old Immortal Wang turned back to instruct them, "When I go out in a moment, you must close the door immediately. No matter what happens outside, do not come out!"

Ma Xiaoyan whispered, "Uncle Wang, won't it be dangerous? Why don't we all stay inside and wait for someone else to come?"

Old Immortal Wang said, "How can that be done? I’m all prepared now. Dealing with such a low-class character is a piece of cake!"

With that, he flung the door open and leaped out. The leap covered nearly four meters, making the three inside momentarily speechless. Truly amazing skill, so graceful! As soon as Old Immortal Wang leaped out, Wei Fuguo slammed the door shut. The closing of the door was almost perfectly simultaneous with Old Immortal Wang's exit—it was also executed with remarkable skill and grace!

Old Immortal Wang landed less than two meters from Lü Jinlian, feeling pleased that even though he hadn't moved much these past two years, his skills hadn't faded. However, the moment his feet hit the ground, he slipped on the dirt of the grain field and his body tilted backward.

Good Old Immortal Wang arched his waist, propped himself up with the wooden sword behind him, and immediately regained his footing. Just then, there was a sharp crack, and the wooden sword snapped! A gasp escaped the three inside the room! Old Immortal Wang broke out in a cold sweat, almost shouting, Hurry up and open the door to let me in!

Relieved that Lü Jinlian didn't rush forward to attack, he straightened up, sighing inwardly. "I've been meaning to replace this old, worn-out sole for ages, but I just couldn't bear to part with it, thinking I’d wait until next year. Now look where I am—nearly lost my life!" Holding the broken sword horizontally, he finally had a moment to truly observe Lü Jinlian. He saw her eyes slanted towards him, her eyeballs rolling constantly up and down. Her mouth was smeared with grime and drool, making her look like a complete fool.

Wang Banxian struck a commanding pose and roared, "Which wandering spirit are you? State your name, lest I scatter you without even knowing who you were!"

Lü Jinlian gave a sinister chuckle. "Heh heh... you... dead... man..." The voice was low and indistinct, but clearly that of a male. Wang Banxian pondered for a moment before realizing the entity was demanding his identity. This infuriated Wang Banxian. He thought to himself, It's only been a few years since I last acted, and now these petty wandering souls completely look down on me!

"Hmph, you dare to argue with me? Watch as I capture you today!" Holding the sword in his right hand, he executed a Demon Repulsion Art with his left, forcing his way forward. Lü Jinlian seemed somewhat intimidated by Wang Banxian and backed away several steps. Sensing the advantage, Wang Banxian pressed forward a few more paces. Who knew that Lü Jinlian would suddenly let out a roar and swing a large cleaver down? The force of the blow was so great that her body spun slightly.

Wang Banxian was a man who understood matters, realizing that this spirit had only just possessed the body and lacked agility. This gave him considerable peace of mind. Seeing her stagger, he sidestepped to the left, narrowly avoiding the blade, and took the opportunity to trip her foot with his own. Lü Jinlian was fast, but her reaction time was slow. She stumbled from the unexpected move, lunging forward uncontrollably. The cleaver flew from her grasp, landing a meter away. The body also tumbled into the grain field.

Wang Banxian was overjoyed; the first move had been so effective! It certainly boosted his morale. If his old flame were here, she'd probably give him a kiss! He immediately focused with twelve-tenths of his attention, the blade of the sword whistling sharply in the north wind. Just as Lü Jinlian managed to roll over, Wang Banxian brought his foot down upon her. He held the broken sword with imposing dignity, pointing it precisely between Lü Jinlian’s eyes.

"I will ask you one more time: which wandering spirit are you, and what business have you here? Speak of your grievances, tell your sorrow. Why have you occupied this body of Lü Jinlian?"

Lü Jinlian snarled for a moment. "You... old coot... think you're worthy to ask my name!"

Wang Banxian erupted in fury, touching the tip of the broken sword to Lü Jinlian's forehead. The moment the wooden sword made contact, Lü Jinlian began to howl uncontrollably, her eyes rolled back, and thick white foam poured from her mouth. Wang Banxian tried again, "If she has offended you in some way, I will stand for you; I will make her apologize properly to you, how about that?"

Lü Jinlian writhed her body. "Ouch... she... this unfilial... wretched... worse than swine or dog... even strikes her own... ancestor... Ouch... I'll kill her..."

Wang Banxian now confirmed his suspicion: Lü Jinlian had acted ruthlessly by smashing his ancestor’s skull with a hoe. Though he didn't know who this spirit was, he presumed it was some older acquaintance. He quickly pulled the sword back slightly and said, "What she did was indeed brutal. However, old one, you have also tormented her quite severely. Let this pass. You should depart now. I will have someone from the household help you find a proper place! If you force me to use talismans, I fear you might not withstand it!"

Lü Jinlian gasped for breath, cursing, "When I died, none of my sons could even afford a wooden plank for my coffin... now even my head has been smashed in..." As she spoke, tears actually welled up in her eyes. Wang Banxian quickly soothed her, "This time, I will ensure you are buried properly, and I will perform a full ritual for you; it will be a grand send-off. Old one, please leave now!"

Lü Jinlian rolled her eyes. "Move that sword away a bit; I'm somewhat afraid!"

Wang Banxian was delighted; the matter seemed settled without even needing a talisman. Looking at the three people hiding behind the door, he suddenly felt a sense of profound foresight, like directing an army. He beckoned, "All of you, come out!"

Wei Fuguo cautiously opened the door a crack and asked, "Banxian, is it over?" Wang Banxian replied, "It's over. Come out."

Young Master Liu was the first to dash out. "Oh, my goodness, Old Man, that nearly scared the life out of us!"

"Curse your sharp tongue, you still dare to doubt your Uncle Wang's skills? We had an agreement: when Senior Sister Fan arrives later, you brat better put in a good word for me, or I'll never be finished with you! My happiness for the rest of my life depends on your glib tongue, kid."

Hearing this, Young Master Liu was not pleased. "Hey, you surnamed Fan, are you complimenting me or insulting me? I'm not some giant loudspeaker tied to a utility pole to relay messages for you."

"Heh heh, I know you well enough. Don't worry, if you speak well, your Old Man Wang Weizhen will reward you with a few packs of foreign cigarettes." Wang Banxian squinted slyly, making bold promises, the carefully maintained air of ethereal cultivation completely vanished.

This lapse in concentration proved disastrous. He saw the Lü Jinlian lying on the ground suddenly grab Wang Banxian's leg, twist sharply, and with a grunt, Wang Banxian was flipped onto the ground. The suddenness of the move caught him completely off guard. He turned his head to see Lü Jinlian clutching one of his legs, a wide mouth lunging in for a bite.

"Ow, my mother!" Wang Banxian reacted instinctively, kicking out with his free leg against Lü Jinlian's face. He heard a sickening crack from Lü Jinlian's neck, but the bite didn't land.

Those who throw themselves into a struggle possess a certain brute strength. Wang Banxian felt the pressure on his leg increasing. He glanced up to see that the other two people had already retreated behind the door.

Wang Banxian cursed inwardly and shouted, "Hurry up and get my bag of talismans! I'm done negotiating with this ghoul today!"

"Uncle Wei, you go get it!"

"Xiaoyan, your Uncle Wei's legs are too weak from fright; how can he get it? You're brave for a girl, and we need brave girls like you for the revolution!"

"But Sister Yan is a woman, she shouldn't go. Uncle Wei, you’re a grown man, you should go!"

"Hey, Young Master Liu, that's not right. Aunt Fan is closest to you, and Old Man Wang has ties with you too. Now that they are in danger, it’s bad of you to refuse!"

Wang Banxian outside was using every ounce of strength he had, feeling his leg about to snap. Hearing the three behind the door hold a conference to decide who would fetch the bag, he choked out two tears from sheer rage.

"Wei Fuguo, you son of a bitch, if you don't get that out here now, I'm washing my hands of this whole affair! When your boy gets back, I'll let this old ghost slice them up one by one; I might even get a share of the dumpling filling!"

Hearing this, Wei Fuguo couldn't stay put. Shivering all over, he grabbed a bag and walked out, his legs shaking so violently that even Wang Banxian felt uneasy watching him.

"Hurry up and bring it here, you useless sack of skin..." Wang Banxian roared.

Wei Fuguo saw that Lü Jinlian was entirely focused on biting Wang Banxian, showing no intention of getting up to settle scores with him. His heart eased slightly, and he brought the bag over to Wang Banxian's side. Feeling a moment of security, Wang Banxian reached in to retrieve the contents, immediately breaking out in a cold sweat.

Seeing Wang Banxian's expression change, Wei Fuguo quickly retreated a few steps. "Brother, what is it?"

Wang Banxian screamed in despair, "Damn it, it’s gone!" Wei Fuguo instantly darted toward the door jamb. "No way, Brother! I saw you put them in the bag!" Wang Banxian furiously rummaged through the bottom of the bag, finally giving up hope—there was a slit cut along the bottom.

Lü Jinlian, on his leg side, seemed utterly fascinated by Wang Banxian's limb, determined to get a good chew. Wang Banxian was pinned to the ground, his leg straining under the pressure, unable to rise. His broken sword was too short to be useful. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind: To capsize an aircraft carrier in a shallow ditch; to choke to death on a meal like Zhang Fei.