I didn't have time to get a good look at Old Man Ji before I heard Qin Bing'er shriek, and the Xuanyi Duyu bead in her hand shot out towards my head. I spun around in alarm and saw the child suspended in mid-air narrowly avoid the streaking Si Dao. It bounced a few times on the bamboo bridge, then bent into the shape of an enormous green frog and leaped into the water, sending up a large ripple. Simultaneously, the weeping bridal song continued to issue from its mouth: “Kneeling down with both feet, I bid farewell to my maternal grandfather; kneeling down with both feet, I bid farewell to my maternal grandmother; a granddaughter marrying out is unfilial, she’ll be driven away when she grows up. The cock crows, the morning is breaking, mother and daughter must soon part ways; you’ll coil up when you are one foot and five inches tall, and become a stranger when you grow up, I’ve exhausted my heart and suffered all my pains, my labor in fetching mud like a swallow was in vain; putting on a lowly garment, I’m scorned and bullied by others, putting on a lowly skirt, my surname changes and my name shifts; a green silk handkerchief covers the head, your sister’s pillow is soaked with tears; your sister was born with a bitter fate, she’ll clearly become an outsider, parents rely on you for filial piety, household affairs depend on you to shoulder the burden…”

For some unknown reason, when Old Man Ji’s Si Dao clattered onto the bamboo bridge behind him, the old man made no further move. Perhaps Qin Bing'er and I were stunned into inaction by the unprecedented event of the child transforming into a frog, so we stood frozen, and thus we actually managed to hear the entire, age-old bridal lament. Moreover, though the voice was mournful, the sound coming from beneath the water was no longer clear, but vague and muffled.

Despite this, I clearly recognized the bridal song as the one I had heard in my childhood—the "Crying for Ancestors," "Crying for Mother," "Crying for Sister-in-law," and "Crying for Brother"—the very songs sung on the morning a bride departs. Because I was so fond of soliciting wedding sweets from brides as a child, I had witnessed such scenes countless times, leaving me with a faint memory of the lyrics.

Just as I wished to hear more, the underwater voice grew fainter and fainter, its lingering resonance becoming ethereal before finally vanishing completely.

While I was still savoring the lingering charm of the bridal song, I heard an abrupt, drawn-out "Ao!" from behind me, which quickly faded into silence. This chilling, unnatural sound dragged my thoughts violently back to reality, and the vague anxiety that had disappeared moments before surged back into my heart like a tide. Turning back, I saw that Old Man Ji was holding Man Niao Niao in his arms, his expression grim, not uttering a word.

“Hurry and dig up a few ‘Earth Snakes’!” Before I could even ask Old Man Ji, who had appeared so suddenly, what was going on, he looked up and commanded me loudly and sternly, “Hurry and dig up some ‘Earth Snakes’!”

I was both shocked and delighted. Shocked because where in this desolate place could I find earthworms? Delighted because Old Man Ji had finally started speaking normally instead of singing in that bizarre cadence.

“Hurry up! If you don't, Man Niao Niao will have no way out but death!” Seeing me standing dumbfounded, Old Man Ji glared and shouted in anger. I flinched, stammering, “But… where am I supposed to find ‘Earth Snakes’ right now?” Old Man Ji glared again, placed the Eight Treasures Bronze Bell on Man Niao Niao’s chest, stood up abruptly, and rushed to the front to pick up the Si Dao, thrusting it into my hand. “Guard him; do not leave his side for even a step!” With that, he turned like a whirlwind and bolted toward the clearing by the thatched hut, his body rising and falling as if he were a gigantic black frog leaping about. Soon, Old Man Ji ran back, took the Si Dao, and tapped it sharply on Man Niao Niao’s forehead. Like a puppet, Man Niao Niao’s tightly closed lips suddenly sprang open. Old Man Ji hesitated not at all, clenched his fist, and crammed some things into Man Niao Niao’s black, cavernous mouth.

Looking at those wriggling, struggling things, I knew instantly they were fat, wriggling earthworms!

Man Niao Niao seemed completely insensible at that moment, letting the earthworms slide down his throat, which made my stomach churn violently. Qin Bing'er simply knelt on the bamboo bridge and started retching loudly.

I didn’t know whether to be anxious or not; I just watched Old Man Ji labor, neither helping nor asking questions. Old Man Ji didn't seem to have time to speak to me either. After stuffing a whole handful of earthworms down Man Niao Niao’s throat, he stared intently at Man Niao Niao’s face without blinking. Following his gaze, I was horrified to see what appeared to be countless earthworms writhing beneath the skin of Man Niao Niao’s face, moving at a rapid pace—vastly different from whatever had been on Qin Bing'er’s face earlier.

Although I did nothing, my mind was racing. My brain actually harbored an insidious thought: this old fox Ji is indeed becoming more and more mysterious. His previous treatment of Qin Bing'er was clearly trial and error, but now, looking at this, he seems to possess an almost confident, masterful demeanor. This old man must have gone through some truly transformative experience.

Man Niao Niao, still slumped on the ground, let out a low moan, drawing my gaze away from Old Man Ji to him.

The things on Man Niao Niao’s face vanished in such a short time. His complexion began turning from white to black, and his moans grew louder, his limbs shaking more violently. Seeing this, Old Man Ji snatched up the Eight Treasures Bronze Bell from Man Niao Niao’s chest, knelt on one leg, and shook it vigorously. Although the bell’s sound was crisp and pleasant, to Qin Bing'er and me, it sounded utterly bizarre and inexplicable.

Of course, even stranger things were to follow. When Man Niao Niao’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, he finally couldn't hold it in and turned sideways, vomiting violently. The expelled filth reeked unbearably. I quickly pinched my nose, sealed my lips, and took shallow breaths intermittently. At first, I couldn't see what Man Niao Niao was throwing up, only sensing something slowly wriggling within the foul, slimy mass. As the mass grew larger, almost obscuring half of Man Niao Niao’s head, I finally saw long shapes darting out of the mess, flashing briefly on the bamboo bridge before plopping heavily into the water.

I rubbed my eyes and instinctively cried out sharply, “Was… was that a snake?”

No one answered.

Man Niao Niao couldn't answer, and Qin Bing'er wanted to answer but hadn't seen the thing at all. Old Man Ji, however, maintained a serious expression, continuing to shake his Eight Treasures Bronze Bell with measured intervals. I was certain he must have seen it because a look of profound relief visibly washed over his face. Yet, he still didn't answer me directly, only turning his head slightly to glance at me expressionlessly.

After Man Niao Niao vomited that pool of filth and that unknown creature, his moans subsided slightly. However, I heard his breathing gradually even out, and a great weight lifted from my heart. It seemed Man Niao Niao’s life had been saved.

“Let’s go, we can’t stay here long!” Just as I let out a sigh of relief, Old Man Ji spoke to me in an uncompromising tone. At this point, I dared not offer any opinion. Fighting the nausea, I scooped up the still-limp Man Niao Niao and hoisted him onto my back again. When I looked up to ask Old Man Ji where we were going, I saw him striding toward the thatched hut at the end of the bamboo bridge. Earlier, I would have absolutely refused to enter that hut, but now, seeing Old Man Ji leading the way, I quickly urged Qin Bing'er to follow. Turning back to look for Hua'er, I saw the mongrel climbing onto the bamboo bridge from the depths of the pond. From its barking, it sounded aggressive but weak inside—I couldn't tell if it had entered the water before the child appeared or jumped in after that frog.

Of course, that wasn't important. At this very moment, the most crucial thing was to keep close to Old Man Ji.

I initially assumed Old Man Ji would head for the main hall, but to my surprise, after reaching the clearing of the thatched hut, he turned and bolted toward the side room on the right. With a creak, he pushed the door open and stood at the threshold, saying quietly to Qin Bing'er and me, “Go in!” I didn't have time to think of anything else; I hitched Man Niao Niao higher on my back and dashed into the right-side room.

I fully expected the right-side room to be as filthy and dilapidated as the left, but upon entering, I discovered the room was a different world entirely. It contained no furniture whatsoever, only a winding, narrow path that extended toward a slope behind the room. The door and the wooden partition beside it were merely a screen.

I was filled with regret. If I had known, why did we bother with the left room? Why didn't we just come straight into this right one? We came to the hut seeking a way out, only to end up in this terrifying ordeal through some strange twist of fate. Man Niao Niao deserved this calamity. His favorite saying, “If fate dictates one must eat a seed, the flesh must serve as pork for the stalk,” had finally been proven true in reality—which just goes to show, some things should never be said lightly.

By now, Man Niao Niao had regained his senses. Although clearly lacking strength, he insisted on getting down, leaning against my shoulder, and scrambling desperately up the path using his hands and feet. This brought me great relief, and I turned back to call for Qin Bing'er to follow. I saw Old Man Ji close the room door and follow us, turning back every few steps.

With the illumination from the Xuanyi Duyu bead, our climbing speed was noticeably fast. After walking for an unknown amount of time with my head down, I happened to look up and discovered we had arrived in a dense forest of Nan bamboo. Most of the Nan bamboo stalks had bloomed white flowers, and it looked as if someone had driven many thick nails into their main trunks…