I was holding in my frustration, but at that moment, it wasn't just the absence of the ghost servant that bothered me—upon scanning the surroundings, I realized the little-footed girl had also disappeared. Given her timid nature, she would only have run to me if she feared someone like Lai Youfu. Now that she had vanished, I feared something had happened to her.
After all, she came here with me, and I couldn't just ignore her. Additionally, with Lai Youfu and his master here, if things escalated and a fight broke out, even if we won, there would still be injuries. Li Erwa and the others were the main support at home—if they were out for ten days or half a month, their families would be ruined.
Weighing the options, I cupped my fists and said, "I did encounter a ghost servant in the Dragon's Pool, and we fought. Since Lai Youfu raised the drought demon in the Dragon's Pool, I mistakenly thought he also raised the ghost servant. I apologize for this misunderstanding."
I mimicked Lai Youfu's polite tone, smiling gracefully.
However, Lai Youfu shook his head, his face darkening, and said, "My disciple already clarified that the drought demon is not something he raised. Li Yang, why do you persist in tarnishing my Ma Yi Sect's name?"
XU Dafa couldn't stand it and puffed a cigarette, saying, "Lai, if you don't believe us, the whole village can vouch for Li's innocence. If needed, I can even call on other villages nearby."
Lai Youfu sneered, "What good is bringing them here? These poor, backward peasants—who would believe them?"
XU Dafa, a simple man, was too enraged to speak, gripping the hoe tightly.
"Ah..." Huang Jiu sighed deeply, shaking his head. "Your last name really is a blessing from the heavens, but your names should have been Lai Huazi (Lai Flower) or Lai Pigu (Lai Mangy Dog)—those would be more fitting."
At this, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Lai Youfu's face grew even darker, and he snapped, "You sharp-tongued beast! I was willing to let you go, but now..."
He reached around to his back and pulled out a rope about the thickness of a thumb, handling it proudly like it was something of value.
Lai Youfu's disciple, Lai Youwei, grinned and said, "Little beast, this is the Binding Immortal Rope. You're done for! I'll knock all your teeth out and skin you alive!"
The Binding Immortal Rope was made from horse tail hair mixed with black dog fur, soaked in rooster blood for forty-nine days, and it was very effective against certain kinds of demons.
But Huang Jiu had already transformed.
I had expected something more valuable, but this... was this what they considered a treasure? If I had known this was all they had, I wouldn't have been so lenient earlier.
Clearly, Lai Youfu had only encountered Huang Jiu briefly at the Su family tomb, and he had underestimated him.
Seeing the Binding Immortal Rope, Huang Jiu hopped off my shoulder, his mouth stretching into a wide grin. His eyes looked at Lai Youfu and Lai Youwei as if they were prey.
Huang Jiu walked a few steps forward, stood on a higher rock, and confidently placed his hands on his hips, swaying his colorful pants. "I'm standing right here, grandson. Let's see if you can catch me."
I signaled to XU Dafa and the others to step back behind me. Taking advantage of Huang Jiu distracting them, I released the Earth Dog Star and shared a bit of soul energy with it, instructing it to search for the little-footed girl.
Huang Jiu's provocation gave Lai Youfu and Lai Youwei an excuse to attack. But perhaps they didn't need one—after all, they were from a prestigious sect.
Each of them took one end of the Binding Immortal Rope, and with a shake, the net unfolded. However, the net was only big enough to catch Huang Jiu in his original form. If he transformed fully, it would barely cover his shoulders.
Huang Jiu, calm and collected, didn't rush to transform.
Lai Youfu and Lai Youwei, seeing this, were pleased, thinking they had cornered a foolish creature. With a shake of the rope, the net flew straight at Huang Jiu.
Just as the net was about to land, a flash of white light surrounded Huang Jiu. He transformed and caught the net in midair, yanking it with force. Both Lai Youfu and Lai Youwei were pulled toward him before they even had a chance to react. Without waiting, Huang Jiu kicked both of them away.
With a mocking grin, he shouted, "You thought I was just a harmless kitten?"
I was taken aback.
Did he just use an English phrase? He'd only been in the city for a few months—how did he pick that up?
But I couldn't afford to be distracted. I immediately lunged at Lai Youfu, grabbing his hand and twisting it, dislocating his joints.
"Not so good at throwing stones now, are we? Try again, if you dare." After dislocating his arms, I gave him another brutal kick.
The reversal was so swift that Lai Youfu and Lai Youwei were still dazed. By the time they realized what happened, Li Erwa and the others had already pinned their hands and legs down.
I felt a genuine sense of satisfaction.
However, Huang Jiu's transformation was no longer a secret. From now on, anyone who tried to mess with me would have to deal with something far beyond just small fries.
Meanwhile, the Earth Dog Star still hadn't found the little-footed girl. I grew anxious and turned to Li Erwa, saying, "Smash their kneecaps and throw them by the roadside. Whether they live or die is up to fate."
Upon hearing the suggestion of smashing their kneecaps, Lai Youwei howled, "Grandpa! Grandpa, please spare me!"
Had I not heard their earlier words, I might have found this amusing or interesting. But now, seeing Lai Youwei's miserable state, all I felt was disgust.
Two long, pained screams broke the mountain's silence, soon turning into a prolonged wail.
Following the plan, Li Erwa and the others bound Lai Youfu and Lai Youwei, threading farm tools through their limbs, preparing to carry them off the mountain and throw them by the roadside.
I still hadn't found the little-footed girl, and my anxiety deepened. Turning to XU Dafa, I said, "XU, please keep an eye on things and make sure no one dies. Don't waste what Tang's group left behind—distribute it to the villagers. I have some business to attend to. Afterward, I'll return to the village and check in with you."
XU Dafa looked worried but didn't say much.
With their kneecaps shattered, Lai Youfu and Lai Youwei screamed in agony as they were carried away. Their painful cries echoed through the mountains, leaving the nearby villagers confused, wondering who was slaughtering pigs at such an hour.
As I watched them leave, I turned to Huang Jiu and said, "The little-footed girl is missing. I've sent Earth Dog Star to search, but no luck so far. I'm worried something has happened to her."
Huang Jiu, belatedly realizing what I meant, reassured me, "Don't worry, I have a way to find her."
He then pulled out a paper talisman from his pouch, blowing a stream of demonic energy onto it. The paper transformed into a chubby toddler, a round little child about one or two years old.
Seeing my confusion, Huang Jiu explained, "I picked this up when I was talking to her earlier."
I shook my head, speechless.
The chubby child sniffed the earring Huang Jiu handed him, and a visible aura of energy was absorbed into his nose. Then, the child ran off toward the direction of the mountain's edge.
Huang Jiu smiled and called, "Let's go. We'll follow him."
And so, we chased after the little spirit.