Chapter 110: Snake

Just as the old woman had predicted, street vendors began to gather in the snack street one after another. Soon, when people noticed that Bai Ruoshuang had already devoured five full bowls of rice noodle rolls and was still asking for more, many looked on in astonishment.

I felt incredibly embarrassed. I never imagined this girl could eat so much. Finally, unable to bear the bewildered stares of the vendors, I frowned and asked her if she was full yet.

Bai Ruoshuang finished every drop of the broth in her bowl, licked the edges, let out a satisfied burp, and asked, "How about one more bowl?"

The moment she spoke, the surrounding vendors erupted in excitement, calling out, "Buns! Soy milk and fried dough sticks! Spicy noodles! Fried potatoes!"

Bai Ruoshuang’s eyes lit up. She ran straight to the vendors and began to feast all over again.

For the next hour, she sampled everything the snack street had to offer, while I stood behind her, paying the bills in utter humiliation. I swear it wasn't about the money; it was just mortifying. At one point, a middle-aged woman leaned in and whispered, "Young man, you must be a wealthy heir, right?"

"Why do you say that?" I asked instinctively.

"With a girlfriend like this," she replied, "who else could afford to feed her?" She didn't forget to add, "Bring her back often, young man!"

Back in the car, watching Bai Ruoshuang lying against the seat, rubbing her belly, I had the urge to pinch her cheek. I even wondered if she was human. If she were, could a human stomach really hold that much?

"Ruoshuang, I just thought of a story. Want to hear it?"

She looked at me, bewildered. "Dao, even a blockhead like you can tell stories?"

I glared at her. "Who are you calling a blockhead? Do you want to fall out with me?"

She gave my forehead a hard flick. "You, of course! Look at this blockhead—it even bounces when I tap it. How fun!"

Ignoring my rising anger, she asked nonchalantly, "Aren't you going to tell the story? Go ahead. What’s wrong, has your brain stopped working again?"

I cursed under my breath and began, "Once upon a time, there was a little snake in the forest..."

As soon as I said "little snake," her expression shifted instantly, and she stared at me with shock.

"What?" I asked, confused. "Why the big reaction? Are you afraid of snakes? If so, forget it, I won't tell it."

"Tell it," she urged. "I'm not afraid of snakes. They’re so cute, why would I be? Go on, what happened to the little snake?"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "The little snake was a glutton. It saw an apple and ate it, so it turned into an Apple Snake. It saw a banana and ate it, becoming a Banana Snake. Then it saw a watermelon, ate that, and became a Watermelon Snake..."

"Stop!" she interrupted, thoughtful. "Dao, are you saying that whatever it eats, it turns into? How magical! Is it a snake demon?"

I nearly collapsed. How were we so out of sync? "That’s not the point!" I barked.

"Then what is? Was the watermelon in that forest delicious?"

"The point is, do you know what happened to the snake in the end?"

"What happened?" she asked with wide-eyed innocence.

"It ate itself to death!" I roared. "This is the story of the Greedy Snake, and you, Bai Ruoshuang, are that snake!"

She let out an "ah" of realization. Then, she flicked my forehead hard again. "Blockhead, don't call me a greedy snake. If you must call me something, call me... the beautiful greedy snake."

"Fine, greedy snake," I said, closing my eyes, refusing to speak further.

When I finally parted ways with her and returned to the dorm, it was nearly six in the morning. Dadi and Jiang Chao were still fast asleep. I didn't want to disturb them, but I was exhausted and collapsed onto my bed.

Minutes later, Dadi shook me awake. "Dao, where were you last night?"

I turned to look at his bloodshot eyes. "Boss Dadi, what are you doing? You didn't sleep all night?"

He pulled me out of bed and led me to the balcony. He handed me a cigarette and said, "How could I sleep? Liu Dong is still locked up. I couldn't rest."

I lit the cigarette, took a deep breath, and said, "Don't worry, he should be out soon."

"Really?" Dadi’s face lit up. "You're not lying to me?"

I shook my head. "I've been busy with Liu Dong's case these past few days. Everything is sorted out. If nothing goes wrong, he should be released without charges soon."

After the initial excitement, Dadi calmed down. He wasn't stupid. He asked if supernatural forces were at play, just like with the infant spirit incident before.

I nodded. He knew my background, so there was no need to hide it. I told him everything that had happened.

After listening, Dadi looked at me with a strange expression. Finally, he seemed to make a major decision. "Dao, will you take me as your apprentice?"

I was startled. "Are you joking?"

"I'm serious," he insisted. "I want to learn Taoism and catch ghosts. If I have real skills, I won't let anything like what happened to Wang Dan happen again."

Mentioning Wang Dan darkened his expression. He still hadn't moved on.

I became grave. "Dadi, you need to think carefully. Once you enter the world of Yin and Yang, everything around you will change, and you might even lose your life."

If I had had a choice, I wouldn't have entered this world, but my fate was sealed before I was even born. I couldn't avoid it, which was why I had to warn him.

But Dadi was adamant. "I've been thinking about this ever since I entered the detention center. My mind is made up." He then tried to kneel to me. "This is the first time your big brother has ever knelt to anyone. Please, be my master."

I pulled him up. "What century are we in? Why bother with that? Aren't we brothers?"

I went into the dorm, took out the *Maoshan Secret Records*, and handed it to him. "Learning Taoism is something I only know the basics of. This book is for self-study. If you have the talent, you can teach yourself. If not, I suggest you give up. Of course, if this isn't just a passing fancy, you can ask me if you don't understand something."

Dadi took the book excitedly and started flipping through it, but he looked completely lost, scratching his head.

Seeing this, I felt relieved. Deep down, I didn't want him in this world. It seemed he had no talent.

"Dao, something's wrong!" About ten minutes later, he came to me, looking annoyed. "Are you pulling my leg? This legendary manual has a 'Uniform Retail Price' printed on it. Is it fake?"

I was irritated. "Don't worry, this book is more real than gold. It cost me over sixteen yuan!"