Chapter Thirty-Five: Grandfather Awakens

Witch Wang let out a cold laugh, shaking her head slightly. “Spare you? How utterly ridiculous. It’s you who should be wondering whether I, Wang Qinghua, will show you any mercy!”

“Well then… if that’s your choice, don’t blame us for being ruthless!” snarled the white-whiskered rat demon, his voice icy. With a gesture, the horde of rat demons lunged at us. If Witch Wang had been alone, even if she couldn’t defeat them, she would surely have found a way to escape.

But now, she had not only me but over a dozen children to protect.

Those rat demons, devious by nature, directed their attacks at me and the children. I held a yellow talisman, which deterred them a little, but with so many children around me, I simply couldn’t shield everyone. The burden of protection fell almost entirely on Witch Wang.

After several exchanges, Witch Wang was already gasping for breath, worn out. She was injured to begin with, and if this went on, her wounds would surely worsen.

Meanwhile, the rat demons were completely unharmed. As Witch Wang tried to catch her breath, the white-whiskered old rat suddenly transformed into a gray shadow and in a flash, seized me by the throat.

It moved so swiftly I couldn’t react—not even in time to lift my talisman—before I was hoisted into the air.

My neck creaked under its grip, and I felt as if it would snap at any moment.

Now, even if I wanted to raise my hand and use the talisman against it, it was too late. My whole body felt weighed down with lead; I couldn’t move at all.

“Young man, Ma the Cripple promised me that when this was over, you’d be mine. Looks like he kept his word. Hehehe…” The white-whiskered rat demon eyed me up and down with excitement, drool slipping from the corner of its mouth. It flung me aside and I crashed uncontrollably into the opposite wall before hitting the ground hard. Pain shot through my body, and even trying to get up was a struggle.

Two nearby rat demons immediately pounced, pinning me down so I couldn’t move at all.

Seeing my predicament, Witch Wang swung her peachwood sword, skewering a rat demon and clearing a path as she charged toward me.

But just as she was about to reach me, the white-whiskered rat demon suddenly appeared beside her. With a sideways swipe, it struck her throat. Witch Wang had no time to parry; she was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground, clutching her neck, her face darkening.

This white-whiskered rat demon was far more formidable than the others. Skilled in ambush, even Witch Wang was no match.

I looked at Witch Wang in worry, unsure of her condition.

After she hit the ground, the remaining rat demons swarmed her, lunging as one. The white-whiskered rat demon declared, “The old woman and the children are yours. This Lin Yi is mine—enjoy yourselves as you wish!”

The other rat demons squealed with delight and rushed forward, some going for the children, others for Witch Wang.

But at that moment, Witch Wang pulled several yellow talismans from her pocket. Forming a spell with her fingers, she summoned a sudden golden light, blasting four or five rat demons away. The white-whiskered rat demon, advancing toward me, turned pale at the sight, and in a flash became a black shadow, vanishing from my sight.

The next instant, it reappeared before Witch Wang, its palm cloaked in black smoke, and struck her hard in the stomach. Witch Wang was sent sliding across the ground.

She came to a stop, vomiting blood, unable to stand.

All the children had been captured, pinned to the ground by the rat demons. One drooled onto a child, who burst into terrified tears.

Just then—

With a thunderous crash, the door to my uncle’s house flew inward from outside, the heavy double doors hurtling straight at the white-whiskered rat demon. The demon froze for a split second, then dodged out of the way with a flicker. The doors smashed into the far wall, splintering to pieces.

Clearly, whoever had broken into my uncle’s home possessed tremendous strength.

Dust billowed and debris flew. As the air cleared, a man stepped in from outside. Corpse blotches still mottled his skin, not yet faded, but his spirit was vigorous, his presence overwhelming—far eclipsing that of the white-whiskered rat demon.

It was my grandfather.

I hadn’t expected that, so soon after my marriage to Weiyang, my grandfather would awaken. Witch Wang’s method was no sham—she truly had saved him. As long as Grandfather was awake, my efforts had not been in vain.

Yet I couldn’t fathom what method Weiyang had used to revive my grandfather so quickly. Or perhaps, who she truly was, to possess such power? I’d always believed Ye Weiyang was just a ghost of Old Grave Mountain, but now it seemed her identity was far more complex. Even the abbot of Baiqing Temple could only delay my grandfather’s fate, not reverse it.

When Grandfather entered the courtyard, every rat demon froze—including the white-whiskered one. After a brief silence, the white-whiskered rat demon finally blurted, “You… weren’t you at the end of your life, beyond hope of revival?”

Grandfather ignored him, glancing around before heading straight for Witch Wang. Upon reaching her, he eyed the rat demons pinning her down and said, “Let go of her.”

His tone was calm.

The rat demons hesitated, looking to the white-whiskered demon for guidance. That one’s eyes darted about, then it turned and tried to flee into my uncle’s house.

The rat demons pinning Witch Wang were left dumbfounded, unsure what to do. Grandfather fixed his gaze on them. “I’ll say it again. Let go.”

Without their leader, the rat demons could only glare fiercely at Grandfather, steeling themselves. Grandfather said no more; he seized two of them, and with a powerful grip, crushed them until their gray robes collapsed with pitiful squeals.

He tossed aside the robes, from which dead rats tumbled out.

Several rat demons were dealt with in a flash.

Then Grandfather looked at the white-whiskered demon halfway through the doorway. “Did I say you could leave?”

At his words, the white-whiskered rat demon froze, rooted in place, not daring to move an inch.

If it didn’t dare move, the others were even more petrified.

Grandfather lifted Witch Wang, who had fainted. He looked at her with a fleeting glimmer of concern in his eyes. He instantly checked her pulse and soul vein at her brow, finally relaxing a little as his worry faded.

Then Grandfather turned to me.

At last, he seemed to remember me. My heart chilled, but he said, “Lin Yi, come here and help Witch Wang.”

I…

I didn’t know what to say. I was battered all over—Grandfather, how can you just assume I can get up without even checking?

But I grit my teeth, braced myself against the wall, and staggered over to support Witch Wang.

Grandfather turned to the rat demons again. “Do you know what you must do?”

The white-whiskered demon caught on at once. From its wide sleeve, it drew a fat stack of yellow spirit papers and offered them to Grandfather.

Grandfather glanced at them and accepted.

“Can… can we go now?” the white-whiskered demon asked.

“What do you think?” Grandfather replied.

The white-whiskered demon’s face fell. It dared not protest and immediately knelt, kowtowing at Grandfather’s feet.

The other rat demons, confused, followed suit.

“Kowtowing won’t help you,” Grandfather said blandly, though his words rang with authority. “Even if you knock yourselves dead, it’s no use. The mountain granted you fortune out of pity, yet you’ve done nothing but wickedness. It’s over. Will you end yourselves, or shall I do it for you? Choose.”

His tone was mild, but the force behind it was overwhelming.

I couldn’t fathom why these rat demons were so terrified of my grandfather. From the moment he appeared, they offered no resistance, submitting entirely.

I was stunned beyond words by what unfolded before me.

Though Grandfather had given them a choice, the white-whiskered rat demon continued to kowtow and beg, admitting its guilt, swearing to change its ways. Even as it pleaded, it crept ever closer to Grandfather.

When it reached his feet, its expression suddenly shifted. Black smoke surged from its body, and with a savage howl, it opened its maw full of fangs and lunged for Grandfather’s throat.

It was so close—the attack happened in a heartbeat.

My heart leapt into my throat.