Ch 111: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

Even if one performs a good deed without expecting anything in return, shouldn’t the recipient at least know who is helping them? This foolish snake was lucky to have encountered Xu Xuan; otherwise, wouldn’t she have suffered a great loss?

“Oh, right,” Bai Suzhen suddenly remembered something important. “Did the medicine get delivered? Is Miss Liu better now?”

Jiang Lin nodded. “Xu Xuan initially refused, but when I told him it was your heartfelt effort and that your injuries would be in vain if he didn’t accept it, he finally agreed. Miss Liu has already taken the medicine and is feeling much better.”

Bai Suzhen sighed in relief. “I heard that human couples spend their lives loving and supporting each other. If Miss Liu had died, how hard it would have been for my benefactor.”

Jiang Lin glanced at her. “Benefactor this, benefactor that. All you ever talk about is your benefactor. Your benefactor is staying in the guest room right now; he doesn’t even know you’ve woken up. Do you want to see him?”

Bai Suzhen eagerly replied, “Of course, I do!”

Jiang Lin then sent a servant to invite Xu Xuan.

Xu Xuan arrived quickly. Seeing the white snake, he was visibly pleased. “Xiao Bai is awake?”

The white snake, still injured and unable to move much, just wiggled the tip of her tail in response.

Xu Xuan couldn’t help but recall what Jiang Lin had told him.

He asked, “So, Xiao Bai, you can understand what I’m saying, right?”

Bai Suzhen looked at Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin nodded.

Xu Xuan then asked, “And Xiao Bai is actually the Miss Bai I met before?”

Jiang Lin nodded again but explained, “However, Xiao Bai can’t actually take on human form. Last time, she wanted to see her lifesaver in person and speak with you directly, so she asked me to cast an illusion.”

The white snake moved her head slightly, looking at Xu Xuan somewhat sheepishly.

Xu Xuan recalled the brief conversation he had with the innocent and naive Miss Bai, and a smile appeared on his face. “Even though it was an illusion, Xiao Bai was indeed very charming. In my mind, if Xiao Bai could take on human form, that’s exactly how she would look.”

Hearing Xu Xuan’s compliment, the white snake’s tail wagged happily.

Xu Xuan stayed at Donghua Mountain for six or seven days. The wounds on the demon body healed quickly, and in just a few days, Xiao Bai’s external injuries seemed almost completely healed, although her internal injuries still required careful attention.

Xu Xuan eventually told Jiang Lin and the white snake that he needed to leave. “I’ve been away from home for several days, and my family is very concerned. I should go back to check on them.”

Xu Xuan’s parents were indeed very worried. When they saw their son return, they held him and asked many questions, only relaxing once Xu Xuan reassured them several times that the white snake was fine.

Xu Xuan still wanted to keep the fact that the white snake was a demon a secret, but how could his parents not notice something was off? If the white snake were just an ordinary creature with some spiritual nature, where had their son been for several days? If Xu Xuan had spent six or seven days in the mountains, why did he come back looking clean and refreshed, with no signs of exhaustion from the journey?

However, the white snake had done a great favor for the entire family, and they had spent enough time with her to understand her nature. Some things, since their son didn’t want to reveal them, they chose to turn a blind eye to.

They then told Xu Xuan about the Liu family’s situation.

“Madam Liu is very grateful to us and has mentioned several times that she wants to host a banquet to thank our family,” his mother said. “But since you weren’t home, I kept declining.”

Xu Xuan asked, “Is Miss Liu fully recovered?”

Mother Xu had a comforting smile on her face. “Yes, she’s much better! The doctor has visited several times, and not only has she recovered from this illness, but her chronically weak constitution has also improved significantly. He even said that she’s now healthier than before.”

She sighed with emotion, “It truly is a miraculous medicine.”

Xu Xuan was also pleased, “That’s good to hear.”

The next day, Master Liu hosted a banquet to thank Xu Xuan’s family, and Xu Xuan attended as well. During the banquet, Master Liu expressed his deep gratitude to Xu Xuan, and naturally, the conversation turned to the marriage between the two families.

Master Liu, having had a few drinks, was in high spirits. “Now that my daughter is in good health, it must be fate between the two of them. Why not take this opportunity to celebrate both occasions together…”

Such matters weren’t suitable for the younger generation to hear, so Xu Xuan was sent out by his father under a pretext.

After Xu Xuan left, Master Xu looked at his wife and sighed helplessly, “It seems that Master Liu is truly overjoyed.”

Madam Xu nodded, understandingly. “Miss Liu’s serious illness must have caused Master Liu a lot of worry.”

After this meeting, the two families tacitly began preparing for the wedding.

Although Xu Xuan had a straightforward and open-minded personality, he couldn’t help but feel a bit confused and expectant about such a significant life event. He had only seen Miss Liu from afar once or twice and didn’t really remember what she looked like—just a vague impression of a graceful and quiet figure.

He had heard from his mother that Miss Liu was gentle and elegant, and had studied poetry and literature with her father from a young age. Occasionally, he would fantasize about the two of them living in harmony after marriage.

When Xu Xuan visited the white snake on Donghua Mountain, he mentioned this, with a hint of nervousness and anticipation in his expression.

Since the white snake couldn’t speak, she just listened quietly as he muttered to himself:

“If everything goes smoothly, there are a few auspicious days in July.”

“I wonder what kind of personality Miss Liu has? I’ve heard she enjoys gardening, so I’ve set aside a spot on the east side of the yard where we can grow the flowers and plants she likes.”

Then he worried, “Xiao Bai, do you think my study is too small? It might be a bit cramped for two people to read together, right?”

But soon after, he was happy again, “I’ll introduce my white snake friend to her then; she’ll definitely like you. We can even teach you to read together.”

The white snake listened quietly, occasionally nodding her head to show she was following along. She would also tap Xu Xuan’s hand with her tail, indicating that someone as good as him would definitely be loved by Miss Liu.

Since preparations for the wedding were underway, the Xu family was naturally busy. Xu Xuan briefly visited the white snake before heading back down the mountain.

Jiang Lin stood on Donghua Mountain, watching Xu Xuan’s departing figure.

Zong Yu, standing beside him, asked curiously, “Why didn’t you tell him?”

When Bai Suzhen went to retrieve the spiritual medicine for Miss Liu, Jiang Lin naturally took the opportunity to examine Miss Liu’s condition.

During this examination, he discovered that besides her congenital weakness, Miss Liu’s severe illness was largely due to a troubled mind.

She was a young lady from a well-off family, loved and cared for with no worries about food or clothing. What could possibly be weighing on her mind so heavily that it almost cost her life?

Jiang Lin had his suspicions and decided to keep an eye on things. To his surprise, he uncovered some shocking information.

Jiang Lin replied, “I’ve observed that the Liu family is upright, and Liu Xiucai is a man of integrity. It’s best to let him handle this matter himself.”

Just as the Xu family was joyfully preparing for the wedding, Master Liu suddenly paid them a visit.

Upon hearing that his future in-law had arrived, Master Xu quickly ordered tea to be served and went with his wife to greet their guest.

However, when they saw Master Liu’s stern expression, devoid of any joy, Master Xu couldn’t help but feel a sinking sensation in his heart.

“Brother Liu?”

Master Liu said, “I have something I need to discuss with you and your wife, Brother Xu.”

Master Xu then ordered the servants to leave, with the steward standing guard at a distance to ensure no one would eavesdrop. Once the three of them were alone in the hall, a look of guilt appeared on Master Liu’s face. He stood up, bowed deeply to Master Xu and his wife, and said in a somber tone, “I must apologize to the Xu family on behalf of my own.”

After some time had passed, Master Xu, with a face ashen with anger, saw Master Liu out. Master Liu left with a sorrowful expression. Master Xu then called his son to the main hall.

Xu Xuan, unaware of what had happened, noticed the anger on his parents’ faces and asked, “Father, Mother, what’s wrong?”

Master Xu snorted, wanting to say something but seemingly not knowing where to start. It was Madam Xu who finally spoke up and explained what Master Liu had come for.

The Liu family had come to break off the engagement.

After Miss Liu recovered from her illness, her mood had remained low. Master Liu had thought she was simply feeling stifled after being cooped up at home for too long, so he suggested that his wife take their daughter to visit some relatives to lift her spirits. But one afternoon, Miss Liu suddenly barged into Master Liu’s study and knelt before him.

It turned out that a year ago, when she had gone to a temple to pray for a peace charm, she had met a young man and fallen in love at first sight. They had secretly exchanged letters, and Miss Liu had long since given her heart to him. However, with an engagement already in place, the guilt weighed heavily on her. Her health, already fragile, deteriorated further under the strain of her emotional turmoil, and when the cold came, she simply couldn’t bear it any longer.

At the time, she even felt a sense of relief: if she died, she wouldn’t have to marry into the Xu family against her will, and she wouldn’t have to worry about her secret being discovered and bringing shame to her family. But she hadn’t expected that the Xu family would go to great lengths to find a priceless remedy that brought her back from the brink of death.

As she watched her family happily preparing for the wedding and learned that her life had been saved by the Xu family’s efforts, she was filled with both shame and guilt. In the end, she could no longer keep the matter hidden.

Master Liu, furious and trembling with rage, scolded his daughter severely. As a man who had lived his life with integrity, he couldn’t bring himself to hide the truth and allow his daughter to marry into the Xu family under false pretenses. So he came to the Xu household with most of his family’s wealth to personally apologize and break off the engagement.

He came for two reasons: first, to apologize and annul the marriage, and second, to repay a debt. After all, the miraculous medicine had saved what would have been his Xu daughter-in-law, so it would have been for the benefit of Xu family. But if it had been used on a stranger, such a life-saving kindness must be repaid.

“I understand that the medicine that saved my daughter’s life was an extremely rare treasure, and this little wealth of ours is far from enough to repay its value,” Master Liu said. “However, we have nothing else to offer in return, so we can only do our best to compensate as much as we can.”

Master Xu and Madam Xu, faces flushed with anger, refused to accept his land deeds and silver, coldly sending him away.

Xu Xuan was left in a state of shock.

To say he wasn’t upset or hurt would be a lie.

He had already made many preparations in his heart, envisioning his future life with a wife, embracing the idea with enthusiasm and anticipation, eagerly waiting for this person to enter his life. But now, he learned that his betrothed had been in love with another, to the point of nearly sacrificing her life for that person.

All the colorful dreams he had painted in his mind were ruthlessly shattered.

Along with the sadness came anger.

It was right for Master Liu to come and break off the engagement—no man could tolerate such a situation.

Madam Xu held her son’s hand and said, “The Liu family’s daughter is not a good match, Xuan’er. Don’t be upset; your mother will find you a better wife.”

Seeing his mother, who was still angry but trying to comfort him, Xu Xuan steadied himself and said, “Mother, I’m fine. You and Father shouldn’t be so upset—don’t let people who aren’t worth it ruin your health.”

Madam Xu added angrily, “I just get so frustrated thinking that the precious medicine Xiao Bai risked her life to find was given to such a person!”

Xu Xuan patted her back, calming her down. “Please don’t say such things. Saving a life is more important than building a seven-story pagoda. No matter what kind of person Miss Liu is, this was still Xiao Bai’s good deed.”