Chapter 295: The Human Heart is Like the Sea
"The Snake God knew very early on that there was a ghost in the Blackwater Pool. Although she didn't know how this ghost was formed at the time, she was aware of its existence."
"She had always turned a blind eye to the ghost's presence because it never actively descended the mountain to harm villagers. Furthermore, at that time, it was merely an Evil Spirit, so she couldn't be bothered to deal with it."
"On the day of her battle with the Black Talisman Master, the ghost undoubtedly knew about it. However, it was scared witless and didn't dare to show itself. Though displeased by this, she still decided to bestow a great gift upon this ghost, and that gift was all the souls of the villagers hovering above the wooden house."
"The Snake God had long ago instructed the Old Farmer to inform the Evil Spirit in the Blackwater Pool. As soon as the villagers' souls appeared, they were all swallowed by this Evil Spirit as nourishment, leading to their ultimate Soul Transformation."
"That was the first time the Snake God cooperated with this ghost. In the days that followed, their collaborations grew more frequent, and their cooperation was limited to hunting humans who came to the nearby villages for various reasons."
"Some of these humans came for the scenery, some for adventure, some for outdoor revelry, and some, because the village was remote, came to engage in furtive, unsavory business. Although their reasons for coming to the village differed, their outcome was the same: without exception, all of them remained forever on that great mountain."
"The Snake God recovered from her injuries by devouring the Human Spirit within them, while the Evil Spirit enhanced its power and realm by consuming souls. The Snake God's injuries gradually healed, and the Evil Spirit's strength also greatly increased as a result."
"The reason the Snake God actively sought cooperation with the Evil Spirit was her hope that, one day, through the Evil Spirit's hand, she could escape the control of the Demon Sealing Talisman."
"Through their repeated collaborations, the Snake God eventually learned that this Evil Spirit had accidentally fallen into the Blackwater Pool and drowned after descending the mountain from a temple fair. However, this Evil Spirit was not her believer; he had only gone up the mountain to join the fun, never expecting to lose his life."
The story, at this point, was more or less over. Even if the snake demon said nothing further, Yang Haoran already knew the rest.
Though the snake demon hadn't explicitly stated who the Snake God in the story was, it was quite clear: she was the Snake God once worshipped by the villagers.
And the Madwoman Yang Haoran had encountered in the village was none other than the Black Talisman Master.
The Old Farmer, whose demonic art he had dispelled and whose corpse he had buried, was the snake demon's last believer.
As for the woman's head simmering in the pot, it was naturally another Talisman Master. Because the snake demon held a grudge, she had continuously kept the woman's head simmering in the pot, then used demonic arts to ensure the head would never soften, and used this disgusting item to entertain her prey.
The Malevolent Spirit in the Blackwater Pool was merely an ordinary Wánglíng when he drowned. Without having harmed anyone, his ability to break through to the Evil Spirit realm was naturally due to the presence of the Place of Extreme Yin.
Later, the Malevolent Spirit collaborated with the snake demon, devouring many Wánglíng. Coupled with the dense Yin Qi from the Place of Extreme Yin, he successfully advanced to a Malevolent Spirit.
However, when Yang Haoran encountered him, the Malevolent Spirit had likely only recently broken through from an Evil Spirit to a Malevolent Spirit, making him a relatively weak existence among Malevolent Spirits.
Of course, this weakness was only relative. Had he not encountered Yang Haoran, had he not encountered Zhong Siyu, even with Zhou Fudui's strength alone, while he might have been able to dispatch the Malevolent Spirit, it would have cost him dearly.
Through the snake demon's words, Yang Haoran understood the entire story's ins and outs. However, he didn't fully believe everything the snake demon said; it was simply his habit.
Whether the truth was exactly as the snake demon described no longer mattered. Yang Haoran listened to the story's conclusion partly out of curiosity, and partly to see if he could gain any insights from it.
From this story, he understood one truth: many people are susceptible to incitement. If the right methods are used, they can be led by the nose without even realizing it.
At the same time, those who silently sacrifice behind the scenes are always the most aggrieved, because their efforts not only fail to earn the gratitude of those they benefit but may even, one day, become targets of condemnation, ending up ruined and disgraced.
Some people are great, some are despicable, some are ignorant. Yang Haoran was none of these three types of people, at least in his own estimation.
Looking at the snake demon's complex expression, Yang Haoran smiled and asked, "Are you feeling conflicted right now?"
The snake demon collected herself, forced a smile, hesitated, then nodded.
"Yes, I am a bit conflicted. These past years, confined to the wooden house, I've come into contact with many humans. I knew they harbored ill intentions, but I never immediately killed them. Instead, I played various roles to accommodate them. I wasn't toying with them; I wanted to interact with more humans, to understand the human heart more deeply. But the more people I encountered, the more I found myself unable to comprehend the human heart."
Yang Haoran smiled and said, "The human heart is deeper than the ocean. The further down you go, the more complex and dangerous it becomes."
"Indeed, it is very complex, very dangerous, and hard to fathom. Just as you said, the human heart is like the deep sea. You never know what lies beneath its depths—whether it will be a treasure that brings you joy or a monstrous beast that brings you fear. No one knows," the snake demon said, shaking her head with a laugh.
"There's really no need to insist on delving to the bottom of the sea to find out. The surface scenery is quite lovely too. A boundless azure sea and sky, isn't that wonderful? " Yang Haoran replied with a smile.
The snake demon furrowed her brow, seemingly processing Yang Haoran's words. Meanwhile, Yang Haoran recalled another important matter.
However, seeing the snake demon lost in thought, he didn't immediately interrupt her. Instead, he opened all the windows, lit a cigarette, and waited quietly.
A moment later, the snake demon seemed to have understood something, and a smile bloomed on her face—a genuine smile, not a forced one.
"Thank you for the reminder, Underworld Official. Otherwise, I might have gotten stuck in a rut," the snake demon said, smiling in gratitude.
"There's nothing to thank me for. Some truths, even without a reminder, you'll naturally learn after suffering a few losses. Oh, right, I have something I'd like to ask you about," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"Underworld Official, please ask whatever you wish. As long as I know, I will certainly tell you," the snake demon replied with a smile.
The conversation with Yang Haoran seemed to have untangled a long-standing knot in the snake demon's heart. Thus, her smile was not only natural but also quite enchanting.
Yang Haoran had something on his mind at the moment, so he didn't notice how enchanting the snake demon's smile was. Hearing her words, he didn't mince words and spoke directly.
"When the villagers believed in you versus when they didn't, was there any difference?"
The snake demon thought for a moment, then responded with a smile, "Of course. When the villagers believed in me, I was very happy. I felt that everything I silently sacrificed for them was worth it. At that time, I not only never thought of eating them, but I solely wished to protect them."
"However, after they stopped believing in me, their actions left me both heartbroken and enraged. I not only wanted to eat them, but I wanted to eat even more people, I. . ."
Yang Haoran gave a wry smile, stopping the snake demon from continuing. The snake demon looked puzzled, unsure where the problem lay.
"My apologies, I didn't express myself clearly just now. The change I'm asking about isn't in that regard. I want to know if there was any change in your power," Yang Haoran clarified.
"In my power? " The snake demon frowned slightly, then shook her head, looking puzzled, and said, "It doesn't seem like there was any change."
"Could you think more carefully? Was there truly no change? " Yang Haoran pressed on, unwilling to give up.
The snake demon furrowed her brow, recalling everything in meticulous detail this time. But a moment later, she still shook her head.
"There shouldn't have been any change. If there had been, I wouldn't possibly forget. " As she spoke, the snake demon seemed to suddenly think of something. She looked at Yang Haoran and asked, somewhat uncertainly, "Underworld Official, are you suddenly asking about this because you're wondering about the Power of Faith?"
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