The Serpent Immortal, also known as the Serpent Immortal True Lord, arrived in Gantang County twenty years ago.
He happened to encounter Liu Shijiu, who had been thrown into the back mountains. The Serpent Immortal True Lord discovered Liu Shijiu had an extraordinary talent and was a prime candidate to be a Serpent Spirit, so he took him as a disciple, placed him in a serpent nest, and allowed him to grow up with the serpents.
He also allowed Liu Shijiu to form a contract with the Serpent Mother's offspring, Xiaobai.
Later, Liu Shijiu followed Liu Shiba to the Gantang Inn, where he was discovered. He killed the old innkeeper, and his father, Liu San, learned of this. Before Liu San could take action, Liu Shiqi, a man without a conscience, killed him first.
Afterwards, County Lieutenant Su Yun took office and adopted the three brothers. Initially, Su Yun was genuinely kind, but after interacting with the Serpent Immortal through Liu Shijiu, the situation changed.
The Serpent Immortal made two promises to Su Yun: First, he would be able to become a marquis and a prime minister in the future; second, he would have eternal life!
After witnessing the Serpent Immortal's power in controlling the Serpent Mother and commanding thousands of pythons, Su Yun believed him. He also learned that the Serpent Immortal came from an incredibly large immortal faction, the Jade White Capital!
Su Yun had few memories of the Jade White Capital, but one thing shook Wei Ming to his core.
It was the truth behind the Gantang Inn's murder and extortion, as well as its true purpose: to switch things around, to use fake to replace the real!
County Lieutenant Su Yun, acting under the Serpent Immortal's instructions, used murder and extortion as a cover to harm court officials staying at the inn. In reality, he wanted to obtain the officials' credentials and official badges, like their official documents and seals, to complete the plan of switching things around!
To ensure that all his subordinates, the catchers, and even the Gantang garrison obeyed his orders, he had the fake officials who replaced the real ones at the state and prefectural levels deliberately withhold monthly salaries. This led to the officials in Gantang, both high and low, becoming increasingly impoverished.
At this time, Su Yun bribed them with money. In this way, the entire Gantang government secretly reached an agreement and became subservient to Su Yun. They turned a blind eye to the Gantang Inn's unlawful killings and ignored them, thus deceiving the heavens.
Over the past three years, apart from the travelers passing through, how many officials had stayed at the inn? How many officials had died unnatural deaths? How many fake officials had been replaced by the Jade White Capital? It was impossible to know.
In the Alligator God Case, Chu Yingtao's father, Chu Xiao Sheng, had replaced the laterally appointed official Li Yu and became the Prefect of Ninghu. However, Chu Xiao Sheng had ultimately done many good deeds. But these Jade White Capital villains, what were they trying to do? Were they trying to overthrow the Tang Dynasty and destroy the Red Land of Divine States?
Wei Ming suppressed the shock in his heart and took a deep breath. It seemed his journey south would not be smooth sailing. It involved the Jade White Capital and the plan of switching things around. He had to take it seriously.
The Serpent Mother, Bai Xi, was dead. The sun rose in the east, its warm, bright light illuminating the world and shining on the earth.
A small white python burrowed into Bai Xi's ancient, mutated body and began to devour it.
"Where's Lu Lingfeng?"
"You take Xi Jun, Lao Fei, and your senior brothers to rest at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion in Gantang County. I'll meet you later."
Su Wuming and the others knew that Wei Ming still had things to do and it was inconvenient to explain. Trusting Wei Ming, they all nodded in agreement.
Lu Lingfeng assured him: "Brother Wei, don't worry, I'll protect them."
Wei Ming smiled and nodded, then turned to County Magistrate Wang Nai Ling: "Magistrate Wang, this Liu Shiqi is heartless and unrepentant. He has no humanity and has committed numerous crimes. He is truly heinous and should be imprisoned and executed."
"As for Liu Shiba, though he was an accomplice and didn't report it in time, considering he has seen the error of his ways and repeatedly stopped Su Yun and Liu Shiqi's evil deeds, I implore you to be lenient in your judgment."
"As for Liu Shijiu, this Imperial Censor will handle him personally!"
Wang Nai Ling cupped his hands and obeyed: "This subordinate knows what to do."
At this moment, Liu Shiba suddenly knelt before Wei Ming and cried out: "Lord Wei, please give my younger brother a way to live. Although he has killed countless people, it was all because he was manipulated by Liu Shiqi and Su Yun. My younger brother is congenitally mentally challenged, with an IQ of only five years old. He cannot discern right from wrong. He was deceived by the villains. Please, Lord, investigate thoroughly."
"If my younger brother must die, then Liu Shiba is willing to die in his place. Please, Lord, grant me this!"
Liu Shiba knocked his head against the ground and cried bitterly.
Wei Ming sighed softly: "I, Wei Ming, am not someone who doesn't discern right from wrong. A knife is a weapon for killing, but it depends on who holds it. Your younger brother, Liu Shijiu, is merely a knife. This Imperial Censor understands. Don't worry, I won't take his life."
Liu Shiba kowtowed repeatedly: "You are so gracious, Liu Shiba will never forget your kindness. In my next life, I will be your ox and horse to repay your great kindness."
Wei Ming helped Liu Shiba up: "Just repent in prison."
Then he said to Wang Nai Ling: "As for the withholding of salaries, I will investigate thoroughly. Although Su Yun is a villain and a scoundrel, there is something he said that is right."
"Even if our Tang officials are law-abiding, just, and upright, they are first and foremost living people. They have wives, children, and parents, and they need to support their families."
"Therefore, this official will first, in my personal capacity, supplement the salaries owed to all officials in the county. After I have investigated thoroughly, I will give all the officials, high and low, in Gantang a satisfactory explanation."
Wang Nai Ling's eyes turned red, and tears streamed down his face: "Lord, why must you do this? The officials of Gantang..."
Wei Ming waved his hand: "Don't be so sentimental, Magistrate Wang. You are a good man. If that's the case, you should accept it. Think about your subordinates, the clerks and scribes in the various departments. They are all carrying the hopes of their families for survival."
"Ah!" Wang Nai Ling sighed and bowed deeply: "Wang has been an official for seventeen years. The person I admire most is Di Gong. Now, Lord Wei, as a disciple of Di Gong, you love the people as your own children, not falling short of your master's reputation. It is our good fortune to have you in the Tang Dynasty. I, Wang Nai Ling, on behalf of all the officials in Gantang, thank you!"
Afterwards, Wang Nai Ling, accompanied by two trusted aides, took Liu Shiqi and Liu Shiba away.
Wei Ming, controlling the thousands of pythons, swallowed the Serpent Mother and returned to the underground dark river cave. Only Xiaobai, after swallowing the Serpent Mother's gall, grew three times larger and coiled around Liu Shijiu.
The Three Sovereigns Clear Sky Talisman from the Heavenly Passage Scripture!
Wei Ming drew the talisman in the air and pointed it at Liu Shijiu's forehead.
After a moment, Liu Shijiu's head jolted, his dazed and confused expression disappeared, and a glimmer of intelligence gradually appeared in his eyes.
"Liu Shijiu, do you know who you are? Do you know what has happened to you over the years?"
Liu Shijiu's eyes flickered. After a moment of confusion, they became clearer. He immediately half-knelt on the ground and cupped his hands in thanks: "Your humble servant Liu Shijiu, thanks the Lord for saving my life and opening my mind."
"I have been dazed and confused for twenty-five years. Though I could not speak, I was manipulated and controlled by others, but my past experiences are all clear, vivid in my memory."
"Do you have any objections to how I dealt with your two brothers?"
Liu Shijiu nodded: "My elder brother killed our father and deceived his younger brother. He deserves to die. My second brother was kind to me, he did not treat me as a different kind of person. I beg the Lord to be merciful."
"I have already instructed County Magistrate Wang to be lenient towards Liu Shiba. He will probably be imprisoned for three to five years before being released."
Liu Shijiu kowtowed and thanked him.
"What are your plans for the future?" Wei Ming asked again.
Liu Shijiu shook his head: "I used to be a blade in the hands of the executioner. Now the blade is broken. Liu Shijiu is dead. In the future, I wish to follow the Lord, serving as a dog or a horse. First, to repay my gratitude, second, to atone for my sins and repent, and third, to find meaning in life!"
Wei Ming did not hesitate. His goal was to subdue Liu Shijiu, so he immediately agreed.
Liu Shijiu stroked Xiaobai's smooth forehead and said: "Xiaobai is a descendant of the ancient mutated python, Bai Xi. Please take him in, Lord, and let me serve you alongside him."
Wei Ming hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "That's good."
In the shadows, there were three thousand玄甲亡灵战士, and the dark operations force would be enhanced by another unit: an army of thousands of pythons!
Wei Ming immediately used the Beast Taming Contract from the Heavenly Passage Scripture to make a contract with Xiaobai.
Xiaobai, the only offspring of Bai Xi, the ancient mutated species. Bai Xi, also known as Bai Xi, is recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Western Wilderness Classic: In the Autumn Tang Marsh, there is a large serpent, named Bai Xi, who dives into the water and burrows into the earth. When it moves, thousands of serpents follow it. It loves the light of dawn, its scales are white and flawless, and it is also known as Bai Xi.
To put it simply, Bai Xi is the king of all serpents, able to command all the serpents in the world. It is on par with the Teng Snake, one of the four ancient serpent-like mutated species.
In the Tang诡世界, there are many strange beasts, and many Shan Hai beasts have appeared on the scene, such as the Heavenly Rhinoceros of the Tai Yin Society, the five-unlike creature, Po Zhe, from the Thousand Heavy Ferry, and the underground ferocious beast, Fu Shu, under the Mo Family Inn.
The biggest difference between the Tang诡世界 and the historical Tang Dynasty is this.
After making a contract with Xiaobai, Wei Ming asked about the Serpent Immortal True Lord.
Liu Shijiu said he knew some things. He even knew where the Serpent Immortal True Lord was living at this very moment in Gantang County.
"Take me there quickly!"
Wei Ming was excited. He could finally confront someone from the Jade White Capital directly.
Previously, Yuan Lai Shi Yi Niang, and now Su Yun and Liu Shijiu, were just peripheral members of the Jade White Capital and knew very little about it.
But this Serpent Immortal True Lord was different. He was an inner member of the Jade White Capital and surely knew more about it.
The reason why Wei Ming was so determined to learn about the Jade White Capital was that he felt their plans were far-reaching. Perhaps they would overturn everything in the future and even secretly control the entire world.
As a time traveler, what is most important?
Nothing else, only freedom!
He didn't want to be monitored, threatened, controlled, and manipulated, to be a puppet.
He said he wanted to be a chess player in the Tang Dynasty. Then he must become the one who plays the chess game throughout the ages!
...
At the same time, in a courtyard in the Gantang Inn.
The person under the black robe suddenly woke up. He took out a broken seven-pointed star stone from his bosom and his expression immediately changed. He quickly packed his things, jumped out of the window, and climbed over the wall to leave.
He took a detour through the small path and went towards the Gantang Inn.
"Damn it!"
"Who killed this True Lord's Serpent Mother?!"
"My Serpent Mother, whom I raised with all my heart for fifty years!"
"Aaaaaahhh!!"
"It's maddening!"
When Wei Ming arrived at the Serpent Immortal True Lord's secluded residence, it was already empty, and no clues were left behind.
"Too late."
The sky gradually brightened, the curfew was lifted, and the silent Gantang Inn was revitalized.
After a brief rest, as the sun climbed high in the sky, everyone continued their journey south.
Wang Nai Ling, along with the officials, high and low, of Gantang, saw Wei Ming and his companions off at the city gate.
"Please stay, gentlemen. To send you a thousand miles, one must eventually part. May we meet again in the future."
"Take care, everyone!"