Chapter 132: The Farmer Meets the Snake Must Decide for Himself
Chapter 132: The Farmer Meets the Snake Must Decide for Himself
Pan Renlong said, “Master, divination isn’t necessary. My father and I are both believers of Christianity. We believe God will protect us. If we are sinners, we must atone. There are no shortcuts around the path of atonement. Therefore, we do not require divination, Master. Just heal him.”
Li Zian looked at Pan Renlong. What he said sounded reasonable, yet something felt off about him. When others sought his help to remedy troubles, they most valued his divination, hoping to determine fortune or misfortune. Yet this man offered one million just for travel expenses, only seeking treatment? Even Du Zhishan wasn’t this extravagant. It was strange.
Pan Guoqing added, “Renlong is right, Master, just treat me. I do not question cause and effect. We are all sinners. We must atone to return to the embrace of our Lord.”
Li Zian thought for a few moments, then said, “Very well. Where is the bathroom? I will prepare a medicinal bath for Mr. Pan.”
Pan Renlong seemed surprised. “Can he take a bath in his current state?”
Li Zian explained, “I possess a secret detox ointment. Mr. Pan’s body has been invaded by evil toxins. The medicinal water will draw them out of him.”
“Alright, the bathroom is here.” Pan Renlong walked quickly to a side wall of the room and slid open a door.
Li Zian already knew the bathroom was there. He had deliberately asked. He lifted the toolbox and said to Mu Chuntao, “Chuntao, come with me.”
Mu Chuntao nodded and followed Li Zian into the bathroom.
Li Zian closed the door behind them.
The door had an alloy frame and frosted glass. You couldn’t see outside through it, and outsiders couldn’t see in.
Li Zian put his mouth near Chuntao’s ear and whispered quietly, “Offering a million just for travel expenses, yet skipping divination for fortune or misfortune? These two are acting strange.”
As he spoke, he twisted on the hot water tap above the bathtub.
Mu Chuntao also leaned in close to Zian’s ear, lowering her voice, “I felt strange too. I Baidu’d Pan Guoqing earlier. The picture looks somewhat different…”
“Huh?” Li Zian was surprised; he hadn’t considered that point.
Mu Chuntao quickly pulled out her mobile phone, woke the screen, and held it up for Li Zian to see.
Li Zian looked at the screen and frowned slightly.
Pan Guoqing, American-Chinese, Chairperson of the Qinglong Group, a foreign company involved in imports/exports, software, investments, etc. Yet, none of this was the key point. The key was the picture on Baidu showed a man who looked similar but clearly wasn’t the same elderly man lying on the bed.
Mu Chuntao whispered back into his ear, “But I’m not entirely sure. Maybe it’s because he’s ill? Or maybe Baidu’s picture was from a few years ago. People change…”
Li Zian whispered back, “No, your intuition is right. The old man in bed isn’t Pan Guoqing.”
“If he isn’t Pan Guoqing, why claim he is?” Mu Chuntao looked extremely confused.
“I don’t know. It’s strange all over,” Li Zian said quietly. “I must divine a hex. Block them for me.”
Mu Chuntao nodded, looking up at Li Zian with pure adoration in her eyes – the perfect “admiring my man” look. She loved watching him perform divination.
Li Zian used his right palm as paper and his left index finger as a brush. Closing his eyes, he drew random lines upon his palm.
His spirit concentrated.
The Great Sluggish Cauldron within him awakened. Wisps of green-blue smoke seemed to rise.
After precisely one minute, his left index finger stilled.
The Divination Symbol formed. It appeared as a pit, filled with sharp stakes at the bottom.
The Hexagram Interpretation surfaced:
A hidden snake among grass awaits its chance to strike. A hunter’s pit holds deadly stakes. Poisoned bait warns fish away. The Farmer meets the snake must decide for himself.
This was a trap!
The first three lines grew increasingly menacing. The last line referenced an old fable: a Farmer finding a frozen snake in winter. Feeling pity, he warmed it against his chest. Revived, the venomous snake bit him. The Farmer paid for his kindness with his life.
Taken purely on its own, the meaning seemed clear: “Do not help; danger!”
But the hexagram specifically urged: must decide for himself. This required contemplation.
“Cough, cough…” Suddenly, Mu Chuntao coughed twice.
Li Zian’s heart clenched. His left hand shot out and grasped one of her trembling hands.
Mu Chuntao froze, eyes wide with shock. After a few seconds, she breathed, “Wh… what are you doing?”
Li Zian didn’t answer her. His brow furrowed deeply – not an expression associated with holding hands.
Mu Chuntao felt the intense heat radiating from his palm. Waves of warmth seemed to flow into her body. Her face flushed crimson. She instinctively tried to pull back, shooting him a flustered glance. “You… really?! This is someone else’s house! Cough…”
“Don’t move,” Li Zian ordered sharply, his arm locking her in place, keeping his hand firmly pressed.
Mu Chuntao actually stopped struggling. Her voice dropped to a stressed whisper, “W-What are you doing?”
Li Zian quickly withdrew his hand. He flipped open his toolbox, snatched a small blade, and drew it sharply across his own palm. Blood welled up, thick and crimson.
“Zian, you…!” Mu Chuntao gasped, forgetting to whisper in her horror.
Li Zian immediately pressed a finger to his lips: “Shhh.”
At that instant, Pan Renlong’s voice came from outside the door: “Master, is anything alright?”
Li Zian yanked Mu Chuntao against him tightly, answering aloud, “Just a moment longer, not yet done.” To her ear, he hissed urgently, “Those two outside want to harm us! That ‘patient’ is poisoned bait. You’re already coughing. Likely infected. My blood can detoxify poison. Drink it. Now.”
“But… this…” Everything was happening too fast. Mu Chuntao’s mind reeled.
Li Zian wasted no more time. He clamped his blood-soaked hand over her mouth, forcing his blood down her throat, still whispering urgently, “I just cast a divination. A terrible omen. Believe me. Drink deeper.”
Hearing this, clarity rushed back to Mu Chuntao. She stopped resisting. She gulped his blood obediently, even using her tongue to catch more.
Only when he felt satisfied did Li Zian pull his hand away. The cut had been deep, but already, the bleeding had completely stopped.
Mu Chuntao grabbed the hand that had just fed her lifeblood, her heart aching. “Let me bandage that with gauze.”
Li Zian shook his head. “No need. It’ll heal quickly. Let’s handle those two outside first.”
Mu Chuntao nodded, then gasped as something else struck her. “You said I was poisoned. But that means you must be poisoned too! You gave me your blood… how will you detoxify?”
Li Zian leaned back to her ear and whispered, “My blood detoxifies poison. How could it poison me?”
“Eh…” Mu Chuntao wanted to laugh, but fear choked it down. She’d never faced a situation like this in all her life.
The bathtub finished filling with water.
Li Zian didn’t turn it off. Instead, he said firmly, “Chuntao, don’t panic. I’m here. No one will harm you.”
“Mhm,” she responded softly.
“When we leave later, pretend to cough. I’ll cough too. And after the ‘treatment’… don’t be shy, charge them more.”
Mu Chuntao was puzzled. “We know they’re trying to harm us! Why bother healing that fake?”
Li Zian explained quickly, low-voiced, “The hexagram said The Farmer meets the snake must decide for himself. The decision is mine. I’ve been drawn in. If I don’t cure the bait and he dies? We risk trouble. My reputation would be destroyed. Also, the man in bed is just a pawn. He’s bait only because he’s forced. Whether he lives or dies isn’t important to us. If he dies? Our problem. If he lives? He could become a future clue. Therefore, I must save him.”
The Farmer meets the snake must decide for himself. This was his decision; his self-determined path.
“I understand,” Chuntao whispered back. Turning deliberately towards the frosted glass door, she projected loud coughs: “Cough! Cough!”
Li Zan reached out and turned off the tap. He retrieved the Detox Ointment from his toolbox and dropped the block into the bathtub.
The ointment dissolved instantly upon hitting the water. The tubful of clear bathwater turned opaque, looking like warm milk.
Li Zian then raised his hand and gently wiped the blood flecks from the corner’s of Chuntao’s mouth.
Mu Chuntao smiled, seeing the almost doting tenderness in his eyes.
Once her mouth was clean, Li Zian slid open the bathroom door and stepped out.
“Master, all done?” Pan Renlong peered towards the bathroom, a hint of curiosity in his look.
Li Zan explained carefully, “My medicine requires several preparation stages. That’s why it took some time. But yes, it’s ready now. I will place Mr. Pan in the medicinal bath to soak.”
“So that was it,” Pan Renlong murmured. His gaze settled intently on Li Zian, seeming almost probing.
Li Zian continued, “Now, if you please, Mr. Pan… help remove your father’s clothing… Cough!”
A spark of excitement flared deep within Pan Renlong’s eyes, instantly masked. To an observer, he simply appeared focused on the Master’s instructions, revealing nothing.
Li Zian pressed a hand briefly to his mouth. “Too much air conditioning last night. Caught a chill. Apologies, Mr. Pan.”
“Not at all, Master,” Pan Renlong replied smoothly. “Please, proceed.”
Li Zian finished, “Remove Mr. Pan’s garments entirely. Then place him into the bathtub.”
“Immediately,” Pan Renlong strode to the bed and began removing the clothing of the fake Pan Guoqing.
“I… I will step outside,” Mu Chuntao announced, moving towards the main door. As she reached it, she deliberately let out another loud cough: “Cough!”
Pan Renlong, who had just undone the fake’s pants, glanced sharply towards her.
“She caught the chill too,” Li Zian stated simply.
Pan Renlong shot him a peculiar look – as if wondering if they’d shared a bed with the air conditioning too high.
Li Zian affected an awkward expression. “Heh… well… cough.”
Only then did Pan Renlong shift his gaze again.
“Hurry and place your father in the bathwater,” Li Zian prompted. “If the water cools, it will compromise the treatment’s efficacy.”
Pan Renlong responded promptly. He scooped up the imposter, carried him into the bathroom, and gently lowered him into the tub.