My mind was in disarray the entire day.

But after listening to Third Uncle, I faintly sensed something was amiss and asked, “Grandpa was already unconscious, how can we be sure he was bitten by a snake?”

Third Uncle replied, “There’s a wound on his leg. We country folks can tell with just one look.”

“I see…”

Hearing this, my worries only deepened.

If it was a snake bite, could it be related to that red chain snake?

Around eleven o’clock at night, the relatives who came to help gradually left.

Before the coffin is buried, the mourning hall must not be left unattended!

My parents were not in good health, and with the upcoming funeral, they would need to conserve their energy, so I volunteered to keep vigil for Grandpa.

The night was eerily quiet.

A gust of chilly wind blew, causing the candlelight in the mourning hall to flicker.

Kneeling there, I felt a chill down my spine!

It was her!

She had come!

I resisted the urge to look back.

I was afraid that if I made a sound, it would disturb Grandpa’s rest.

I tried to control my emotions while secretly reaching into my bosom, touching the envelope, and said, “You’re here!”

“Mhm!”

A voice like that of a young girl came from behind me, it was Granny Zheng.

I said, “Grandpa just passed away today, and I’m keeping vigil for him. If you must take me, can you wait a few days? I promise I won’t run away this time!”

“Who said I’m going to take you?”

Granny Zheng walked over to my side, then knelt down towards Grandpa’s coffin and kowtowed three times, “Although you are much younger than me, you are his grandfather, and thus, you are also my grandfather. May you rest in peace!”

I still didn’t dare to turn my face to look at her.

Using only the corner of my eye, I saw the familiar embroidered shoes beside me and said, “Thank you for that night!”

“You’re welcome!”

Granny Zheng said, “You are mine, no one else can harm you but me!”

If an older woman had said this to me, I would have been overjoyed!

But alas, this was a ghostly old lady!

After a moment of silence, on a whim, I asked, “Since I can see you, is there a chance I could see Grandpa again?”

“No!”

Granny Zheng said, “He passed away without any resentment, so he can’t become a ghost. But isn’t that a kind of fortune?”

“I see…”

I felt a wave of disappointment.

After another silence, Granny Zheng said, “I seem to scare you. Never mind, I’ll leave!”

With that, the embroidered shoes beside me disappeared.

Only then did I dare to raise my head.

Turning around, there was nothing behind me.

Granny Zheng had vanished.

“Phew…”

I let out a long sigh of relief and muttered to myself, “Thank you, Grandpa’s spirit in heaven, for your protection!”

I wasn’t sure if it was an illusion.

As soon as I finished speaking, there was a “thud” from inside the coffin, as if something had moved.

“Grandpa?”

I tentatively called out.

“Thud…”

The sound came again!

This time I heard it clearly, there was no mistake!

Grandpa was responding to me!

Could it be that Grandpa wasn’t dead?

The coffin lid wasn’t nailed down before burial, so it could be easily pushed open.

It was my own grandfather, there was nothing to fear.

I mustered up my courage, stood up, walked to the coffin, and pushed…

The lid opened.

Grandpa actually sat up swiftly, his movements not at all like those of an old man!

“Grandpa!”

I exclaimed with joy, “You’re not dead!”

Grandpa smiled and beckoned, “Yuan, come in and lie down with Grandpa for a while!”

Honestly, if it really was Grandpa, even if he was a ghost, I would dare to go in and lie with him for a while!

But I feared it was a demon!

Because I suddenly noticed snake scales on his neck!

I instinctively took three steps back.

At the same time, my right hand reached into my bosom and quietly tore open the envelope…

Zhang Li had said that the Thunder Shock Talisman could summon thunder from the heavens!

And thunder could not only kill ghosts but also exterminate demons!

“Yuan, why are you leaving?”

Grandpa looked at me with a disappointed expression.

I declared righteously, “Snake demon, return my grandpa to me!”

Hearing these words, “Grandpa” froze, then said, “Fine, I’ll stop pretending!”

After that, a puff of black smoke rose from the coffin.

At the same time, a huge snake head emerged from the smoke, hissing at me with its tongue flicking!

“It really is you!”

I took another three steps back in fright.

The snake in the coffin was the same red chain snake I had encountered before!

Compared to last time, it had grown thicker and longer, but it was covered in scars, many scales had fallen off, and the snake flesh was charred black, likely from the Tribulation Crossing three days ago when it was struck by lightning.

“Kid, I hate you to death!”

“If it weren’t for accidentally consuming the Ghost Qi in your body, I would have definitely succeeded in my Tribulation Crossing that day!”

The red chain snake glared at me with murderous intent, as if it wanted to devour me whole.

I could tell that the red chain snake was seriously injured!

Otherwise, it would have pounced on me by now!

In this state, I might actually have a chance to fight back!

There was only one Thunder Shock Talisman.

And I only had one chance!

Because once I missed, the opponent would not give me a second chance!

I tried to divert the red chain snake’s attention, saying, “It was you who initiated it that day, you can’t blame me!”

“Blame you?”

“Then whom should I blame?”

After speaking, the red chain snake roared and finally struck!

This time, I didn’t retreat but turned to look to the left and shouted, “Granny Zheng, save me!”

Hearing the name “Granny Zheng,” the red chain snake visibly hesitated, pausing in that moment.

That was the opportunity I was waiting for!

While the red chain snake was distracted, I stepped forward and slapped the Thunder Shock Talisman onto its body with a “snap”!

The talisman activated, and thunder roared!

Boom!

A bolt of lightning struck down from the night sky, hitting the red chain snake squarely!

I must say, the Thunder Shock Talisman was truly powerful!

Or perhaps, the red chain snake was already gravely injured.

Either way, after the lightning strike, the red chain snake was reduced to a blackened stick!

Soon, the stick crumbled.

It broke into chunks of charcoal, falling from the sky to the ground…

I took several deep breaths, feeling lucky while also terrified!

If I had been even a fraction slower, I might have been the one to die!

After catching my breath, I prepared to clean up the mourning hall.

There were many rules in the mourning hall.

I wasn’t sure if it was permissible to clean before the funeral procession.

But leaving all this black charcoal here wasn’t right either.

While clearing the black charcoal, I suddenly found a strange bead.

The bead was about the size of a quail egg.

Its shape was similar to that of a quail egg too.

I picked it up and wiped it, discovering something flowing inside the bead, and it emitted a fragrance.

I pocketed the bead, planning to ask an elder about it tomorrow.

Then I continued to clear the black charcoal.

There were no brooms or dustpans in the mourning hall.

I could only use my hands to carry the black charcoal out, trip after trip.

On the last trip, as I turned around, I got a fright!

Standing at the entrance of the mourning hall was a yellow-skinned creature, about half a person tall, staring straight at me!

“Go!”

I pretended to be fierce and stomped my foot, shouting at it.

The creature was indeed scared away.

However, it didn’t go far and stopped about seven or eight meters away from the mourning hall, continuing to stare at me.