Realm of the Night God

"The serpent demon had long known that there was a ghost in the black water pool, although at that time she did not know how this ghost had come to be. However, she was aware of the ghost's presence in the black water pool."

"Regarding the existence of this ghost, she had always turned a blind eye, as the ghost had not actively descended the mountain to harm the villagers. Moreover, the ghost was initially just an evil spirit, so she was not inclined to intervene."

"On the day she battled the black talisman master, the ghost must have known, but it was so frightened that it did not dare to show itself. Despite feeling displeased, she decided to present the ghost with a grand gift: the soul bodies of all the villagers in the wooden houses above."

"The serpent demon had long instructed the old farmer to inform the evil spirit in the black water pool. As soon as the soul bodies of the villagers appeared, the evil spirit consumed them all as supplements, resulting in their souls dispersing."

"This was the first time the serpent demon had collaborated with this ghost. In the days that followed, their collaboration increased, limited to hunting humans who had come to the nearby villages for various reasons."

"Some of these humans came to sightsee, some came for adventure, others for outdoor revelry, and some engaged in clandestine activities due to the remote location of the villages. Although their reasons for coming to the villages varied, their fate was the same; without exception, they all remained forever in those mountains."

"The serpent demon restored her injuries by consuming the human spirits within them, while the evil spirit enhanced its strength and realm by devouring the soul bodies. The serpent demon's injuries were gradually healing, and the evil spirit's power grew significantly as a result."

"The reason the serpent demon actively sought to collaborate with the evil spirit was in the hope that, one day, she could use the evil spirit to help her break free from the demon suppression talisman's seal and control."

"Through their repeated collaborations, the serpent demon learned that the evil spirit had accidentally fallen into the black water pool and drowned after descending the mountain following a temple fair. He was not her believer; he had gone to the fair solely for amusement, never expecting to lose his life."

The story had nearly concluded at this point. Even without the serpent demon explicitly stating it, it was already quite apparent who the snake deity in the story was—she was the snake deity once worshipped by the villagers.

As for the crazy woman Yang Haoran had encountered in the village, she was the black talisman master. The old farmer who had dispelled the enchantment and buried the bones was the serpent demon's last believer.

As for the woman's head stewing in the pot, it naturally belonged to another talisman master. Resentful, the serpent demon had kept the woman's head stewing in the pot, using it for dark enchantments, causing the head to remain intact and using this repulsive item to entertain her prey.

The malevolent spirit in the black water pool had been an ordinary undead when he drowned. Without causing harm to anyone, he had managed to break through to become an evil spirit, all due to the presence of extreme Yin Qi.

Afterward, the malevolent spirit cooperated with the serpent demon, devouring numerous undead and, coupled with the dense Yin Qi of the extreme Yin place, successfully advanced to become a malevolent spirit.

However, when Yang Haoran had encountered him, the malevolent spirit had likely only recently advanced from an evil spirit to a malevolent spirit, making him comparatively weak among malevolent spirits.

Of course, this weakness was relative. If he had not encountered Yang Haoran or Zhong Siyu, and Deputy Captain Zhou had to deal with the malevolent spirit alone, even if he could manage to defeat the malevolent spirit, he would likely have suffered greatly.

Through the words of the serpent demon, Yang Haoran understood the ins and outs of the whole matter. However, he did not completely believe what the serpent demon had said; it was just his habit.

Whether what the serpent demon had said was true or not no longer mattered. Yang Haoran wanted to hear the end of the story for two reasons: out of curiosity and to see if there was anything he could learn from it.

From the story, he understood one thing: many people are easily swayed. If you use the right methods, even if led by the nose, they won't realize it.

Simultaneously, those who silently sacrifice at the back are always the most wronged because not only do they not receive gratitude from those they've helped, but they might also become targets for retribution in the future, ending up in disgrace.

Some people are great, some are despicable, and some are ignorant. Yang Haoran believed that he was none of these, at least in his own eyes.

Looking at the complex expression on the serpent demon's face, Yang Haoran smiled and then asked, "Are you feeling conflicted right now?"

The serpent demon snapped out of her thoughts, forced a smile, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "Indeed, I am somewhat conflicted. Over the years, while I've been trapped in the wooden house, I've had interactions with many humans. I know they harbor ill intentions, but I never immediately killed them. Instead, I have played various roles to cater to them. I'm not toying with them, but rather seeking to understand humans better. However, the more people I interact with, the more I find myself unable to fathom the human heart."

Yang Haoran smiled and replied, "The human heart is deeper than the sea, increasingly complex as you delve deeper, and simultaneously more dangerous."

"Indeed, it is quite complex, truly dangerous, and difficult to fathom. Just as you said, the human heart is like the deep sea, you never know what lies beneath it. It could be a surprise treasure, or a terrifying beast, no one knows." Serpent Demon shook her head and smiled.

"In fact, there's no need to insist on exploring the depths of the sea. The scenery on the surface is also beautiful, with the blue sea and sky stretching as far as the eye can see, isn't that good?" Yang Haoran replied with a smile.

Serpent Demon furrowed her brow, seeming to ponder Yang Haoran's words, while Yang Haoran thought of something else important at this time.

Seeing Serpent Demon's thoughtful expression, he did not interrupt her immediately. Instead, he opened all the windows, lit a cigarette, and waited quietly.

After a moment, Serpent Demon seemed to have understood something, and a smile appeared on her face. This smile was not forced, but genuine, from the heart.

"Thank you, Underworld Envoy big brother, for the reminder, or else I might have been stuck in a rut." Serpent Demon thanked him with a smile.

"There's no need for thanks. Even without anyone's reminder, understanding comes naturally after experiencing setbacks. By the way, there's something I want to ask you." Yang Haoran said with a smile.

"Underworld Envoy big brother, feel free to ask anything. If I know the answer, I will definitely tell you." Serpent Demon said with a smile.

Yang Haoran's conversation seemed to untie a knot in Serpent Demon's heart that had been there for many years, so Serpent Demon's smile was not only natural but also charming.

At this time, Yang Haoran had something on his mind and did not notice how charming Serpent Demon's smile was. Hearing her words, he did not hesitate to speak directly.

"Was there any difference when the villagers believed in you and when they didn't?"

Serpent Demon thought for a moment and replied with a smile, "Of course, when the villagers believed in me, I was happy. I felt that all my silent efforts were worth it. At that time, I didn't think about eating them, but rather wholeheartedly wanted to protect them."

"However, after they stopped believing in me, their actions made me feel both cold-hearted and angry. I not only wanted to eat them but also wanted to eat more people, I..."

Yang Haoran bitterly smiled and stopped Serpent Demon from continuing. Serpent Demon looked confused, not knowing where the problem lay.

"I'm sorry, I didn't express myself clearly just now. The change I'm asking about is not in this aspect. I want to know if there's any change in your power." Yang Haoran said.

"Power?" Serpent Demon slightly furrowed her brow, then shook her head in confusion and said, "It seems there's no change."

"Are you sure there's no change after careful recollection?" Yang Haoran did not give up and continued to ask.

Serpent Demon furrowed her brow and this time, she carefully recalled, but after a moment, she still shook her head.

"There should be no change. If there was a change, I wouldn't forget it." At this point, Serpent Demon seemed to suddenly think of something. She looked at Yang Haoran and asked uncertainly, "Underworld Envoy big brother, did you suddenly ask about this because of the power of faith?"