Chapter 8: Banishing the Charm

“Stop!”

Song Luyuan immediately grabbed the Goat-Beard Man’s hand and kicked him to the ground.

The Goat-Beard Man let out a sharp “Ah!” and clutched his stomach as he sat on the ground, crying out in pain.

Taking advantage of the moment, Song Xian pushed aside two women and helped Bai Ge to her feet, shielding her behind him.

The father and son’s act of rescuing someone clearly stirred anger in the crowd, and the villagers suddenly surrounded them.

The able-bodied men instinctively moved to the front, glaring fiercely.

Some even unsheathed the firewood knives hanging from their waists.

Song Luyuan’s anger was fully ignited.

He rolled up his sleeves and shouted,

“What do you think you’re doing? Want to kill someone? Come on, if you’re not afraid to die, bring it on!”

The young men’s faces showed hesitation, but they raised their knives to confront Song Luyuan.

Song Xian quickly pulled his brother behind him.

They were outnumbered and the others were armed—no matter how strong the second son was, he only had two hands and couldn’t face so many opponents alone.

“Everyone calm down. If someone dies, it won’t be good. If there’s a misunderstanding, let’s talk it out openly. There must be a way to solve this,”

Song Xian urged in as calm a tone as he could muster, trying to prevent the situation from escalating.

Fang Dashan sneered,

“Oh? Isn’t this the Song family’s lucky charm husband? Just lost his wife recently, and now already found another one so soon?”

“I was wondering why you didn’t want to be with me,”

Yang Ming’s hostile gaze roamed over Song Xian and Bai Ge.

“You’re fond of such a pretty little lady. Watch out for the trouble women bring—you might not even know how you’ll end up dead.”

Song Xian looked at the two youths speaking.

One was plump, dark-skinned, with slanting eyes filled with hostility.

The other had a long face, pale skin, but a sly, mischievous expression.

“You guys—?”

Fang Dashan and Yang Ming simultaneously raised their chins.

“What’s it to you?”

“Your eyes haven’t been washed for days, seeing people so dirty?”

“You’re the dirtiest and nastiest here! Count yourself lucky my parents aren’t around today, or they’d have smashed your head open to avenge me for the beating you gave! You two-faced bastard!”

Yang Ming snarled angrily.

Song Xian retorted,

“Who are you calling a bastard?”

“You!”

Yang Ming shouted back, then immediately realized his words might have been wrong.

Some villagers nearby couldn’t hold back their laughter.

Bai Ge hid behind Song Xian, her voice hoarse as she complained,

“Uncle Song, I really didn’t do anything. They suddenly grabbed me and dragged me to the shrine, wanting to beat me to death with a vine whip!”

Song Xian gave Bai Ge a reassuring glance: don’t be afraid, I’m here.

Yang Ming’s face flushed with rage.

Suddenly, his eyes landed on Song Xian’s face and a thought struck him.

He turned excitedly toward the village chief and shouted,

“Chief, look at his face! He looks demonic. He must know the Charm-Banishing Arts. Otherwise, how come the Song brothers would still be friends with him after he swindled their money and houses? Even if it means being expelled from the village, they’d stick with him! He must have bewitched them with his Charm-Banishing Arts!”

The village chief, Chen Changgui—the very Goat-Beard Man who was kicked by Song Luyuan—immediately seized the opportunity to backpedal.

“That’s right. I think he should be ‘banished’ too—both him and her!”

Song Xian could tell these villagers were deep in feudal superstition.

He nudged Song Luyuan with his elbow.

“Second brother, what exactly is this Charm-Banishing Arts they’re talking about?”

“It’s a type of Gu Arts. They believe that a woman who’s too pretty harbors mysterious powers, capable of witchcraft, able to manipulate and curse others. Normally, it wouldn’t concern men, but that bastard Yang is holding a grudge against you and wants to include you in it.”

“Hurry up and hold the Futian Ritual! My eldest son is barely holding on!”

Li Chunhua’s eyes were red and swollen, still glistening with tears.

The hatred and disappointment in her gaze towards Bai Ge were unmistakable.

“I thought you were good. I took pity and accepted you as my apprentice, but I never expected you’d bring such harm to my son!”

Li Chunhua had been Bai Ge’s teacher in needlework these past few days in Sanhu Village.

Bai Ge explained unfairly to Song Xian,

“I really didn’t do anything. Usually, I make myself look ugly and blacken my face, but today I was seen without the disguise, and she insists I caused her son’s serious illness.”

Poor villagers in this harsh mountain land were ignorant to the extreme.

“Arrest those two! I, the village chief, will conduct the Futian Ritual for them right now!”

Chen Changgui raised a vine whip and shouted.

The villagers echoed in unison.

“Banish the charm!”

“Banish the charm!”

“Banish the charm!”

The so-called Futian Ritual was to whip someone until the “charm” was banished.

How hard and how long to whip was entirely up to the executor.

Song Luyuan wanted to rush forward and fight back but was once again restrained by Song Xian.

They were too outnumbered; a direct fight wasn’t wise.

Song Xian kept Song Luyuan protected behind him, fearful the second son would become a scapegoat for these superstitious villagers’ rage.

To deal with ignorance, sometimes you had to use ignorant methods—you didn’t need to explain science or reason to them; they wouldn’t understand.

“Everyone, don’t move!”

Facing the crowd’s gradual approach, Song Xian suddenly pulled out a long, wrapped object from a cloth bag.

“Ha ha ha… since you’ve seen through me, I won’t pretend anymore!”

“I admit it—I do know the Charm-Banishing Arts. She’s my apprentice and a bit unskilled. Sorry to embarrass you all!”

“Today, I’ll show everyone my true power!”

“Spirits above, spirits below…”

Song Xian glanced at Bai Ge and slowly raised the object, preparing to unveil it.

“Master, don’t show it! If you do, everyone in Sanhu Village will die!”

Bai Ge cried out in alarm after understanding Song Xian’s gaze.

The villagers who were about to seize them were stunned into stillness.

Now, not only did they not dare advance, but when Song Xian pushed Bai Ge aside and stepped forward, they retreated several steps in fear.

“He’s bluffing! He’s just trying to scare us! Don’t fall for it!”

Fang Dashan shouted.

“Yeah, yeah!”

Yang Ming hastily agreed, his shaky tone betraying a trace of fear.

Li Chunhua sobbed,

“Quick, catch him and avenge my son!”

Song Xian remained calm and raised a thumb at Li Chunhua.

“Still, Auntie Li, you’re generous. You know your son’s cursed to die, so you want to drag others down with him. That’s village unity for you—alive, we’re villagers; dead, we’re village ghosts.”

Hearing this, the villagers refused to continue.

“Today’s Futian Ritual is for Li Chunhua, not us. Why should we risk our lives for her?”

“Yeah, I don’t want to end up like Li Dalang.”

“Me neither.”

Two villagers tasked with catching them were the first to back out, refusing to participate in the assault on Song Xian.

Others quickly followed, unwilling to take the risk.

Chen Changgui also grew afraid.

His Goat-Beard trembled as he quietly stepped back, but he dared not retreat too far, afraid the villagers would see their chief lose his nerve.

Fang Dashan stomped angrily,

“Don’t listen to him, he’s lying! He doesn’t know any Charm-Banishing Arts. He’s tricking us! If we believe him, we’re falling into his trap!”

Fang Dashan’s confidence caught Song Xian’s attention.

“Why are you so sure I’m lying? Li Dalang’s illness is real. Everyone believes my apprentice isn’t involved, so why are you so certain? Is it because you’re connected? Could it be you who caused his sickness?”

The rapid-fire questions caught Fang Dashan off guard.

His gaze flickered nervously, and he stammered, clearly guilty.

Yang Ming’s expression turned surprised as he looked at Fang Dashan.

For a moment, Chen Changgui, Li Chunhua, and everyone else fixed their eyes on Fang Dashan.

Fang Dashan took a step back, waving his hands frantically.

“Not me, not me, I didn’t do it!”

“Speak! What did you do?”

Song Luyuan suddenly roared, making Fang Dashan even more nervous.

“I… I…”

Song Xian said to Li Chunhua,

“See? He’s the one who poisoned your son. You’d better find out the truth quickly—your son might still be saved. Wasting time accusing innocent people like us will only kill him faster!”

Li Chunhua was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized something.

She rushed forward and slapped Fang Dashan across the face.

“Was it you? My Dalang always liked to hang out with you. Since he fell ill and became unconscious, you never visited him. Are you feeling guilty?”

Fang Dashan was young and fragile.

After the slap, his breath became erratic.

He finally broke down with a loud wail, covering his face.

“I didn’t mean to. After poisoning him, I regretted it.”

Li Chunhua grabbed Fang Dashan’s collar fiercely.

Out of Song Xian’s sight, she kicked him hard, warning him to tell the whole truth.

Fang Dashan trembled and sobbed as he explained,

“My parents always compared me to Li Dalang, saying how great he was and how terrible I was. Three days ago, after another scolding from them, I got jealous and targeted Li Dalang. I secretly put the poison juice of Xuantou Grass into his medicinal tea.”

The Xuantou Grass poison takes effect within an hour or two.

That day, after finishing her work, Li Chunhua returned home and found her eldest son lying unconscious in bed.

She thought he was exhausted from studying late and called village doctor Zhang.

No effect.

Zhang the Doctor’s medical skills were limited.

He couldn’t detect the poisoning and only prescribed remedies to restore health based on Li Chunhua’s description.

Song Xian confronted village chief Chen Changgui,

“Now the misunderstanding is cleared. You wronged my niece. So, what about the reckoning?”

After speaking, Song Xian pulled off the cloth to reveal the “Curse Weapon” in his hand—three corn cobs he had specially prepared as rations for the children that morning.

Chen Changgui and the others understood the mistake.

Chen Changgui was embarrassed and immediately led the villagers in bowing and apologizing to Song Xian and Bai Ge.

“Miss Bai, we’re truly sorry for falsely accusing you. I will personally apologize another day. But now my eldest son—”

Li Chunhua broke down and collapsed to the ground, clutching Zhang the Doctor’s pant leg.

“Doctor Zhang, please save my Dalang!”

Zhang shook his head helplessly.

“You know I can only treat minor ailments like colds or headaches. I don’t know how to detoxify poisons. The wrong medicine could kill him! You need to find a better doctor in Yongzhou City.”

“It takes seven or eight days to get to Yongzhou City from our village. Li Dalang is already barely breathing. By then, it might be too late,”

The villagers lamented.

Li Chunhua sobbed in despair.

Song Xian asked Li Chunhua,

“What does Xuantou Grass look like? Take me to see it.”

Li Chunhua’s crying voice caught in her throat as she stared blankly at Song Xian.

“What are you waiting for? Don’t you want to save your son? My father might have a solution,”

Song Luyuan said impatiently.

“All right, all right.”

Li Chunhua hurried to her feet and led Song Luyuan and the others to the hillside behind the village.

Chen Changgui followed quietly.

When he spotted a small, inconspicuous patch of weeds, he was about to point it out when he saw Song Xian already squatting in front of the Xuantou Grass.

“Yes, yes, that’s it! It’s very poisonous. We usually don’t let cattle graze there.”

[Value Note]:

Xuantou Grass—the stems and leaves are highly toxic; small amounts cause unconsciousness for seven days and death; larger amounts kill immediately.

The root, however, is an antidote and used in kidney tonics.

Song Xian said,

“Lucky break.”

“No need to search far for an antidote. The Xuantou Grass itself is the cure.”

He dug up the root and handed it to Li Chunhua to give to her son.

Li Chunhua stared at the root, hesitant and disbelieving.

“Is that all?”

“Yeah, that’s it,”

Yang Ming came over, sneering,

“You’re not pulling some kind of scam again, are you? Auntie Li, don’t be fooled by him.”

“I think you’re just asking for a beating! Scam? He didn’t even ask for money!”

Song Luyuan said, shadowboxing at Yang Ming, who immediately zipped his lips and ran off holding his head.

Li Chunhua was still unsure, glancing at Song Luyuan with distrust.

Song Luyuan was annoyed by her lack of faith in Song Xian.

“What are you waiting for? Want your son to die outright?”

“I—I—I’m going now.”

Li Chunhua’s eyes filled with tears as she turned and ran toward home.

Chen Changgui awkwardly stroked his beard, about to say something, but seeing Song Luyuan’s impatient glare, he immediately shut his mouth.

The four descended the hill and headed back into the village.

At that moment, Li Chunhua came rushing back, dropped to her knees before Song Xian.

Her fast running and sudden kneeling stirred up a cloud of dust that made the air thick and choking.

“Dalang has woken! Thank you, benefactor, for saving my son’s life!”

Li Chunhua kowtowed repeatedly, stirring up more dust.

Song Xian coughed, covering his mouth.

“Stop kowtowing. What good is that? How about something practical—like a basket of eggs as thanks?”

Song Luyuan:

“And as compensation for bullying Miss Bai, you can pay with tables, chairs, corn, and wheat flour.”