Chapter Eighty-One: Negotiation

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Now, it was too late to say anything. Chen Daneng could never have imagined that the stroke of luck envied by the whole village would actually bring calamity upon himself. He was utterly despairing, and now, in the midst of that despair, he had seized upon Chen Tianfang as a lifeline, begging him bitterly.

Chen Tianfang said, "Come, let's go to your house and see your mother. But whether I can save her or not, I truly can't say."

So Chen Tianfang and Chen Daneng quietly made their way to Chen Daneng's home, which was bare and impoverished. When they arrived in the courtyard, Chen Daneng didn't dare open the door; instead, he pushed open a window and said, "Chief, please look in from here."

Chen Tianfang nodded and peered through the window. He saw that Chen Daneng's elderly mother was tightly bound to a chair. The situation was exactly as Chen Daneng had described: his mother's face now resembled that of a weasel, especially her eyes, which were most expressive. As Chen Tianfang looked in, the old woman lifted her head and gazed back at him; her round, roving eyes shifted, and she looked just like a genuine weasel. That look filled Chen Tianfang with a sense of hopelessness—it seemed the weasel spirit had truly possessed her.

At that moment, Chen Daneng's mother let out a cold laugh and said, "I wondered where you might go to find a master to cure me, but it turns out the Chen family chief has come. Chief Chen, there's been a famine this year and the mountain has run out of grain. My disciples and offspring ventured out to look for food, and your family slaughtered them mercilessly. People die for wealth, birds for food—if my kin are killed, so be it. Yet I have cultivated in Funiu Mountain for over three hundred years. Not only did you harm my life, you also consumed my flesh. It's not that I won't show you respect as chief, but this debt must be settled, no matter what."

The old weasel was indeed cunning, immediately taking the moral high ground. And she wasn't wrong; Chen Daneng had killed her first, and then his mother had eaten her flesh. Chen Tianfang, at this point, didn't hide but entered the house and said, "I've long heard of the great Yellow Weasel Immortal. To meet you today is truly a blessing. Since you have cultivated into an immortal, why bicker with mere mortals? Besides, ignorance is no crime. How could a rustic like him recognize the golden body of the Yellow Weasel? He harmed you unintentionally, and his mother ate your flesh out of filial piety. I hope you can be magnanimous; in the future, I'll have him burn incense and pray, singing your praises every day."

"You have a sharp tongue. Unintentional or not, my life was still harmed. The lives of your people in Fudi Gully are precious, but my kin are meant to die? Humans always think themselves most valuable, regarding others as mere beasts. Still, since you have come, I will give you this respect. However, Chief Chen, you are late. Bound as I am, I have already sent word to my kin in the mountain. They are on their way. I may give you respect, but whether my kin, whose families were slaughtered by your villagers, will do the same is another matter," said Chen Daneng's mother.

Hearing this, Chen Tianfang knew the matter could not be resolved peacefully. If hordes of weasels truly descended upon the village, even if they didn't attack people, the newly harvested wheat, carefully covered with quilts, would be ruined by them, leaving the village with no grain for the coming year. Even without casualties, most of Fudi Gully's people would starve.

He could not simply sit by and let the weasels ravage the village, so he said, "Immortal, please reconsider. If you harm the villagers, it violates the heavenly laws. Cultivation is difficult; if you provoke the wrath of the gods, it will not end well for you."

"Do you really believe the gods will descend to help you, when the people of the world suffer so?" Chen Daneng's mother sneered.

"The rise and fall of the people is a human concern, but when spirits harm humans, it is different. I know my abilities are no match for yours, Immortal, but even so, there are experts in the world. If you insist on revenge against the villagers, I will spend all I have to invite a cultivator to subdue you and avenge this blood feud. This is not a threat, nor do I wish to make an enemy of you. Perhaps you could step back and propose a condition; if I can meet it, I will surely do so, so as not to harm the harmony between us," said Chen Tianfang.

Chen Daneng's mother rolled her eyes a few times and said, "That makes sense. I too know that harmony brings wealth. You, young man, go outside. I wish to speak a few words with your chief."

Chen Daneng hesitated. He certainly couldn't listen to "his mother" now; if he listened to anyone, it would be Chen Tianfang. Chen Tianfang nodded to him and said, "Go out for now."

After Chen Daneng left, his mother said to Chen Tianfang, "I’ve heard that atop the fengshui spring in Fudi Gully stands a dragon-head stele carved from Mount Tai stone. It is this stone that suppresses the river gods of the Yellow River, proof of the spring’s excellent fengshui. My body has been eaten, but my skin remains in the city. If you, Chief Chen, redeem my skin and bury it by the dragon-head stele, it will benefit my kin’s cultivation. If you do this, I will let go of my grudge and give my kin closure. What do you think?"

Chen Tianfang immediately refused. The dragon-head stele was vital to Fudi Gully and had been erected by his ancestors. How could he bury a weasel there? He said, "The dragon-head stele was established by the ancestors and cannot be moved for anything. Please, Immortal, propose another condition."

Chen Daneng's mother smiled, a smile identical to that of a weasel, sending chills down Chen Tianfang’s spine. She then said, "I knew Chief Chen would never agree. That is indeed forcing you. In that case, I have long admired the dragon-head stele. Dig it up, and let me simply gaze upon it and offer incense to the dragon god. If you agree to this, the matter will be over. If you refuse, there is nothing more to discuss."

If it were only a matter of worship, perhaps it could be allowed. But Chen Tianfang knew weasels could never be trusted, no matter how powerful they became; their nature was cunning, and it would never be so simple as a mere worship. He said, "As long as it does not involve the dragon-head stele, you may propose anything."

Chen Daneng's mother sneered, "What a brash youth. You just said you would do anything, no matter the cost. I have already compromised, yet you still refuse a simple worship. Why speak with such grand words? There is nothing more to discuss. My kin will soon arrive. Chief Chen, prepare to enjoy the spectacle."

Chen Tianfang said, "Immortal, please don't disrupt our harmony!"

"So what if I do? Go ahead and invite your experts and priests; I’d like to see what they can do." Chen Daneng's mother closed her eyes and fell silent.

Chen Tianfang could only withdraw helplessly. Chen Daneng had heard the conversation. As soon as the chief came out, Chen Daneng knelt before Chen Tianfang and pleaded, "Chief, she only wants to worship the stele. Why not let her? You must not let my mother die!"

Already irritated, Chen Tianfang was only more vexed by Chen Daneng’s words. He kicked him aside and scolded, "Fool! Do you really think it’s as simple as worship?"

"Could she possibly take the dragon-head stele away?" Chen Daneng retorted, unconvinced.

"You still don’t understand? A weasel spirit cultivated for three hundred years—how could you have caught it with a trap and killed it with a stick? This was all intentional. She comes with ill intent, aiming for our Chen family’s fengshui spring dragon-head stele! That is our ancestors’ legacy, the most important thing for our family. If anything happens to it, how could we face our forebears?" Chen Tianfang scolded.

At these words, even Chen Daneng, however dull, understood the key. Still, he was afraid—not of revenge from the weasel’s kin, but of the weasel spirit occupying his mother’s body and threatening her life.

Chen Tianfang, unable to deal with his pestering, could only sigh and say, "Let me think of another way. If you keep pestering me, not only will I ignore your mother’s plight, I’ll throw you out of the Chen family!"

That night, countless weasels descended from Funiu Mountain, yellow as far as the eye could see, encircling the whole of Fudi Gully.

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