Chapter 31: The Little Snake’s Revenge
In the workers' quarters, the housekeeper, Old Zhang, sat under an old-fashioned lamp, applying medicine to his scraped knee.
It was late, and the maids had all gone to bed, leaving the entire villa in silence.
He was about to rest as well, but he had a long-standing habit: every night before sleep, he would patrol the villa, ensuring everything was in order before heading to bed.
Even today, despite his injury, he couldn't break this habit.
Although Mr. Su had told him to rest early, he wouldn't sleep soundly without a final round through the house. Given the strange happenings around the Su family lately, he preferred to err on the side of caution.
After tidying up, Old Zhang opened the door and stepped out.
The living room was clean and orderly.
The courtyard was quiet and refreshing.
"That patch of weeds wasn't properly cleared, and those flowers need pruning…" he muttered to himself as he walked. Suddenly, a strange clanging sound echoed from the courtyard.
"What's going on?"
He grew alert, switching on his flashlight and shining it in the direction of the noise.
It was coming from the temporary cages set up for the rooster and black cat.
Could it be that the "auspicious" animals were uncomfortable?
Old Zhang hurried over, only to be startled by what he saw.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The black cat and rooster were frantically pacing in their cages, crashing against the bars. The black cat was even screeching, appearing very agitated.
"Are they hungry?"
But when he checked, their food and water were both plentiful.
"What on earth is going on?"
The Su family had never kept animals like these before, so Old Zhang was at a loss.
The rooster and black cat were clearly distressed, especially the black cat, which seemed to be staring up at a specific spot on the upper floors, its cries growing more haunting with each call.
Old Zhang looked up at the third-floor windows and saw a shadow flicker past one of them.
A chill ran down his spine, but when he looked again, the windows were all dark, like shut eyes that held secrets beyond understanding.
Shaking his head, Old Zhang couldn't shake his unease, so he decided to go upstairs and check it out.
He entered the living room and ascended the wooden staircase.
The wall lights cast a dim yellow glow, while the third floor was pitch-black.
Anxiety gnawed at him.
Mr. Su disliked complete darkness and always left a night light on while sleeping.
Why were all the lights off tonight?
"Sir, are you awake?"
Standing at the door, he called softly. There was no response from the suite, just an unsettling silence.
"Sir…"
Reaching out to knock, he realized the door was slightly ajar.
"Sir?" Cautiously, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Everything looked normal in the sitting area, but from the direction of the bedroom came a faint whimpering sound.
"Sir, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?"
He quickly moved closer and turned on the light, only to be horrified by the sight before him.
Su Liguo lay on the bed, his legs thrashing, and a figure was choking him, cutting off his breath.
"Sir!"
Old Zhang lunged forward, but the person pushed him away with terrifying strength.
The force was so powerful that Old Zhang was flung backward, crashing into the wall with a painful thud, unable to stand.
The assailant turned, glaring at him with a fierce expression.
"Young Master!" Old Zhang's head spun in shock.
The one choking Su Liguo was Su Mingxuan. His eyes had turned into eerie green slits, and his face was twisted in a monstrous snarl.
Su Mingxuan's hands gripped Su Liguo's throat tightly, veins bulging across his knuckles, his grip merciless.
Su Liguo's face was turning dark, his eyes rolling back, almost at his breaking point.
"Young Master, stop…"
Old Zhang tried to intervene, but his body refused to cooperate, his head throbbing with a warm sensation as his vision blurred and dimmed.
At that moment, his phone, which had fallen beside him, began to ring. The screen displayed a call from the villa's security.
"The security… Call the security…" A spark of hope flickered in Old Zhang's mind as he forced his trembling fingers to press the answer button.
"Mr. Zhang, sorry to disturb you so late. There's someone at the gate named Lu Fei. He says it's urgent and that he needs to see Mr. Su…"
"Help… help…"
"Mr. Zhang? What did you say?"
"Help… help…"
"Mr. Zhang? Mr. Zhang!"
No more sounds came from the phone.
At the entrance to Longteng Valley.
"This is bad; something's definitely wrong!" Lu Fei's face turned grim as he urgently told the guard, "Please, let me through. This is a matter of life and death!"
The guard, having heard Old Zhang's faint cry for help, quickly started up a nearby shuttle.
"I'll take you over!"
They sped to Villa 9, climbed over the wall, and entered the grounds.
An alarm blared through the air.
The two maids, startled from their sleep, rushed out of the workers' quarters in a panic.
Ignoring them, Lu Fei sprinted to the third floor.
"Stop!"
Bursting into the bedroom, he immediately saw Su Mingxuan attacking his father.
Su Mingxuan turned, snarling ferociously at him.
On his back was a black shadow, coiled like a venomous snake, thin and a little over a meter long.
A little snake!
"So there really was another one!"
Lu Fei's heart sank. If he hadn't come, it would have been a catastrophe.
He bit his middle finger and smeared blood on his dog-tooth dagger before charging forward.
"Evil spirit! Cease your harm!"
The little snake sprang from Su Mingxuan's back, baring its fangs and lunging at Lu Fei.
Lu Fei scattered a handful of incense ash in its path.
The ash clouded the snake's vision, slowing it down just enough.
Seizing the moment, Lu Fei aimed his dagger at the snake's vital spot.
But the little snake was cunning, twisting away from the blade and darting under the bed.
Lu Fei couldn't waste time searching for it. If he didn't pry Su Mingxuan's hands off soon, Su Liguo's neck would snap.
Seeing the security guard standing in shock at the doorway, he yelled, "What are you waiting for? Help me!"
The guard snapped out of it and rushed forward to assist.
The guards at Longteng Valley were highly trained, selected for their strength and skill.
Together, they managed to pry Su Mingxuan's hands free.
Su Liguo finally gasped for air, coughing violently as he regained his breath.
"Hold him down!"
Lu Fei instructed the guard to restrain Su Mingxuan while he lifted the sheets and peered under the bed.
On the spotless floor, the little black snake slithered toward the window, attempting to escape.
"You won't get away!"
Only Lu Fei could see the sinister snake spirit.
Meanwhile, the guard struggled to hold down Su Mingxuan, terror etched across his face.
The snake moved quickly, but with the bed between them, Lu Fei couldn't catch up. In a split-second decision, he threw his dog-tooth dagger with all his might.
Clink!
The dagger struck the window with a sharp sound and began to fall.
Lu Fei cursed inwardly, but in the next moment, he saw the falling dagger land precisely on the leaping little snake.