Chapter 37: Lesson

Hearing this from Zhong Niangyao, Huang Mao stood up abruptly, seeming quite enraged. Looking at Zhong Niangyao, his eyes carried endless resentment, "So, you aren't willing to save me no matter what, are you?"

"I can't save you," Zhong Niangyao shook her head, her expression utterly indifferent. "The other party's resentment is very strong, and she wants you dead right now. The cause and effect between you must be resolved by yourselves. Of course, you can also choose to turn yourself in, perhaps then her resentment might dissipate some."

Of course, even turning oneself in wouldn't much improve the outcome. A murder case of such a vile nature would only end in the death penalty. The difference was merely between dying sooner or later.

Death by execution might be a bit less painful at the moment of death.

After all, the Red-dressed Ghost had initially been deceived and mistreated by Huang Mao; and in the end, while pregnant, was pushed off a cliff by Huang Mao. Her body had been devoured by wild animals, leaving her unburied and with heavy resentment.

Now this female ghost had become an Evil Ghost, vowing to take Huang Mao's life. Previously, because of the Buddha Beads, she couldn't achieve her revenge, making her resentment even greater. Thus, Huang Mao was unlikely to die easily.

"You bitch!" Huang Mao, overwhelmed with humiliation and rage, cursed directly at Zhong Niangyao, his words even carrying threats, "I tell you, even if I die, I will drag you down with me. If I cannot be at peace, neither will you."

As he spoke, he was about to overturn Zhong Niangyao's stall.

Since she kept refusing to help him, he saw no reason to hold back. Even if he were to be killed by that female ghost, he wouldn't let go of this woman who saw another's death and did nothing.

Seeing this, people around immediately stepped forward to help. In their view, although Zhong Niangyao was accurate in her divinations and truly skilled, she was after all young. Plus, with Huang Mao looking desperate, it really was uncertain what he might do.

Moreover, Zhong Niangyao was genuinely capable. Helping her now could perhaps lead to a good relationship.

"Humph, overestimating your own abilities."

Zhong Niangyao scoffed a few times, then directly threw a piece of yellow talisman paper at Huang Mao.

Seeing Zhong Niangyao's action, Huang Mao was not frightened at all; he didn't believe that a piece of yellow paper could cause him any harm.

What happened next shocked everyone.

The yellow paper, as if conscious, flew directly onto Huang Mao's hand and then suddenly sparked, bursting into flames.

"Ahh—" a sharp scream pierced through Tongtian Bridge, chilling anyone who heard it.

Huang Mao's right hand was now engulfed in roaring flames, the searing temperature enough to make anyone aware of the excruciating pain of being burned. Yet eerily, the fire burned only on Huang Mao's right hand and did not spread elsewhere, but it could not be extinguished by any means.

Huang Mao, in agony, began rolling on the ground, begging for mercy, "Master, I was wrong, I really was wrong, I shouldn't have spoken rudely. Spare me, please, just this once, I won't dare again."

The pitiful begging vividly conveyed his pain at the moment.

For a time, people didn't know whether to sympathize with Huang Mao or feel he deserved it.

However, when people looked at Zhong Niangyao, their eyes couldn't help but be tinged with a hint of awe.

This display by Zhong Niangyao today made everyone realize she was not to be trifled with. Underestimating her due to her age could lead to serious consequences, and Huang Mao was a perfect example.

No one knew exactly what kind of method it was, but seeing Huang Mao's agonized form, they knew what he was going through.

About fifteen minutes later, the flames finally died down.

Huang Mao felt completely drained; as he looked at Zhong Niangyao, his eyes no longer bore resentment but were replaced with fear.

As the searing flames subsided, everyone was shocked to discover that Huang Mao's hand bore no trace of burns.

This made people look at Zhong Niangyao with even more astonishment.

Clearly, Huang Mao noticed this too. But unlike the others, although he saw no burn marks on his hand, he could clearly feel a burning pain from where he had just been burned. The pain did not seem to be a mere surface burn but seemed to emanate from deep within the bones.

A profound fear surged from the depths of his heart, a fear even deeper than when facing the Red-dressed Ghost.

At that moment, he faintly felt that this young girl before him was far more terrifying than the Red-dressed Ghost.