C12 He No Longer Dared to Have Any Ideas about Marmin Xin

Zhao Sheng was not only terrified that the poison coursing through his veins could claim his life at any moment, but he was also astounded by something else: the snake was actually heeding their commands.

"You two... the snake listens to you. Do you have an antidote?"

"Antidote?"

Neither Marmin Xin nor Ma Tianyi had such a thing, but they certainly had no intention of killing anyone.

"Hurry, go get help!"

Faced with this predicament, Marmin Xin was completely flustered and could only think to seek assistance.

"That's what you get for bullying us."

Ma Binn was a man of integrity, often oppressed by his neighbors, though they were never excessively cruel.

But the local children, influenced by their environment, tended to pick on the honest child, Ma Tianyi. Thankfully, Ma Binn had taught his son to be forbearing in the face of adversity, so Ma Tianyi grew up to be good-natured and not vindictive.

That said, Ma Tianyi wasn't about to let anyone walk all over him. Seeing Zhao Sheng, who had just been tormenting them, now speaking in a pleading tone, he couldn't resist intimidating him, "I have many 'Shengs' at my command. They all listen to me. If you dare bother us again, I'll have the snakes bite you."

"Yes, yes, yes..." Whether or not there were actually many snakes was irrelevant to Zhao Sheng, who had already been bitten. His priority was to neutralize the venom and save his own skin!

Besides, Zhao Sheng had witnessed Ma Tianyi directing the snake to attack him, and now the reptile was eyeing him menacingly. The threat of another bite was no idle boast.

"If you dare to call for help, I won't be scared off. I have plenty more snakes." Ma Tianyi, the youth, had faced down larger groups before and was emboldened to keep up the threats.

"Yes, yes, yes..."

With Zhao Sheng's compliance secured, Ma Tianyi took Marmin Xin by the hand, carefully avoiding Zhao Sheng, and they left to summon aid. Soon, the entire neighborhood, including Yang Dali, had gathered. Upon learning that someone had been bitten by a venomous snake, they quickly carried the victim to the nearest clinic for treatment.

How could there be a silver-wrapped iron here?

A venomous snake living near one's home was naturally a cause for fear. So, when Zhao Sheng was sent to the clinic, some people armed themselves to hunt for the snake, starting with Ma Binn's house.

The silver-wrapped iron was supposed to be 'free-range', but the gold-wrapped iron in the cage was quickly discovered.

"This was caught by my brother."

Amidst the crowd's astonishment and pressing questions, Marmin Xin struggled under the intense scrutiny.

"Can it still bite people after being captured?" Yang Dali was the first to voice his skepticism, casting several admiring glances at the almost divine Marmin Xin.

The braver ones among the onlookers boldly scrutinized Marmin Xin, while those with a bit more decorum had eyes that twinkled incessantly.

At that moment, pairs of eyes filled with surprise and fear were fixed on Marmin Xin and Ma Tianyi. The siblings were clearly overwhelmed!

Yet, despite Marmin Xin's gentle nature, she knew it was implausible to claim the snake had bitten Zhao Sheng at Ma Tianyi's command.

What to do?

In that moment, Marmin Xin found herself yearning for her brother and father. They had always taken care of everything for her in the past.

Yes, her brother!

With no hope left for her father's help, Marmin Xin's thoughts naturally turned to her brother, wishing he would appear out of nowhere.

But he did not.

Suddenly, Marmin Xin recalled Ma Tianming's words: a deity had taught him the magic to command snakes.

"It was my brother, my brother?" Marmin Xin stammered, "He said a deity taught him a spell to make snakes obey humans. He even passed that spell to my brother. The man wanted to harm me just now, so my brother had the snake bite him."

Although Marmin Xin was anxious, she spoke the truth smoothly.

But the crowd heard it loud and clear: a deity taught her brother magic to control snakes?

Who could believe such a tale?

Still, some people, including Yang Dali, focused on the part about someone wanting to harm her, finding it quite believable.

Upon hearing Marmin Xin's words, Ma Tianyi took the silver-wrapped iron in his hand.

"Wow!"

Most of the people here were familiar with the silver bag, and at that moment, they were so frightened that they all stepped back. Sure, there were those among them who had caught snakes or had seen others holding snakes, but they always used tools designed for the task.

Perhaps they were snake catchers who had been drinking realgar wine all year round.

But Ma Tianyi, this young man, was well-known to everyone, and no one had ever heard of him being adept at snake-catching!

"Go!" commanded Ma Tianyi to the fearsome silver serpent. The snake obediently slithered from his arm to his head, then around his neck with remarkable docility.

By then, most of the onlookers were convinced. Snakes might be terrifying, but there was a universal desire to master them. Eyes filled with eager anticipation turned to Ma Tianyi, as people clamored to learn his secret to snake taming.

"My brother taught it," Ma Tianyi admitted, not really knowing how to instruct them. Marmin Xin quickly stepped in to explain to the crowd, hoping to prevent any trouble for her brother but needing to pacify the people for the moment.

Marmin Xin remembered Ma Tianming's advice well: "If you can avoid going out, do so."

She also cautioned the others, "We mustn't tell anyone about our ability to play with snakes. If we do, the gods will become angry, and my brother will certainly not teach you how to handle them."

Zhao Sheng lay in the clinic, motionless under the doctor's care, feeling his body gradually succumb to numbness.

"Am I going to die? No, no, no... I can't die!

Ah! Why did I think of harming Miss Xi? Who is she? She's not only beautiful but also kind-hearted. I actually thought of harming her. This is surely karma!"

Zhao Sheng was overwhelmed with a powerful sense of helplessness and regret. The young master might not have been the most popular, but he had never mistreated him!

Why did he think to harm him now?

If he survived this ordeal, he vowed never again to entertain thoughts of harming them and even to persuade the old master against any malevolent actions.

And then there was the fantastical realization that gripped Zhao Sheng: the young lady's little brother had managed to control a venomous silver serpent as if it were a mere servant.

What kind of divine skill was that!

People unafraid of snakes, those who could handle them barehanded or manipulate them with a snake hook, were not uncommon. But to see someone command a deadly, venomous snake with such complete obedience was truly unheard of.

This was an unprecedented event. In the past, whenever I saw someone handling snakes, I could somewhat predict that those snakes were non-venomous. Being bitten by them was akin to a needle prick, leaving nothing more than a tiny puncture on the skin.

But this time, it was the genuinely venomous silver bag iron snake.

"I need to master the art of snake handling."

And as for that detestable old man, Mei Jiangshan... it would serve him right to be bitten by the silver bag iron. He had it coming for bullying the master.

What's more, it's not like people can't see through his intentions: that old geezer has his sights set on the young lady. He seems oblivious to how unsuitable he is for her.