Chapter 2, The Weasel Celebrates Its Birthday

He is still a stutterer! Moreover, he stutters quite severely, having spoken for a long time without making himself clear. The temple has grown very quiet, as everyone is listening to that old man speak, but he has stuttered for so long without getting to the point. The old weasel on the master chair has become somewhat impatient and said to that old woman, "Aunt Huang San, unseal that kid and let him speak!"

In front of the old yellow weasel, a young yellow weasel was bowing, while seven or eight other young yellow weasels were tapping on pots, pans, and dishes nearby, creating a festive and joyful atmosphere. Among them, one was holding a child's toy plastic trumpet, continuously blowing a rhythmic sound. When Wang Xiaobai was carried in, all the weasels were momentarily stunned, staring blankly in his direction.

After much discussion, it became clear that the roast chicken prepared by Huang Lao Qi was offered through incense for a total of forty-nine days. It is not to say that the roast chicken, having been offered with incense, possesses extraordinary spiritual energy that could grant immortality upon consumption, but it does carry some spiritual essence and is exceptionally fragrant. The plan was to present it today to celebrate the birthday of Lord Huang Er. However, at the last moment, it was ruined by Wang Xiao Bai. Lao Qi is a minor wild immortal, affiliated with the temple under Huang San Gu, and lacks high qualifications. He originally intended to take this opportunity to showcase his abilities and win favor with Lord Huang Er. After guarding that roast chicken for forty-nine days, only to have it destroyed by Wang Xiao Bai, all his efforts went to waste. In a fit of anger and humiliation, he summoned a dozen brothers and bound Wang Xiao Bai at the Huang Xian Temple.

Several weasels first bowed three times to the moon on the ground, then raised their heads and took deep breaths towards the moon, appearing intoxicated. Some young weasels were wandering excitedly near a small temple, and there were even some weasels holding bottles of white liquor and drinking. A bonfire was also lit a little further to the right.

Master Huang Er is an old immortal and would not seek revenge on Wang Xiaobai for such a trivial matter. However, if there is no sign of acknowledgment at all, it may hurt the filial piety of Huang Laoqi. If Huang Laoqi feels uncomfortable in his heart and goes to trouble Wang Xiaobai again, it would be unnecessary and could lead to undesirable consequences.

Wang Xiaobai realized that he had entered a den of fairies, or rather, a celestial temple. Fortunately, he woke up early and saw so many strange things, which allowed him to adapt somewhat, and his nerves became a bit more resilient; otherwise, he would have fainted from fright long ago. He was relatively clever and understood that at this moment, he had to feign weakness and submit, or else he would be doomed.

Huang Sanggu, caught between laughter and tears, patted Wang Xiaobai on the shoulder and said, "Don't be afraid, Sanggu won't harm you. What exactly is going on? Tell Sanggu, and I will send you home later."

The weasel known as Old Seven was quite angry. He shouted and threw a half-broken bed board onto the ground, took a few deep breaths, and spoke in human language: "Old... old ancestor... Third Aunt, this little... little rascal..."

The triangular eyes, pitch black, not only have eyebrows but also whiskers, which are somewhat grizzled. What astonished Wang Xiaobai the most was that this transformed weasel actually had double eyelids

The three heads knocked together quite solidly, and Old Master Huang smiled as he lifted his pipe bowl, saying: "Get up, this child's head is indeed quite solid! He is also someone who can speak..."

First, build a rapport and speak in a more affectionate manner. Huang Sangu is a woman, soft-hearted, so she won't be harsh on herself. It's just a matter of acting a little spoiled. This is what Wang Xiaobai thought and also what he did. Unexpectedly, Huang Sangu's face flushed, and she retorted, "Who is like your mother? I am still a young lady."

In the center of the temple, slightly towards the back, there is an ancient and elegant armchair. Sitting on this armchair is a weasel, the size of a goat. This weasel has truly become a spirit, dressed in a blue robe, wearing cloth shoes with layered soles, and its two front paws adorned with a pair of jade rings. It holds a pure copper smoking pipe, from which wisps of smoke rise ethereally.

The weasels are in the majority, along with some foxes, snakes, hedgehogs, and mice. The yard is also filled with various items, not to mention the grains, various fruits, dry tobacco leaves, walnuts, hazelnuts, cigarettes, ... and there is even a box of unopened yogurt ...

Wang Xiaobai felt utterly weak, unable to even move a finger, let alone run. Yet, this did not prevent his mind from wandering, yearning for mercy, but his mouth could not open in despair as he was carried by a weasel, wandering through the night. The wandering did not last long before he arrived at a pitch-black forest.

Old Master Huang took a puff of his pipe, looked at Old Seven Huang, and said with a smile: "Old Seven, your family’s Second Master doesn’t lack for this roast chicken to eat. A boy of one and a half, who isn’t a bit mischievous? How about this: today is my birthday, let this little fellow bow to me three times, and that will count as your birthday wishes for me. I, as an old man, will appreciate this favor from you, and consider it as if I’ve eaten the roast chicken. Afterward, don’t go looking for trouble with this little fellow. I will teach you a few things about cultivation, and we’ll let this matter pass. What do you think?"

A dozen or so weasels, without pause, carried Wang Xiaobai into the temple. Upon entering the temple, Wang Xiaobai became even more frightened. The small temple appeared to be quite modest from the outside, yet inside it was a different world altogether, measuring approximately over one hundred square meters. Torches hung on the walls, burning brightly, which made the room very warm

After Huang Lao Qi finished speaking, Huang San Gu noticed his anxious and pale face, and turned to Huang Er Ye, saying: "Er Ye, this is also Lao Qi's heartfelt filial piety. After more than forty days of effort, to say it was ruined is indeed painful. It is normal to feel angry as well. Er Ye, what do you think about this matter..."

Huang Sangu walked up to Wang Xiaobai and blew a puff of air at him. Wang Xiaobai suddenly felt a chill run through his body, bone-chillingly cold, and he couldn't help but shiver. To everyone's surprise, after he was able to move, he burst into tears and cried out: "I am still a child!"

It is now autumn, and although it is not yet October, the leaves on the trees have nearly all fallen. The crisp fallen leaves make a crunching sound when stepped on. The weasels are not large in size, yet they are carrying half of a broken bed board on which Wang Xiaobai is sitting, making their progress somewhat laborious. The weight beneath their feet is unavoidable, and the sound of stepping on the leaves is rather loud, especially in this quiet forest. To Wang Xiaobai's ears, it feels somewhat thrilling.

Wang Xiaobai woke up to find himself in this situation, being carried away by a group of weasels without knowing where they were taking him. Remembering the events of the day, even a fool would know that it was the vengeful weasels, now transformed, who were retaliating against him. But he hadn't done it on purpose; he had accidentally damaged the shrine. Moreover, he wasn't the only one in the room at the time; Chen Jianbin and that kid Shuangshan were there too. Why was he the only one being captured?

The flattery fell flat, and Wang Xiaobai no longer dared to be arrogant. He pretended to be pitiful, recounting the events, mentioning that he accidentally broke the shrine and saw a weasel... Huang Sanggu sighed and said to the weasel named Lao Qi: "Lao Qi, just a mischievous young boy, what does it matter if he broke the shrine? It's just a few pieces of wood. You can have Zhao Quezi make another one; is there really a need to tie this child up? It's not that I'm criticizing you, but the way you're handling this isn't right. Even if you have some abilities, it shouldn't be used like this!"

Huang Sangu's tone was gentle, and coupled with the fact that Wang Xiaobai saw the yellow talisman on the altar in the old cripple's house, which bore the name of Huang Sangu's deity, it was even more striking that the statue resembled the Huang Sangu before him by seven or eight points. If he still did not understand what was going on, then he would truly be foolish. It should be noted that Wang Xiaobai was also a person of experience; when he graduated from elementary school, he had gone to the capital with his father and witnessed the flag-raising ceremony.

A rather large weasel approached Wang Xiaobai, and in a flash, it transformed into a woman in her thirties, quite beautiful, dressed in purple clothing, with almond-shaped eyes and a pointed chin, though her complexion was somewhat yellowish. Frowning, she sharply asked the weasel carrying Wang Xiaobai at the front: "Lao Qi, why did you bring a half-grown boy here today for Lord Huang Er's grand birthday celebration?"

Wang Xiaobai went through initial fear, terror, and despair, but gradually adapted to the forest. The problem was that being afraid was of no use, so he simply widened his eyes and watched where this group of weasels would take him. After about ten minutes of walking through the forest, the surroundings suddenly opened up. In the middle of the forest, there was a flat area, and in this flat area stood a small temple, along with a courtyard.

The weasel named Lao Qi, upon hearing Huang Sangu's words, turned pale with anxiety and said: "S-S-Sangu, it's not about the shrine, it's about my roast... roast chicken that this little brat ruined... mine is not just ordinary..."

Having caused such a great disaster and offended Master Huang, Wang Xiaobai did not expect that his cleverness would immediately kick in. Fearing that Master Huang might have a change of heart, his legs no longer trembled. He quickly ran over, prostrated himself on the ground, and began to bow his head, while reciting auspicious phrases: "May Master Huang's fortune be as boundless as the East Sea and his life as enduring as the Southern Mountain's ancient pines. I bow to you..."

At this moment, he suddenly noticed three swirls on the crown of Wang Xiaobai's head. His expression changed abruptly, no longer appearing lazy and kind. The smoking pot was pressed against Wang Xiaobai's shoulder as he asked in a low voice to Huang Sangu, who was standing beside him: "Sangu, how many of our people are still on the big ridge?"

A clever child has clever ways. Wang Xiaobai, with tears and snot, clutched Huang Sangu's sleeve and cried, "I am a good child. They scared me to death. Sangu, I see you as kind, just like my mother!"

The forest is very dark, with occasional moonlight filtering through the gaps in the trees, casting strands of light. The interplay of light and shadow suggests that something has happened. Gazing at this strange procession, the sounds of the wind around create a series of eerie howls in the woods, not a mere whimpering sound, but more like someone in agonizing cries.

There is no road near the forest; it is a wild woodland. In the northeast, such old forests are abundant, often accompanied by terrifying and bizarre legends. Ordinary people would not venture inside, yet this group of weasels boldly carried Wang Xiaobai into the woods. As soon as they entered the forest, Wang Xiaobai felt an eerie chill; the temperature inside the woods was surprisingly much lower than that outside.

Master Huang Er has spoken, how could Huang Lao Qi dare to refuse? Moreover, he has also benefited from it, having been personally guided by Master Huang Er, which is worth a great deal of effort. Thus, he chose to remain silent. Master Huang Er looked at Wang Xiaobai and said: "Today is my birthday, and your presence here is also a matter of fate. Come, call me 'Er Ye' and bow to me three times, and I will have San Gu send you back."

The small temple with red bricks and red tiles is brightly lit inside, while outside, several weasels are dancing joyfully. A few of them, wearing skulls on their heads, are kneeling on the ground to worship the moon. There are seven or eight weasels paying homage to the moon, all larger than wild dogs. Some of the skulls they wear are quite fresh, stark white, while others are old and dilapidated, with a withered yellow appearance.