I was afraid they might start arguing again, so I quickly explained, "Grandfather, the parasitic worm and its host have a connection. When you take the salt, you'll feel thirsty, and the worm will crave water too. Once that happens, we can use the water to lure the worm out."
The terrifying part of the worm poison is its toxicity.
However, the Six-Linked Worms were being used by the enemy to restrict me from breaking the dragon mouths. The poison should be contained inside the worms; as long as they don't die, the toxins won't be released in large amounts and aren't fatal.
After all, if Su Dazhuang died, their setup would no longer threaten me. I could destroy the Five Poisons on the dragon mouths anytime and suppress the dragon mouths again.
My second uncle poured the entire bag of salt into Su Dazhuang's mouth, forcing him to swallow it. After shaking the bag and ensuring not a single grain was left, he asked me, "How many of the Five Poisons did you kill?"
"Snake, centipede, toad."
My second uncle said, "Three of the Six-Linked Worms were killed. The worms inside Su Dazhuang are weak now and can't hold up for much longer. Go to the kitchen and bring me a bowl of water. Also, set up a White Tiger formation, the Three Killings in the North are weakening."
I quickly brought the water over.
Su Dazhuang's throat was burning from the salt, and he couldn't speak. When he saw the water in my hand, he lunged for it.
My second uncle firmly held Su Dazhuang down. "If you want to die, then drink. I'll go handle the inheritance paperwork tomorrow."
Su Dazhuang's chest heaved, and his face, already black, turned even redder.
I quickly said, "Grandfather, you can't drink the water yet, or all our efforts will be in vain. Just get close to the bowl and open your mouth. The worm will smell the water and come out."
After swallowing an entire bag of salt, I imagined that even the most miserly person, if offered a drink of water at the price of millions, wouldn't hesitate to hand it over.
But Su Dazhuang, being an old soldier, had great self-control. He moved closer to the water bowl, closed his eyes, and endured the thirst.
Seeing Su Dazhuang cooperating, I went to prepare the White Tiger formation.
If there's any trickery involved, I would now place it in the west, forcing it to remain there. With the White Tiger rising, not only would the Three Killings in the North be amplified, but the evil qi throughout the entire villa would also increase several times.
This is the concept of "form" in feng shui.
In feng shui, form accounts for 80 to 90% of the practice. Whether we're observing mountains or assessing the yin-yang of a house, we always talk about what it resembles—this is the form. The form gives rise to momentum, which creates the situation. With a proper situation, one can gather energy and form auspicious locations for feng shui.
But Su Dazhuang's family didn't have pets, so where could I find a cat at this late hour?
If there were a carrot, I could carve one out to resemble a tiger.
In my moment of desperation, I thought of Huang Jiu on my shoulder.
Since Huang Xian'er's arrival, it had been quieter, often making me forget it was even there.
I took it off my shoulder and said, "Huang Bro, could you go to the western corner and pretend to be a tiger?"
Huang Jiu didn't say yes or no but instead quietly asked, "Li Bro, have you noticed something different about Second Uncle today?"
I nodded, about to say that Second Uncle might be hiding some abilities.
But before I could speak, Huang Jiu remarked, "He just wants to show off in front of Su Dazhuang."
I froze for a moment, then looked at it.
It really is a clever one!
Now, without Second Uncle saying a word, I could already feel the Three Killings in the North weakening.
I didn't dare waste time. If the return dragon qi overtakes the Three Killings, the person would likely break through the door.
As for Second Uncle hiding his abilities, I thought it was only natural, since Grandpa often reminded me to keep my skills hidden.
Second Uncle was Grandpa's son, so Grandpa must have told him the same thing.
But if Second Uncle truly had this kind of ability, it would mean that Grandpa didn't teach me everything, and the true inheritance might have gone to him.
Plus, Left Dao Ran knew Grandpa and inexplicably praised him, making me feel that Grandpa wasn't just a half-baked practitioner—he was actually quite powerful.
But Grandpa didn't get the last volume, which is something I'm sure of.
So where did his abilities come from?
I couldn't figure it out.
In that brief distraction, I put Huang Jiu on the ground and said, "Huang Bro, it's up to you!"
Huang Jiu didn't miss a beat, running over to the western corner, baring its teeth and acting tough as it stretched out its short legs, asking me, "Li Bro, do I look like one?"
Looking at it, I couldn't help but feel speechless.
But asking a weasel to pretend to be a tiger was asking for the impossible.
I quickly realized this wouldn't work, so I remembered seeing a lucky cat statue at the corner of the second-floor stairs when I first entered. I hurried upstairs and grabbed it.
I was surprised when I picked it up—it was solid gold and weighed at least five or six kilograms.
Talk about being extravagantly wealthy.
I hurried to let Huang Jiu move aside, took the battery out of the lucky cat, and stopped its paws from moving around, as its cute little motions wouldn't give the impression of a tiger at all.
Fortunately, the lucky cat had a tiger-like shape.
Once placed down, the Three Killings in the North were significantly enhanced.
With this suppression, that person wouldn't be able to enter for the time being. After dealing with the worm poison inside Su Dazhuang, I could finally make my move.
Even if he really could fly, I believed that with Second Uncle and me working together, we could press him to the ground and crush him.
Once I set up the White Tiger formation, Second Uncle signaled for silence.
The servants dared not even breathe, their eyes wide in fear as they stared at Su Dazhuang's mouth.
I quietly moved closer and saw that a small gecko, about the size of a pinky, was sitting on Su Dazhuang's tongue.
The creatures used in sorcery have a special toxin that paralyzes a person's nerves, so the host never feels their presence.
But from the looks in our eyes, Su Dazhuang must have guessed what was happening. He didn't dare move.
The little gecko, which seemed to have been born recently, was translucent and its abdomen was swelling and contracting. It flicked its tongue from time to time, sensing the water in the air.
When I approached earlier, I made a slight sound, causing it to turn its head and reposition, but thankfully, it didn't retreat back into Su Dazhuang's body.
We waited quietly for five or six minutes. Su Dazhuang's tongue had started turning pale, his lips cracked. Finally, the little gecko couldn't resist the water and poked half of its body out of Su Dazhuang's mouth, trying to drink.
At the moment it poked its head out, Second Uncle struck like lightning. Using two fingers, he pinched the little gecko and pushed it into the water bowl, drowning it.
When the gecko stopped moving, Second Uncle squeezed its abdomen hard, causing it to deform, before releasing it.
Su Dazhuang quietly asked, "Li Er, has it been hiding in my mouth this whole time?"
Second Uncle wiped his hands and nodded.
Su Dazhuang's face went even paler, and he cracked his dry lips, asking, "Can I drink water now?"
I nodded and glanced at Second Uncle. The way he had struck earlier, with such speed, precision, and timing, was beyond what I could do with my nails.
It was a level of expertise I could only admire.
Thankfully, this was my Second Uncle. The more capable he was, the more I could relax and trust him.
Su Dazhuang immediately ordered the servants to bring him water.
Although the evil qi had been neutralized, there were still residual effects, and I worried something might go wrong. So, I personally carried the water bucket over.
As Su Dazhuang drank deeply, I finally asked Second Uncle what to do next.
And I reminded him that Huang Jiu saw the person fly.