" I am not lying. I am telling you this to make one thing clear: whether you want to die or not, you will die today." Second Elder’s expression grew even more eerie.
Everyone was furious. Someone shouted, "Snakes!"
Indeed, there were many snakes around the lawn. But strangely, they did not crawl toward them directly. Instead, they seemed blocked by something, forming a wall of snakes around the perimeter. It looked terrifying.
"Second Elder, what did you do?" First Elder asked anxiously. He knew Second Elder must have done something. Otherwise, why were there so many snakes? Second Elder’s expression confirmed his involvement.
Second Elder still smiled. He bent down and picked a flower. "I have been in the Yan family for so many years, but you always suppressed me. I could have been First Elder, or even the family head. But you kept me down. So I thought, why not kill you all? Then the whole Yan family will be mine. Who can stop me from becoming First Elder or family head?" His voice grew louder, his expression more ferocious.
His ambition was fully revealed. First Elder could not believe that the quiet Second Elder had such ambitions. He looked shocked.
"Second Elder, do you know what you are doing? Have you forgotten the family head is still here?" First Elder said directly. He hoped Second Elder would return to the right path. Offending Yan Aohan was irrational.
"The family head is powerful, but so what? I have a backup plan." Second Elder looked confident, as if he believed Yan Aohan could not defeat his backup.
"Is your backup this Yan Chun?" Yan Aohan appeared with Zhu Yanyi and others. He dragged a man with him—it was the butler, Yan Chun. Yan Chun looked pale and messy, clearly beaten up.
Who would have thought that Yan Chun, who seemed loyal, was actually Second Elder’s man? He had tried to poison Yan Aohan and the others today, on Second Elder’s orders.
It was supposed to be easy. But attacking without knowing the opponent’s strength was his biggest mistake. Yan Aohan’s companions were all doctors, with excellent medical skills.
Yan Aohan threw Yan Chun in front of Second Elder. Second Elder’s face changed slightly. He looked at the messy Yan Chun, then at Yan Aohan. He still had a backup. "Even if you caught Yan Chun, so what? There are snakes here."
"Are you talking about Snake-Attracting Grass?" Zhu Yanyi spoke up. She walked over, bent down, and picked a flower. She kindly explained to everyone:
"This plant is called Snake-Attracting Grass. It usually does nothing. But when it blooms, it attracts snakes. If there is a patch of it, one flower blooming will make others bloom within a week. Then the smell attracts many snakes. Look, like now. There are many snakes."
Zhu Yanyi looked at the snakes around them and smiled. "But don’t you find it strange? The snakes are here, but why don’t they come over?"
She raised an eyebrow at Second Elder.
Second Elder hadn’t noticed until Zhu Yanyi reminded her. Now she saw it. The snakes were all around, but none came closer. The snake wall only got higher. What was happening?
"What is going on?" Second Elder asked, confused.
She didn’t expect Zhu Yanyi to answer, but she did. "Because we are doctors."
Seeing Second Elder’s stunned look, she said, "You probably didn’t know that the family head’s wife, me, is a little divine doctor."
Everyone knew the family head’s wife was a little divine doctor. Second Elder knew too, but he hadn’t cared.
"Look at your face. You know, but you didn’t care. Now I will tell you. Because I am a doctor, I noticed the problem with the lawn as soon as I arrived." Zhu Yanyi laughed happily, sounding very proud.
"I wondered if planting Snake-Attracting Grass was intentional or accidental. So I made some snake-repelling powder and sprinkled it. That’s why it looks like this."
Zhu Yanyi pointed around. "The snakes still come, but they won’t come closer. The Snake-Attracting Grass still smells, but my powder keeps them away. They can only watch. How pitiful."
Then she turned to Sikong Xuran and the others. "Senior Brother Sikong, you can catch some snakes and get their gallbladders. Save the snake meat. I want to make snake soup and snake ribs. Senior Brother Tianyun can cook them too."
Ouyang Tianyun smiled lightly. "There are really many snakes here. Snake soup and ribs taste good. Salt and pepper snake skin is also nice. I will make it for you." He called out:
"Senior Brother Sikong, Senior Brother Yunfei, Qingyun, let’s go catch snakes. We have enough snake gallbladders for a while. It’s a good thing."
Zhu Yanyi nodded in agreement. "Yes, snake blood is also good medicine. Be careful when killing them. Don’t waste it."
Others would be scared speechless by so many twisting animals. But for Zhu Yanyi, it was just a source of medicine.
They made it look very easy. They used medicine to knock the snakes out. Then they grabbed one, pulled out its fangs to get the venom, drained the blood, took the gallbladder, cut off the head, and peeled the skin. Their movements were smooth and fast. They didn’t care if the people watching were scared.
In fact, Yan Aohan knew when he brought Yan Chun that today would be the end. None of these Yan family members would be left alive. He also decided what to do with the Yan family’s hidden guards. Some would guard this place, and some would protect Yu Qingyun. This way, Yu Qingyun would be safe outside.
This place needed to be emptied. These people could not stay.
They were not really Yan family members anyway. Keeping them would only insult the Yan name.