The deaf old woman became furious at this sight:
"You wretched beast, ignorant of your own place! I'll teach you a lesson!"
Using the binding immortal rope as a whip, she struck the woman heavily.
A horrifying scream pierced the air as black smoke emanated from the woman.
Despite the intense pain, she continued to move forward step by step.
Her only wish was for the deaf old woman to save her child!
Uncle Li, witnessing this, spoke up:
"Deaf woman, she can speak and cry, has a shadow, is she really dead?!"
The deaf old woman uttered two words deeply:
"Undead!"
"She's already dead, just unaware; it's her determination keeping her going."
Uncle Li's expression turned grave as he asked again:
"If she's dead, what about the child in her belly? Dead or alive?!"
"Alive!" replied the deaf old woman, alertly watching the woman.
"If the child dies, her determination will scatter."
"Then it's one dead, two lives; becoming a ghost in labor, exceedingly malevolent!"
"Our nearby pregnant women will face trouble!"
Uncle Li drew deeply from his pipe:
"If she's alive, we can't just stand by and watch her die!"
"She seems impoverished by her appearance; we must help!"
Upon hearing this, the woman immediately wanted to kneel and kowtow.
But her body had stiffened, and she couldn't kneel!
The deaf old woman, inherently kind-hearted, no longer objected upon hearing Uncle Li.
"Old Li, think carefully. If we try to save the child and fail, the mother and child may immediately become vengeful spirits!"
Uncle Li chuckled boldly:
"Are the Japanese devils fierce? I've dealt with them one by one!"
"Can vengeful spirits be more vicious than Japanese devils?!"
"But I don't know how to deliver a child; I'll rely on you!" he said to the deaf old woman.
Watching Uncle Li's resolute demeanor, the deaf old woman chuckled softly:
"Assisting a dead person in childbirth; it's my first time too."
"Let's hope nothing unexpected happens."
"There are celestial beings inside the house; impurities can't enter. She'll have to give birth in the courtyard."
The deaf old woman instructed Wang San to bring several basins of hot water and marked out an area with black cloth.
At that moment, the binding immortal rope in the deaf old woman's hand began moving on its own.
On the snowy ground, it twisted and turned to form several large characters:
This thing is extremely ominous!
"This..." The deaf old woman hesitated for a moment.
The horrifying nature of what the celestial beings referred to as extremely ominous was beyond imagination!
It seemed the living corpse before them was not as simple as it appeared.
Seeing this, Uncle Li didn't want any danger to befall the deaf old woman's family.
"San'er, go borrow a mule cart from Old Liu's house; I'll take this woman to the town hospital."
Wang San immediately agreed, "Uncle, I'll accompany you."
But the deaf old woman shouted loudly, stopping them:
"You both stay!"
"Sending this kind of uncertain person, neither alive nor dead, to town - isn't that inviting trouble?!"
"I'll deliver her child right now."
"San'er, you step aside and wait at a distance for instructions."
"Old Li, assist me!" she commanded, as human life was at stake and it wasn't a time to avoid suspicion, especially facing someone who was already dead.
Uncle Li promptly agreed: "Sure! Just tell me what to do!"
Ignoring him, the deaf old woman addressed the woman:
"Do you remember your birthdate and time?"
The woman was momentarily stunned, evidently having lost some memories.
After a while, she slowly recollected.
The deaf old woman's face changed drastically after listening:
"Inauspicious year, month, and time; extremely yin body!"
"Plus, tonight is this ghostly day. This is troublesome!"
However, the situation was urgent, leaving no room for the deaf old woman to dwell further:
At this moment, the woman's face contorted, blood trickled from the corners of her eyes.
That black, foul-smelling pus-like blood.
She began cackling, her long hair dancing in the eerie wind.
This indicated that the child in her womb was in grave danger, with the possibility of imminent death.
If the fetus died, the woman would immediately transform into a malevolent ghost.
With both mother and child turning malevolent, it would spell disaster for this small village.
Taking precautions, the deaf old woman ordered loudly:
"Sanwa, go and summon the Great Seal!"
The Great Seal was a symbol of an advanced disciple of a celestial being and an important talisman for exorcism.
Realizing the danger, Wang San promptly went to get it.
After a moment's thought, the deaf old woman continued:
"Old Li, go and fetch your big knife!"
"Hope you weren't just bragging; that knife really killed people!"
Uncle Li laughed heartily, "Deaf woman, rest assured. If the little Japanese devils count as people, my big knife has dealt with not just one hundred, but at least eighty! Watch closely!"
As they spoke, Wang San returned, holding up the Great Seal, and asked, "Mother, why ask Uncle Li for a knife? Is his knife powerful?!"
The deaf old woman, undoing the woman's clothes, replied:
"Powerful? It's not just powerful; it's a killer's weapon!"
"If a person has taken a hundred lives, it's called Hundred Slays."
"A person with a righteous spirit can use it; evil entities dare not come close."
At that moment, Uncle Li returned, his red-tasseled big knife slung over his back, exuding a menacing air!
The gloomy atmosphere around them dissipated significantly.