The Snake King's Reckoning

For three whole years, Wang Tieshan of Qingshan Village caught and ate snakes. One day, a white-haired Snake King lured him into a cave and made him eat three bowls of "snake noodles." His stomach twisted in agony, and he vomited dozens of live snakes. He saw the error of his ways, burned all his snake-catching tools, and swore never to kill another living creature. Three months later, a severe drought struck. To save his fellow villagers, Wang Tieshan ventured alone into the mountains to find water, and with the Snake King's guidance, he opened a spring that saved their lives. But the greedy Squire Cao coveted the Snake King's inner core and led a mob to seize it by force. Wang Tieshan shielded the Snake King with his own body, taking a sword blow meant for it. The Snake King healed his wounds, and their debt of vengeance was settled. From then on, Wang Tieshan guarded the mountain and its snakes, spending the rest of his life repaying his old debt.