What's wrong with a snake that just wants to cultivate and transform?

“Hmph, what does this have to do with me?” Xu Nian mused.

Upon hearing this, Xu Nian felt relieved and turned back towards the inn. Now, with Qi Shaochen’s storage bag and the treasured divine artifact she had fought so hard for, she felt like she hit the jackpot. Aside from the divine artifact, she was particularly interested in the contents of that sly Qi Shaochen’s storage bag, which undoubtedly contained many valuable items.

Xu Nian’s heart fluttered with excitement, and if it weren’t for the injury on her tail, she would have been leaping for joy. She floated into the inn, heading towards her room. But, pausing in surprise, she noticed two unfamiliar men at her door, suspiciously peering inside.

Recalling the “flower thief” incident she overheard on the street, Xu Nian panicked, wondering if they were after Ji Yuebai. One of the men was extinguishing a burning fragrance stick at the window, while the other was silently working on picking the door lock with a thin iron piece.

Without hesitation, Xu Nian rushed towards them.

Zhang Wen and Li Qiao, were infamous the “flower pickers,” they had caused much grief to many families, preying on young women. Due to the shame associated with such incidents, many families refrained from reporting them, allowing these two to continue their crimes unabated.

They had heard about Mu Yanyu, the wealthy and beautiful daughter of the richest man in the south, now owner of the Baibao Pavilion in Qingshui County. Their corrupt minds couldn’t resist the temptation. After enjoying the daughters of many wealthy families, they wondered how much more thrilling it would be with a rich man’s daughter. So, they meticulously planned their attack on Mu Yanyu.

However, on their reconnaissance day, they were completely entranced by the sight of Ji Yuebai leaving Baibao Pavilion. They had never seen a woman so beautiful, and her presence haunted them for days. Noticing the sword at her waist, they guessed she was a cultivator.

Far from being deterred, Zhang Wen and Li Qiao reckoned that sleeping with a female cultivator would be a crowning achievement, even in death. They took every precaution, even hiring different people to track her movements, finally pinpointing Ji Yuebai’s lodging and routine.

But their greed proved to be their downfall. Eyeing both Ji Yuebai and Mu Yanyu, they were caught red-handed by Mu Yanyu, who had gotten up during the night. The incident, involving the county magistrate’s beloved niece, caused a commotion in the county, leading to a late-night manhunt by the patrolling guards.

By morning, the whole county would know, and the beautiful cultivator at the inn would surely be on guard. Finding another opportunity would be next to impossible. Unwilling to let their prey escape, Zhang Wen and Li Qiao gritted their teeth and sneaked back to the inn, making their way to Ji Yuebai’s room.

With their hearts in their throats, they lit the aphrodisiac incense, fearful that the cultivator would wake up and slay them with her sword. Fortunately, there was no other movement in the room even after the incense had burned out.

Zhang Wen and Li Qiao were overjoyed, and just as they finally pried open the door, Zhang suddenly felt a hard object poking his lower back. Irritated, he swatted it away, grumbling, “It’s not the time for jokes.”

But Li Qiao’s voice trembled uncontrollably, “No, no, no… It’s not a joke… Zhang, there’s a snake. Did we… are we… seeing things?”

Confused, Zhang turned around, already disgusted by the smell of urine, to scold Li Qiao for his cowardice, “Useless! It’s just a snake and…”

As he turned, he froze on the spot; his face drained of color, and he trembled uncontrollably. He wanted to flee, but terror rooted him to the ground.

There, a gigantic snake, thick as two men combined, coiled down from the inn’s rafters. Its fierce black eyes glinted like they were eyeing delicious prey. Its sharp fangs gleamed coldly in the night, emitting a terrifying hiss. Suddenly, its massive jaws lunged towards them…

Zhang Wen foamed at the mouth and collapsed, while Li Qiao had long since fainted from fear.

Xu Nian was somewhat disgusted, “These guys really can’t handle a scare. They have the mind of thieves but not the courage. And I spent so long thinking about how to deal with these two without triggering the soul-binding oath.”

She returned to her original size and, still disgusted, used her tail to drag the two men to the inn’s backyard woodshed. Planning to tie them to the stable’s pillar, she intended to play the role of a frightened girl, shouting for help to catch the flower thieves. Once people were attracted to the scene, she planned to shrink and slip away, remaining unseen and unnamed.

Before she could execute her plan, she was interrupted by a noise, suggesting someone else was arriving. Quickly shrinking, she hid in a pile of hay in the stable.

A figure in red deftly vaulted over the backyard wall – it was Mu Yanyu, who had been tracking the flower thieves to the inn. Seeing the two unconscious thieves tied to the pillar, she first took her revenge by fiercely kicking them in their groins. Poor Zhang Wen and Li Qiao, just showing signs of waking up, were knocked out again by her kicks.

Hiding in the stable, Xu Nian praised her internally, “Truly a role model of our times, a woman who matches men in courage. Rich sister, I wasn’t wrong about you.”

Mu Yanyu, upon seeing the flower thieves, didn’t call for help but instead muttered to herself while circling the stable, “Strange, I thought I saw something here.”

Hiding in the hay, Xu Nian wondered, “Did she see me?”

She wanted to sneak away quietly but feared any slight movement might alert Mu Yanyu. So, she lay still under the hay, praying that the lady would maintain her dignity and not rummage through the hay.

Unfortunately, Mu Yanyu, finding nothing after several rounds around the stable, picked up a stick and began to stir through the hay on the ground.

The next second, the hay over Xu Nian’s head was flipped away, and in the darkness, she and Mu Yanyu found themselves in a staring eye to eye.

Mu Yanyu was startled at first, then exclaimed with admiration, “I knew I wasn’t mistaken. This is the same jade-green snake I saw that day. How could someone carelessly leave such a treasure in the stable? They really don’t appreciate its value. I said before that I’d pay a good price for it.”

Gently, she picked up Xu Nian, who was doing her best to maintain the shape of the hairpin she had seen before, and blew away the bits of hay sticking to her, lamenting, “It’s such a pity. How could anyone bear to remove such a beautiful jade-green snake from its mount on that hairpin? Its tail is even damaged. It’s an absolute waste of such a fine piece.”

Xu Nian felt ticklish from her blowing and struggled to maintain her form under Mu Yanyu’s relentless touches. Mu Yanyu’s fingers explored her body, belly, and even the injured tail.

The more Mu Yanyu handled her, the more she admired the craftsmanship of the jade-green snake. The carving was lifelike, the jade was translucent and lustrous, and it felt incredibly smooth and warm to the touch. It truly was a rare and exquisite piece of jade. However, as she continued to caress it, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the jade seemed to move slightly.

H-Huh?

It moved???

Mu Yanyu looked down and saw that the jade snake in her hand had completely changed its shape. Its round eyes seemed somewhat sad, staring unblinkingly at her.

Mu Yanyu blinked, confused.

No, this must be her imagination.

But in the next moment, she quickly found the snake’s weak point and used her thumb to pry its mouth open. She was shocked to see a pair of sharp fangs and a pink tongue inside.