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

When Xu Nian first appeared in the mansion, the maids were all shocked.

After all, she was brightly colored, looking beautiful yet dangerous, very much like an incredibly venomous snake. The maids feared inadvertently getting bitten by this green snake, so they were extra careful in their daily tasks.

However, as they observed that this little green snake was not only harmless but also politely interacted with them, they gradually got used to her presence. It even became a common sight to see the green snake leisurely lazily sunbathing in the courtyard when they passed by the back garden.

Although Mu Yanyu seemed to have a lot of free time, she was, after all, a businesswoman managing several shops. These days, she was busy inspecting the shops and balancing the accounts, so she couldn’t spend time playing with Xu Nian.

To maintain her image in Ji Yuebai’s heart, Xu Nian also refrained from disturbing Ji Yuebai’s cultivation too much.

Thus, Xu Nian returned to her diligent routine of cultivation upon cultivation, finding fulfillment in her disciplined days.

With her hard work and the aid of a divine artifact, she made a small leap in her cultivation level, edging closer to her next advancement.

Just then, Mu Yanyu finished her work. She came looking for Ji Yuebai and Xu Nian, bubbling with excitement: “It’s early spring. How about we go out, enjoy the greenery, fly kites, fish, and even stop by the temple to light some incense?”

Xu Nian thought it was a great idea. She had been wanting to pray for a smooth advancement in her cultivation, and this was the perfect opportunity to have Mu Yanyu contribute some offerings.

She approached Ji Yuebai, her tail gently hooking the hem of her clothes, and looked up at her with round, pleading eyes.

Over time, Ji Yuebai had come to understand her character well. Whenever Xu Nian wanted to go somewhere but was worried about Ji Yuebai’s approval, she would look at her like this, pitiful and hopeful.

Ji Yuebai always found it hard to refuse her: “Okay, let’s go.”

Getting the approval, Xu Nian immediately started discussing with Mu Yanyu:

“Once we catch the fish, we have to grill them. Do we have cumin, cooking wine, chili powder… Are they all ready?”

“Don’t worry about it, leave it to me, all set.”

“What about snacks for the outing?”

“The kitchen has prepared everything, two full boxes of food. Is that enough?”

“More than enough.”

…

Soon, they were seated in a carriage heading to the outskirts. The carriage, custom-made for Mu Yanyu, was not only equipped with shock absorbers but also furnished with soft cushions and pillows, perfect for brewing tea and enjoying snacks.

Once aboard, Xu Nian diligently placed a soft pillow behind Ji Yuebai’s back: “Yuebai, the journey might be bumpy, don’t get tired.”

Recently, she had been working hard to regain the favor Ji Yuebai held for her before the loss of her memory, hoping Ji Yuebai would remember their shared past.

At the same time, she discreetly passed a backrest to Mu Yanyu with her tail, ensuring equal attention and maintaining a good relationship with her potential future benefactor.

Mu Yanyu looked at Xu Nian with a teasing smile, “It’s truly a pity that you reincarnated as a snake.”

Xu Nian, feeling a bit guilty, used her tail to wipe away non-existent sweat, “Not at all, being a snake has taught me a lot.”

Just then, Ji Yuebai set down her tea cup, her cool gaze casually sweeping over the two of them.

Instantly, Mu Yanyu and Xu Nian, both human and snake, became notably more behaved.

Xu Nian feared that her secret efforts to ingratiate herself with Mu Yanyu might be discovered by Ji Yuebai, potentially affecting her favorability.

Mu Yanyu, meanwhile, felt that her subtle undermining of Ji Yuebai’s influence was proceeding smoothly and didn’t want to be caught by Ji Yuebai at this juncture.

Both the human and the snake had their own cunning plans, yet neither exposed the other.

By the time they reached the outskirts, the area was already bustling. Qingshui County, known as a hub for merchant caravans, boasted many residents involved in commerce, making it relatively affluent compared to neighboring counties. As a result, many folks had the luxury to take time off during the busy spring season. They came with mats, claiming their spots and setting out food and drinks, gathering in small groups, embodying the essence of leisure and comfort

Mu Yanyu had wisely sent her servants ahead to secure a prime spot upstream, and she was now gleefully bragging to Ji Yuebai and Xu Nian about her foresight.

Due to the crowd, Xu Nian couldn’t reveal her true form, so she lay between Ji Yuebai and Mu Yanyu, watching them fish.

Perhaps drawing on her previous experience fishing with Xu Nian on ice, Ji Yuebai seemed quite adept this time. She cast her line with bait and quickly caught a big, plump fish.

Seeing this, Xu Nian immediately started to flatter her, “Yuebai, you’re so skilled! I’ve never caught a fish this big.”

Possibly boosted by Xu Nian’s praise, Ji Yuebai’s following attempts were even more successful. She never came up empty-handed; each time she pulled back her rod, a large, wriggling fish was sure to be on the hook.

At first, people were drawn in by her striking beauty, but soon they were captivated by her exceptional fishing skills. Many couldn’t help but keep glancing back at her, and some men even tried to get her attention by surreptitiously tossing flowers toward her feet from a distance.

In contrast, Mu Yanyu was the exact opposite – all style, no substance. Her casting looked professional and elegant, but she hadn’t caught a single fish all day.

After a long wait, Xu Nian saw Mu Yanyu struggling in the water, her movements complex and serious, as if wrestling with a big catch. Xu Nian swam over, ready to heap praise and provide moral support, living up to her role as a pet.

But when the fishing rod jerked up, bringing with it a dark mass…

Xu Nian took a closer look:

— It was a clump of tangled water weeds.

She fell silent for a moment, then turned her head away, pretending to have seen nothing and began to slink away.

But then Mu Yanyu caught her tail, her plea almost painful, “Don’t go, stay. Next time… I’ll definitely catch one next time.”

Xu Nian could only sigh inwardly.

What a hopeless case.

Mu Yanyu’s eyes were even more desperate, “Don’t try to stop me. I’m going to use a net.”

Xu Nian thought to herself, “Anyone who tries to stop you is a fool.”

However, considering that Mu Yanyu had grilled the fish for lunch with her special blend of spices, making them perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, Xu Nian decided she wouldn’t hold it against her.

After all, who would quarrel with a delicious meal served on a platter?

Lying on the mat, enjoying the fish grilled by Mu Yanyu, and appreciating Ji Yuebai’s radiant beauty, and occasionally being tenderly fed by her, Xu Nian felt her snake life had reached its pinnacle.

After their meal, Mu Yanyu and Xu Nian set out to fly kites, but this was no ordinary kite flying.

Xu Nian wrapped her tail around the frame of an eagle-shaped kite and looked back at Mu Yanyu, “I’m ready, hurry, take me flying.”

Mu Yanyu, eager to try, responded, “Just a moment, waiting for the right gust of wind.”

Ji Yuebai silently took out a swift wind talisman and a feather-falling Talisman from her storage bag and attached them to Xu Nian. She even considered taking out her flying sword to join Xu Nian in the sky, but Mu Yanyu and Xu Nian both dissuaded her.

As a strong gust of wind blew, Mu Yanyu seized the moment and launched the kite upwards.

With the kite, Xu Nian soared upwards, climbing high into the clear sky. Her spirit lifted with excitement. The world below shrunk away, and even the people seemed tiny from this height.

Looking down from the kite, Xu Nian saw Ji Yuebai, her snow-white Daoist robe fluttering in the wind, her posture elegant and ethereal, almost celestial. Despite the height making it hard to discern faces, Xu Nian could easily spot her among the crowd.

She then noticed Mu Yanyu, in green attire, waving at her from below. Xu Nian instinctively waved her tail in response, only to realize that she couldn’t be seen from the ground.

Xu Nian let herself be lost in the joy of overlooking everything from above the clouds. Suddenly, she heard faint cries for help coming from below.

Focusing her spiritual energy on her eyes, she looked in the direction of the cries and saw a young girl, about ten years old, cornered up a tree by a two-headed wolf demon in the distance. The girl was pale with fear, crying out for help.

More alarmingly, the two-headed wolf, while calling for its pack, was using its razor-sharp claws to shred the tree trunk. The demon’s attack was so fierce that in less than half a minute, the thick trunk was almost hollowed out. The tree was on the verge of collapsing under the relentless assault.

In a life-and-death moment, Xu Nian didn’t have time to think. She activated the swift wind and feather-falling talismans and leaped from the kite, adjusting her trajectory in mid-air to head straight for the two-headed wolf.

The wolf had called for its pack and was orchestrating a pincer attack, preparing for a final strike against the precarious tree trunk. Its eyes, glowing green, were fixated on the terrified human child clinging to the tree, drool dripping from its frightening, fanged mouth.

Just as the sturdy trunk could no longer withstand the continuous attacks of the two wolves and began to tilt with a cracking sound, the girl fell from the tree.

As the wolves closed in, the girl was paralyzed with fear, her body shaking uncontrollably.

The stench of blood was overwhelming, and it seemed the wolf’s terrifying fangs had already pierced her skin. In despair, she closed her eyes.

But the anticipated pain of being torn apart never came. Instead, she felt a strong gust of wind brush past her cheeks, followed by several “bang, bang, bang” sounds, accompanied by the miserable howls of wolves and the sound of fur and flesh being torn.

After everything settled down, a fragrant breeze wafted by. The girl, who had kept her eyes tightly shut in fear, heard a gentle and pleasant female voice asking, Little girl, are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

Was she saved? Was it a fairy sister who rescued her?

The girl slowly opened her eyes, only to be met with the sight of a huge snake head, its fangs bared and tongue flickering. Its black eyes stared unblinkingly at her, and she fainted in fright.

Xu Nian: “…”

Was it that bad? The girl had remained conscious even when almost torn apart by the two-headed wolves, but now she fainted at just one glance at her. Was she really that frightening?

Feeling a bit hurt, Xu Nian took out a mirror from her storage bag and looked at herself, sighing sadly. People like Ji Yuebai and Mu Yanyu who could appreciate her were rare indeed. Ah, the life of a snake was as lonely as snow.

After briefly comforting herself, she tried to revive the girl using her tail for cardiac resuscitation and pinched her acupuncture point.

“Hey, wake up. Where are your parents?”

Seeing the girl’s eyelids twitch, Xu Nian realized she had regained consciousness and was probably pretending to faint to escape reality.

Realizing it was no use forcing the girl to face her, Xu Nian used her tail to lift the girl onto her enlarged body, planning to set her down near the forest where people were visible, ensuring the girl could safely return home.

She needed to hurry back and inform Ji Yuebai and Mu Yanyu about the presence of demon beasts nearby.

Not far from the forest, Xu Nian heard the girl on her back ask in a trembling voice, “Are you looking for my parents?”

“Yes, where are they?” Xu Nian continued moving without slowing down.

The girl’s voice turned tearful, “Please… just eat me, don’t eat my mom and dad… sob…”

…

After Xu Nian jumped off the kite, the once peaceful riverside was attacked by a horde of demon beasts emerging from the forest. Ji Yuebai, intending to look for Xu Nian, also got caught up in the chaos.

The people nearest to the forest were caught completely off guard. A mutated porcupine suddenly emerged and bit off a person’s head, splattering blood on the faces of those nearby, triggering screams and frantic running.

But humans couldn’t outrun the beasts of the forest. Those who were alone were quickly overpowered and torn apart, their flesh and bones devoured.

Mu Yanyu paled, “How could this happen… This is human territory, there haven’t been attacks by demon beasts for hundreds of years. Besides, it’s spring; there’s no shortage of food in the forest. Why would these beasts come down to attack humans…”

Those who initially tried to scatter and escape were now almost entirely hunted down by the swift demon beasts. The clear river was stained with blood. The few remaining people huddled together, wielding shovels and sticks in a futile resistance, watching helplessly and in terror as they were encircled by the beasts.

Cries of terror gradually permeated the air, engulfing everyone in a deep sense of despair.

Ji Yuebai’s gaze became intense as she assessed the situation. The demon beasts weren’t of a high level, mostly just fourth and fifth-tier, newly sentient low-level demons. A few leading the pack were sixth-rank, but their sheer numbers far exceeded those of the surviving humans.

Once the beasts had surrounded the people, they couldn’t wait any longer. A giant spider, towering as tall as two men, spat a huge web over the crowd, and the rest of the beasts eagerly pounced.

“Put this on and don’t come out,” Ji Yuebai quickly took out a protective cloak from her storage bag and tossed it to Mu Yanyu, then drew her sword and charged into the fray.

Mu Yanyu was about to protest but was stunned into silence by what unfolded before her eyes.

In just a few breaths, the woman in the white Daoist robe had carved a bloody path through the horde of beasts. Her sword moved so swiftly it was almost invisible, the vicious fangs of the beasts never even reaching her robe before they were beheaded.

A sudden outburst of shouts erupted from the crowd:

“It’s an immortal! We’re saved!”

“Don’t be afraid, everyone! The immortal is here to save us. We just need to hold on a little longer to survive.”

The people, who had been plunged into despair, now reignited with hope and began to fight back against the attacking beasts.

The leader of the beasts was enraged. Responding to its command, a multitude of creatures abandoned their assault on the crowd and lunged towards Ji Yuebai, intent on tearing her to pieces and devouring her flesh.

Mu Yanyu’s heart raced with anxiety. Thanks to the cloak, several claws of the beasts that reached for her caused no harm. In her panic, she watched Ji Yuebai worriedly.

But what she saw was a small mountain of beast corpses piling up around Ji Yuebai. There she stood, her wide sleeves and loose black hair fluttering in the wind, her expression solemn, marked by the presence of death.”

Mu Yanyu was so moved by this sight that she couldn’t find her words. After a moment, she murmured to herself, “Maybe this is the real Ji Yuebai.”

Before she could think any further, the tide of beasts quickly filled the gap made by Ji Yuebai. Realizing she was a tough opponent, they stopped attacking her and instead turned their focus to the weaker humans in the encirclement.

After a brief surge of resistance, the people’s strength began to wane. Several on the outer edge were caught off-guard and bitten in half by the lurking beasts, dragged into the horde and devoured, their screams of agony piercing the air.

“Immortal, please save me!”

“I don’t want to die!”

“AAAAAAHHHHH—”

The fearful screams slowly spread, engulfing everyone in profound despair.

The surge of bravery was gradually swallowed by boundless fear.

Suddenly, the ground trembled, and the demon beasts stopped their assault, turning their attention to the source of the disturbance.

Not far off, a massive green snake, as large as a small hill, was rapidly approaching their direction.

The people stared blankly at the serpent. The mere sight of such a terrifying and immense creature instilled a deep fear in them, draining any courage to fight.

But then they remembered, they had an immortal on their side. She would save them; she wouldn’t abandon them.

With hopeful eyes, they looked towards the beautiful immortal, only to be filled with horror as they saw her standing motionless, watching the approaching giant snake, her sword hanging limply in her hand.

Even the immortal was afraid of the giant snake?

In that moment, a sense of utter despair washed over the crowd, the strength to wield their weapons fading, they silently awaited their demise.

But then, an unexpected turn occurred.

The giant serpent stopped in front of the group of demon beasts. In the next moment, the ground shook beneath their feet, and they watched in shock as dozens of the beasts were sent flying high into the sky with a flick of the snake’s tail, then plummeting down, splattering into a mass of flesh and blood upon impact.

The people were stunned, still struggling to comprehend what had just happened.

The ground shook again, and more of the attacking beasts were flung into the air, once again crashing down into a grotesque heap of broken bodies.