Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The White Snake’s Past

The white snake moved slowly, its massive body gliding effortlessly like a fish, nimbly weaving through the peaks, rocks, and cliffs of the valley.

Its reflection in the water, however, was that of an elegant and graceful woman in a white dress.

“Xiao Qing, you’re thinking too much about it. It’s not my heart’s blood. It was just that in my past cultivation, I casually performed some good deeds in the eyes of mortals and unknowingly accumulated merits and blessings. Before I knew it, I had formed that body.”

“Since it’s no longer suitable, I’ll simply shed it like a snake sheds its skin. It’s no big deal.”

The woman in green recalled something, her heroic and beautiful face clouded with hatred. She clenched her fists, but not wanting to appear hysterical in front of the white snake, she calmed herself and maintained a peaceful tone.

“Protecting this land for hundreds of years, yet it couldn’t withstand a few accusations from a foreign monk. As soon as he said you were a demonic creature, deceiving the people’s piety, their faces changed…”

In the past, during her cultivation, whenever the white snake encountered droughts or floods in the local area, she would casually help out. The people’s prayers and gratitude transformed into merits and blessings, accumulating within her.

Over centuries, the locals even built a White Snake Temple for her, offering continuous worship every year. Those intangible merits and blessings accelerated her cultivation, making her human form incredibly powerful.

At that time, the white snake was considered an auspicious beast by the local people.

The green snake and the white snake were sisters, but their personalities were completely different. The green snake disliked interacting with humans and disapproved of her sister helping them, believing that good intentions wouldn’t be rewarded and that humans would eventually betray them.

But regardless, the green snake would occasionally help out at the White Snake Temple, not to help the humans, but simply to share her sister’s burden.

The establishment of the White Snake Temple wasn’t entirely a good thing. Some people, hearing about its efficacy, treated it as a wishing well.

One day, a scruffy middle-aged man spoke disrespectfully at the White Snake Temple because he hadn’t won any money at the gambling den despite offering incense.

The green snake, already disgusted with humans, angrily threw the gambler dozens of miles away, leaving him half-dead.

This was the beginning of all misfortunes. The gambler, spared from death, sought out a powerful monk.

Seeing the green snake in the temple, the monk immediately used a magical tool to force her to reveal her true form, then accused the people of blindly worshipping a false deity, treating a demonic creature as a god.

Although the white snake wanted to explain, seeing the monk attack her sister, she naturally wouldn’t stand idly by.

The monk was defeated, but the people witnessed the fight and became afraid of the white snake in the temple, believing they had empowered a demon with their worship.

The white snake statue in the temple was only as thick as a young girl’s arm, but the true form it revealed was terrifyingly huge!

Hundreds of years of favorable weather, peace, and prosperity couldn’t compare to the monk’s righteous accusations.

The white snake chose to leave with her sister temporarily, giving the people time to calm down. However, that very night, the White Snake Temple was vandalized and burned down.

That land was a gathering place for humans, but it was also the home of the white snake and the green snake for a long time, filled with memories. Now, everything had changed…

It was as if they had woken up from a long, beautiful dream, shattered by the monk’s harsh words and magic.

That year, the white snake, seeking peace, refused her sister’s request to accompany her and went on a solitary journey, where she found the boy in the wilderness.

Although the green snake didn’t follow the white snake on her journey, she would occasionally “encounter” her. During one such encounter, she saw the child in her sister’s arms and knew that she was being kind again. She wanted the white snake to abandon the child, lest they repeat the tragedy of the White Snake Temple.

The two had even argued about it. The green snake couldn’t believe that after experiencing betrayal, her sister would actually quarrel with her over a human child!

This led to a long period of estrangement…

The woman in green emerged from her memories, her attention returning to the present. Her gaze refocused, and she sighed deeply.

“Sister, how long will it take for you to reshape your body?”

“It won’t take long. It’s like shedding old snake skin. I just want to discard that shell infused with merits and blessings and sever my connection with that land.”

Having lived in that place for so long, the white snake had received worship and faith from generations of people, almost becoming a local deity.

She could still sense the subtle happenings there, and the invisible bond still connected her to that land, making her uncomfortable.

Although abandoning that body of meritorious deeds would result in losing some magical enhancement, it wouldn’t significantly affect her current level of cultivation.

Even if her power decreased, it would be negligible.

A clear mind and peaceful state of being were more important!

“Sister, what about that child? Have you fattened him up and eaten him yet?”

The woman in green asked with a serious expression, clearly hoping her sister would reply with “Yes,” even though she knew it was unlikely.

The reflection of the white snake in the water revealed a helpless smile. “I left Wuji in the capital of the Lihuo Kingdom, with my vessel. When those pills run out, the vessel will probably decay… He will gradually get used to life in the human capital and maybe even find his family.”

The green snake was stunned and looked surprised. “Sister, you didn’t tell him about your true form?”

Seeing the white snake’s silence, the green snake immediately understood.

Her sister was quite fond of that child, but she was also worried that he would react like those villagers upon seeing her true form as a white snake…

So she chose to leave without saying goodbye.

She left behind her vessel and the pills to maintain it, giving Chu Wuji enough time to adapt to his new life as a human.

“Xiao Qing, I need some time to reshape my body now. Can you go and help me…”

“No.”

The woman in green refused swiftly and decisively. Her sister probably wanted her to check on that child.

At this stage, with the pills almost consumed, even if that child remained by Bai Sujin’s vessel, he would have to face the reality of its impending decay and move on to the next stage of his life.

The white snake wasn’t angry at the refusal and rephrased her request. “I won’t force you. I’ll go and see him myself in a while.”

The green snake frowned. Her sister needed to reshape her body now; how could she casually wander around?

“Alright, alright, I’ll go in a while. Sister, you focus on recuperating here!”

***

Lihuo Kingdom, Capital City

A few days had passed since Si Que and the little princess’s late-night visit.

Princess Yao’er would occasionally come to Chu Wuji’s house to play with the cat. This little princess, although seemingly innocent and well-behaved, would sometimes say surprising things.

—Brother Chu, this little white tiger is so lonely in the Palace. Can we invite its mother to live with it?

She practically wanted Chu Wuji to capture the entire tiger family…

Fortunately, the little princess was just talking and wouldn’t be so unreasonable as to actually demand it.

During these days, what Chu Wuji was most concerned about wasn’t the distinguished guest in his home, but the news about the renowned physician from Si Que.

“Princess Yao’er, what about the renowned physician we talked about the other day?”

The young girl was squatting nearby, playing with the little white tiger. Hearing Chu Wuji’s question, she shuffled over to him on her knees, looking playful and mischievous.

“You only need to call me ‘Princess’ in front of outsiders, otherwise, they’ll blame you for violating etiquette and rules. In private, you don’t have to be so formal. Didn’t you say you don’t like being restrained by rules?”

“Alright, then should I call you Yao’er or Miss Xiùhǔ from now on?”

Satisfied, the girl finally answered Chu Wuji’s question. “Sister Que has been running all over the capital these past few days, visiting those famous physicians. But those doctors seem to have disappeared. Sister Que has visited several places without finding them. She went out again today to look for them.”

Si Que hadn’t expected to be unable to find anyone at first. She had planned to invite a retired imperial physician from the palace to fulfill Chu Wuji’s request.

That physician was highly regarded by the Jing’an Palace and had even participated in refining the Black Jade Soul-Returning Pill. He was the most suitable person to treat Chu Wuji’s mother.

Unexpectedly, the old man had gone out, and there was no news from him even after several days.

Chu Wuji nodded, thinking that they had been stood up. Knowing that Si Que had been busy running around for him, he didn’t press the matter further.

“Yao’er, let me escort you back to the Palace. I need to go to the martial arts division later. The competition arrangements should be announced soon.”

“I’ll go with you, Brother Chu! I’ve never been to the martial arts division before!”

“It’s not appropriate for me to take you there without permission, is it?” Chu Wuji looked troubled, as if deeply concerned about the little princess’s safety.

In reality, he simply found it troublesome. With the little princess by his side, he would have to slow down and cater to her.

Chu Wuji planned to go quickly and return quickly after checking the arrangements to accompany his godmother. He didn’t intend to chat and wander around with this little girl.

Princess Yao’er insisted, “The Shenji Academy is close to the imperial palace. I can go to the palace to play afterwards. Just take me there! What danger is there to worry about?”

Chu Wuji asked tentatively, “You don’t need me to pick you up and bring you back, right?”

A question mark appeared above the girl’s head as she stared at Chu Wuji in surprise.

She had thought that Chu Wuji was worried about encountering danger on the way, but it turned out he was concerned about… being too lazy to escort her back to the Palace?!

“I can take you to see the imperial palace, Brother Chu~! Ordinary people don’t have this opportunity!”

Chu Wuji, considerate of the little princess’s feelings, said sincerely, “Would you be angry if I said I wasn’t interested? If so, then pretend I didn’t say anything.”

The girl pouted, looking unhappy, then compromised, “Fine, then just take me to the Shenji Academy. You don’t have to pick me up. I’ll stay in the palace for the night!”

***

Chu Wuji, temporarily acting as a guard, brought the little princess to the martial arts division.

Yu Hualong had been waiting for Chu Wuji to appear these past few days. Finally seeing him today, he planned to casually say a few provocative words nearby, hoping to stimulate him and remind him about Yunhe Town.

These words didn’t have to be said directly to his face, as long as Chu Wuji could hear them.

Ears might be attached to one’s body, but what they heard wasn’t always up to their owner.

Just as Yu Hualong was about to approach and made eye contact with Chu Wuji, he noticed Princess Yao’er beside him.

Yu Hualong paused and, without hesitation, turned and left.

This was someone he couldn’t afford to offend!

“Eh, isn’t that Junior Brother Chu?”

A few fellow disciples who were close to Chu Wuji gathered around. As soon as they met, they tossed him a big steamed bun, as if offering a cigarette.

Martial artists consumed a lot of energy and easily got hungry. They had to carry snacks with them when they weren’t training.

These fellow disciples had limited knowledge and couldn’t recognize Princess Yao’er’s identity. They could only tell that she was wealthy and noble, judging from her clothes. Feeling intimidated, they didn’t dare to speak to her.

Their attention was focused on Chu Wuji’s opponents in the competition, analyzing their information like experts in the martial world.

After discussing for a while, they started chatting about recent interesting events.

“Junior Brother Chu, we heard something interesting yesterday. Can you guess what it is? Those esteemed physicians actually went to Yunhe Town themselves to fight over medicinal herbs! Those old men must have been red in the face with anger!”

Martial artists often got injured and had to interact with physicians, especially those famous ones who were known for their temper and arrogance!

Who hadn’t been given the cold shoulder by them?

It was hard for them to imagine these elderly men lowering themselves to snatch up medicine, hence they found it amusing.

The speaker had no ulterior motive, but the listener did.

“Did this happen just recently?” Chu Wuji’s expression turned serious.

He inexplicably recalled the recent strange rumors about Yunhe Town.

The supply of fresh shrimp had been intermittently disrupted, stuck in Yunhe Town. Now even the physicians’ medicinal herbs were stuck there?

Was it really that serious?

“I think so. I heard people talking about it during dinner. They said that if you injure your muscles or bones these days, you’ll just have to endure it because there are no physicians available to treat you,” replied the senior brother, who never let go of his steamed bun.

Chu Wuji asked anxiously, “Princess Yao’er, what’s happening in Yunhe Town? Can the Palace find out?”

The little princess usually didn’t pay attention to such matters. She thought for a moment and said, “I remember Sister Que seemed to be taking people to Yunhe Town this morning… Should I go to the palace and ask for you, Brother Chu? Aunt Empress will definitely know!”

The fellow disciples, who were about to continue chatting, suddenly fell silent. They looked at Chu Wuji and then at the young girl with confusion.

She addressed Junior Brother Chu as “brother,” but what did she just call the Empress…?