Encountering a Snake - Chapter 10

That night, the two brothers, Shen Qingxuan and Shen Zhen, lay on their beds with a candle flickering at the head of the bed, chatting face to face.

Most of the conversation was led by Shen Zhen, who talked about strange and interesting things in the officialdom and the new friends he had made, describing their personalities with great enthusiasm. Shen Qingxuan listened for a while, shaking his head slightly. He knew his brother had recently entered the officialdom and had not yet experienced its intricacies, so he was full of excitement and expectations. The future remained uncertain.

As his own brother, Shen Qingxuan hesitated for a moment before pouring a bucket of cold water on his enthusiasm, saying, “You must be cautious in all matters. Do not make friends recklessly before you clearly understand their affiliations. Even if you do make acquaintances, keep a bit of distance. You can always build genuine friendships later.”

Shen Zhen was momentarily stunned. Although he did not say anything, his previous excitement had waned, and he merely nodded in agreement.

Shen Qingxuan knew that his words were too blunt. Shen Zhen might have already understood these principles, but hearing them spoken so candidly made them hard to accept emotionally.

With a sigh, Shen Qingxuan reached out to pat his brother’s head and continued, “Father has great wealth and power, and I know you have no worries about that. But you must consider that the greater the family’s power, the more attractive it is as a target for political maneuvering. As you are new to this world, with little experience and no firm connections, if you are not careful and align yourself with the wrong side, it will be hard to recover. By then, not only will the family’s wealth not help you, it might even lead to… the ruin of the family!”

The last sentence was spoken with hesitation, but it was said nonetheless. Shen Zhen’s body shook slightly under the blanket.

“Brother, I understand,” Shen Zhen said after a long silence. “I came to bid farewell to you before going up the mountain.”

This took Shen Qingxuan by surprise. Shen Zhen looked at him and then lowered his gaze, saying quietly, “Because I know this, I requested to be transferred to Ningyuan County in the south… The paperwork has already been processed, and I will set off at the end of the month. Once I go, the journey will be long and arduous, and I don’t know when I’ll be back…”

Shen Qingxuan furrowed his brow, thinking about where Ningyuan County was. After a long time, he remembered that Ningyuan County was a remote small county in the southern region, characterized by a humid and hot climate, a fierce populace, and rampant bandits. People there were commonly referred to as “Southern Barbarians.”

After a long pause, Shen Qingxuan finally relaxed his furrowed brow and said, “It might be good to go there. With your temperament, you might offend people if you stay in the capital without realizing it. Going there to gain experience and then returning, I will help you when you come back.”

Shen Zhen smiled, put his arm around his elder brother’s neck, and buried his head in his shoulder, saying softly, “I knew you would say that.” After a pause, he continued, “Although it will be a bit tough there, it’s a good place to make achievements. Brother, don’t worry. A few bandits won’t be able to subdue me, and Father has business there, so I don’t need to worry about food and clothing… I’ll be back in no more than ten years.”

Shen Qingxuan remained silent and nodded.

The first separation, especially when it’s from a brother who has grown up with you, is always difficult. Despite the years and the vastly different circumstances, the bond of blood is something that nothing can erase. Both were saddened.

After an unknown period of time, Shen Zhen finally said, “Brother, I know you’re not in good health. But you must promise me to wait for my return.”

Shen Qingxuan was taken aback again, feeling a pang of sorrow, and quickly nodded in agreement, “Of course, I will wait for you. Rest assured, until I see you married and continuing the family’s legacy, how could I just let go?”

Shen Zhen then smiled, “When I return, I will get married and have children. I’ll have two children, and I’ll bring one for you.”

Shen Qingxuan nodded again but thought to himself that he might also marry and have children. However, as this thought crossed his mind, Yi Mo’s face suddenly appeared, startling him. He quickly suppressed these restless thoughts and dared not think further.

The two brothers continued to exchange heartfelt words, and Shen Qingxuan hesitated about whether to tell him what he knew, including the matters related to that large snake, so that his brother wouldn’t worry while away and be concerned about whether he was alive or dead.

After reconsideration, he decided against it.

Although he could speak now, he did not know how long this state would last or what future surprises might occur. He had experienced the ups and downs of fate and did not want his family to be anxious before the outcome was clear.

Moreover, his future with Yi Mo was very uncertain. No one could make any promises.

Besides, promises themselves are hollow and dull. Who would believe them?

In the middle of the night, Shen Zhen had already fallen asleep, his brows and eyes gentle, snuggled beside him just like when they were children, obedient and understanding in front of his elder brother.

Shen Qingxuan touched his brows, lost in thought, remembering that since they were young, people had said that the most similar thing about them was their pair of brows.

The least similar was also this pair of brows.

While Shen Zhen was still full of vitality and innocence, Shen Qingxuan had already developed a pair of gloomy and weary eyes.

Shen Qingxuan sighed silently, adjusted their blankets, and gradually fell into a drowsy sleep.

The following days were busy as Shen Zhen prepared to leave for his new post. The whole family was in a flurry of activity, and even Shen Qingxuan could not refuse, descending the mountain to help.

With a shortage of hands, Shen Qingxuan sent his own servant to assist. Unable to contribute much, he sat quietly in a corner, keeping to himself.

Shen Zhen was busy bidding farewell to friends, visiting inns and restaurants, and couldn’t rest even when back home, as Mr. Shen pulled him to bid farewell to elders and relatives.

This led Shen Zhen to find Shen Qingxuan to complain about how exhausting it was to go out. Shen Qingxuan naturally offered words of comfort and then pushed him into the social gatherings.

Soon, everything was settled, and Shen Zhen set off.

Shen Qingxuan returned to the mountain and resumed his quiet life, counting the sunrises and sunsets, and listening to the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves.

Since parting ways at the hot springs, Yi Mo had not appeared again.

Shen Qingxuan wondered what Yi Mo was busy with or if he simply did not want to see him anymore. Whenever he thought about this, he couldn’t help but sneer. Whether Yi Mo avoided him or not, he would eventually have to see him again when crossing the river next year, wouldn’t he?!

He thought again: Yi Mo—why would someone who is nothing more than a weak cripple matter so much to him? Yi Mo must simply be too lazy to come.

Sitting alone in the room, Shen Qingxuan’s mind raced, unable to come to any conclusions. The more chaotic his thoughts became, the more stifled he felt.

It was as if something was lodged in his chest, making him want to scream desperately, smash something to relieve the tension.

Perhaps the solitude after the recent bustle made him feel even more unsettled.

Feeling his emotions becoming dangerous, Shen Qingxuan grew even more agitated. With nowhere to vent his frustration, he picked up a stack of books on fox spirits and other strange matters that he had collected. Just looking at one page made him want to tear it apart, wishing he could shred all these misleading books into pieces.

Books about fox spirits repaying kindness and achieving happy unions, or infatuated people nurturing flower spirits to win favor… it was all nonsense.

Didn’t the authors know that “human and demon are on different paths”? 

—Human and demon are on different paths.

Shen Qingxuan squinted, chewing on these four words with clenched teeth, repeating them over and over in silence, swallowing them each time. His anger was beyond reason, and his hatred lingered.

Occasionally, he thought of the phrase “all paths lead to the same goal,” but he dared not pursue the thought further.

They were one human and one demon, both men. Even if their paths converged, it would not produce the romantic tales from the books.

At most, it would provide people with some gossip.

Understanding this only fueled Shen Qingxuan’s anger further.

“Did those books provoke you?”

Shen Qingxuan suddenly looked up to see Yi Mo standing by the candle, half of his face hidden by disheveled hair, the other half cast in the flickering shadows of the candlelight. Only his gentle as water eyes were visible, calmly and silently staring at him.

Shen Qingxuan’s hand trembled, scattering the white, snow-like fragments of the pages onto the floor.

He watched as the torn pages fell, and his previously chaotic thoughts seemed to settle with the falling fragments. He suddenly felt a sense of calm.

Neither rushing nor anxious, neither happy nor sad.

He slowly raised his face and gazed into Yi Mo’s silent eyes, which seemed as ancient as an untouched, hidden place from long ago.

“Yi Mo.”

Hearing his own voice echoing in the quiet space, Shen Qingxuan asked, with careful and serious enunciation, “Is it acceptable if my path converges with yours?”

Is it acceptable?