Encountering a Snake - Chapter 6

V2C6

In the distance, the crowing of roosters broke the silence of the night. As dawn arrived, Ji Jiu opened his eyes to find another person beside him, holding him in their arms, soundly asleep. He was in such deep slumber that even Ji Jiu’s waking did not disturb him. Ji Jiu was taken aback by this unfamiliar scene; once he recognized the person’s face, he immediately flipped over and scrambled to put on his clothes in a rush, not even bothering to wear his shoes, running out barefoot as if pursued by fierce ghosts or beasts, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him.

Outside the military camp was a river. Due to the terrain, the water was not clear, appearing a murky yellow tainted with sand. A mile away from the riverbank lay a village; because the river water was dirty, every household dug wells for drinking water. Thus, this river became the designated source for washing the livestock in the camp.

Ji Jiu rushed to the riverbank without pausing for breath, then jumped into the water without a second thought.

The guards who had followed him were momentarily stunned, watching their general sink beneath the surface, unsure of what to do. After regaining their senses, they prepared to call for help, but then remembered that their general was an excellent swimmer. Unless someone held his head underwater and tied his hands and feet, how could he possibly drown? Therefore, their general surely wasn’t trying to commit suicide. What was he doing then? Swimming out from the military tent at dawn? It was utterly unbelievable.

The guard stood by the shore for a moment, unable to resist calling out toward the rippling surface of the river, “General, General, General?”

Ji Jiu held his breath as he sank into the depths, the water pressing against him from all sides until his chest felt like it might explode. He suddenly leaped out of the water, shaking the droplets from his face, and glanced at the dark figure on the shore. After a moment of silence, he said, “Just feeling troubled, came to take a bath.”

The guard was momentarily dumbfounded, then said, “General, while this river is flowing water, it’s still used for washing horses and night pots in the camp… Why bother bathing here?” It was hardly clean.

Ji Jiu smiled slightly, his face unreadable in the shadows, yet he inexplicably remarked, “This water is cleaner than I am.”

The guard didn’t understand, but Ji Jiu did. He didn’t say anything further and submerged himself back into the water. He held his breath for an indeterminate time, his head buzzing, before he hazily opened his eyes to the murky yellow water flooding his gaze. His eyes immediately felt sore, and the bitterness surged in his mouth, difficult to endure.

For over twenty years, he had been proud and lofty, not even looking at the most renowned beauty in the brothels of Jianghuai; now, he had been reduced to a monster’s servant. How could he bear it? If not for his inherently resolute nature, he might have even considered suicide.

Ji Jiu soaked in the river for an hour, and when the sky had brightened, he took the fresh clothes brought by the guard and carefully dressed, letting his damp hair drape over his shoulders as he returned to the camp.

As Ji Jiu rose from the river, he caught sight of the figure standing under the willow tree by the riverbank. This was the first time Yi Mo appeared in the sunlight, wrapped in a black robe, with his long black hair cascading down. Sunlight filtered through the willow branches, casting dappled spots on him, exuding an indescribable nobility, as if a deity had descended to earth. Yet, Ji Jiu felt not a trace of awe. His mood had already calmed; his gaze swept over Yi Mo’s face, devoid of waves, as if he were merely passing through the air, leaving him without a backward glance.

Ji Jiu knew he couldn’t do anything about Yi Mo now, but he had never been someone to retreat in the face of challenges; he was certain there would be a way. He firmly believed that, but three months had passed with no news from the capital regarding the trusted subordinate of that Taoist. Ji Jiu knew it was likely he wouldn’t be found. However, he questioned why his spies hadn’t been able to gather information this time. They could usually uncover even minor court affairs; how could they have failed this time? Perhaps it was intentional avoidance.

Once this thought surfaced, Ji Jiu began to plot in his heart. He immediately wrote a letter, tying it to a pigeon’s leg, and sent it flying out of the military camp.

Another two months passed, and Ji Jiu received a response: the Taoist had been found.

Holding the note, Ji Jiu felt no triumph; he had merely used trickery, spreading rumors that there were ghosts harming people in the villages outside the city, resulting in several deaths. Then, his spies lay in wait and indeed caught the Taoist who came to exorcise the demons. The trap was perfectly set.

However, the Taoist refused to say anything, his face full of anger, insisting on meeting Ji Jiu in person. Ji Jiu had intended to see him, so he readily agreed. He quickly replied, inviting him to the frontier city for a discussion. Another letter followed, confirming that the man had arrived.

Changing into light robes and plain clothes, Ji Jiu mounted a horse brought by his guard. As he galloped out of the training ground, he noticed two people standing at the entrance of the military camp, seemingly arguing about something. One of them Ji Jiu recognized as a sergeant in the army, while the other was clad in black armor, carrying a blue bundle on his back and holding a sword, looking unfamiliar.

Curious, Ji Jiu approached and asked what the matter was.

The sergeant, with a face full of embarrassment and anger, pointed at the stranger and said, “This brat is unreasonable! The army isn’t currently recruiting, yet he insists on joining. I told him to come back later, but he won’t leave!”

Ji Jiu was somewhat surprised as he dismounted and walked up to the young man. After a glance, he couldn’t help but admire him: this young man had a slender waist and broad shoulders, with striking eyebrows and starry eyes—remarkably handsome. Ji Jiu asked, “Where are you from?”

The young man replied, “Yong City.”

Ji Jiu examined him closely; although he was young, his tall frame lacked the rudeness one would expect, instead exuding a calm demeanor. His expression during the argument with the sergeant had also been measured, which made him stand out even more. Feeling a sense of appreciation for talent, Ji Jiu decided to keep him. He instructed the sergeant to take him to register his name and train with the soldiers. After giving his orders, he added, “Starting today, put up notices. We’re recruiting soldiers in the camp.”

The sergeant was taken aback and said, “But there’s no war going on right now.”

Ji Jiu smiled. “There will be soon.” With that, he mounted his horse and rode away.

As the hooves kicked up a cloud of dust, it resembled a strand of yellow silk, obscuring the view. The young man should have followed the sergeant to register, yet he stood rooted in place, staring at the retreating figure of Ji Jiu.

The sergeant walked a few steps away, then returned, grabbing the young man’s arm and said, “What are you staring at? That’s our General Ji, one of the two Generals Ji in the army; this one is the younger general. Impressive, isn’t it? Don’t let that smile fool you; he’ll make you suffer during training! Really, young man, what’s so good about home that you want to join the army…” He rambled on, pondering the meaning behind the earlier comment, “There will be soon.”

The young man, being dragged along, didn’t mind. His expression remained calm as he occasionally glanced back, but the horses and riders had already vanished beyond the end of the road. Only then did he hear the sergeant’s chatter and couldn’t help but think to himself that he understood Ji Jiu’s severity better than the sergeant, who had never been on the receiving end of his discipline.

Ji Jiu entered the city and went to a teahouse’s private room. Just after he ordered a pot of flower tea, the door was pushed open, and two people entered, one on each side, encasing a white-haired, youthful-faced Taoist. Upon seeing Ji Jiu, they hurriedly bowed and respectfully called out, “My lord.”

Season Jiu dismissed them and gestured for the Taoist to sit down, personally pouring tea and smiling as he said, “It’s quite difficult to invite an immortal.”

The Taoist scowled, “Difficult or not, you still managed to ‘invite’ me here.” After a brief pause, he couldn’t hold back his frustration and added, “You’re nothing but a liar and a trickster; when will you change this bad habit of yours?”

Season Jiu raised an eyebrow. “I only remember this one time. When did I ever trick you?”

The Taoist fell silent.

After a moment of silence, Season Jiu said, “The immortal is a wise person, and someone who has transcended doesn’t bicker with a mundane person like me. Let’s get straight to the point; what do you know?”

Xu Mingshi thought to himself that he wouldn’t tell him anything. In truth, he didn’t know how to express it, feeling that nothing he could say would be appropriate. How could it be appropriate? In their memories, Shen Qingxuan had already become the current Season Jiu; his appearance hadn’t changed, and his temperament remained the same. This could be seen from how he had tricked him into being captured. However, Season Jiu wasn’t entirely Shen Qingxuan anymore. The Shen Qingxuan of that era had shown his goodness only to them, while all his malice had been exposed to outsiders. But now, they had become the outsiders.

We have become outsiders—Xu Mingshi couldn’t help but sigh deeply. He knew that he had once harbored feelings for the former Shen Qingxuan, only to be outpaced by the serpent demon. He had resented it, but ultimately, as a cultivator, he understood that he shouldn’t involve himself in matters of love and hate. With self-control and external factors, that feeling gradually dulled into a sense of kinship. Over the years, witnessing the serpent demon’s relentless search, suffering from unawareness of his own feelings, he had come to realize that what he hadn’t obtained wasn’t necessarily a misfortune. Those feelings had completely faded, and instead, he felt pity for the serpent, the wolf, and the person before him. It was pity, but also love. He loved the world, loved nature, and loved all living beings.

He had truly become a Taoist cultivator. Yet, his lively personality couldn’t be completely extinguished, which was why he lingered in the mortal realm, helping the vulnerable and rescuing the needy.

After all, he hadn’t truly transcended; he was still in a human body, so he was still entangled in this lifetime as Shen Qingxuan. Xu Mingshi genuinely felt that the great serpent wasn’t unjust; being caught by such a person was indeed not unjust.

Seeing the changes in his expression, which eventually turned into a daze, Season Jiu couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

Xu Mingshi came back to his senses, looked at him for a long time, and nodded. “I can tell you some things.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“The mark on your wrist is from being bitten by the serpent in your previous life.” Xu Mingshi looked at the mark on his wrist and said, “You splashed a cup of tea on that serpent, and it turned around and bit you. This should have neutralized your grievance, and this mark shouldn’t have followed you into this life. However, your obsession was too strong, and you insisted on keeping that serpent, so this mark was born with you.”

Season Jiu was taken aback, looking at the mark on his hand. After a moment, he asked, “Is that all?”

“In your previous life, you were Shen Qingxuan, a young master from a wealthy family. According to your fate, you should have enjoyed great wealth and power, but you… sacrificed your future and reputation just to stay by his side.”

Season Jiu frowned. “That person? Who is he?”

Xu Mingshi didn’t answer him, focusing instead on what he could say. He continued, “Because you didn’t reveal your noble fate in your previous life, you became the son of a general in this life, compensating for that noble fate. However, in this life, even though you are wealthy and powerful, you have committed too many killings, leading to a shortened life. So… young general, you should let go of your burdens and spend these remaining years peacefully.”

Season Jiu fell silent, seemingly waiting for him to continue, but Xu Mingshi stopped speaking and closed his eyes to meditate.

Season Jiu asked, “Is that it?”

Xu Mingshi shook his head.

“Is that all?”

“The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed.”

Season Jiu stood up, his face cold. “Then what’s the deal with that demon?”

Xu Mingshi was silent and did not answer.

“Is it possible for you to subdue him?” Season Jiu lost his patience and went straight to the point.

Xu Mingshi opened his eyes. “Do you want to eliminate him?”

“Of course.”

“He is a demon who has cultivated for two thousand years. Unless he cuts off his own path to life, he won’t be easily destroyed…” Xu Mingshi said. “You should give up on that thought.”

Season Jiu remained skeptical. “Is no one able to eliminate him?”

“Although he is a demon, he hasn’t harmed anyone. If there has been harm, it was self-inflicted.” Xu Mingshi shook his head. “On the contrary, he performs good deeds everywhere, accumulating great merit. If he continues for a few hundred more years, he will definitely ascend to immortality.”

Season Jiu stood rigidly, his face devoid of color, and his hands, hidden in his sleeves, unconsciously clenched into fists. Blood dripped from his palm through his fingers.

Seeing this, Xu Mingshi felt quite uncomfortable himself and couldn’t help but say, “Why bother? If you let go of your burdens, this life can come to an end, and you will be free.”

“This life?” Season Jiu paused, coming back to his senses. “Was he the same in his previous life?”

Hearing him ask this, Xu Mingshi found it somewhat amusing; to know about the past, you were the one who clung to him. If you weren’t so infatuated, how could you be trapped by him in this life?

What goes around comes around.

Xu Mingshi said, “If you want to know the cause and effect, you should ask him directly.”

Season Jiu wouldn’t ask and looked down on doing so. He had nothing to say to that person. No matter how you put it, he had sought him out, kneeling on the ground and hitting his head until it bled, utterly humiliated in his plea.

But if he still wouldn’t let him go, so be it. He would no longer seek him. Since even these Taoists and monks couldn’t do anything, he could only save himself.

After parting with Xu Mingshi and returning to the military camp, Season Jiu exhibited no further erratic behavior over the next two months. Whether Yi Mo appeared during the day or at night, he turned a blind eye and didn’t look at him again. Even when Yi Mo was on the bed, Season Jiu kept his eyes tightly closed, ignoring his presence regardless of whether Yi Mo stayed or left afterward.

He still said nothing and asked nothing.

Occasionally, in a moment of turning his eyes, Season Jiu would catch sight of the thick bedding piled on the bed. No one knew that beneath that heavy blanket lay a sharp dagger, capable of slicing through hair. He only needed the right opportunity.

With no one to turn to, he could only seek his own path, regardless of the consequences.