Encountering a Snake - Chapter 21

V3C21

 

——We both are fathers.

 

Yi Mo knew that in many matters, he could never outmatch Liu Yan. In the course of three lifetimes, he had been defeated more times than he had won, with victories few and far between.

 

This person had always been stubborn and eloquent, able to argue a case even for things without reason. Moreover, at this moment, he was indeed right.

 

When Yi Mo was still a snake, he must have been a father at some point. The nameless, unspoken young snakes that hatched from the pure white eggs grew up blindly, hunting to fill their bellies and dying just as blindly.

 

But Yi Mo did not know which of those young snakes had been his child.

 

To protect their young, female snakes often mate with several male snakes, making each one believe it was the creator of the new life. This caused the males to abandon the eggs laid by the female. So, when he was still a snake, Yi Mo could not confirm whether he had any children. After becoming a demon, he stopped caring about whether he had fathered any of the ignorant wild snakes.

 

He roamed the human world for a hundred years, learning many things. When it came to kinship, Yi Mo always felt that it had nothing to do with him. Even if he befriended a mortal woman and she became pregnant, what would be born from that? Yi Mo didn’t know. He couldn’t be sure whether a snake or a human would emerge. In fact, coldly, Yi Mo thought it might even just produce an egg.

 

Now, however, he had become a father. Without the bond of blood, he raised another’s child—a half-human, half-demon little monster. Yi Mo had never told anyone that the moment he saw the palm-sized wolf cub, he had decided it was a monster.

 

Humans are humans, demons are demons, each existing in two completely different worlds, separated by vast chasms that no one could cross. The little wolf cub, however, managed to do so effortlessly. It was a hybrid, half-human and half-demon, born into this world, defying the ancient rule that humans and demons were destined to follow separate paths. That was why Yi Mo had declared it a monster.

 

Yet, he and Shen Qingxuan both raised this monster. Shen Qingxuan was extremely strict with it, daily setting heavy tasks for it—studying, practicing calligraphy, learning many principles, mastering the Six Arts, excelling in archery and horsemanship—yet forbidding it from shooting even a swallow. Shen Qingxuan used all kinds of methods to suppress the little monster’s wildness. When it was pressed too harshly, the little monster would turn to its other father, widening its tearful eyes and tugging at his long sleeves. The little monster’s strategy of feigned sorrow had rarely failed; often, after just a few moments of pleading, Yi Mo would take it to the mountains, watching over the reckless little thing to prevent it from getting hurt.

 

This little monster would call out to him in a soft voice at any time: “Father.”

 

And it had been calling him for nearly three hundred years.

 

Yi Mo didn’t know when it had started, but he had long gotten used to saying to others: “This is my son.” And so, he spent his time and energy, always offering help when needed, always standing by to offer comfort when it was upset.

 

The little monster clung to him, trusted him, accompanied him, and served him. Without blood ties, it was even closer than kin.

 

Yi Mo knew that as long as they were still in this world, as long as they were still alive, the little monster would always be a child, someone who depended on him. No matter how much suffering it endured, it could bear it, always with hope in its heart.

 

Because no matter how bitter or tiring, there was always a peaceful place to rest.

 

But what would happen if this place disappeared? Yi Mo thought long and hard.

 

After a long time, Yi Mo said, “If I had agreed with you back then, I would have just been a snake, with no memory of you.”

 

Liu Yan said, “I remember you.”

 

——I remember you. In my lifetime, I will remember that no matter what form you take, you are always my Yi Mo.

 

You are the Yi Mo who, for three hundred years, endured the ravages of time, suffering countless injuries, yet refused to give up.

 

Life itself is an illusion. One never knows when disaster will strike or when sickness will come. A brief life vanishes in an instant, leaving no trace behind.

 

Even if one survives, the journey of life is full of dangers, with thorns and traps at every turn. Every path is perilous, and every step could lead to the brink of destruction.

 

Yi Mo had wandered through three lifetimes, and his passion for life had waned significantly.

 

But despite all that, he still wanted to live.

 

To live, to keep living, knowing that suffering can be forgotten, wounds can be healed by time, and what remains is the beautiful and irreplaceable that cannot be abandoned.

 

Even knowing that he would be a snake without love or hate, Yi Mo still wanted to hold it close, embrace it, and keep it near his heart. To share each rising sunrise, to witness a splendid sunset, to breathe the fresh air that cannot be traced, and to watch flowers bloom and fade—after all, they had already wasted so much time.

 

Yes. Even if he was a snake, as long as he was still alive, Liu Yan would stay with him, to enjoy the beauty of this world.

 

They would extend their time as long as possible. Hold onto as much as they could.

 

And never let go.

 

Yi Mo knew that he would eventually agree to Liu Yan. Even if he refused at this moment, after a long time, he would agree, just like that past marriage.

 

When it comes to love, it is a matter of one thing yielding to another. Struggling and resisting becomes laughable and futile, and even the greatest unwillingness ultimately turns into willing submission.

 

Yi Mo said: “Alright.”

 

And so, the matter was settled.

 

At the same time, Yi Mo thought of when Liu Yan had once asked him, after searching for so many years, if it had been hard. Yi Mo thought, if in the future he no longer recognized him, just a mediocre little snake, he might bite him, or even harm him.

 

——At that time, would you be in pain?

 

Yi Mo wanted to ask, but did not speak it out. The answer was certain. But Liu Yan was willing to endure that pain, just as back then, he had willingly endured the pain that Ji Jiu had given him.

 

Once willing, the pain could be softened, and it would no longer hurt so thoroughly.

 

In fact, Yi Mo wanted to say that before he met him, he never knew what pain was.

 

He had lived for a thousand years, had cultivated for a thousand years. To other demons, such a life of austerity would be unbearable suffering, but for him, it was not. Though there was no joy, there was also no hardship.

 

This was how he lived for many, many years, without happiness or pain.

 

Then he met Shen Qingxuan.

 

For many people, life begins with suffering and slowly turns into sweetness.

 

He, on the other hand, experienced the opposite. In the thirteen years of their acquaintance, he first tasted sweetness—not the kind that is so intense it makes one’s teeth ache, but a gentle sweetness that lingered, surrounding him for thirteen years, soaking him in its essence.

 

Afterwards, that sweetness was suddenly withdrawn, leaving behind an indelible bitterness. It was then that he learned the taste of suffering.

 

That was the first time in his long life that he knew what bitterness was, and he finally understood that those thirteen years of life had been sweet.

 

He searched everywhere, tirelessly pursuing, not because he had grown used to the bitterness, but because in his memory, there was always a place where those sweet moments were stored. These memories, no matter how much they hurt, he couldn’t bear to let go of, as though a hungry person searches for food, or an animal in the desert seeks water. Only by finding sweetness could the struggle be worth it.

 

Yi Mo extended his arm and pulled the person lying next to him into his embrace, feeling heartache for the suffering he would endure in the future, yet he made no attempt to stop it.

 

Even though soon he would become a wild snake, with no human memories, unable to recognize kinship, and without love or hatred, before that, Yi Mo was sure of his feelings—no matter what he turned into, he wanted to be with this person. Forgetting didn’t matter, as long as Liu Yan didn’t let go, they would still be together.

 

As long as they were together, they could endure anything. This was Liu Yan’s feeling.

 

He knew Liu Yan’s emotions and thoughts, just as Liu Yan understood his concerns and worries.

 

He gently rubbed Liu Yan’s back and said, “It’s okay, as long as I’m alive, I will protect you. Your poison is useless to me. Even if you bite me, I’m not afraid.” Then, suddenly recalling something, Liu Yan smiled and added, “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone pull out your fangs.”

 

Yi Mo thought for a moment, then asked, “What about Shen Jue?”

 

Liu Yan replied, “I remember when he was young, you fed him a pill. He shouldn’t be afraid of your poison either.”

 

Yi Mo hadn’t paid much attention to these things at the time, so he couldn’t remember. He stood up and left the room, returning shortly with a jade bottle in his hand, placing it on the table. “Here are some pills. If I accidentally harm someone in the future, you can give them this, and they’ll be fine.”

 

Liu Yan nodded. “I’ve got it. Anything else?”

 

Yi Mo thought for a long time but finally shook his head. “Nothing else.”

 

Liu Yan extinguished the candle, and the room was engulfed in darkness. He pulled Yi Mo’s hand toward him. Outside, the moonlight was clear, and the stars shone brightly. The moonlight poured into the room, landing on the bed, casting a soft glow on them.

 

They lay together, hands intertwined, fingers laced. In the fleeting moment, years of hardship, of running and struggling, all seemed to have led to this peaceful and solid moment.

 

Their hearts were filled with infinite satisfaction.

 

Even if they couldn’t grow old together, even if time was too short.

 

As dawn broke, the black wolf lying on the bamboo couch slowly opened its eyes. Its beastly pupils gleamed with light, showing the confusion of just waking up. When its gaze fell upon a auspicious cloud floating in the sky, the sleepiness in its eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a murderous intent.

 

The time had come. The black wolf turned its head and glanced at the closed door, still tightly shut, with no sign of opening.

 

The life of a demon is too long. It had lived for three hundred years, encountering many passersby and even some close friends. Yet, in the end, those people were long gone, while the wolf was still in its prime.

 

The only ones who could accompany him now were his family.

 

Life was like a fleeting horse passing through a gap, and the flowers would wither away in the blink of an eye. This small courtyard in the mountains, with two people in it, was his prosperity in life.

 

The wooden door did not open. Shen Jue jumped off the bamboo couch and sat in front of the door.

 

In the distant sky, the auspicious cloud grew nearer, and the aura of immortality seemed to approach this quiet courtyard, almost like the hellish realm of Yama, encroaching on this peaceful place.

 

Shen Jue sat quietly, guarding the door. If the people inside did not come out, then no one would enter. No one would destroy these remaining precious moments of happiness.

 

The black wolf, guarding the door, arrogantly raised its head. Its gaze was calm, like still water, as though it were a stone sculpture, frozen in front of the wooden door, not moving.

 

Who said that guarding could not be a form of happiness?

 

At last, in this world, there was something worth protecting.

 

The auspicious cloud vanished outside the courtyard. The immortal standing at the entrance seemed to sense something and did not rush forward. Instead, he sat cross-legged on a stone slab beside the door, waiting for the door to open on its own. He too had much time, endless and vast, and had already become accustomed to this long, timeless wait with an unhurried and calm demeanor.

 

A magnificent red sun rose from the distant horizon. The brilliant sunlight, with the coolness of the morning, filled the courtyard. The only tree in the courtyard bathed in the morning light, its green leaves shimmering with translucent light, like amber.

 

The sunlight evenly covered the black wolf’s entire body. The dark fur was coated with a layer of golden sheen, as he stared at the rising red sun. His gaze was like an ancient well deep in the forest, with hidden, unknown secrets—if he could, he would trade everything to make sure the sun never rose again.

 

Behind him, the wooden door creaked softly and slowly opened.

 

The sunlight was radiant, but dreams are always easily shattered. The time had arrived.

 

Yi Mo stepped out from behind the door and looked at the black wolf. The giant wolf stood upright before him, its two front paws on his chest, its beastly eyes glistening with tears.

 

Yi Mo stroked the wolf’s head and said, “Come with me.”

 

The black wolf paused, looking behind him. Liu Yan stood there, smiling faintly. “Later, bring him back.”

 

Yi Mo walked to the courtyard door and opened the bolt.

 

The immortal outside stood up from the stone slab and walked up to him, asking, “Have you made up your mind?”

 

Yi Mo replied with a soft “Mm,” raising the corner of his mouth into a smile. “Let’s return to your true form. Leave your life with me.”

 

“You won’t change your mind?”

 

“I won’t.”

 

The immortal looked at him for a long time and sighed deeply. “Let’s go.”

 

Yi Mo turned back and looked at the person standing by the door of the room, dressed in a light green robe, hair unbound, long strands swaying gently in the mountain breeze.

 

He was as beautiful as an ancient painting, with a natural, refined elegance.

 

Yi Mo walked over, stood face to face with him, their lips touched, and he whispered, “How fortunate.”

 

— How fortunate that I met you.

 

A life that had once been dry and tasteless had now been filled with sweetness and bitterness, with sourness and heat, a rich and colorful life that washed away the pale.

 

To live vividly, to love deeply.

 

How fortunate I am, to not waste time, to not fail you.