Encountering a Snake - Chapter 22

V3C22

Shen Jue followed behind Yi Mo, turning back three times with each step, his eyes uncertain whether it was concern or worry, before finally disappearing into the sunlight. Yi Mo did not turn back, perhaps afraid that if he looked, he would not want to leave.

Liu Yan stood in place, watching them walk away, and in this warm, sunny day, they vanished. The mountain breeze lifted his long hair, gently lifting it and letting it fall, from the bright midday to the setting sun. He remained still, as though he had become the statue from legends, waiting for his lover to return, gradually growing old and frozen in time.

The weather in June changes quickly. The mountain wind grew stronger, and the treetops swayed in the dark, their movement casting shadows, as the wind howled—”whoosh, whoosh”—seeming like thousands of leaves playing their own tune. A thunderclap rang out, followed by a flash of lightning across the sky, as bright as day. Liu Yan blinked, looked up at the sky, and a large, sparse raindrop suddenly struck his eye. Then another, and another, falling on his skin with a crisp sound, like beans being poured, “patter, patter.” In an instant, the rain poured heavily.

For some reason, Liu Yan remembered not long ago when he was a fool, living in this courtyard with Yi Mo. The mountain rain was abundant, so they often played until Yi Mo called for him to stop, telling him to come back inside immediately. He naturally refused, delaying for a while, but every time, Yi Mo would pull him back home.

Often, the door was barely closed before the heavy rain came pouring down, slanting into the house, wetting his cheeks. At that time, Yi Mo would close the door and windows tightly, pulling him to wipe his face, face to face, cleaning the water droplets from his face with a sigh, saying, “Can’t the rain know how to avoid it?”

They never realized who was more foolish. Clearly, back then, the fool wanted to get closer, gazing at Yi Mo’s handsome face, so near, so within reach, wiping the water droplets from his face, his expression careful, treating him like a precious treasure.

Liu Yan stood in the rain, thinking of the past, and suddenly smiled. The water flowed from the corners of his lips, sliding down. The heavier the rain, the deeper his smile.

For a lifetime, for three lifetimes, in the memory washed by the rain, there was not a single regret.

In the heavy rain, Liu Yan’s smile was clean and warm, as though no suffering had ever occurred, as if no hardships had ever been walked through with bloody steps. It seemed as though he possessed the most complete happiness in the world. Across three lifetimes, his smile never changed, as if it could ignite frozen earth and make the cold-hearted snake demon willingly go anywhere for it.

Like the golden flowers quietly blooming in the corner, once noticed, they would never be ignored again. Later, they would become a golden ray of sunshine in your life.

The heavy rain lasted for a moment, and as it gradually eased, the fine raindrops fell densely on the tiles, the leaves, the wet earth, and the eyelashes, each producing a different sound. Crisp, muffled, delicate, and bright.

The sky and earth were enveloped in the mist created by the storm, the dense water vapor resembling the white smoke rising from hot springs, blocking distant mountains and rivers, but not stopping one person and one demon.

Liu Yan lowered his eyes, turned, and entered the house to change out of his wet clothes and prepare a meal in the kitchen.

After the hazy water vapor, amid the fine rain sounds, the giant black wolf ran through the rain. Its fur brushed against low grass and young trees, making a rustling sound. The sound grew closer until it stopped, stopping in the increasingly finer rain. Liu Yan went to meet it and saw the black wolf’s neck seemed to have a ring of iron shackles, faintly shining in the dim night.

“Dad, I’m back,” Shen Jue said, transforming into human form. Having run all the way, he cursed his two legs for not being enough, so he had to run in wolf form. As he spoke, he was still a bit out of breath. He took the unconscious long snake from his neck and handed it over.

In the heavy rain, he was soaked, but there wasn’t a single drop of water on the black snake’s scales.

In the dim light, Liu Yan noticed the blood hole on Shen Jue’s neck. The blood had already been washed away by the rain, and the wound was faintly pale. Liu Yan took the black snake into his arms with one hand and reached out to touch Shen Jue’s wound, asking, “Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt,” Shen Jue said, then smiled. “He really hates me now. He bit me several times on the way here and still wanted to run. I had no choice but to let him sleep before bringing him back.”

Shen Jue then stretched out his arm, rolled up his sleeve to show his father, with a hint of acting spoiled, revealing several blood holes on his arm. They were turning white, and no more blood was flowing.

Liu Yan did not ask about the details, for he probably already guessed. After all, Yi Mo, who had lost his spirit, no longer recognized him. Beasts born in the jungle have an instinct to sense danger. For example, the little wolf cub they had brought back that year was extremely afraid of Yi Mo, and now, Yi Mo, having lost his demonic power and become a wild snake, also feared this powerful black wolf. This was the instinct of beasts—the weak feared the strong.

So, even though Shen Jue harbored no hostility, to Yi Mo in his current state, he was a dangerous enemy.

Liu Yan told him to apply medicine, then went to the kitchen to add firewood to the stove. Shen Jue returned to his room to change clothes and rushed to push the snake and Yi Mo out of the kitchen, taking over and adding two more dishes to the meal prepared by Liu Yan. Only then did he bring it to the room.

The steaming hot meal was served, and both of them had not had a drop of water the whole day. They lowered their heads, each busy filling their stomachs with food. Just as a bowl of rice was swallowed, the black snake on the bed woke up, flicking its tongue, seemingly observing them. Liu Yan did not think too much and immediately put down his chopsticks and walked over. Just as he reached out, Shen Jue’s voice behind him said, “Don’t move,” and Liu Yan’s hand was immediately bitten.

It hurt, but Liu Yan was smiling, looking at the black snake that bit him and would not let go. He didn’t know what to make of it, but after a while, he said, “How come without the demon core, you’re so much smaller? Back then, you even bit through my wrist.”

The snake naturally couldn’t understand, it just kept biting him without letting go, injecting venom, but after a while, there was no response from Liu Yan, as if biting into cotton, neither painful nor itchy, not even a blink of an eye. It was as though the venom had no effect on him. Instead, his own snake tail was lifted by Liu Yan and coiled around his arm.

Shen Jue was speechless, and he had to admit that the scene before him was a bit ridiculous. The black snake was coiled around Liu Yan’s arm, its venomous fangs biting into his hand, but because it had lost its demon core, it was much smaller than before. Otherwise, Liu Yan wouldn’t have been able to lift it with one arm.

Beyond the ridiculousness, there was a touch of desolation. They had once been the closest people.

With the snake hanging from his arm, Liu Yan returned to the table. Fortunately, it was his left hand that was being bitten, so his right hand was still free, and he could hold the chopsticks and continue eating. Shen Jue, although a demon, rarely cultivated, especially when he was with his family. He was used to eating grains and the many earthly delights, so why seal his appetite and the joy of food? Even Yi Mo, who often claimed to eat meals full of impurities, still enjoyed it. But tonight, Shen Jue suddenly lost his appetite.

Liu Yan, however, remained calm and composed, still eating with ease, even with his hand being bitten.

Shen Jue looked at him for a long time and finally spoke, “Dad, if he bites you every day, will you just keep doing this?”

Liu Yan did not answer immediately. Only after finishing another bowl of rice did he pour tea, rinse his mouth, and say unhurriedly, “Just because he’s lost his intelligence, do you take him for a fool?”

Shen Jue blinked.

Liu Yan explained, “If he bites a few times and realizes it’s completely useless, he won’t do it anymore. To keep biting when it’s clearly pointless—that’s not him.” Liu Yan paused here and then added, “He’s very lazy.”

Shen Jue quickly nodded, as if he had been enlightened. He rushed over, pinched the black snake’s head, and forced it to open its mouth, withdrawing the fangs from Liu Yan’s flesh. He then peeled the coiled snake body from Liu Yan’s arm, holding it in his hands. Lowering his head, he spoke to the snake as if talking to himself: “You’d better bite me a few more times now while you can. Just don’t suddenly spring one on me later—it’s really startling.”

The snake flicked its tongue and twisted its body as if to flee, likely because it had bitten him several times earlier without success. Instead of hurting him, it had inexplicably fainted itself. Knowing it wasn’t a match for him, it sensibly stopped resisting.

Shen Jue was surprised and said while holding the snake still, “Dad, he’s really not biting me anymore!”

Liu Yan merely smiled, his expression calm, hiding any trace of sorrow well.

The black snake struggled in Shen Jue’s hands for a while without breaking free and eventually gave up, ceasing to resist. Whether it lived or died, it left to his will. Its weakness was evident, and no intelligence was required to judge this—instinct sufficed.

Seeing the snake surrender, Shen Jue handed it back to Liu Yan, now reassured that it wouldn’t keep biting him. He said, “The rain has stopped. I’ll go find some wild animals to feed him. Dad, don’t let him run off. If he crawls into some hole, it’ll be hard for me to find him.”

Liu Yan responded softly, watching as Shen Jue’s agile figure disappeared entirely into the night. Then, looking down, Liu Yan held the defeated black snake tightly in his arms. The sudden movement startled the snake, which had been pretending to be dead. It lifted its head again and bit him on the body.

The sharp fangs pierced through flesh and into the very spot where, the night before, Liu Yan had kissed him so tenderly. The person who was bitten merely trembled slightly, making no other movement. His fingertips, both stubborn and gentle, caressed the cold scales again and again, back and forth, endlessly stroking, as though handling the most precious treasure in the world.

“Yi Mo.”

Liu Yan called softly. The candlelight flickered, its glow uncertain.

He called over and over: “Yi Mo.”

His voice floated, empty and ethereal, lingering in the air for a long time.

Other than this name, other than the icy sensation beneath his fingertips, at this moment, he had nothing left.