Once everything was out in the open, it was easier to handle. Even if Meilin was still struggling to accept that Tu Xiao'an had become a snake, the truth was right there before her.
All she could feel was a painful ache in her heart, which clenched with sorrow for him.
"Xiao'an, now that you've become a snake, do your mother and your sister know?"
Meilin gently stroked the skin of the Silver White Snake in her arms. The Snake Skin was cold and smooth, feeling surprisingly pleasant to the touch.
Tu Xiao'an shook his Snake Head. "I don't dare let my mother know. I was going to reveal myself to my sister, but thankfully she wasn't home today. Then, by a twist of fate, you showed up, Sister Meilin, and I ended up coming with you to the Snake Market."
"Xiao'an, do you have any idea how dangerous that was? If those Snake Catchers had caught you, it would have been me who'd gotten you into trouble again!"
Hearing this, Meilin's heart pounded with residual fear. Seven Snake Catchers attacking at once... any other snake would have been finished.
A hint of pride appeared in Tu Xiao'an's Snake Pupils. "Sister Meilin, it won't be that easy for those Snake Catchers to capture me, a House Snake."
If not for the humanity Tu Xiao'an still held in his heart, and his reluctance to harm others, those Snake Catchers who'd attacked him would all be dead.
He hadn't even begun to use his real abilities.
"Xiao'an, you can't be so reckless anymore. You're a snake now, and if there's one thing our Bai Town has, it's plenty of Snake Catchers. You can't just run around. From now on, you should stay here with me."
Tu Xiao'an laughed. "Don't worry about me, Sis. I know how to handle myself. I came to find you today because I need your help with something."
"What is it?" Meilin asked, curious.
"I need to make money," the little snake declared with utter conviction.
Huh? Meilin stared blankly for a second before suddenly bursting into laughter. Hearing something like that come from a snake was just too funny.
Of course, she wasn't mocking him. She understood at once. "Xiao'an, don't worry about your family's situation. I'll help in any way I can."
"That's not what I meant. Thank you for sending money to my family, but you know my mother. She would never accept money from someone for no reason. I'm sure she'll have my sister return it to you soon."
Meilin grew anxious. "Then what am I supposed to do?"
Tu Xiao'an laughed. "I came to you today for the same reason I always did—to have you help me sell snakes, Sister Meilin."
"I've caught a few decent venomous snakes, and I'm hoping you can sell them for me."
'A snake catching other snakes?'
Meilin stared at Tu Xiao'an, dumbfounded once again.
Tu Xiao'an slithered off Meilin's lap. "Sis, close your eyes for a second."
Meilin didn't know what he was planning, but she did as he asked and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was stunned to see two snakes on the floor.
The new snake had tiger-like stripes all over its glittering golden body. It looked majestic and ferocious. Her eyes instantly lit up as she blurted out, "It's a Tiger Snake!"
"That's right. I was hoping you could sell this Tiger Snake for a good price for me, Sister Meilin."
Meilin's first question was one of astonishment. "Xiao'an, how did you make this snake appear out of thin air?"
Xiao'an spouted some nonsense. "Sis, ghosts have their own special powers. I became a House Snake, so naturally, I have a few House Snake Divine Techniques of my own."
"Divine Techniques?"
Meilin felt like her brain couldn't quite keep up. 'What kind of Divine Techniques could a snake possibly have?' But since she had already managed to process a boy turning into a snake, this was nothing. She decided not to press him for details.
"This looks like an adult Tiger Snake. The Snake Market hasn't seen a rare one like this in years. The market price should be around a hundred thousand, but if we play our cards right, it could be worth even more."
As expected of someone in the snake trade, Meilin sized it up in a single glance.
"I'll leave it to you then, Sis. Whatever it sells for, I'll give you a ten-percent cut."
Meilin's cheeks puffed out in mock anger. "You brat. Don't you think saying that hurts my feelings?"
Tu Xiao'an shook his head, not planning to argue the point. And so, the matter was settled.
He spoke with Meilin for a while longer before preparing to head home. But she was too worried to let him go alone and insisted on escorting the snake herself.
Tu Xiao'an was rendered speechless. He could only reassure her that he would be fine. He had to get used to this new life; he couldn't have an escort every time he went out.
Besides, the average Snake Catcher was no match for him anyway.
Several Snake Catchers were standing at the entrance to the Snake Market.
"Chen Gao, still pissed off? Just forget about that snake. No matter how rare it is, it belongs to Lady Bai now. Come on, us brothers will treat you to a drink!"
Chen Gao couldn't shake the feeling that something about today was very strange. But since the snake had left with Lady Bai, it was her property, whether it was fair or not. He had no choice but to swallow his pride and accept the loss.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a long, white shadow dart away. His eyes lit up.
Several thoughts flashed through his mind. A cunning glint in his eye, he said to his friends, "What's the point of drinking? I'm not in the mood. Don't worry about me, you guys go on ahead."
"Alright, if you say so. We're off, then."
After the other Snake Catchers had gone, Chen Gao's eyes gleamed. "How did that little beast get out on its own? Heh heh, looks like fate is on my side."
Chen Gao decided to follow it secretly, find the right opportunity to catch the snake, and then sell it to pay off his debts.
The moment Tu Xiao'an left Meilin's shop, he quickly slithered away through the hidden corners of the market. Once he was out, he planned to slip into the gutters and back alleys. Even if someone spotted him, there wouldn't be much they could do.
Besides, anyone who wasn't a Snake Catcher would just be startled at the sight of a snake and wouldn't think much of it.
But just as Tu Xiao'an was about to leave the Snake Market, he spotted Chen Gao and his buddies and sneered coldly.
He had let Chen Gao see him on purpose. 'If you don't follow me, I'll let you off the hook,' he thought. 'But if you have other ideas, then we'll settle all our scores, old and new.'
As expected, Chen Gao was a real piece of work. He'd sent his friends away to secretly tail him.
He wanted to keep the prize—this snake—all to himself.
An icy glint flashed in Tu Xiao'an's Snake Pupils. Instead of heading home, he decided to slither toward She Mountain.
At the foot of She Mountain stood a massive bluestone, like a monolith guarding the mountain. In the "Legend of the White Snake," a tale passed down through the ages, Fa Hai used the Thunder Sound Tower to imprison the White Snake with a thousand years of Cultivation. This great bluestone at the foot of She Mountain had a legend of its own.
Legend has it that in ancient times, a great python lived deep in the mountains. It was intelligent but wicked, often swallowing Hunters who ascended the mountain, to the point where no one dared to go hunting there anymore.
The great python developed a taste for human flesh, but with the mountain empty of people, it was forced to descend in search of food. Just as its massive body reached the foothills, a fierce gale suddenly tore through the land. The sky went dark, a great Thunderclap echoed, and a massive bluestone came crashing down the mountain like an avalanche.
The great python let out a final, agonized wail. Unable to escape, it was crushed and imprisoned beneath the bluestone, forced to reap its Evil Fruit.
From that day on, peace returned to the lands both on and below the mountain.
This was a long-standing legend in Bai Town, its authenticity lost to time. However, She Mountain was known for being teeming with snakes—a hundred different kinds were said to roam its slopes. Strangely, though, a snake was rarely seen at the foot of the mountain, almost as if the great bluestone's presence kept the venomous snakes from daring to cross that boundary.
In modern times, the great bluestone, having weathered the wind and rain, remains as solid as ever. It has gradually become a treasured childhood memory for countless generations of Bai Town's children. Any child who grew up in East Town had, at some point, climbed onto the great bluestone to play, or sat on it in their spare time to enjoy the scenery and watch the moon. The top of the massive stone was flat; not only could you sit on it, but it was large enough for two adults to lie down and sleep.
Some of the elders often joked that the top of the great bluestone was worn flat by generations of Bai Town villagers sitting and lying on it. It had truly become a piece of Bai Town's cultural heritage.
Tu Xiao'an, the little Silver White Snake, slithered up next to the great bluestone. Chen Gao was still following furtively, a Snake Hook clutched in his hand, ready to strike at any moment.
'He's really asking for it.'
Tu Xiao'an sneered inwardly and slithered past the great bluestone, making his way up She Mountain.
Chen Gao tailed him the whole way, wondering to himself, 'Why is this damn snake heading up She Mountain? Don't tell me it snuck away from Meilin's place to return to the mountain.'
'Great! If that's the case, then heaven is truly on my side,' he thought. 'If I catch this snake on She Mountain, then even if Lady Bai finds out later, she won't have a leg to stand on.'
Man and snake, each with their own ulterior motives.