NOVEL WEB Chapter 103: Playing With the Snake
Chapter 103: Playing With the Snake
Just like when he had awakened in the old earthen house, Xu Lian felt a deep ache throughout his entire body. With great difficulty, he forced his heavy eyelids open, only to be greeted by blinding sunlight filtering through the gaps in the ancient tree’s foliage.
He felt the soft, decaying leaves beneath him and deduced that he was lying in a forest.
Slowly, he sat up, spotting the white fox standing under a towering ancient tree, its eyes closed in meditation, its seven tails swaying gently in the breeze.
Xu Lian was a bit surprised. Previously, the white fox had six tails, but now it had seven. Obviously, the fox had made a breakthrough and had become stronger than before. Or perhaps its main body had advanced, causing its avatar to grow stronger as well?
This made Xu Lian quite happy. The “thigh” he had latched onto had grown even thicker… which was undoubtedly a good thing for him.
“You’re awake,” the white fox opened its lively eyes and glanced at Xu Lian’s pale face.
Xu Lian looked around and realized that this wasn’t the small forest outside the city. It seemed to be a remote, deep part of the mountains. Wang Cuiyun was nowhere to be seen.
The white fox said, “You’ve been unconscious for eight days. I went to your place to investigate and sealed the Heavenly Snake Grass. I also sent Wang Cuiyun back to your house.”
Xu Lian opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. The quarry patrol inspector had been incredibly kind to him, going above and beyond the call of duty. He could only stand up, bow his head, and express his gratitude: “Thank you, Quarry Patrol Inspector, for saving my life.”
The white fox continued, “Fortunately, you only inhaled a tiny amount of the Heavenly Snake Grass poison that had been released into the air. If it had been more, even my main body wouldn’t have been able to save you. Heavenly Snake Grass is one of the hundred deadly poisons in the world. Its poison is extremely strong. Even someone several levels above you in cultivation would struggle to withstand it”.
Xu Lian mentally cursed the ancestors of the demonic spirit in the old well for a full eighteen generations. Something that could be included in the Hundred Deadly Toxins was undoubtedly terrifying. The demonic spirit had actually allowed him to pull the Heavenly Snake Grass out of the well… It was like lighting a lantern in a latrine to look for trouble.
Xu Lian asked, “Quarry Patrol Inspector, when you investigated my backyard, did you learn about the situation in the old well?
The white fox nodded. “Seeing the Heavenly Snake Grass in the water bucket, I guessed that you had pulled it out of the well. Curious, I examined the well and sensed an ancient aura of a Heavenly Serpent. A long time ago, a terrifying Heavenly Serpent must have been sealed inside. However, this aura has mostly dissipated. Either the Heavenly Snake has been dead for many years, or it has left for a long time.”
“Besides the Heavenly Serpent, what other demonic spirit is hidden in this well?” Xu Lian asked quickly.
He was very curious to know what the ‘Deep Well Crazy’ demon in the old well really was.
The white fox looked surprised. “Are you saying that there’s another demonic spirit in that well?”
Xu Lian’s expression changed. “You didn’t detect it, Quarry Patrol Inspector?”
The white fox was silent for a moment. “The well has a very strong restriction. I couldn’t sense the details inside, only the ancient aura of the Heavenly Serpent. Beyond that, I’m not sure.”
Xu Lian recounted his interaction with the demonic ghost in the well, describing how he had referred to it as his “sister” in order to maintain control over the situation.
The white fox listened quietly, then gave him a strange look.
Xu Lian felt his face heat up under the fox’s gaze. He was slightly embarrassed. “I had no choice. In order to keep the demonic ghost in the well under control, I had to play along with it.”
This was really “playing along with the snake”…
The white fox said, “In that case, there are two possibilities.
First, the demonic ghost in the well has mistaken you for the Heavenly Snake that left long ago, which is why it was willing to give you the Heavenly Snake Grass.
Second, the demonic spirit always knew that you weren’t the Heavenly Snake. It was toying with you, deliberately giving you the Heavenly Snake Grass to test your strength and see if you could withstand its poison”.
That makes sense… Xu Lian asked, “What should I do next?”
The white fox thought for a moment. “The restriction in this well is extremely strong. The demonic spirit trapped inside doesn’t seem to be able to escape at the moment, so you don’t need to worry. However, Heavenly Snake Grass is an extremely rare cultivation resource. There are only a few in the whole world. You might want to ask the demon spirit for more. I can help you seal it, and it might be of great use to you in the future,”
Xu Lian’s heart skipped a beat. It seemed that the value of the Heavenly Snake Grass far exceeded his expectations. Did the quarry patrol inspector have its own motives?
He bowed his head and said, “With my low cultivation level, such a rare cultivation resource as Heavenly Snake Grass is of no use to me. If I were to obtain it, I would only sell it in Pingyang County for some spirit stones, which would be a waste. I would like to offer any Heavenly Snake Grass I obtain to the Quarry Patrol Inspector as a token of my gratitude.”
The white fox was stunned for a moment. “Sell it in Pingyang County?”
Xu Lian nodded. “That was my original plan.”
The white fox seemed speechless. “I can clearly tell you that no one in Pingyang County can afford the Heavenly Snake Grass, not even a single leaf. How would you sell it?
If a single Heavenly Snake Grass were to appear in a small county like Pingyang, the consequences would be disastrous. Countless powerful cultivators would rush there, engaging in fierce battles to claim it. It would undoubtedly cause chaos in Pingyang County.”
Xu Lian was stunned.
It seemed that he had underestimated the value of the Heavenly Snake Grass and overestimated the wealth of the cultivators in Pingyang County.
The White Fox warned, “The Heavenly Snake Grass in your possession must never be revealed to others. Otherwise, you will surely cause your own demise. Especially for those who specialize in the poison path, the Heavenly Snake Grass is like a sacred poison artifact. They would stop at nothing to obtain it”.
Xu Lian shivered, feeling a chill run down his spine. “With my low cultivation level, the Heavenly Snake Grass is better off with the Quarry Patrol Inspector.”
“That won’t be necessary. The Heavenly Snake Grass is of no use to me,” the white fox said, seemingly unwilling to take advantage of him. “You should keep it yourself. Just don’t let anyone know about it.”
Such a superior was truly rare – someone who could remain unmoved by priceless treasures… Xu Lian became even more curious about her true identity. She must be from a major power, one that wasn’t lacking in cultivation resources, which was why she could remain so detached.
Thus, Xu Lian made an appointment with her to meet in the backyard of his residence late that night.
The white fox turned around and transformed into a white shadow, disappearing into the depths of the forest.
Xu Lian climbed a tree to get a view of Green Bamboo Town, then climbed down and began walking back, his body still weak and sore. He estimated that he would need some time to recover.
As he walked, he felt something unusual in his robe. Reaching in, he pulled out a white spatial pouch. What was it?
Focusing his mind, he peered into the spatial pouch.
Inside, he found the purple jade talisman, the blue jade talisman, a small jade bottle, and a crystal orb.
“Appear.”
With a thought, he retrieved the small jade bottle and the crystal orb.
Seeing the emerald green Heavenly Snake Grass sealed inside the crystal orb, Xu Lian’s hand trembled and he nearly dropped it. After calming down, he realized that it must have been sealed by the White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector to prevent the poison from leaking out.
He examined the small jade bottle, noticing a label on it that read in bold, elegant characters: “Nine-Turn Detox Pill”.
Obviously, this white space pouch and the Nine-Turn Detox Pill inside were also gifts from the White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector.
Xu Lian was deeply moved and almost cried. “In this world, no one has ever been so kind to me except Xiya. The Quarry Patrol Inspector treats me like a disciple and takes such good care of me.
If I ever reach the level of strength she expects, I will definitely repay her… Even if it means offering my life in return!”