NOVEL WEB Ch. 5
Chapter 5: Snake Catcher
Great Qian Dynasty, land of Yongzhou, full of mountains, and within the mountains dwelled snakes.
Snake venom bit people, and there was no way to resist it.
Yet if one managed to preserve the snakes in wax, they could be made into medicine.
By the king’s order, they were to be gathered, and each year two were taxed per household, serving as part of the rent.
Thus, the people of Yongzhou scrambled and rushed to comply.
——“On the Snake Tax”
......
Humans!
Mo Lin, who was preparing to pounce on the Banded Krait, was startled.
It had already been some days since he had crossed into this world, but this was the first time he had encountered a human.
He had originally thought that he might be in some remote, sparsely populated mountain forest, but unexpectedly, he had run into humans today.
Moreover, judging by the man’s attire, he was most likely one of those fellows who lived by catching snakes.
But this snake catcher looked somewhat too young.
The uncontrollable joy on his face also showed that he was most likely still a novice when it came to catching snakes.
Seeing that the young snake catcher’s entire attention was fixed on the Banded Krait under his snake fork, Mo Lin did not feel any annoyance at having his prey stolen.
Instead, he felt somewhat relieved.
Although it was regrettable that the Banded Krait he coveted had been snatched away, at the same time, the Banded Krait had also shielded him.
If the young snake catcher’s eyes had not been glued only to the Banded Krait, which stood out starkly from the environment’s colors, then perhaps the one being stared at—and even pinned down by the snake fork at this very moment—would have been him.
Although he had swallowed several venomous snakes, he was not arrogant enough to believe he could fight a snake catcher one-on-one.
His snake fangs and constriction skills were no match for a human, a being at the very top of the food chain.
If he had already evolved venom as potent as the Banded Krait’s and could launch a sneak attack from behind, then perhaps there would be some hope.
But as things stood now...
Taking advantage of the young snake catcher’s preoccupation with the Banded Krait, Mo Lin intended to slip away quietly under the cover of the environment.
Just then, footsteps sounded not far behind Mo Lin...
......
The young snake catcher, watching the Banded Krait tightly pinned under his snake fork and unable to struggle free, was overjoyed.
He had heard that His Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, suffered from long-term illness, and the venomous snakes of Yongzhou could serve as medicinal ingredients to treat the emperor’s condition.
Thus, in the land of Yongzhou, the “Snake Tax” was decreed:
Recruiting the people of Yongzhou to capture venomous snakes from the mountains, and as long as one could catch venomous snakes that met the requirements, they could be used as a deduction from the household tax.
Although venturing into the mountains to catch venomous snakes was a gamble with one’s life, for many families who could not pay their taxes, this became a path with hope of survival.
Therefore, many elders and strong men of Yongzhou followed suit, sacrificing their lives in droves.
At his age, this young snake catcher should have still been carefreely playing about.
But no, the last time the court collected taxes, the young man’s grandfather had already sacrificed his life to snake venom.
And now, the day of tax collection by the court was once again approaching.
For the sake of his younger siblings, the young man resolutely took up the burden, following his father—a seasoned snake catcher—into the mountains.
On this trip, his father’s snake basket was already stuffed with several snakes, while the young man’s basket was still empty, making him rather anxious.
At this moment, he spotted a hissing Banded Krait, and he was overjoyed.
The Banded Krait, with its black body and white bands, was, according to the court’s decree, the most venomous and also the most medicinally valuable of venomous snakes.
If he could catch this Banded Krait, then just this one snake alone would offset as much tax as his father’s full basket.
Thus, the young man quickly calmed his breath and focused his spirit, hoping to succeed in one strike.
It seemed that fortune also favored him, for some reason the Banded Krait did not notice his presence at all and was easily pinned down by his snake fork.
The young man was overjoyed:
“Ha! Father, I caught a Banded Krait! Our family’s taxes this year are secured!”
But just as he shouted, an older man who had hurried up behind him gave him a knock on the head.
This older man, like the youth, wore rain boots, held a snake fork, and had a snake basket hanging at his waist.
Clearly, he too was a snake catcher:
“Hong Wen, did you forget what I told you before we entered the mountain? Don’t shout! There are more than just snakes in the mountains.”
“And I’ve warned you countless times, snake catching must always be done in pairs. If you make one careless mistake and are ambushed by another venomous snake, what then?”
......
Damn it!
Mo Lin’s fangs clenched tightly.
If it had just been Hong Wen alone earlier, Mo Lin had planned to sneak away.
But now, he did not dare move a muscle.
After devouring many of his kind, his instincts seemed to have sharpened.
In his perception, this older snake catcher was unlike the young man.
He was a man who had battled many snakes.
Just from the snake basket at his waist, Mo Lin could already smell the scent of seven or eight snakes.
Someone who so often dealt with venomous snakes was surely cautious, and his awareness of changes in the environment likely rivaled that of snakes themselves.
If Mo Lin moved recklessly, there was a high chance of being discovered.
And once discovered, facing two snake catchers, even he could not be sure of retreating unscathed.
With this thought, Mo Lin lowered his head even closer to the ground, hoping to blend into the environment and deceive the two snake catchers’ eyes.
......
After being scolded by his father, Hong Wen pouted in grievance, but still couldn’t bear to loosen his grip on the snake fork:
“But father, it’s a Banded Krait! I was just afraid it would slip away.”
“And besides, I’ve already caught it safely, haven’t I?”
Hong Tianfeng, Hong Wen’s father, said impatiently:
“Your mother and I named you Hong Wen because we hoped you would study well, leave these mountains someday, and not have to risk your life like me and your grandfather.”
“Tell me, what’s more important, one snake or your life?”
“If this Banded Krait is lost, you can catch another. But if you lose your life, how sad would your mother be?”
After reprimanding Hong Wen, a trace of sorrow flashed in Hong Tianfeng’s eyes.
Seeing this, Hong Wen realized his father was recalling how, during the last tax collection, his grandfather had gone into the mountains to catch snakes for the sake of the family, only to sacrifice his life.
Hong Wen snapped out of his excitement from catching his first snake and admitted his mistake:
“Father, I know I was wrong. I’ll be more careful next time.”
Seeing his son admit fault, Hong Tianfeng nodded with satisfaction.
He bent down, pressed the snake fork, pinched the Banded Krait’s seventh inch, placed it into Hong Wen’s basket, patted his son’s head, and comforted him:
“My words may be harsh, but it’s for your own good. No matter what, this is still the first snake you caught by yourself. Congratulations.”
Hearing his father’s praise, Hong Wen lifted his head with joy.
Hong Tianfeng counted the snakes in his own basket:
“With this Banded Krait, it looks like this year we won’t just cover the tax, but might even have some money left.”
“Catching snakes isn’t a long-term plan. Later, I’ll see if I can set aside some money to hire a good teacher for you, so you can try for the exams.”
At this, Hong Wen, who had been thrilled about catching his first Banded Krait, suddenly lost interest:
“Father, I don’t want to study.”
Hong Tianfeng grew furious:
“Unfilial son, what did you just say?!”
In his anger, he even forgot his own rule of not speaking loudly in the mountains.
Hong Wen hurriedly tried to calm him:
“Don’t be angry, father. I just thought, if I go study, the family would only rely on you, and it would be too hard.”
“And you said it yourself, catching snakes is dangerous, and it’s best done in pairs. If I stay by your side, you’ll have someone to watch your back.”
“Besides, younger brother has always been smarter than me and has more of a scholar’s temperament. Let him study instead. I’ll stay and catch snakes with you.”
Hearing this, Hong Tianfeng, who had been fuming, suddenly fell silent.
He stared at his son for a long time, then sighed quietly:
“Back then, before you and your younger brothers Hong Sheng and Hong Yu were born, a Taoist once came to Hongjia Village.”
Hong Wen was surprised:
“Our Hongjia Village is deep within the Hundred Thousand Mountains of Yongzhou. Other than the tax-collecting officials, who else would come here?”
Hong Tianfeng nodded:
“At that time, the Taoist saw your mother, who was pregnant, and pointed at her belly, saying a prophecy. Even now, I still haven’t forgotten it.”
Hong Wen, curious, forgot his earlier dejection:
“Father, what did the old Taoist say?”
Hong Tianfeng seemed to recall that day many years ago, his eyes full of memory:
“The Taoist said: ‘A Flood Dragon trapped in shallow waters—once in a hundred years, the winds rise and clouds surge.’”
Hong Wen scoffed:
“Those old Taoists with their cow-noses, if they’re good at anything, it’s bragging nonsense. He must’ve been trying to swindle you.”
“Too bad our family never had spare money. At most, you probably only gave him two steamed buns, haha.”
Saying this, Hong Wen laughed to himself.
Hong Tianfeng glanced at his eldest son, ignoring his mockery:
“A Taoist only seeks a good omen. Even though we had little money, I did prepare two steamed buns to give him.”
“But who would have thought, that old Taoist shook his head and solemnly said: ‘My prophecy is worth three steamed buns.’”
Hong Wen sneered:
“That old fraud! He should’ve been beaten and chased off.”
But Hong Tianfeng only shook his head:
“At the time, I thought the same. So I only gave him two buns and sent him away.”
He paused, then looked deeply at Hong Wen:
“Soon after, you, Hong Sheng, and Hong Yu were born—triplets.”