Watching the young girl across from him, her smile as radiant as a flower, and feeling the cold, smooth, and slick sensation of a snake tail slowly coiling, the psychological trauma Ding Songyan had suffered as a child from watching movies and TV shows like The Legend of the White Snake and Anaconda surged up in an instant.
He forced a smile and answered the girl’s question:
"I understand."
Heaven have mercy, who could have imagined that a white snake would come to listen to my The Legend of the White Snake?
The girl nodded in satisfaction, and her thick snake tail retracted with a swish, vanishing without a trace.
"Can you show me the story you wrote today?"
"Of course, of course." Ding Songyan turned halfway, picked up the stack of paper, and offered it with both hands.
By the light of the oil lamp and the moon, the girl began to read earnestly, occasionally letting out an "Oh."
When she reached the final page, she looked up and said with deep satisfaction:
"So, Lady White is even more formidable than I thought; she can even go to the Heavenly Court to steal the Elixir of Immortality. Hmm, what about Fahai? He has already confirmed that Lady White is a snake demon, so why doesn't he come to capture her?"
Good question, I was just stuck on that myself... Are you actually hoping for Lady White to be captured? If she really were, you’d be crying again. Being a white snake yourself, you’re quite immersed in the story, aren't you? As Ding Songyan felt his entire body tense up, he instinctively began to grumble internally to distract himself from the urge to urinate.
He didn't have time to overthink it and blurted out:
"Didn't you just say it yourself? Lady White is capable of stealing the Elixir of Immortality from the Heavenly Court; she is far more powerful than Fahai. Fahai is currently searching far and wide for allies to ensure he doesn't fail."
"Lady White has just given birth to Xu Shilin, and her body is still very weak. Isn't that very dangerous?" The girl immediately grew anxious about the plot, her eyes burning as she waited for Ding Songyan to provide an answer.
Are you planning to ask questions all the way to the ending? Ding Songyan sighed helplessly:
"Lady White has other allies, too.
"There is a great hero in the martial arts world named Yan Nantian. He loves to see lovers united and doesn't see anything wrong with a human and a demon falling in love. He will happen to pass by at the right moment and draw his blade to help."
The situation was dangerous and time was tight; Ding Songyan had evolved from adapting the story to making it up on the spot.
The girl let out a long "Oh," clearly relieved.
"Then I shall hear the details tomorrow." She stood up with a smile.
Seeing that she harbored no malice, Ding Songyan recovered from the initial terror of meeting a snake demon. Half out of curiosity and half to build rapport, he asked:
"Is your name also Bai Suzhen?"
The girl let out a giggle:
"It’s not quite that coincidental. Didn't I tell you already? My name is Xiaoqing."
"But you are a white snake... I thought 'Xiaoqing' referred to your maid, since she wears green clothes." Ding Songyan explained.
"Can't a white snake be named Xiaoqing?" The girl was in a great mood, her smile carrying a hint of teasing. "Is it not allowed for my name to contain the character 'Qing'?"
Fine, fine, whatever you say is right! Just as Ding Songyan was about to speak, a wave of dizziness washed over his head.
In a mere split second, he returned to normal. The scene before him was clear and cold as water; there was no sign of a figure in white robes.
He remained in the position of having just placed his brush on the rack, not having turned to look at the wooden bed at all.
Everything that had just happened—the white-robed snake demon—was like a fleeting dream he might have had while drafting his story outline.
The dim yellow of the oil lamp and the brilliance of the moonlight intertwined, hazy and illusory.
"I didn't fall asleep..." Ding Songyan calmed his mind and sensed the air for a moment, but he could not smell any lingering fragrance.
Yet, he remained convinced that the girl named Xiaoqing had truly been there.
The papers on which he had written his story outline, spread out on the wooden chest, had been shifted from their original positions.
Sigh, being a storyteller in this world is a high-risk profession. Heaven knows what kind of strange things might come to listen to your stories. If you leave them hanging too much, or if the ending doesn't satisfy them... hiss, I dare not imagine the consequences... Ding Songyan seriously considered whether he should report this to the authorities.
It took him only half a cup of tea's time to make a decision:
So what if she’s a snake demon?
Can’t a snake demon be a friend?
I initially took an interest in Xiaoqing and wanted to build a relationship with her because I felt her background was likely decent, her heart was relatively kind, and she still retained a bit of innocence and charm. Now that none of that has changed, my intentions naturally won't change either.
Whether she is human or demon doesn't affect my judgment on this matter; I have no intention of playing the role of Xu Xian.
Furthermore, after this incident, Ding Songyan felt that he and the girl Xiaoqing were no longer so distant. They shared a secret, and many things he hadn't been able to ask about before could now be broached.
Ding Songyan exhaled, feeling a headache as he recalled the plot points he had improvised in front of Xiaoqing.
I have to use those now. You can't lie to the God of Wealth, especially not a God of Wealth who could swallow you in one gulp!
He reviewed the content he had spoken earlier in his mind and decided it was passable. At the very least, it explained why Fahai didn't dare to confront Lady White directly, instead luring Xu Xian to Jinshan Temple to bait Lady White into coming to him.
Having made up his mind, Ding Songyan picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and continued his work.
…………
Dingjiang Prefecture only closed its city gates; there was no curfew. Yet, in the dead of night, the alleys remained empty and silent.
The maid in the green dress chased after the young girl Xiaoqing, asking with concern:
"Miss, why did you use your transformation arts to frighten Ding Erlang?"
Xiaoqing was still wearing the purple outfit from the day, looking slender and delicate. She breathed in the cool night air, swinging her arms in a good mood:
"He lied to me first. It was clearly a story he had just thought up, yet he claimed it was a newly learned tale. That song, too—I asked around, and there is no such musical style!"
"But, but what if he goes to the authorities and reports that he encountered a snake demon?" The maid was full of worry.
Xiaoqing let out a "hehe" laugh:
"He doesn't know, but wouldn't the Yi family and the Xiaoming Sect know? Since Emperor Zhuanxu severed the connection between Heaven and Earth, how could any snake demon still be able to transform into a human?"
"That's true." The maid set her mind at ease and muttered to herself, "Besides, there are many cultivation arts that can form a snake body; it's not that easy to guess."
As Xiaoqing walked briskly toward the main street, swinging her arms back and forth, she said with a giggle:
"Being able to maintain a human form and only revealing the snake tail when one wishes—this is something only those at the Human Realm can achieve. If Ding Erlang reports this, it will surely give the Yi family and the Xiaoming Sect a fright."
"Yes, yes!" The maid followed her mistress, feeling happy as well. "Aside from the Grandmasters of the Human Realm, only a few martial arts techniques specializing in transformation could accomplish this..."
As she said this, she suddenly froze:
"Miss, will the people from the Yi family and the Xiaoming Sect guess our identities because of this and ruin our plans?"
"Oh, that's right..." Xiaoqing blinked and stopped in her tracks.
After a few breaths, she pursed her lips and said:
"Ding Erlang shouldn't report it.
"Even if he really goes to the magistrate's office, the one who will be troubled is my second uncle. At most, I’ll receive some punishment or be grounded; I’m used to it anyway."
The maid was speechless for a moment. Seeing that her mistress was no longer dwelling on the matter, she felt relieved.
She thought for a moment and said:
"Miss, do you think we can finish hearing The Legend of the White Snake before we leave Dingjiang Prefecture?"
"We should be able to." Xiaoqing pondered for a while, then said viciously, "If not, on the night before we leave, I’ll kidnap Ding Erlang and make him tell the story for the whole night until he reaches the ending!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" The maid agreed wholeheartedly.
The mistress and maid, now free of worries, strolled through the sparsely populated streets with light laughter and playful banter, heading toward the Tianyang Guild Hall.
…………
Under the scorching sun, beneath a large tree outside Dangkang Temple.
Using yesterday's draft as a base, Ding Songyan added Yan Nantian to the narrative, pushing the story all the way to the point where Fahai "kidnapped" Xu Xian to his lair at Jinshan Temple.
Seeing the look of indignation on Xiaoqing’s face—the "how could you end it here" expression—he knew she would likely visit again tonight, so he suppressed his urge to ask for information on the spot.
There were too many people here; it wasn't a good place for conversation.
I'll ask when the night is deep and quiet.
After settling for a makeshift lunch, Ding Songyan remembered Qin Nansheng’s instructions from yesterday. He made his way to Longxing Street and found Master Physician Shao’s Yannian Medical Clinic.
Just as he entered, before he could even ask a question, he saw a familiar figure sitting on a chair to the side.
It was Qu Zhongheng, the man with one leg and three eyes.
Qingyan had also asked me to bring the prepared gift to Baoping Lane tonight to thank Qu Sanlang; I didn't expect to run into him at the Yannian Medical Clinic at noon... Ding Songyan walked over and asked Qu Zhongheng, whose horizontal eye on his forehead was tightly shut:
"Qu Sanlang, what happened?"
Qu Zhongheng looked up at him and said listlessly:
"My father suddenly had unbearable stomach pain, so we had to bring him to Master Physician Shao. Master Physician Shao said the situation isn't very good and he needs to open the abdomen."
Open the abdomen? Ding Songyan subconsciously wanted to dig at his ears, doubting he had heard correctly.
Is the style of this world’s medicine a bit off?
Just as he sat down, the wooden door separating the inner and outer areas opened. Master Physician Shao, dressed in a blue silk robe, walked out, followed by two young men and two boys.
One of the boys was carrying a wooden tray, upon which lay blood-stained willow-leaf scalpels, flat-edged scalpels, round needles, tweezers, scissors, and sheepgut thread.
Qu Sanlang stood up with a swish and hopped toward Master Physician Shao.
Master Physician Shao nodded slightly:
"Your father had an intestinal blockage. I have removed that section and sutured the two ends back together..."
As he explained the situation, Ding Songyan listened, dumbfounded.
Has the medical science of this world developed to this extent?
"He will need to stay in the clinic for at least a month." Master Physician Shao turned to Ding Songyan. "Wait a moment; I need to go clean up."
"Very well, Master Physician Shao." Only today did Ding Songyan notice that Master Physician Shao’s pupils seemed to be tinged with a hint of white.
After sitting back down, Qu Sanlang was clearly more relaxed and sighed to Ding Songyan beside him:
"Before Emperor Zhuanxu severed the connection between Heaven and Earth, our clan had the Jiliang divine horses. As long as one rode them, one could live for a thousand years. Nowadays, not only is it hard for the Jiliang themselves to live long—they are nearly extinct—but even if one were to have the great fortune to encounter one, riding it would only grant a lifespan of at most two hundred years."
Two hundred years is not bad... I only lived to my early thirties in my previous life... Ding Songyan muttered to himself.
"In this day and age, two hundred years is not bad at all." Qu Sanlang said to himself, "If the Jiliang divine horses still existed, my father wouldn't be suffering like this before reaching the age of seventy."
"At least with Master Physician Shao here, he can be saved." Ding Songyan offered a word of comfort.
He didn't ask why Qu Dalang and Qu Erlang hadn't appeared. Ding Qingyan hadn't mentioned it either, and based on his understanding of the Qu family’s obsession with mechanical devices and the frequent accidents that occurred, it was better not to ask.
After chatting for a while, Ding Songyan took out the mechanical item his sister had bought and handed it, along with the box, to Qu Zhongheng to express his gratitude.
Qu Zhongheng revealed a faint smile:
"Qingyan is truly thoughtful. I shall accept it without modesty.
"Ding Erlang, I used to think you were timid and not like a man. If it weren't for Qingyan, I wouldn't even want to bother with you. Now it seems you are actually a decent person."
Brother, if you don't know how to speak, then don't speak... You will never have a chance to marry my sister in this lifetime! Ding Songyan realized that Qu Sanlang’s emotional intelligence was truly low—the kind that didn't even know how to pretend.
However, getting along with someone like this meant he didn't have to constantly keep eight hundred schemes in his head, nor did he have to worry about him being two-faced.
After thinking for a moment, Ding Songyan changed the subject:
"Qu Sanlang, do you not use that eye on your forehead usually?"
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