A palm wind struck, attacking from behind.
Ning Yin instinctively dodged to the side.
The fierce palm force brushed past her hair.
Heart racing, she dared not be careless.
With a thought, she summoned a flash of light into her hand and spun to counterattack.
But as she turned, the attacker abruptly withdrew his strike, body trembling, eyes widening in shock, crying out, “Bowan! Is it you?!”
Ning Yin gripped the light in her hand, frowning at the man before her—who looked no different from a human, even handsome. “Bowan? Stop pretending. I’m here today to beat you and make snake stew!”
“It’s been eighteen years, and you’re just the same as before. But I can’t mistake you—you’re Bowan reincarnated! If you don’t believe me, I can prove it. You left for eighteen years, and I’ve painted you for eighteen years. All the portraits are inside. Come see—the girl in the paintings is you!”
“You’re the Snake Demon?”
A bitter smile appeared on the Snake Demon’s face. “Yes, I am. Eighteen years ago, you told me humans and demons are different, that in the next life we could meet again. I never thought you’d reincarnate as a cultivator. Have you come to kill me? I’ve waited so long. But before you kill me, could you take a look at our past? I mean no harm. I just want you to see—maybe, just maybe, it’ll bring something back to you.”
Ning Yin looked at the Snake Demon in confusion. Didn’t Ye Shangqiu say the Snake Demon ate humans, extremely vicious? Yet she sensed no killing intent or malice from him.
After a moment’s thought, Ning Yin put away the light.
“What do you want to show me?”
“Come with me.”
The Snake Demon turned and entered the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave. Ning Yin hesitated, then gritted her teeth and followed him in.
The moment she entered, her vision dimmed. Only after stepping fully inside, under the light of several glowing pearls set in the cave walls, could she see clearly.
Inside the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave, grotesque rocks jutted everywhere. Her fingers brushed the stone wall by accident—it felt cold and damp. On closer inspection, droplets of water trickled down the rugged walls, leaving stains everywhere.
Looking around, Ning Yin realized the cave was covered with portraits of herself.
In every painting, she was accompanied by a black-robed man. The two of them, smiling and laughing, looked like a loving couple.
The Snake Demon watched every subtle change in Ning Yin’s expression, speaking cautiously, “That’s you, and that’s me. These are all the places we’ve been. Do you remember?”
Ning Yin shook her head, blank-faced. “I don’t remember.”
The Snake Demon’s face fell with deep loneliness. “I expected as much. After all, you’ve been reincarnated as a human. How could you remember the past?”
He walked to the stone table, picked up a wine jug, and took a long drink. “Yes, Bowan is dead. Even if you are her reincarnation, you are no longer her, no longer the one who used to tell me to drink less.”
Ning Yin walked over to the stone table. “Did we… love each other very much?”
As if not wanting anyone to doubt his love, the Snake Demon became agitated. “Of course! We promised never to part in this life. I only wanted to spend my life with you. If—if it hadn’t been for Yun Xianshi seeing through my identity, Bowan wouldn’t have died!”
Ning Yin sat at the table and spoke softly, “I don’t remember the past. Can you tell me about you and Bowan?”
The Snake Demon was taken aback. “You want to hear?”
Ning Yin nodded.
“Alright, I’ll tell you.
“A long time ago, Bowan was only five years old when she saved me, who had been forced back into my original form by an Immortal Master…” The Snake Demon’s and Bowan’s past was as tragic as it was beautiful—love at first sight because of a life-saving grace, separated by the divide between humans and demons, with the demon king waiting on Jiuyi Mountain for eighteen long years, believing in the workings of fate and that the heavens would one day let him see Bowan again.
Sure enough, the heavens favored those with a heart—he finally welcomed Bowan’s reincarnation.
Unfortunately, she no longer remembered him.
The Snake Demon downed cup after cup of wine. Seeing his eyes blur, Ning Yin seized the chance to pour the Realgar Powder into the wine jug and poured him a cup.
Holding the cup, the Snake Demon was silent for a long time. With tears in his eyes, he looked at Ning Yin. “Bowan, you’re here like the others, to kill me for treasure, aren’t you?”
Ning Yin didn’t dare look at his heartbreak.
“I know, you’ve come to kill me too. It doesn’t matter. Whatever you want, I’ll give you—everything here, and the Sealed Magic Treasure, all yours! I am a demon; humans and demons are separate—how much more for us. Go on, take the treasure and leave. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Following the Snake Demon’s gaze, Ning Yin saw a Sealed Mark on the cave wall.
“Go on.” The Snake Demon looked at her with a gentle smile, as if bidding a final farewell.
Ning Yin stood and walked toward the Sealed Mark, but after only a glance, she turned back, as if making up her mind. “They said you feed on humans, vicious and cruel…”
The Snake Demon was stunned, then burst out laughing. “To the world, all demons are treasures. My inner core can be refined to aid cultivation; my scales can make armor; my blood, my flesh, my bones—all useful to cultivators. Of course they claim I eat humans, that I’m a menace, otherwise what reason would they have to slay me?”
“Bowan, thank you for fulfilling my eighteen years of longing. After today, I’ll die willingly.”
He raised the cup to drink it all in one go.
“Wait!” Ning Yin suddenly knocked the wine from his hand. “Don’t drink it!”
The wine splashed onto the ground, startling the Snake Demon.
“I put Realgar Powder in there. It’s colorless and tasteless. If you’d drunk it, your cultivation would’ve been greatly weakened. I thought you were vicious and evil, but I didn’t…”
Seeing Ning Yin’s look of guilt, the Snake Demon laughed. “Fool, how could Realgar Powder hurt me? But I’m happy,” his voice choked, “that you wanted to save me, not kill me.”
“Bowan, even if you’ve forgotten everything between us, you still can’t bear to hurt me. You still have feelings, right?” The Snake Demon gazed fervently at Ning Yin, stepping closer and closer.
Under his passionate gaze, Ning Yin found herself unable to resist. She lowered her eyes. “I… I don’t. I just think that if you’re a good demon, you shouldn’t be persecuted.”
“You really are my Bowan. Bowan once said that to me too. Bowan… I’m so happy!”
At the same time, Yan Hanzhou used the creek to see Ning Yin’s situation clearly.
Seeing Ning Yin’s eyes grow dazed under the Snake Demon’s bewitchment, Ye Shangqiu exclaimed, “This is bad! I forgot to warn Daoist Ning—the Snake Demon is skilled in bewitching the heart with deep affection and winning sympathy…”
Before he finished, looking around, he realized Yan Hanzhou, who was by his side just a moment ago, had suddenly disappeared.
Inside the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave, the Snake Demon carried Ning Yin to the bed.
The bed curtains fell.
By the light of the glowing pearls, their shadows danced on the curtains.
He gazed deeply at Ning Yin, his voice full of enchantment, “You once said you’d marry me, have my children—lots and lots of children, Bowan. Now, will you still?”
Ning Yin’s eyes were dull, her spirit gone, but she nodded slowly at the Snake Demon’s words.
“Good. Let’s go now and have lots and lots of children. Don’t worry, I’ll treat you well from now on. From today on, we’ll never—” Before he could finish, the Snake Demon suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.
Looking down in disbelief, he saw Ning Yin’s sword run through his body. “Bowan, why… why are you doing this to me…”
Ning Yin shoved him away, grinding her teeth. “I’ve tolerated you long enough! Who’s your Bowan? Haven’t you acted enough? Did no one tell you your acting is terrible? Do you think I didn’t notice those long snakes outside the cave are your eyes? The ink on those paintings isn’t even dry—are you fooling ghosts?”
“All you do is talk about love, love, love. Do you really think you’re so affectionate? And have lots and lots of children? Who wants to have your children? Have you seen your face? Even if you bewitched me, just hearing you say that would’ve snapped me awake!”
“Men are all the same! Yesterday you said one thing, today it’s all forgotten. You used to stand up for me or speak for me. Now, away from home, you show your true colors. I told you I’m afraid of snakes, but you still forced me to come. When I refused, you got impatient… Ah, ah, ah, I’m going to stab you to death!”
Outside the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave, Yan Hanzhou, rushing in like the wind:
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.