Chapter 9: Memory

Meng Zhaozhong took Jiang Yang, flipped the snake over, and examined it left and right. He placed the snake’s back on a large, flat bluestone in the corner of the courtyard, then smilingly prepared to extend his “evil claws.” Jiang Yang’s heart lurched in alarm. Finally realizing what he intended to do, she violently struggled free from his broad palm and writhed frantically by Chuci’s feet, her snake tail twisting almost into a hemp knot.

It nearly scared the snake to death.

The gender of a snake is very indistinct from external characteristics. This was the common method to determine if a snake was male or female: place the snake’s back on a relatively hard surface, then press behind its cloaca with a finger, pushing forward from the tail tip. If a reproductive organ protrudes, it’s male; if not, it’s female.

Little Chuci crouched down, poked its spine, and clicked her tongue. “Definitely female.”

Jiang Yang was nearly overwhelmed with gratitude: It’s still my King who’s good.

Little Chuci picked Jiang Yang up and handed her to Meng Zhaozhong. Tilting her chin up, she continued: “Check if you don’t believe me.”

Jiang Yang: “!”

She wrapped tightly around Meng Zhaozhong’s hand, adamantly refusing to stretch her body out.

And Meng Zhaozhong was adamant about pulling her straight, not expecting such strength from a little creature.

It was Kunlun who couldn’t watch anymore. “Meng Zhaozhong, are you stupid? Cultivated Snakes are species left from ancient times. Who knows how old she is now; she might have already developed a spirit. Of course she’d resist if you just casually lay hands on her. Use your Spiritual Eye to see.”

“Oh.” Meng Zhaozhong stopped. He swiped two fingers before his eyes, and his blue pupils faintly glowed. Jiang Yang hastily cast an Illusion Spell on herself. Whether revealing her incredibly huge original form or her cultivated human appearance, neither could be explained.

Meng Zhaozhong’s cultivation level clearly wasn’t enough to deal with Jiang Yang. He looked horizontally and vertically for a moment, then a light blush suddenly appeared on his face. Quietly, he said: “Fe… female. And a little snake just five hundred years out of the shell.”

Kunlun gave an “Mm,” and Chuci proudly perked up her ears.

“Mountain Saint, then I…” Meng Zhaozhong fidgeted awkwardly, “Should I still raise her?”

“Raise her. Why not.”

“But…” Meng Zhaozhong pointed at Jiang Yang. “This is a female snake!”

“What’s wrong with female? Do you look down on female snakes? For the Cultivated Snake species, the females actually grow larger than the males. Didn’t you want a big one? Then that’s perfect.”

Meng Zhaozhong: “…”

“I meant, it’s improper for a male and female to have close contact.”

Kunlun: “…”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, helplessly saying: “Just treat her like one of those little sisters in your dragon clan. If you raised a dragon, you can raise a snake, right? Fine, it’s settled. If you won’t raise her, throw her back into the mountain.”

Kunlun looked down at Little Chuci, who was starting to tug at her sleeve again. Gathering the child up into her arms, she admitted with a headache: “I truly don’t have the energy to raise a second one.”

Little Chuci felt this statement was highly dissatisfying and glared resentfully at Kunlun, making as if to bite. Kunlun adjusted her words smoothly: “One is more than enough.”

Then she patted Little Chuci’s head and carried her back into the house.

Left behind in the courtyard, Meng Zhaozhong also brought Jiang Yang back to his own dwelling. He lived underwater. Enormous stones, carried from who knows where, had been piled into a stone palace, just barely large enough for him to lie inside in his original form at night.

Tonight, for some reason, he suddenly felt embarrassed.

Cultivated Snakes could swim. Even if she couldn’t, Meng Zhaozhong could easily cast a Barrier. But Meng Zhaozhong claimed it was for water control and ended up placing Jiang Yang inside his dragon mouth, only then swiftly transforming into the White Dragon, settling into the stone palace, and releasing Jiang Yang again.

He suddenly recalled what Kunlun had told him: that Little Lord Chu used to often put her in her mouth back then. Could it be the same sentiment?

When sleeping at night, Meng Zhaozhong set a Barrier and let Jiang Yang lie on the flat area between his dragon horns. He earnestly warned her repeatedly not to crawl down along his body, or she’d be eaten by the monsters in the water.

Jiang Yang: “…”

Just what was going on in this silly dragon’s mind all day?

If snakes could roll their eyes, Jiang Yang’s eyes would have rolled to the heavens.

That night, Meng Zhaozhong woke with a start several times. When he saw Kunlun the next day, he looked listless as a wilted eggplant. He bowed to Kunlun and, as he had for many years, asked routinely: “Has Little Lord Chu gone out to play again?”

Kunlun nodded, puzzled. “What’s wrong with you?”

Meng Zhaozhong immediately turned his face aside, stating firmly: “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing…” Kunlun followed his line of sight, drawing out her words. “Is… what?”

Meng Zhaozhong hurriedly turned his face to the other side, his red face full of embarrassment: “I said it’s nothing! Also, I just looked in the wrong direction.”

“Right,” Kunlun chimed in agreement with a nod. “There is indeed nothing there, and you saw nothing.”

“Huh?”

Meng Zhaozhong looked back. The snake, which had just been lying sprawled on the ground moments ago, twisting in all directions, had suddenly vanished without a trace. He immediately stood up to leave. “Mountain Saint, I’ll go find her. She’s so small, what if a demon eats her?”

Kunlun waved him off. “Go ahead.”

Watching Meng Zhaozhong go, Kunlun belatedly realized: Divine Dragon Clan dragons as old as Meng Zhaozhong long ago had offspring. Some even had grandchildren by now. Only he had remained by her side, seemingly having completely forgotten this matter. Whenever asked in the past, he’d only scratch his head foolishly.

—Ah? I never thought about it. I’ll just follow Mountain Saint.

—Ah? I’m still a young dragon. We’ll talk about it later.

—Ah? Mountain Saint, are you sending me away?

The people, dragon, and snake in the courtyard all cleared out momentarily. Kunlun stood alone in the yard for a while, then suddenly sighed and murmured softly, “If only this really were just a little snake, five hundred years old.”

The moment I mention Chuci going out to play, she also mysteriously vanishes. The sudden aura of a great demon in the dense forest yesterday… although it was suppressed with great effort, it was rich and musky, clearly that of a Snake Demon.

And just after the Snake Demon left, a little Cultivated Snake “five hundred years out of the shell” appears in its place? Could it be that the Snake Demon, admiring Kunlun Mountain’s reputation, traveled a thousand miles specifically to deliver her child to Kunlun Mountain?

Hah…

Kunlun casually formed a Dharma Seal with her hand. A door suddenly appeared in the courtyard. She stepped forward and her figure vanished into thin air.

Before her eyes stood a simple yet elegant pavilion, surrounded by hills and water, with the tinkling sounds of jade ornaments. Kunlun climbed the stairs, lush green water plants growing tall on both sides, gently waving at her. She reached the door and pushed it open to enter.

Memories could be forgotten, but written words would not. What this pavilion held was the record of this Divine Lord’s memories across all these years. She began recalling from the dawn of Heaven and Earth—the people she had known, the things she’d seen, the events she’d experienced—painstakingly recording them, right up until forty thousand years ago.

But a thousand years ago, when she picked up Chuci, she sealed this place shut and hadn’t set foot in it for many years.

She never thought there’d be a day she’d enter again.

She used her spiritual sense to rapidly search the library. A blue booklet flew into her hand, automatically flipping to the correct page.

“Black body, blue head, white belly, marked with red.” This was the description of the snake’s appearance that Chuci had picked up that year, recorded back then. Thanks to the fact that this snake had followed Chuci for quite a few years, she still remembered its appearance and had recorded it.

Kunlun looked at the drawing accompanying the text. She’d drawn it on a whim at the time. Looking at it now, it was truly hideously ugly, but the red spots on the abdomen were clearly and vividly marked.

That snake yesterday—also had red spots on its abdomen.

Kunlun closed the pavilion and returned to the courtyard. From the mountains came the roars of dragons and tigers. Distantly, white clouds could be seen tumbling and rolling. Even Meng Zhaozhong had joined the ruckus. The tree spirits… hmm, and seemingly other creatures, continued their field of wailing. Who knew what those three were stirring up again.

Kunlun relaxed her mind for a brief moment, thinking inwardly: They’re all just young ones. Anyway, they can’t wreck Kunlun Mountain. Let them be.

She lifted her gaze towards a certain direction in the sky, placing her hand over her heart. Her fingertips rubbed lightly, feeling only an empty void where nothing remained.

Yet a clear smile remained on her face.

You’re coming back.