Chapter 6

After speaking, Ah Wan turned and went back into the bedroom.

Curious, Little Snake put down the cookbook and followed.

Inside the bedroom, the wardrobe door was open. Ah Wan took out a simple, pure white bra and casually tossed it at Little Snake.

“Put this on.”

She started to leave after throwing it to her, but a small, two-word reply came from behind: “Don’t know how.”

Hearing this, Ah Wan fell silent for a moment, then turned back around to stand in front of Little Snake. She ordered coldly: “Take off your clothes.”

Little Snake didn’t dare delay. She quickly placed the bra she was holding onto the bed, then, right in front of Ah Wan, took off the only garment covering her body—the short-sleeved shirt.

The young girl had a well-proportioned figure and a graceful, delicate curve to her body. Her skin was even more fair and fine, like a peeled egg, seemingly able to be broken by a mere puff of wind.

“Human!” Little Snake called out. Only then did Ah Wan snap back to her senses. Her face betraying no emotion, she picked up the bra from the bed. Holding it up by its straps, one in each hand, she said to Little Snake, “Put your arms through.”

Little Snake obediently extended her arms. Ah Wan moved behind her to fasten the clasp, then turned to leave.

“Get dressed and come out to cook,” her voice sounded from outside.

“Okay,” Little Snake responded obediently. She grabbed the pure white short-sleeved shirt with both hands, pulled it over her head just as she’d seen Ah Wan do, and then walked out, very pleased with herself.

Bare-legged, she tinkered around in the kitchen with the cookbook. Ah Wan sat outside, reading a medical text and waiting.

At ten-thirty in the morning, a plate of half-cooked, half-raw stir-fried carrot and pork was finally brought to the table. Little Snake stood properly to the side and announced, “Human, eat.”

Ah Wan got up slowly and lazily from her chair and walked to the table. She picked up her chopsticks and poked disdainfully at the food on the plate. She frowned and asked, “Where’s my meat?”

Hearing this, Little Snake tilted her head up, opened her mouth, pointed inside with her finger, and said happily, “Meat, Snakey ate it.”

“Heh.” Ah Wan was angered to the point of laughter. The dish before her was completely unappetizing. She poked at it a couple more times, then tossed her chopsticks onto the table.

She went into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and took out a fresh piece of meat. Turning around, she saw that little white snake poking her head around the doorway, hesitantly looking in.

“What do you want?” Ah Wan asked crossly.

Little Snake let go of the door frame she’d been clinging to and slowly walked in. She glanced at Ah Wan and said quietly, “Snakey ate meat, Human angry.”

Ah Wan understood. She laughed once, then a wicked idea came to her. “I’m not angry. Just work for me.”

Hearing that Ah Wan wasn’t angry, Little Snake immediately brightened and nodded vigorously. “Okay!”

“Fine. Best remember your words.” Ah Wan glanced at her and nodded with satisfaction. She lifted her chin. “Go wait outside.”

She then tied on an apron and began slicing vegetables.

She sliced a large piece of ginger, mixed it with garlic cloves, dried chili peppers, and green garlic shoots, and stir-fried it all with the meat. She darkened the color with soy sauce, then plated it and scooped a spoonful of rice right on top.

Green pepper and pork rice bowl.

Little Snake smelled the fragrance, so tantalizing that she couldn’t help but flick her tongue. She shuffled over coyly to stand beside Ah Wan, her eyes fixed intently on the plate of food in the woman’s hand.

Ah Wan glanced at her but didn’t acknowledge her. She mixed the rice with a spoon. Every grain was coated in the flavorful sauce. Then she picked up a tender, glistening slice of meat and deliberately waved it in the air.

Little Snake eagerly opened her mouth wide and poked at it with her finger, then obediently stayed like that, waiting, “Ahhh.”

Ah Wan purposely dangled the slice of meat right in front of her mouth, teasing her until Little Snake stretched her neck out to receive it. But the meat swerved and went right into Ah Wan’s own mouth instead.

“Want some?” Ah Wan looked at her.

“Mm, mm.” Little Snake nodded her head, continuing to hold her mouth wide open in anticipation.

Ah Wan’s brown eyes darkened, a cold glint appearing within them. She placed the bowl in her hand onto the table and stood up, walking towards the outside. “Follow me.”

Not understanding what this was about, Little Snake cast a reluctant look back at the delicious-smelling chili stir-fry on the table, but still jogged after her.

At the back corner of the courtyard, Ah Wan opened the lid. Only a small portion of the scorpions in the vat remained.

She turned around and looked at the seemingly frail and delicate girl before her. She spoke slowly: “I need a Heart-Piercing Gu.”

“But an ordinary Heart-Piercing Gu takes at least three to five years to mature,” Ah Wan raised an eyebrow, a smile touching her lips. “I don’t have that kind of patience.”

Hearing this, Little Snake’s eyes still held a trace of confusion. She looked at Ah Wan curiously.

Ah Wan raised her hand and beckoned her over. Little Snake approached as if pulled by a string.

“I know you’re powerful. Help me refine a Heart-Piercing Gu, and I’ll give you meat to eat.”

Ah Wan pinched her chin, her voice a seductive whisper. She leaned down slightly, her long, straight eyelashes fluttering gently.

It was a silent, wordless temptation.

Little Snake was mesmerized. Her breathing quickened slightly. Her mind was blank. All she could do was nod vigorously, then let out a crisp “Mm!”

“Snakey strong!”

Ah Wan smiled. She tilted her head slightly towards the large vat and raised an eyebrow. “Go now. Kill five scorpions, and you get meat.”

“Mm!” Little Snake didn’t hesitate. She instantly transformed back into a little white snake, slithering across the ground.

She crawled up Ah Wan’s calf, winding her way up to the back of her neck. She poked her head out and glanced at Ah Wan.

Ah Wan ignored her, her attention focused entirely on the thirty-some scorpions in the vat.

Little Snake flicked her tongue, coming just a hair’s breadth from touching Ah Wan, but then pulled back. She crawled along Ah Wan’s arm, slowly making her way towards the vat.

The white tip of her tail disappeared from sight. Without a shred of pity, Ah Wan clamped the lid back on, then leisurely walked away.

Halfway back, she turned around and went back to pick up the clothes lying scattered on the ground.

Night fell. Ah Wan, having showered, leaned against the headboard of her bed, wearing a set of pure cotton pajamas, reading a book. Suddenly, she felt a cold sensation on the top of her foot.

She moved the book aside and looked down. The little white snake was crawling towards her, exhausted and slow.

Her body was filthy, covered in blood and quite a bit of dirt.

“Faster than I imagined,” Ah Wan said. She closed her book and set it aside. Then, she grabbed the little white snake, got out of bed, and walked straight into the bathroom.

A basin was already filled with warm herbal water. She tossed the little white snake in with a plop, washed her own feet, then turned and left. She climbed back into bed, turned off the light, and slept comfortably.

In the middle of the night, she felt a cool, soft sensation in her blankets.

Ah Wan could sense the little creature burrowing into her embrace. But she didn’t stop her, nor did she reach out to hold her. She let her find a comfortable spot on her own.

She’d indulge her just this once.

Little Snake, having recovered significantly from soaking in the herbal water, was now contentedly nestled against Ah Wan’s chest. She lifted her head, gently sniffing at Ah Wan’s scent with her nose, and only then closed her eyes to sleep.

The next morning, as soon as Ah Wan opened her eyes, the first thing she did was throw on some clothes and rush to the backyard. She opened the lid and looked inside the large vat.

There were only about twenty scorpions left now. Ten had died in just one day.

One had to know that the final stages of refining a Gu insect were the most difficult. With thirty scorpions, it might take three months to reduce them to twenty-five. With twenty, it might take a year to reach ten.

And going from ten to five could take another year. When only the last two were left, it was even more unpredictable. An ordinary Heart-Piercing Gu might emerge in a year or two.

But if those last two were both scorpions suitable to become the Gu… then it could easily take five, eight, or even more years.

The Regeneration Gu she’d used on Little Snake last time—that was one her grandmother had left to her. It hadn’t been finished yet at the time; the Gu jar had contained two centipedes.

From the moment she’d received it, Ah Wan had raised it carefully. It only finally matured the year she turned eighteen.

Later, her parents had accidentally let slip about it. Someone came looking to buy it, even offering a high price of one million.

Ah Wan wasn’t willing to sell. She took her collection of Gu insects and moved here, cutting off all contact with her parents as well.

Ah Wan replaced the lid and walked with a light, quick step back to the kitchen.

With such a little helper now, she wouldn’t have to suffer through the painstaking, time-consuming process anymore.

Ah Wan opened the fridge and took out a frozen piece of meat, placing it in the sink to thaw. Then she simply made herself some breakfast.

Perhaps the sounds of cooking were too loud and woke Little Snake up?

Or maybe the delicious smell of the food roused the gluttonous snake from her slumber?

Ah Wan had just sat down to eat her breakfast when she turned her head and saw the girl walking out the door, rubbing her eyes as she went.

She was wearing the pajama shirt that Ah Wan had just changed out of that morning.

And she was only wearing the top.

Ah Wan glanced at her and immediately averted her gaze. She lowered her head to drink her congee and said in a low, warning voice: “As a human, you have to learn to wear pants.”

“Hmm?” Little Snake tilted her head, looking at her curiously. “Wear?”

What were pants?

Ah Wan put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and stood up. She walked over, and as she passed the girl, her gaze briefly dropped down, but she didn’t stop.

Little Snake immediately turned and followed.

The bedroom was a mess. Little Snake liked to roll around in her sleep, leaving the bedclothes in complete disarray. The blanket was even rolled up into a long, fat tube on the bed, looking like someone’s overweight pet snake.

Ah Wan turned her head to glance at Little Snake and took a shallow breath. “From now on, when you get up, remember to fold the blanket.”

“Mm!” Little Snake nodded immediately. Then, pointing at her own lower body, she reminded her: “Wear.”

The girl was a snake. When she transformed into a human, she could only become what she had seen.

The first human she saw after her Heavenly Tribulation was Ah Wan, so naturally, she transformed based on Ah Wan.

Ah Wan had long, jet-black, glossy hair; she also transformed long hair.

Ah Wan had fair, white skin; she also transformed to be as fair and delicate as a porcelain doll.

Ah Wan was cute in her eyes; she also transformed to be cute.

But when she transformed, she hadn’t seen a tongue, so she didn’t know how to make one.

Nor had she seen other places, so she didn’t know how to make those either.

Aside from the hair on her head, she had no other body hair at all.

Ah Wan only took one look before turning her back. A single thought filled her mind: How could it be that pink?

“Human!” Little Snake chased after Ah Wan, circling around until she was in front of her again. She pointed at herself. “Want wear.”

Ah Wan glanced at her and messily shoved the pajama pants she’d changed out of that morning into the girl’s arms.

“Put them on yourself.”

She then hurried away.

Little Snake held the pajama pants, watching Ah Wan’s departing figure with a hint of disappointment. Then she bent down and obediently put the pants on by herself.

“Come out and eat!” a voice called from outside.

Little Snake ran out cheerfully. On the table sat a lump of bright red, raw meat.

Ah Wan sat across from her. She lifted her chin and pointed at it. “Your reward.”