Chapter 120: Hearthside Chat (Part 2): Want to Soak in the Hot Springs?

Kun Kun’s corpse still twitched, its pupils dilating in rings as thick, bloody stench wafted from the wounds. Fu Li struggled to tear her gaze away and fixed a sharper stare on the snake opposite her, plotting her revenge.

The Black-Skinned Brocade Snake stood over three zhang tall, its head encased in custom-fitted silver armor that protected its weak spots. Its wide maw parted, and its tongue—a bizarre strip of dark red satin—slid out, flicked a few times, and retracted. Those green eyes blinked slowly from the helmet’s shadow, appraising its three new foes like poisoned arrows amid its swaying body.

The onlookers held their breath, eyes glued to the arena’s unfolding drama.

Sure, demanding a rematch after losing looked sore-loser-ish and should have drawn criticism, but this was a clash between a noble heir and a massive demon snake—a spectacle most could only witness once in a lifetime. Who cared about rules?

In the silent standoff with neither side moving, the tension thickened and heated up. After the initial panic, the crowd reverted to their thrill-seeking ways, placing scattered bets as coins clinked into the dishes.

In one instant, the great snake tensed and hissed, shooting forward like a specter.

The three scattered swiftly in different directions. The snake pounced on empty air, its body slamming into the wall with a quake and cries of alarm. It rebounded with the force, whipping its tail at the nearest target—Qin He.

The tail struck like lightning, blindingly fast and brutally powerful; a hit would mean instant death. The girl stayed calm, her eyes steady. She tapped the ground lightly with her toes and floated upward, dodging at even greater speed. Then she shouted to Fu Li, “What’s its weakness?”

Books detailed how to subdue giant snake demons, and Qin He knew the basics by heart. But to avoid wasting time and ensure a one-shot kill while confirming her intel, she asked Fu Li, who raised a similar beast and surely knew its vulnerabilities.

“The neck!” Lightning crackled as Fu Li darted around the snake in a circle, yelling, “The spot covered by the armor! Right at the neck!”

Shang Shan kept running too, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Who can give me some golden pills!”

Fu Li reached into her pocket and tossed her a handful. Shang Shan caught them deftly one by one, snagging the last with her teeth mid-jump before swallowing. She kicked off her shoes, accelerated toward the wall’s edge, and used her momentum—her dry soles sticking to the surface—to sprint in an arc, launching herself to the snake’s head height.

She inhaled deeply, chest expanding, then twisted beautifully in midair and unleashed a massive jet of flames at the snake’s head. Blinding fire seared everyone’s senses.

The arena had erupted in noise the moment the fight began, so few heard the call for golden pills or linked it to eating them for fire breath—fire cultivators could train for that too. But Mu Qian Tan’s gaze lingered on that straw hat, a faint worry stirring.

If that thing slipped off by accident, exposing her special identity alongside that display… one wrong connection…

If the Female Protagonist got outed now, the plot wouldn’t just shift slightly—it would run wild like a horse off its reins.

Mu Qian Tan furrowed her brow slightly and glanced sidelong at Fu Yuzhu to check for any thoughtful look. But what she saw startled her: the woman wasn’t watching the arena. Instead, she peered past Jiang Zhouyao straight at her.

Being stared at without noticing was deeply unsettling. Mu Qian Tan tamped down her irritation, turned to meet her eyes, and questioned her intent with a look.

Caught red-handed, Fu Yuzhu just smiled as if it were natural, offering a small bow in mock humility. Only then did she turn back to the arena below, like it had been an accident.

But Mu Qian Tan knew better. This nutcase had just sized her up with probing, possessive eyes—like she was probing for an ally on her wavelength.

Even if it had stopped, the feeling lingered.

She knew Fu Yuzhu was hunting helpers who matched her vibe, but getting pegged as a fellow villain’s ally wasn’t pleasant.

Luckily, Jiang Zhouyao sat between them. Mu Qian Tan shifted to fully block Fu Yuzhu’s line of sight before returning her attention to the fight.

Below, flames crashed, black smoke billowed, and the snake thrashed amid the haze, shrieking. The air filled with the scent of roasting meat.

Shang Shan plummeted naturally, midway down. The snake, wracked by agony, lashed its tail again. She couldn’t adjust and took a solid hit, smashing into the wall. The snake emerged from the smoke with a vicious, enraged face, fangs glinting coldly in the light.

Her hat nearly flew off; Shang Shan clamped it down. Her back hit hard, waist and abdomen crushed. She coughed violently. The snake pinned her with its tail and reared to bite—when black blossoms erupted on its back. Its body jerked sideways, tail slackening.

Fu Li seized the moment, hurling more black pellets. Explosions drove the snake back step by step, but its thick scales absorbed most of the blasts. It retreated temporarily without real damage.

Freed, Shang Shan landed gracefully, flipping to her feet just before impact. She yanked off the red satin, tying it around her hat and chin to secure it, then clapped her hands to summon the spirit staff.

Mu Qian Tan thought: At least she’s got some brains.

Meanwhile, Qin He drew the Splendid Chant Ancient Zither from behind her.

It was a narrow, long Luoxia-style guqin, with warm, lustrous wood painted black throughout, accented in red, its body flowing in waves. Slightly larger than Qin He yet light and ethereal, it carried a crisp, piercing elegance.

As the Splendid Chant emerged, sorrow shadowed Qin He’s eyes and brows.

She gently pressed the strings, feeling the heartbeat of her sister’s named weapon. It filled her with equal grief and resolve. A casual pluck unleashed fierce opening notes trailing into gentle ones, spiritual power surging with the music toward the snake. The raging beast suddenly fell silent.

Seizing the chance, Fu Li thrust her whip onto the snake’s body and charged to its head, facing its charred, bloody face. She poised to blind both eyes with two strikes. Nearby, Shang Shan readied her spirit staff for the follow-up—if it landed, it would cripple the beast’s combat power!

But just then, Fu Chi on the high platform saw the tide turning. Fearing loss amid rising fury, he cursed the snake as useless and hurled gold particles from the platform at it.

Laden with spiritual power, they clanged crisply off the helmet. The snake shook its head violently, breaking the music’s soothe, and lunged at Fu Li right in its face.

Fu Li dodged too slowly. Her Lightning Lash whipped the fangs inches from her body, but it snagged between the snake’s teeth. With the snake bone whip fused deep into her wrist, she couldn’t abandon it and hung trapped at its maw!

“Fu Li!” Shang Shan cried, trying to climb the snake’s body. But the enraged beast twisted wildly to dislodge the pain source in its mouth.

Shang Shan slipped repeatedly. She considered fire again but feared hitting Fu Li, so she sprayed the body instead, aiming to melt scales and expose new weak points.

Dazed but biting her lip to focus, Fu Li fished a small orb from her pocket and lobbed it skyward. “Heaven-Flipping Mirror, activate!”

The name rang familiar. Shang Shan recalled Flying Dragon Cliff: a sister named Wen Jingfeng had mentioned a replica Heaven-Flipping Mirror, with the real one from Big Dipper Seven Stars Palace—gilded, top-grade treasure.

It made sense here instead. The Fu Clan overflowed with wealth and exotic artifacts; collecting worldly treasures was their habit. One Heaven-Flipping Mirror fit right in.

But Wen Jingfeng said the real one was over a zhang tall? This was just a little orb?

The thought had barely formed when the orb burst open above the snake into a one-zhang-wide golden mirror. It didn’t reflect the snake—instead, Fu Li’s face appeared.

Fu Li shouted, “Stab its head!”

The figure in the mirror opened her eyes—identical to Fu Li but expressionless with pitch-black pupils. The mirror rippled like water as the girl dropped out onto the snake’s head. Her right hand’s snake bone whip segments locked into a long sword, which she drove between its eyes.

Qin He’s left hand hovered under the zither body, her right trembling the strings. Phantom spiritual music flowers bloomed along them, twining her pale fingers in dreamy illusion, amplifying the soothing melody washing over the snake once more!

Pain in its eyes dulled to numbness, confusion flickering in the snake’s gaze.

In that stunned instant, Fu Li wrenched her snake bone whip free, gore and all. As she fell, she spotted the helmet’s clasp and lashed it with her last strength. It shattered; the helmet loosened.

Shang Shan pounced, fearing a miss. She drained her spiritual power, enlarging the spirit staff into a massive rod half the Beast Arena’s length. Channeling her whole body, she gripped the end and swung at the snake.

Golden light swept the arena. Though illusory, it struck like a thousand-jin behemoth, smashing below the snake’s head. The half-detached helmet sank into flesh; the body snapped midair, cratering the wall in dust clouds before tumbling beside Kun Kun’s corpse—still breathing one last gasp but unable to rise.

Qin He’s palm muted the strings, silencing the music. Her gaze softened as she shifted to a lullaby.

Fu Li panted raggedly. The phantom shattered back into the Heaven-Flipping Mirror, which she pocketed.

She approached the snake step by step, kicked off the helmet, reshaped her snake bone whip into a sword, and beside Kun Kun’s corpse, ended the murderer’s life.

The golden staff dissolved into firefly-like motes. Shang Shan collapsed backward, chest heaving. Exhausted, she still craned her neck to the platform, locking eyes with that woman. Spotting the gaze, she forced herself upright.

The crowd hushed a beat, then roared like an avalanche. Bloodied Fu Li had slain the murderer herself, easing the fire in her heart.

This was her first fight against a demon beast of this caliber. Though a team effort after the snake’s prior drain, for girls their age, it was still an honor.

Amid cheers, she wiped her snake bone whip while glancing covertly at the platform, checking if someone noticed. Seeing that person at the edge, she raised her whip, igniting even wilder shouts.

Fu Yuzhu’s lips curved in a smile. Without lingering, she turned to handle aftermath, sweeping a hostile glance at the songstress en route.

The songstress had gazed quietly at the blood-soaked girl below. A chill at her back told her who approached; she bowed her head and melted into shadows again.

Fu Yuzhu averted her eyes and descended the platform.

Of course, amid the arena, none was happier than Mu Qian Tan. For the first time since entering this world, her mood shone bright as sunlit gold. Her face stayed coldly aloof, but her hands honestly swept the platform winnings into her bag, planning a nighttime count.

She was rich! Finally tasting true wealth!

Too thrilled, she forgot about borrowing money. Jiang Zhouyao watched her scoop even the petty coin pouch without protest—wanting to speak, then holding back, her kindness winning out.

The arena’s sole sourpuss was Fu Chi. He bellowed himself hoarse, ignored save by his groveling father.

The less attention, the bigger the tantrum. Face purpling like liver, he half-climbed the railing, flailing and spewing vile curses at the trio below—rapid-fire filth amid the din.

Mu Qian Tan touched the golden pill and noticed the beautiful view had been disturbed. She felt a bit annoyed and, imitating the area outside the Beast Arena, added a thin layer of ice to the floor.

Fu Chi was caught up in a surge of emotions at the time and failed to notice the change underfoot. He unexpectedly stepped onto the ice, lost his balance, flipped over the railing, and fell. Caught off guard, he didn’t react in time and crashed straight onto the floor.

The showdown ultimately ended with the three of them defeating the giant snake—and Fu Chi breaking his leg.

After the audience dispersed, Fu Yuzhu hosted a banquet in the largest hall of the Radiant Palace for the Seton City residents who had come to watch. These were all prominent figures in the city, and forging more connections would undoubtedly solidify her position.

Of course, that father-son duo didn’t attend. They stormed off in a rage.

Mu Qian Tan usually hated crowded gatherings, but now that she had transformed into a wealthy person, she had no worries even if she bolted later. With that in mind, her temper improved, and her tolerance for unpleasant scenes rose significantly. She even spared the lives of a few residents who proactively came over to chat her up.

Shang Shan had curled up beside her and slept since the battle ended. She slept straight through until dusk, when the sky darkened outside, light snow began to fall, night swallowed the snow-capped mountains, and the banquet neared its end. Only then did she smack her lips and wake.

Her face was covered in red indentations from where her hands had pressed against it. Shang Shan rubbed her belly, not wanting to get up. She merely propped herself up, stretched out her claws to grope across the table in search of some big hunk of meat—but instead touched a hand, cold and smooth as jade.

The instant she made contact, the hand yanked back. In its place, a pair of chopsticks clamped down on her. The voice was as cold as ice being sliced, though today it carried a rare hint of warmth.

Perhaps it was because the banquet was in full swing in the hall. With so many people gathered in one place, it created a bit of warmth amid the hazy clamor—that must have been the source of the illusion.

“What are you doing?”

Her ear tips itched. Shang Shan looked up at the woman.

That face and expression remained unchanged, but inexplicably, Shang Shan sensed she was in a great mood. Even in those simple three words, she detected an emotion different from her usual impatience.

Shang Shan didn’t know why, but her happiness made Shang Shan happy too. She squinted her eyes and grinned, baring two rows of white teeth. “I’m hungry.”

Even with her hand clamped by the chopsticks, her fingers still flexed vaguely, yearning for food.

Mu Qian Tan released the chopsticks and tilted her chin up slightly. “I don’t eat much, and it’s all gone. There’s none here. Go to another table if you want some.”

Shang Shan let out an “um” and opened her mouth to bite the hem of the woman’s pants—as if she’d eat her clothes if no food was provided.

“Hiss.” Caught off guard by the move, Mu Qian Tan tried to pull her foot free but couldn’t. She snorted coldly, turned to Jiang Zhouyao, and asked for a plate of grilled beef slices. She slapped it down beside Shang Shan’s face. “Just one plate. No more even if you’re still hungry.”

“Thank you, Master. You’re the best.” Eyes closed, Shang Shan mumbled the words, pressed down on a bit of the woman’s toe, and flopped back down. She shoved the beef slices into her mouth, chewed them up, swallowed—and fell asleep again mid-swallow.

When she woke next, the sky was pitch black. The hall stood empty and quiet, save for the clatter of servants clearing dishes.

After her injury, she’d been sleepy as if her soul had fled her body. That long nap finally restored her energy—and with it came reason, along with a burning hunger. Shang Shan was so famished she wanted to gnaw the table. As she started to crawl up, she realized the woman hadn’t left.

Before dozing off, her body had felt off, and she’d wanted to snuggle against the woman—but she knew there was a high chance of getting kicked away. So she’d only cautiously pressed against a bit of her toe. She’d figured she’d wake up alone, but the woman was still there!

Shang Shan lit up with excitement and flailed her hands and feet. “Thank you, Master! I like you so much! Thank you! Thank you for letting me sleep! Thank you for your foot!”

“…?” Mu Qian Tan stared at the suddenly deranged someone and mouthed, “Are you sick?”

The hall now held only Fu Yuzhu, Jiang Zhouyao, Qin He and Fu Li, plus a few lingering guests. They all looked over at the barrage of thanks. Shang Shan’s face flushed red after blurting it out. Seeing the woman’s expression sour, she hung her head and braced for a scolding.

After a few low curses, Mu Qian Tan heard the familiar rustle of fabric. She paused, then realized this Stupid Dragon was wagging her tail again.

There were still people around—it was infuriating. She reached out, grabbed the tail, and glanced sidelong at the others to confirm they hadn’t noticed anything odd. Then she whispered in the girl’s ear, “I reminded you not to let it get discovered, didn’t I?”

Her mind went blank with a bang. Shang Shan hunched her shoulders slightly, tensed up, and felt a jolt of electricity course through her body. Goosebumps prickled across her skin. She trembled faintly, flattened her hands forward in submission, and begged, “I was wrong, Master. I won’t dare again.”

Mu Qian Tan didn’t buy this Stupid Dragon’s “won’t dare again.” After letting go, she added, “If you really want to die, I won’t stop you next time. But don’t drag me into your messes. Am I fated to clean up after you?”

“I really know I was wrong.”

After seeing off the last guest, Fu Yuzhu approached. “You two immortals—did the food suit you?”

Jiang Zhouyao replied, “Thank you for the hospitality. The dishes were exquisite. You went to great trouble.”

The praise was genuine. Today’s celebratory banquet bore no resemblance to the chaotic, haphazard free-for-alls Fu Li had thrown a couple days prior. This was a proper affair, layered and refined. Even the dishes emphasized quality and pairings over sheer volume—clearly the product of real effort.

Fu Yuzhu said, “For esteemed guests like you, I couldn’t possibly skimp.”

As the two bantered back and forth, Mu Qian Tan listened and secretly admired the woman’s boundless energy.

Hosting a teeming crowd like that—remembering every name, finding something to say to each one, handling good topics or bad with ease, schmoozing everyone smoothly without a single slip. And after the entire afternoon, she still maintained that flawless social poise. It was impressive.

“You spent the whole day with Fu Li—you must be worn out. Relax tonight.” Fu Yuzhu’s gaze swept over the two of them. “You two immortals—want to go soak in the hot springs?”