“Ahhhh—a snake!”
Ruan Yi’s scream made everyone in the tents poke their heads out to see what was happening.
A snake nearly two meters long had slithered out from beside the pile of straw where Ruan Yi had been sitting, scaring her unconscious on the spot.
Meng Qitang also glanced over, mainly to get a look at the snake itself.
“Zero-zero, body blackish-brown throughout, neck flattened and widened, back with a pattern resembling…”
“It’s a cobra!” Lin Linlin confirmed, calming herself down. “Cobra venom is a neurotoxin—it paralyzes the nervous system and suppresses breathing. It’s tricky to deal with.”
The snake slithered through the grass, weaving its way past the various tents without showing any intention of attacking anyone.
Lin Linlin: “Did you bring realgar powder?”
“I did,” Meng Qitang said, grabbing her trekking pole and heading out.
She heard movement behind her and turned to see the cobra right at her back, flicking its tongue at her.
Meng Qitang tossed a handful of realgar powder, but the cobra dodged it as if it were possessed of some uncanny intelligence.
It took a detour and appeared behind her once again.
Still, it didn’t attack her this time either.
Meng Qitang stared at the snake on the ground with complete composure. She put away her trekking pole and let the cobra circle around her for a full look.
The light of the campfire didn’t dispel the darkness of the night, yet Meng Qitang felt she could see the snake’s eyes.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that this snake was familiar, as if she’d seen it somewhere before.
In a daze, she felt as though the cobra had no intention of harming anyone…
“Tangtang!”
He Muchen’s voice rang out, and in an instant, the cobra was stabbed to death by the sharp knife in his hand.
He used a wooden branch to lift the snake’s body and flung it several meters away.
Then, with perfect composure, he took out an alcohol swab and disinfected his hands.
Not a single wasted motion in the entire sequence.
“Tangtang, are you alright?”
He Muchen approached, scanning her from head to toe before he felt at ease. “A cobra is highly venomous—were you just going to stand there and let it bite you?”
Meng Qitang snapped back to reality. In the end, she said nothing, only giving He Muchen a long, deep look.
“Tangtang…”
He reached out to grab her, but she avoided him before his hand could land.
Meng Qitang went to check on Ruan Yi’s condition. Nothing serious—she’d just been badly frightened.
“I really don’t get why Ruan Yi tagged along.”
“Isn’t her specialty primates? We came to Mist City to look for birds…”
“Hey, don’t say that. Can’t you tell what Ruan Yi is really after?”
“Throwing herself at him, that’s what. Do you see Team Leader He paying her any attention?”
“…”
The group muttered among themselves, gossiping about Ruan Yi in hushed voices.
“Mist City has a diverse range of species. Team Leader Ruan must have her reasons for coming along. It’s getting late—let’s head back and rest.” Meng Qitang held back as long as she could, but she still found her colleagues’ words too harsh, so she spoke up.
When Meng Qitang returned to her tent, she couldn’t help but recall a while back in the research facility, when she’d happened to notice a breeding tank placed in He Muchen’s office.
The tank had housed a snake too, one that looked somewhat similar to the one just now.
Could it have been the same snake?
If it really was the same one, what was He Muchen’s purpose in bringing it here?
And why had it gotten loose?
“Brother Xu, what did you say?”
A sharp, explosive cry from Yun Beiwang rang out from the Snow-Clad Plum Blossom.
“You can’t even take back the Peacock Plume yourself?” Yun Beiwang paced anxiously right under Yun Xubai’s nose. “Oh heavens, that can’t be right—that woman is just a mortal…”
Yun Xubai was idly carving a wooden figurine, utterly unbothered. He blew off some wood shavings. “I’m not worried yet, so why are you?”
Yun Beiwang grabbed a calendar and said with grave earnestness, “Brother Xu, it’s December fourth now—there are only two months left until the Start of Spring!”
“Lord, do you know what the Start of Spring means for an adult peacock who’s lost his Peacock Plume?” He was sweating from anxiety.
Yun Xubai merely gave him a faint glance before looking away, a smile tugging at his lips, his tone carrying a hint of mischief. “What’s there to fear? I’m the one going into heat, not you.”
Yun Beiwang: “I can’t accept Brother Xu displaying his tail feathers for a mortal!”
“What’s wrong with mortals?” Yun Xubai set down the wooden figurine, stood up, and rolled his neck. His eyes were half-lidded. “Back then, the Divine Lord also chose a mortal.”
“Lord, how is that the same?” Yun Beiwang sighed. “Back then, Boss Bai wasn’t a mortal—he was someone chosen by both Huai Mu and the Heavenly Mandate, destined for the Divine Lord by fate…”
He stopped mid-sentence, his expression suddenly turning grim. “Br-Brother Xu… you… don’t tell me you’ve already fallen for that woman?!”
“Ah,” Yun Xubai drawled slowly, lightly pressing his thin lips together, dark ripples stirring in his ink-black eyes. “No, not that.”
Yun Beiwang finally let out a breath of relief. “Good.”
“Brother Xu, this can’t go on. I’ll make a trip back to Lingwu Mountain—the Divine Lord should have a solution…”
“I will definitely get Brother Xu’s Peacock Plume back before spring arrives.”
Yun Xubai wanted to say “no need,” but he couldn’t outpace Yun Beiwang’s speed of departure—that was truly swift…
Outside the window, snow fell in great flurries, pure white snow interweaving with the vivid red of plum blossoms in striking contrast.
A layer of mist had formed on the floor-to-ceiling glass. The man reached out, his fingertips gliding across the surface.
Then a lifelike butterfly appeared on the glass.
The next second, a silver butterfly rose into the air, fluttering around him.
Yun Xubai’s movements froze. Before he even realized the smile forming on his face, his fingertips twitched slightly, and the butterfly dissolved into nothing.
What was he doing?
The man ran a hand through his hair in irritation and turned to leave the hall.
He went to the tea room, intending to calm his mind by brewing tea.
But his thoughts drifted away, recalling the first time he saw Meng Qitang.
Back then, struck by heavenly lightning that broke his wings, he had fallen to the edge of a cliff, on the verge of death, when he saw a woman walking toward him.
Meng Qitang’s delicate features were calm and composed, and those amber eyes of hers were like a clear pool deep in the forest—so pure and serene it was almost unbelievable.
When she looked at him, there wasn’t even a ripple of emotion.
Her temperament was too clean, almost untouched by the dust of the world.
Yun Xubai sensed no trace of the Holy Spirit in her and knew she was merely a mortal.
Falling into mortal hands in such a weakened state—he had no idea what the consequences might be.
The White Peacock mustered all his strength to screech at her, but Meng Qitang simply crouched down, showing not the slightest fear.
Instead, she expertly examined his injuries, then scooped up the entire White Peacock in her arms.
“You’re so heavy! You’re over the weight limit, aren’t you?”
“Is it because your tail feathers are too big, so you weigh more?”
“It’s okay, I’ll heal your wings for you…”
“Your feathers are glowing?”
“You’re so beautiful…”
“…”
Her clear voice drifted over—these were the last words Yun Xubai heard.
Yun Xubai was pulled back to his thoughts by the sound from the tea stove, steam rising in the air.
The tea brewing on the stove was still bubbling away, much like someone’s restless, pounding heartbeat.