Suddenly, the white serpent turned and fled toward the mountains with all its might, as if its life depended on it.
Just moments ago, it had confirmed that this world was indeed one of cultivation—where demons and immortal practitioners existed. Its thermal senses had clearly detected someone flying in the air. Yes, flying. Then, the infrared signatures of the bandits on the ground rapidly cooled. A drop in body temperature wasn’t a fever—it meant they were dying, their bodies turning cold in death!
Those who could fly were immortals, and immortals loved nothing more than vanquishing demons. The white serpent had no choice but to flee for its life.
Deep in the mountains.
A streak of white light flashed through the forest. Though it had escaped into the wilderness, the unease in the serpent’s soul refused to fade. To survive, it dared not stop, pushing forward with desperate speed.
Beyond the mountain, a pair of beautiful eyes gazed at the spot where the serpent had disappeared…
On the ground, the white figure leaped over ridges, crossed streams, and followed the same river that had once led it out of the mountains—now fleeing back upstream. When animals face danger, their first instinct is to return to their den. The white serpent was no exception. If necessary, it would hide at the bottom of the deep pool for days or even weeks.
What it didn’t know was that someone in the sky was watching its frantic escape with amusement.
High above, three figures stood on a flying sword. Yes, a flying sword—the kind one could step on and soar through the air.
If the white serpent had seen it, its jaw might have dropped in shock. It had often dreamed of riding a sword through the skies, but now, that fantasy had become reality—for someone else.
Two children clung tightly to a woman in her thirties. She was elegant and refined, her beauty otherworldly, her large eyes sparkling with intelligence. She wore a white daoist robe with a flowing skirt, a white jade crown holding her long hair in place, and a white cloak embroidered with plum blossoms fluttering in the wind—like a celestial maiden descended from the heavens.
“Look at that white worm still trying to escape! Master, hurry up and kill it!” The little boy pointed at the serpent in the forest, huffing angrily.
The two children, a boy and a girl around ten years old, wore white robes with blue cloud patterns, carried swords on their backs, and had their hair tied up with jade hairpins—like immortals’ disciples straight out of legend.
The woman smiled.
“Oh? Why kill it?”
“That worm dared to wreak havoc in broad daylight! If we don’t kill it, the people’s anger won’t be quelled!”
“And who exactly did it kill?” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
“Who? Of course, it killed villagers! If we hadn’t arrived in time, that old woman would’ve been its next victim! Ask Junior Sister if you don’t believe me!”
The little boy glanced at the girl beside him. After a moment’s thought, she nodded.
The woman sighed softly.
“Mu’er, Ling’er, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. What you see is not always the truth. I really should take you down the mountain more often. Not all humans are good, and not all demons are evil. The bandits were the true villains. The white serpent killed evildoers but harmed no innocent villagers. Tell me—was the serpent wicked, or were those bandits the real monsters?”
The two children lowered their heads, though in their hearts, they still struggled to accept that demons could be anything but evil.
The woman seemed to read their thoughts.
“Remember, think thrice before acting. Do not let appearances cloud your judgment.”
“Yes, Master.”
“That white serpent has returned to its nest. Let’s go take a closer look.”
Back in the valley, the panting white serpent finally relaxed. The exhausting escape had drained its stamina, leaving it utterly spent. It slithered up the ancient ginkgo tree it often coiled around, the bark now polished smooth from its frequent climbs.
The outside world was too dangerous. It would never leave again!
The serpent resolved that even if the mountains beyond were paved with gold, it wouldn’t budge. Let others do as they pleased—it was staying put.
In the air, the three observers watched the amusing serpent with amusement. The woman glanced around. Though this place wasn’t a blessed land of spiritual energy, it was decent enough—a spot cultivators would disdain but minor spirits could thrive in. The deep pool and surrounding terrain faintly resembled a crude spirit-gathering formation, with the ancient ginkgo tree as its core. The serpent had stumbled upon some minor fortune.
With a flicker of movement, the three appeared on a boulder beneath the tree. The little girl curiously bent down and touched the smooth stone the serpent had polished with its coils.
The white serpent froze.
Were these three immortals or cultivators? Being tracked back to its lair left it unsure whether to flee or play dumb and pretend to be an ordinary beast. Instinct took over—it bared its fangs and hissed in warning.
“Ssss!”
The woman was beautiful. She’d be even more beautiful if she weren’t smiling at it like that, the serpent thought. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“A newly awakened little snake, yet its intelligence is unusually high. How amusing.”
Hearing this, the serpent immediately abandoned its aggressive stance, sliding down the tree and curling into a submissive coil, pressing its head and body flat against the ground in surrender. What else could it do? That floating sword alone proved these were sword immortals!
It didn’t dare move, hoping the great figures would dismiss it as insignificant. Soon, its keen sense of smell detected someone approaching. Its belly-scales felt no vibrations—proof of the woman’s mastery, allowing her to tread without a trace. There were three people, yet it could only sense the two children. The woman’s presence was detectable only by scent.
She studied the serpent.
It was ordinary yet unusual. Most awakened beasts had low intelligence, but this white serpent was remarkably sharp—its shock, hesitation, escape attempt, and subsequent surrender all spoke of a keen mind.
Soon, an amusing idea formed in the woman’s thoughts.
“Little snake, how about coming with me to guard my mountain gate?”
Originally, she hadn’t planned this. She’d only been curious, killing time outside her cultivation routine. It wasn’t just the serpent’s intelligence—many demons were clever. What changed her mind was its smooth, lustrous scales. Women adored beautiful things, and the serpent’s scales were like an exquisite bracelet one couldn’t resist owning.
The white serpent raised its head and saw the woman’s admiring gaze. It had no choice but to nod in agreement.
If it refused, even if the woman wasn’t evil, what if she decided a snakeskin purse was more appealing?
Admittedly, ancient people had better morals—if they liked something, they’d take the whole creature home as a guardian, unlike modern Earth, where snakeskins were turned into handbags for bragging rights.
The two children didn’t mind. If anything, they thought having a serpent around might be fun.
There was no need for lengthy explanations with a low-level demon. With a flick of her sleeve, the woman sucked the serpent into her wide sleeve. Darkness enveloped the serpent’s vision as it lost consciousness.
Great. Now it was being treated like an object.
What rotten luck…