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A snake on a turtle's back? Could this be the legendary Xuanwu?

But upon closer inspection, didn't this little black snake look exactly like the one she lost?

Qin Shu tilted her head, deep in thought. Could it be that the snake didn't run away but that she had forgotten to bring it along when she left?

That didn't make sense either. The little black snake clung to her so tightly that she couldn't pry it off. It must have come off on its own.

Recalling certain plot points she had read in books, Qin Shu's eyes lit up. She reached out, grabbed the little black snake off the turtle's back, and smiled slyly. Boldly, she speculated, "Let me guess... are you avoiding my master?"

The little black snake didn't respond or move; it simply lay lazily on the back of her hand, as if ignoring her.

Qin Shu, however, wasn't about to let it off so easily. She picked up the little turtle and walked toward the door.

"If you won't say anything, I'll take you to meet my master."

The moment she finished speaking, the little black snake, which had been lying lazily on her hand, vanished into thin air.

She paused in her tracks and quickly looked around. She finally found the little black snake back on her stone bed.

Qin Shu gritted her teeth in frustration. "Low cultivation really means no rights! Even a tiny black snake can make a fool of me!"

Xie Shiyuan wasn't concerned about human rights or lack thereof; all he knew was that this young human's spiritual energy could help heal his injuries.

He was venomous, and regular healing techniques were ineffective on him. He wasn't sure what kind of innate spiritual body she had, but her spiritual energy worked wonders.

He had also noticed that this young human was relentless—she neither slept nor rested, surpassing even his past self in diligence.

This earned her a small bit of his admiration.

If she grew up, she'd certainly become a force to be reckoned with.

Qin Shu lunged for the snake on the bed, only to miss again.

After several failed attempts, she came to accept the reality: she couldn't catch the snake. Or perhaps the little black snake wasn't as harmless as it appeared.

Resigned, Qin Shu gave up, grabbed her white jade sword, and stepped outside to practice basic sword techniques in the spacious courtyard.

She trained until sunset before returning to her cultivation chamber to meditate. She had been stuck at the second level of Qi Refining for a while, but her Du meridian was nearly fully tempered. Breaking through to the third level would soon come naturally.

She closed her eyes, immersed in the joy of spiritual energy washing over her meridians, feeling her body change little by little—a process she thoroughly enjoyed.

The Spirit Gathering Array here was quite effective. Compared to her time in the outer sect, her cultivation speed had doubled.

However, midway through her session, she felt the surrounding spiritual energy diminish slightly. It seemed as though someone was competing with her for the ambient energy—and the feeling only grew stronger.

Groggily opening her eyes, she saw a tall figure lounging on her bed.

The figure propped himself up with one hand, his upper body bare. His ink-black hair, unadorned, cascaded down his body like a flowing river.

His lower half, however, was a massive, dark snake tail. Its sleek, overlapping scales gleamed with a sharp, icy light.

Qin Shu's previously scattered thoughts snapped into focus. She scrambled to her feet, almost tripping over herself in the process.

"Y-you... you're the little black snake?" she stammered, pointing a trembling finger at him.

The man's piercing gaze felt tangible, making Qin Shu's neck prickle as though she were being watched by a cold-blooded predator.

The feeling wasn't wrong; after all, snakes were cold-blooded animals.

She took a step back, only to hear the man's icy voice cut through the night, "Turn around."

Instinctively, Qin Shu obeyed. She had turned completely before realizing—this was her own cave abode, her master was just on the neighboring peak, and why should she listen to a snake?

Resolving herself, she turned back around, only to see the man donning a dark robe. The flowing garment concealed much of his enormous snake tail.

He leaned lazily against her bed, his posture boneless. The tip of his tail coiled slightly over the side of the bed.

As he shifted slightly, his hair slipped off his shoulders, revealing a broad expanse of pale chest.

The sight of him, so tantalizingly alive, made Qin Shu's mouth go dry.

She swallowed hard, stammering, "You... you're that little black snake?"

"Mm," Xie Shiyuan answered nonchalantly.

His voice, resonating deep and cold, sent chills down her spine.

"You're bleeding from your nose," he casually remarked.

Qin Shu froze, reaching up to touch her nose. Feeling the dampness on her fingers, her face flushed scarlet.

Xie Shiyuan sat up. His muscular tail curled around Qin Shu and tossed her out of the cave without warning, rendering the cave's protective array useless.

Caught completely off guard, Qin Shu now stood outside, hearing his cold remark: "You're filthy. Go wash up."

She stood facing the stone wall, utterly speechless.

This was her cave abode—why should it matter to a snake whether she was clean or not?

Still, the sight of the blood running from her nose was mortifying. She hurried to the pond to wash her face and patted her forehead with icy water.

Only when the strange heat in her chest subsided did she let out a long sigh of relief.

The little black snake she had raised had suddenly transformed into a handsome man. She used to scoff at descriptions of such ethereal beauty, but seeing it in person, she realized how shallow she had been.

Just one glance from him seemed enough to steal her soul.

That night, she didn't return to the cave. Sitting cross-legged by the pond, she focused on calming her mind.

She silently chanted, "A heart like still water fears no storms..."

It wasn't until the moon set that she returned to the cave.

The breathtaking man who had occupied her bed was now once again the palm-sized black snake.

Feeling more at ease after her mental preparation, Qin Shu heaved a sigh of relief. This time, though, she refrained from picking him up.

Joking aside, that man—even if half a snake—was still a man. Touching him would feel indecent, as though she were some kind of lecher.

Keeping a respectful distance, Qin Shu asked the little black snake, "What's your cultivation level now? Have you reached the stage where you can take human form?"

For a demon to reach the transformation stage meant it was a great demon—capable of crushing her with a single finger.

This realization made her feel like a reckless fool for daring to bring a black snake home.

If she'd known back then, not even a thousand borrowed lives would have made her pick it up.

Xie Shiyuan, pleased that she hadn't barged back in the previous night, transmitted his voice directly into her mind. "Do not ask what you shouldn't."

Qin Shu's curiosity immediately stopped in its tracks. She backed away a few steps, keeping a safe distance from the bed. "I won't ask, I won't ask. I won't bother you anymore."

Picking up her white jade sword, she stepped out of the cave. As she did, a communication talisman flew over from the horizon.

Catching it, she heard Wen Chi's voice: "Go to the Transmission Hall on Dream Camel Peak to pick a technique. If you have questions later, come find me."