"I was a devourer of men long before I met my previous mistress," Baishe admitted, a long, raspy sigh escaping his throat.
A wave of nostalgia washed over the ancient serpent as he recalled his days as a wild, untamed beast. Back then, a dangerous rumor had plagued the lands, it was said that consuming the flesh of a White Python would cause a cultivator's power to surge magnificently. To survive the endless swarms of greedy hunters, Baishe had been forced to turn the hunters into the hunted. He became a nightmare in the shadows, killing and consuming any human who dared to enter his territory.
That cycle of bloodshed only ended when she stumbled into his life.
"She wandered into my nest by pure coincidence," Baishe reminisced, his ruby eyes dimming with the memory. "I had been gravely wounded by a group of mercenaries and lacked the strength to strike. I lay there in the dark, waiting for her to deliver the final blow. I expected death."
He paused, a flicker of wonder returning to his voice. "But she didn't draw a blade. Instead, she stepped forward and placed a small, fragrant pill into my mouth. I was certain it was a swift poison to end my misery. Yet, the moment it dissolved, I felt the fire in my wounds vanish. My flesh began to knit back together before my very eyes."
Baishe chuckled softly. "She looked at me and said, 'Follow me, and I shall let you feast on pills instead of filth.' And so, I did."
"So, what exactly is on your menu these days?" Xifeng asked, her eyebrows arched in curiosity.
"High-grade herbs and spirit pills," Baishe replied.
The moment the word 'herbs' left Baishe's mouth, Xifeng's instincts kicked in. She lunged forward, gathering the bundles of expensive medicine she had just bought and clutching them to her chest like a dragon guarding its hoard. These were bought with her hard-earned (or rather, hard-extorted) gold; she wasn't about to let them become a snack.
"Relax, little master," Baishe chuckled, his massive frame shaking with amusement. "I have no intention of raiding your supplies. Those are for your treatment, and I prefer my meals to be of a much higher spiritual rank than these common marketplace finds."
"Are you sure? No 'accidental' nibbling while I'm asleep?" Xifeng asked, squinting suspiciously at the giant snake.
"You have my word," Baishe nodded solemnly.
"Young Miss! Young Miss! I've brought the food!"
Xiao Li's voice drifted through the air, pulling Xifeng back to the reality of the storage room.
"You should go," Baishe urged, his form beginning to dissipate into the mist of the mirror world. "We shall commence your refinement at nightfall."
Xifeng nodded, touched her wrist, and felt the familiar lurch of the world shifting. She opened her bedroom door just as Xiao Li arrived, puffing slightly from her run from the kitchens.
"Look, Young Miss!" Xiao Li beamed, presenting a tray of steaming dishes. "Our lunch. It's actually... well, it's real food!"
"Let's eat outside," Xifeng decided, stepping out into the courtyard.
It was a brilliant sunny day, though a crisp autumn breeze cut through the heat, rustling the leaves of the ancient tree that shaded her courtyard. Xiao Li quickly set the dishes upon the weathered stone table.
"Sit with me," Xifeng commanded, gesturing to the opposite chair.
"Oh, I couldn't possibly, Young Miss!" Xiao Li stammered, her face flushing. "A servant must never sit at the same table as her mistress. It's against every rule in the book!"
"It's an order," Xifeng countered, using the girl's own logic against her. "And a loyal servant should never dream of disobeying her mistress's direct command. Isn't that the first rule of the house?"
"But... the etiquette... the Old Madam..." Xiao Li hesitated, her hands twisting in her apron.
"Xiao Li," Xifeng said, her voice dropping into a mock-growl as she narrowed her eyes playfully. "Don't make me get angry. My stomach is already in a foul mood; you don't want me to join it."
"Yes, Young Miss! Right away!" Scared by Xifeng's "wrath," Xiao Li practically fell into the stone chair.
"Good girl. Now," Xifeng said, picking up her chopsticks with a satisfied smirk, "Let's eat."
***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. It breaks my heart when someone steals my hard work. Can you consider reading it on the original website for those who read my novel on another website besides w e b n o v e l .c o m, as your support to me? Thank you, from, your shameless author, ZerahNeko***
Proofreader: haibara9369