Back to the time when Zhu Jiuyin was comforting Dusk—
"Drink, Zhu Jiuyin! Why aren't you drinking!"
Dusk's face was flushed red as she held up a jug of wine, determined to pour it down Zhu Jiuyin's throat by force if necessary.
Her heart ached.
Her proudest creation—her masterpiece, the fruit of her passion and skill—had been destroyed by that old Heavenly Master.
As for why he had destroyed it?
She had no idea.
But Dusk felt so wronged.
Especially when that guy had the nerve to wave a fake copy of her painting right in front of her eyes…
It was like sprinkling salt on an open wound.
"Alright, alright, I'll drink."
Zhu Jiuyin sighed helplessly and accepted the cup she handed over.
"Drink! Big gulps!"
"Fine, fine."
He lifted the cup and drained it in one go.
It wasn't that he couldn't handle alcohol—he just never got drunk.
He could describe the flavor of every wine with precision, talking like a master sommelier sharing his refined thoughts.
But deep down, he knew he was merely imitating how drinkers behaved.
---
"Ahh~ that's the stuff!"
Dusk exhaled with satisfaction, already visibly tipsy.
The wine Zhu Jiuyin had brought was indeed potent.
Seeing the lung before her with that resigned, expressionless face only made her more annoyed in her drunken haze.
"Let me see it!"
"See what?"
"Your true form!"
Dusk suddenly reached out, trying to pinch his cheek—but Zhu Jiuyin leaned back and easily dodged her.
"Looks like you really are drunk."
He gave her a look of mild disdain as she started acting foolish.
Still… it seems I've earned her trust.
After all, if Dusk didn't trust him, she would never have shown such an unguarded side of herself.
If Black Snake truly intended to take advantage of the situation, now would be the perfect time to seize control of her body.
But I have no desire to be hunted by Yan for the rest of my life… and honestly, why would I go out of my way to make more enemies?
Black Snake had his own calculations to make.
I'll wait a bit longer… once I learn more about "Sui" and the nature of these fragments' existence, then I'll decide what to do.
Just as Zhu Jiuyin was lost in thought, he suddenly sensed a massive presence approaching from behind.
"Free! Tie him up!"
Dusk's voice rang out.
She was genuinely curious about Zhu Jiuyin's true appearance.
Normally, she kept that curiosity buried deep inside—after all, she and Zhu Jiuyin were little more than kindred spirits who shared a passion for art.
His painting skills were nowhere near hers, but his unique eye for aesthetics often gave Dusk valuable new insights.
Their conversations usually stayed strictly within the realm of art.
But a drunk person… doesn't think that far ahead.
So this is what a Feranmut looks like when drunk… honestly, not that different from a normal person.
Zhu Jiuyin glanced at Free, who was visibly conflicted.
Even the creature seemed to realize that its master was not in her right mind.
And since Zhu Jiuyin was one of the few friends she genuinely got along with, forcing him probably didn't feel right…
"Dusk, don't make the little one uncomfortable... It's not a big deal. If you want to see, then look—but don't start grabbing and touching."
Zhu Jiuyin gently ran his hand over Free's soft fur.
Then his body began to split apart. Layer after layer of shifting phantoms overlapped, slowly revealing the being beneath his disguise.
Hmm... I suppose this counts as deepening our relationship, doesn't it? Being honest with each other… that's something, right?
Black Snake's ability to interact with others wasn't what one would call "strong."
After all, he had long grown used to subtly sensing the thoughts, emotions, and even memories of others—adjusting his manner of speech and behavior accordingly.
But when it came to friends, that sort of mind-reading was off limits.
At least, not directly. He'd have to do it so subtly that the other person would never notice.
Unfortunately, that was very difficult.
It was like a gamer who'd relied on cheats for so long that once they were turned off, their skills dropped off a cliff.
And besides, the way Feranmuts and long-lived beings thought was vastly different from the fleeting perspectives of short-lived races.
That made it nearly impossible for Kashchey to apply mortal logic to creatures like himself.
---
It was Dusk's first time seeing the Black Snake's true form.
Her first impression was… unsettling—like watching paints of every color swirl and mix together into a chaotic, nauseating mess.
"This is what you really look like?"
"Mm-hmm."
The Black Snake—Zhu Jiuyin—set down his wine cup, picked up a teacup instead, and casually ran his fingers through Free's now-fluffed fur.
"Easy there, little one."
He soothed the agitated creature softly.
His true form was inherently toxic—tainted with corruption. Only beings of equal rank, or those with extraordinarily strong wills, could withstand it without suffering erosion.
That was why he so rarely revealed himself.
Of course, he could suppress the corruption entirely, but doing so felt like forcing an untrained person to walk a tightrope—it was excruciating.
And Black Snake hated that feeling.
---
So this is what you really look like...
Dusk stared blankly.
Before her stood a figure made of countless overlapping shadows—terranoid in shape yet indescribable in form. One hand idly stroked Free, while the other held a teacup to lips that could barely be called terran.
...Actually, it's kind of beautiful.
Dusk's fingers itched. She wanted to capture the scene on paper immediately.
But before she could even reach for her brush, the alcohol finally caught up to her—her head spun, her stomach churned.
"Urgh—"
---
The phantoms vanished instantly, leaving behind Zhu Jiuyin's familiar terran guise.
He looked down, expressionless, at the now-kneeling Dusk who was retching on the floor.
Am I really that ugly?
Black Snake was not pleased.
So, when Dusk finally collapsed into a drunken sleep—
He picked up a brush and drew several little snakes across her face.
Then, for good measure, he showed Free how to properly hold a brush, and together they left a few "comments" beside Dusk's half-finished painting.
The next morning, Zhu Jiuyin was promptly thrown out by a furious, red-faced Dusk.
"(Ursus curse)... That woman's impossible to please."
---
Strange. It's been centuries since I last slept that soundly.
Could it be that alcohol actually helps with sleep?
A few days later, Dusk went to one of her sisters and asked for a few more jars of wine.
Unfortunately, no matter how much she drank, she never felt that same deep rest again.
---
That damn snake...
---
Some time later, a new ink painting appeared in Duke Kashchey's residence.
It depicted an indescribable terranoid figure sitting beside a massive azure beast, teacup in hand, gazing off into the distant horizon.
Not bad. Truly, not bad at all. Especially that terranoid form—there's something profoundly elegant about it… Guess that wine wasn't wasted after all.