Chapter 46: Queen Medusa's Younger Sister
High above in the night sky, a bright full moon hung quietly.
The desert nights were bitterly cold. Even with a fire burning, the chill seeped through to the bones, making it difficult to appreciate the beauty and serenity of the moonlit sky.
Crackle~
Dried wood snapped under the flames, the sound crisp and clear in the quiet night.
The warm glow of the fire enveloped the two figures.
Yao Yan held a stick in his hand, absentmindedly prodding the flames to keep them burning stronger, his thoughts drifting toward future plans. As for Ling'er, she had long retreated into his embrace—compared to the harsh conditions of the Tagor Desert, his arms were clearly the better option.
The beautiful snake-woman beside them sat with her tail coiled beneath her, arms crossed over her chest. From time to time, she'd steal glances at Yao Yan, seemingly unsure of how to approach him.
"Cold?" Yao Yan asked, having noticed her furtive glances. His attention shifted back to her.
The temperature difference between day and night in the Tagor Desert was extreme. If not for Yao Yan's refined body and the Illusionary Gold Flame protecting him, even he would have felt the chill. She, meanwhile, wore nothing but a few scraps of cloth.
She looked like a startled rabbit. The moment their eyes met, she quickly lowered her gaze and softly replied, "I'm fine… I'm used to it."
Snake-people were naturally cold-blooded, and their bodies adapted well to low temperatures.
Yao Yan understood that. Still, he pulled out a blanket from his storage ring and tossed it to her. "Use it."
"This… I don't need it!"
She caught the blanket in a daze, surprised by the gesture. Not knowing how to react, she flusteredly shook her head, wagged her shimmering blue tail, and stood up to drape the blanket over Yao Yan instead. "I'm not afraid of the cold, you should use it, Master!"
Master?!
Yao Yan was momentarily stunned by the title. He glanced at the clueless snake-girl and said softly, "Let's share it. It's big enough."
"Huh?"
She blinked at him, mouth slightly open. Her peach blossom eyes sparkled nervously under long fluttering lashes. But upon seeing Yao Yan's calm, handsome face, she slowly steadied her breathing.
She swayed her slim waist and gracefully slithered over, sitting beside him and gently covering them both with the blanket.
The warmth quickly spread between them.
Her cheeks flushed slightly as she realized she could feel his body heat. It felt almost like cuddling under the same blanket with a man… That thought made her bury her face in her hands, too embarrassed to glance his way again.
"???"
Yao Yan gave her a puzzled look. She seemed to be overthinking something. He interrupted her inner drama with a question, "You really don't remember your name?"
"…No."
She lowered her hands, sneaking a peek at him, and whispered softly.
Yao Yan thought for a moment. "Give me your hand."
The snake-girl hesitated but obediently offered one hand. Compared to the brutal mercenaries, Yao Yan seemed much more trustworthy.
"Don't speak. I'll check your body."
Yao Yan grasped her wrist and closed his eyes. His soul force, wrapped in Dou Qi, flowed into her body. He wanted to examine her condition, and with his level as a fifth-tier alchemist, most illnesses or oddities were within his ability to diagnose.
He was particularly interested in the powerful energy he had sensed in her body—and the strange spatial energy as well.
"Ah?!"
She froze when she heard "check your body," but soon realized he meant it quite literally—not how she'd feared. Sighing in relief, she awkwardly scolded herself for overthinking, then glanced apologetically at Yao Yan.
But once she looked at his face again… she couldn't look away.
Yao Yan, unaware of her swirling thoughts, was fully focused. Soon, he located the source of that powerful energy: a massive violet-blue serpent, bound by spatial energy and locked in slumber.
A sixth-rank magical beast—Violet Nether Serpent.
More accurately, its soul.
"?!"
Yao Yan was shocked. "A companion soul?"
Only the royal line of Medusa could possess such a thing.
Queen Medusa's bloodline carried the ability to merge a magical beast's soul into their body from infancy—a companion soul that would eventually fuse with their own upon reaching adulthood.
If he remembered correctly, Queen Medusa's soul beast was a Violet Flame Serpent—so why was this one a Violet Nether Serpent?
Despite the similarity in name, their attributes were polar opposites. One was fire-type, the other ice.
Then—
A memory stirred from Yao Yan's past life. He slowly opened his eyes, meeting her soft peach blossom gaze. She didn't expect him to look at her so suddenly and quickly looked away, flustered.
Queen Medusa's sister?
Yao Yan narrowed his eyes in thought. He recalled a special side story in the original series that covered the events leading to Ice Emperor Hai Bodong being sealed by Medusa. The protagonist of that story—was this girl.
He hadn't expected to stumble upon this moment in the timeline.
This gave him a clearer sense of where they were in the story.
While the original didn't give an exact date, Hai Bodong's sealing had to have happened at least ten years before the main plot. To be sure, he'd need to go to Wutan City and confirm Xiao Yan's age.
"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
Noticing Yao Yan staring, the snake-girl pouted and touched her cheek.
"I kind of regret it now."
"…Huh?"
She blinked, tilting her head.
Yao Yan joked, "You're just too pretty. A snake-girl this beautiful is bound to cause trouble. Not sure I can handle it."
She stared blankly at him, unsure how to respond.
Then—
She suddenly grabbed a piece of charcoal from the firepit. To Yao Yan's stunned horror, she smeared it all over her face like paint—turning her flawless features into a blackened mess.
Now she looked like a ghost in the dark.
Beaming, she said proudly, "There! Problem solved!"
"…You're brilliant."
Yao Yan was speechless. After a long pause, he gave her a thumbs-up. In terms of cluelessness, she and Ling'er were on the same level. She had no idea that even if her face was hidden, her figure and aura were still… overwhelmingly noticeable.
She giggled and leaned close, showing off her new "look." "See, Master? I'm clever! I won't cause trouble!"
"Sure, sure."
Yao Yan laughed and patted her head, thoroughly entertained.
He truly didn't understand how Queen Medusa ended up with such an adorably clueless twin sister. Even their soul beasts had opposing elements, and their personalities couldn't be more different.
The elder sister was a cold, ruthless queen. The younger one? A sweet and gentle neighbor girl.
What a pair.
(END CHAPTER)
Friends, if you enjoyed the novel, you can subscribe to my Patreon channel.
Until November 30st, get 40% off both your subscription and the purchase of your novel. Thank you for your support.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997