A new day dawned. It was the third day since Tu Xiao'an had become a House Snake. His progress over these three days had been immense; he had transformed from a small First Rank snake into a Level 5 silver-white snake, one meter in length.
Today, many venomous snakes of various colors appeared in the backyard. Every single one of them was a well-known species.
Among them were the Seven step Snake, King Cobra, Bamboo Leaf Green Tea, and Black Mamba—all rare venomous species.
The adult Tiger Snake was the most exceptional of all.
Ever since Tu Xiao'an had gained the ability to speak, he had been constantly thinking about how to reveal his identity to his older sister.
He wanted to give the Tiger Snake to his sister so she could take it to the Snake Market in Bai Town and sell it.
At the same time, Tu Xiao'an wanted to find a suitable opportunity, one that wouldn't terrify his sister.
But then he had another thought. 'No matter how I do this, she's going to be scared. Since that's the case, I might as well just be direct about it.'
Having made up his mind, Tu Xiao'an quietly slithered into the house. His mother was resting in her room, but his older sister, Tu Xiaoyue, was nowhere to be seen.
'Did my sister go out today?'
With his sister not at home, Tu Xiao'an's plan to reveal himself fell through. He couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment; it had taken all the courage he could muster back in the yard.
And so, the small, silver-white snake coiled up in a hidden corner near the front door, preparing to wait for his sister's return.
Time passed, and Tu Xiao'an grew terribly bored. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached from outside, and he instantly perked up.
But when Tu Xiao'an got a clear look at the visitor, he was taken aback. It wasn't his sister. The person who had arrived was a stunningly beautiful young woman in her early thirties. Her oval face was adorned with light makeup, from her perfectly applied eyeshadow to her moist, red lips that were both sexy and alluring. Her skin was impeccably maintained, fair with a healthy, rosy undertone.
'Sister Meilin?'
Tu Xiao'an recognized her after just one glance.
Meilin was the junior disciple of Tu Xiao'an's father; they had shared the same master. Despite her delicate beauty, she was also a Snake Catcher and had been utterly obsessed with snakes since childhood.
He should have called her "Auntie," but Meilin had always insisted he call her "Sister Meilin," complaining that "Auntie" made her sound old. She was, after all, only in her early thirties.
Speaking of Sister Meilin, she was a legendary figure in Bai Town, known by the nickname "Lady Bai." She had loved playing with snakes since she was a child, even sleeping with venomous ones. When she grew up, she opened a snake shop. Her initial standard for marriage was simple: she would marry any man who could catch a rare Snake Species for her.
By the time she turned twenty-eight, no one had managed to catch one for her, so she gave up and casually married a pretty boy. But who could have known the man was so unlucky? On their wedding night, he was bitten and killed by a venomous snake she kept in her bed.
From then on, "Lady Bai" became the "Poisonous Lady who kills her husbands." Although many men still coveted her stunning beauty, none of them dared to actually get close to her.
After all, the thought of a woman who spent all day with snakes was quite terrifying.
Meilin walked over to the kitchen stove, where a Spiritual Stele rested. Engraved upon it were the words: "My Son, Tu Xiao'an."
Every day, Wen Qiu would offer three sticks of incense for her deceased son, and the candle flame beside it was never allowed to go out, burning day and night.
Meilin gazed at the name "Tu Xiao'an" carved on the Spiritual Stele, and a stream of silent tears rolled down her lovely face. She reached out to stroke the stone. "Xiao'an," she said, "Sister Meilin has come to see you!"
"Xiao'an, it's my fault. If I hadn't told you about the legendary Vampire Snake that day, you wouldn't have gone to catch it. You wouldn't have died so young. It's my fault. Please, don't blame me... don't blame me."
She murmured softly to herself, tears streaming down her face. Her graceful body swayed as if it might collapse at any moment, like a weeping willow in the wind, utterly heartbroken.
Hiding in the shadows, Tu Xiao'an was moved by the scene. He shook his head and thought, 'Sister Meilin, I don't blame you!'
Back then, despite his young age, Tu Xiao'an was already a renowned snake-catching expert in Bai Town, full of youthful vigor.
A legendary Mutated Bloodsucker Snake had appeared on She Mountain, and a wealthy client was offering a high price for it. How could he have resisted going after it?so
Even if Sister Meilin hadn't told him, he would have found out eventually. He would have gone up the mountain to catch it all the same.
Come to think of it, Sister Meilin was a tragic figure herself. Widowed right after her wedding, she was now left to spend her days only in the company of snakes.
In fact, Sister Meilin had always been the woman of Tu Xiao'an's dreams, but the age gap of more than ten years between them was undeniable.
It was a secret he had always kept locked away in his heart.
He knew that Sister Meilin dreamed of owning a rare Snake Species. The Mutated Bloodsucker Snake was a creature so rare that you might not find one in hundreds of thousands of venomous snakes. How could he not have tried to capture it?
Meilin continued to weep, her fair hand gently caressing the Spiritual Stele in a way that would stir pity in any heart.
Just then, footsteps sounded from an inner room. Before the person appeared, a voice called out, "Is that you, Xiaoyue?"
Wen Qiu, having heard the noise, walked out. Seeing a tearful Meilin, she exclaimed in surprise, "Meilin, it's you! You came all this way and didn't make a sound?"
Meilin became flustered at the sight of Wen Qiu, not daring to meet her gaze. "Sister-in-law, I'm too ashamed to face you. It was me... I'm the one who got Xiao'an killed."
Her tears began to flow even more violently, and overcome with emotion, she broke down into sobs.
"Don't say that. It wasn't your fault," Wen Qiu said, her own gaze drifting to the Spiritual Stele, her eyes filling with sorrow. "That child of mine... he was just ill-fated."
Meilin wiped away her tears. "Sister-in-law, I... I came by, but I didn't know what to bring. Here is a little money. Please don't be offended, just take it."
She took a thick envelope from her bag and held it out.
Startled, Wen Qiu quickly waved her hands in refusal. "Meilin, what is this? Take it back, I can't accept it."
"Sister-in-law, I know things haven't been easy for you. Senior Brother passed away so young, and now Xiao'an is gone too... I know your health isn't what it used to be. This is just a little money. Please, use it to buy some nutritional supplements and look after yourself."so
Wen Qiu shook her head. "We're all family. Just coming to visit is more than enough. There's no need for money."
"It's precisely because we're family that we can be direct with each other. I share some of the blame for what happened to Xiao'an. Sister-in-law, please, I'm begging you. If you don't take this money, I'll never have a moment's peace for the rest of my life."
Meilin's beautiful eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her expression growing increasingly desperate.
"I really can't accept it," Wen Qiu insisted, taking a small step back.
Seeing no other way, Meilin set the money down. She turned to leave, calling over her shoulder, "Sister-in-law, I'll come visit again another day. I have to go for now."
"Meilin! Meilin..." Wen Qiu called after her, but she had already left the house. Gazing at the thick envelope, Wen Qiu sighed.
From his hiding spot, Tu Xiao'an had seen everything, and he was deeply moved.
Sister Meilin knew the Tu Family was struggling, so she had come specifically to give them money. It was partly out of guilt, but also to genuinely help his family.
In this world, aside from his own mother and sister, Tu Xiao'an was closest to Sister Meilin. Their bond was like that of true siblings. His Snake Pupils flickered as he made a decision. He quietly slipped out of the house and followed her.