Chapter 39: The Spirit Serpent Is Poisonous

Counting the days, this was already Shen Qianmo’s twelfth day at the Hundred Herbs Hall. These days, aside from cooperating with Old Man Duan to treat the scar on her face, she spent her time watering and weeding in the medicinal fields under his guidance, gradually becoming familiar with many herbs.

Her memory and comprehension were extraordinary, and with her foundation in medicine, her talent in the field even drew endless praise from Old Man Duan. If it weren’t for the fact that Yin Zhan had brought her here as a hostage, he would have considered taking her as an apprentice.

“What a pity,” Old Man Duan sighed, watching Shen Qianmo’s figure as she watered the medicine fields, shaking his head in regret.

Of course, for Old Man Duan, what was even more regrettable was that the half-month period was almost up—his days of culinary delight were drawing to an end.

Cooking, for Shen Qianmo, was a cherished hobby. Aside from her work, researching and creating exquisite dishes was what she enjoyed most. She relished the process of transforming various ingredients into culinary masterpieces, approaching each dish with the same dedication and reverence as if she were dissecting a cadaver.

These past days, Shen Qianmo had spoiled him with delicacies, even setting up a kitchen at Hundred Herbs Hall where she cooked for him every day. Honey-glazed roast chicken, spicy fish fillets, sweet and sour ribs, tea-scented duck, hibiscus shrimp… Some of these dishes he had never seen or even heard of before.

He couldn’t help himself—saliva almost dripped from his mouth. Hastily wiping the corner of his lips, he sighed and retreated to the inner room for a drink.

After watering the medicinal fields, Shen Qianmo saw that the day was still young. She strolled leisurely toward a dense forest behind Hundred Herbs Hall.

This was the place she had agreed upon with Yan Mo to exchange messages. Yan Mo was dependable; over these ten-odd days, their communication had never been interrupted.

Entering the woods, she walked straight to the eleventh large tree on the left, pried open a patch of bark, and found, as expected, a slip of paper hidden inside.

She unfolded it. The message was brief: “The Prince will arrive soon. Please be at ease, Princess.”

A gentle smile played on Shen Qianmo’s lips as she tucked the note into her sleeve. The thought that Meng Yuanheng was still worrying about her brought a touch of warmth to her heart.

Just as she was about to turn back, a white blur shot toward her like an arrow. Startled, Shen Qianmo instinctively raised her arm to block it, feeling a sharp sting as something razor-like grazed her skin.

Looking closely, she discovered it was a pure white little fox.

The little fox leapt into her arms, glancing anxiously over its shoulder. Its large, emerald eyes shimmered with fear, silently pleading for help.

“What’s wrong, little one? Is something chasing you?” Shen Qianmo stroked its head and looked ahead.

That look made her heart skip a beat.

Slithering toward her was a massive, mottled python!

Its body was as thick as a bowl, nearly ten meters long, mouth agape and tongue flicking, hissing menacingly. Two pitch-black eyes glinted coldly as they fixed on the little fox in her arms.

The birds in the trees scattered with a flurry of wings, and in an instant, silence fell over the woods, broken only by the python’s hissing. The air grew oppressively heavy.

Shen Qianmo stood her ground, fully alert, calculating her escape. With such a difference in strength, victory would require striking at precisely the right moment.

She made her decision, spun around, and dashed away at full speed, hearing the python’s slithering grow louder behind her. Suddenly, she darted to the side, grabbed hold of a tree, and climbed swiftly upward. Once at a safe height, she saw the python below, head raised, tongue flicking red, eyes glinting with malice.

Thank goodness for her tree-climbing skills. Shen Qianmo exhaled, steadying her breath.

She gripped her dissecting knife tightly, judged her position, and leapt down, landing just below the python’s head. With a single, swift motion, she plunged the sharp blade into the vulnerable spot seven inches behind its head.

With a sickening spurt, blood gushed from the wound, splattering over her. The python howled in pain, whipping its thick tail violently in an attempt to shake her off.

Shen Qianmo clung desperately to the embedded knife and the writhing snake, refusing to let herself be thrown.

“Stop!” Just as woman and snake were locked in battle, a sharp command rang out from above.

Wuhen, sent by the cult leader to check on Shen Qianmo at Hundred Herbs Hall, had stumbled upon this scene and was terrified. He drew his sword to intervene.

“You dare injure our sacred serpent!” Wuhen was both shocked and astonished. Who would have thought the demure, gentle Princess Xuan possessed such skill?

With a flick of Wuhen’s sword, Shen Qianmo seized the moment to pull out her knife and leap from the snake's back.

The spirit serpent, wounded and whimpering, fixed its glossy black eyes on her but could only collapse weakly, unable to retaliate.

Shen Qianmo wiped the blood from her face, put away her dissecting knife, and remained composed.

“So what if it’s a spirit serpent? It attacked me first—should I have just sat and waited for death?”

Wuhen examined the serpent’s injuries. They were severe, and he knew he could not make the decision alone.

“Someone, carry the spirit serpent to Hall Master Duan for treatment,” he called, summoning two followers, then gave Shen Qianmo a long, searching look.

“Princess Xuan, please come with me to see the cult leader.”

With the spirit serpent gravely wounded, the cult leader’s reaction was unpredictable. At that moment, Wuhen couldn’t help but fear for the Princess.

Inside the Hall of Limitless Power.

Yin Zhan lounged in a bright red robe, draped languidly over the chief seat. His phoenix-shaped eyes half closed, he gazed down at Shen Qianmo, who stood calm and unflinching below. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

Indeed, this woman was truly capable—he had underestimated her.

In a flash, he appeared before Shen Qianmo, lifting her chin, his wickedly charming eyes alight with mischief. His long fingers gently traced the left side of her face, now smooth as creamy jade.

“Hmm, finally presentable. Seems Old Man Duan’s skills are remarkable—it’s healed nearly completely in just these few days.”

For some reason, as his fingers brushed her cheek, Shen Qianmo felt a sudden, inexplicable heat well up inside her, spreading rapidly through her limbs, a flush rising to her face.

What’s happening to me? she wondered, startled.

Yin Zhan noticed her reaction. Pausing, his gaze shifted to the fresh scratches on her right arm, and he suddenly broke into laughter.

“Hahaha, fortune truly favors me! That spirit serpent has done me a great service.”

“What have you done to me?” Shen Qianmo’s tone turned stern.

“No need for me to act—it was that little fox you rescued that brought you harm.” Yin Zhan pulled back her sleeve, examining the bloody marks, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

“The spirit serpent was raised from birth in the Emerald Pool, feeding on Biluohua flowers for decades. Its blood is a thousand times more potent than fresh Biluohua itself.”

“Is the snake’s blood poisonous?” Shen Qianmo frowned. The Cult of Infinity was indeed a sinister place—not only were its people skilled in poison, but even its animals were venomous.

“Tsk tsk, what a pity. The serpent’s blood has already seeped into your body through the wounds on your arm. I’m afraid even Old Man Duan won’t be able to save you.” Yin Zhan shook his head, though his expression brimmed with excitement.

“Now, there’s only one antidote…” He paused, then leaned in, his voice seductive as he whispered in her ear, “The union of man and woman.”

Seeing Shen Qianmo’s face turn ashen, Yin Zhan’s mood soared. With a dramatic sweep of his wide sleeves, he strode back to his seat, announcing as he walked, “Take her to the dungeon. When Meng Yuanheng arrives, I’ll let him watch a good show.”