Chapter 259: Chapter 154: Have You No Snake-Face?

Lu Yuan recalled that many of the Xingzi who had revealed themselves that day possessed over five hundred years of mastery.

Even the rather enthusiastic two-legged, human-faced sheep had more than seven hundred years of mastery.

There were also many Xingzi whose level of mastery Lu Yuan couldn’t even begin to discern.

Lu Yuan dared not imagine the extent of Yunyun’s power.

Lu Yuan declined his wife’s kind offer. "Yunyun probably has her own duties, right? Doesn’t she need to stay and guard Changliu Village?

It’s a small thing. You have to trust me; I can take care of myself. There’s really no need to bother her over this."

Seeing how insistent Lu Yuan was, Su Liyan relented.

Su Liyan sat up and flicked her slightly long tongue out to lick Lu Yuan’s lips.

Su Liyan giggled. "Well? Was it sweet?"

’This wife of mine is getting better and better at teasing,’ Lu Yuan thought.

Lu Yuan responded in kind.

He wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her.

It was a long, lingering, passionate kiss.

To make good time, Lu Yuan quickly packed the essentials.

The next day, Lu Yuan set out for the North, leading several Mansion Guards and bringing Gu Ziye along.

Snow Clams were found north of Taiping City, typically inhabiting high mountains.

Gu Ziye was cheerful and talkative the entire journey, acting completely familiar with Lu Yuan.

Whenever she came across something she didn’t understand or had never seen before, Lu Yuan would explain it to her in detail.

Unlike the reserved girls from common families, Gu Ziye was poised and natural with everyone she met.

This was the confidence that came from having the old master of her family’s backing.

The journey was uneventful; Lu Yuan and his party encountered no trouble.

Any Xingzi that tried to block their path were just minor ones.

The Zhao Family Guards dealt with them easily.

「After several days of riding at full speed,」

Lu Yuan and his party arrived at the foot of Buxian Mountain.

Buxian Mountain was one of the ten great mountains of the Divine Ling Empire.

Lu Yuan recalled a passage from a book: "Buxian Mountain lies over a thousand li southeast of Leng Mountain, and all its birds and beasts are white."

Just as the book described, the view toward the summit was entirely white.

Even in the height of summer, one could see the peak’s year-round snow.

The Snow Clams were mostly found above the mountainside, with a few living in the mountain streams.

Lu Yuan and the others stabled their horses at the post station at the foot of Buxian Mountain. After grabbing the necessary equipment and clothing, they began their ascent on foot.

"Yuan! Look, it’s so beautiful here! The lush greenery, the babbling stream flowing from high above, the sound of birds chirping every now and then." Gu Ziye skipped about, looking at everything.

’Looking at her childlike wonder,’ Lu Yuan thought, ’it’s like she’s completely forgotten what happened on the trip to Changliu Village.’

"Yue’Er, don’t run off! Be careful you don’t step on a tail and get your ankle bitten!"

’In a wild forest like this, there are bound to be Xingzi around.’

’And here’s Yue’Er, looking all over the place without a care in the world, not at all afraid of provoking one.’

As they climbed higher, the trees grew sparser, and the temperature steadily dropped.

Gu Ziye, lacking much practical experience, had only packed summer clothes for the trip.

Her four Personal Guards were also lightly dressed. However, as martial artists with strong physiques, they weren’t particularly bothered by the cold.

On the journey over, Gu Ziye had worn an outfit that resembled modern sportswear.

The Divine Ling Empire’s approach to clothing was slightly different from the Great Ming Dynasty’s. The Divine Ling Empire had no such regulations.

In contrast, the Great Ming Dynasty had strict regulations for attire, detailing everything from fabric and style to size and color.

There were even different requirements for the attire of people of different social statuses.

The clothing worn by Gu Ziye and her guards already had a rather modern look.

Gu Ziye was treating the mountain climb as a fun outing. She normally liked to wear long dresses.

But for this ascent, she wore a blouse with a standing collar and a front opening, adorned with seven buttons of gold and inlaid gems, crafted in a butterfly-and-flower motif.

Ironically, this outfit looked rather traditional—more like the attire of the Ming Dynasty, to be precise.

Gu Ziye was a natural at wearing clothes; she could pull off any look with flair.

As the temperature continued to fall, Gu Ziye wrapped her arms around herself. "Yuan... how much farther up do we have to go? I’m getting a little cold."

Lu Yuan understood immediately.

She hadn’t brought any warm clothes for the mountain climb at all.

Lu Yuan had a Mansion Guard open a pack that had been specifically filled with several sets of clothing.

One set was Lu Yuan’s; the rest belonged to the Mansion Guards.

Lu Yuan took out his own coat, draped it over Gu Ziye’s shoulders, and said, "Here, this is mine. Wear it for now."

Gu Ziye clutched the warm coat and looked up at him. "But what about you, Yuan?"

"I’m fine. I can handle the cold," Lu Yuan said with a wave of his hand.

Gu Ziye was very grateful for his big-brotherly care.

The Mansion Guards also offered their own coats to their young master, but Lu Yuan refused them all.

They soon reached the mountainside. A little higher, and they would start seeing snow.

Buxian Mountain was truly immense.

Even Gu Ziye’s four Personal Guards felt the biting chill and began to shiver uncontrollably.

Lu Yuan, however, seemed to endure the cold much better.

Lu Yuan decided not to go any higher. He led the group, following a set of animal tracks to a mountain ravine.

What came into view was a cascading waterfall and a babbling brook. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Below the waterfall was a small pool. Beside it, several frogs were croaking—they had to be the Snow Clams.

As the saying goes: clear water is shallow, green water is deep, and black water is abyssal.

A single glance into this pool revealed only pitch-black, bottomless depths.

Although Snow Clams were more numerous higher up, they could still be found around the mountainside.

Everyone moved with extreme caution, afraid that the slightest disturbance would send the Snow Clams leaping into the water to escape.

Lu Yuan led the Mansion Guards to sneak closer, positioning themselves on high ground above the waterfall. Each man took out a grappling hook and began to swing it.

This was a task Lu Yuan had to handle personally.

Gu Ziye and her Personal Guards watched from a safe distance. Her guards were only responsible for her safety; they wouldn’t participate in this kind of task.

Timing it perfectly, Lu Yuan and his men cast their grappling hooks in unison.

Only Lu Yuan managed to snag a Snow Clam.

The Snow Clams were indeed agile and difficult to catch.

The remaining Snow Clams dove into the water with a series of PLOPS and quickly vanished downstream.

As a Spiritual Object, the Snow Clam had incredible jumping power, clearing over ten feet in a single leap.

Seeing Lu Yuan successfully catch a Snow Clam, Gu Ziye clapped her hands in delight.

’This isn’t easy,’ he thought. ’It took so much effort just to find a few, and you only get one shot at catching them.’

’Now we’ll have to find a new spot and start all over.’

Just as Lu Yuan and his men were retracting their grappling hooks...

A massive snake shot out of the pool beneath the waterfall. With a flick of its tail, it swatted the grappling hook aside, sending the Snow Clam flying into the air.

The huge snake twisted its body, opened its massive jaws, and swallowed the Snow Clam whole.

It all happened in the blink of an eye!

Lu Yuan didn’t even have time to react.

’Holy hell,’ Lu Yuan thought. ’That snake is at least forty or fifty feet long. For something that huge to be so greedy over one tiny frog...’

’The snake must have known it was a Snow Clam, not just some common frog.’

As Lu Yuan stared at the snake that had burst from the water, he recognized it—a Long Snake.

Long Snakes lived in lakes, seas, and rivers. They were known to be fierce, greedy, and violent. Their cries sounded like the beating of gongs and drums, and their bodies were covered in stiff bristles for protection.

Though the Long Snake had a violent temperament, its power was considered low compared to the likes of the Xiangliu, the Soaring Snake, or the Transformed Serpent.

Even so, it was far beyond what any ordinary person could hope to subdue.

Seeing the Long Snake steal his prize, Lu Yuan was furious. ’I’m going to catch that thing, skin it, pull its tendons, and then steep it in wine!’

’If I’m going to steep this snake in wine, I wonder how big a wine vat I’ll need to build for it.’

’I could even have some barbecue on the side. A lake of wine and a forest of meat, right there in the making!’

’Not even the highest officials and nobles could eat and drink this well.’

’Then again, it’s hard to say if anyone would even dare to drink wine steeped with a Long Snake.’

’Buxian Mountain really is full of Spiritual Objects,’ Lu Yuan mused. ’To think a Long Snake was hiding in a small pool like this.’

’A Long Snake is a Spiritual Object you can only stumble upon by chance, never find by searching. Countless skilled people have sought one out and failed.’

’But this particular Long Snake has no manners, showing itself just to steal from someone.’

’If Su Liyan were here and knew this Long Snake stole my prize, she’d definitely bring out her own snake tail and give it a good whipping.’

Su Liyan was of the Half-Demon Race; when she reverted to her ancestral form, her lower body became the tail of a white snake.

’Aren’t they practically half-related? How could it just snatch someone’s belongings like that?’

’Does it have no shame? No reptilian dignity at all?’