Invincible Snake Emperor-Chapter 71 - 70: Commanding the Snakes

’What a strange twist of fate. I’ve somehow become the Snake King.’

He gazed at the Snake Catchers kneeling all over the ground. Among them were many familiar faces, all seniors to the former Tu Xiao’an.

’Thank goodness Master is off chasing the Vampire Snake. If he were here and knelt to me, too, my sin would be grave indeed.’

’But Master isn’t so easily fooled. How could he believe a small snake like me was a being on par with the Snake King?’

As time passed, more and more Snake Catchers arrived in the jungle. The newcomers saw the crowd kneeling before a Silver White Snake, and their worldview was instantly shattered. They were completely dumbfounded.

"Hey, what are you all doing kneeling on the ground?"

A kneeling Snake Catcher hastily pulled the questioner to the ground, whispering nervously, "Get down, quick! That’s the Snake King! You mustn’t offend the Snake King!"

"The Snake King?"

The newly arrived group of Snake Catchers stared, their mouths hanging open wide enough to fit a fist. They were completely stunned.

"Don’t ask so many questions. Just kneel first, and you can’t go wrong."

How could a person kneel to a mere snake? If word of this got out, they’d be a laughingstock. But when they saw the dazzling Silver White Snake in the distance, they were taken aback. This snake was clearly no ordinary creature. It held its head high, and its every movement exuded an extraordinary aura.

Appearances are, after all, very important. For instance, if you saw a Daoist who, at first glance, had the ethereal bearing of an immortal, you would instinctively believe his words.

"Alright, alright, I’ll kneel, I’ll kneel."

’Everyone’s kneeling. There must be a good reason.’

’No need to argue. Can’t go wrong with kneeling first.’

Seeing more and more people kneeling to the Silver White Snake, Jiang Xingze was so angry he felt like he would explode on the spot. He was kneeling too, but not by choice; the lightning strike had left his body so numb he couldn’t stand up.

"It’s not the Snake King, it’s a Snake Spirit! You idiots! Idiots!"

Jiang Xingze roared in fury. He was fuming. ’These country bumpkins are so foolish and superstitious! How could this Silver White Snake possibly be the Snake King? The true Snake King hasn’t even appeared yet. My master, Dr. Snake, is the one who will create a Snake King to command all other snakes!’

’There’s no such thing as a Snake King in the world right now. At best, this is just a Snake Spirit with the intelligence of a Demon.’

"You audacious cur! How dare you continue to disrespect the Snake King! Are you trying to get yourself killed on She Mountain?"

a Snake Catcher from Bai Town rebuked. To them, a snake that could control Thunder—if it wasn’t the Snake King, what else could it be?

In any other region, if a snake were so monstrously powerful, people would surely scream "Demon!" and run for their lives. But this was She Mountain. This was Bai Town, where generations had held an unshakable belief in the legend of the Snake King.

They believed the Snake King was a God, an Immortal, a Divine Spirit who protected them and would not bring them harm. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Young Master Jiang, don’t say any more. Let’s just go. Forget the Supreme Profound Snake. This place is too weird."

The group of subordinates around him were growing frightened. A bizarre snake, a crowd of Snake Catchers who worshiped a Snake King... what was any of this?

’They’re all freaks. All lunatics.’

"Go? Go where?!" Jiang Xingze roared. He had lost all face today; he couldn’t possibly leave the mountain like this. This snake had humiliated him so thoroughly, and yet here it was, being worshiped as the Snake King. It was outrageous.

It seemed that getting struck by two bolts of Thunder had actually made Jiang Xingze brave.

"You say it’s the Snake King? Fine. A Snake King can command all other snakes. So let’s see this Snake Spirit try it!" Jiang Xingze’s eyes dripped with condescending disdain.

’Sure, this snake is terrifying. It can talk and summon Thunder. But at best, it’s a Snake Spirit—perhaps one that has just begun its Cultivation. It’s just a fox borrowing a tiger’s might, nothing more than a bluff.’

’Would real Thunder not have been able to kill me?’

Jiang Xingze’s words made the kneeling Snake Catchers’ hearts skip a beat, but their expressions quickly shifted to ones that said, *you’re asking to die*.

The Silver White Snake could control Thunder. What was merely commanding other snakes in comparison? That should be a basic trick.

"Snake King, please punish this disrespectful cur! Show him the extent of Your Majesty’s power!" the crowd of Snake Catchers called out in reverence to the Silver White Snake in the distance.

"This..."

Tu Xiao’an was at a loss. He was in a real bind, unsure how to resolve the situation. The Snake Catchers of Bai Town really did believe he was the Snake King, and with unshakeable conviction at that.

Then again, you couldn’t blame the local Snake Catchers for being so easily convinced. A snake this powerful—one that could summon a gale when Jiang Xingze scattered his Snake Powder, control Thunder to enact Celestial Punishment on a man—how could it possibly be a mere mortal snake? Besides, the most crucial factor was that this was all happening on She Mountain.

’Do I really have to put on such a big show?’ Tu Xiao’an thought. ’All I want to do is grab the Supreme Profound Snake and get down the mountain. Mom’s illness is waiting for its Snake Gallbladder.’

’This Jiang Xingze might be arrogant and conceited, but I’ve already taught him a lesson. His offense doesn’t warrant death. I don’t want to kill him, especially not in front of all these people. That wouldn’t be good.’

’After all, I still plan on living in Bai Town. If I become a murderous snake, even if I’m beyond the reach of the law, it would still be bad if word got out.’

’A secret government organization might even come to capture a monstrous snake like me.’

’I can kill. Since becoming a snake, I’m not a stranger to killing. But I don’t want to do it so openly.’

"Haha... Snake Spirit, what are you standing there for? Summon the snakes for this young master to see!" Jiang Xingze hadn’t been particularly confident at first, but after a long moment, the Silver White Snake remained rooted to the spot, not moving at all.

Hearing this, the crowd of Snake Catchers shouted angrily, "Cur! Cease your arrogance! Do not disrespect the Snake King!"

"It’s just a Snake Spirit! It doesn’t have the ability!"

"Nonsense! The Snake King is omnipotent! What’s commanding a few snakes?"

"Then what is it waiting for? Go on, summon eighty or a hundred venomous snakes for this young master. Broaden my horizons!"

Jiang Xingze had been utterly humiliated by this snake. Things had already come to this; he didn’t care about the consequences anymore. He had to at least salvage a shred of his dignity.

"We implore the Snake King to act! Command the snakes!"

The Bai Town Snake Catchers kowtowed to the Silver White Snake, pleading. They all wanted to see Jiang Xingze bitten to death by a swarm of snakes.

This man was simply too obnoxious. He was arrogant beyond measure and seemed determined to get himself killed.

"Haha... Come on, Snake Spirit! Summon your snakes to come and bite me!" Jiang Xingze now looked completely crazed, veins bulging on his forehead as his face twisted into a ferocious scowl.

Tu Xiao’an watched the crazed, death-courting Jiang Xingze with cold indifference, then glanced at the kneeling Snake Catchers. ’It seems I’m destined to play the part of the Snake King.’

’This might be for the best. With the status of the Snake King, nothing I do will seem out of place—at least, not in Bai Town.’

’Jiang Xingze, I was going to let you off the hook, but you insisted on courting death. Don’t blame me for what comes next.’

In that instant, Tu Xiao’an’s eyes narrowed. A kingly aura surged from his body, stirring up a swirling gale.

Everyone unconsciously held their breath, their eyes fixed on the dazzling Silver White Snake. A fierce wind swept out from around it, as if it were about to cast some terrible spell. The clearing fell deathly silent.

"The Snake King is about to cast a spell! He’s going to command the snakes!"

The Snake Catchers from Bai Town had the expressions of fanatical believers. Far from being afraid, they were incredibly eager.

When Jiang Xingze and his group of lackeys saw this, they swallowed hard two or three times, their throats suddenly feeling parched.

’Okay, impulse is a Demon.’ Jiang Xingze felt he had been impulsive again. He desperately tried to reassure himself: ’Impossible. No way. It can’t possibly have the power to command all snakes.’