TSMITB Chapter6

Shen Que had done enough mental preparation before opening his eyes but was still stunned by the sight before him.

The seemingly clear riverbed actually hid countless dried bones of various shapes, many of which were human skeletons, all imperfectly piled up at the bottom of the water. The odd rocks they had noticed earlier might in fact have been formed entirely from these corpses and remains.

Shen Que gazed at the heap of skeletons below, yet what surfaced in his mind was the image of the handsome youth clad in traditional Miao attire, with eyes serene and profound like swirling whirlpools.

Was his appearance here a coincidence? Or was he waiting to observe the formation process of the next dried bone buried at the bottom of the river?

Having clearly heard their cries for help, yet ignoring their predicament, was it indifference or merely self-preservation, unwilling to take risks for outsiders?

Shen Que shook his head, puffed out his cheeks, and blew a few bubbles, genuinely feeling that his brain was truly waterlogged.

To him, they might just be damnable intruders, and even the corpses at the river bottom might truly be a preview of their ultimate fate.

The snake’s body writhed erratically in the water, and Shen Que couldn’t spot its head, perhaps it had surfaced, savoring the sight of Old Qiu’s torment as he struggled to breathe.

The air in his lungs was about to run out. Shen Que hardened his heart, raised his dagger as he stabbed towards the snake’s tail wrapped around Old Qiu; however, before the dagger tip could even get close, the giant python coiled around Old Qiu and darted back a significant distance.

“……” Shen Que who was gripping the dagger was momentarily dazed as he surfaced for air, only to be met by a gaping, bloodstained maw reeking of rot and fish. Its fangs, slick with mucus and nearly as thick as a grown man’s finger, gleamed menacingly; upon seeing him rise, the creature even tilted its head slightly, as if to let him get a clearer look.

Shen Que kept a wooden expression, allowing the giant python to splash saliva all over his face to show off its big venomous fangs. He was too lazy to even bother to react.

He swiftly lifted his eyelids and shot a glance at Old Qiu, noticing that his complexion had eased a little; with a twist of his wrist, a flash of cold metallic light distinct to a keen blade, cut through the air.

That was Old Qiu’s “hidden weapon”. Shen Que still didn’t know what special material it was forged from. The extremely sharp, small knife was hidden inside a ring, only popping out when a specific mechanism was pressed, it was just an inch long. He had personally seen Old Qiu use that inconspicuous little thing to slice an anti-theft door in half, and barring any surprises, this giant python’s tail should also be preparing to split.

The giant python’s focus was fixed entirely on Shen Que, oblivious to Old Qiu’s movements. It merely tilted its head, its slightly bulging, bead-like eyes staring intently at him. Its crimson tongue flicked restlessly as it hissed, yet it made no further attack; instead, it slowly closed its massive jaws, lowered its head, and gently nudged toward Shen Que.

This behavior made Shen Que think of his friend’s pet Tibetan Mastiff, which always simultaneously bared its teeth and showed its sharp, pointed canines to scare him, while also nuzzling its head into a person’s arms begging for pets.

Shen Que steadied himself, keeping Old Qiu’s movements within his peripheral vision. He caught the faintest nod from him, and in the very next instant came the sound of a blade’s tip piercing scales and slicing through flesh.

The giant python raised its head and emitted a huge buzzing sound. Shen Que paddled with his hands, using his core strength to swing his body and swiftly propel himself backward. The snake’s tail lashed out furiously, and Old Qiu was flung away, crashing hard into the water once more.

Dark red blood clouded the river water, and the dark purple patterns on the giant python’s head flickered erratically. The snake seemed utterly disoriented, one moment its eyes blazed with murderous intent, the next it appeared restrained, sinking mournfully into the water as if seeking to heal in solitude.

The moment those patterns fully faded, the snake’s head locked onto its target, unleashing its full fury as it roared and lunged straight at Shen Que.

Old Qiu, who had just surfaced and only had time to wipe the water from his face, was so terrified by this scene that his eyes were about to pop out as he yelled, “Shen Que! What the hell are you standing there for!”

Gang Zi, who was holding up the barely upright Ah Chao, stumbled but regained his footing on the riverbank, only just catching sight of the massive splash as the giant snake dove into the water.

And in the center of the river, there was no longer any human figure.

The surroundings instantly quieted down, the wind stopped, while the birds idly chatting on the treetops suddenly fell silent too.

Old Qiu’s breath caught in his throat, unable to even swallow, his mouth hanging open as he muttered incoherently, not able to form even a single syllable.

The next second, the river water moved.

A soaking wet, round head popped out on the other side of the river surface.

“Ah!!!” Gangzi shouted excitedly, “Young Master Shen! I recognize that back of the head, it’s Young Master Shen!”

Following closely was another head—adorned with a head of delicate small braids, with thin silver chains interspersed in the hair as decoration. Turning his head, what looked over was a pair of extremely light-colored amber eyes, their gaze shimmering, cold, and distant.

He wrapped one arm tightly around Shen Que’s waist, hoisting him out of the water, while his other hand stayed hidden behind his back. Using the wide cuff as cover, he tossed a package into the river, which was snatched by a small blue-green snake and dragged downward toward the riverbed.

Even after getting ashore, Shen Que’s mind was still hazy.

He only remembered that just as the fang was about to pierce his main artery, a strong hand grabbed the back of his neck and yanked him backward, and the next moment, he found himself enveloped in a warm, solid embrace.

Silver bell sounds constantly rang clearly in his ear. Shen Que lifted his head in a daze, and through the hazy veil of water, the first thing he saw were two moist, translucent pink lips, pressed into a straight line. His eyes gradually traced to the corners of the mouth, and only then did he notice the faintest hint of an upward curve.

As if enchanted, Shen Que slowly raised his hand, and lightly touched the sensually full lips while applying pressure to create a concave arc with his fingertips.

The rush of water hummed past his ears, while several silver chains floated down like delicate threads from somewhere unseen. Tiny, exquisitely crafted bells hung at their ends, giving off a faint, muffled chime as they swayed with the current.

The silver chains, mixed with a few loose black strands of hair, floated in the water and wrapped around Shen Que’s fingertips, as flexible as a small snake.

…Snake.

The word instantly snapped Shen Que back to reality, and the haze in his eyes disappeared.

He suddenly looked up, meeting a pair of light amber eyes; perhaps due to being in the water, the pair of somewhat round, fawn-like eyes were wet, and even the gaze was much softer, not as sharp and deep as reflected through the binoculars.

Shen Que recognized these eyes; they belonged to the beautiful youth by the cliff.

It was he who saved him.

Yet, not long ago, he had been inwardly criticizing him for not helping… although the situation at the time did seem to be exactly that.

The youth tilted his head to meet his gaze, extending a hand to cover the fingers pressed against his lips with a warm palm. His other hand gripped Shen Que’s waist through the drenched fabric, lifting with steady force and nearly hoisting him completely out of the water.

Air surged into his nostrils, traveling down his throat and triggering a sharp, tickling irritation that made Shen Que clutch his chest and cough violently for a long while.

The youth stood silently beside him, watching intently, his gaze fixed on the tears lingering in Shen Que’s slightly reddened eyes that were reluctant to fall, like a gentle spring of water.

The corner of his mouth curved into a deeper arc, and the youth’s adam apple bobbed for an instant, seemingly swallowing the sweetness before him from a distance.

The moment his feet touched the ground, sharp stabs of pain shot through his ankle. Shen Que frowned and let out a light groan, almost instantly losing his balance and nearly falling.

The tension of nearly losing his life to the snake’s mouth again made Shen Que completely forget about his ankle injury from last night. Only when the intense pain hit upon touching the ground did he belatedly remember.

Fortunately, the youth reacted swiftly, keeping his hand firmly around Shen Que’s waist until he regained his balance, and only then did he turn his head to check on him with a concerned gaze.

Shen Que only met the youth’s gaze for a moment before quickly lowering his eyes, using the shadow cast by his eyelashes to cover the emotions in his eyes—he was afraid that in another second, profanities would burst out of his eyes; it really hurt…

Shen Que recovered and gently shook his head, controlling his voice to say thank you, not caring if the youth understood or not.

The neatly wrapped gauze Gang Zi had applied the night before was now drenched, the medicine seeping out and turning the once-pure white cloth into a blotchy yellow; it looked unsightly no matter how it was seen.

Shen Que always paid great attention to these details that affected external beauty.

Old Qiu waded through the water to rush over, only letting out a sigh of relief after confirming Shen Que was intact, and politely forced a smile towards the youth, fine lines accumulating at the corner of his eyes, yet his gaze could not conceal its sharpness.

“Thank you for saving him. Are you injured? We brought wound medicine.”

Old Qiu spoke tentatively; while talking, he gestured, pointing to the various medicines and medical gauze Gang Zi had laid out on the ground, and then reached out to take Shen Que over.

Unexpectedly, the youth subconsciously hugged Shen Que and took a step back in a stance of defense and protection.

Old Qiu froze for a moment, about to speak, when the youth seemed to suddenly realize something. He lowered his head, gently pushed Shen Que out of his embrace, and quietly made his way ashore alone.

Even the water droplets dripping down the ends of his hair were silently accusing Old Qiu of snatching his thing.

Old Qiu gaped, momentarily at a loss for words, and quickly steadied Shen Que.

The youth’s push was not gentle, Shen Que was pushed so hard he nearly stumbled and fell to the ground.

The jolt finally shook Shen Que’s waterlogged, sluggish mind awake. He stared intently at the youth’s retreating back, his thoughts stumbling over what to say to make him stay. Then he saw the youth pause, spot a fallen branch lying horizontally among the trees, and settle onto it.

In the shade, the youth relaxed the muscles around his eyes, and a faint, pale purple light shimmered in his half-closed gaze. His eyes drooped slightly, no longer putting on the act of being innocent and harmless.

The small blue-green snake sensed its master’s call and, using the vegetation as cover, slowly slithered out of the water, leaving a glistening trail that led all the way to the youth’s side.

The youth caught the upturned tip of the little snake’s tail between two fingers and kneaded it with a gentle pressure.

Gang Zi propped the backpack behind Ah Chao for support, then half-squatted to bandage his wound.

Ah Chao hung his head limply, his face pale, resembling a silent statue from afar, yet his labored breathing betrayed the pain he was enduring.

Gang Zi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he comforted him, “The painkillers will take effect soon, just bear with it a little longer.”

Old Qiu swiftly steadied Shen Que, removed his drenched jacket, and went to the edge of the woods to collect dead branches, efficiently building a fire.

Having done these things frequently over the past few days, the efficiency had increased significantly.