The incense in the Snake King Temple burned without end, drawing an endless stream of worshippers.
Before the majestic and imposing statue of the Snake King, there was never a moment’s peace from people kowtowing and making wishes. The Snake King’s Main Hall was packed, a surging tide of humanity, yet everyone was content to remain in this small space.
It was as if only by staying here could they find solace for their souls, a reprieve from the terror and helplessness that awaited outside.
In a corner of the Snake King’s Main Hall, a mother and daughter each sat on a prayer cushion. The daughter was carefully wiping down an animal with a towel—an animal so still, most would have mistaken it for a dead dog.
Meanwhile, the mother held a clean towel of her own, using it to polish the Spiritual Rank in her hands. She wiped with such tenderness, so meticulously that not a speck of dust remained and its surface began to reflect the light.
The people in the Snake King’s Main Hall were now murmuring amongst themselves. It had grown very quiet outside, as if the great monster’s roars and merciless slaughter had ceased.
Could the disaster finally be over?
It was a beautiful hope. A few young men had already gone out to investigate. If the monster was gone, everyone could go home, although for many, their homes had already been destroyed.
But that didn’t matter. As long as they were alive, all was not lost.
However, the vast majority were not so optimistic. They believed this was merely the calm before the storm, that in the end, their deaths were inescapable.
That colossal Fierce Beast was like a prehistoric behemoth. It was unstoppable, and it signified the destruction of Bai Town.
"Yue’Er, promise me. No matter what happens, you have to keep living."
Suddenly, Wen Qiu spoke to Tu Xiaoyue.
Tu Xiaoyue was taken aback, but then she forced a smile. "Mom, don’t worry, I’m not going to die, and neither are you. See? It’s so peaceful outside. The Fairy must have killed the monster. The disaster is over."
"Mm-hm." Wen Qiu nodded, then added, "Yue’Er, if something bad does happen, don’t worry about me. Just run. Saving yourself is what’s most important."
"Mom, what are you talking about?" Tu Xiaoyue chided.
"I’m just tired."
Tired?
Tu Xiaoyue trembled. She watched her mother, who was speaking to her while simultaneously wiping her little brother’s Spiritual Rank. With her mournful expression and her complete detachment from the world, she looked like a warrior ready to die at any moment.
She suddenly remembered the moment their old house had collapsed.
The old house her mother had lived in for her entire life had turned to dust before her very eyes. That must have been a devastating blow.
Tu Xiaoyue had no doubt that if she weren’t here, her mother would have unhesitatingly let herself be buried in the ruins along with their home.
"Mom, don’t be sad about the house. Our house was the worst one in all of Bai Town anyway. It should have been torn down and rebuilt long ago. When the disaster is over, I’ll build you a big, beautiful new house to live in. Our good days haven’t even started yet, so you’re not allowed to talk nonsense."
Wen Qiu forced a smile for her daughter, then lowered her head to look at her younger son’s Spiritual Rank. Her longing had become a sickness. It was as if her eyes could no longer see any of the world’s scenery.
Sigh.
’Her heart had died long ago; there was no greater sorrow. It was only this daughter she couldn’t let go of.’
When her mother fell silent, Tu Xiaoyue grew frantic with worry. Seeing her like this was starting to scare her.
’Little brother, where are you? Please come back soon.’ Tu Xiaoyue was afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold on, afraid she couldn’t take good care of her mother.
The collapse of their old home seemed to have buried her mother’s heart along with it, leaving her with no will to live.
Just then, a commotion broke out in the Snake King’s Main Hall. A young man rushed in frantically, knocking over several people and provoking a wave of angry curses from the crowd. He seemed not to care at all, his bewitching eyes scanning the room wildly, searching for something unknown.
Suddenly, the handsome young man froze. He gasped, his breath short and ragged, and his eyes locked onto a corner near one of the pillars.
A light as vast as the cosmos erupted in his eyes, so bright it was almost blinding.
"Hey, kid, what’s your problem? Barging in here like that! There are so many elderly people here. If you hurt one of them, can you take responsibility?"
"Hmph! Such a classless, ill-mannered brat, acting so outrageously in the Snake King Temple."
"I think the monster outside scared him silly. He’s too young."
The handsome young man stood there in a daze, his gaze fixed on the mother and daughter in the corner. People around him pointed and muttered in displeasure, some even cursing him aloud.
But he seemed not to hear them at all. His eyes saw only the mother and daughter in the corner.
In an instant, as if using Shift Form and Position, the handsome young man’s figure flowed like a phantom, and he dropped to his knees before the woman.
"Mom, your son has come home."
The handsome young man cried out in excitement. Who could it be but Tu Xiao’an?
In the entire world, the only person who could make him kneel like this was the woman before him.
Wen Qiu had been focused single-mindedly on wiping her younger son’s Spiritual Rank. Even though it was already polished to a mirror shine and spotlessly clean, she still felt it wasn’t enough.
It seemed this was the only thing that could bring her heart a sliver of peace.
Suddenly, Wen Qiu was startled. She trembled, looking woodenly at the person kneeling before her, her eyes staring blankly.
It wasn’t just her; even Tu Xiaoyue, who was right beside her, was so shocked by this sudden turn of events that her jaw dropped, and she froze completely.
The once-bustling Snake King’s Main Hall fell deathly silent at Tu Xiao’an’s kneel.
Tu Xiao’an didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything. He just wanted to kneel before his mother. When he saw their old house collapse with his own eyes, he had thought his mother and sister were gone.
He had been terrified. In that moment, Tu Xiao’an had been utterly terrified.
Now that his mother was alive and well, Tu Xiao’an was happier than he had ever been. It was as if the sun had finally broken through the clouds.
But... kneeling before his mother, Tu Xiao’an gazed at her, and his heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a Formless hand. It hadn’t been long, but his mother looked as if she had aged a dozen years. Strands of white hair stood out, and the wrinkles on her face had deepened. She had aged so much.
’How long had he even been away?’
’His mother must have been scared sick by that damn Fierce Beast, the Taotie.’
’It’s okay. It’s fine. I’m back now.’ Tu Xiao’an now had many Heavenly and Earthly Treasures in his system, and even a walking Tree Demon that could produce Third grade Spirit Fruits.
Tu Xiao’an was confident he could make his mother look as young as a woman in her twenties.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Tu Xiao’an performed three loud kowtows to his mother, slamming his head against the floor with such force that the entire Snake King Temple seemed to tremble.
After the third kowtow, Tu Xiao’an looked up, tears in his eyes, his expression fervent. "Mom, your son is back to honor you!"
Wen Qiu was completely stunned, her mind in a daze. It took her a long moment to react. "Child, get up, please," she said blankly. "Whose child are you? You must have the wrong person."
At these words, Tu Xiao’an froze. The excitement on his face hardened, and his heart plummeted into an abyss.
’Damn it, he’d gotten so carried away that he’d forgotten the most crucial thing.’
Although Tu Xiao’an had achieved his Transformation, the form he had taken was not his original appearance.
In other words, to his mother, Wen Qiu, he was now a complete and utter stranger.
Suddenly, Tu Xiao’an’s heart filled with despair.
His own mother couldn’t recognize her son.
Tu Xiao’an then noticed the Spiritual Rank his mother was holding. On it were inscribed the words: "The Spiritual Rank of My Son, Tu Xiao’an."
A bitter, gloomy smile spread across his face. In her eyes, her son was already long dead.
"M-Ma’am... I’m sorry. I have the wrong person."
Tu Xiao’an’s heart felt like it was bleeding. He struggled to his feet, swaying as if all his strength had been drained from him in an instant.
’Don’t panic. Don’t panic. As long as Mom is alive, that’s all that matters. I’ll find another chance to explain things to her, when we’re not in front of all these people.’
Tu Xiao’an desperately tried to comfort himself with these thoughts.
Wen Qiu stared blankly at the handsome young man. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but not a single word came out.
That single word, "Mom," had almost made her believe for a dizzying moment that her son had returned. A wave of familiarity had washed over her.
But when Wen Qiu saw the young man’s face, reality hit her like a splash of cold water, and she instantly came to her senses.
As he stood up, Tu Xiao’an saw his sister beside his mother, and his eyes lit up for a moment. But in the current situation, it wasn’t a good time to talk to her either.
Besides, from his sister’s shocked expression, it was clear she didn’t know who he was either.
Neither of his loved ones could recognize him. Tu Xiao’an couldn’t help but feel like an utter failure.
’Don’t rush it. I just need to find the right opportunity.’
Tu Xiao’an continued to console himself. He turned and began to slowly make his way through the crowd toward the exit of the main hall.
"Is that young man an idiot? How can you mistake your own mother? What a weirdo."
"Haha, he came charging in so recklessly, I was wondering what he was going to do. Turns out he was just desperate to kowtow to somebody."
"Tsk, tsk. Too bad he didn’t mistake me for his father. I would’ve taken a few of those kowtows."
Voices of ridicule and sarcasm rose in the Snake King’s Main Hall, reaching Tu Xiao’an’s ears. His expression instantly darkened, and his already foul mood sank to rock bottom.
He whipped his head around, his cold gaze sweeping over the crowd. The temperature in the main hall seemed to plummet. The few people hiding in the crowd who had been mocking him shuddered, suddenly seized by a terrifying sense of mortal dread.
As Tu Xiao’an’s eyes narrowed, in the next second, they simply vanished from the Snake King Temple. When they reappeared, they nearly fainted from shock.
They were now floating high above the Snake King Temple, at least a thousand meters in the air.
"Who the hell do you think you are, to dare mock me, Tu Xiao’an?"
An incredibly cold voice echoed in their minds. A moment later, with a series of bangs, the men exploded where they stood, turning into clouds of blood mist and vanishing from the world forever.
Tu Xiao’an never killed the innocent. But at a time like this, these men had courted death by touching his one untouchable nerve. They deserved to die; their deaths were not worth a second thought.