Chapter 1431: Totem

Yun Jianyue, with her formidable status, had never encountered such insolence. Just as she was about to lash out, Yan Xuehen stopped her, remarking, "After all, he's just an ordinary person."

"You're too kind-hearted, always playing the good Samaritan," Yun Jianyue sneered. "But they don't appreciate it; they'll still curse you."

Yan Xuehen calmly replied, "My conscience is clear, and that's enough. I don't need anyone's gratitude."

Yun Jianyue frowned but ultimately refrained from harming the commoner.

Rebuffed, Zu An and his companions had no choice but to leave. They had hoped to find another local for information, but for some unknown reason, they didn't encounter anyone else after that first fisherman.

"Searching like this isn't going to work," Yun Jianyue declared, gazing at the endless, mist-shrouded swamp. A thought suddenly struck her: "That fisherman was an ordinary person; why wasn't he poisoned by this miasma?"

"It is rather peculiar," Yan Xuehen agreed. "While the ferocious beasts might be explained, it's odd that this native commoner was unaffected."

"Could it be that this 'miasma' isn't actually poisonous, and we were fooled by that old mulberry tree?" Zu An asked tentatively.

Yan Xuehen shook her head slightly. "Just as we entered this vast marsh, I took that mulberry leaf and tested it. This miasma is indeed poisonous."

Yun Jianyue looked surprised. "Well, well, Ice Stone Woman. I thought you were a naive simpleton, but it turns out you have some foresight."

"Otherwise, a demoness like you would have killed me long ago," Yan Xuehen replied expressionlessly.

The group then began to discuss why the fisherman had reacted so strongly. His tone seemed to indicate great respect for the Xiu Snake.

Yet, for such a ferocious giant snake, why did the fisherman treat it with such reverence?

After half a day of discussion, they still couldn't find a reasonable explanation. At that moment, Yu Yanluo's heart stirred, and she suddenly spoke, "I seem to be sensing a calling voice."

"Whose calling?" the others asked, surprised.

"It seems to be the Xiu Snake's," Yu Yanluo replied. "The feeling is very similar to when I first encountered it."

Zu An asked with concern, "Is it benevolent or malicious?"

Yu Yanluo shook her head. "I can't tell. I can't sense its emotions."

"Be careful; it might be a trap," Yun Jianyue warned cautiously.

Yu Yanluo hesitated for a moment before saying, "Since it's calling me, it clearly has something to tell me. As a fellow serpent, I'm willing to try."

Zu An also added, "Since we have no other options right now, we can try it. Just be careful along the way."

Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen considered it and had no objections. Soon, the group followed Yu Yanluo towards the center of the vast Dongting Marsh.

"Where exactly is the Xiu Snake?" they wondered, cautiously scanning their surroundings. Unfortunately, they couldn't spot the Xiu Snake anywhere.

"I can feel the calling getting closer," Yu Yanluo said, closing her eyes to concentrate. "It seems to be in that direction." She then pointed her hand.

The group looked in the direction she pointed and saw the large mountain they had previously noticed.

Only then did they realize this vast, lush mountain range stretched continuously in the very center of the marsh.

"This mountain is somewhat strange," Zu An observed. "It feels like a dragon vein, but it isn't a true one." Having studied *Di Tian Sui Chan Wei*, Zu An now had a relatively good understanding of mountain formations and geomancy.

He could tell that the mountain already possessed the aura of a dragon vein, yet it was also somewhat illusive.

"This mountain range, winding and narrow, doesn't it resemble a snake?" Yan Xuehen suddenly remarked.

"Could this mountain be the Xiu Snake in disguise?" Yun Jianyue asked, startled.

Zu An shook his head. "This is indeed a mountain range, an inanimate object. Although it appears lush on the surface, up close, the entire mountain emanates a profound sense of death. It shouldn't be the Xiu Snake in disguise."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue also used their divine sense to investigate and confirmed it was merely a mountain, finally easing their minds.

At that moment, Yu Yanluo heard the calling again. "The calling is coming from the mountain," she told them, "and it seems to be telling me to go up."

"Be careful," Zu An quickly reminded her.

Yu Yanluo smiled faintly. "Don't worry. If it truly intended to harm me, it wouldn't go to such lengths. Besides, I can now sense that it bears me no ill will."

As she was the serpent clan leader, the others trusted her judgment. They abandoned their boat and followed her ashore.

They soon discovered a winding, narrow path leading ahead.

"It looks like people frequently walk here," Yun Jianyue said in a low voice. A path like this wouldn't form in true wilderness.

"Perhaps it's locals like the fisherman we just met," Yan Xuehen surmised.

They had initially hoped to find someone along the way to ask for directions, but unfortunately, they didn't encounter anyone.

Following the calling, Yu Yanluo ascended the mountain, with the others trailing behind her, until they reached a temple at the summit.

"Ba Snake Temple?" Reading the characters on the temple gate, the group immediately recalled the fisherman's mention of this term instead of 'Xiu Snake'.

"It's evident that the incense offerings here are quite strong," Yan Xuehen observed, secretly investigating. Although no one was in sight, the temple was remarkably clean, with bright windows and tidy surfaces. Various incense sticks and candles burned in the large censer outside, filling the air with their scent—a stark contrast to the Erfu Temple they had seen earlier.

Inside the temple, Yu Yanluo saw a massive black snake statue enshrined in the center—a smaller version of the Xiu Snake they had previously encountered.

Even scaled down, it occupied nearly half the room, coiling there and exerting an intense oppressive presence on anyone entering the temple.

The group noticed that the statue wasn't as ferocious as they had imagined; on the contrary, its face held a surprising hint of benevolence.

"What in the world?" they thought. They simply couldn't reconcile the ferocious Xiu Snake with any sense of benevolence.

At that moment, Yu Yanluo addressed the statue, "Are you the one calling me?"

The statue's eyes suddenly blinked, and a serpentine ethereal shadow slithered out, revealing itself to be a large black snake!

However, its current size was significantly smaller than when it had swallowed the elephant, more akin to the large pythons they had seen in nature documentaries in their previous lives.

Zu An's heart tightened, and he swiftly moved to shield Yu Yanluo, fearing she might be harmed.

Yu Yanluo gently patted his hand, signaling him not to worry.

"Are you a descendant of Nuwa?" the Xiu Snake asked, speaking in human tongue.

"No," Yu Yanluo replied, shaking her head.

"Then why can I sense Nuwa's aura on you?" the Xiu Snake asked, tilting its head. For a moment, it looked almost... cute.

Yu Yanluo hesitated for a moment before replying, "Perhaps it's because I'm of the serpent race and also possess the Sacred Spirit Pearl."

"Then you are a descendant of Nuwa," the Xiu Snake said, visibly relaxing.

Yu Yanluo opened her mouth but ultimately chose not to elaborate. As the head of a prominent clan, she knew that sometimes being too clear about black and white wasn't always beneficial.

The Xiu Snake sighed. "When I saw you earlier, I thought more people from the Eastern Yi had arrived. But sensing your aura, I decided not to attack."

The group secretly rejoiced, realizing they had truly benefited from Yu Yanluo's presence; otherwise, a major battle would have been unavoidable.

"Eastern Yi?" Yu Yanluo's heart stirred as she recalled the fisherman's angry expression when he had mentioned them earlier.

"You are not from this world?" the Xiu Snake's gaze suddenly sharpened.

Yu Yanluo admitted frankly, "We are indeed not from this world; we simply entered it by accident."

"No wonder you don't know," the Xiu Snake sighed. "Back then, the Eastern Yi kingdom and the southern Miao barbarians fought fiercely. The Miao barbarians worshipped me, took me as their totem, and offered me incense and reverence. Naturally, I couldn't stand idly by. Initially, our battles went smoothly, but unfortunately, the Eastern Yi later sent a very skilled archer. I was defeated by him, leading to the loss of my people in battle..."

Zu An's heart stirred. "Was the person you mentioned named Yi?"

"Yi!" A flicker of hatred and fear flashed in the Xiu Snake's vertical pupils. "Indeed, it was him! He was the one who slew me right here, all those years ago!"

"So that's how it is," Zu An and the others thought, but they quickly paused. From what it was saying, did that mean it was already dead?

Then what was going on with the creature standing before them?