Even if Mo Laoda was strong and cool, he couldnât accept it when Yin Xiaoxiao disappeared in front of him. Mo Laoda had circled the mountain wall several times but couldnât find a trace of Yin Xiaoxiao. He had even, with great effort, climbed to the top of the wall but, aside from a steep drop, nothing was there. With nothing left to try, Mo Laoda stayed, waiting for two days and two nights in the place from which Yin Xiaoxiao had vanished. He had hit the wall with his head and whipped the wall with his tail until blood seeped from his black scales, but Mo Laoda didnât feel even the slightest bit of pain. While the anger in Mo Laodaâs heart lessened more and more, the worry grew with each passing day.
Now two days and two nights had passed, and Mo Laoda didnât know how much longer he would need to wait. He didnât know what he was going to do, but what he knew he could do, perhaps all that he could do, was wait here. When confronting natural and man-made disasters, regardless of whether as a man or as a snake, there was nothing that could be done in either case. This was the first time, the first time Mo Laoda had experienced, that he hadnât been strong enough. Yes, that was correct. He fully deserved the title of strongest snake of the viper clans, but he wasnât the most powerful being in this mountain range. Faced with Yin Xiaoxiaoâs mysterious disappearance, Mo Laoda had no recourse.
If, if Yin Xiaoxiao appeared safe and sound, he was going to protect him. He wouldnât let any harm befall him. Mo Laoda now devoted himself, heart and soul, to pray that Yin Xiaoxiao reappear safely. There was nothing else he wanted.
Mo Laoda waited unceasingly, neither eating nor sleeping for two days and two nights, in front of the mountain wall. Weakness and exhaustion battered Mo Laodaâs nerves, but Mo Laoda forced persevered with all his strength. As soon as Yin Xiaoxiao appeared, he would see him. Never once did Mo Laoda think that Yin Xiaoxiao might not appear.
Mo Laodaâs wait was not in vain. Before his eyes, a dazzling white light issued from the wall. From within the white light, a stone door gradually appeared with the mountain wall. Before Mo Laoda could carefully look at the stone door, his entire attention was captured by the small hole that appeared beneath the stone door. Mo Laoda felt a premonition. Yin Xiaoxiao would definitely come through that small hole.
Mo Laoda had guessed correctly. A feeling of excitement and joy bubbled through Mo Laodaâs heart when he saw Yin Xiaoxiaoâs head exit through the small hole. âXiaoxiao, my Xiaoxiao, youâre here.â
Before Yin Xiaoxiao could completely exit the hole, Mo Laoda had thrown himself on him and tightly wound himself around his body. Although Mo Laoda didnât speak, Yin Xiaoxiao could tell how worried heâd been from Mo Laodaâs actions. Without fully knowing why, perhaps it was because Mo Laoda was coiling around him so excitedly like this, Yin Xiaoxiao felt his eyes redden and he said with a nasal tone, âHeitan, inside was really awful.â
Mo Laoda had not even the slightest desire of letting Yin Xiaoxiao go and he wound around him even more tightly. Voice muffled, he said, âLittle Idiot, how dare you rush in and cause such confusion. Just try to do that next time.â
Yin Xiaoxiao wanted to speak but was interrupted by a voice in his ear. He listened carefully. It was Ji Kangâs voice. âXiaoxiao, if you donât leave, Iâm worried that the small hole may cut you in half!â
Yin Xiaoxiao only now recalled that half of his body was still in the Mudao and he could no longer enjoy the warm embrace with Mo Laoda. Promptly, he struggled free of Mo Laoda so that the rest of his body could make its way through the small hole. His tail had barely exited the small hole when the small hole disappeared. Yin Xiaoxiao sighed. Fortunately, fortunately, he had removed his body in time otherwise he would have certainly been bisected. Heâd never heard that snakes, like earthworms, were capable of surviving being cut in half.
What Yin Xiaoxiao didnât know was that Ji Kang, who in his eyes was as gentle as jade <sup>1</sup> , was, at that very moment, rocking back and forth with laugher. This Yin Xiaoxiao was indeed easy to trick. Itâd only been a small hole, nothing more. Did Yin Xiaoxiao really believe that he couldnât control a small hole? Hmph, hmph, he couldnât stand seeing that other snake so concerned about this small silver snake as soon as heâd left! At this thought, Ji Zhaoâs appearance came into view before Ji Kangâs eyes. Ji Kang groaned, vehemently.
âLittle Idiot, are you alright?â Mo Laoda carefully examined Yin Xiaoxiao several times from head to tail. He feared that, if he wasnât looking, this Little Idiot would either suffer some injury or be wronged. Seeing that Yin Xiaoxiao was unharmed, Mo Laodaâs mind was finally put at ease.
âOh, Iâm alright,â Yin Xiaoxiao replied. âHeitan, let me tell you, thereâs an old tomb inside there. The vipers must have been guarding it for generations. Inside there were a lot of very many nice things! Itâs unfortunate that you werenât there! Only, when I was insideâŠ.â These goods <sup>2</sup> , Yin Xiaoxiao, became increasingly excited as he spoke, completely forgetting that, inside, heâd been so scared that heâd cried.
âIs it that stone door behind you?â Indifferent, Mo Laoda interrupted Yin Xiaoxiao.
Yin Xiaoxiao: â??â
Yin Xiaoxiao turned his head and saw that the stone door really had remained behind him. If Heitan had said this, could Heitan also see the stone door?
âHeitan, you can see it?â
Heitan said, âYes.â
Yin Xiaoxiao recalled Ji Kangâs promise that he and Heitan could enter the next time. Immediately, Yin Xiaoxiao clearly understood: Ji Kang was allowing Heitan to see this stone door.
âVery good! In the future the two of us can go in and play!â
Mo Laoda was completely uninterested in Yin Xiaoxiaoâs proposal. If this had happened before Yin Xiaoxiao had disappeared through this stone door, then Mo Laoda would have been very interested to find out whether the forbidden area was behind this stone door. Maybe this was that the vipers had been tasked with protecting. But after the experience of Yin Xiaoxiao having gone missing for two days and two nights, the stone door made Mo Laoda sick. And so, after seeing Yin Xiaoxiao, Mo Laoda no longer raised his head to look at the stone door.
Even if Mo Laoda didnât respond, Yin Xiaoxiao didnât mind. It wasnât like he didnât know that this was in Heitanâs character. It was best not to take him seriously. And it was now that Yin Xiaoxiao turned his concern to another problem. âHeitan, Heitan, Iâm hungry. You go and get me something to eat, okay?â
And so, Mo Laoda went to look for food for Yin Xiaoxiao. Yin Xiaoxiao was not in the least concerned that there was something wrong asking another snake to find food for him to eat, and he felt neither ashamed nor embarrassed.
âXiaoxiao, youâre really not ashamed making another snake go and search for food for you to eat,â Ji Kangâs voice again echoed in Yin Xiaoxiaoâs ear. This time, Yin Xiaoxiao definitely heard the mockery in his tone.
âEven if you want to eat you still canât!â Yin Xiaoxiao retorted back. âAnd even if you could eat, thereâs no other person who could look for food for you! What a drop <sup>3</sup> , do you envy me?!â Yin Xiaoxiao intentionally put a little emphasis on âother personâ.
âHmph, so you can eat food. What of it? Obviously the soul is human, but youâd still have to eat those things raw. Tsk tsk, if itâs like this Iâd rather not eat!â
At this point, Yin Xiaoxiao felt immensely proud of himself and said, âYou underestimate this Uncle <sup>4</sup> ! Even if this Uncle is now a snake, isnât it easy use fire to cook raw food?! I guess you, who was an emperor your entire life, have never made a fire yourself!â
Ji Kang was silent for a moment. In a low voice he muttered, âWho says I havenât?â but it was indeed said in a very soft whisper which Yin Xiaoxiao didnât hear.
âLet me ask, how are you able to talk to me? Will you be unable to speak to me when I leave later? Also, are you able to see me? Let me tell you, youâre not allowed to spy on me!â
Ji Kangâs face was full of black lines. âYou are a snake! Who would have nothing better to do but spy on a snake every day?â Ji Kang replied, unhappily, âI cannot. When you move past my range of awareness, I wonât be able to speak with you and I also wonât be able to see you! My range of awareness is limited to the Guidao <sup>5</sup> . If you leave the Guidao I wonât be aware of you.â
âGuidao? What Guidao?â
âItâs those 99 bronze men. Didnât you see them along the way?â
âThat was the Guidao?â Yin Xiaoxiao asked, surprised. âI thought it was called the Shendao.â
âThis Guidao is unique to the Guifang. The Guifang nationâs people call it the Guidao. I donât know of that which you call Shendao.â
Yin Xiaoxiao said âOhâ, then stopped speaking with Ji Kang, since Mo Laoda had already returned.
Mo Laoda skillfully made a fire to cook the food and made made snacks for Yin Xiaoxiao. Mo Laoda had already eaten his fill while hunting.
Yin Xiaoxiao wolfed down all the food that Mo Laoda cooked. While eating, he sighed with emotion. Even though he only stayed in the old tomb for two days, it had felt like heâd stayed inside for twenty days! Now he could eat whatever this was which was quite good. Yin Xiaoxiao conveniently ignored the sound of saliva being swallowed which echoed in his ear. Hmph, hmph. This guy, Ji Kang, certainly wanted his cooked meat. Even though Ji Kang, as a ghost, couldnât be hungry, as a human he couldnât not have a craving when he wasnât hungry!
The temperature around the tomb was still very low even when it was midday. Yin Xiaoxiao, at least, thought that the temperature here was really quite nice, but Yin Xiaoxiao also finally knew why the temperature here was so much lower. Here the yin energy was heavy and generated yin wind, so how could the temperature not be low?!
Having eaten and having drunk his fill, Yin Xiaoxiao was sleepy. Although Yin Xiaoxiao had taken a small nap inside the old tomb, his nerves, which had been stretched taut, had relaxed, and that, in addition to ample food and drink, naturally made Yin Xiaoxiao naturally want to sleep. Mo Laoda hadnât slept for two days and two nights, and now felt quite exhausted. And so, the two snakes wound around each other and slept in front of the stone door. Inside the old tomb, Ji Kang saw this scene and, first, smiled then, immediately after, sighed.
T/N: Well, my basement flooded last week and might flood again tonight/tomorrow. Thursdays seem to be cursed this month. Everyone, stay safe!