Chapter 64

Later on, with the strange snakes’ enthusiastic assistance, before dusk, Mo Laoda and Yin Xiaoxiao found a cave to stay in for the night. Like their home on the mountain, this cave also made Yin Xiaoxiao very satisfied.

Twilight descended and the strange snakes, one by one, left. Inside the cave, Yin Xiaoxiao was finally wandering around this new environment, examining everything, and found that it was all very normal.

Mo Laoda who, to the side, had been watching Yin Xiaoxiao for a very long time, suddenly called out, “Xiaoxiao, come.” ¹ . Yin Xiaoxiao shot a Mo Laoda puzzled look then immediately rushed to Mo Laoda’s side. Strange. Why did Heitan suddenly call him Xiaoxiao? Why not Little Idiot like usual?

“Like this cave?” Mo Laoda asked softly, a faint smile on his face.

Yin Xiaoxiao shivered. He wassn’t used to this kind of gentle and soft Mo Laoda. “It’s, it’s not bad.”

Mo Laoda stopped speaking for a moment, then said, “We might have to stay for a very long time below the cliff, so it’s good that you like this cave.”

Yin Xiaoxiao went “oh”.

“I, I’m going to go handle some matters and you must not come with me,” Mo Laoda said, after a period of silence. There was still a smile on his face, but it had become even more apologetic.

“Ah? Why?” Yin Xiaoxiao anxiously asked. What was Heitan thinking? Was he going to throw down with a snake?

Mo Laoda avoided eye contact with Yin Xiaoxiao, looking towards the cave floor. “I’m very sorry, but the strange snakes will take care of you.” Mo Laoda hesitated a moment. Finally, he kissed Yin Xiaoxiao’s forehead. “I promise you, I will return to you as soon as possible.”

Yin Xiaoxiao was obviously feeling left out. Whatever the case, Yin Xiaoxiao also didn’t think that Mo Laoda wanted to leave him behind to handle whatever business this was.

“Xionghui can help you with the issue of food. I have also already informed it how to make a fire. In return, I will return with even more treasure for Mingshe.” Mo Laoda continued to say, “Although, below the cliff there’s no threat from Mo snakes, those enormous animals aren’t something you’ll be able to handle. So, if you don’t have any strange snakes with you, it’s better if you don’t rashly leave this cave.”

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“You’ll really return?” Yin Xiaoxiao asked, interrupting Mo Laoda.

Mo Laoda didn’t immediately reply to Yin Xiaoxiao’s question. He instead hesitated for a very long time before quietly saying, “Of course I’ll return.”

Yin Xiaoxiao almost immediately chose to believe Mo Laoda’s words. Yin Xiaoxiao didn’t know what Mo Laoda was going to do but he also didn’t want to ask why Mo Laoda had hesitated for so long before answering. Yin Xiaoxiao was convinced that, as long as Mo Laoda said with his own mouth that he would return, then he was sure to return. “I’ll wait for you. If you don’t return, I will continue waiting.”

Mo Laoda trembled all over, then wound himself closely around Yin Xiaoxiao’s body. “How could I have the heart to keep you waiting?”

“Heitan, you must return early.”

“Certainly.”

Early the next day, Yin Xiaoxiao awoke. Already there was no trace of Mo Laoda in the cave. Lost, Yin Xiaoxiao gazed outside at the bright and beautiful sunshine but thought to himself that, all of a sudden, the world had become a dull gray.

So it was really like this. For the time being, Heitan had left him. Why was he so sad? Yin Xiaoxiao secretly vowed in the bottom of his heart that, when Heitan returned, he must personally tell him, “Heitan, I like you.”

“Xiaoxiao, are you going to eat today?” A snake slithered in.

Yin Xiaoxiao followed the voice and saw that, oh! It was the Xionghui! Well, to be precise it was actually a shrunken Xionghui about the size of Heitan!

Yin Xiaoxiao shook his head. “Not hungry.”

Xionghui nodded his head to show his understanding and shifted uncomfortably. “Ah, choosing to become so small is really difficult to bear! Although we strange snakes can change size, no strange snake would be so bored or senseless to become so small! Even when I was born I wasn’t this size! But if I kept my original size, I wouldn’t be able to enter this cave!”

Yin Xiaoxiao: “…”

Two flowers bloom, one on each branch ² . For the time being, let’s leave Yin Xiaoxiao here and let us focus on what Mo Laoda is doing over there.

“You’re really going to do like this?” It turned out that Mo Laoda was with Mingshe.

Mo Laoda nodded his head, resolute. “I’m sure.”

With a faint sigh, Mingshe said, “You don’t have to do this. You can already become the chief of the viper clans. There’s absolutely no need for you to go and take risks.”

Mo Laoda’s gaze rested on where Yin Xiaoxiao’s cave was located. A moment later he again turned his gaze to rest on Mingshe. “If there’s something a snake needs to protect, then it’s unlikely that it will ever think that it’s own strength is already enough. At that time, with you and Xionghui, wasn’t it also like this?”

Mingshe stared blankly and then said, “What you said is true. But right now you and Xiaoxiao are inside this boundary, and your strength is already formidable enough. What happened with me and Xionghui is unlikely to happen so for what reason are you doing this?”

“That’s right, compared to the other vipers inside this boundary, I am going to be the most powerful, the strongest!” Mo Laoda enunciated each word sonorously and forcefully. “However, what if ten Mo snakes, a hundred Mo snakes attack me together? I wouldn’t have any assurance of victory! My family opposes me, my clan opposes me, and none of the vipers inside this boundary are likely to approve of me and Xiaoxiao being together! It’s not enough, my power is still not enough! I simply am not able to safely and securely guard Xiaoxiao against several hundred vipers! I am going to stand above all the vipers. I am going to make it so that they only see me with reverence and awe, and won’t even have the slightest thought of rebelling against me! I am going to achieve all of this! Now, this is the only way!”

Mingshe was left breathless ³ at the words Mo Laoda spoke. For quite a while, he was unable to speak. It wasn’t that what Mo Laoda said was incorrect. If, at that time, he and Xionghui had been powerful enough, Gongong and Da Yu, wouldn’t they ⁴ both have been afraid of them ⁵ ? He and Xionghui would also unlikely to be trapped inside this small boundary, subjected to this onerous contract! So Mingshe immediately understood Mo Laoda’s current feelings and no longer tried to force Mo Laoda to change his mind.

“You can find Mo ⁶ grass growing ahead. Whether you can succeed after finding it, that is up to you.” Mingshe sent Mo Laoda a profound look and then turned around to leave. “Don’t cause Xiaoxiao to grieve.”

For a moment, Mo Laoda silently watched as Mingshe left. Soon after, he resolutely slithered onwards. He-how could he cause Xiaoxiao to grieve?

Mo grass was a very miraculous kind of grass. All within the boundary had heard of it but, since Mo grass was only effective on Mo snakes, it was unlikely that other vipers would care about this grass. And even if a Mo snake knew about this grass, it was unlikely for a Mo snake to rashly plan to go and fetch Mo grass. Mo grass. After a Mo snake used this grass, that snake’s ⁷ strength would multiply. The powerful would become the very powerful, but the cost was also not light. In taking the Mo grass, the Mo snake would have to endure extraordinary agony. If it was only this and nothing more, there would still be many Mo snakes rushing like mad to obtain it. The most terrifying part of it was that, for the Mo snake taking it, Mo grass could cause death – an excruciating death. The mortality rate was as high as 70%. For the Mo snakes, who had a life expectancy of 200 years, this was a little steep.

Mo grass only grew at the bottom of the cliff and was rare. It’s most unusual feature was that Mo grass could move, and its speed was very fast. Under these circumstances, there was no doubt that the search for the Mo grass would bring enormous difficulty which was why Mingshe had said that finding it depended on him and, after finding it and taking it, whether or not he could bear the pain also depended on Mo Laoda’s willpower.

Most dreadful of all was that not one plant of Mo grass but at least three and at most seven had to be taken. Less than three and the body would use up and waste the active ingredient ⁸ – this would be too terrifying for the Mo snake, and more than seven would cause the body to burst and die. During this entire process, the one who took the medicine could only rely on oneself.

What Mo Laoda actually experienced, we can only imagine. But what we are convinced of is this and nothing more: the fondness, no, the deep love that Mo Laoda had for Yin Xiaoxiao was sure to see him back alive.

During the first days after Mo Laoda’s departure, Yin Xiaoxiao was dazed and inattentive every day. He wasn’t used to Mo Laoda not being present in his life, and Yin Xiaoxiao was fully aware that he already couldn’t be apart from Mo Laoda.

…But we cannot neglect Yin Xiaoxiao’s denseness ⁹ . The days moved forward little by little. With the strange snakes accompanying him, Yin Xiaoxiao, little by little, got better and regained his lazy , flighty ¹⁰ nature. Only, occasionally, very late at night, Yin Xiaoxiao always seemed to inexplicably suffer from insomnia.

Time quietly passed for half a year until one ordinary day, with the sun blazing overhead and not a cloud in the sky. On this day, the strange snakes were, without exception, “preoccupied”. In the cave in which he had already lived for half a year, Yin Xiaoxiao opened his eyes, dazed.

When Yin Xiaoxiao had been unaware and asleep, a pitch-black snake, a Mo snake over twelve meters ¹¹ long had stealthily entered the cave and had come to a stop behind Yin Xiaoxiao’s body. The Mo snake’s body unhurriedly twined with Yin Xiaoxiao’s. Startled, Yin Xiaoxiao jumped up and had just thought about shouting when a very familiar voice succeeded in preventing Yin Xiaoxiao from yelling. “Xiaoxiao, I missed you.”

Yin Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened and swiftly filled with tears. Sobbing, he said, “Heitan, you returned!” In this moment, the grievances that Yin Xiaoxiao had accumulated for half a year burst out.

On the outside, Yin Xiaoxiao really was a carefree, flighty, simple-minded snake. But at the same time, Yin Xiaoxiao was also a sensitive snake who wasn’t good at speaking his mind. Even though he was sad and heart-broken because Mo Laoda had left, Yin Xiaoxiao had found it difficult enough to show the sadness he was feeling, let alone tell another snake about it. This caused Yin Xiaoxiao to shove all the sadness and grief to the bottom of his heart and, after all this time, a lot of emotions had accumulated.

After being separated for half a year, Mo Laoda finally reappeared in front of Yin Xiaoxiao, and all of Yin Xiaoxiao’s emotions came pouring out in a torrent of wailing.

Mo Laoda used his tail to gently stroke Yin Xiaoxiao’s body. Heart aching, he rubbed his head against Yin Xiaoxiao’s face. “I’m sorry, Xiaoxiao. It’s all my fault. It won’t happen again. I’ll never leave you again. I’m sorry.”

Now, Yin Xiaoxiao was deaf to everything. Wound around Mo Laoda’s body, he cried loudly. In fact, this was a good way to vent his feelings. After crying for quite a while, Yin Xiaoxiao’s wails changed to intermittent sobs. Then, after some more time, Yin Xiaoxiao’s sobs stopped. He raised large tearful eyes to stare at Mo Laoda.

Mo Laoda’s tautly stretched nerves finally relaxed. Like Yin Xiaoxiao, Mo Laoda was also very sad. Mo Laoda had already sworn an oath in his heart that he absolutely would not cause Yin Xiaoxiao to cry, but he had broken that vow.

“Eh?” Yin Xiaoxiao’s bewildered voice attracted Mo Laoda’s attention. “Heitan, haven’t you gotten darker?”

Originally, the scales on Heitan’s body were already very black, so that none of the Mo snakes who Yin Xiaoxiao had seen had scales as black as Heitan’s. But now they had become even more black than before. If before Mo Laoda’s scales could be described as a resplendent, dazzling black, now his scales were more like the darkness of a black hole as though, even if only gazing upon them for a moment, Mo Laoda’s scales would swallow the gazer.

“That’s right. From now on, there’s no snake that can harm you.”

“Ah, but.” Yin Xiaoxiao was bewildered. “Of course no snake can harm me because you’re with me.”

Mo Laoda only silently smiled.

T/N:

Footnotes

<ol>sentence restructured 花开两朵各表一枝: a narrative technique where two events are happening simultaneously and the author switches narratives 喘不过气来: metaphor for being under a lot of tension or other strong emotions referring to Gonggong and Da Yu Mingshe and Xionghui 墨: the same character as in Mo snake added for clarity the raw had 毒素 which translates as poison. I believe this is similar to how certain poisonous properties in the right amounts are medicinal while in others are toxic. For the sake of clarity, I’m translating this as ‘active ingredient’ 粗神经: basically being so dense that you don’t understand social details oftentimes when it comes to love 脱线: literally means offline; adjective used to describe someone who goes from one thing to another and who likes to daydream about things that aren’t possible about 40+ feet</ol>