Chapter 42 Delicate Ashes
The Spirit Snake was a hundred and forty-two years old, in midsummer, on the fifth day.
These past few days, the face and voice of my master echoed relentlessly in my mind.
There was also my deceased father, and that little girl before she died calling out to me, "Mother, it hurts...", and then...
I felt like I had fallen into a kind of madness.
But, I... seemed to have found an answer.
The demon, Yun Meng is a demon.
Over the years, demon beasts have killed countless members of our clan.
Before the death of my master, I had promised him that I would lead our clan out of the Three Thousand Great Mountains.
Now, am I to abandon the ambition my master and I painstakingly pursued for hundreds of years for the sake of my feelings for a demon beast?
To save the life of a demon beast, should I let my people continue to suffer in the Three Thousand Great Mountains?
The Spirit Snake was a hundred and forty-two years old, in midsummer, on the seventh day.
It was unrealistic to expect Yun Meng to voluntarily sacrifice her life to help me break through to Void Refining; I must find another way.
Since Yun Meng possessed the Vitality Force, her essence blood would surely contain an endless vitality.
Just extracting her essence blood and consuming it would be effective.
The Spirit Snake was a hundred and forty-two years old, in late summer, on the seventh day.
I returned to Yunmeng Mountain today, to see Yun Meng.
Long time no see, Yun Meng had actually progressed from Fourth Grade to a Fifth Grade Great Demon.
Damn it, why did it have to be at this time!
I'll have to plan this out over the long term now. If I act and fail, Yun Meng's trust in me will collapse.
The Three Thousand Great Mountains are so vast; where will I find her if she runs off?
....
The Spirit Snake was a hundred and forty-two years old, in the winter month, on the night of the full moon.
Yun Meng disappeared!
I returned to Yunmeng Mountain today, but Yun Meng didn't show up, something that has never happened before. Has she discovered my plot?
The Spirit Snake was a hundred and forty-three years old, at the start of spring, on the night of the full moon.
I've been in Yunmeng Mountain for several months, and Yun Meng has yet to appear; she truly has disappeared.
Perhaps this is fate...
The Spirit Snake was a hundred and forty-three years old, in late spring, on the sixth day.
Yun Meng came back!
Clutching at my last hope, I went back to Yunmeng Mountain, and this time I finally saw Yun Meng.
And, Yun Meng was pregnant!
The opportunity had come at a time when she would be unprecedentedly weak during childbirth.
That would be my time to act.
I stayed on Yunmeng Mountain under the pretext of taking care of Yun Meng, quietly waiting for the day she gave birth.
The Spirit Snake was a hundred and forty-four years old, in mid-autumn, on the night of the full moon.
I failed. I only thought of Yun Meng's weakness during childbirth, but I forgot about the power of motherhood.
Yun Meng, extremely weak, struggled fiercely and escaped from my grasp.
When I made my move on her, Yun Meng's eyes were incredibly complex.
She cried.
But the me who had been extremely hesitant before, upon seeing this scene, felt not the slightest ripple in my heart.
All of it was for my people and... my master.
Although I failed, I discovered a colossal secret.
I followed the traces of Yun Meng's escape to a mountain peak that no one had ever set foot on before.
There, I unexpectedly discovered a Fifth Grade plant-based Great Demon whose original form was a peach tree.
I concealed my breath, not daring to get close, and secretly observed.
I found that the peach tree was doing its utmost to heal Yunmeng, and in its tree heart, there was a piece of Spirit Jade flickering brightly, emitting the profundity of the Tao, with runes swirling and divine radiance reflecting.
That piece of jade, that scene, I had seen it in ancient texts!
It was the Primordial Spirit Embryo, also known as the Taoist Jade!
If I had this jade, even without cultivating the Disastrous Poison Scripture, I would have a chance to advance to Void Refining.
In the end, the peach tree demon was unable to save Yunmeng. Yunmeng fought to the death to give birth to two fawn demons and entrusted them to the care of the peach tree demon.
Fearing discovery, I quietly retreated while the Great Demon was still distracted by Yunmeng.
This Taoist Jade possessed by the peach tree demon was my chance to break through to Void Refining.
But since he was a Fifth Grade Great Demon, exactly how to proceed would require careful planning.
Year 147 of Spirit Snake, early spring, day six.
Yunmeng's children, they actually left Qingqiu.
Her children, who looked just like her, were so enchanting and beautiful.
That little fawn actually ran to the White Flower Snake Village under my Spirit Snake's domain, saving many villagers who were severely poisoned, just as Yunmeng had once saved me, only to end up captured by the Black-tailed Wizard.
It was far more foolish than Yunmeng.
But, could this be an opportunity?
I secretly hid a golden thread snake in the fawn demon's head without making a sound.
I waited for things to unfold.
Year 147 of Spirit Snake, mid-autumn, day three.
That plant-based Great Demon ultimately did not leave the mountain peak, but a Cultivator from who-knows-where acted to save Yunmeng's child.
In order for him to carry the fawn demon with the golden thread snake back to the peach tree Great Demon, I did not intervene, watching him slay the Black-tailed Wizard and numerous villagers before striding away.
I found him laughable.
But that is normal. When young, most people are like that, full of vigor and hoping to wield a sword to slay dragons.
But in the end, the dragon-slaying youngsters will inevitably become dragons themselves.
So many years of hiding and enduring, success or failure, it was time for the dust to settle.
....
....
The contents within the Jade Slip have now come to an end.
In only a moment, Lu Qingshan had finished reading the life of Golden Snake Granny.
From an innocent and romantic young girl to the powerful Golden Snake Granny who commanded five factions.
Her life's experiences were tumultuous and magnificent, with her merits and demerits difficult to discern.
"Lu Qingshan, was Golden Snake Granny ultimately a good person or a bad person?" West Rat King couldn't figure it out and hoped Lu Qingshan could give it an answer.
Golden Snake Granny first forced Yaoyao and Mimi's mother to death, then caused the Qingqiu Mountain Lord's Primordial Spirit to scatter. In its eyes, she was definitely a great villain, itching to flay and dismember her.
But after reading the Jade Slip, it felt hesitant and confused.
Hearing West Rat King's question, Lu Qingshan was silent for a moment.
Indeed, from their perspective, Golden Snake Granny was undoubtedly an utterly villainous great evil.
But from the perspective of the ordinary people of the five factions alliance, Golden Snake Granny, who had led them out of the Three Thousand Great Mountains and helped them settle and survive outside, was willing to give her life, endure the suffering of poisons, and even overlook her century-long affection with Yunmeng for their sake.
To them, wasn't Golden Snake Granny also their hero? Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire
"Human nature is often difficult to classify simply as good or bad, so judging Golden Snake Granny's virtues and sins is a task with little meaning," Lu Qingshan provided his answer.
"The world is never just black, nor is it white, but a delicate shade of gray."
"I only recognize one thing," Lu Qingshan's gaze turned to the corner, where a golden giant snake was trying to quietly slip away, and he coldly declared, "Whoever tries to harm those I care about, I will simply draw my sword and slay them!"
Whoosh!
The Dragon Sparrow Sword trailed a blazing red tail, shooting towards the demon snake like lightning!