Chapter 6
Edward Quan ·
The tiger’s blood-red jaws were right before me.
Suddenly, a mountain-sized dark shape dropped from the sky.
Boom.
It landed on the tiger’s head.
My snake had arrived.
A black mass slowly crawled out of the dust.
Flicking his tongue, he came toward me.
I rushed to pick him up.
It took more than ten attempts to get my arms around the enormous fat snake.
He squeezed into my embrace, looking miserable.
“Did skipping breakfast make you dizzy with hunger?”
I couldn’t help putting a sweet in his mouth.
He smacked his lips as he chewed, tears gathering in his eyes.
My heart ached.
I promised that once we won and collected the prize, we’d go home and cook a feast.
But tears as big as beans still spilled from his eyes.
His tail wound around my wrist.
Meanwhile, our junior disciple made the tiger get up and attack again.
She stamped her foot.
“You’re a tiger! You can’t beat a pig? He’s so slow and fat!”
I immediately covered Master’s ears.
Still dazed from being flattened, the tiger bared its teeth and claws and glanced at the snake in my arms.
The snake gave him one look.
The tiger howled.
His legs went weak. He turned and fled.
“Raaaar!”
Terrified, he rolled and scrambled, knocking our junior disciple off the platform.
She hit the ground, stunned, her face covered in dirt.
The referee announced, “An overwhelming victory for Qiao Chunyue!”
Every disciple fell silent.
Fang Ye saw our junior disciple sobbing, tears and snot everywhere, and softened again.
He stared at me accusingly.
“What trick did you use to win?”
“Does the result matter so much?”
She cried like a newborn.
His words swayed the spectators.
“Exactly. Senior Fang found her that hundred-year-old tiger.”
“Is that thing a pig or a snake? I can’t sense its cultivation at all. It must be too weak.”
“Did Senior Sister Qiao use forbidden arts?”
Our junior disciple collapsed into Fang Ye’s arms, sobbing.
“The prize was a wish from you. Is that why she cheated so shamelessly?”
He paused.
Looking at me, he smiled.
“You went to all that trouble because… you wanted me to grant your wish?”
“She’s crying so hard. Give way to her this time. We’re childhood sweethearts. Whatever you want, I’ll help you.”
Once again, he favored her.
She stopped crying at once and smiled.
“Senior Brother, I want her pig-snake!”
He smiled indulgently and told me to lend her my pet to play with.
“A victory won through little tricks is hardly glorious anyway.”
He reached for the snake.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I lifted my fat snake.
“Whip him!”
The tail lashed across Fang Ye’s face.
He flew only three meters and spat out blood.
I stroked the snake, worried.
“Are you weak because you haven’t eaten? Let’s go home for dinner.”
As I prepared to leave the arena, our junior disciple blocked my path.
She took out her messaging jade and summoned the most powerful senior elder, demanding justice.
He hurried over.
She accused me of using forbidden arts and bullying fellow disciples.
Touching his swollen cheek, Fang Ye asked the elder to spare me.
“It’s her first offense. Please don’t punish her.”
The elder stroked his beard and looked at the black snake tucked in my arms.
“You lost. There’s no need to feel inferior.”
“She has contracted with a spirit beast of a thousand years’ cultivation. She went very easy on you.”
Everyone was stunned.
“A thousand years?”
“Then she really held back!”
“Senior Sister Qiao Chunyue is formidable!”
Fang Ye went pale.
Our junior disciple burst into aggrieved tears.
“That snake was mine! She stole my good fortune! Say something, Senior Brother!”
The snake poked his head out and spat at each of them.
I hurried to wrap him back into my arms.
I could tuck his head in, but not his bottom.
I was terrified the elder would recognize Chu She.
People’s prejudices were a mountain.
In storybooks, an ancient demon like Master would have his tendons pulled out and bones stripped if discovered.
The elder only glanced at him.
“I’m not interested in fat snakes.”
Fang Ye and our junior disciple became laughingstocks on the spot and were sent away for punishment.
I took Master back to his palace.
A few days later, Fang Ye came to see me.
He said he wanted to make up for the previous prize and grant my wish.
Eager to let Mother rest, I jumped up and ran out.