Chapter 32: A Strange Encounter in the Mountains

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The news that Prince Qin had been ambushed, and that the arrows had been smeared with black mamba venom, reached Emperor Hong.

Consort Xian, Gong Yuhong, fell to her knees before the emperor, weeping bitterly.

“Your Majesty, black mambas are found only in the Northern Tribes, and those arrows were not made in Great Yin.

“Prince Wei utterly defeated the Northern Tribes. Someone in the court must have colluded with them, seeking to put Prince Wei to death and rid themselves of him once and for all.

“Poor my Wei! He did not die at the hands of his enemies, yet he nearly perished because of treacherous villains.

“Prince Qin’s consort, Yang Simin, was abducted by a bandit chieftain, bringing shame upon the imperial family. She is truly unworthy of being counted among the royals.

“Now the capital is rife with rumors, and because of her, the imperial family has become the laughingstock of the realm.

“Your Majesty is benevolent and magnanimous. Even if you do not order her execution, you should at least allow Jing Wei to divorce her.”

Emperor Hong pondered for a moment.

“Simin has indeed fallen short in virtue. She failed to care properly for my son, Jing Xuan, whose whereabouts remain unknown and whose life or death is still uncertain.

“Now she has fallen into the hands of bandits. I fear her innocence can no longer be preserved. Since theirs was a marriage decreed by the imperial family, I cannot issue an edict of divorce. Let Jing Wei divorce her instead.

“As for Nangong Feifeng’s selection of a husband, Jing Wei must devote himself fully to the matter. Once it is settled, I shall announce the choice of Crown Prince.”

Emperor Hong ordered the Court of Judicial Review to investigate the origin of the arrows. If the culprit was discovered, he would be charged with treason and executed without mercy.

Consort Xian also sent the news to Prince Qin’s residence, and Jing Wei was so delighted that he nearly leaped into the air.

Jing Chen had been missing for two days, without the slightest word from him.

Li Lingli had no appetite for tea or food. On the surface, she pretended nothing was wrong, claiming that the prince had gone out to seek medical treatment and would soon recover and return to the residence.

Under Li Lingli’s management, everything in the prince’s household proceeded in an orderly fashion. The businesses flourished, thriving more splendidly by the day.

The intelligence from Misty Rain Tower was also passed on to the Seven Fan Gate. Princess Jing Lan, too, could not stop worrying about Jing Chen. Every night, she dreamed of him leaping from a cliff, falling into the water, or being hunted down by assassins. Several times, she awoke from those nightmares in a cold sweat.

Yet she did not dare reveal how deeply she missed or worried about Jing Chen.

She had grown visibly haggard as well.

Jing Se had been smiling less these past few days. Her brows were perpetually knit, and she seemed distracted. Whenever she returned to the princess commandery residence, she would kneel before the statue of the Bodhisattva for half an hour.

Fortunately, after Fire Qilin Lu Jun reported to the princess, everything was arranged properly.

All Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits went into hiding. The Iron Blood Alliance relocated beyond the city walls, while only two men remained at the blacksmith shop, where they now forged nothing but farming tools.

Jing Ming, Jing Ting, and Jing Yu were all poised to make their moves, each swearing to win Nangong Feifeng for himself. Only the Sixth Prince, Jing Xiao, continued to conduct himself with quiet restraint, as though he stood entirely apart from the matter.

Peony had finished boiling the medicine. Jing Chen fed Yang Simin the entire bowl, then urged her to rest well and focus on recovering.

His tenderness and concern moved Yang Simin beyond words.

Carrying a bow and arrows, a repeating crossbow, and a bar of spiral steel, Jing Chen set off toward the deep mountains. Peony carried a treasured sword, a cloth bundle, and a bamboo basket.

Jing Chen brought down two rabbits, three bamboo rats, and two wild pigeons.

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Peony praised him happily. “Your Highness, your archery is truly remarkable.”

Jing Chen smiled faintly. “They are nothing more than tiny grains of rice. I want to hunt wild boar, muntjac, or deer. If nothing else, badgers or hog badgers will do. The bigger, the better.”

“To hunt large game, we must go deep into the old mountain forests,” Peony said.

The farther they went, the more desolate the land became. The trees grew tall and the woods thick. Wild mugwort rose higher than a person, while tangled weeds filled the ground; with a single step, one could sink in up to the waist.

Perhaps the two of them had shattered the silence of the ancient forest. Flocks of birds suddenly burst into flight, while rabbits, mountain rats, and hog badgers fled in every direction.

Jing Chen was delighted. There was an abundance of game. They had certainly come to the right place. He immediately drew an arrow and nocked it.

But before he could lower his drawn bow, the very air in the forest abruptly changed.

Only moments earlier, insects had murmured and squirrels had darted through the trees. Now the forest fell into utter silence.

There was only one sound: a slow, skin-crawling slither, scraping over damp leaves and soil as it approached from afar.

“Your Highness!” Peony suddenly seized Jing Chen’s sleeve. Her voice was taut, and her eyes were fixed on a dense thicket to their right.

Jing Chen’s expression hardened. He moved Peony behind him, slowly lowered his longbow, and tightened his grip on the spiral steel.

The thicket shook violently. Then a triangular serpent’s head, as large as a basin, emerged from within. Its dark-gold vertical pupils were cold and merciless as they locked onto the two of them.

A body as thick as a barrel uncoiled from the brush, its scales gleaming with the dusky luster of black iron beneath the dim forest light.

This beast was clearly the overlord of the region, and it regarded them as prey that had trespassed into its territory.

“Stand back!” Jing Chen barked, swinging the spiral steel at the serpent’s vulnerable seventh vertebra.

A flash of cold light cut through the air.

The giant serpent seemed enraged. It opened its cavernous jaws, unleashing a foul wind, then contracted and sprang forward like a black arrow loosed from a bow, lunging straight at Jing Chen.

Jing Chen’s movements were extraordinary. In the instant he dodged to one side, he snatched Peony’s treasured sword from her hand.

The blade slashed precisely across the serpent’s body. Yet its scales were astonishingly hard. The sword scraped across them, sending sparks flying and leaving behind only a white mark.

The giant serpent cried out in pain. Its tail swept across like a steel whip, raising a howling gust of wind. A small tree as thick as a bowl snapped in two at the impact.

Jing Chen vaulted into the air, avoiding the deadly strike, though cold sweat had already gathered at his temples. The serpent’s defense and strength far exceeded those of any ordinary snake.

“My master once told me that three inches beneath the reverse scales below the seventh vertebra lies an old injury. The scales there grew abnormally and are the weakest point!” Though terrified, Peony forced herself to remain calm. Her clear voice rang distinctly above the sounds of battle.

She had spent years accompanying the Divine Physician, identifying medicinal herbs and treating snake venom. Her knowledge of serpentine anatomy had now become the key to their survival.

Hearing her words, Jing Chen’s gaze flashed like lightning. He immediately spotted a patch of scales behind the serpent’s neck that was slightly paler and curled upward at the edges.

The giant serpent raised its head and lunged again.

This time, Jing Chen neither dodged nor retreated. He waited for the precise moment, poured all his strength into the treasured sword, and thrust straight into the old wound like a bolt of lightning.

With a wet burst, the blade plunged deep inside without resistance.

The pain drove the giant serpent into a hoarse, frenzied hiss. Its enormous body writhed and rolled madly, sending dust and stones flying and scattering leaves into the air.

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Jing Chen clung to the sword hilt with both hands. The tremendous force dragged him several staggering steps before he managed to regain his footing.

“Peony, smash its head with the spiral steel!” Jing Chen shouted.

The struggle continued for the full time it took to burn a stick of incense before the terrifying commotion gradually subsided. At last, the giant serpent collapsed limp upon the ground, lifeless.

Breathing heavily, Jing Chen pulled out the long sword. Serpent blood had stained the hem of his robe.

Peony hurried forward. Though still pale with shock, she had already taken out a packet of wound medicine and a cloth bandage.

“Your Highness, are you all right?”

“I am fine.” Jing Chen shook his head and looked at the enormous carcass. “It is a shame to waste such excellent material.”

Peony’s eyes lit up, and the little miracle physician in her returned at once.

“Material? It is far more than that! Your Highness, this serpent is no ordinary creature. Judging by its size and the color of its scales, it must have lived for at least a hundred years. Its flesh and blood are immensely nourishing, especially for martial artists. They may even have extraordinary effects. We…”

A campfire sprang to life in a clearing within the forest.

A thick, succulent section of serpent meat was sliced away and set over the flames.

Unexpectedly, the flesh gave off no fishy odor. Instead, it released a strange, mellow fragrance. Fat dripped into the fire with a series of crackles, whetting the appetite.

Peony opened her cloth bundle and carefully sprinkled on some powdered herbs she had brought with her. Her master had prepared the seasoning himself, both to enhance the flavor and remove any trace of odor. Mixed with the fragrance of the serpent meat, it produced an irresistible aroma.

Jing Chen took the first bite. The meat was firm and springy, with a freshness beyond compare. After swallowing several mouthfuls, he suddenly felt a warm current rise from his abdomen and stream rapidly through every limb and bone. The heat grew stronger and more turbulent with each passing moment.

He recalled the inner-energy cultivation method taught to him by Master Lu and immediately sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.

Peony ate a small piece as well and felt warmth spread through her entire body, filling her with vigor. Seeing Jing Chen’s condition, she understood that the medicine was taking effect and quietly stood guard beside him.

White vapor gradually rose from the crown of Jing Chen’s head. His face seemed to flicker between light and shadow, while the aura around him continued to climb, as if some shackle within his body were being battered by a blazing torrent.

The process lasted for half an hour.

Then, all at once, a series of faint explosions rang through his bones, crisp as beans popping in a pan.

He abruptly opened his eyes. Their radiance shone more brightly than the stars overhead.

He casually picked up a pebble from the ground, focused his strength, and squeezed. The stone crumbled into powder, spilling through the gaps between his fingers.

Jing Chen stared at his hand in disbelief, sensing the powerful inner energy surging through him—an abundance he had never experienced before. It was as though he had been reborn.

He looked toward Peony, astonishment and wild joy mingling in his voice.

“My cultivation has increased by more than ten years of arduous practice!”

Peony smiled in delight.

“Congratulations, Your Highness! This is a heaven-sent opportunity. The essence, energy, and blood of this century-old serpent were all concentrated in its flesh. Once you absorbed them, such an extraordinary effect was only natural.”

The firelight danced across the prince’s stern yet barely concealed exhilarated features, and across the young woman’s charming, relieved smile.

In the silent clearing, only the crackling of the fire remained, along with the warm energy still surging and circulating through their bodies.

As the sun sank in the west, Jing Chen and Peony did not continue farther into the forest. Instead, they turned back toward home.

On the way, they hunted three more rabbits, three wild pigeons, and four mountain rats.

They returned with their baskets full.

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