The young man, whose name was Xiao Feng, was naturally hot-tempered. He had initially spoken kindly, but now he was incited to anger. Rolling up his sleeves, he assumed a fighting stance. “You’re being unreasonable. Today, I refuse to go! What are you going to do about it?”
Their commotion drew the attention of the others around the bonfire. Douniang, who had been talking with Xu Fu, rushed over to stand between Gu Baiying and Xiao Feng, asking the latter, “What’s going on, Brother Xiao Feng?”
Xiao Feng pointed accusingly at Gu Baiying, “Douniang, you’re just in time. This guest of yours has gone mad or something, insisting that I invite…” He turned to point towards the woman by the bonfire, only to realize that she had already walked over. He paused before pointing at Zanxing, resolutely saying, “Invite her to dance!”
Zanxing, suddenly singled out, was bewildered and looked at Gu Baiying. “Senior Uncle?”
Gu Baiying’s expression was icy, and he glared at Xiao Feng with an intensity that could have swallowed him whole.
Douniang quickly tried to mediate, pulling Xiao Feng away. As she did so, Xiao Feng continued to grumble, “He’s so strange. If he likes this girl, why doesn’t he invite her himself? Why go through all this trouble? Men from Wufan City aren’t like this. If there’s something to say, we say it directly. Didn’t you say they’re disciples from a big sect? Why are they so boring? I even thought he was going to bribe me with some silver beads, but he couldn’t produce anything. Is he a fraud? Douniang, have you been deceived…”
His complaints finally faded as Douniang led him away. Zanxing turned back to Gu Baiying, who snapped, “What are you looking at?”
Men Dong, holding Mimi, came over and sighed, “This is quite embarrassing.”
“You shut up too!” Gu Baiying, having lost face, was in a foul mood.
Zanxing was about to say something to defuse the situation when suddenly, someone ahead shouted, “The Holy Maiden is here! The Holy Maiden has arrived!”
She looked ahead in surprise. The dancing by the bonfire had stopped at some point, and the intense competition at the wooden lattice had ceased as well. The people, dressed in their finery, all simultaneously picked up the sacred serpent lamps adorned with the serpent shaman totem and rushed towards the front.
Douniang squeezed through the crowd, holding several serpent lanterns in her hands. She reminded Zanxing and the others, “Immortals, the Holy Maiden is here. During her sacrifice ceremony, raise the serpent lanterns, kneel, and make wishes to the Holy Maiden. The serpents will choose those blessed and fulfill their desires.”
Tian Fangfang and Meng Ying rushed over from both sides. Hearing Douniang’s words, Zanxing thought to herself, recalling what Yin Li had said in the underground passage of the Imperial Mausoleum. The Snake Shaman Clan never gave gifts without reason; they always conducted equivalent exchanges. Now, from what Douniang hinted, this Snake Shaman Clan’s Holy Maiden seemed akin to a wish-fulfilling koi.
As she pondered, a clear sound of camel bells rang from afar.
The sound was ethereal, as if coming from the edge of heaven and earth, gradually becoming distinct amidst the desert wind. The crowded people gradually dispersed, revealing two camels emerging from deep within the crowd.
These were two entirely snow-white camels, without a single patch of mixed-color fur, shining as if they could emit light in the night. Their backs were covered with bright green silk embroidered with intricate patterns in gold and crimson. Behind them pulled a magnificent carriage, completely open on all sides, its body crafted from gold and adorned with various snake motifs carved into it, while the railings were set with blood-red gems.
The imperial family of Li’er was wealthy, but this carriage in the desert displayed a different kind of splendor, wild and extravagant, unlike the carefully crafted delicacy seen in Li’er Country’s royal decorations. At first glance, it appeared haphazard like that of a parvenu, yet upon closer inspection, it exuded a mysterious and resplendent beauty.
The people of Wufan City rushed madly towards the carriage, murmuring prayers and blessings, looking at the woman on the carriage with admiration and respect.
Douniang whispered softly, “That’s the Holy Maiden of the Snake Shaman Clan.”
Zanxing looked towards the carriage.
In the center of the carriage sat a woman in elaborate attire. She wore a golden silk robe embroidered with a large python in black and gold threads that shimmered faintly in the night, as if the python was slithering across her dress. Her chestnut brown, slightly curled hair fell casually behind her, devoid of any adornment. A thin black veil covered her face, revealing only her eyes—long and captivating, exuding a seductive charm. Though her face remained hidden, one could imagine the mesmerizing beauty concealed beneath the veil.
Her image hardly differed from the snake shaman envisioned by Zanxing, though she wished they would forego these ostentatious carriage parades.
The camels halted several steps away from the largest bonfire.
The Holy Maiden sat upright, and the crowd spontaneously cleared a path, raising the serpent lanterns above their heads and kneeling down.
Xu Fu finally found Douniang and pulled her down to kneel beside him.
Zanxing’s group, naturally, did not kneel. As the Snake Shaman Maiden descended from the carriage barefoot, she turned her back to them and slowly walked towards the bonfire. Zanxing finally saw clearly that the Maiden held a staff, nearly as tall as a person, crafted from silver. The staff twisted like a snake, with two snake heads as its handle—one green and one red—each spitting out snake-like tendrils, their vertical pupils eerie and mysterious.
Gradually, silence fell over the surroundings.
Men, women, young, and old from Wufan City all fell into a collective hush, disrupted only by the fierce wind blowing from the depths of the desert, causing the fires to flicker. The green snake on the staff seemed to open its mouth, and suddenly, except for the bonfire in front of the Holy Maiden, all other fires extinguished.
In an instant, darkness engulfed everything.
Zanxing gripped the Panhua Staff at her waist tightly, feeling uneasy as she shuffled slightly at her feet. She sensed Tian Fangfang’s deliberately suppressed breath and the tension concealed among those nearby in the shadows.
In the midst of this darkness, the serpent lanterns held high above the heads of the Wufan City citizens shone brightly, resembling countless stars floating in the night sky over this vast and arid desert, making it appear like a pearl-lit city within an ancient forbidden land.
The snake totems on the lanterns swayed gently with the flames inside, and the Snake Shaman Maiden raised her staff, waving it towards the sky above.
BOOM!
The already vigorous bonfire, as if imbued with some mystical power, suddenly grew several times in size, shooting up into the sky. Within the blazing inferno, a faint shadow of a giant python emerged. This shadow was immense, seemingly capable of swallowing elephants, making people appear tiny as ants. It first coiled leisurely in the night sky, then let out a long roar, soaring into the clouds with lightning speed, astonishing both gods and demons alike.
The people all prostrated devoutly on the ground, their heads bowed in reverence.
The Snake Shaman Maiden slowly knelt down, placing her staff in front of her and lightly touching her forehead to the ground, murmuring incantations under her breath.
After what seemed like an eternity, the towering bonfire gradually calmed down. The serpent shadow circling above the desert disappeared, and the maiden rose to her feet again. The red tongue of the serpent staff flicked its snake-like tendrils, and all the extinguished bonfires suddenly reignited.
Zanxing looked at the serpent lantern in her hand, which seemed to have lost some mysterious power and had already gone out at some point.
The two snow-white camels let out a soft call. The maiden retrieved her staff, walked back to the carriage, and boarded without uttering a word throughout. There was no one pulling the reins or giving commands. The camels seemed to know their destination beforehand, turning around and heading back the way they had come.
Zanxing and her companions did not kneel for blessings nor did they call out to the maiden. It was as if the Snake Shaman Maiden hadn’t noticed them either. In the brief moment as the splendid carriage passed by them, the woman on the carriage, whether by chance or intention, glanced slightly to the side, looking towards Gu Baiying.
Gu Baiying gazed at her faintly.
She stared for quite a while until the distance grew too great, then turned her head back, withdrawing her gaze as the splendid carriage disappeared into the desert’s edge.
For some reason, a sense of unease suddenly welled up in Zanxing’s heart.
On the other side, Douniang and Xu Fu rubbed their knees and stood up, looking at Zanxing and group. Douniang smiled and said, “Were you Immortals startled? The serpent in the fire just now was indeed the divine serpent. During the Holy Maiden’s ritual, when the divine serpent appears, it blesses Wufan City with good weather and prosperity for the coming year, ensuring the people’s well-being and happiness.”
Meng Ying spoke up, “Why does your Snake Shaman Maiden cover her face with a veil?”
“That’s always been the way,” Xu Fu explained. “The Snake Shamans don’t allow others to see their faces.”
This explanation didn’t seem problematic. Rumor had it that the Snake Shamans were intermediaries between the heavenly and human realms, a group outside the three realms, naturally shrouded in mystery.
However… that last glance the woman gave Gu Baiying seemed laden with profound meaning no matter how one interpreted it.
Mu Chengxiao turned to Gu Baiying and asked in a low voice, “Senior Uncle, about that serpent shadow just now…”
“It had no demonic aura, wasn’t malevolent, and lacked any trace of demonic energy—it wasn’t from the demon race,” Gu Baiying replied.
Men Dong frowned slightly. “We’re being overly suspicious. Maybe we truly encountered a Snake Shaman from the clan. Why don’t we find a way to meet her later? Perhaps she can help us return to Mount Gufeng sooner.”
“But I didn’t sense any spiritual power,” Gu Baiying interrupted, his gaze deep with meaning.
The absence of any spiritual power meant that the appearance of the serpent shadow just now had nothing to do with cultivation. How did it appear then? Was it some kind of illusion?
Unaware of the turmoil in their minds, Douniang just smiled and asked, “Did you Immortals make wishes to the divine serpent during the ritual just now?”
“Wishes?”
“Those favored by the divine serpent tonight will have their wishes come true,” she replied with a mischievous smile.