Serpent Ancestor

“Damn it, I’ve been spotted by a human!”

“Is he about to attack me? Could this be another Chen Fan?”

In that brief moment, countless thoughts flashed through Xu Hei’s mind.

As the infamous old snake king of Snake Village, Xu Hei had consumed countless people and was a wanted fugitive by both the authorities and snake hunters. Once discovered, it wouldn’t take half an hour before someone would come to capture him.

Just moments ago, Xu Hei had been entirely focused on his prey and hadn’t noticed anyone nearby!

At this moment, the boy holding a fork was clearly also startled. It was his first time seeing the old snake king up close.

The old snake king bore a striking resemblance to the portraits circulated in the village: a thick, elongated snake body, an oval head, triangular scales, and pale golden snake eyes, though the size was not as large as imagined.

Xu Hei stared at the boy in front of him, and in his eyes, the boy’s face slowly morphed into a cold and ruthless visage.

That face faintly transformed into Chen Fan’s face!!

“Boom!”

Xu Hei’s scalp instantly went numb with shock. His eyes widened with horror, and without hesitation, he turned and vanished, moving faster than he ever had in his life!

After Xu Hei left, the boy collapsed onto the ground, his pants already soaked.

“That’s the old snake king? Why didn’t he eat me?”

The boy was terrified but also puzzled.

…

Xu Hei ran several kilometers before finally stopping, panting heavily.

“What just happened? Why did his face turn into Chen Fan’s?”

Xu Hei looked horrified.

“Impossible. It must be an illusion!”

Xu Hei shook his head. He suddenly realized that the immortal had cast a significant psychological shadow on him, making everyone look like Chen Fan.

Previously, he had even had nightmares about Chen Fan’s figure.

He hadn’t cared much before, but now he had to be cautious.

According to humans, this was a type of mental illness known as post-traumatic stress.

If it’s an illness, it must be treated!

“I’m having a mental issue. I need to pay respects to the Bodhisattva for peace of mind.”

Xu Hei took a deep breath and made up his mind.

The next day.

Three miles outside Chenjia Town. [Chen Family Town]

Here stood an abandoned mountain god temple, the deity inside unknown. It was seldom visited for worship, and the surrounding area was deserted.

Xu Hei arrived and first scanned the area with his divine sense. Confirming that no one was around, he crawled through the main entrance.

Before him was a massive statue, gray and white, its appearance vague, with one arm broken. Dust and spider webs covered it, giving it a dilapidated look.

To Xu Hei’s surprise, offerings were still placed on a table: a pig’s head, a roasted chicken, and a pile of white buns.

“So extravagant! Which rich young master left these?”

Xu Hei instinctively wanted to rush over and eat them all, then leave. But considering he was here for a purpose, he had to restrain himself.

He climbed onto a mat, wondering if he should burn some incense.

After some contemplation, Xu Hei gathered three dry twigs and placed them in the incense burner.

Then, returning to the mat, he followed the human practice of bowing three times.

“Bodhisattva, bless me to be free from mental demons,” Xu Hei prayed sincerely.

After completing the ritual, Xu Hei felt significantly relieved, as if he had been purified and all distracting thoughts had vanished.

“It really works!”

Xu Hei was overjoyed.

With the main task accomplished, Xu Hei wasted no time and immediately climbed onto the table, opening his mouth wide and devouring all the offerings.

Human food was indeed different; it was especially tasty.

Having finished his meal and feeling satisfied, Xu Hei planned to leave.

“Hee hee hee, little girl, let’s see where you run to!”

Suddenly, a strange, eerie laugh and a woman’s scream came from outside the door.

Xu Hei shivered and quickly hid behind the statue.

Through his divine sense, he saw a young woman, dressed in luxurious attire—wearing a jewelled phoenix hairpin and a silk robe—frantically enter through the door. She was evidently a wealthy young lady.

The pursuer outside was a young man holding a knife.

Xu Hei had seen this knife-wielding youth before; he was one of those who had thrown Chen Fan into the pigpen that day.

Xu Hei frowned. He only wanted to leave quickly, but behind the statue was a wall with no back exit.

Whether climbing out the window or going through the main door, he would be discovered.

“This is troublesome.”

Xu Hei sighed and decided to stay put and wait until they were done before leaving.

“What do you want? I’m the third young lady of the Chen Family. I can give you anything you want; just don’t kill me.”

“Hehe, Miss Chen, I’m only following orders. It’s not my fault you have bad luck. But before you die, I’ll make sure you have a bit of pleasure.”

The conversation between the two came through, the man’s voice full of sinister laughter.

Xu Hei shook his head silently. In his view, killing for reasons other than food was unnecessary.

At this moment, the young woman was punched and sent flying. The knife-wielding man, not rushing to kill her, approached with a wicked smile.

Humans were peculiar creatures, in a perpetual state of heat throughout the year, unlike Xu Hei, who only experienced it in spring.

As for the woman’s appearance, it might seem extraordinary to humans, but from Xu Hei’s perspective, she was weak and unremarkable.

Suddenly, the woman seemed to sense something and cried out, “Please, senior, save me! The Chen Family will reward you greatly!”

Her gaze turned towards the back of the statue.

Xu Hei was stunned. Had he been discovered?

“Who?!”

The knife-wielding youth was startled and quickly looked around.

He glanced at the dust marks on the ground, narrowing his eyes as he glanced at the statue with suspicion.

“Hehe, there’s no one here. You can accept your fate!”

He wasn’t sure if someone was hiding behind, but as long as they kept quiet, he preferred to avoid complications and leave after finishing his task.

However, the young woman was very decisive. She got up and dashed towards the back of the statue.

Xu Hei was immediately alarmed.

In almost no time, the woman had crossed the short distance and reached the back.

“Don’t come near!!!”

Xu Hei’s heart screamed as he saw the woman, filled with hope, come around the statue and look towards him.

“Senior…”

She was about to speak when a huge snake tail slapped her face.

“Smack!!!”

The woman’s head was instantly knocked off, her blood splattering everywhere.

The young man was horrified and immediately turned to flee.

Xu Hei would not let him escape so easily. He flicked the woman’s head with precision, hitting the young man on the back of his head.

“Boom!!”

With a muffled thud, the young man fell to the ground. Xu Hei immediately rushed over and twisted the man’s head off.

To prevent any possibility of reanimation, Xu Hei shattered his bones, crushed his organs, and turned him into a pile of minced meat. They were dead beyond recovery.