Invincible Snake Emperor

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Ancient Snake Species

Tu Xiaoyue understood that her little brother had earned this money. She quickly pulled ten thousand from the envelope, set it on the table, and then accepted the rest without any qualms.

Then, her eyes curved into crescents as she said happily, ”This is wonderful! We finally have the money to get Mom treated.”

For the past few days, Tu Xiaoyue had been singularly focused on how to get money for their mother’s treatment. Her mother’s condition was worsening day by day and couldn’t be delayed any longer. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been desperate enough to consider getting a high-interest loan from Lei Ao.

”Sis,” Tu Xiao’an said, ”this afternoon, take Mom to the biggest hospital in Wencheng. Find a good doctor and get her a full check-up. Don’t worry about the money.”

Tu Xiaoyue nodded firmly.

Meilin suddenly looked hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure if she should. Tu Xiao’an noticed and asked, ”Sister Meilin, is there something on your mind?”

”It’s nothing. I’d better not say it.”

Xiao’an was puzzled. ”Just say whatever it is. We’re all friends here.”

Meilin glanced at Xiaoyue, but in the end, she couldn’t hold back any longer. ”Xiao’an, have you ever heard of an ancient Snake Species, the Supreme Profound Snake?”

The Supreme Profound Snake?

Tu Xiao’an searched his memory but still shook his head.

Meilin wasn’t surprised. ”The Supreme Profound Snake is a Snake Species that was considered practically extinct even in ancient times. In all of Bai Town, among all the Snake Catchers, you could probably count the ones who know about it on one hand. I only heard about it myself by chance from an old master.”

”Sister Meilin, what exactly are you getting at? Why bring up the Supreme Profound Snake all of a sudden? Is it some incredible snake?”

Tu Xiaoyue suddenly shot Meilin a wary look. ’She’s not trying to get my little brother to hunt some dangerous venomous snake, is she?’

”The Supreme Profound Snake was known to the ancients as a walking Treasure Medicine. It can cure all sorts of complicated diseases. This snake might be able to help your mother’s illness.”

Meilin then began to slowly explain to Tu Xiao’an.

The story of the Supreme Profound Snake was, in fact, a historical one.

Tracing back through history, the Tang Dynasty was originally a prosperous feudal dynasty. However, by its middle period, after the An Lushan Rebellion, it could never regain its former glory. The political situation at the time was tumultuous. Eunuchs monopolized power and regional warlords carved up the territory, causing the common people immense suffering.

Meanwhile, the officials looked out only for themselves, bleeding the common folk dry. The taxes were numerous and complex, and even though people toiled all day, they couldn’t fill their stomachs.

At that time, in Yongzhou Province, there was a type of snake so incredibly venomous that if a person were bitten, they would surely die. There was no cure.

This snake was the infamous Supreme Profound Snake. It was small and entirely white, but it was a terrifying creature. A single bite meant certain death, with no hope of survival.

However, people later discovered that if this snake was caught, dried, and made into medicine, it could cure many of the complicated diseases of that era. Because of this, the Imperial Palace began to requisition these venomous snakes twice a year.

Taxes were heavy at the time, and many commoners simply could not afford to pay them. However, the Imperial Court issued a decree: anyone who could provide one of these snakes would have their taxes waived.

And so, the commoners who couldn’t pay their taxes had no choice but to venture into the mountains to hunt the Supreme Profound Snake. After all, even if one didn’t use the snake for taxes, it was extremely valuable and could be sold.

But this snake was no easy prey. Many who tried to catch it were bitten and died. After delivering its venomous bite, the snake would simply raise its head and watch you perish.

Its fine, pure white scales shimmered with a cold, terrifying light. When it raised its head to look at you, it wasn’t a gesture of provocation or warning. It simply meant that in its eyes, you were already dead.

Even though hunting the Supreme Profound Snake was incredibly risky, many people in Yongzhou still took on the job. There was one Snake Catcher whose family had been in the trade for three generations. His grandfather was killed by a Supreme Profound Snake, and his father met the same fate.

When it was his turn, many people urged him to quit, lest three generations of his family be lost to the Supreme Profound Snake. But the Snake Catcher replied sorrowfully, ”I have no choice. Even if I work myself to the bone, I can’t earn enough to pay the taxes, let alone support myself. Hunting this snake is my only chance of survival.”

The Supreme Profound Snake was ferocious, but in this world, no creature is more ruthless than man. And so, the number of Supreme Profound Snakes dwindled and dwindled, until by the fall of the Tang Dynasty, they had all but vanished.

Gradually, it became a creature of legend.

”Legend says that an Empress during the Tang Dynasty contracted lung cancer and was cured with the gallbladder of a Supreme Profound Snake. I just don’t know if the story is true,” Meilin added at the end.

Tu Xiao’an was astonished. ”Is that snake really so miraculous?”

”The Supreme Profound Snake is an exceptionally rare Snake Species. In terms of value and medicinal applications, it is the ultimate Treasure Medicine among snakes. I even looked it up online. Its medicinal uses are vast, capable of treating all kinds of complex illnesses. They even say its Snake Blood has the miraculous effect of slowing the aging process. As for whether any of this is true... since the snake hasn’t been seen for centuries, the only way to find out is to test it.”

For a Tang Dynasty Emperor to accept this snake in place of tax payments, there must have been a very good reason.

Taxes are the foundation of a nation; they can’t just be substituted for something else on a whim. The fact that an Emperor went to such lengths to acquire the Supreme Profound Snake is proof enough of its immense value.

”Furthermore, it’s believed that if the Supreme Profound Snake’s gallbladder is used as a primary medicinal catalyst, it can completely cure many terminal illnesses that modern science can’t, especially things like lung cancer.”

Hearing this, Tu Xiao’an’s eyes lit up. ’This snake is the ultimate prize! Its blood can even slow aging? If that’s really true, I can’t possibly pass this up.’

But his excitement faded just as quickly. ”Sister Meilin, no matter how amazing this snake is, didn’t you say it’s practically extinct?”

The venomous snake was hunted nearly to extinction back in the Tang Dynasty.

One medical scholar even cursed that Tang Dynasty Emperor, saying that if he hadn’t issued the decree allowing the Supreme Profound Snake to be used for tax payments, the species would never have been driven to extinction.

Now, in the modern age, it’s nearly impossible to find even one.

”There might be some on our She Mountain,” Meilin said. After explaining so much, she clearly wasn’t just teasing him. ”A Snake Catcher on She Mountain once saw a small snake that perfectly matched the description of the Supreme Profound Snake. But since no one has ever caught one, it’s impossible to confirm if it’s the real thing.”

”I’m just mentioning it offhand,” she continued. ”After all, even if they are on She Mountain, they won’t be easy to catch.” She Mountain was vast, a continuous range of peaks. Trying to find one specific snake there was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, the snake hadn’t been seen in centuries; no one was certain it even still existed.

Meilin continued, ”I was just thinking that if this snake really does exist, your mother wouldn’t have to go to the hospital and endure all that trouble.”

He wasn’t afraid of the trouble and hassle; Tu Xiao’an was simply tempted. ’The effects of this snake are just too incredible, it’s like a miracle. The gallbladder could cure Mom’s illness, and drinking the Snake Blood can slow aging and make a person younger? It’s almost too good to be true.’

”I’m not afraid of a challenge. As long as that snake exists on She Mountain, I can catch it.” After all, Tu Xiao’an possessed the dominance ability over the Snake Race. If his Level was high enough, any venomous snake would be forced to submit.