Invincible Snake Emperor

I clicked on the post, and the article appeared.

The article said that in the Eastern Mountain Area of Bai Town, Wencheng City, there was a remote, ancient village called Zhao Village. Most of the villagers shared the surname Zhao. Years ago, they might have all been relatives, but the family had grown so large that, after four generations, its branches had become strangers to one another.

Elder Zhao, who was in charge of the family genealogy, was the village chief. He was a man of great prestige and was deeply loved by the villagers.

His family was also thriving, with many descendants. He had four sons, one daughter, and seven or eight grandchildren. The whole family lived in harmony, enjoying their blissful life together.

However, tragedy can strike when least expected. The so-called ”House Snake murder incident” took place right in Elder Zhao’s home.

The story began a week ago. In the early morning, Master Zhao Lai’s housekeeper heard a strange cackling and was immediately puzzled.

The family didn’t keep chickens, and he had never heard one crowing at the residence before.

The housekeeper walked to the front courtyard, and the color instantly drained from his face. He looked as if he’d been struck by lightning on a clear day.

He saw Master Zhao Lai’s second son collapsed on the ground. On the man’s chest lay a strange, venomous snake about three feet long with a cockscomb on its head. The sight left the housekeeper speechless. He staggered back, muttering, ”The House Snake has returned... The House Snake has returned...”

Noticing the newcomer, the snake suddenly vanished without a trace.

When the housekeeper came to his senses, he found that Elder Zhao’s second son was no longer breathing. He was dead.

His mouth was wide open, a gaping black hole, making it look as if a snake had slithered inside to feed. It was a deeply unsettling sight.

Even stranger, there was a snake pattern on the deceased’s neck. The pattern was incredibly clear and lifelike, as if a vibrant snake was gracefully swimming just beneath his skin.

Even the most skilled tattoo artist would be hard-pressed to create such an exquisite design.

The entire affair was now shrouded in mystery.

The Zhao Family held a funeral. The respected, gray-haired Elder Zhao had to bury his dark-haired son. But strangely, the dead man’s mouth remained wide open. Several strong men used all their might but couldn’t close it. In the end, they had no choice but to fetch a hammer and break the corpse’s jaw to shut it. How else could they bury a body with its mouth gaping so wide?

This incident set the village abuzz with gossip. Everyone was saying the Zhao Family’s House Snake had returned to kill.

And why did they say the House Snake had returned to kill?

The Zhao Family’s residence was famous far and wide. It was warm in the winter and cool in the summer, rivaling even the villas of city dwellers. Not only was it spacious and grand, but it also possessed a rustic and mysterious style.

It was no surprise that a House Snake would take up residence in such a dwelling.

「Two years ago.」

It was New Year’s Eve, and Elder Zhao’s large, prosperous family was gathered for their reunion dinner. They were talking and laughing, but halfway through the meal, something dark suddenly fell from the crossbeams. It landed on the table with a THUD. Everyone jumped in fright, and no one got a clear look at first.

When they finally got a good look, everyone gasped. Coiled on the table was a large snake, as thick as an enamel mug, with a cockscomb on its head and vibrant stripes. Its head was facing them, and it flicked its tongue, the hair-raising HISS filling the room.

The snake was huge. Although they didn’t stretch it out to measure, they estimated it was over three meters long.

Everyone leaped from their seats in terror. Even the normally composed and respected Elder Zhao turned pale. He cried out in astonishment, his voice trembling, ”House Snake!”

A House Snake was normally about a meter long, but this one was a full three meters. It was unheard of.

But according to the customs in Zhao Village, the larger a family’s House Snake, the more prosperous the family would become. It was a good omen.

Soon, the large snake slithered down the table leg. It moved as fluidly as if swimming, circling the feet of several people. As it passed each person, it would flick its tongue, its eyes glinting with a menacing light.

Anyone who received the snake’s ”attention” was scared stiff, their legs turning to jelly.

Afterward, the great snake glided out the door and vanished into the night.

After the great snake left, Elder Zhao suddenly cried out in anguish, ”The House Snake has gone! The Zhao Family is doomed! This is retribution! Retribution!”

Like a madman, he repeated these words over and over as he stumbled out of the house.

The story of that night quickly spread throughout the village. And now, that same House Snake had returned, and it had started killing the moment it came back.

The most baffling part was that the House Snake, upon returning after two years, had actually gotten smaller. It had shrunk from a three-meter-long beast into a small, one-meter snake.

But according to the village elders, the higher a House Snake’s Cultivation, the more it could ”return to its true essence,” shrinking from large to small. This meant it had become a spirit.

In the days that followed, a member of Elder Zhao’s family died each morning. In total, five people were dead.

Three sons and two grandsons.

Every single victim was found with their mouth wide open and a snake pattern on their neck. There were no exceptions.

This was the so-called ”House Snake murder incident.” The Zhao Family was now living in terror, in constant fear of death, never knowing who would be next when morning came.

The House Snake came and went without a trace. They couldn’t catch it even if they wanted to, and they didn’t dare try.

Tu Xiao’an read up to this point, and a sharp light flashed in his Snake Gaze. ’This is very likely an awakened House Snake,’ he thought.

’For a House Snake to leave for two years and then return to kill... something unknown must have happened during that time.’

As he finished the article, what shocked Tu Xiao’an the most was that he actually knew this so-called Zhao Family.

This Elder Zhao had once been a famous Snake Catcher in Bai Town. He was old now, however, and had long since retired from the trade.

Besides, Bai Town and Zhao Village weren’t far from each other—less than five kilometers apart.

In fact, if Tu Xiao’an weren’t a snake, he could have heard all about the strange incidents at Elder Zhao’s home just by taking a stroll through Bai Town.

A House Snake killing people was a very tricky situation. For example, if a vicious snake injured someone on She Mountain, a horde of Snake Catchers would immediately flock there to capture it.

But a House Snake was different. Killing one was taboo. In the words of the elders of Bai Town, it would invite Celestial Punishment.

At this point, Tu Xiao’an scrolled down and saw some of the ridiculous comments left by netizens.

”Excuse me, how does one snake kill five people? Were they all completely useless?”

”Bullshit. It even left a snake pattern? You’re telling me this snake kills people and then gives them a free tattoo?”

”This is so obviously a piece of supernatural fiction. Who the hell would believe this crap?”

”Wow, my Pi Pi Snake is awesome! Where is this snake? I want to go pet it!”

There were all sorts of comments, but the vast majority of people expressed their disbelief. How could a single snake be so powerful it could defy the heavens?

When a person kills another, the police get involved. But when a snake kills a person? Since it was a House Snake, none of the local Snake Catchers wanted to get themselves into that mess.