She said it so casually, but for Tu Xiao’an, it was a different story entirely.

"Are you about to ask me where I come from again?" the widow-faced proprietress asked, looking at Tu Xiao’an.

Tu Xiao’an said, "That’s right. What kind of demon are you, exactly?"

He now believed what she’d said before: that the Dragon Snake was the worst soup base in her shop, and that she normally used Awakened Creatures to make her broth.

"Whatever demon you are, I am the same," she said, her red lips curling into a smile as she watched Tu Xiao’an.

Tu Xiao’an’s brow furrowed. ’It’s not surprising she knows I’m a Snake Spirit. I can’t hide it from her.’

’But if she knows I’m a Snake Spirit, what does she mean by that?’

’Is her true form a snake, too?’

’Impossible.’ Tu Xiao’an immediately dismissed the thought. He couldn’t detect even a trace of the Snake Race’s aura on her; in fact, he couldn’t sense any ordinary aura at all.

"Hehe... Don’t be so tense. I was just making a casual remark." The widow-faced woman put on a flamboyant display, shooting him a glance meant to be coquettish.

Tu Xiao’an nearly gagged. Her face was enough to drive a man to despair.

’Was she really just making a casual remark?’ Tu Xiao’an couldn’t read her data with his Insight, which meant this woman was terrifying. He wasn’t even qualified to know who she was.

’With my current power, I’ve already subdued a Rank Three Demon Spirit. To say I’m not even qualified to know her identity... isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?’

’Rank Four?’

’Then it wouldn’t be surprising if she were a snake. Her power is just so immense that she’s hidden it perfectly.’

Tu Xiao’an’s thoughts raced, and his head began to ache. The woman was shrouded in a mysterious veil, completely inscrutable.

’I thought I’d get some answers this time, but it looks like I was overthinking things again.’

The next moment, Tu Xiao’an felt a long, slender finger, exuding a chill as if carved from ice, gently rest upon his lips.

It was a gentle, intimate gesture, like one between lovers. The widow-faced woman teased him with a seductive smile. "You want to know my identity that badly? Once you know, you’ll have to take responsibility for little old me, you know."

Seeing a face full of wrinkles and freckles trying to tease him with a seductive smile, Tu Xiao’an’s stomach instantly churned.

He hurriedly backed away, a look of utter disgust on his face.

"You men," she began, her voice tinged with sorrow and her expression full of resentment. "You’re all so shallow, only caring about a pretty face."

Tu Xiao’an was rendered speechless. "Stop changing the subject. What’s your story?"

She sat down across from him and propped her chin on one hand, giving him a full, 360-degree view of her wrinkled and freckled face.

Tu Xiao’an glanced down at his noodle soup. He had no appetite whatsoever.

"Let me tell you a story," she said suddenly, her expression turning serious as she looked at Tu Xiao’an.

’A story?’

’She’s going to tell me her story.’ Tu Xiao’an’s interest was immediately piqued, and he pushed his bowl of noodle soup aside.

Others were desperate for even a second bowl, yet Tu Xiao’an had lost all interest after a single sip.

"Once upon a time..." the widow-faced proprietress began. Tu Xiao’an’s face immediately darkened in exasperation.

’Isn’t that the kind of opening line you use for children’s bedtime stories? What’s next, "in the forest lived a big, grey bear..."?’

Also, Tu Xiao’an couldn’t help but add, "Could you please not look at me while you’re telling it? Especially not..."

...especially not with that look of tender affection.

"How about I tell it in my bedroom?" she offered.

Tu Xiao’an nodded immediately. ’That could work.’ ’Once we’re inside, she’ll shed this outer skin and transform into a stunningly beautiful woman.’

’In that case, I’d be in a much better mood to listen to her story.’

"In your dreams." She rolled her eyes at him. Tu Xiao’an had almost forgotten—she got a kick out of messing with people.

She resumed her story.

"Once upon a time, there was a mountain teeming with snakes. With hundreds of serpents slithering about, many local Snake Catchers made their living there."

Upon hearing this, Tu Xiao’an stared at her, his face a mask of astonishment.

"There was a Snake Catcher named Wu Qingshan, a man of cruel temperament. Every day, he would go Ascending the Mountain to catch numerous venomous snakes. He would not only keep them in pits to harvest their venom for money, but after their venom was spent, he would slaughter them, skin them, and cook their flesh over a fire."

"What’s more, whenever he was in a foul mood, he would turn to drink. In his drunken stupors, with bloodshot eyes, he would storm into his Snake Cave in a rage. He would grab snakes with his hands, stomp them with his feet, bite them with his teeth, and tear them apart with his bare hands, torturing them in the most extreme ways. The snakes would be terrified, HISSING in alarm, scattering in a desperate attempt to flee, or coiling into balls and trembling with fear. For them, each day was a fate worse than death."

"Hate. The snakes hated this Snake Catcher to their very core. He not only used their Venom for profit but would kill and eat them when he was done, all while constantly torturing them."

A sharp glint flashed in the widow-faced woman’s eyes.

"One day, Wu Qingshan went into the mountains again. It was late autumn. Leaves drifted down, and the bare branches across the mountainside created a bleak and desolate scene. After crossing a few hills, he thought he saw a woman in red walking through the forest ahead. But when he focused his gaze, she was gone without a trace."

Wu Qingshan thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. How could a woman be in these mountains, where hundreds of snakes roamed? But before long, he discovered a snake’s den in a hidden crevice.

He smoked it out with mugwort and sulfur, and a venomous snake, shimmering gold from head to tail, shot out. It was a specimen of exceptional quality.

Wu Qingshan studied it for a while, thinking it resembled a Golden Ring Snake. With an expert motion, he seized its tail. With a single flick of his wrist, the golden snake went limp, unable to resist, and was easily captured.

After returning home, Wu Qingshan tossed the snake into his Snake Cave.

Tu Xiao’an listened quietly, a contemplative look in his eyes.

"From then on, whenever Wu Qingshan entered the cave to catch snakes and extract their venom, the other snakes would scatter in terror. Only this one would slither around him, acting affectionately and even obediently offering up its Venom."

"Its Venom was a rainbow of colors, something utterly unheard of. Even a veteran Snake Catcher like him couldn’t identify what kind of snake produced it."

"But this strange Venom earned Wu Qingshan a small fortune."

"Wu Qingshan noticed how unusual this snake was. Whenever he prepared to slaughter a snake for its meat, the others would shrink into trembling balls of fear. Yet this snake alone seemed oblivious, even slithering closer. He deliberately fed it the meat of other snakes, which it ate without hesitation. When he petted it, it acted tame. All of this astonished him."

The widow-faced woman continued her story slowly, relating every detail with great clarity.

"One day, Wu Qingshan was feeling dejected and sat drinking in his garden. As his vision grew hazy with drink, he saw a woman in red appear. She approached gracefully, her face exquisitely beautiful, almost breathtaking. She also seemed vaguely familiar."

"So, Wu Qingshan invited her to drink with him. The woman didn’t refuse, and they laughed and joked together, trading cups of wine. When Wu Qingshan was completely drunk, lust took hold of him. He carried the red-clad beauty into his house, intending to have his way with her and share a night of passion."

"The beautiful woman in red didn’t resist. But as they grew intimate, Wu Qingshan suddenly felt that wherever her mouth touched his skin, it would grow numb and begin to itch painfully, as if his entire body were being scorched by fire."

"Wu Qingshan was horrified. He instantly recalled the red-clad woman he had glimpsed in the forest right before catching the snake. He understood at once: this woman was the Transformation of the very snake he had captured. He wanted to grab a knife and kill it, but his entire body was paralyzed, and he couldn’t move a muscle."

Tu Xiao’an listened, astonished. "This snake could achieve Transformation? It was already Rank 3?"