How to Raise a Crazy Beautiful Snake Demon - Chapter 22

Planning to Run After Sleeping Together…

 

 

Ji Qingwu endured a night of chaotic dreams.

 

 

At first, she had a vague awareness, as if floating on clouds, swaying along with something into an antique canopy bed. Someone drew the bed curtains for her, the green gauze veiling all light outside, leaving everything blurred and indistinct.

 

 

Next, her vision was blocked by enormous white jade pillars. The scales on these pillars overlapped in an orderly pattern, making her head spin even more—she couldn’t tell what they were.

 

 

Her nostrils were filled with a thick, intoxicating fragrance, dense as foam, flooding her chest with every breath. The scent was as rich as wine.

 

 

She had drunk a lot of wine. The moonlight was so beautiful she couldn’t bear to waste it, so she poured it into her cup and swallowed it down. The osmanthus aroma in the wine had long been overpowered by this strange fragrance, leaving only an endless, eerie intensity that made her heart flutter with wild fantasies.

 

 

She wanted… she didn’t know what she wanted, but her outstretched hand grasped something with precision. She widened her eyes to see—before her stood a slender, graceful figure, pale as jade, bending down toward her…

 

 

In the blink of an eye, the figure transformed into a massive white serpent, lowering its enormous head. A crimson forked tongue whispered by her ear, as if in a dream. Reason abandoned her, leaving only an intimate longing… She spread her arms and pressed tightly against those cold scales, swaying with the serpent’s tail as she plunged into the depths of unconsciousness.

 

 

The forest behind the mountain rustled wildly in the wind. The moon, flustered, hid its face behind the clouds. Bamboo and tree leaves rustled together, their whispers now light, now heavy.

 

 

Until, moments later, a low cry suddenly pierced the air, startling the raindrops on the leaves into tiny streams that trickled down the veins, falling into the endless void…

 

 

–

 

The next day, Ji Qingwu regained consciousness with a splitting headache.

 

 

She shifted slightly—then froze in shock. There was something in her arms!

 

 

About as thick as her waist, a long, rounded shape. Her arms weren’t enough to hold it; her legs had also wrapped around it, one above, one below.

 

 

At first, she thought she had returned to her original world and was hugging her capybara-shaped body pillow.

 

 

But no—body pillows were soft and warm. What she held now was hard, cold, and… moving?

 

 

Moving?

 

 

The part warmed by her body heat slowly slid away, replaced by a cool, smooth surface pressing against her chest—just as her heart turned to ice the moment realization struck.

 

 

She lifted her head, lips trembling uncontrollably, unwilling to believe the sight before her.

 

 

Resting above her, sharing her bed, was an enormous, snow-white serpent’s head, gleaming faintly.

 

 

The serpent lay on the silk sheets, its bl00d-red eyes—each the size of a human fist—staring straight at her. It had clearly been awake for a while.

 

 

Noticing her gaze, the serpent flicked its tongue with a loud hiss, exuding a primal, eerie inhumanity.

 

 

—Since when did Zhu Jiuyin grow so… big?

 

 

Ji Qingwu’s mind struggled to process it.

 

 

What was going on? Overnight, her domesticated little snake had turned into a monstrous serpent king—and had spent the entire night in bed with her?

 

 

 

Is this really the same arrogant and eccentric Zhu Jiuyin she knew? Did he actually serve as her human pillow all night?

 

 

Ji Qingwu felt like she was forgetting something crucial, but now wasn’t the time to reminisce. The sun was already high outside, and this bed didn’t seem to be in the room anymore. Bright sunlight streamed through the bed curtains, casting golden patches that felt uncomfortably warm against her flushed face.

 

 

She first raised one arm, then carefully tried to slide her other hand out from beneath the snake’s thick body.

 

 

“Good morning.”

 

 

A voice suddenly came from above, booming like thunder. The husky, magnetic female voice might as well have come from a loudspeaker, making Ji Qingwu’s head buzz.

 

 

“Ah… good morning.”

 

 

As she spoke, Ji Qingwu attempted to free her legs from beneath the snake’s lower body, only to find her foot tangled in her trousers, stuck awkwardly outside.

 

 

Distracted, she checked her clothes—only wearing undergarments, and in complete disarray… her inner pants seemed to have slipped down to her pant legs… Ahhh, how could she be in such a mess…

 

 

“Heh… silly girl, planning to run away after sleeping together?”

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin spoke again with amusement. Though it was just a light chuckle, the sheer size of the snake’s head made it rumble like distant thunder in storm clouds, exploding in Ji Qingwu’s mind.

 

 

Sleep… sleep together… what?

 

 

Utterly shocked, she looked up directly at the white snake’s head—now ten times larger than before, bigger than her entire skull—and spoke with a dry, aching throat:

 

 

“You… cough… what did you say?”

 

 

Transformed into a massive white serpent, Zhu Jiuyin watched Ji Qingwu’s face with keen interest. Now that she had grown larger, Ji Qingwu appeared much smaller in her vision, allowing her to savor every minute expression in detail.

 

 

Just like last night, when she had admired the frown on Ji Qingwu’s face as she fell, not missing a single pore’s contraction. Every detail had been as vivid and sweet as a flower, stored vividly in her memory.

 

 

Deliberately teasing, she adopted a playful tone:

 

 

“Ah, you insisted on dragging me to try out this new bed together last night, then spent the whole night entangled with me doing such… shameful things. Have you forgotten already? How cold-hearted.”

 

 

Ji Qingwu nearly choked on her own saliva, her eyes bulging as if about to pop out:

 

 

“Wh-what? Don’t talk nonsense! What do you mean ‘entangled all night’? How could I possibly do such things? How could I with a… a snake?! I-I’m terrified of snakes!”

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin gently shifted her enormous body. The sleek muscles beneath her finely scaled surface contracted seamlessly, her movement resembling rippling waves across a lake.

 

 

The eerie and powerful white serpent lay atop silver satin sheets, surrounded by azure silk bed curtains and an antique black walnut carved bed frame. The entire setting framed her like a soul-stealing demon from ancient folklore.

 

 

She coiled herself around Ji Qingwu, bringing her massive head close to the girl’s face. The snake’s mouth—studded with fleshy protrusions—stretched wide, literally forming a bl00d-red maw that extended near her ear holes. A crimson forked tongue flickered out, hissing.

 

 

As she spoke, the tongue vibrated mid-air like some sinister red creature, her sharp white fangs glinting:

 

 

“You don’t seem afraid at all… Last night, you clung tightly to my body, thoroughly enjoying yourself~”

 

 

 

Her voice carried a wild laughter at the end, and after teasing him, she burst into full-blown laughter, her body trembling with mirth, her head tilting back in unrestrained joy.

 

 

Yet Ji Qingwu felt as if she’d been plunged into an icy abyss, struck dumb as if hit over the head. She couldn’t react for the longest time.

 

 

What… holding her body, liking… She couldn’t even begin to imagine that scene. So had she really… done that after drinking last night?

 

 

“I… last night… how much did I…”

 

 

Almost unconsciously, her voice trembling, she managed to ask this question.

 

 

But she didn’t want to know the answer at all! The moment the words left her mouth, she began trembling violently, scrambling off the bed in a desperate attempt to escape.

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin glanced at her wide-open inner robe, still bearing the marks of snake fangs. Naturally, she wouldn’t mention how much she had tempted her, merely chuckling softly before saying:

 

 

“About as much as what I did with your fingers.”

 

 

Like a sudden gust of wind, Ji Qingwu vanished in an instant, the outer robe that had been carelessly tossed among the bed curtains disappearing with her.

 

 

The sunlight was radiant. Zhu Jiuyin slowly raised her serpent head, slithering to the edge of the bed. The bed curtains automatically lifted and draped themselves on either side, while the sheets and pillows straightened out on their own. Zhu Jiuyin eyed the sticky traces left on the sheets, then with a flick of her spiritual power, rolled the entire sheet into a bundle.

 

 

A black jade ring gradually appeared on her tail—this was her storage artifact, the “Star-Devouring Ring.” All the spirit stones she had given Ji Qingwu before came from this ring, which contained the rare treasures she had accumulated over millennia, each one priceless beyond measure.

 

 

But now, her serpent eyes gleaming brightly, she tossed the mucus-stained sheet into the Star-Devouring Ring, carefully storing it among her collection of treasures.

 

 

After all, this sheet bore traces of Qingwu… What a perfect keepsake.

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin let out a soft laugh, elegantly slithering her way to the window outside the room. Peering inside, she found only darkness—a concealment barrier had been erected.

 

 

Not bothering to break the barrier, she leisurely basked in the sunlight, quietly waiting for her foolish darling to come to her senses.

 

 

Inside the room, Ji Qingwu had set up the concealment barrier and stripped naked, inspecting her body. If they had really done it… shouldn’t there be marks? That’s how it was always written in novels—bruises everywhere the next day, covered in hickeys and whatnot.

 

 

But perhaps because she was a Nascent Soul cultivator, not only were there no marks, her skin remained flawless, smooth, and radiant, without any strange sensations either.

 

 

After a thorough inspection, Ji Qingwu grabbed a lock of her hair and sniffed. Sure enough, that peculiar fragrance still lingered… a decadent, eerie, familiar yet sticky scent… The moment she inhaled it, dizziness washed over her again, forcing her to pinch her wrist to stay alert.

 

 

Finding no traces whatsoever, she cast three cleansing spells in a row, enveloping herself from head to toe in water as she scrubbed herself fiercely. She then loosely tied up her hair with a new jade hairpin.

 

 

Opening her wardrobe, she changed into a completely fresh set of clothes, from undergarments to outerwear, replacing every accessory, handkerchief, and even her sword. Only then did she finally exhale in relief.

 

 

Standing still, she took deep breaths—once, twice, thrice—but her emotions refused to settle.

 

 

Last night had been her first time, yet no matter how hard she racked her brain, she never imagined her first experience would be… not with a man.

 

 

Nor with a woman.

 

 

But with an animal!

 

 

An animal would have been fine—kittens, puppies, or bunnies were at least fluffy and cute, with some redeeming qualities.

 

 

But it was with a snake!

 

 

 

Though it was an intelligent white snake that spoke in a charming, mature female voice…

 

 

She didn’t want to play the role of Xu Xian from the legend!

 

 

How could she forget? Initially, she only wanted to get along with the snake, help it recover from its injuries, and then safely send it on its way. At most, becoming friends would have been more than enough.

 

 

She never imagined doing… that kind of thing with a snake!

 

 

The worst part was she couldn’t remember any details from last night. It was as if her brain had been too shocked to store the memories. She couldn’t even recall what it felt like when they… Damn it all!

 

 

And if she had really gone against the snake’s will and done those things, wouldn’t that count as animal abuse?

 

 

Wait, that didn’t seem right either. It didn’t appear to be against the snake’s will—after all, if unhappy, the snake could have easily bitten her head off like a candy.

 

 

So that meant the snake had tacitly approved of her actions, perhaps even encouraged them?

 

 

Just like when the snake had coiled around her fingers for self-comfort, did it consider her using its body for those activities as the same kind of thing?

 

 

Demonic creatures were naturally indulgent in carnal desires, always talking about such matters openly. For the snake, this was probably just a natural release of instincts, nothing more…

 

 

As these thoughts swirled in Ji Qingwu’s tangled mind, a glimmer of clarity suddenly emerged. She felt like she had found the thread to unravel this mess and abruptly straightened her posture.

 

 

…Only to immediately bend halfway back down while clutching her waist.

 

 

So this was what it felt like when your spine ached from the very marrow.

 

 

The soreness served as another reminder—Zhu Jiuyin hadn’t lied. She really had… committed those improper acts last night.

 

 

Ji Qingwu’s heart was in turmoil, filled with despair. What kind of situation was this? How was she supposed to face Zhu Jiuyin from now on?

 

 

Clutching at that slender thread of understanding, she massaged her waist, rested for a moment, then straightened up again. With a wooden expression, she opened the barrier and hesitated for a long while before stepping outside.

 

 

In the center of the courtyard, a massive glowing white snake basked in the sunlight, its head raised gracefully. Its elegant, slender body stretched out in a streamlined form spanning over three meters, nearly the full length of the small courtyard.

 

 

Its physique seemed like nature’s masterpiece—every line from head to tail flowed smoothly and distinctly. Fine, luminous white scales covered every inch, concealing the powerful, streamlined muscles beneath.

 

 

The head was roughly triangular yet not entirely so, with a rounded fullness above the eyes. Those bl00d-red pupils shimmered with golden brilliance in the sunlight. The mouth appeared as if drawn by a single black stroke of a brush—when closed, the fangs remained hidden, presenting a snow-white purity that made it seem like a completely harmless, innocent serpent.

 

 

This wasn’t Ji Qingwu’s first time seeing the snake in this form, but the previous encounter had been with a frantic, mountain-bashing monstrosity. The current vision of an intelligent, beautiful serpent lounging at ease was entirely different.

 

 

The scars on Zhu Jiuyin’s body had also enlarged with her form—chaotic streaks of dark reddish-brown marring her otherwise flawless beauty, some severe enough to be unsettling.

 

 

Noticing Ji Qingwu’s emergence, Zhu Jiuyin turned to look her up and down before softly remarking after a pause:

 

 

“That outfit suits you well. The color complements you.”

 

 

Ji Qingwu glanced down at the pinkish-white robe she wore.

 

 

This was one of those decorative uniforms some vanity-driven junior sisters had commissioned for display. Ji Qingwu had never worn it before, and when she’d put it on earlier, she hadn’t paid attention. Only now did she realize how overly youthful and inappropriate the color was for someone of her seniority.

 

 

 

No matter. She looked up at Zhu Jiuyin, but the moment her eyes met those crimson orbs, she instantly averted her gaze, her face flushing slightly.

 

 

She spoke with as much firmness as she could muster:

 

 

“Here’s the thing. About last night… I hope you can treat it as just an ordinary mutual assistance, like when I detoxified you before. We should remain… remain ordinary friends and completely forget about last night, alright?”

 

 

Her tone was firm, but her voice trembled increasingly as she spoke. She didn’t dare look at the other’s reaction, finally fixing her gaze on her new shoes instead. The shoes were green and white, complementing the pink hem of her robe with a spring-like freshness, though she had no mind to appreciate it at all.

 

 

After several breaths of waiting, Zhu Jiuyin replied, her voice cold and indifferent:

 

 

“But I was poisoned then. You weren’t poisoned now.”

 

 

Ji Qingwu had anticipated this point. She quickly glanced up at the snake.

 

 

The white serpent’s head hung before her, its neck arched gracefully like a swan’s, its eyes fixed intently on her. As their gazes met, in the flickering light, the snake seemed to wrinkle its nose slightly.

 

 

Was that… a look of grievance? An illusion—it must be the sunlight refracting.

 

 

Ji Qingwu said:

 

 

“Though I wasn’t poisoned, after detoxifying you, I developed some aftereffects. Occasionally, I’d catch a strange fragrance from you that aroused… desires similar to the love poison. Perhaps I was contaminated by the love poison on you—that still needs investigation. Besides, for humans, alcohol can sometimes be as potent as love poison. Last night, I drank far too much and was utterly out of my mind to have done such a thing. Had I been sober, I would never have entertained such thoughts about you.”

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin turned her head and glared at her fiercely.

 

 

After a moment’s thought, Ji Qingwu continued:

 

 

“But no matter how you look at it, this was my fault… So, if you want any compensation from me, just name it. Even if it means breaking sect rules, I’ll do anything as long as you can pretend this never happened.”

 

 

Her face burned, yet she raised her eyes to meet the snake’s gaze.

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin’s eyes reflected her small, pink-and-white figure, the face bearing the same stubborn, aloof expression of the senior disciple as always.

 

 

Even though last night, it had been so soft.

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin slowly averted her gaze, turning her body slightly to the side, her words light and casual:

 

 

“Then as you wish. If you want me to act as if nothing happened, you’ll have to pay a price.”

 

 

Knowing Zhu Jiuyin’s nature, Ji Qingwu was prepared to be taken advantage of. She asked:

 

 

“What’s the price?”

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin’s back was dazzlingly bright in the sunlight. After a long silence, she said quietly:

 

 

“I want you to take me on a tour of Yuqing Sect. And I want you to show me your sect’s treasure vault.”

 

 

Ji Qingwu’s eyes widened sharply. This… was truly… beyond her expectations.

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin tilted her head, her cold eyes flashing with obvious anger:

 

 

“What? Can’t do it? Or are you afraid I’ll go out and shout about how you slept with a monster like me, ruining the reputation of the great senior disciple?”

 

 

Ji Qingwu looked at Zhu Jiuyin. Those eyes were icy and unfeeling, the nictitating membranes unblinking as they stared fixedly at her, seemingly unwilling to miss any detail of her expression.

 

 

After careful consideration, Ji Qingwu spoke solemnly:

 

 

“I believe you wouldn’t do that. You’re too proud for such pettiness.”

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin snorted, a puff of air escaping her nostrils as if in acknowledgment.

 

 

Then, word by word, Ji Qingwu answered the earlier demand:

 

 

 

“I can try to do what you mentioned. Our sect’s main treasury requires an elder’s sword energy to open—I can’t access it alone. But I have free access to the daily supplies storage, so I should be able to show you around.”

 

 

She quickly formulated a plan for this matter, which wasn’t particularly difficult—as long as Zhu Jiuyin remained well hidden…

 

 

At this moment, Zhu Jiuyin let out a mocking laugh and added another condition:

 

 

“One more thing. Introduce me to your junior sisters—no hiding my existence.”

 

 

Ji Qingwu’s pupils trembled, almost doubting her own hearing:

 

 

“What?”

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin flicked her serpentine tongue, her voice turning sultry as if recalling something delightful:

 

 

“Especially introduce me to your dear Song Shimei. Tell her that you and I… have long been intimately close~”

 

 

Intimately close?! Was this something she could even say?!

 

 

Ji Qingwu shuddered from head to toe—was Zhu Jiuyin trying to get her killed?! Exposing that she was raising a snake demon in the Yuqing Sect? Even as the head disciple, she wouldn’t be spared. According to sect rules, the punishment would be death by ten thousand arrows, extraction of immortal bones, and permanent exile from the sect!

 

 

Seeing Ji Qingwu’s genuine shock, her face deathly pale, Zhu Jiuyin flicked her tail, smashing a small crater into the ground with impatience:

 

 

“Figure it out yourself. I’ll cooperate with whatever disguise you choose. Don’t look at me like I’m sending you to your death… I may be wicked, but I’m not that bored.”

 

 

Finally understanding her meaning, Ji Qingwu’s dark pupils regained movement. She exhaled sharply, meeting the white serpent’s gaze:

 

 

“My confinement still has a few days left. Let me carefully plan this. I hope you’ll cooperate when the time comes. If you don’t… we’ll both die.”

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin scoffed:

 

 

“Pah! As if your measly sect could kill me? Delusional!”

 

 

Ji Qingwu:

 

 

“Don’t underestimate our sect… You’re not strong enough to take them on yet.”

 

 

At least not until the latter third of the original novel, when Zhu Jiuyin neared the realm of a demon god, could she truly defeat the Yuqing Sect. Before that, the sect remained formidable—especially with the Ten Thousand Demon Tower, a divine artifact designed to slay demons.

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin:

 

 

“Tch.”

 

 

She studied Ji Qingwu intently, tilting her massive head.

 

 

When she was still a small snake, the gesture had been somewhat endearing. But now, as a giant serpent, the tilt of her head carried an intimidating aura, as if she might strike at any moment, sending shivers down Ji Qingwu’s spine.

 

 

“I once thought you were different from the rest. Yet here you are, hiding and scheming—no different from those hypocrites.”

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin’s voice was low, her face shadowed and gloomy.

 

 

“I’m not hiding anything! I even brought it up to discuss with you. I just don’t want an accident to ruin our friendship—how is that hypocritical?”

 

 

Ji Qingwu felt wronged, and a pang of disappointment struck her. Why did Zhu Jiuyin always assume the worst of her? She had been more honest with her than with anyone else.

 

 

“You’re just a wicked little servant.”

 

 

With that, Zhu Jiuyin turned to leave, her long body swaying as she maneuvered awkwardly in the small courtyard, occasionally bumping into the stove and other objects.

 

 

Her tail lifted slightly, tapping the massive wooden bed. A surge of spiritual energy sent it sliding smoothly into Ji Qingwu’s training room, where it settled against the wall.

 

 

Ji Qingwu stared at the bed:

 

 

“……”

 

 

 

She really wanted to say they should get rid of the bed. Having it in the training room would only stir up inner demons every time she saw it—after all, this was where she and the snake…

 

 

But the bed was surprisingly sturdy. Even that massive white serpent hadn’t managed to break it—seemed like good quality.

 

 

Zhu Jiuyin headed out of the courtyard, though it was unclear where she was going. Ji Qingwu, still uneasy, called after her:

 

 

“Zhu Jiuyin! We agreed—what happened stays in the past, right?”

 

 

From a distance, Zhu Jiuyin shook her head, her hair shimmering like it was studded with diamonds, scattering dazzling white light with every movement: