How to Raise a Crazy Beautiful Snake Demon - Chapter 9

A wound bloomed on the pale skin of her slender arm like an unfurling flower bud, fresh bl00d seeping out. The delicate gauze fabric was torn, the emerald-green cloth now stained with specks of crimson.

After uttering those words, the white serpent coiled its tongue, lapping at the bl00d before parting its jaws to envelop the skin. A smear of Ji Qingwu’s bl00d clung to the corner of its mouth, mirroring the scarlet glow of its eyes.

Ji Qingwu felt pain, but what overwhelmed her more was shock and… an indescribable shame.

Both she and the serpent knew—this was the aftermath of the love toxin. Drinking her bl00d would arouse the white snake. So now, was it truly in the throes of desire? Did it harbor other intentions?

And when the serpent had sneered, “Had enough fun with you?”—did it mean what she thought it did?

Before she could process the strange turmoil in her heart, she immediately used her other hand to yank at the serpent’s head, fingers plunging into its mouth to pry its fangs apart. Suppressing her humiliation, she spoke through gritted teeth:

“Let go of me… Stop this! I don’t want—”

The serpent’s sharp fangs had already pierced her skin. Though not deep, they were stubbornly embedded—impossible to remove unless the snake willingly released her.

No matter how hard she pulled, the serpent refused to relent. Instead, it spitefully bit down harder.

Ji Qingwu gasped in pain. With only one usable hand, her strength was limited, and the serpent seemed intent on tormenting her, refusing to loosen its grip.

The serpent’s voice, now husky with desire, murmured:

“You wretched servant… daring to drive me away… A disobedient slave deserves to be bitten to my satisfaction…”

Her other hand was slick—whether from the serpent’s saliva or her own bl00d, she couldn’t tell. The slippery scales seemed to slither everywhere, crawling over her entire hand. The pain gradually faded, replaced by alternating sensations of coolness and warmth from the scales, along with a strange, cloyingly rich fragrance that seeped into every pore.

How bizarre. She had never smelled this scent before—so why had it suddenly appeared, growing thicker and more intoxicating? It seemed to emanate from her hand, making her head spin, her body weak, her legs nearly buckling beneath her…

More bl00d welled from the wound. The serpent, lost in ecstasy, drank greedily, its fangs no longer clamped tightly but instead grinding against her skin. Its coils tightened around her arm as it succumbed to some mysterious trance, forgetting it had come to punish her.

The room was thick with the sickly-sweet fragrance, like a fog that ensnared both woman and serpent, blurring reason, drawing them closer…

“Let—go—of me!”

Just before her mind fully surrendered to the haze, Ji Qingwu seized her chance. She gripped the serpent’s head and wrenched it away, hurling it across the room with all her strength.

The serpent struck the wall with a sharp thud, disappearing into a pile of fabric and dust, motionless.

Staggering, Ji Qingwu fled the room, sealing it behind her with three layers of barriers to trap the serpent inside.

Outside, the sunlight was radiant, yet the cloying scent still clung to her nostrils. Waves of heat and chills wracked her body, and her arm… still tingled with the ghostly sensation of serpentine scales gliding over her skin.

No, this still isn’t far enough. She could still smell that scent. Even with the barrier in place, Ji Qingwu wondered if it was just her imagination… She could only hurry toward the back mountain, walking into the forest, moving forward until she reached the mountain spring ahead.

Here, she could finally no longer detect that fragrance. The gentle breeze brushed past as she lifted her sleeve, using healing magic to quickly mend the wound on her arm.

Only then did she realize the snake hadn’t bitten very deeply—just piercing a few layers of skin—and the bleeding wasn’t severe either. It was as if the snake had held back when biting her.

Yet the wound seemed to retain traces of that strange scent. Could it be the snake’s saliva? But she’d never smelled this fragrance before—why was she suddenly aware of it today?

Panting, Ji Qingwu felt the restless heat surging through her body. The more she thought about it, the more wrong it felt, as if she were somehow broken.

Had this body previously practiced some demonic cultivation technique? Was she now suffering from qi deviation? Or perhaps… after being bitten by the white snake, her body had developed a peculiar reaction? Maybe her body was already growing accustomed to—even anticipating—the sensation of being bitten by the snake…

But how could that be possible? It was just a snake! She still didn’t believe it could truly be human!

Unable to accept these thoughts, Ji Qingwu continued deeper into the mountains. Finding a suitable spot, she sat down to meditate, regulating her breathing and contemplating the chaotic situation.

What should she do next? How should she handle this relationship with the white snake…?

After a full day of meditation and cooling her thoughts, when night fell, Ji Qingwu sighed and stood up, slowly making her way back to her small courtyard under the clear moonlight.

Her threat to drive the snake away had been nothing but a momentary impulse. What means did she have to actually expel it now? She had no choice but to return and placate the snake—to ensure it wouldn’t hold a grudge against her or the sect, and to prevent it from following the doomed path laid out in the original story.

Enduring humiliation for survival’s sake was paramount. As for the rest… she could only afford to dwell on such matters once she’d grown stronger.

In the world of cultivation, strength commanded respect. With her current lack of power, yielding was only natural—completely natural.

Biting her lip slightly, Ji Qingwu adjusted her steps and breathing. Before entering the courtyard, she sniffed carefully—the scent seemed to be gone now.

Stepping inside, she glanced around. Nothing appeared different.

Yet… her spiritual sense suddenly stirred.

The moment she’d entered the courtyard, the triple-layered barriers in her room had been disturbed. That white snake—its slender form like a spirit under the moonlight—had effortlessly passed through her barriers and slipped away into the back mountain, vanishing without a trace.

Ji Qingwu halted, watching the silver-white figure retreat silently through her spiritual perception, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

That the white snake could break through her barriers was to be expected, but… it had fled the moment she returned. Did it truly not want to see her?

It seemed… all too likely that the snake already hated her to the core, unwilling to even hear her apologies, wanting only to leave and return later with enough power to slaughter the entire sect.

Regret washed over Ji Qingwu. Why had she stayed in the mountains all day? She should have come to her senses sooner and returned to appease the snake!

Now what? The white snake was gone—where could she go to apologize?

Panic began to set in. If the snake had truly run away this time, never to return, she and the sect would have sown the seeds of their own destruction! When that time came, she too would meet a gruesome end!

Apart from panic, she also felt an indescribable, subtle sadness.

The image of the white snake raising its tail to hand her the small wine bottle flashed through her mind. In that moment, she had genuinely seen concern in the snake’s eyes, along with a sense of mutual understanding.

Upon reflection… perhaps the white snake wasn’t such a scoundrel after all.

Ji Qingwu couldn’t help but let out a long sigh, enveloped in an inexplicable loneliness and melancholy, before stepping into the house.

On the back mountain, perched atop the branches of a thousand-year-old tree, a silver-white jade-like serpent hung, gazing from afar.

The righteous female cultivator stood in the courtyard, frowning in deep thought. Her ethereal figure appeared frail and solitary in the night breeze, her green robes illuminated by the moonlight, as cold and silent as the crescent moon itself.

She must have known the snake had left, yet showed no intention of coming to find it. The white snake scoffed inwardly, amused by its own faint expectations.

It didn’t leave either, simply hanging from the tree and watching quietly, its eyes glowing like crimson jewels. After an unknown length of time, when the female cultivator sighed deeply and retreated into the house without reappearing, the serpent suddenly slid down and vanished into the thick undergrowth.

–

The next morning, Ji Qingwu stepped out of her room and stood in the courtyard, breathing deeply as she cultivated her inner energy.

She had tidied the house and meditated to rest the night before. With spells at her disposal, cleaning wasn’t much trouble, but figuring out what to do next was truly vexing.

If she recklessly searched the entire mountain, she might provoke the white snake’s rebellious instincts. Yet leaving it unchecked was not an option either.

As the sun gradually rose, after completing a cycle of breath cultivation, Ji Qingwu turned her gaze toward the back mountain. Closing her eyes, she expanded her spiritual awareness, carefully probing the surroundings.

Finding the white snake would be ideal, but even if she couldn’t, she hoped to at least discover traces of its whereabouts—some clue to ease her mind.

Immersed in her spiritual perception, her brows slightly raised as she focused intently. Suddenly, her face tilted slightly toward a certain direction. Though her eyes remained closed, the corners of her lips unconsciously tensed.

She was so absorbed that she didn’t even notice someone approaching from beyond the mountain.

Abruptly, the barrier enveloping the entire mountain was breached, and the familiar aura of a fellow sect member surged forth. Ji Qingwu’s body stiffened slightly, and when she opened her eyes, her heart sank.

Elder Yu Yan, clad in black robes and exuding a stern aura, landed outside the courtyard gate, followed by two of her personal disciples—both key members of the Discipline Hall.

“Elder Yu, your esteemed presence honors me. Forgive this disciple’s lack of preparation and proper welcome.”

Ji Qingwu straightened her robes and stepped forward to greet them, her expression calm and composed, betraying no trace of panic.

“I came with my disciples on official business and happened to pass by. Recalling your mention of a cultivation bottleneck, I thought to check on you.”

Elder Yu Yan strode forward with dignified steps, her robes fluttering. As she spoke, her sharp, hawk-like eyes swept over the surroundings, making it clear this was no mere casual visit.

“This disciple is grateful for Elder’s concern. My humble abode is simple, and my hospitality lacking. I beg Elder and my junior sisters to forgive any shortcomings.”

Ji Qingwu remained neither servile nor overbearing. After cupping her hands in salute, she walked behind Elder Yu, allowing the elder to inspect freely.

As she spoke, she cast a gentle glance at the two Discipline Hall disciples, who suppressed their admiration and returned the salute.

The moment Elder Yu entered the courtyard, her eyes fell upon the stove in the corner and the two jars of liquor. Her expression darkened instantly, and she turned to glare at Ji Qingwu:

“What is the meaning of this? As the head disciple of our sect leader, how could you indulge in such vulgar, mind-corrupting mortal indulgences!”

Yu Yan examined the traces of use on the stove more closely, her suspicions growing:

“You achieved fasting upon entering the Dao path. Were those wines and cooked foods truly consumed by you alone? Or is someone hiding in your quarters?”

The scene fell into complete silence. Elder Yu Yan had investigated cases for years with astonishing observational skills, and this surprise inspection had already yielded evidence she intended to exploit.

The two junior sisters were stunned by the scene. What was happening? Could their senior sister truly be… involved in what they were investigating? But this was their upright, immortal-like senior sister!

Ji Qingwu stood at the center, straight as a young phoenix tree, her expression cool. A strand of hair drifted by her lips as she lowered her lashes to conceal her emotions.

Though all three pairs of eyes were fixed on Ji Qingwu, none knew that a white snake’s spiritual consciousness had already enveloped the area, absorbing every word of their conversation.

Hidden in a mountain cave, the white snake slightly raised her head, tongue flickering rapidly. She wanted to see whether this hypocritical, detestable righteous cultivator would betray her.

It was she, the white snake, who had demanded meat and wine—this whole affair had begun because of her. That woman was loyal to her sect, yet now suspected by it. The only remaining choice was to reveal the snake’s existence and mobilize the sect to capture this “beast.”

After all, didn’t that woman despise her? The white snake equally loathed the woman. She’d decided—if the woman exposed her, she’d seize her immediately, keeping her close to torment daily, biting every inch of her body, draining her bl00d to vent her hatred!

Beyond all spiritual senses and gazes, Ji Qingwu remained composed. Raising her eyes to meet Yu Yan’s, she spoke in a gentle yet firm tone:

“Elder, I swear upon my position as the head disciple of the Jade Pure Sect that my words are entirely truthful: No one else has ever resided in my quarters but myself! All food and drink were for my consumption alone, never shared with another!”

Just as expected—no good would come from her. Wait… no.

The white snake tilted her head in confusion, her forked tongue dangling forgotten like a red leaf at the corner of her mouth.

What had she just heard?

This detestable servant… had actually taken the blame for her?