Fairy, Please Listen to My Explanation

Chapter 6: The Attack

Watching the flickering bonfire, Xu Yuan let out a soft sigh before chuckling lightly.

No matter how complex the storylines of Ancient Origin had been, it was ultimately just a game. It could never fully depict every aspect of the real world.

In this supernatural world, many of his former common-sense notions would become laughable to others.

Here, one didn’t necessarily need medicine when sick, nor a bonfire for warmth when suffering from hypothermia in the wilderness.

Xu Yuan considered himself highly adaptable, but faced with such fundamental changes in the world’s rules, habits formed over twenty-plus years would still temporarily affect his thought process.

His mind wandered as he glanced toward the giant serpent stuck at the cave’s entrance.

The creature had been lying there staring at him since he woke up, as if it recognized his face.

He didn’t dwell on it. Though the transition from 2.5D pixel art to a first-person realistic perspective had drastically altered its appearance, Xu Yuan could still roughly discern what kind of serpent this was.

A Flame Serpent.

A relatively rare elite fire-attribute material monster with a certain level of intelligence. It could be subdued and kept as a ‘pet’ and subsequently nurtured into a Flame Flood Dragon.

Back in the game, subduing this type of giant serpent was simple: just beat it into submission. It was a type of demonic beast (妖兽) known for being extremely lustful yet cowardly creatures.

Xu Yuan had never bothered with such low-level creatures as companions in the game, but the Flame Serpent Essence they produced was a valuable resource. Even in the late game, certain elixirs refined with it as a secondary ingredient were still useful.

Currently, pill refining wasn’t an option for him, but the Flame Serpent Essence itself was a natural treasure that could be consumed directly.

Recalling the description of Flame Essence Liquid from the alchemy book, Xu Yuan’s eyes flickered slightly.

It could cleanse the meridians and marrow, expel cold ailments, nourish yin and strengthen yang. Due to the serpent’s inherent lustful nature, it carried a mild aphrodisiac effect. As he mentally recited the effects, Xu Yan suddenly remembered that this stuff was also one of the ingredients in the infamous Harmonious Unity Powder from the dark path storyline.

He looked down at the water skin in his hands, then subconsciously towards the other person in the cave.

After completing everything she had done earlier, Ran Qingmo had silently sat cross-legged on the other side of the cave and begun meditating, her cold aura palpable from a distance.

Xu Yuan withdrew his gaze and quietly set down the water skin.

While Flame Serpent Essence was indeed valuable, given the current situation, he should drink sparingly. Otherwise, if that ice block decided to chop him up, he’d have nowhere to cry.

Mulling over these trivial matters, Xu Yuan patted the damp silk brocade robe clinging to his body and stood up, preparing to ask the giant python at the entrance to help dry him.

The sound of Xu Yuan’s slow footsteps didn’t attract Ran Qingmo’s attention; she continued sitting quietly in meditation.

Approaching the Flame Serpent, Xu Yuan met its massive vertical pupils and realized that he was surprisingly adaptable in certain aspects.

He had been frightened at first, but now he could face the creature calmly.

As man and serpent stared at each other, Xu Yuan raised his hand and pointed to his clothes.

The Flame Serpent just lay there, staring at him motionlessly.

Xu Yuan took a deep breath and pointed at Ran Qingmo nearby.

A hint of human-like disdain flashed in the Flame Serpent’s vertical pupils before it obediently parted its jaws and wisely opened its mouth to extend its forked tongue.

The moment its tongue emerged, a wave of dry, scorching heat washed over him. The moisture on his robe evaporated at a visible rate.

The heat wave from the snake tongue felt pleasantly warm against his body.

For a moment, the cave was completely quiet.

But just as Xu Yuan’s robe was about to be completely dried,

A sudden change occurred!

The previously docile and cowering Flame Serpent’s huge vertical pupils suddenly flashed with a hint of frenzied killing intent. Its extended tongue lashed out like a whip, cutting through the air with blistering heat, aimed straight for Xu Yuan’s skull!

A direct hit from such a monstrous strike would pulverize his head without question.

This time, Xu Yuan saw it coming, but an ordinary human body couldn’t possibly dodge an attack at such speed.

The aura of death enveloped him like a tide. He could only watch as the serpent’s tongue, like a sledgehammer, hurtled towards his head with a terrifying force.

In this life-or-death moment, a streak of azure sword light cleaved through space, instantly devouring the heat wave with an endless chill. A graceful figure, clad in black, had appeared before him at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

Clack—

With a crisp sound, the thick, lengthy snake tongue was severed and fell to the cold ground, its remaining nerves causing the severed piece to continue writhing.

The cave went silent for a moment. “Hssss!!!!!!”

A piercing shriek of agony erupted as the giant serpent’s colossal body convulsed violently, shaking the entire cave structure with its thrashing.

Standing in front of Xu Yuan, Ran Qingmo’s clear, tranquil eyes remained fixed on the giant python before her. She lightly placed her hand on her sword hilt and swung it lightly.

Without a sound, a gash that ran the entire length of the cave appeared on the inner wall of the entrance. Through this gash, the gloomy, rainy sky outside was clearly visible.

Simultaneously, the Flame Serpent’s frenzied movements ceased abruptly.

Ran Qingmo sheathed her sword and slowly turned to look at Xu Yuan.

“What were you doing?”

Behind her, the serpent’s head slid diagonally apart from its body, separated in one clean stroke.

“…”

Xu Yuan looked at the scene before him without responding, biting his lip hard.

There was no relief at being saved; instead, a chilling coldness gradually rose in his heart, making his spine tingle.

Flame Serpents were intelligent creatures driven by lust and fear of death in their lives. Given the choice, they would cling to any shred of survival rather than risk a suicidal attack.

Yet this Flame Serpent had just attempted to kill him right under Ran Qingmo’s nose.

Xu Yuan’s fists tightened gradually.

This could only mean that something deeply terrifying had compelled it to act this way.

Staring at the Flame Serpent’s massive corpse, a belated fear gripped him.

If he had carelessly entered the Flame Serpent’s attack range while Ran Qingmo was out gathering firewood, he would likely be dead by the time she returned.

In the various storylines of Ancient Origin, the Third Young Master died nine times while being held captive by Ran Qingmo, each death occurring in a different manner.

Freezing to death due to Ran Qingmo’s lack of common sense and negligence was just one of them.

Drowning in a shallow stream less than half a meter deep while drinking water, falling off a cliff, having his head smashed in by a wooden club—

The Third Young Master’s various absurd and unfortunate deaths across different timelines were often mocked by players, but at this moment, Xu Yuan couldn’t laugh.

Thinking about it carefully, these seemingly random deaths were no different from the suicide case of shooting oneself in the back of the head in his previous life.

There were no accidents.

Someone wanted him dead in the Wanxing Mountain Range.

Outside, the rain continued to fall, and the sky remained dark and gloomy.

Xu Yuan took a deep breath before meeting the black-clad woman’s gaze with resolve.

“Heroine Ran, we need to talk.”