Zhongshan Shenzhu Chi

Chapter 75 The Reverse Scale

"This scale appeared along with your form back then. At the time, I thought it was just good luck—"

She suddenly gave birth to two children.

The serpent god's voice was slow and distant.

"But later, I discovered that it only absorbs the minimum amount of spiritual energy, as if it's making way for your development."

"It wasn't until I gave birth to you that it truly began to draw upon the spiritual energy within me—and I've been raising it ever since."

"Now, it seems to have grown up."

"This is—my companion spirit?" The giant serpent stared at the red scale.

It tilted its head slightly, offering a friendly greeting.

The moment it touched it, the giant serpent seemed to see a murky river mixed with countless past events.

The image lasted only a moment before being washed away by the water.

"What is that?" the giant snake asked, puzzled.

The horn on its head once again emitted its own mental fluctuations, this time a continuous output.

It stood once again on the bank of that murky river.

Looking ahead along the river, it stretched out into the distance, dark and empty.

Then, looking back against the current.

Countless versions of myself stand on the banks of this murky river.

They all turned their heads in unison, and countless pairs of snake eyes looked at them.

Huai Nian calmed himself down and took a closer look, only to find that very few of the snakes had eyes that were the same golden-silver color as his own.

Some are as red as blood, while others have a glowing green like a wolf. Their size, body color, and even the horns on their heads vary greatly.

Many have even lost an eye or lost their sight.

They stared at me for a moment, then turned their heads and looked in the opposite direction of the river.

i,

The giant snake's skull exploded with excruciating pain known as mental exhaustion. Its body felt as if it had been struck by a heavy blow, as if its spine had been removed, and it collapsed limply.

"A-Nian!?"

"It's alright—I was just being reckless."

Enduring the excruciating pain throbbing in his head, the giant snake collapsed to the ground, barely managing to regain some strength.

He stood up again and looked at the red scales standing silently on the stone pillar.

If what it just saw was correct, that turbid river should be the so-called River of Time.

And those snakes of various shapes and sizes—

"Are these the difficulties I will face when I take control of time in the future?" the giant snake panted heavily.

The crimson scale standing silently on the stone pillar seemed to have finally come to its senses.

Red scales flew up, like little dogs, circling the giant snake.

Waves of joy and excitement flowed back to the giant snake.

"A companion spirit—a reverse scale?"

"I never thought that something as snake as me would have a reverse scale."

The intense pain, which felt like it was about to burst the serpent's head, slowly dissipated after absorbing the spirit fed back from the reverse scale.

"Do you know what this thing is?" the snake god asked.

The giant snake's eyes flashed, and it was about to speak.

The serpent god spoke up, suppressing its own words: "Keep it to yourself. Don't tell anyone until you have fully mastered its power."

"Mother----"

"Now that you've taken over as the God of Zhongshan, I worry that you'll follow in my footsteps. You'll be schemed against by humans, forced into a royal decree, and then subjected to the Heavenly Tribulation—"

At this moment, the snake god's tone was no longer heavy, but rather conveyed a sense of relief as if he had broken free from his restraints.

"Now it seems that I was thinking too much for you."

"You have your own path to walk—if my previous arrangements conflict with your path, then let's dismantle them."

"Don't be reluctant."

"Hmm," the giant snake nodded.

"Is that fox about to give birth?" the snake god asked again.

"It is a divinely bestowed spirit beast, a nine-tailed fox. Even before it was born, it had an extra tail compared to a fox."

"She's quite stubborn—she's followed you her whole life, and her temperament is actually somewhat similar to mine."

The serpent god muttered to himself, and a verdant mountain range appeared in his eyes.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the forest, flowing along with the stream like thousands of leaping golden fish.

The clear chirping of birds echoed through the mountains, swirling outwards in circles, only to turn back when they encountered rocks blocking their path.

The birds sang to themselves.

"How beautiful," she murmured, her voice tinged with nostalgia and tranquility.

The giant serpent wanted to ask who the humans her mother had mentioned were who had plotted against her.

You can look up and see those rare, serene eyes.

The doubts were suppressed by it again.

"Ask again later." The giant snake turned and left.

*

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*

Winter City.

After the Red Serpent God manifested, dispelled the Mist Demons, and killed the Skin-Peeling Demon City Lord, the people of the city spontaneously began to worship the Red Serpent of Zhongshan.

Tu Die keenly seized this opportunity and won people's hearts in the simplest way.

She refused any help and carried the snake scales alone, walking from the east gate to the west gate.

Then we walked along the city wall, passing by the city lord's mansion, which had been reduced to ruins.

With a bang, the crimson scale was driven into the ground.

Turning my head, I saw a huge crowd of people following me.

"I am the Divine Envoy of Zhongshan!" Tu Die raised her head, put her hands on her hips, and looked as proud as a phoenix about to spread its wings.

But now, the phoenix's feathers are dull and its spirit is weak.

"Am I out of my mind or something? How could I possibly think of taking over the administration of two cities?!"

With a whoosh, Tu Die slammed her head onto the table.

With the full support of the believers, the new city lord's mansion was rebuilt on the ruins.

"Sister Butterfly, didn't you say that yourself?"

"Zhongshan God has entrusted both cities to you. This is an immense trust, and you cannot betray it."

Xiao Nuan stepped forward to tidy up the scattered memorials for Tu Die, and at the same time brought her some refreshing tea.

Her delicate face was full of seriousness, almost as if she was saying, "You still have a lot of things to deal with, you can't rest now."

"Sigh—I don't want to let them down, but there's nothing I can do. That Zhongshan God is wary of me."

"It just wants me to be like a water buffalo, burying my head in the fields, building a whole series of drought-resistant water conservancy projects in the two cities during the autumn and winter—by the way, has Li Zhengyuan replied yet?"

"Not yet," Xiao Nuan replied.

"Tsk, it's been so many days, can't you reply sooner?" Tu Die suddenly stood up.

She's going for a walk outside.

If she continues to be buried in these political affairs, who knows, she might go crazy one day.

"Sister Butterfly, you still have a lot of things to take care of—" Xiao Nuan quickly picked up a stack of memorials and chased after her.

Upon hearing this, Tu Die's face fell, and she quickened her pace to shake off Xiao Nuan.

Impatient with the servants opening the door, she lifted the bolt and pushed the door open.

"Elder Tu, is this scale from the Zhongshan God?"

Outside the door, a white-robed gentleman with a folding fan and a jade-like crown stood in front of Chi Lin.

Hearing the door open, he turned his head and looked at Tu Die.

"Elder Tu, shall we have a talk?"

"You and I don't have much to talk about, do we?"

'

Tu Die withdrew her foot from the city lord's mansion and stared coldly at the newcomer.