After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

The hunter knelt down with a thud, clasped his hands together, and pleaded with utmost sincerity, "Lord Snake! You are all-powerful and possess boundless magic. Please bless me with great wealth, for I was the one who pulled you out of the stream!"

"No, no, no, I'm not greedy. I just want to find a wife, build a new house, and save enough money for my retirement!"

Yu Linzhou: "..."

Lin Zhixu: "..."

Yu Linzhou was silent for a moment, then slowly pulled his head back into his coiled body and closed his eyes.

This human is probably not quite right in the head.

However, considering that he did bandage my wound and bring me water, I can barely be considered harmless.

His most important task right now is to conserve his energy and restore his cultivation. He has traveled a long way, and those people should not be able to find him for a while.

Let's hide here for now.

The hunter knelt for a long time without receiving a response. When he looked up, he saw that the snake was already curled up and asleep.

Hunter: "..."

It seems he wasn't sincere.

Snake Lord has been unconscious for so many days, he must be hungry. He should hurry up and catch some field mice to offer as tribute.

Perhaps if he serves him well, the Snake Lord will grant his wish.

……

Yu Linzhou recovered quickly from his injuries and was able to get out of bed and walk around the next day.

Lin Zhixu watched from the side and couldn't help but marvel at the power of the Bashe bloodline.

Over the past two days, Lin Zhixu followed the hunter around the village and gradually learned about his situation.

The hunter's surname was Zhang. The villagers rarely called him by his full name; they all called him Zhang the Hunter, and those who were closer to him simply called him Old Zhang.

From the villagers' casual conversation, I learned that Zhang the hunter was not yet forty years old. He lost both his parents when he was young and made a living by hunting, which he learned from his father.

His family was dirt poor; the few dilapidated rooms were empty, and the most valuable thing they owned was a hunting bow hanging on the wall.

Therefore, he has never been able to get married.

Actually, it's not like no matchmakers have tried to arrange a marriage for him.

These days, meat is a rare treat for most families, but Old Zhang, being a hunter, can still manage to catch some wild game every now and then. With those qualities, he shouldn't have remained a bachelor to this age.

But he was too soft-hearted. He couldn't bring himself to harm a mother animal with cubs or a cub. Sometimes he would go out for days and return empty-handed.

The villagers shook their heads behind his back, saying that Zhang the hunter was a good man, but not one who could manage a household.

If he gets married, does he expect his wife and children to starve with him?

Zhang the hunter was quite easygoing; he was content with his lot since he was single and had no family to worry about.

Some people advised him to quickly find a partner and have a child, so that when he dies, someone will be there to pay their respects.

He told people that he wouldn't receive the offerings after he died, and what good would it do to worship him if he couldn't be resurrected?

It's utterly immoral to ruin a young woman's life for some vague and uncertain future.

He was so angry that he rolled his eyes, and from then on, no one ever tried to arrange a marriage for him again.

……

That day, Zhang the hunter slowly came down the mountain carrying two fat rabbits, humming an off-key tune.

The villagers passing by stared wide-eyed at the prey in his hand and joked, "Hey, Old Zhang, did the sun rise in the west today? You've got a heart of gold, actually willing to hunt a rabbit?"

Hunter Zhang grinned and patted his basket: "Isn't this because there's another mouth to feed in the family? I can be hungry, but I can't let that person go hungry."

The villagers were taken aback, then gave him knowing smiles and leaned closer, whispering, "You've found a wife? When did this happen? Why didn't you tell us? When are you planning to get married? You'll have to invite me to your wedding!"

Hunter Zhang was both amused and exasperated by his barrage of questions. He quickly waved his hand and said, "What nonsense! I rescued another wild animal, and it's still recovering from its injuries. I need to give it some nourishment."

The villagers' smiles vanished instantly, and their gazes towards Old Zhang were filled with unspeakable emotions.

He genuinely felt that Old Zhang had something wrong with his head.

He's almost forty, and he himself might not even get to eat a decent piece of meat. He's constantly rescuing this person and that person, and then releasing them back into the mountains after he's done.

With that kind of free time, he could be fawning over some girl and already have a wife, kids, and a warm bed.

He sighed, patted Old Zhang on the shoulder, and said, "Fine, you can live with your wild game for the rest of your life. Forget what I just said." He then shook his head and left.

Zhang the hunter didn't take it seriously and happily carried the rabbit home.

Hunter Zhang returned home. As he pushed open the courtyard gate, he habitually glanced towards the east room.

That was the place he arranged for Yu Linzhou.

The window faces the sun, so there's plenty of sunlight. There are even a few stones placed on the windowsill so that Yu Linzhou can enjoy the sun.

He placed the rabbit on the stove, plucked its fur, sat down on a low stool, took out a small rough porcelain bowl, put the chopped rabbit meat into it, and carefully pushed it to the side of the bamboo basket.

"Snake Master, I'm in luck today, I caught two fat rabbits. Try them, they're much tastier than field mice."

After he finished speaking, he took half a step back, giving the black snake room to eat.

Yu Linzhou, who was sitting in the bamboo basket, lifted his eyelids and glanced at him.

He still hadn't fully adapted to the human's daily monologue, but he noticed the wound on the other's hand, which must have been sustained while hunting.

He remained silent for a while, then slowly climbed out of the basket, lowered his head, and began to eat, much to his respect.

Lin Zhixu sat to the side, resting his chin on his hand and watching them.

I never imagined that Yu Linzhou was such a proud and arrogant person when he was young. I wonder how he developed that kind of flamboyant personality later on.

Indeed, time is a cruel mistress.

Seeing that he had eaten, Zhang the hunter breathed a sigh of relief, and then grinned happily.

……

The man and the snake lived their lives together, day after day.

Yu Linzhou's external injuries gradually healed, and his spiritual power also recovered somewhat.

It's also grown a whole size bigger than when it first arrived. It used to fit in a bamboo basket, but now it needs a large wooden basin to fit in.

Zhang the hunter was afraid of frightening the villagers, so he specifically told him not to go out during the day. Sometimes when he had to go out hunting, he would cover the window of the east room with an old cloth curtain before leaving.

Yu Linzhou was too lazy to go out. He spent his days meditating and recuperating in a wooden tub. Zhang the hunter would often tell him about what was happening outside after he returned from his trip.

It's a rare moment of leisure, so the days aren't too hard to bear.

Until one day, Zhang the hunter went out hunting and hadn't returned for two whole days.

Yu Linzhou sat by the window, listening to the wind outside growing stronger, the air filled with the earthy smell of an impending mountain rain.

A strange sense of unease arose within him, his scales involuntarily opened slightly, and the tip of his tail tapped unconsciously.

Suddenly, a thunderclap exploded in the sky. Yu Linzhou no longer waited. He vanished from the house in a flash and sped towards the mountains following the familiar scent in the air.

The hunter's scent grew stronger, a mixture of earthy and bloody smells.

He followed the scent through the dense forest and finally stopped beside a newly dug trap.

It was a huge, deep pit, with a ring of sharpened bamboo sticking upside down at the bottom, and the rainwater had made the pit walls slippery.

Zhang the hunter lay at the bottom of the pit, a bamboo thorn piercing his calf.