Chapter 10: Retribution Comes Swiftly

Seeing the outcome, Jin’er naturally did not feel the slightest sorrow over the royal family’s execution; in fact, she could barely contain her delight. Did they really think that by killing her and her mother, they could restore everything? Hmph! If that absurd prophecy—that the union of the Emperor of Muguo and the female national preceptor would bring about Muguo’s doom—were true, wouldn’t it already be too late for them to try and reverse their fate now? Were they merely deluding themselves? Or perhaps they never truly believed it at all, and everything was just a ruse to sacrifice her and her mother to appease the boiling anger of the people?

Heh… Well, retribution has certainly come swiftly; it’s just a pity she couldn’t take vengeance for herself and her mother with her own hands.

It struck her how strange fate could be: if she hadn’t been condemned to death, if that general hadn’t chosen to end her life by strangulation, she would surely have already departed this world along with them. But she certainly didn’t feel grateful to any of them. Hmph!

On another note, wasn’t Jin Country’s reaction a bit too swift? In just a few days, they had managed to seize over half of Muguo’s territory. Clearly, they’d been prepared for this all along. But what did the kingdom of Muguo or its people have to do with her, anyway?

———

After more than a month of steady travel, the two of them entered the dense mountain forests in the southwestern reaches of Jin Country. This area was sparsely populated, the forests lush and the mountains stretching endlessly into the horizon. For days, as they journeyed through the wilderness, they searched for traces of the silver serpent.

This silver serpent was exceedingly rare and highly venomous—one bite could kill an ordinary person instantly. It was said to exist only in this region, and it was particularly fond of making its home in tree hollows. Thus, whenever they spotted a hollow in a tree, Jin’er was forced to reach inside and feel around.

She had to admit, thrusting her hand into those dark, perilous hollows filled her with dread and resistance, but she had no other choice.

Most of the time, she encountered something inside—not always the silver serpent, but often harmless little animals or other varieties of snakes and insects. Naturally, she’d been bitten countless times, yet now, ordinary poisons hardly had any effect on her.

Perhaps it was precisely because of this that she clung to the hope that even if she were bitten by a silver serpent, she might not die.

Cursed man! Wretched man! Despicable man! Jin’er scowled in disgust, shaking off yet another poisonous snake that had sunk its fangs into her hand. As she did so, she cursed her “master” under her breath, gritting her teeth against the pain as she hurried to catch up.

After a few more steps, she glanced back without thinking—and was stunned by what she saw.

The poisonous snake… had died, just like that.

This discovery filled Jin’er with both shock and excitement. Clearly, the toxins in her own body had reached an entirely new level!

Heh, it seemed she’d never again need to carry any poison for self-defense.

“What are you standing there for, lost in thought?” came a voice, impatient, from up ahead. Jin’er quickly schooled her features, wiped away her pleased expression, and hurried after him.

Two more days passed, and they found another tree hollow. As Jin’er reached inside once more, she felt a needle-sharp sting at the tip of her index finger. Instantly, a chill shot up from her fingertip to her arm and rapidly spread to her vitals, icy and swift.

Jin’er’s heart gave a jolt of alarm. She quickly withdrew her hand, only to see a small, shimmering silver snake clinging to her flesh, refusing to let go.

Her body temperature plummeted, cold seeping into her chest until it was almost impossible to breathe.

“We’ve found it! At last!” the man exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement. But before he could finish, Jin’er, gritting her teeth, seized the tiny serpent with her other hand and wrenched it free, hurling it at blinding speed toward the man who stood nearby, his face alight with exhilaration.