128. The Serpent Beauty and the Snake Fairy

"Actually, my mother also came to the competition venue this time. She came specifically to seek out Elder Ding Desheng of the Danxia Sect. I've heard his alchemy skills are superb, so I wanted to ask him to examine my mother," the Snake Fairy said, biting her lip as she finally spoke the words.

Upon hearing the name Ding Desheng, Xie Wuji’s brows furrowed. He thought to himself that if Ding Desheng helped cure the Snake Fairy’s mother, the relationship between the Snake Island and the elder would likely improve—a development that would be unfavorable for Dongmen Yong’s side.

"To be honest," Xie Wuji said, "I currently work in the Alchemy Hall of the Danxia Sect and have some expertise in medicinal pills myself. Why don't you let me take a look? If I’m unable to help, we can then contact Elder Ding. How does that sound?"

The Snake Fairy was overjoyed. "That would be perfect! If you can save my mother, you will be the greatest benefactor of our sect!"

Action followed words. After finishing their meal, Xie Wuji and his companions set aside their plans to buy spirit swords and immediately changed course, heading toward the vicinity of the Western Chu Kingdom's embassy. As the sixth-ranked sect, the Snake Island’s accommodations were quite refined—a three-story building complete with a rear garden. At that moment, in the garden, a woman who appeared to be in her early thirties was sitting in meditation.

She was expressionless, her eyes staring blankly at the flower beds in the distance, as still as a statue.

"Senior Sister, we shall take our leave now," several disciples said one after another.

The Snake Fairy nodded. She turned to Xie Wuji and said, "This is my mother, the former Island Mistress of Snake Island, known as the Snake Beauty."

Xie Wuji took a deep breath, thinking to himself that the genetic heritage of Snake Island must be incredibly potent.

This woman was the Snake Fairy’s mother? At first glance, one would think she was the Snake Fairy’s older sister. She looked remarkably youthful, her emerald hair loosely coiled with a few strands trailing down. A frost-blue ribbon adorned her neck, and her emerald eyes gazed forward with a languid expression. On her wrist was a beautiful snake-shaped gold bracelet, with two agate stones inlaid in its head.

A black robe draped over her figure, accentuating her graceful curves and lending her a bewitching air, like a star in the dark night. Her attire and grooming made it clear that the Snake Beauty was a woman who paid exquisite attention to detail.

"She’s so young; I would have taken her for your sister," Xie Wuji remarked.

Hearing his praise, the Snake Fairy’s expression softened slightly. "Ever since my mother fell ill, she has often been like this, as if she had lost all consciousness. Consequently, she has been unable to manage the affairs of Snake Island."

"How old is your mother?" Xie Wuji asked.

"She is nearly sixty," the Snake Fairy replied.

Xie Wuji marveled inwardly. To maintain such a youthful appearance at sixty—perhaps even those "ageless goddesses" of the modern world were no match for her.

Just then, Xie Wuji felt the bronze mirror in his pocket grow warm. The ancient mirror held many secrets he had yet to fully unravel; up until now, he had merely treated it as a teleportation device, though it occasionally surprised him.

He pulled out the mirror and saw that it was emitting a faint, warm light, much like a flashlight. He didn't understand the purpose of this glow, but he felt an intuition that the mirror was trying to assist him.

Xie Wuji shone the light onto the Snake Beauty. The issue became clear: there was a white spot between her eyebrows. He leaned in closer for a better look and realized the spot was actually a hair. Or rather, it was a needle as thin as a fine hair.

"Fairy, do you have any tweezers or similar tools?" Xie Wuji asked.

"I do, I carry one for embroidery," the Snake Fairy said, pulling a delicate pair of tweezers from her small pouch. The tips were extremely sharp. Xie Wuji leaned in and slowly drew out the glowing, hair-thin needle.

Before long, the needle was fully extracted. Xie Wuji was astonished, as he had never seen such a thing; without careful inspection, one would truly mistake it for a strand of hair.

As soon as the needle was removed, the Snake Beauty’s eyes began to move with life. The Snake Fairy was so happy she nearly wept. "Mother, can you see me?"

Though the Snake Beauty could not speak, her eyes grew moist, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

"There are more!" Xie Wuji said, noticing similar needles at the tip of her nose, the corners of her mouth, and her temples. Most terrifying of all was her nape, which was densely packed with over a hundred needles embedded deep into the flesh. Without the aid of the ancient mirror, they would have been impossible to detect.

After two arduous hours, Xie Wuji finally managed to extract all the needles. The Snake Beauty stood up in surprise and pulled the Snake Fairy into her arms. "It’s wonderful, my daughter... I... I..."

"Mother, what happened? Why were there so many needles in your body?" the Snake Fairy sobbed.

"It was your Junior Uncle... she plotted to seize my Abyss Dragon Spirit, the guardian spirit of our sect. She wanted to take my place. And this young hero is..." The Snake Beauty looked at Xie Wuji.

Xie Wuji gave a goofy smile, which immediately earned him the Snake Beauty’s favor.

The Snake Fairy quickly introduced him, and the Snake Beauty’s impression of him improved even further. "Thank you, Young Master Xie, for your timely help. If those silver needles had sealed my body for forty-nine days, my spirit would have been forced to leave. Our priority now is to expose your uncle's treacherous scheme so that all the disciples know of her wolfish ambition!"

"Mother, let’s go settle the score with her right now!" the Snake Fairy exclaimed.

Xie Wuji quickly interjected, "Island Mistress, Sect Leader, please listen to me. The competition is not yet over. If you two cause a scene now, it might negatively affect the sect's ranking. Since your uncle is unaware that we have rescued the Island Mistress, why not play along and strike when she least expects it?"

"It seems you have a plan, Young Master Xie. Please, tell us in detail. You have done us a great service; you are a true benefactor to Snake Island," the Snake Beauty said.

Xie Wuji thought to himself that this was trouble. The sixty-year-old Snake Beauty displayed a charm a thousand times more potent than the Snake Fairy’s. The daughter was clearly an inexperienced girl, while the mother was a master of allure. A single glance from her made Xie Wuji’s heart flutter, nearly causing him to lose his senses and become her captive.

In truth, the Snake Beauty was secretly astonished. Her charm techniques were unparalleled on Snake Island. She had intended to test Xie Wuji, but she hadn't expected his mind to be so resolute. Her test now seemed petty by comparison, which only increased her favorable impression of him.

Xie Wuji continued, "You can arrange for a succession ceremony through the inner disciples. Isn't your uncle's goal to steal the Abyss Dragon Spirit? If the Fairy announces that she is to inherit the spirit as the new Island Mistress, your uncle will surely act out of desperation and make a foolish move."

"We can use that to our advantage, setting an ambush to ensure she can never recover. If you confront her openly now, she will be on guard. If she decides to flee, she will become a hidden threat. Since she is an elder, she knows everything about Snake Island; if she turns against you later, you will be at a disadvantage," Xie Wuji explained.

"You’re right. If she strikes when we least expect it, we would be defenseless," the Snake Beauty agreed. "Young Master Xie, you are young but remarkably wise. I am truly impressed. By the way, my daughter mentioned you were looking to buy weapons?"

"Yes, I am here to purchase spirit swords. The official matches are coming up, and I am practicing a sword formation that requires a large number of them," Xie Wuji replied.

"Spirit swords?" The Snake Beauty pondered for a moment, then looked up. "Young Master, please follow me."

She led the way, and Xie Wuji followed her to a cargo carriage. With a wave of her hand, dozens of precious swords flew out from the carriage.