Chapter 53: Taking Lives (Part Two)

In the depths of night, the mountain forest teemed with serpents and pythons. As those assassins, disguised as commoners, approached with torches and blades, radiating murderous intent, the snakes summoned by Daidai slithered forth—from crevices in the rocks, beneath fallen leaves, and down from the treetops. These were far deadlier than the harmless snakes seen in the Plaza of the Gate of Heaven; every one of them was venomous enough to kill with a single bite.

Seated within the phoenix palanquin, her expression was devoid of sorrow or joy. She regarded the world with a disdainful gaze, as though those slain by her snakes were nothing more than insignificant ants.

Was this the true nature of a demon?

The four attendant women stared, their faces as pale as wax, watching person after person fall. Even after every intruder was dead and the torches extinguished, they could not reconcile this terrifying vision with the lady they once knew.

No—after such a massacre, could she still be their lady?

The palace lamp cast a ghastly white glow upon the ground, beside which the vipers writhed. Their eyes were cold and menacing. Even though these creatures had just saved their lives, now that the threat was gone, the eunuchs and maids in the entourage shrieked in terror, crying out, "Save us, there's a demon!"

"Kill the demon!"

Their footsteps scattered chaotically as they fled into the depths of the forest, vanishing without a trace.

Daidai let out a faint, dismissive laugh. Her gaze shifted to the four trembling attendants curled up on the ground. Seeing their bodies shivering in terror, she chuckled scornfully and stepped down from the palanquin.

She righted the fallen palace lamp, its light growing a little brighter, allowing her to better examine the varieties of snakes at her feet. They resembled a troop of well-trained warriors, approaching Daidai with playful affection as she drew near.

She moved among them like a lord selecting her generals, scrutinizing each serpent until she paused beside a slender green bamboo snake. Bending down and extending her hand, the little snake slithered up her arm and coiled itself around her shoulder, lowering its head in docile submission, awaiting her command.

Daidai stroked its icy scales and, smiling gently, said, "Good little one, lead your kin to destroy another clan for me. That family has threatened my life too many times; it is time for them to perish."

Her voice was soft and sweet, but the words she spoke sent chills down the spine.

"Remember, leave the one in the palace alive. Once she has lost her family's protection, she will be like a jar of venomous insects I keep, waiting for the last survivor to become the king of poison."

The bamboo snake flicked its red tongue a few times before slithering down from Daidai, nodding its head as if in acknowledgment, then quickly disappeared into the leaf litter. The rest of the snakes followed suit—some nodding, some wagging their tails—as though bidding Daidai farewell before vanishing into the trees and crevices.

For a time, the forest was eerily silent, as if even the wind dared not stir among the branches. Only when the serpents had all dispersed did the sounds of nature return—birdsong, insects, the distant roar of tigers and cry of apes—filling the air with an undercurrent of fear.

Lifting a palace lamp, Daidai walked slowly into the depths of the forest. Her slender, fragile silhouette did not evoke pity; to Qiuyun and the others, she now seemed more like a ghost of the mountains.

The mistress of the wild.

"Miss, wait for us!" In the haunted silence, Qiuyun made a snap decision and hurried after Daidai, gathering her skirts as she ran. The others, at a loss, could only follow stiffly behind her.

Daidai paused for a moment, then continued without looking back, but her pace noticeably slowed.

Qiuyun’s heart leapt with relief and she quickened her steps. The night was dark and the way ahead obscured; the ground was littered with fresh corpses. She stumbled over something—someone—and fell with a cry. As she hit the earth with a thud, her eyes widened; after all, she was only a girl, and though mature for her age, she screamed in terror.

Her cries set off the others, who shrieked in fear, their very souls quaking.

"Silence."

The palace lamp drew near. Qiuyun looked up to see Daidai’s expressionless face illuminated by the pallid light. Yet, to her, it was like seeing her savior. She threw her arms around Daidai’s leg, sobbing, "Miss, don’t leave us behind!"

Spring’s End and the other two quickly understood and rushed over as well, kneeling and pleading, "Miss, please don’t abandon us!"

"Then let’s go," Daidai replied.

The four attendants rejoiced. Qiuyun, quick-witted, took the palace lamp from Daidai and, without thinking, shone it over the face of a corpse at their feet. Her own face went even paler. Wasn’t this the legitimate son of that family? She instantly understood who had sent these assassins.

"Miss, I know who sent these people."

"Mmm."

Qiuyun glanced at Daidai, seeing her composed, as though everything was under control. She ventured cautiously, "Miss, you already knew?"

"Mmm."

Qiuyun shivered inwardly. What, she wondered, could there possibly be that her mistress did not know?

Spring’s End was not as quick-witted as Qiuyun, her only thought now to please Daidai. She blurted, "Miss, where are we going?"

"The snake’s nest."

At Daidai’s cold reply, Spring’s End and the others shuddered. "The—the snake’s nest?!"

Suddenly, Daidai stopped, turned, and grinned in the ghostly light of the lamp. "I’m teasing you."

She then burst out laughing, her joy reminiscent of the girl she had once been.

Qiuyun, overcome with relief, let out two streams of tears and hurriedly wiped them away, her taut nerves finally beginning to relax.

The other three forced shaky smiles, and after their initial fear had faded, asked, "Then where are we going?"

There was no path in the forest, only thick grass and brambles. Their skirts were now in tatters, and their pale legs likely bore many scratches.

Daidai alone seemed unscathed, as if she could see in the dark; wherever she walked, the way was clear of thorns and full of wildflowers and green grass.

"Would you prefer to sleep in a cave, or in a snake’s den?" she asked.

Spring’s End stomped her foot in frustration. "Oh, miss, please stop teasing us!"

Daidai laughed. "Let’s find a flower-filled valley and stay in a cave. If you can’t bear it, you can make yourself a little nest. Of course, I won’t have any sweet, crispy pastries, and will have to settle for roasted game. Will you get used to that?"

"Miss can, so we can too," Summer’s Limit replied meekly.

"Good. You must have been frightened earlier," Daidai said, her tone so gentle that Summer’s Limit was both startled and flattered.

Daidai grinned. "What are you afraid of? If you’ve done nothing wrong in life, you need not fear ghosts at midnight. You’re all loyal to me, so there’s nothing to be scared of. I don’t like to eat things raw, and I certainly don’t eat people. Think about it: even snakes and pythons won’t bite you unless you provoke them. Isn’t that so?"

All four nodded fervently.

Reassured by Daidai’s gentle words, they realized how unreasonable their earlier panic had been.

That very same night, in the mansion where the Lü clan had gathered, slender bamboo snakes were quietly making their way toward their next target.

Author’s Note: For the 4th.

My dears, where are you all? Come back, all of you.