1: Black Snake and the Old Man
Cold, bone-chilling cold.
When Mo Chu opened his eyes on a patch of wet, slippery moss, he felt as if his entire body was a frozen rope, unable to even curl up without effort.
Before him was not the familiar ceiling of his rented room, but intertwined dry branches and a hazy, grey sky. The smell of damp earth and rotting leaves filled his nostrils, and the moss beneath him was cold and soft, like a cheap velvet blanket.
“Hiss…”
A faint, breathy hiss escaped his throat, and Mo Chu himself was stunned. This was not a human sound; it was more like the low murmur of some reptile.
He painstakingly turned his neck—this movement was far more flexible than he imagined, and his vision tilted downwards, finally allowing him to see his “body.”
A long, black body covered in fine scales, the scales gleaming with a wet, dark sheen, faintly shining in the damp air. Beneath him were short, almost imperceptible limbs, and a slender, powerful tail unconsciously swept the ground.
“A snake?” Mo Chu’s consciousness felt as if it had been hit by a heavy hammer, and it took a while in Chaos before he could reluctantly accept this fact. Hadn’t he died from overwork? How did he, a corporate slave, become a newly hatched little black snake the moment he opened his eyes?
Just then, a cold, mechanical voice sounded in his mind without warning:
Ding! Detecting stable host Soul, meeting binding conditions. The Town-Protecting Spirit Beast System is activating…
Binding successful! Host: Mo Chu (Black Snake Hatchling). Current Status: Weak (Life Signs 30%).
Newbie Mission Issued: Gain the recognition of a member of an Immortal Cultivation Family and become their temporary Contract Beast. Mission Reward: Physique Strengthening Fluid x1, Unlock System Panel.
System? Mo Chu was stunned. As a fan of web novels, he was no stranger to such things. But other people’s Systems either gave them a Golden Finger or superpowers, while his System… by its name, it sounded like a “bundled sale” product? Town-Protecting Spirit Beast? And he had to find an Immortal Cultivation Family to acknowledge him first?
While he was still dazed, a faint rustling of footsteps came from the forest. Mo Chu instinctively tensed his body, the snake’s wariness making him coil up, trying to hide himself behind the dead branches and fallen leaves.
The footsteps stopped not far away. Mo Chu quietly raised his head and looked through the gaps in the leaves.
It was an old man dressed in a grey Daoist robe, with white hair and beard, and a face full of wrinkles, yet he was full of vigor. He leaned on a mottled wooden staff, looking down at the ground as if searching for something.
What shocked Mo Chu even more was the faint white light subtly flowing around the old man. Although weak, it carried an indescribable pressure—this was definitely an immortal cultivator!
“Alas, I’ve searched for three days and haven’t even seen a decent Spirit Insect…” The old man sighed, his voice a little hoarse, “Is my Liu Family truly going to come to this? Unable to even find a Spirit Beast to contract, how will we establish ourselves in this Qingmang Mountain Range in the future?”
Liu Family? Immortal Cultivation Family?
Mo Chu’s heart (if a snake had one) skipped a beat. The “Immortal Cultivation Family member” from the System mission—wasn’t this just delivered to his doorstep?
But he was just an ordinary little black snake! He had only just gained sentience, let alone any Spiritual Root talent. Would this old man even look at him?
As if sensing his gaze, the old man suddenly turned his head, his eyes accurately falling on Mo Chu’s hiding place.
“Hmm?” The old man raised an eyebrow, slowly walked over, and looked down at Mo Chu, who was coiled into a ball. “An ordinary black snake hatchling? It has a bit of spirituality, knowing to hide.”
His gaze swept over Mo Chu, filled with scrutiny. Mo Chu was so nervous he didn't move, even forgetting to breathe—though he seemed to be breathing through his skin now.
Just as Mo Chu thought he would be ignored as an ordinary reptile, the old man suddenly let out a soft “Oh?” He squatted down, extended a finger, and lightly touched Mo Chu’s scales.
A gentle Qi flowed from his fingertip. Mo Chu felt the chill in his body dissipate a little, and even his sense of weakness lessened slightly.
“Strange…” the old man murmured. “Clearly a mortal snake, yet there’s a faint Spiritual Qi fluctuation… And, Old Ancestor, why do I feel that this little fellow… is a bit different?”
He stared into Mo Chu’s eyes. Mo Chu knew this was his only chance. He suppressed his instinctive fear, trying to make his gaze appear “spiritual,” and even tentatively rubbed his head gently against the old man’s finger.
This action was risky, but Mo Chu had gambled correctly.
The old man was startled for a moment, then a surprised smile appeared on his face: “Oh? Quite intelligent.”
He pondered for a moment, as if making a decision, then slowly said, “I am General Manager Liu Yuan, the current Old Ancestor of the Liu Family in the Qingmang Mountain Range. Although my Liu Family is in decline, we are still considered an Immortal Cultivation Family. Although you, little fellow, are not a Spirit Beast, you possess sentience. If you don’t mind, would you be willing to return with Old Ancestor and temporarily serve as a revered Spirit Beast for my Liu Family?”
Ding! Detecting an invitation from General Manager Liu Yuan, a member of an Immortal Cultivation Family (Liu Family). Do you accept the temporary contract?
The System’s prompt sounded again. Mo Chu barely hesitated, responding with action—he slowly climbed along the old man’s finger onto his palm, then docilely curled into a ball.
General Manager Liu Yuan looked at the small black snake in his palm, a hint of relief in his eyes, mixed with a touch of helplessness: “Well, it’s better than nothing. Black scales, dark body, I’ll call you Mo Chu. Come back with me. From now on, you and I will prosper or decline together.”
Ding! Newbie Mission complete! Rewards being distributed…
Physique Strengthening Fluid has been stored in System Space, System Panel has been unlocked.