Chapter Twenty-Two: The Black-Gold Serpent at My Side

Qin Xiaomo was questioned by the old immortal about her origins, but she did not know how to answer. She could only reply, "I came from the beginning, and I shall return to where I came."

"You still have several dead knots in your meridians, already as deep as an abyss. If your meridians were fully unblocked, the energy of the four seas would converge within you alone," the old immortal mused, his heart heavy with worry. If one with such ability were truly good, it would be a blessing; but if they strayed into darkness, chaos would reign. The evil spirits of the Nether Hall now run rampant outside, and should another such person appear, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Old Immortal, though I may not seem virtuous, I promise I am by no means wicked. My family taught me that cause and effect, karma and retribution, all have their origins; every experience in this world is a result. I believe in the heavenly way, though it cannot be seen or touched. With reverence in my heart, I can live a lifetime doing good." Qin Xiaomo hoped the old immortal would continue to teach her. Such opportunities were rare, and she was constantly hunted—without the ability to defend herself, no one was obliged to protect her forever. Better to rely on oneself. She carefully recalled a few sayings her family often repeated, and today, finally, they proved useful.

The old immortal stroked his beard and pondered for a long moment, seemingly making up his mind. "I can continue to teach you, but you must promise me one thing."

"What condition?"

"Carry this golden serpent with you! If you ever harbor thoughts against the heavenly way, this golden serpent will take your life!" With that, a small golden serpent with horns atop its head writhed in his hand.

"Old Immortal... are you sure it won’t kill me right now?"

"What, unwilling?"

"No, it’s just that—it’s a living creature, hanging on me all day, the thought alone makes my heart tremble. I’m terrified of this species." Qin Xiaomo imagined carrying a snake and couldn’t help but shudder, goosebumps prickling.

"No need to worry—it will transform into a bracelet on your wrist. If you are upright, it will be nothing more than an ornament."

"Does it have any other function besides waiting to kill me?"

"Too many words are useless. Will you accept or not?" The old immortal grew impatient.

"One last question."

"Speak!"

"Can you give an example—under what circumstances will it awaken?"

"If you lose control in cultivation or if your five meridians’ energy turns black, it will sink its fangs into your blood. The poison in its teeth cannot be cured by anyone."

"Very well, let’s do it!"

Qin Xiaomo extended her left hand. The old immortal raised his hand lightly, and the golden serpent soared to her wrist like a dragon, transforming into a serpent-shaped golden bracelet, its head and tail joined.

Qin Xiaomo stretched her hand far away, touching it tentatively several times. Assured that it did not bite and was as solid as stone, she relaxed. "Old Immortal, will it be damaged if I’m fighting someone?"

"It possesses ten thousand years of Xuanjin cultivation—how could mortal objects possibly harm it? Ridiculous."

Hearing this, Qin Xiaomo grew fond of the golden bracelet, especially its snake eyes, shining like emeralds, sparkling even with a hint of light. Far more exquisite and distinctive than modern jewelry. At worst, it could be used like Nezha’s Universe Ring, at least able to block blades and arrows. As she finished this thought, the golden serpent seemed to hear her inner voice and sweat trickled from its head.

"Sit properly. Today, we must unblock your meridians, so you have the foundation to cultivate spiritual power."

"Old Immortal, what does cultivation of spiritual power have to do with unblocking meridians?"

"Humans have five meridians, each with its own destiny. If you have accumulated virtue over many lifetimes, your meridian patterns will be better. If you enhance your spiritual power, and it merges with your meridian energy, the color and shape presented will differ in each person," the old immortal generously explained.

"So, aside from black, there are no good or bad colors?"

"Indeed, you are teachable. All people possess seven emotions and six desires, so different desires result in different colors. Each person has their own unique color; only white is the extreme, like the yin and yang of the Eight Trigrams—black and white are the extremes."

"Oh..." Though Qin Xiaomo understood only part of it, she at least knew that unblocking her meridians was crucial. "Old Immortal, are my meridians easy to unblock?"

The old immortal shook his head. "Several of your meridians are sealed tightly. I tried to break them with Yang Flame energy, but not one succeeded. It seems the closed meridians are resisting something. Normally, your unblocked meridians should be stiff and impenetrable, dry and hard to channel, but yours are exceptionally supple and resilient. I have yet to understand the reason."

Qin Xiaomo thought for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Could it be because I drank Earth Fish soup before?"

"Earth Fish soup? From Desert City?" The old immortal asked in surprise. "That Earth Fish meat must be cooked with Heavenly Fire within fifteen minutes of death to be effective in opening blood and meridians. So you managed to unblock several meridians yourself because of that soup—no wonder there are such anomalies."

"So Earth Fish soup really works!"

The old immortal eyed Qin Xiaomo suspiciously. There were fewer than five people in the Four Seas who knew how to make Earth Fish soup: one sold weapons, one guarded a gate, another founded a sect as a master, and the last roamed the Four Seas and Eight Wastelands searching for his lost wife. None could be linked to the one before him—could it be that one? The old immortal glanced around, finding nothing amiss.

"Old Immortal, should I return to Desert City to hunt more Earth Fish and brew some soup?" Qin Xiaomo asked softly.

The old immortal waved his hand. "That’s not something a mere mortal can do."

"If he can, why can’t I? I can at least carry water and cook soup."

"The ‘he’ you mention—who is he?" The old immortal leaned forward, eager to know.

"He... is sort of my..." The word ‘husband’ stuck in her throat. "Employer? I eat and drink at his place."

"My dear, I don’t mean to discourage you, but your meridians don’t appear naturally sealed; they seem to be caused by some external force or interference. Relying solely on me to unblock them all may be difficult."

"Old Immortal, do you mean I’m not meant for cultivation?"

"Not entirely. Judging by your bones, if unblocked, you would have rare talent. But your meridians are hard to open, unable to absorb spiritual power and blend with meridian energy—how can you cultivate? What a pity."

Qin Xiaomo felt as if she were hearing a line from a Stephen Chow film: "I see your bones are extraordinary, your talent is unmatched—you are a martial arts genius, destined to maintain world peace. I have a secret manual, ‘Buddha Palm,’ and since fate has brought us together, I’ll sell it to you for ten coins!" Was the old immortal about to pull out a manual and sell it to her?

Suddenly, she remembered the Purple Spirit Pearl she still carried. Qian Mubai had said it was excellent for enhancing spiritual power. She hurriedly searched for it, found the purple bead, and held it out to the old immortal. "Old Immortal, is this bead useful?"

"Purple Spirit Pearl?" The old immortal’s eyes lit up, marveling at Qin Xiaomo’s luck.

Qin Xiaomo smiled in response. In this game, no matter how good an item was, it couldn’t be eaten or worn in reality. If she returned to the real world and wrote a plug-in, she could have as many beads as she wanted—what was so rare about it?

In the depths of the darkness, Jiang Wei whispered to Qian Mubai, "Lord Emperor, do you think Madam’s meridians can be unblocked?"