*"The wilderness of Yongzhou produces a strange serpent, black of scale with white markings. Whatever plant it touches perishes; no remedy exists for its bite."*
Liu Zongyuan set down his brush and sighed. Rising from his desk, he stepped to the window and murmured to himself, "The common folk struggle to survive. The cruelty of oppressive taxation is more venomous than any serpent. Since the fourteenth year of Tianbao, the empire has rotted from within, and even demon snakes now rampage freely through the countryside."
In that fourteenth year of Tianbao, the emperor had finally succumbed to decadence and folly. The Prince of Dongping raised troops in rebellion, shattering the glorious golden age. Though the uprising was eventually suppressed, years of warfare had left warlords carving up the land. The prosperity of the past would never return. From that moment, demonic forces rose across the divine continent. Evil spirits flourished. The imperial court filled with sycophants and eunuchs who manipulated power, while men of talent and ambition like Liu Zongyuan found themselves exiled to remote backwaters, unable to fulfill their dreams of reform.
Even as Liu Zongyuan brooded, a dark wind howled outside his window. A venomous serpent, its body banded black and white, surged from a drainage ditch into the street. Every plant it slithered past withered with terrifying speed. This was the very creature he had been writing about, a serpent of matchless toxicity. Yet this particular specimen defied belief: it stretched over thirty feet from snout to tail. A sweep of its tail collapsed houses; a spray of its breath filled the air with a poisonous mist that sent townsfolk fleeing in terror.
At a street corner, a plump white pig that had been chewing cabbage leaves caught a whiff of the toxic fog. Its legs gave out beneath it, and it died on the spot.
Suddenly, a ragged youth charged in from behind the serpent. His fist shot forward, and the force of his punch stirred a fierce wind that dispersed the poisonous mist in a single gust. The great snake panicked, fleeing for its life, but the boy was faster. Cornered, the creature turned to fight, only to be met with a flying kick that caught it square beneath the jaw. The serpent soared through the air, dazed. Before it could land, the boy sprang up, his long, nimble fingers working like flying shuttle-threads, striking point after point along the serpent's spine.
A series of sharp cracks rang out like firecrackers. Wherever the boy's fingertips landed, bones and joints separated. In mere moments, he had worked his way from behind the serpent's head all the way to its tail, dislocating every bone in its body and leaving it utterly immobilized.
The onlookers cheered. "Little Ying! Well done!"
The boy was called Xu Ying. Fourteen years old, with long limbs and slender, almost delicate fingers, his skin had darkened somewhat from years of exposure to sun and wind. He was the most famous snake catcher in Lingling County, Yongzhou Prefecture. Young as he was, he had cultivated formidable skills.
Xu Ying grabbed the serpent by the tail and made to leave. Liu Zongyuan emerged from his residence and called out to him, asking, "Xu Ying, what do you intend to do with that snake?"
Xu Ying stopped when he recognized the prefectural administrator. He quickly offered proper courtesies and replied, "Administrator Liu, once this snake is dried and processed into medicine, it can treat severe paralysis, contracted limbs, and fistulas. It removes dead flesh and kills the three internal parasites. The prefect has decreed that anyone who can capture such snakes shall be exempt from taxes."
"That is good, then," Liu Zongyuan said with a smile.
Xu Ying's expression darkened. "My grandfather was a snake catcher. He died catching snakes. My father was a snake catcher. He also died catching snakes. I have followed my father's teachings in the art of snake-catching for six years now. I fear I, too, will die in this profession someday."
Liu Zongyuan's heart stirred with compassion. "I am on good terms with the prefect. I can have him relieve you of this corvée duty and restore your tax obligations."
Hearing this, the great serpent suddenly spoke in human tongue. "Well said, Lord Liu! Xu Ying, I have cultivated through bitter hardship for many years. Let me go, and you can pay your taxes while I pursue my demon arts in the mountains!"
Liu Zongyuan recoiled in shock. "This is a snake demon!"
The serpent cried out, "My maternal grandfather was a snake demon, slain by a snake catcher. My parents were also snake demons, slain by snake catchers. Now I am one hundred and twenty years old, and I thought I might finally escape this fate, cultivate into a dragon, and devour these bastards—yet today I too shall die at a snake catcher's hands—"
Xu Ying reached down and gently pulled on the serpent's lower jaw, dislocating it. The great snake could speak no more.
Xu Ying's eyes reddened. "Lord Liu, if I catch snakes, I can stay alive. If my taxes are restored, I will likely starve within days. Who would risk their life hunting snake demons if they had any other choice?"
Dragging the serpent demon behind him, Xu Ying departed in sorrow. Liu Zongyuan could not hold back his tears. "Who could have known that the venom of tax collection exceeds even that of serpents? Though the snakes are deadly, far more deadly is the oppression of excessive levies!" He returned to his study and wrote with furious speed, producing the immortal essay "The Snake Catcher's Tale."
Xu Ying hauled the snake demon home and dumped it into a large earthenware vat. Night had fallen, too late to deliver the snake to the authorities. He cooked a simple meal, wolfed it down, and fell into a deep sleep. Inside the vat, the serpent struggled desperately to reconnect its dislocated bones. In the dead of night, the sounds of brutal tax collectors rampaging through the village like bandits jolted Xu Ying awake—shouting, smashing, looting, demanding payment. He lit a lamp, peered into the vat to confirm the snake demon was still there, breathed a sigh of relief, and went back to sleep.
The snake demon continued its labors. After an unknown stretch of time, it finally managed to reconnect its jawbone, only to hear Xu Ying rising from bed. The serpent's spirit crumbled.
Xu Ying dressed and checked the vat once more. The snake demon lay perfectly still, thinking to itself, *Once I reconnect the bones at the base of my skull, I'll strike without warning and give him a dose of venom to send him straight to his grandfather and parents!*
Xu Ying turned to face the morning sun. He breathed slowly and steadily, silently circulating the Primordial Unity Guiding Art. As he inhaled and exhaled, the sunlight on his face seemed to grow visibly brighter with each breath. Fine particles of light could be seen in the air, flowing into his body with every cycle. A low rumbling arose from his dantian, rising through his throat and nasal passages before sinking back down in a steady rhythm. Within moments, his body steamed with heat, white vapor curling upward from his skin.
His abilities had not been taught by his grandfather or father. In truth, he was not his father's biological son but had been rescued by his grandfather from a fire. His father and grandfather were surnamed Jiang; Xu Ying took his name from the Xu family. Seven years ago, the village of Xujiaping had burned, and his grandfather had pulled him from the flames and brought him to Jiangji Village. Xu Ying retained almost nothing of that fire in his memory except a vague recollection of a breathing technique—the Primordial Unity Guiding Art. With nothing else to occupy his time, he had practiced it daily for seven full years.
Xu Ying had no idea what cultivation was supposed to accomplish. Practicing for a few minutes each morning cost nothing, and he found that after circulating qi during urination, his stream flowed remarkably straight and true—he no longer risked wetting his shoes. He had once dismissed the technique as useless except for distance urination. That changed when he grew older, accompanied his grandfather and father on a snake hunt, and killed a large serpent bare-handed. Only then did he understand that the Primordial Unity Guiding Art offered far more than just a straight stream.
He had tried to teach the art to his grandfather and father, but they had started too late. Their progress was slow, and both eventually fell in the line of duty. Now, Xu Ying was the only one left in the household. Three years ago, he had pushed the Primordial Unity Guiding Art to its limits, his qi and blood flowing with the force of thunder. He could feel that a path existed beyond, that his qi could undergo further transformations—but he lacked the subsequent techniques to follow it.
Behind him, the snake demon had crept its head out of the vat and watched in growing horror. Xu Ying was devouring the essence of the sun itself, refining his blood and qi at a speed that surpassed even the serpent's own cultivation. This was not mere absorption of solar energy—it looked more like a monster opening its jaws to swallow the morning sun whole. *He's cultivating a demon art,* the serpent realized with disbelief. *He's a human—how can he practice a demon cultivation technique?*
When the sun had fully risen, its rays turning harsh and scorching, Xu Ying gradually ceased his breathing exercises. The serpent hastily withdrew its head. Cultivating past this point was dangerous; the sun's fiery nature would build up inside the body, and without balancing it against lunar essence during a full moon, one risked spontaneous combustion.
Xu Ying approached the vat and seized the serpent by its vital point. His expression was amiable as he said, "I am not bloodthirsty by nature. I will ask questions, you will answer. Otherwise, I will have to dispose of you. Understood?"
The snake demon nodded vigorously.
Xu Ying set it down and asked, "How did you become a demon?"
The serpent proved most forthcoming. "My grandfather was once an ordinary venomous snake. One day, he strayed into Qinyan Cave. Half the cave collapsed, revealing a scroll of scripture and a gourd of pills. After eating the pills, he suddenly gained intelligence—he could speak, read, and write. So he cultivated according to the scripture and became a demon. He passed the scripture to my parents, who passed it to me. Ours is a properly transmitted family tradition, with a distinguished scholarly lineage."
Xu Ying nodded. "Bring me your family scripture. Let me have a look."
The serpent hesitated. Xu Ying picked up a fist-sized stone from beside the well, squeezed, and wrung four or five drops of water from it. He opened his hand; the stone crumbled to dust. "Compared to this stone," he said mildly, "how tough do you think you are?"
The serpent immediately opened its mouth and regurgitated a scroll.
Xu Ying unrolled it. The scripture recorded a breathing technique called the Great Sun Guiding Art and a martial cultivation method called the Elephant-Force Ox-Demon Fist. He burst out laughing. "You're a snake—no hands, no feet. How do you practice the Elephant-Force Ox-Demon Fist? Isn't this a martial art meant for ox demons or elephant demons?"
The corner of the serpent's mouth twitched. *Having anything to practice is already a blessing. How could I afford to be picky? And aren't you also practicing a demon guiding art?*
Xu Ying paged through the scripture. The Great Sun Guiding Art resembled his Primordial Unity Guiding Art in principle, but he quickly judged that its speed of absorbing solar essence was far inferior. The text described their current stage of cultivation: the Qi-Gathering Stage. This involved absorbing refined solar essence—those particles of light condensed from sunlight—to strengthen the body and enhance blood and qi.
Xu Ying frowned. The Great Sun Guiding Art, like his own cultivation technique, ended abruptly at the peak of the Qi-Gathering Stage. There was no continuation. "Do you feel that there is a road beyond the peak of Qi-Gathering?" he asked.
The snake demon said cautiously, "When I reached the summit of my cultivation, I felt my blood and qi surging wildly, as if pressing against some barrier. But I don't know where the barrier lies."
Xu Ying stood and went to the family altar room, returning with a bamboo basket. He emptied its contents onto the floor, and the serpent's eyes widened in shock. Dozens of scrolls lay scattered about—different guiding arts, every one of them a demon cultivation method. Over the years, Xu Ying had captured not only snake demons but creatures of every kind. Every demon within dozens of miles had passed through his hands. Each had its own fortuitous encounter—stumbling into ancient caves, listening to scriptures reverberating from stone walls, or discovering hidden realms beneath the water. Yet every single technique they had obtained stopped at the Qi-Gathering Stage. None possessed a continuation.
"Why do all these techniques end at Qi-Gathering?" Xu Ying murmured.
The snake demon bristled with righteous indignation. "Someone is targeting our demon race! Deliberately destroying all our cultivation arts, leaving only the introductory techniques! This must be a human conspiracy!"
Xu Ying shook his head. "If someone had the power to destroy everything after the first stage, why not destroy everything entirely? There must be another reason."
He turned back to the Elephant-Force Ox-Demon Fist, and his expression shifted. This martial technique could be practiced by any creature, regardless of race. A snake demon would first need to transform into human form to use it effectively, of course. The fist art contained a unique method for mobilizing blood and qi, multiplying circulation speed and explosive power to elephantine proportions—hence its name. The "Ox-Demon" component referred to the battle frenzy the technique induced; the furious acceleration of blood and qi made rational thought difficult, plunging the practitioner into a berserker state. Additionally, the technique caused the body to temporarily swell in size, growing several inches or even a foot taller, with enlarged hands and feet.
Xu Ying's interest grew. Until now, he had subdued demons through sheer brute force, lacking any formal martial training. With the Elephant-Force Ox-Demon Fist, his combat ability would soar.
Just then, voices called from outside. "Ah-Ying! Come pay respects to the deity!"
Xu Ying tucked the scripture into his robes, gently pinched the serpent's neck, and said, "I'm going to worship the god. If you're still here when I return, I'll dry you for tax credit. And don't harm anyone." The snake demon felt its neck bones reconnect and was overcome with surprise and joy.
Xu Ying stepped out and made his way to the village ancestral hall. The villagers wore expressions of hunger; their clothes were ragged and threadbare. The hall itself, however, had been built with lavish splendor. Wealthy households brought cooked chickens and ducks with thick incense candles; the poor offered fruit, rice, and thin sticks of incense. Those with nothing at all, like Xu Ying, came empty-handed. He followed the villagers into the hall, where thick incense smoke coiled upward. Behind the incense burner rose a towering wooden idol, sixteen feet tall, painted bright red and wrapped in green robes, with a blue face and protruding fangs.
As smoke and fire filled the hall, the incense vapors streamed into the idol's nostrils. The wooden god's chest suddenly expanded with a deep inhalation, drawing all the incense offerings into its body. Before the villagers' eyes, wood transformed into living flesh. The deity rose from its shrine, seized the offerings of chicken, duck, and fruit, and devoured them with relish, stuffing incense candles into its mouth and chewing with gusto.
Today was the first day of the lunar month, the day of worship. Across the villages surrounding Jiangji—Xujiajing, Yangzitang, Shuangji Bridge, Shagou Bay—every ancestral hall blazed with incense. Idols of wood, clay, bronze, and iron awakened in their shrines, turning to living flesh to feast upon the offerings of the faithful. On every mountain and by every river in Lingling, mountain gods and dragon kings stirred to life, as did the City God in his temple within the county seat. Across all of Yongzhou, throughout southern Hunan, across the entire divine continent, spirits arose from their statues to partake of the people's sacrifices—a grand scene of apparent prosperity. But since the emperor's decline, the realm had fractured, and even the gods showed signs of fading power, their once-magnificent radiance growing dim.
"Xu Ying! Jiang Shu! Jiang Lu!" The deity in Jiangji's hall roared with fury, slamming its fist on the offering table. "You paupers come empty-handed—not even a single stick of incense! I only eat two meals a month from you, and the food you offer isn't even enough to fill my belly! Do you people of Jiangji Village still want favorable weather and good harvests? Are you not afraid of the calamities I will bring down upon you?"