Invincible Snake Emperor-Chapter 109 - 108: Man-Made or House Snake Murder?

A human and a snake stood shocked amidst the five coffins. The night was pitch-black, silent, and grim. A cold wind howled around the old residence, and occasionally, the rustling of leaves could be heard.

The flower-like smile had vanished from Li Qingzhao's sweet face.

After all, no matter how brave a young girl was, there were limits.

'Goddess, have you taken things a bit too far this time?'

Li Qingzhao swallowed hard. Even though she was filled with regret, she knew she had to see this through.

Tu Xiao'an suddenly felt a flicker of admiration for the girl. It was impressive enough that she hadn't turned and run.

The five coffins loomed before them, and even he was starting to get the creeps.

Suddenly, Tu Xiao'an's Snake Gaze flickered in a certain direction. He was now Level 15, his body powerfully enhanced. His senses had long been sharp and keen; he could spot an ant a kilometer away with a single look.

He could perceive any nearby movement without even needing to release his Consciousness Power.

'Someone's coming.'

In his current form, small as a loach and hidden on the girl's shoulder, Tu Xiao'an didn't have to worry about being seen. But the girl was so rattled by the five coffins that her focus was shot. If she got discovered, things would get messy.

Fortunately, the approaching footsteps were loud and distinct. The girl flinched and quickly ducked behind a large pagoda tree in the courtyard.

Once hidden, she patted her well-developed chest, still shaken with fear.

The Zhao Family residence was actually very desolate now. Forget nighttime; even during the day, few outsiders visited. Ever since word got out two years ago that their House Snake had left, the Zhao Family had become synonymous with bad luck in the villagers' eyes. Many people refused to associate with them.

It was only thanks to Elder Zhao's high prestige that they were spared. Any other family would have been completely ostracized.

A Snake in the home brings fortune and wealth. When the House Snake leaves, misfortune follows.

Now that the House Snake had returned and was killing people, the matter had caused a huge uproar. Not even Elder Zhao's prestige was enough to quell it anymore.

No one dared to have the slightest interaction with the Zhao Family, terrified of catching their bad luck and inviting the House Snake's revenge.

Just then, the source of the footsteps was revealed. It was a stout, middle-aged man, built like a bear, with a pair of piercing, wide-open eyes.

The man's name was Zhao Da, Elder Zhao's eldest son. Tonight, it was his turn to keep the vigil.

Of the four brothers in the Zhao Family, the second, third, and fourth had all died. He was the only one left.

Zhao Da walked into the mourning hall holding a bottle of potent white liquor, completely oblivious to the person hiding in his family's courtyard.

He plopped down on a prayer cushion and began mumbling to himself as if chatting with the dead in the coffins. He would speak a few words, then take a swig of liquor. The candlelight in the mourning hall flickered. In the dim light, Zhao Da's expression was savage, his eyes filled with a Vengeful Spirit.

"Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, don't you worry. Big Brother will get revenge for you. House Snake, Spirit Snake... what a load of crap. I've never believed in any of this shit, not for a single day in my life."

"Tonight, I'm keeping vigil for you right here. If that Snake dares to show its face, I'll chop it to bits!"

Zhao Da's voice was loud as he spoke, a savage glint flashing in his wide eyes. Hiding behind the pagoda tree, Li Qingzhao's beautiful eyes immediately filled with fear.

She finally realized just how far she'd gone—climbing over a wall into someone's home to look for a House Snake.

Now she couldn't leave, but she couldn't stay either. Getting discovered by this savage-looking man would be a fate worse than death.

All at once, she lost any desire to continue her live stream and stopped interacting with her fans.

If Li Qingzhao had glanced at her stream, she might have felt a little better. Her viewer count had surpassed five hundred thousand, and gifts were flooding the screen nonstop.

This was the kind of popularity enjoyed by A-list streamers, and countless people were hitting the follow button.

This kind of stream was fascinating. It had the feel of watching a horror movie, especially with Zhao Da's entrance. His savage expression and words made him look like a butcher about to start a slaughter.

The audience found it thrilling, their hearts pounding with excitement.

At this point, it didn't matter whether a House Snake was involved or not. They were clearly watching a story-driven horror film.

The little girl was genuinely terrified now, and Tu Xiao'an could tell. He wanted to comfort her, but there was nothing he could do.

If he made a sound, it wouldn't be a comfort; it would be another fright.

Tu Xiao'an thought to himself, 'This Zhao Da seems to be keeping vigil, but he's also waiting for the House Snake to come out and kill. He's using himself as bait.'

Speaking of Zhao Da, he had practiced martial arts since he was a child and was already quite bold. Now, fortified with strong liquor, he was even bolder.

'This should be a good show.'

Tu Xiao'an was also very curious. Would the House Snake really come out and strike tonight?

The most crucial question was whether a House Snake was even responsible for the murders. It still wasn't certain.

It was a total mystery.

In fact, deep down, he thought the same thing as Li Qingzhao. He was more inclined to believe a person was behind it all, and that the 'House Snake murders' were just a smokescreen.

In truth, a House Snake was normally just an ordinary member of the Snake Race that took up residence in a farmer's home. They were almost always non-venomous. But because the people of Bai Town revered the Snake King, they had draped the House Snake in a veil of mystery.

Anywhere else, if you saw a Snake in your home, would you be able to eat or sleep in peace? You wouldn't necessarily kill it, but you'd at least chase it away.

But when the people of Bai Town see a Snake in their home, they're happier than if they'd won the lottery.

It was simply a matter of cultural differences.

It was like faith: some people believed in Christ, others in Buddhism or Daoism. It all came down to what you chose to believe.

As time passed, the night grew bleaker, more silent and grim. Besides the occasional RUSTLE of leaves in the wind, the large courtyard was terrifyingly still, as if the darkness sought to devour everything. It was a hair-raising, horrifying feeling.

Li Qingzhao, however, was highly adaptable. After her initial fear, she perked up and started interacting with her viewers again, though this interaction was limited to facial expressions.

Tu Xiao'an had to hand it to the girl. 'Isn't she worried about how she's going to get out of here later?' 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

'Zhao Da is keeping vigil. Forget about whether the House Snake shows up or not—with him planted right there, she has no way to escape. The moment she leaves the pagoda tree, she'll be spotted easily.'

An hour passed. Then two. Then three.

After midnight, the number of viewers in Li Qingzhao's stream, which had skyrocketed earlier, began to plummet. After several hours of the same static scene, things had gotten boring.

"Goddess, I'm heading to bed. Be careful you don't get caught and arrested as a thief!"

"I'm going to sleep too, Goddess. If the House Snake comes out, make sure to record it!"

"The cops are on their way! Run, Goddess, run!"

In truth, Li Qingzhao had long since lost the heart to stream. Seeing how late it was, she simply waved to her audience and ended the broadcast.

The moment she ended the stream, her sweet face crumpled. 'SOB... I'm doomed. What do I do? How am I supposed to get out of here?'

She was outside in the yard; Zhao Da was inside the hall. Five coffins loomed between them, the candlelight flickering erratically. As the night wore on, the atmosphere grew even more sinister and terrifying.

The chirping of insects in the courtyard rose and fell in time with the sinister wind, a duet that made one's skin crawl.