CHAPTER THREE

He groaned as he woke up, something crawling around inside his robe make him jump.

"What the hell?"

He saw the white snake sleeping soundly, so he wasn't bitten? Then why was his back throbbing, he pressed on the wound and felt something long and thick coming out making his eyes widen.

"I'm attached to the snake" he whispered.

"Indeed, for us to communicate i had to do it"

His knees buckled for a moment. No, this wasn't happening, he did not hear that snake talk, it's all in his mind.

"I'm think I'm going crazy"

"You're not, I know you can hear me"

He looked at the snake to see it looking at him, he looked around before replying

"What are you?"

"I'm mystical creature, a weak one though so I'm not in the official records"

"I see....do you have powers?"

"Not really, but i can help if you're fighting someone"

He sighed

"It seems we're stuck together already so i have to find somewhere to stay for the night, do you know any?"

"Follow my directions then"

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The sun had just set and Jian Ji was in his room meditating, the incense burner he had brought from home made him feel relaxed.

"Are you sure he drank it?" He heard someone whisper at his door.

"Of course I'm sure, he said it was sweet and we all know that tea is bitter"

So he was right, something was up with these people. He opened his eyes and slowly unsheathed his sword.

The door rattled and two men came inside the room, they frowned.

"Where is he? You said he'd be out like a light"

"I don't know....what if he ran?"

"Then he wouldn't gone too far, let's go"

Once the door closed, Jian Ji peeled off the talisman from his forehead, the paper burned to ash in his hands.

"It seems Xin ai's invisibility tricks do work" he says with a smile.

So these men wanted to kill him? But why? He sheathed back his sword and opened the door, he crept downstairs and found the place empty.

"Where did they all go?"

═───────◇───────═

"How far longer I'm tired" Zixin whined as he walked down the empty streets of Yingxiong city.

"Just a little futher, there's an inn which offers free rooms and food"

"Free food and room? There must be a catch"

It didn't sound right to him, a poor looking city like this is sure to milk people from their money and not offer free food and rooms.

The snake sighed.

"In honesty, i want you to solve the mystery there for me"

"Why? Did they kill your children?"

"No...they killed me"

The statement was enough for him to grasp what happened, the snake used to be a man but he was killed at the inn so his spirit possessed a mystical snake.

"If I helped you, are you leaving?" He asked.

"If you want me to leave after you solve what happened to me then I'll go but if you don't then I'll stay"

He smiled.

"I want you to stay but i also want you to detach yourself from my back"

"Deal"

The two walked towards the inn and Zixin smiled seeing the building.

"Quick hide"

Listening to his scaly friend, he hid behind a sleeping horse, two men ran off looking determined.

"Do you know them?"

"One of them is the owner of that inn, they must have another victim in there hurry"

He dropped the bundle of cloth he had been carrying and grabbed his sword heading inside the small inn.

What he was welcomed with was a sword pointing at his neck.

"Who are you and why do you want to kill me?"

═───────◇───────═

Jian Ji was investigating in the kitchen, the tea was mixed with a green powder he didn't know the name of.

As he was coming out of the kitchen, he heard the creek of the front door. With swift movement he charged at the unsuspecting person.

"Who are you and why do you want to kill me?"

Zixin was shocked, why would a handsome man like this person point his sword at him.

"Humph! I am Wei Zixin Dian son of Wei Hunan, how dare you point your sword at me"

He sighed and sheathed the blade.

"I thought you were one of them, this place isn't safe, we have to-"

He froze when he felt something poke his back.

"My my, a two for one special"

He was thrown into Zixin who yelped as he fell backwards, Zixin had a smaller frame than Jian Ji.

The two males gasped seeing swords aimed at their necks.

"You look like a cultivator, do something" Zixin whispered earning a glare.

"You're also a cultivator i saw the talisman in your sleeve"

Zixin sighed, he flicked his wrist and a talisman landed on his palm, he slapped it on the ground and the room started to shake making things fall and break.

"What sorcery is this?" The inn owner seethed seeing his teapots crash on the floor.

Seeing that the men were distracted, Zixin grabbed Jian Ji and they ran out of the inn.

He tapped the ground with his foot three times and the inn went ablaze shocking Jian Ji to the core.

"What are you doing?!" He yelled.

"What? I'm eliminating the problem"

What? This person wasn't a cultivator it seems, cultivators don't follow unorthodox methods like he just did.

"My stuff was in there, now i have no food"

Zixin's tummy grumbled as if it was scolding him for burning the food.

"I guess we need to find food then"

Jian Ji glared at him.

"We? There's no we and even if there was, why would i waste my time with you"

His jaw dropped, the nerve of this man.

"I just saved your butt back there, if you were quick on your thinking you could've solved it right? What sort of cultivator are you anyways"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you're unprepared, you can't carry a sword without the intention of using it! When a sword is drawn, it must taste blood not to have mercy"

"You-"

"I what? Hmm? You know I'm telling the truth! Have fun with your life" he huffed turning around to leave.

Jian Ji was stunned, this boy just told him the truth about himself. He admits, he is impressed.

"Wait!" He says pulling the shorter guy by his shoulder, what he was face to face with was something he didn't expect.

A hissing snake coming towards his own face.

"No!"