Chapter 59: Conversation with the Snake Demon

"Ahhhhhhh!!!"

 A piercing scream echoed from the music room. Lin QiYe, unhurried, leaned against the railing in the hallway, yawning.

 "One, two, three... fifteen, sixteen, seventeen... about right."

 Lin QiYe muttered to himself, stepping forward and reopening the door.

 Inside the music room, the serpent offspring transformed by Han RuoRuo was watching him warily. On the floor nearby lay Liu Yuan, motionless, without a single wound on his body.

 "You didn't choose to tear him apart but instead opted to plant the serpent seed... this is better." Lin QiYe smiled as he reached behind his back.

 A soft hum, and the straight sword was unsheathed.

 At that moment, Liu Yuan suddenly sat up with a jerky movement, his eyes staring straight at Lin QiYe, a trace of lingering resentment in his gaze.

 He stood up in an eerily unnatural posture. His head slowly split open, revealing a bloodthirsty maw filled with fangs, and with a terrifying hiss, he charged at Lin QiYe!

 "Rooaar... Pfft!"

 Before he could even let out a few more roars, Lin QiYe slashed his sword forward, driving it deep into the monster's mouth, twisting the blade with force!

 The serpent offspring, now a snake demon, shrieked in agony, blood gushing out as its massive mouth was completely destroyed.

 Lin QiYe withdrew his sword, glancing at Liu Yuan's collapsing body. He spoke calmly, "This way, I won't feel any psychological burden when I cut you down."

 He turned his gaze to Han RuoRuo, who had been restless nearby.

 Seeing Lin QiYe looking at her, Han RuoRuo opened her mouth to hiss, lowering her body in a fighting stance.

 "Don't rush. If nothing unexpected happens, you might be the last serpent offspring in this school." Lin QiYe waved his sheathed sword, indicating that he had no murderous intent.

 "NanTuo Snake Demon, I know your true form can see me through this body. Why not drop that fierce pose and let's have a chat?"

 After a brief pause, the serpent offspring's flesh and head gradually closed up. The skin and bones mended, the bloodlines faded, and Han RuoRuo's appearance was restored.

 Han RuoRuo stood there expressionlessly, "There's nothing to discuss with the Nightwatcher."

 "You really are something." Lin QiYe raised an eyebrow. "But despite saying there's nothing to talk about, you still chose to revert back, didn't you?"

 "Is this all you wanted to say?" Han RuoRuo's brows furrowed slightly, and bloodlines appeared on her face again, as if she were about to transform back.

 "You seem to know quite a bit about this world. If I'm not mistaken, you must have descended on this city a long time ago." Lin QiYe stared into her eyes, as if trying to uncover something.

 Unfortunately, now Han RuoRuo was merely a puppet. The true conversation was happening with the real NanTuo Snake Demon, whose presence was nowhere to be seen, making it impossible to glean anything from her expression.

 "So what?" Han RuoRuo responded coldly.

 "I don't understand," Lin QiYe continued. "With your terrifying disguise skills, if you hadn't bred your offspring on such a large scale at the school, we might not have found you even after ten years."

 "You could have easily integrated into human society, using your disguise and intellect to quietly plant serpent seeds in the wealthy, enjoying riches and comfort. You have the perfect conditions to live freely among humans... So why, starting about half a month to a month ago, did you suddenly decide to cultivate offspring on such a large scale?"

 Lin QiYe furrowed his brow, voicing his confusion.

 "Reproduction is the instinct of my species," Han RuoRuo replied indifferently. "And when a wolf enters a world of sheep, do you think it will willingly stay silent?"

 "Other mysterious beings may not be satisfied, but you... You're different." Lin QiYe said confidently. "You possess extremely high intelligence and caution. All high-intelligence beings can suppress their own instincts."

 "Ridiculous logic." Han RuoRuo sneered. "Since you love reasoning so much, let me pose a question to you."

 "Go ahead."

 "In this school, which is sealed off, there are three Nightwatchers: the girl with the spear, the girl who can heal, and you, who can see through my disguise.

 The girl with the spear is Chi Jing, and I cannot plant serpent seeds on her. The other girl is always by her side, and I can't make a move on her either. But if... I kill the only remaining Nightwatcher here, and plant the serpent seed on you... Do you think they will notice?"

 Han RuoRuo's mouth split into a grin that reached her ears, her smile becoming grotesque and terrifying!

 Lin QiYe's pupils constricted. Without thinking, he darted to the side, moving quickly toward an open area!

 In the next instant, a massive black figure smashed through the wall behind him, whistling past the spot where Lin QiYe had just been standing. The thick snake tail slammed down heavily, creating a massive crater in the ground!

 Lin QiYe used the momentum to roll a half-turn on the floor, quickly getting to his feet. His right hand gripped the sword hilt behind him, his eyes filled with seriousness.

 Before him was a creature covered in black scales, a humanoid serpent with a snake tail. Its eerie vertical pupils were fixed on Lin QiYe.

 The NanTuo Snake Demon!

 "You were baiting me... and I was just stalling for time," the NanTuo Snake Demon hissed, its voice coming from deep within its body.

 "Hong Ying, the NanTuo Snake Demon has appeared in the music room of the Art Building," Lin QiYe unsheathed his sword, speaking calmly to the creature. "I know, I'm coming right now! Hold on!" Hong Ying's voice came through the earpiece, followed by the sound of rushing wind.

 "SSSSSS——!"

 The NanTuo Snake Demon swiftly slithered across the floor, its tail swishing through the air and smashing the piano in the music room to pieces. Its sharp claws slashed out, producing a screeching sound as they tore through the air.

 As the claws came toward him, Lin QiYe reacted instantly, dodging sideways at lightning speed.

 The demon's claws scraped across the wall behind where Lin QiYe had been, cutting through it like a knife through tofu, leaving several deep gouges!

 Lin QiYe steadied himself, glancing at the wall that had nearly been ripped apart. His face turned dark, and he cursed inwardly.

 "Is this what you call a weak body and low combat power?!"

 Having just avoided one claw strike, a thick snake tail swept in from the side. Lin QiYe reacted instantly, slashing his sword to intercept the tail!

 A resounding clash of metal against scales rang out as sparks flew from the blade, and a massive force pushed Lin QiYe back, nearly sending him crashing to the ground.

 He barely managed to steady himself, noticing a shallow cut on the NanTuo Snake Demon's tail.

 "I thought its strength would be stronger, and its defense is far worse than the Ghost Face King... but its attack power is definitely stronger than I expected..." Lin QiYe muttered, narrowing his eyes. "It's not unbeatable after all..."