Volume One: The Emperor’s Sword Chapter 61: An Old Friend in the Belly of the Serpent

After roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Yun Que landed by a deserted riverside.

At the center of the river, a golden shadow slithered beneath the water—it was the Golden Flood Python. With no battle to disturb it, the river’s surface was clear, and the python’s scales stood out brilliantly in the sunlight.

Yun Que picked up a stone and tossed it toward the river’s heart, making it skip across the water. The stone skimmed just above the python’s head.

Enraged by its injuries, the Golden Flood Python surged toward the bank, thrashing its head and tail. Unsurprisingly, it ended up as a mere snack. The Blind Serpent Yun Que released swallowed it whole; only a small tail flicked briefly outside before drooping lifelessly.

Before the mountain-sized Blind Serpent, the Golden Flood Python was as insignificant as an earthworm—barely enough for a bite. A third-level beast and a seventh-level monster, the gap between them was vast, not even on the same plane.

After devouring the python, the Blind Serpent writhed and spat out a pile of golden pomfret fish—about ten in all. These had been the python’s previous meal. Yun Que could scarcely contain his amusement; the Blind Serpent was quite the picky eater, disdainful even of first-level beasts like golden pomfret.

With a sudden splash, the serpent finally spat out a person.

Startled, Yun Que hurried forward to examine him. The man’s clothes were tattered, his body bruised and battered, so filthy his true features were hard to discern. Only that he was male, barely clinging to life.

His bluish-purple skin indicated severe poisoning. Who knew how long he’d been inside the python’s stomach? He was clearly beyond hope.

After clearing the python’s belly, the Blind Serpent coiled into a snake formation and fell still. Its once ghastly wounds had improved, thanks to the blood-coagulating elixir Yun Que had tossed into its porcelain bottle.

Yun Que put away the serpent, first handling the fish, extracting ten golden pomfret bones. Silver pomfret bones were already prized for forging, but golden pomfret bones were even more valuable—worth trading for a sword tassel, a rare item Yun Que had never seen from the Sword Palace.

Ten golden pomfret bones could exchange for a single sword tassel.

Next, he fetched water from the river to wash the man expelled from the serpent’s belly. Most snakes are venomous, and a third-level beast like the Golden Flood Python even more so. Anyone swallowed by such a creature rarely survived, and even if rescued, their prospects were grim.

Yun Que decided to take the man to a nearby village or town, seeking an apothecary and leaving some silver—if the man could be saved, so be it; if not, there was nothing more he could do.

Having encountered him, Yun Que would lend a hand, but not waste time unnecessarily.

He was no living saint.

Once washed, the man’s features finally emerged—a young man, well-proportioned, with a scar above his right eyelid.

Upon seeing the man’s face, Yun Que’s expression changed abruptly.

“Lan Yusheng? Brother Yusheng!”

He could hardly believe his eyes; to meet an acquaintance under such bizarre circumstances.

The young man from the serpent’s belly was not only known to Yun Que, but well known. His name was Lan Yusheng, a few years older than Yun Que, and the eldest grandson of Lan Yu, Duke of Yu.

The Lan family and Yun family were old friends; Duke Lan Yu was a sworn brother to Yun Que’s grandfather, and Lan Yusheng’s father was friends with Yun Que’s own father. Though connections faded after Yun Que’s father died in battle, every year Duke Lan Yu would send his grandson Lan Yusheng to Yanmen Town, bringing gifts and silver from the imperial city.

This year, hearing Lan Yusheng was to be married, Yun Que had prepared generous gifts, intending to offer them in person.

In all of Yan Kingdom, since the Marquis of Yanmen fell at the frontier, only the Lan family, only Duke Lan Yu, continued their friendship with Yun family regardless of public opinion.

Yun Que and Lan Yusheng had grown up together; the scar above Lan’s right eyelid was from their childhood mischief. Lan Yusheng had taken Yun Que climbing trees to raid bird nests; they fell, Lan struck his head on a stone, and both received a thorough scolding.

Now, his childhood companion lay at death’s door. After a moment’s shock, Yun Que carried Lan Yusheng on his back and flew away on his sword.

His spiritual power limited, Yun Que first found a mountain village nearby, hired a carriage, and hurried toward the imperial city.

Throughout the journey, Yun Que’s face was dark and grim.

To find Lan Yusheng inside a serpent’s belly—especially that of a third-level beast—was deeply troubling.

Lan Yusheng was not a cultivator; he would never hunt monsters. If attacked while out hunting or traveling, it was too much of a coincidence.

Doubt clouded the whole affair; Yun Que had no answers. To uncover the truth, he had to save Lan Yusheng.

But given the circumstances, survival seemed unlikely.

Lan Yusheng was barely breathing, death imminent at any moment.

Yun Que forced a blood-coagulating pill down his throat, regardless of its efficacy—better to try than not. Treating the dying as if they might live, hoping to reach the city in time, at least where apothecaries and healers could be found.

Recalling the misty mountain tree demon earlier, Yun Que’s suspicions deepened.

First a tree demon, then a Golden Flood Python—why had so many monsters appeared near the imperial city lately?

After all, the Sword Palace was in the imperial city!

Within a hundred miles of the Sword Palace, monsters were rare; those that did appear were quickly captured by its disciples. Most monsters had practical use, with valuable materials—like silver and golden pomfrets, worth a fortune.

If they were not wild beasts, only one possibility remained:

Human involvement.

The most suspicious was Qian Yuxiu.

She had spent half a month gathering silver pomfrets at the cliff, leading to the North Court’s mission encountering a swarm of golden pomfrets and thus falling into danger.

Yet Yun Que only fleetingly considered Qian Yuxiu, then dismissed her. Like Xue Ziyi, she was only at the early foundation stage; she would never dare raise a third-level beast.

Though Qian Yuxiu was responsible for the North Court’s ordeal, she was unlikely to be the mastermind behind the Golden Flood Python and the misty mountain skeleton.

A foundation disciple simply lacked the power.

In the end, a name surfaced in Yun Que’s mind:

The Twelve Zodiac.

He suspected the Golden Flood Python, like the misty mountain skeleton, was connected to the Twelve Zodiac!

It seemed this group’s ambitions were even more terrifying than he had imagined, and Yun Que felt a chill.

Previously, he believed the Twelve Zodiac targeted a Sword Palace elder, or sought to sabotage the Sword Palace; but since Lan Yusheng was swallowed alive, Duke Lan Yu himself was implicated, and the plot hidden in the shadows grew more complex and inscrutable.

Soon, the carriage entered the imperial city.

Yun Que found the nearest large pharmacy, carrying Lan Yusheng in, and tossed a hundred-tael silver note onto the counter.

“I want your best physician—now!”

Moments later, a white-bearded old doctor hurried out, glanced at the patient, and immediately shook his head.

“The poison has reached his heart. My skills are insufficient; I truly cannot treat him. You’d best seek someone more capable.”

Years of practice made it clear the patient was mortally poisoned, barely hanging on; not even a celestial immortal could save him, much less the old doctor. He dared not accept the case.

This man was beyond saving.

Without another word, Yun Que turned and left with Lan Yusheng. If even the old doctor admitted defeat, searching elsewhere in the city would be pointless.

Yun Que had intended to deliver Lan Yusheng to Duke Lan Yu’s residence, but reconsidered and changed course, heading directly to the Sword Palace.

Not only was the Sword Palace closer, but it offered the only hope of saving Lan Yusheng.

Spirit pills.

In this situation, only the right spirit pill could preserve Lan Yusheng’s life. Even if he were taken to Duke Lan Yu’s residence, his fate would remain unchanged—death was inevitable.