Chapter 33
C33 – Stronger
“Mr. Tian, I nearly took down a Swordtooth Tiger with my own fangs!” Green boasted, puffing out its chest with a self-satisfied air.
Lee Tian gave it a nod of acknowledgment.
Realizing it had made a fool of itself, Green busied itself with licking its wounds to ease the pain.
Unlike Lee Tian, it didn’t have an impenetrable suit of iron armor, so it couldn’t help but feel envious of his unscathed condition.
“Mr. Tian, you’re incredible. You actually fended off an entire herd of Swordtooth Tigers! That’s a feat worth boasting about for years!” Green’s eyes sparkled with admiration as it spoke.
Indeed, this battle would give Green bragging rights for years to come—it was now a snake that had taken on a Swordtooth Tiger!
As it finished its tale, a cow’s moo echoed from the far end of the grassland.
An old cow stood there.
Lee Tian was about to respond when the cow’s call cut him off, and he lost the desire to continue.
Seeing Lee Tian fall silent, Green felt a mix of confusion and awkwardness. Gathering its courage, it ventured, “Mr. Tian, what’s on your mind?”
The question brought a wistful look to Lee Tian’s eyes. He climbed atop a high boulder, gazing toward the forest’s edge.
The dusk had arrived, painting the sky in shades of purple and red. The clouds hung motionless, as if the world’s panorama was frozen in time.
Sensing Lee Tian’s mood, Green sighed, seemingly grasping his thoughts.
It joined him on the boulder, contemplating the forest and the twilight, and then let out a contemplative sigh, “What is love, really?”
Lee Tian shot it a sidelong glance and asked, “Where did you pick up that line?”
Green squinted thoughtfully and replied, “I overheard it once. They say it’s a phrase that echoes from the mountains.”
“From the mountains?”
“From deep within the mountains.” Green nodded toward the heart of Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain, signaling to Lee Tian.
Lee Tian’s curiosity was piqued. These lines of poetry were known among humans—how could the animals know them too?
He found himself intrigued by the mysteries hidden within Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain.
Noticing Lee Tian’s sudden interest, Green asked anxiously, “Mr. Tian, you’re not planning to venture into the mountains, are you?”
Lee Tian nodded with unmistakable intent.
“Mr. Tian!” Green’s voice rose with urgency before it shifted to a sigh. “Mr. Tian, you’ve become a Spirit Beast. This place doesn’t befit you anymore. The mountain teeming with Spirit Beasts—that’s where you belong.”
After speaking, Green let out another deep sigh, its sadness palpable.
Lee Tian was at a loss for words. He hadn’t expected such loyalty from the Great Green Snake, challenging his prior beliefs about cold-blooded creatures.
“But Mr. Tian, rest assured, I’ll strive hard too. I’m going to become a Spirit Beast and progress alongside you!” Green said, flashing a grin as if it hadn’t a care in the world.
Lee Tian gave it an affirming pat and declared, “I’m usually one to hold a grudge, but as for you causing me to lose my arm—I’m letting that go!”
Green beamed with delight. “Thanks, Mr. Tian!”
Then, with a playful wrinkle of its eyes, it teased, “But Mr. Tian, you’re not human, you’re an ant. Seems like you misspoke!”
With a cunning, triumphant expression, Green looked quite pleased with itself.
Lee Tian, caught between laughter and frustration, stuck out his rear and retaliated by spraying a spider web right onto its face, grumbling, “Well, I can be a spider, too!”