Xue Rumeng’s magnificent bed was now occupied by Leng Jing, while Xue Rumeng, having reverted to his snow fox form, was relegated to a small bamboo basket lined with cotton padding.
Clinging to the belief that a gentleman’s revenge is never too late even after ten years, the fox endured this indignity in silence.
One day, the weather was fine and the sun was bright, the heavy snow having finally ceased. Dressed like a plump cotton bun, Leng Qingqing happily pestered Leng Jing to go for a walk with him.
Leng Jing followed him out, clad in a simple grey robe. To be honest, the "Ugly Little Snake" had never worn particularly fine clothes in all his years. The Blue Sea Billowing Waves Valley was a destitute place; his best garment had been a white robe of coarse cloth sewn by Leng Jing’s own hands. This grey robe was the same, yet it did nothing to diminish Leng Jing’s magnificent, cold, and ethereal beauty. He had simply tied back his lustrous black hair, yet his elegant bearing was enough to intoxicate any observer.
Leng Qingqing possessed an innocent and romantic nature. Seeing the ground covered in white snow, he was overjoyed and pulled Leng Jing along to build snowmen and have a snowball fight. In truth, he was only a snake demon of some three hundred years—merely a youth by the standards of spirits—while Leng Jing, with fifty years of cultivation, was technically a mere fledgling. The irony lay in Leng Jing’s precociousness; he was more composed and steady than a thousand-year-old demon.
While Leng Qingqing was playing to his heart's content, a Plum Tree Spirit approached. She cast flirtatious glances at Leng Jing and unhesitatingly leaned toward his chest, smiling. "Young master, you are truly handsome. Why not play with me for a while?"
Leng Jing smiled faintly. "You don't mind that I am a lowly gecko spirit?"
"Ah, what does being a gecko spirit matter? We shouldn't expect to climb too high anyway. Young master, give me a hug!" the Plum Tree Spirit said coquettishly.
Suddenly, a snowball flew through the air, pelting the Plum Tree Spirit with snow. Leng Qingqing said crossly, "You vixen! Stop trying to seduce my Xiao Jing!"
The Plum Tree Spirit burst into laughter. "I am a plum tree, not a fox! Look closer, you silly snake!"
Without warning, Leng Jing caught her by the wrist. "Stay away," he said coldly. With a seemingly effortless toss, the Plum Tree Spirit became a tiny black speck in the distant sky.
After hearing the clerk’s purpose for visiting, Leng Qingqing was quite delighted. "Xiao Jing, if you become a guard, that counts as a public office! Our Leng family finally has someone in the government!"
Leng Jing thought for a moment and said, "Fine, I am willing to be a guard."
Thus, the "Ugly Little Snake" was promoted from a mere follower to one of the guards of the Mountain Palace.
That day, Leng Jing received his guard uniform, weapon, and command token from the clerk. Leng Qingqing was incredibly excited.
The next morning, Leng Qingqing served his son as he dressed in the guard uniform, happily seeing him off to his shift.
***
The Mountain Lord was named Qing Yan. When Leng Jing was brought for an audience, he found that Qing Yan was a man of extraordinary, haunting charm. He always wore a cyan robe, and his entire being radiated an aura as cold as ice, giving off a sense of immense power at a single glance.
Qing Yan was, after all, a divine beast—a Green Jiao. From the moment Leng Jing stepped into the Mountain Palace, he vaguely sensed an unusual "qi." This qi was different from the demonic aura of the mountain's spirits; it was a more piercing and overbearing spiritual power, yet it was ethereal and elusive. He could not tell where this spiritual power originated; even as a Green Jiao, Qing Yan could not calculate its source.
Even as Leng Jing knelt before him, Qing Yan failed to recognize the true form of the handsome young man. Since childhood, Leng Jing had instinctively known how to hide his aura. Though Leng Qingqing was incredibly simple-minded, he occasionally possessed his own unique survival wisdom. He had often taught the "Ugly Little Snake" how to establish himself in nature, how to follow the mandate of heaven, and how to hide his light under a bushel.
Therefore, even though the Mountain Lord sensed something unusual with his keen instincts, it never occurred to him that the youth before him—supposedly a salamander spirit—was a dragon. At most, he suspected that a powerful immortal from the Celestial Realm might be approaching the Snow Mountain.
Furthermore, upon hearing the word "salamander," the Mountain Lord’s interest in Leng Jing plummeted. He waved his hand and told the clerk to arrange any position for him.
The clerk checked the records and found a vacancy for a guard at the Spirit Pool in the back mountain. Thus, he took Leng Jing to guard the pool.
The Spirit Pool was a sacred hot spring where the Mountain Lord bathed. The area was rich in terrestrial energy, gathering the pure and holy spiritual essence of heaven and earth. The scenery was beautiful, with a climate like eternal spring, and the waters were vast and crystal clear. It was said that the Spirit Pool possessed miraculous healing properties and was a forbidden zone of the Snow Mountain; its waters were reserved solely for the Mountain Lord’s use.
Leng Jing’s task was to guard the Spirit Pool and prevent miscellaneous demons from trespassing. For convenience, there was a residence in the back mountain left by the previous guard.
Leng Jing looked at the Spirit Pool and rubbed his chin, seemingly lost in thought.
The next day, the Leng father and son, along with the snow fox, moved into the residence near the Spirit Pool.
Leng Qingqing followed Leng Jing to familiarize himself with the terrain and unconsciously arrived at the poolside. Looking at this sacred hot spring, he desperately wanted to jump in for a bath, as they hadn't had a proper wash since leaving the Blue Sea Valley. However, guarding the spring was his son’s job; doing so might ruin Xiao Jing’s career. He could only swallow his saliva and crouch by the pool, fiddling with pebbles.
Leng Jing had already scouted the area and found that the other demons feared the Mountain Lord, making the place deserted. Moreover, the Mountain Lord was reportedly in a foul mood lately and rarely visited the Spirit Pool. So, he encouraged Leng Qingqing, "Dad, don't be afraid. Let's go in for a bath."
"Huh? Is that allowed?" Leng Qingqing’s eyes widened. "Won't we get caught?"
"That’s what makes it exciting," Leng Jing said with a mischievous smirk. "Don't worry, the Mountain Lord won't find out."
"Really? This doesn't seem right..." While Leng Qingqing was nervously twiddling his fingers, Leng Jing had already transformed into his true form—a white dragon—and leapt into the pool, splashing and playing in the water.
"Ah... Son! Wait for me!" Leng Qingqing couldn't resist either. He transformed into a massive white snake and swam into the water with his eyes squinted in delight.
Thus, the two began to enjoy the hot spring.
On the shore, Xue Rumeng was so shocked his jaw remained hanging open for a long time—this little gecko was a freak of nature!
"Little Xue, come join us!" Leng Qingqing, blissfully comfortable, beckoned him with his tail.
The snow fox whimpered twice before finally hardening his heart and jumping into the hot spring, joining the two in their desecration of public duty.
The three of them soaked until nightfall before leaving, even agreeing to bring some wine the next day. They were truly living the good life.
However, shortly after they left, the dejected Mountain Lord, Qing Yan, also came for a soak. He was instantly struck with shock.
"Why is there dragon qi in the pool?" Qing Yan wondered in alarm. Suddenly, a realization dawned on him. "Could it be... that the day of my transformation into a dragon is near? Hahaha... I can finally take revenge on those fellows!"
***
The "Ugly Little Snake" and Leng Qingqing returned to a temporarily peaceful life.
Soaking in the hot spring, eating hotpot, fishing, and teasing the snow fox—everything was quite comfortable.
Days passed in this tranquility.
Occasionally, Leng Qingqing would miss his hometown, the Blue Sea Billowing Waves Valley, and his old neighbors. But as long as his son was by his side, it was enough. No matter what, with Leng Jing there, he had a home; he could settle anywhere.
Living like this with his son for a lifetime wouldn't be bad at all.
Thinking this, he pressed a bit closer to Leng Jing as the two sat by the lake roasting sweet potatoes.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from afar, followed by the trembling of the earth. Leng Jing stood up, seemingly trying to discern what had happened.
"Son, what’s going on?" Leng Qingqing asked in surprise.
"Powerful demons are fighting," Leng Jing sensed the disturbance in the atmosphere.
As he spoke, the clouds in the sky shifted. The previously clear blue sky was suddenly overtaken by dark, oppressive clouds. A massive figure plummeted from the heavens, falling straight toward the Spirit Pool.
Like a meteorite from beyond the sky, it crashed into the center of the lake, sending up a towering wave. The two were drenched. Only then did they see a Green Jiao and a Green Dragon locked in combat, tearing and biting at each other.
"It's the Mountain Lord! He's fighting a Green Dragon!" Leng Qingqing shouted.
"How did you recognize that as a dragon?! Huh?!" Leng Jing grew annoyed; Leng Qingqing never admitted that he himself was a dragon.
"Who doesn't recognize a dragon?" Leng Qingqing said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Forget it. I'm too lazy to argue with you." Leng Jing grabbed him and started to run.
"Son, aren't you going to help the Mountain Lord?" Leng Qingqing asked.
"What can a little gecko like me do? Let's get out of here!" Leng Jing said as he ran.
Leng Qingqing was forcibly dragged away from the Spirit Pool by Leng Jing, but he couldn't help looking back. By then, the Green Jiao was already showing signs of defeat. After a surge of waves that reached the sky, both the dragon and the jiao transformed into human forms.
The Mountain Lord was pinned under the foot of a dignified man in cyan robes. The man sneered, "Qing Yan, you are as overconfident as ever! I won't let you off this time. Prepare to enter the Prison Abyss of the aquatic tribes!"
The Mountain Lord clutched his bleeding chest and gritted his teeth. "To think that after all my cultivation, I am still no match for you! The winner takes all, but I will never return to that sunless place to suffer again!"
With that, he suddenly struck his own crown. A thunderous explosion followed, shaking everything within a ten-mile radius.
The Green Jiao was of a fierce temperament; he had chosen self-detonation to end his own life!
The massive impact destroyed the surrounding scenery. Leng Jing was quick, shielding Leng Qingqing beneath him so he wouldn't be affected by the blast.
When the explosion subsided, Leng Qingqing lifted his head to find Leng Jing covered in dust.
"Xiao Jing, are you hurt?" Leng Qingqing asked with concern.
"No." Leng Jing brushed the dust off his clothes and looked back. The Green Jiao had reverted to his true form, lying dead in the Spirit Pool.
"Mountain Lord..." Leng Qingqing looked at the corpse with teary eyes and tugged at Leng Jing’s sleeve. "The Mountain Lord did pay us a salary, after all. Let's bury him."
"Fine," Leng Jing said.
At that moment, the man in cyan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. He clutched his chest and used his sword to prop himself up, but after swaying a few times, he finally collapsed as well.
"Xiao Jing, let's bury that person too..." Leng Qingqing’s kindness was overflowing.
"Don't be silly, that man isn't dead yet." After Leng Jing spoke, he waved his hand. The waters of the Spirit Pool surged and parted; the Green Jiao’s corpse slowly sank to the bottom, eventually vanishing beneath the depths.
"We need a tombstone. So we can come to pay our respects later," Leng Qingqing added.
Leng Jing gave him an impatient look, then used a spell to move a massive boulder from nearby, plunging it into the water so that half of it remained exposed. Using the broken sword left behind earlier, he carved the four characters "Tomb of Qing Yan." Only then was Leng Qingqing satisfied, praying by the poolside for a long time before he was willing to leave.
As the sun began to set, Leng Jing looked at the Spirit Pool, which had now become the Green Jiao’s grave. He couldn't help but sigh. "Striving for supremacy, commanding the winds and clouds, entangled in grievances... in the end, even a divine beast is nothing more than bones buried in green waters. All is vanity."
Leng Qingqing looked at the stone tablet, his gaze turning misty as if he were recalling distant memories.
"Xiao Jing... did you know? My original surname wasn't Leng," Leng Qingqing said softly.
"Oh? Then what was it?"
"It was... Bai." Leng Qingqing closed his eyes, looking somewhat sorrowful.
"Then why did you change it?" Leng Jing asked curiously.
"Because... because..." Leng Qingqing hesitated, then finally said, "Adult matters are none of a child's business!"
***
When the man in cyan robes woke up, the first thing he saw was a youth in grey sitting beside him. The youth’s face was exquisitely beautiful, and despite his simple clothing, he possessed a noble and magnificent air. To his shock, he sensed dragon qi emanating from the youth!
"Are you of the Dragon Tribe?" he asked, grabbing Leng Jing’s hand.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 青炎 | Qing Yan | The Mountain Lord, a Green Jiao (Flood Dragon). |
| 灵池 | Spirit Pool | A sacred hot spring with spiritual energy. |
| 青蛟 | Green Jiao | A flood dragon; a creature that can eventually evolve into a dragon. |
| 囚渊 | Prison Abyss | A place of imprisonment for the aquatic tribes. |
| 蝾螈 | Salamander | The creature the clerk mistakenly identifies Leng Jing as. |
| 青龙 | Green Dragon | The powerful being who fights and defeats Qing Yan. |
| 自爆 | Self-detonation | A technique where a cultivator or demon explodes their own internal energy. |
| 白 | Bai | Leng Qingqing's original surname, meaning "White." |
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