Leng Jing sought the traces of Leng Qingqing, but in the vast sea of humanity, where was he to find that white snake?
Recalling their parting at the Wanxiang Pavilion, Leng Jing remembered Leng Qingqing saying he intended to become "peerless in elegance," so much so that Leng Jing wouldn't recognize him. He figured this might be a clue. If he followed the trail of "peerless elegance," he might find Leng Qingqing’s whereabouts. Having learned from the Underworld that Leng Qingqing was currently in the southeast, he had a general direction. Though difficult, it was better than searching for a needle in a haystack.
With this thought, Leng Jing transformed in an instant and arrived in the southeast of the Divine Land, reaching the capital known as the City of Abundance—Yingdu. A bustling metropolis was the best stage for one of peerless elegance. After some brief inquiries, Leng Jing locked his target onto the largest performance stage in Yingdu: the Fengge Pavilion. It was currently the time of the New Year’s Grand Festival, and the most exquisite performers from across the land would gather there to compete. It was the perfect opportunity to find his man.
However, the Fengge Pavilion, situated in the city's most prosperous district, had an incredibly high threshold for entry. None but high officials, prominent nobles, and royalty were permitted inside. Even those wealthy parvenus with bellies full of fat could hardly gain entrance without a significant degree of talent and refinement, no matter how high a price they offered.
As for the performers within the Fengge Pavilion, each was a paragon from various regions of the Divine Land. The mere price for one of them to show their face was astronomical.
Among them, the undisputed king of performers, the "golden branch and jade leaf" of the stage, was Young Master Qingyang, Zhao Qing, who had risen to fame only six months prior. It was said that this peerless Young Master Zhao Qing had once used a single rendition of the "Song of Parting Sorrow" to move the vengeful Young Master Bloodsword and the Thirteen Gates of Rivers and Seas, resolving a catastrophe in the martial world. Furthermore, with his unparalleled talent, he had deeply moved the current Emperor, leading to a grand act of national charity that brought boundless blessings to the common people.
Thus, although Young Master Zhao Qing was a performer who sold his art and not his body, he was revered by tens of thousands. Some even hailed him as the "Soul of the Arts." His suitors were as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river, ranging from the reigning Emperor to the heroes of the wild; all were infatuated and lost their appetite for him. Yet, the noble-minded Young Master Zhao Qing remained as pure as jade, wholeheartedly waiting for the person in his heart without regret.
Those whose pursuits failed were ultimately moved by Young Master Zhao Qing’s virtue and turned toward a path of goodness. Whenever Young Master Zhao Qing performed publicly, they would appear in groups without fail, which over time became a grand spectacle. These people called themselves the "Clear Soup Noodle Squad," because Young Master Zhao Qing was fond of eating plain noodles; despite his current high status, he never forgot his past life of poverty.
And Leng Jing was currently sitting in a VIP room of the Fengge Pavilion. To be honest, he had snuck in. Still wearing his simple white robe, he had entered an empty private booth and picked up the program on the table to read.
"Guest, are you Young Master Yue Tian of Heaven Room Nine?" A servant dressed in exquisite attire entered with tea and pastries, inquiring politely. Leng Jing’s attire was so shabby that he didn't look at all like the noble-born master of swordsmanship, Young Master Yue Tian.
"I am Young Master Yue Tian’s servant, here to scout ahead," Leng Jing said, taking the pastries and brushing the question aside with a casual lie.
"I see." The servant didn't doubt him. Because the gates of the Fengge Pavilion were strictly guarded by hundreds of hidden martial arts experts to prevent reckless intruders, he didn't suspect Leng Jing’s words in the least. Even the world's top expert would find it nearly impossible to break in, let alone some petty thief looking for free food.
But Leng Jing truly was there for the free food.
After the servant left, Leng Jing began to eat the delicate tea cakes. Truly worthy of the finest establishment in the world—the pastries were so delicious one might swallow their own tongue. Soon, the four or five expensive little tea cakes meant to accompany the tea were devoured by the great Dragon God in short order.
Leng Jing wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth, exhaled, and prepared to find this Zhao Qing to see if he was indeed Leng Qingqing in disguise.
However, Leng Jing’s mind began to race. If Zhao Qing really was Leng Qingqing, what should he do? How could he make someone fall in love with him quickly?
The omnipotent yet "wicked" little snake suddenly found his mind a blank. He and the former Leng Qingqing had been together since the moment he was born. He had never spent any effort thinking about how to deliberately make Leng Qingqing love him, because Leng Qingqing doted on him to the extreme. With a flick of his finger, Leng Qingqing would come running. He never spent time thinking about what kind of care Leng Qingqing needed. Because Leng Qingqing was his father; no matter how useless that father might be, he was the son’s heaven, and he had to play the role of a mountain before his son.
But now it was different. He was the most familiar stranger. Leng Qingqing no longer held feelings for him. Leng Jing had to carefully consider how to capture the other's heart. This feeling of being about to fall into an unknown river of love was truly disorienting and even a bit frightening.
Amidst his internal wavering, Leng Jing finally arrived quietly at the depths of the backstage living quarters of the Fengge Pavilion. Looking from a distance, he saw a place more elegant and secluded than the other performers' residences. Outside, there was even a small bridge over flowing water arranged in a tactical formation. Inside, layers of light gauze curtains hung heavily, and a faint fragrance drifted through the air—a peculiar scent clearly designed to leave one weak and listless. The defenses here were so tight, and the wooden plaque outside was carved with "Elegant Abode." It seemed this was indeed Young Master Zhao Qing’s residence.
However, he was in no hurry to enter. Instead, he observed from the shadows. Before long, six young pages emerged from the pavilion, each holding a green willow branch and a mutton-fat jade bottle filled with pure water, lining up in two rows outside. The lead page said, "The masters coming to this pavilion in a moment are all figures of great background. Everyone must serve them carefully and not be the least bit negligent. Remember, only those with a golden waist token may be allowed inside."
The other pages answered in unison and stood guard.
When Leng Jing was the Alliance Leader of the martial world, he knew that some sects intentionally set up numerous hurdles and acted mysteriously to raise their own prestige. It seemed the same logic applied here. As long as he got a golden waist token, he could enter openly. Leng Jing noted this and quietly withdrew.
He retreated to the outer corridor, silently watching the people coming and going. As the moon rose high, the night's festivities began, and the noble guests who were willing to spend a fortune just to see Young Master Zhao Qing arrived one after another.
While he was crouching at the corridor entrance waiting, a head servant came over, knocked him on the head, and scolded, "Which department are you from? Why are you slacking off here? Get to work! Young Master Yue Tian has arrived at the front gate. He has a golden token. Go help lead his horse!"
Leng Jing gave a cold snort in his heart. That Young Master Yue Tian again! Fine, then his golden token would be his.
Having made up his mind, Leng Jing feigned being a laborer and followed the head servant to the gate. He saw a simple carriage outside, from which a sickly but extraordinarily handsome young master was being carried down in a wheelchair. This young master had been coughing incessantly since getting off the carriage, yet he insisted on personally pushing his wheelchair with his own hands to see Young Master Zhao Qing to show his sincerity.
This man was so weak that his movements were incredibly slow. Leng Jing went to stable the horse and then followed him. The man had only rolled his wheelchair to the central courtyard before he ran out of strength. He stopped there, covering his mouth with his sleeve and coughing lightly. When he lowered his arm, bright red bloodstains were visible on his sleeve. His face was as ashen as death, his breath shallow and ragged. Unfortunately, his servants had been forced to stay outside the main gate, so they didn't know he had suffered a sudden relapse here. Leng Jing hurried forward and said, "Young Master, you look quite unwell. Shall I push you?"
"No need! I must see him with these hands... I want to prove I am not a useless man!" Young Master Yue Tian seemed to squeeze out the words with great difficulty.
"Oh, Young Master, do you know where Young Master Zhao Qing is? Are you going to search for him like this even if it kills you?" Leng Jing said.
"What do you mean? Is Young Master Zhao Qing no longer here?" Young Master Yue Tian asked in alarm.
"Actually..." Leng Jing stepped forward and whispered into his ear.
After hearing Leng Jing’s narrative, Young Master Yue Tian’s expression darkened. He lowered his eyes and sighed, "I have pursued him so bitterly for all these years. Alas, I didn't expect him to still avoid me. Very well, please take me to see him, young man!"
"Very good!" Leng Jing quickly pushed him elsewhere, bypassing everyone's eyes and ears to reach a secluded spot.
"Where is Young Master Zhao Qing?" Yue Tian asked urgently.
"Wait a moment." Leng Jing instantly transformed into a dragon and soared into the sky. The speed was so fast that although Yue Tian was right next to him, he couldn't see where Leng Jing had gone. He only felt a blur before his eyes. This dizzying sensation made his extremely weak body feel miserable again, and he coughed incessantly.
Soon, the white dragon Leng Jing returned, dragging along his old attendants from the Celestial Realm's Sea of End—the little rabbit Liu Xiaoyu and others who were still sleeping. He ordered them to hide Young Master Yue Tian in the Sea of End.
"But, the Heavenly Laws state that mortals cannot enter the Celestial Realm," Liu Xiaoyu the rabbit looked tearfully at her master—the one known in the Celestial Realm as the Wicked Thunderstorm Dragon God, Leng Jing. In the next moment, under Leng Jing’s high-pressure gaze, she finally yielded and ordered the other rabbits to carry the unconscious Yue Tian—who had fainted from the shock of the scene—up to the heavens.
Thus, Leng Jing successfully replaced Young Master Yue Tian, obtaining the golden token and the wheelchair needed to see Zhao Qing.
***
Finally, Leng Jing changed into Yue Tian’s luxurious robes, sat in the wheelchair, and arrived before Young Master Zhao Qing’s Elegant Abode. He showed the golden token at his waist to the guarding pages. The pages sprinkled some pure water from the mutton-fat jade bottles onto him to dispel the effects of the poisonous fragrance.
Another dedicated attendant walked behind Leng Jing and pushed him into the abode.
The interior of the abode was constructed of green bamboo, complemented by exquisitely crafted furniture and decorations. Purple-blue gauze curtains swayed gently in the wind, and several orchids on a flower stand released their fragrance. Outside the arched window was a pool of clear water and a few stalks of green bamboo. Combined with the bright moon and clear breeze, it was a sight that broadened the mind and gladdened the spirit.
Leng Jing’s wheelchair creaked against the floorboards, causing the few people who had arrived earlier to look toward him. It turned out Leng Jing had wasted some time going back and forth, allowing others to get there first. Fortunately, Young Master Zhao Qing had not yet appeared; everyone was waiting in the outer courtyard.
Leng Jing sized up the few people in the courtyard who had been granted permission to see Zhao Qing’s true face. Each was a paragon among men with extraordinary appearance and temperament. Judging by their aura, they were clearly remarkable individuals. Among them, a man in gold and purple robes with a jade crown had a pair of captivating phoenix eyes and seemed the most extroverted. He smiled and said, "Gentlemen, it is a rare fate that brings us together. Why don't we introduce ourselves? I shall go first—I am Liu Fengqing. The one the martial world calls Young Master Fengqing is my humble self. May I ask who the rest of you are?"
"I am Dongfang Hunxiao of the Soul-Consuming Villa," said a gloomy, thin man sitting in the first seat on the right.
"This Prince is Yu Wuji, the Prince of Jinnan," said the noble man in the second seat on the right.
"I am Bai..." Before the third person, a refined and elegant scholar, could finish his sentence, Leng Jing felt his forehead grow hot. The dragon mark, flowing with radiance, gradually emerged on his brow!
And at that moment, a page called out, "Young Master Zhao Qing has arrived—!"
"Ah..." Leng Jing let out a low groan, clutching his forehead and curling his body deep into the chair—it was true! Leng Qingqing was nearby!
"Sir, are you alright? You seem to be in great pain..." Seeing him in a wheelchair and appearing to be suffering, the scholar didn't even bother to look at Young Master Zhao Qing and instead came over to offer his concern.
Before Leng Jing could speak, the man in luxurious robes pointed at the scholar and said, "Aren't you the first-rank Prime Minister, Lord Bai? It's truly rare to see you in a place like this! Haha!"
The scholar’s face reddened as he said, "I am only here to see an old friend."
Before his voice had even faded, a graceful silhouette appeared behind the bead curtain. A snow-white hand slowly pulled the curtain aside—Young Master Zhao Qing had arrived!
Leng Jing lifted his head. Was he finally going to meet Leng Qingqing?!
His heart, like the others', accelerated its beat, and his breath was held.
The crucial meeting was at hand!
Who exactly is Leng Qingqing’s true form? Please look forward to the next chapter of the Ugly Little Snake—The White Snake Appears!
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 盈都 | Yingdu | The capital city, meaning "City of Abundance." |
| 凤歌台 | Fengge Pavilion | "Phoenix Song Stage/Pavilion," a high-end performance venue. |
| 赵清 | Zhao Qing | The famous performer's name. |
| 清扬公子 | Young Master Qingyang | Zhao Qing's title; "Qingyang" means clear and melodious. |
| 离殇曲 | Song of Parting Sorrow | The song Zhao Qing used to stop a conflict. |
| 艺魂 | Soul of the Arts | A title given to Zhao Qing by his admirers. |
| 清汤挂面团 | Clear Soup Noodle Squad | Zhao Qing's fan club, named after his favorite simple meal. |
| 越天 | Yue Tian | A noble swordsman whose identity Leng Jing steals. |
| 清雅小居 | Elegant Abode | The name of Zhao Qing's private residence. |
| 柳小玉 | Liu Xiaoyu | Leng Jing's rabbit servant from the Celestial Realm. |
| 柳风情 | Liu Fengqing | One of the suitors, known as Young Master Fengqing. |
| 东方魂销 | Dongfang Hunxiao | One of the suitors, from Soul-Consuming Villa. |
| 玉无极 | Yu Wuji | The Prince of Jinnan. |
| 白大人 | Lord Bai | The Prime Minister, one of the suitors. |
