After Swapping Identities With My Archenemy - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Poisoned

Two massive eyes, glowing like bright lightbulbs in the night, stared back at them.

Jiang Huaiyi immediately recognized what was outside. Those eyes belonged to the Jiao they had seen earlier that day. It had slithered over at some point, though she had no idea how long it had been waiting. Its head swayed slightly as it looked for an angle to peer into the haystack. The fallen leaves crunched rhythmically under its immense weight.

The two women shared a tense glance, hesitating. The Jiao didn’t seem to harbor any ill will, but the sheer scale of it was overwhelming.

As they huddled in a cramped, awkward position, Jiang Huaiyi slowly lowered Shen Wensi’s hand from her mouth. “Should we go out and see?” she whispered.

Before they could decide, a low, feminine voice drifted in from the darkness. “Are you in there?”

Jiang Huaiyi’s first thought was that the world was truly full of wonders a snake that could mimic a human voice. But on second thought, it wasn’t that far-fetched. The creature had clearly gained spiritual intelligence. Even the weasels she’d met before could speak despite not having fully transformed into human shape.

“We are,” Shen Wensi replied, her voice remarkably calm despite her eyes being fixed intently on the entrance. “Hello. Are you the Jiao?”

The “lightbulb” eyes moved closer. “I am,” the low voice replied. “Thank you for the warning today. I mean you no harm; I simply came to offer my thanks.”

Huaiyi and Wensi slowly poked their heads out of the straw. In the cool, white glow of their LED light, the creature backed away slightly to maintain a respectful distance. Up close, it looked smaller than it had on the river its head was about the height of half a person, with two small, budding horns protruding from its brow.

It dipped its head in a polite, graceful bow. A black tongue flickered out, and though its mouth didn’t move, its voice resonated clearly. “You needn’t come out. It is cold.”

They retreated back into the warmth of the hay but kept a wide gap open to talk. As they watched, the Jiao shrank even further, coiling its body on the ground. It radiated a warm, gentle aura, lacking the typical reptilian coldness. In its smaller form, with its wide, steady eyes, it actually looked quite cute—almost “moe,” Huaiyi thought.

The snake slithered through a gap in the straw and curled up politely before them. “Greetings. My name is Yu Cheng. I am a mountain spirit of this range and have cultivated here for eight hundred years.”

“However,” it continued, “I only truly awakened a few decades ago. My knowledge of the past is limited. Can you tell me why so many people invade this mountain every year?”

Jiang Huaiyi realized then that Yu Cheng was the literal spiritual pulse of the mountain. That explained its rapid cultivation and the incredible spiritual energy it radiated. Just sitting near it made Huaiyi feel her fatigue vanishing and her energy returning.

“To be honest,” Huaiyi said, deciding on bluntness, “they are after your body.”

The air went still. Yu Cheng’s dark eyes fixed on her. Shen Wensi gave Huaiyi a light nudge to bring her back to the conversation.

“In the past, people might have come out of curiosity,” Huaiyi explained. “But lately, they are coming for you specifically. They lured you out today on purpose.”

Yu Cheng nodded slowly. “I see. I thought the man had simply fallen. Usually, when I save people, I ensure I am not seen. But today, he would have died if I hadn’t intervened.”

“You did a good thing,” Huaiyi comforted it. “But those people set a trap. That old man was a kidnapper—a human trafficker. He deserved what he got.”

Yu Cheng tilted its head, unfamiliar with the term “kidnapper.” Jiang Huaiyi explained the situation and revealed a bit about their own mission. Yu Cheng was surprisingly pure and kind-hearted. It immediately offered to lead them to the Spiritual Spring they were seeking.

Everything was going suspiciously well. After Yu Cheng agreed to meet them the next day and slithered away, Huaiyi turned to Shen Wensi. “Isn’t this… too easy? It feels wrong.”

“So far, it has no reason to lie to us,” Shen Wensi reasoned. “But we’ll stay alert.”

The Silent Killer

They decided to head back to the wooden hut immediately to check on the others. Since Yu Cheng’s presence had healed most of Huaiyi’s exhaustion, she felt strong enough to make the trek.

They used Shen Wensi’s phone to communicate via the text-entry screen, a precaution against any eavesdropping spirits. Jiang Huaiyi noticed the recipient name on the draft was simply “Huaiyi.” Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of her own name on Shen’s screen, but she forced herself to focus.

When they arrived at the hut, the door was shut tight. Jiang Huaiyi peered through a window and saw the others still asleep. Relief washed over her at least Zheng Ji hadn’t doubled back.

But as they pushed the door open, a wave of stifling, humid heat hit them. It was far too hot. Jiang Huaiyi realized with a jolt of horror that every crack in the windows and doors had been sealed shut.

They rushed to the beds. Mu Ze and the others were lying there, their faces flushed a deep, unnatural red. They didn’t wake even when pushed.

Shen Wensi checked their pulses. “They’re alive,” she said, her voice tight.

Jiang Huaiyi looked at the glowing charcoal in the brazier and the sealed room. The air was heavy and toxic.

“I know what happened!” she cried. “It’s carbon monoxide poisoning! Quick, open everything! We need air!”

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