Beauty Snake - Chapter 94

Chapter 94: The Unreliable “Pangpang” Has Vanished!

Facing Xie Chu’s skepticism, Ji Yunfei waved her hand confidently. “Eh, Auntie Xie, you don’t understand this. The ‘push and pull’ strategy is all about the emotional highs and lows. It’s a foolproof plan.” Excited, she even clapped her hands, her eyes gleaming. “Listen to me, Auntie Xie—if you get the chance, try it on Auntie Yin, too. I guarantee it’ll promote your feelings effectively…”

“Ouch—!” Before she could finish, Ji Yunfei’s head received a heavy knock from Xie Chu. She pouted and clutched her head, looking at Xie Chu in confusion. “Auntie Xie, why did you hit me… Wuu wuu, if a bump grows on my head, how can I face Yin-yin?”

“You’re full of nothing but bad ideas. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; don’t go crying your eyes out when you regret it later…” Xie Chu ignored Ji Yunfei’s dramatic act. She let out a soft sigh and turned to find Yin Qing and Yin Wan.

“Why does no one trust me…?” Left alone, Ji Yunfei spread her hands and shrugged with a hint of self-doubt. “Is this plan really that unreliable?”

Forget it, forget it. Ji Yunfei shook her head, tossing the unnecessary worries aside. Even if there was a problem with the plan, she was confident she could coax her back… after all, that silly snake had always been a “knife-mouth, tofu-heart” (sharp-tongued but soft-hearted) person.

Ring ring ring—! An abrupt phone ring sounded like a thunderclap next to Ji Yunfei’s ear. She frowned slightly, wondering who could be calling her now.

Pulling out her phone, she saw the caller was Chi Chang, whom she had “entrusted with a heavy responsibility.” Ji Yunfei took a sharp breath, sensing that something was wrong.

“Hello…”

“Fei-zi—something’s wrong!”

Chi Chang’s shouting voice came through the receiver. Ji Yunfei calmly moved the phone away from her ear. “Don’t panic… tell me slowly.”

“First, promise me that no matter what I say, you won’t punch me…”

Hearing this, Ji Yunfei let out a soft “hiss,” her bad premonition intensifying. “I promise, I promise. Speak.”

With the promise secured, Chi Chang seemed relieved, though her voice still trembled. “I just went to your house to check the feeding equipment for your little fat snake, but your fat snake… it seems to have vanished into thin air.”

“Vanished into thin air?” Ji Yunfei didn’t think Pangpang (Fatty) had the ability to teleport or turn invisible. “Check around properly. Did it escape its cage?”

But according to Ji Yunfei’s knowledge of Pangpang, escaping was impossible. After all, it was just a cute little hognose snake whose brain was only filled with sleeping and eating…

Furthermore… Ji Yunfei looked at the “Snake Babies” in the distance who had already transformed into their human-snake forms. She guessed that although Pangpang hadn’t transformed like the others for some reason, it certainly possessed spiritual intelligence.

“I—I—I flipped the whole place upside down and didn’t see a trace of a snake…” Chi Chang stuttered. Seeing no response from Ji Yunfei, she continued: “It… it wouldn’t be hiding in some dark corner waiting to leap out and bite me, would it?”

“No, Pangpang never bites.” Hearing this, Ji Yunfei pursed her lips. If the place was searched thoroughly and there was still no sign, the matter was likely not simple.

“Chi Chang, I have a general idea of what happened. Just keep an eye on the surveillance cameras in the house when you have time and contact me if anything happens. I’ll take action on my end as well…”

“Ah, okay. Take care of yourself in the countryside.” Hearing Ji Yunfei’s calm tone, Chi Chang’s anxious heart settled. Only then did she have the mind to ask: “How is it going over there?”

“I found her… but she has amnesia. I’m looking for a chance to help her recover. I can’t say much about the details, but just trust me.”

“Good, good. I trust you. I’ll wait for you to bring Xie Yin back safe and sound after the New Year. Heihai and Baibai miss her to death.”

“Alright, hanging up. Good luck. You better come back in one piece, you hear me?”

“Got it, Sister Chi.” Ji Yunfei could hear the genuine concern in her friend’s voice. The unease regarding those “lunatics” subsided slightly, replaced by the warmth of being cared for.

This time, she would definitely bring Xie Yin back safely and deal with those lunatics once and for all.

After hanging up, Ji Yunfei looked at the sky. There was still some time before the night market opened, enough for her to do something else. She walked toward the direction Xie Chu had left.

“Auntie Xie—!” Fortunately, Yin Qing and Yin Wan were nearby. It didn’t take long for Ji Yunfei to spot the three of them surrounding a tanghulu (candied fruit) stall.

“Slow down. What is it now?” Seeing Ji Yunfei in a rush, Xie Chu took a bite of her candied fruit and spoke leisurely.

“I remember that every member of the Snake Clan has a Soul Lamp that also functions as a tracker, right?”

“Mmm, that’s right. Why ask?” Xie Chu was puzzled by the sudden topic. There was no immediate use for such a thing.

Ji Yunfei glanced at the surroundings and pulled Xie Chu to a quiet corner. “Pangpang vanished from my house… my friend who was looking after her searched everywhere.”

“Since Xie Yin brought the Snake Babies back, they should be counted as part of the clan…” Ji Yunfei looked at Xie Chu, who was frowning in thought.

After a long silence, Xie Chu spoke as if realizing something: “Are you talking about that hognose snake A-Yin complained about—the one who’s silly and only loves to eat?”

Hiss… is Pangpang’s reputation that bad? Ji Yunfei thought of the clumsy, goofy Pangpang in her memories and had to admit it was true.

“Yes, the hognose snake, Pangpang.” Ji Yunfei nodded. “With her whereabouts unknown, I’m feeling uneasy. I fear it’s not good news.”

“Fine. Luckily we lit all their soul lamps last time. Follow me.” Xie Chu didn’t say more and signaled for Ji Yunfei to follow.

Following Xie Chu, Ji Yunfei soon found herself in a desolate forest. The cold wind blew against her face like the sharp fingernails of a ghost.

“Hiss… Auntie Xie, where are you taking me?” Ji Yunfei shivered, hugging herself tightly and watching her surroundings alertly.

“Be quiet and follow.” Xie Chu gave her a playful flick on the head and pulled her along by the ear. “I didn’t realize you were this cowardly.”

Struggling to free herself, Ji Yunfei rubbed her reddened ear. “In a wasteland forest like this, it’s hard not to be scared by the atmosphere…”

Xie Chu ignored her, so Ji Yunfei shut her mouth and followed closely.

“We’re here.” Xie Chu stopped abruptly, and Ji Yunfei crashed into her back.

“Ow…” Rubbing her aching forehead, Ji Yunfei stepped out from behind Xie Chu. Before them stood an old temple with red bricks and black tiles.

“Clan Leader, why are you here now? Shouldn’t you be preparing for the fireworks festival?” Seeing Xie Chu, the guard at the door stood at attention and ran over.

“Business. Just open the door.”

“Eh, yes!” Seeing Xie Chu didn’t want to explain, the guard didn’t ask further and unlocked the door.

The moment they crossed the weathered threshold, the scent of agarwood mixed with ancient frost hit them. Ji Yunfei’s breath hitched—countless glass lamps were floating in mid-air, their faint glow looking like a reflected Milky Way.

Eerie blue flames flickered inside the translucent covers. There was no oil, yet the moment she looked up, they all trembled in unison, like fish sensing a stranger.

“This is…” She reached out to touch the nearest lamp, but Xie Chu grabbed her wrist. Her fingertips were ice-cold. “Don’t touch randomly.”

“Alright, alright.” Ji Yunfei retracted her hand and turned her gaze to the center of the temple.

Thousands of lamps formed a massive circular array, with a bronze snake statue coiled atop a three-tiered altar. The giant snake was covered in scale-like verdigris, its head raised with a gaze that looked down on all living things. The snake’s tongue brushed against a bronze lotus lamp hanging from the ceiling. Its eyes, made of pigeon-blood rubies, shimmered with a sinister dark red light in the blue glow, following them like a living thing.

Fortunately, having merged with her previous life’s memories, Ji Yunfei wasn’t scared witless by such a grand scene. She saw Xie Chu getting ready and moved back to a safe distance.

Xie Chu stood beneath the statue and began reciting an incantation.

As the spell echoed, Ji Yunfei felt her head throb as if a demonic sound were piercing her ears. She clenched her teeth and covered her ears.

Xie Chu raised her palm, and a snake-shaped totem similar to the one on the ground appeared in her hand, glowing blue in sync with the pulsing soul lamps.

“Search!” Xie Chu shouted, pressing her palm against the bronze snake statue.

The floating lamps instantly began to rotate clockwise. Eerie blue light seeped from the gaps in the bronze scales, winding down the snake’s body and forming glowing runes on the ground.

A sudden burst of light filled the temple, blinding Ji Yunfei. The strong impact forced her to grab a nearby pillar to remain standing.

After an unknown amount of time, the commotion faded, and the silence returned. Ji Yunfei opened her eyes to see Xie Chu holding a soul lamp.

She walked forward and saw the contents—a tiny snake that looked exactly like a miniature Pangpang was coiled inside.

“Is this Pangpang’s soul lamp?”

“Mmm.” Xie Chu nodded, but her brow was furrowed. Ji Yunfei’s heart, which had briefly soared seeing the lamp still lit, sank again.

“The lamp is lit, meaning she is still alive and in good health. However…” Xie Chu looked puzzled. “I cannot track her location. It’s as if… someone has installed a shield, blocking my power of searching completely.”

“A shield… an intentional cut-off?” Ji Yunfei bit her lip, remembering Heihai’s abnormal reaction before. “Is it those lunatics? If it’s them, then this was premeditated.”

Ji Yunfei clenched her fist, filled with regret. If she had known, she would have brought Pangpang back with her, giving them no chance to take her.

“I should have brought her back…”

“No,” Xie Chu interrupted. “If it’s as you say and they planned this, bringing her here would have only led them to the Snake Den faster.”

“After the fireworks festival, I fear a great war is inevitable.” Xie Chu sighed. “I will discuss it with the elders and perfect our defenses as quickly as possible.”

“You need to move faster, too. A-Yin’s soul restoration cannot be delayed any longer.”

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