A Thousand-Year-Old Snake Spirit Walks into a Trap - Chapter 1

“H-help!”

I had barely come down from the mountain when I spotted a young woman bobbing in the water.

I remembered what the elders back home had told me: do good deeds among mortals, accumulate merit, and I would become a half-immortal all the sooner.

Just as I was about to cast a spell to save her, an old man sprang out of nowhere and grabbed my arm.

“Young man, a life is at stake! Please, save her!” He started to drop to his knees.

I hastily caught him. With no other choice, I stripped off the oversized outer robe I had stolen yesterday, plunged into the river, and hauled her out.

Now all that remained was to accept the mortals’ boundless gratitude and make a graceful exit.

The girl was rather plump. She lay on the ground coughing so hard that her whole body shook, though her eyes kept darting my way.

The old man thanked me profusely without letting go of my wrist.

Suddenly, a dozen or more people swarmed around us, pointing back and forth between the girl and me.

“Young sir, you’ve seen an innocent maiden’s body. You must take responsibility for her future.”

A woman said this, and the others chimed in.

“Exactly! A perfectly respectable girl, ruined just like that!”

“The day after tomorrow looks like an auspicious date. Why don’t we arrange a simple ceremony and get it done?”

I didn’t understand. “What responsibility? I saved her and didn’t ask for anything in return. Why should I have to give her something?”

“Are you stupid? She means you have to marry the girl!” someone else said.

“You shameless lot!” A woman of about forty came rushing over and pointed at the last speaker. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing! You saw a handsome young man and set this whole thing up to marry off your daughter!”

It finally dawned on me. The elders had warned me how treacherous humans could be. I hadn’t expected to nearly lose my freedom the moment I left the mountain.

“Well, then.” I pointed at each of them in turn. “You’re all so… wicked!”

The plump girl had been making a show of crying. Now she scrambled up and caught my sleeve.

“You misunderstand, sir. This world is cruel to women. Once a man has seen our bodies, no one will marry us. We might as well die!”

With that, she turned to head back into the river.

Someone caught her, then looked at me as though I had done something dreadful. “You look like a decent man. How can you be so heartless?”

“She’s fully dressed,” I explained. “Her clothes are wet, but you can’t see anything. And besides, didn’t all of you see her too?”

“Hey!” A burly man charged over and jabbed a finger at my nose. “You did it, so own up to it! You’re marrying her whether you like it or not. Otherwise, I’ll tie you up and drag you to the wedding myself!”

What?

Human hearts were far too complicated. I would have been better off staying on the mountain and cultivating for a few more centuries.

After a moment’s thought, I decided to wipe everyone’s memory.

I slipped my hands behind my back and quietly cast a spell. While they were still standing there in a daze, I turned and left.

About two hundred meters later, I glanced back and discovered that the woman who had defended me was following.

Had my magic failed?

“Madam, is there something you need?”

She smiled kindly. “I noticed you’re wearing my son’s robe. You must be a friend of his. You’re soaked through—why don’t you come to our house and change?”

Then she added, “Don’t mind those people. Her family has spoiled that girl rotten. If she can’t trick a handsome young man into marrying her, she tries to force him. She’s made trouble for several already.”

To think such things happened!

Then another thought struck me. Why did she still remember what had happened? Had my magic really failed?

I looked back. The others were clearly still milling around in confusion.

And then I remembered something else.

I had stolen this robe!