Supreme Sword Exalt

The giant python twisted non-stop. “Spare my life, Your Majesty! Spare my life, Senior!”

Its rampage dug a deep pit in what had been a clean and tidy little courtyard. Moreover, its tears gushed like a spring, turning the dirt into mud.

Gu Han fell silent, and so did the demoness. They had seen this kind of interesting nature in someone before. Even Ah Man felt a bit embarrassed inside. He thought having such a friend was rather shameful...

Seeing it throw a tantrum and roll around without end, Gu Han could only temporarily comfort it. “Stop crying. I don’t like killing living things, and I don’t like eating snake meat either.”

The demoness gave him a charming, reproachful glare.

The giant python felt a surge of joy and perked up. “Really? I knew it! You look like a kind-hearted and benevolent person at first glance!”

Then, its expression turned solemn. “Ah Man, as the saying goes, repay a drop of water with a gushing spring. Your life was saved by this kind senior, right?! Why didn’t you bring him back sooner?! You must never forget his kindness for your entire life!”

Ah Man muttered, “You were just blaming me—”

“Nonsense! I, Yan Qi, have always respected heroic figures like him the most in my life! The moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was different from those stinky barbarians who wanted to eat me!” The giant python flew into a rage, then secretly stole another glance at Gu Han. “Ahem... my meat really is sour!”

The demoness was a bit curious. “Your name is Yan Qi?”

Yan Qi nodded. “Yes, yes, yes! The Yan family has a single lineage for generations. My father is Yan Liu, my grandfather is Yan Wu, my great-grandfather is Yan Si, and I am Yan Qi. What the maiden says is correct. I’m not a mutant species at all, just an ordinary little python. Even if someone ate me, they wouldn’t gain much cultivation!”

Gu Han found this strange. Not only did the snake have a glib tongue, but it also spoke in a refined and bookish manner, even more human than humans.

“Why do you keep bringing up eating your meat?” he asked.

Yan Qi was overcome with grief, wailing non-stop, “Senior, you are unaware! Of the Yan family, only I remain. All the others have been eaten!”

The barbarians were fierce and powerful, and they were also not skilled in alchemy. Meanwhile, the Great Lu Mountains had plenty of demonic beasts with abundant vital qi in their flesh and blood.

Thus, countless low and mid-level barbarians hunted them to strengthen themselves. The higher the tier, the more they liked them. Hence, not a single demonic beast survived long enough to take human form.

The words “eating meat” had already left a shadow in Yan Qi’s heart. This was also why it had always hidden here, never willing to set foot outside even once. After all, gray mist with hallucinogenic effects shrouded this place all year along.

High-ranking barbarians deemed it beneath them to come here, while mid and low-ranking barbarians were unfamiliar with the path and found it difficult to enter. That was how it had managed to survive by luck until now.

Gu Han sighed with emotion. “Is that so? Well, in that case, how are you able to speak? Are you at the Heavenly Tribulation realm?”

The demonic beasts here have it far worse than those in the Wild Forest...

Yan Qi shook his head rapidly. “I wouldn’t dare undergo a heavenly tribulation. That’s how my father was captured back in the day. However, I once discovered a place, rolled around in it a few times, and then... ahem, why are you looking at me like that?”

It felt that Gu Han’s eyes were shining a bit too brightly.

Afraid of scaring it, Gu Han put away his sword with a warm and gentle expression. “Keep going. I love being kind to people and hate killing the most in my life.”

The demoness gave him another reproachful glare.

Even Ah Man’s face turned red from holding it in. Benefactor, the blood on your sword doesn’t seem to be dry yet.

Yan Qi immediately felt a sense of kinship. “You are kind and magnanimous! I also think fighting and killing are quite meaningless! Strictly speaking, I did undergo tempering by lightning, which is why I gained the ability to speak...”

Without daring to hide anything, it told everything it knew in detail. The area shrouded in gray mist was very large. While roaming around out of sheer boredom, it had mistakenly entered a deep underground cavern containing a pool of fire. Unlike ordinary flames, it concealed a hint of lightning intent within, somewhat resembling heavenly lightning.

Not daring to get too close, Yan Qi rolled around a few times on the edge. As a result, not only had its cultivation advanced greatly, but it had also gained the ability to speak human language. Moreover, after being baptized by that fire and lightning, the great python had become tainted with a trace of blazing intent.

Besides that, a few jade talismans were still left inside the cave, containing some ancient texts of the human race. Although Yan Qi had never been outside, it often pondered these things. And that was how its speech had taken on a refined, bookish flavor.

In the meantime, Ah Man told Gu Han what he knew about the situation in the Great Lu Mountains. “In the legends, this mountain range was formed from the body of a supreme great demon.”

Yan Qi scoffed. He knew this legend, but he didn’t believe a word of it. If there really was a great demon that powerful, why was it dead?

Gu Han frowned. “Supreme great demon? Fire pool? Lightning?”

He vaguely felt that this place wasn’t as simple as the ancient relic site he had in mind. Could it be that the Great Lu Mountains are made of the body of a great demon? Just how big and powerful would that great demon have been?

Yan Qi said cautiously, “Senior, if you are interested, I can take you there to have a look...”

Just as Gu Han was about to answer, a sense of alarm rose in his heart. No! I am plagued by bad luck. I can’t make any rash decisions!

He turned to the demoness. “What do you think? Should we go take a look?”

The demoness gently hugged him with a look of infatuation. Then, a trace of weariness flashed in her eyes again. “Let’s go see if it matches my guess.”

Yan Qi praised loudly, “Senior and the maiden are deeply in love! It really makes me green with envy!”

Yet he muttered inwardly, This senior’s strength is so terrifying, yet he still has to ask the maiden’s opinion. Could he also be henpecked? Tsk! That really makes me think less of him!

The corner of Gu Han’s mouth twitched. For some inexplicable reason, he didn’t explain. However, the demoness was very pleased. She felt that Yan Qi was wise and sensible, and his words were pleasant to hear, making him more human than many people.

Gu Han shook his head after seeing Ah Man’s eager look. “You don’t need to come. It’s very dangerous to stay by my side.”

Yan Qi instantly became alert. Dangerous? What danger?

Ah Man appeared reluctant to part. “Benefactor, you saved me and my mother, and I haven’t repaid you yet—”

Gu Han smiled. “There’s no need for repayment. If possible, I want you to promise me one thing.”

“Benefactor, just say the word!”

“Do not become an enemy of the Great Flame Empire.”

“Great Flame Empire?” Ah Man was stunned for a moment. Thinking of what Tai Ji had told him, and of Gu Han being hunted down earlier, he stirred and blurted out, “Benefactor, are you from the Great Flame Empire?”

“You could say that.”

Ah Man was silent for a moment. Then, he knelt on one knee and took out a knife. Cutting a gash in his hand, he raised it high into the air. “I swear in the name of the barbarian ancestor! I will never become an enemy of my benefactor and the Great Flame Empire! If I break this oath, may I die from reversed blood qi!”

Following that, he chanted a series of strange incantations. The blood on his hand drifted up, transformed into a strange red rune, and merged into his brow.

Yan Qi cursed inwardly, You narrow-minded fool! You might never see him again after today. Was there any need to make such a vicious oath?!

Even Gu Han hadn’t expected that a casual instruction would be taken so seriously by Ah Man. He found Ah Man even more agreeable now. “Get up. Your barbarian ancestor will protect you.”

The great python muttered secretly, “Protect my foot! This senior sure likes to joke! The barbarian ancestor has been dead for who knows how many years. How can he protect Ah Man? Too young! Without any benefit—“

Just as he thought that, he stuck out his long, forked tongue and couldn’t retract it anymore. A wisp of blood qi as thin as a hair, faintly emanating a sense of vast desolation, appeared in Gu Han’s hand. Just one look at it, and Yan Qi felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, unable to move at all.