AUOF - 32

Her clothing was already soaked through with sweat, clinging damply to her back.

Sang Li didn’t dare breathe, her peripheral vision slowly creeping backward. She saw a pair of golden vertical pupils—bright and dazzling, yet like the sun sinking below the horizon, leaving behind only an icy hue filled with decadence, desire, and an indescribable greed.

Just that one glance made her bones go limp.

Run.

She had to run.

The instinct to escape drove Sang Li to roll off its body in a frenzy. But just as her toes touched the ground, the snake’s tail suddenly went wild, swiftly coiling around her waist and lifting her into the air.

The sensation of being suspended made Sang Li let out a piercing scream.

The snake’s tail carried her closer, bringing her face-to-face with it. One snake, one human—they stared at each other. In front of the mountain-like serpent, she felt as insignificant as a tiny pastry, barely enough to fill the gaps between its teeth.

When a person is overwhelmed by extreme fear, their body freezes, unable to react.

From her limbs to her brain, everything was locked in a state of paralysis.

Sang Li stared blankly at the creature before her.

Strangely, though it had the appearance of a snake, it bore a pair of silver dragon-like horns on its head. Upon closer inspection, even its scales were subtly different from those of a snake. They were harder, smoother, and colder, lacking the slimy texture of reptiles. Even when the snake’s tail tightly coiled around her, she felt no roughness or discomfort.

In fact, she even thought, if it were summer, hugging this thing might actually feel nice.

The massive head slowly approached, its vertical pupils reflecting her entire figure.

“Y-you… don’t eat me, I’m not tasty…” Sang Li stammered, trying to reason with it. “This is Gui Xu Sea. You shouldn’t stray here. Our Lord Ji Hengyu won’t forgive you if you harm me.”

Sang Li invoked Ji Hengyu’s name, hoping to frighten the snake beast away.

But all it did was tilt its head slightly, looking puzzled rather than afraid.

After a moment, its head drew closer.

Sang Li recoiled in terror, ready to resist, but a wisp of energy suddenly entered her mind through her brow. Instantly, an overwhelming tide of pain surged over her.

Struggling, tearing, suffocating—all-consuming agony.

For that split second, it felt as though the malice of the entire world was crushing her, leaving her dizzy and heart-pounding.

Yet those vertical pupils continued to stare at her.

Though the pain had subsided, Sang Li remained dazed. Her lips parted, and in disbelief, she whispered the snake’s name: “Ji… Ji Hengyu?”

He gave no response.

Beneath his calm exterior lay a shattered mind.

Sang Li was at a loss whether to be shocked that his true form was a horned serpent or that he had lost his sanity during this frenzied period, even attempting to seek help through her consciousness.

But in that moment, she truly sensed his helplessness and vulnerability.

“Do you want me to help you?”

“Hiss.”

The giant snake lowered its head.

Despite its colossal size, it revealed a submissive and pleading demeanor before her, quietly begging for her assistance.

Sang Li had never seen Ji Hengyu like this.

She even felt… pity for him.

Without experiencing his torment firsthand, she couldn’t possibly empathize with him now.

“Is it the karmic affliction?”

His head moved closer to her chest, seeking her touch.

As long as he could remain close to Sang Li, all pain would fade away.

Sang Li pursed her lips, then involuntarily reached out to stroke his cheek. It was cool and smooth, pleasant to the touch.

“Is it because of the Silken Worm Gu ?” she asked softly.

Ji Hengyu couldn’t speak; instead, his forked tongue lightly brushed against her chest.

It seemed so.

She should have been afraid of snakes—or any crawling creatures, whether many-legged or legless—but strangely, in front of Ji Hengyu, she felt no fear.

“How can I help you?”

The giant snake understood.

Taking her agreement for granted, he stopped suppressing his desires. The snake’s tail slid beneath her clothing, tightening until the silk tore, leaving her exposed to the sudden chill.

Sang Li’s face turned pale, then flushed red, then white again.

“No!” She pushed against the snake, shouting firmly. “Let me go! I can help you, but not like this…”

Not like this .

AAAAAH! If she ended up doing that with a snake, it would completely shatter her limits!

No! Absolutely not!

Sang Li screamed internally, full of resistance.

Perhaps sensing her aversion, the snake’s tail coiled around her legs stopped moving erratically, settling obediently against her thighs.

It still felt uncomfortable.

The cold, slippery scales made her uneasy, and the intimate contact only worsened it.

“So… is this why you’ve gone mad until now?” Sang Li felt both deeply ashamed and absurdly sympathetic toward herself for feeling pity for him.

The snake’s head nudged closer, rubbing against her neck in an attempt to please her.

Sang Li felt suffocated, pushing against him with both hands. “Ji Hengyu, you’re too big to act so spoiled. This isn’t cute—it’s deadly.”

Ji Hengyu opened his mouth and, shockingly, took half her body into his serpent jaws.

Sang Li: “….”

Sang Li: “…………!!!”

AAAAAHHHHH! I don’t want to live anymore!

Half her body had been taken into the snake’s mouth—terrifying, yes, but thankfully there was no strange smell. It was clear that Ji Hengyu placed great importance on his personal hygiene.

He only held her for a brief moment before quickly releasing her, gazing at Sang Li with wide, expectant eyes.

To be honest, he didn’t look particularly pitiable in this state, but… Sang Li admitted to herself that she had a soft heart. Even those terrifying vertical pupils, when filled with pleading, stirred her compassion.

“You can’t…” Sang Li stammered, her face flushed. “Go… inside…”

Her thin skin made it hard for her to finish the sentence. “I can only help you like this,” she said, glancing at her own hands.

She looked back at him innocently. “Is that okay?”

The giant snake coiled around her tighter and tighter. Though he used considerable force, Sang Li didn’t feel suffocated. On the contrary, it was as if he feared hurting her; the scales beneath her palms gradually relaxed and softened.

After a moment of contemplation, Sang Li couldn’t help but ask, “Have you really lost your mind?”

Or was it that even in his unconscious state, he was restraining himself, unwilling to harm anyone?

Sang Li finally took a moment to glance around.

The walls were engraved with some kind of sealing array, their imprints flickering dimly. Bloodstains and signs of destruction were everywhere.

Her gaze involuntarily returned to Ji Hengyu. His massive body was covered in wounds—some scars had healed, only to be torn open again. The crimson streaks stood out starkly against his silvery-white form, like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow. She could only imagine the torment he had endured alone.

To avoid harming innocents during his loss of control, he had dispersed the sect members.

Sang Li couldn’t help but recall the day he had killed her.

Ruthless and merciless, without an ounce of hesitation.

He seemed like a good person, but not entirely so.

Like something caught between light and darkness—neither fully embraced by the light nor consumed by the shadows.

“Put me down first.”

At the sound of her voice, the snake’s vertical pupils abruptly dilated, and the force coiling around her tightened instantly, pressing against her until she let out a muffled groan from the suffocating pressure.

Realizing his mistake, he quickly loosened his grip but still refused to let go entirely.

Sang Li sighed helplessly. “If you keep clinging to me, I won’t be able to help you.”

The giant snake seemed to have an epiphany. Eagerly, he carried her to the center of the room, placing her on the bed of thousand-year-old, perpetually frozen ice.

Fearing that Sang Li might get cold, he even thoughtfully cushioned her with his body, allowing her to sit atop his serpent back.

Sang Li: “….”

This snake is surprisingly warm.

The problem now was that Sang Li, as an ordinary human, had no understanding of snake anatomy—let alone the anatomy of a horned snake.

“You…” Her ears reddened again, and her hands unconsciously tightened around her torn clothing. She turned her head away, unable to meet his gaze. “Show it to me.”

Sang Li murmured the words, her entire body flushing red afterward.

The giant snake proactively leaned closer.

Carefully, he brushed against the back of her hand.

Against the backdrop of his icy coldness, his heat scorched her fingertips.

She didn’t dare lower her head, but even without looking, she could vividly imagine the scene in her mind.

Sang Li felt like she was melting.

Embarrassment, fear, awkwardness—all these emotions made her want to retreat.

But the giant snake truly seemed pitiable.

He remained motionless, completely surrendering his vulnerable state to her. Even if Sang Li were to kill him right now, he wouldn’t hold any grudges.

“You’re too big,” Sang Li said, looking directly into his eyes. “Can you shrink a bit?”

The giant snake: “Hiss.”

“…”

Well, apparently not.

Sang Li glanced at her fingertips again, her expression stiff. “Not at all?”

He paused, as if considering.

Then, right before her eyes, he performed a miraculous act of shrinking down to a more manageable size.

Sang Li’s eyes widened, and she sucked in a sharp breath: “….”

Hiss? Impressive.

Alright, now the pressure was on her.

With a resigned sigh, Sang Li took three deep breaths and finally mustered the courage to… proceed.

It was a bit difficult.

Her brows furrowed, then relaxed, then furrowed again. When her left arm grew sore, she switched to her right, or used both arms together.

The giant snake continued to hiss contentedly, clearly enjoying himself immensely.

Two hours passed, and the snake remained in an incredibly excited state.

She was nearly in tears. “Ji Hengyu, are you feeling better yet?”

Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, the giant snake brought his massive head close, nuzzling her affectionately and wrapping her snugly in his enormous serpent body.

Having lost his rationality, he no longer resisted the effects of the Silken Worm Gu . Overwhelmed by surging waves of affection, he unabashedly displayed every ounce of his passion and fondness for Sang Li.

He rubbed his head against her; traced her features with his forked tongue; or curled his tail around her waist. Every part of his body—even each scale—radiated his fervor.

The once icy-cold snake had transformed into an overly affectionate puppy.

So enamored with her, so desperate for her closeness. In his extreme love, he even tried to pick her up entirely with his mouth.

It was terrifying, and Sang Li absolutely hated it.

Eventually, she broke down in tears, sobbing as she continued her task, alternating between cursing Ji Hengyu’s ancestors to the eighteenth generation and silently working.

The giant snake didn’t seem to care—in fact, he seemed to enjoy her angry muttering.

Each curse only made him swell with pride. Realizing this, Sang Li stopped cursing and crying altogether, her face blank as she focused solely on exerting strength with her arms.

Noticing her unhappiness, the giant snake began trying to cheer her up.

Breathing fire, spitting ice, spraying water—or even breathing fire first and then ice to create a misty reaction. It was utterly childish.

As he coaxed her, he also nuzzled against her cheek affectionately.

Sang Li couldn’t handle his clingy behavior and leaned back to avoid him, laughing despite herself. “You’re so silly—are you a child?”

Seeing her laugh, the giant snake was delighted and rested his entire head on her neck.

In that moment, the world fell silent.

He was so incredibly careful—his scales were as cold as snowflakes yet as soft as cotton, and his warm breath enveloped her completely.

This time, Sang Li didn’t push him away.

For some inexplicable reason, a part of her heart softened.

But this tender moment didn’t last long.

Sang Li clearly noticed a change in him—a tightening here, a loosening there. Witnessing it firsthand left her shocked, and she instinctively held her breath as she looked at Ji Hengyu.

His eyes remained innocent, but his body told a very different story.

“Are you serious?” she asked.

The vertical pupils of the giant snake still appeared pitifully guileless.

At first, he had restrained himself out of fear of frightening Sang Li, holding back certain aspects of his nature. But now that one part of him felt better, he naturally couldn’t neglect the other.

Sang Li’s face went blank. She refused to continue with this task.

She slid down and decisively attempted to escape.

But before she could take more than a couple of steps, the silver-white snake tail hooked around her ankles, dragging her back forcefully. And so, a new round began.