Back in the Heavenly Court, Xiangliu had fought fiercely against powerful enemies to save Leng Qingqiu, ultimately plunging into the sea with critical injuries and lingering on the brink of death. His body suffered catastrophic damage, and one of his heads vanished as a result. As time passed, his once-massive form steadily shrank until he became a tiny silver snake, washed ashore by the waves onto a beach near a small village.
At that moment, several children from the village were playing by the water. One bold, chubby boy happened to spot the little silver snake and grew deeply interested in it. Carefully picking it up with a pair of tongs, he slipped it into his bamboo basket and took it home. That evening when the boy returned, his father was heavily drunk and beating his mother yet again. Unable to bear it, the chubby boy grabbed a stick to fight back, only to receive a brutal beating from his father as well. His frail mother rushed over to shield him, and her arm was broken in the process. The foul-smelling father finished beating the mother and son, then went back to drinking until he passed out at the table.
"Mother, I'm taking you to see the Shaman Doctor to get your arm checked," the chubby boy said to her.
Chapter 38