Seeing that Mo Ye's beautiful eyes were staring at her without blinking, Kui Kui asked in confusion, "Mo Ye, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." He shook his head, regaining his senses, and felt a slight pain in his back.

He frowned and asked, "Do you know what time it is now?"

Kui Kui raised his hand and glanced at his watch, saying, "It's six o'clock. It should be six o'clock in the evening. Time flies!"

"Hmm." Mo Ye responded coldly and lay back down on the bed.

"It's nothing, you should leave now!"

Kui Kui glanced at Mo Ye, who was completely different from before, and mumbled an "Oh."

Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "Do you have a place here to dispose of wastewater?"

"No."

"All right……"

Kui Kui reluctantly picked up his small hot pot and drank the spicy broth inside in one go.

Mo Ye frowned as he watched.

"Burp!" After letting out a burp, she finished all the soup in Mo Ye's hot pot.

Then he put the trash into the trash bag he was carrying.

Mo Ye frowned as he looked at the white fluffy ornament hanging from her waist and said, "A fox spirit tail?"

"Yes, it was given to me by Grandma Hu. She said it could protect me from being harmed by snake spirits."

"It is indeed a treasure."

This fox spirit is a fire fox. If we can refine its tail, we might be able to escape this cage.

Mo Ye withdrew his gaze, a hint of self-mockery flashing in his eyes.

They're really getting more and more regressive as they get older; they actually coveted something belonging to a human girl!

"It's getting late, let's go!"

When Kui Kui saw that he was once again giving him the order to leave, he slung his backpack over his shoulder, picked up the trash, and left the palace.

As she approached the door, she glanced back at Mo Ye on the golden bed frame.

Mo Ye had already closed his eyes, just as he had when he arrived.

"Mo Ye, thank you, goodbye." Kui Kui said softly, then turned and walked into the passageway.

Realizing she had left, Mo Ye opened his eyes.

He rolled over to lie on his side, staring at the door, curled up, and hugged his knees.

Kui Kui walked slowly toward the entrance of the snake coffin, and after about an hour, he returned to the stone chamber at the entrance.

She leaned against the wall and sat on the ground, feeling as if a stone was pressing on her chest, making her very uncomfortable.

Memories of Mo Ye from the past ten years or so flashed through her mind.

Every year on the Ghost Festival (July 15th of the lunar calendar), Mo Ye would protect her.

In her dreams, Mo Ye would always call her name.

Sometimes it's a silly teasing, sometimes it's an urgent call.

It must be very lonely for someone to stay in a snake coffin all the time.

He has been kind to me. If I just leave like this, wouldn't that be too cold-blooded?

I didn't know his name before, so I couldn't set up a shrine for him. Now that I know his name, it would be my fault if I didn't bring it up.

Thinking about it, she glanced down at the time: eight o'clock.

A round trip takes two hours, which should be enough time.

With that thought in mind, she picked up her schoolbag again and headed towards the palace.

The snake spirits, which had been lying still, immediately began to wriggle excitedly, forming arrows once again to guide Kui Kui.

The palace gates remained open, just as they had been when she left.

She adjusted her breathing and was about to call out to Mo Ye when she heard painful groans coming from inside the palace.

Mo Ye's curse punishment has just begun.

Dragons have tendons, snakes have bones, and humans have a spine.

Even though Mo Ye's primordial spirit took human form, he still could not escape the pain of the curse.

He hugged his knees, curled up on the bed, his body trembling uncontrollably.

The pain in his back made his face turn red, and the veins on both sides of his neck and forehead bulged.

It felt as if his entire spine was being pulled out of his body inch by inch, and with each inch it was pulled out, the pain was unbearable.

He clenched his teeth, but painful groans still escaped from between them.

As his spine was completely removed, Mo Ye could no longer hold on and cried out in pain.

Kui Kui stood at the door, covering her mouth with both hands, completely terrified.

Because she clearly saw a spine covered in flesh and blood fly out of Mo Ye's body.

She trembled all over, her legs went weak, and she knelt down on the ground.

My stomach was churning, and I was experiencing waves of sharp pain.

Mo Ye was completely unaware of Kui Kui's appearance. After enduring the torture of having his tendons pulled out, the next thing he did was have his skin peeled off.

Snakes and dragons have scales, which peel off piece by piece; humans have skin, which is peeled off directly.

Kui Kui dared not look anymore, leaning against the doorway, tears streaming down her face.

The dragon-shaped carving on the stone gate made her back ache.

But she knew that this pain was only one ten-thousandth of what Mo Ye was currently enduring.

Is this the curse the serpent demon must endure?

Time passed second by second, and Mo Ye's removed spine and peeled skin began to regenerate.

Mo Ye remained curled up, her whole body itchy and sore. Although she was still uncomfortable, she felt much better than before and noticed Kui Kui outside the door.

Why are you back?

Upon hearing the sound, Kui Kui leaned against the stone door and stood up.

Mo Ye's eyes were glazed over, and a few strands of his long hair were stuck to his face because they were wet with sweat.

"Mo Ye, are you... alright? What... can I do to help you?"

Kui Kui looked at Mo Ye, who had returned to his original appearance, with concern.