Chapter 86 A Ling

After coming out of the princess's mansion, Yun Chen blew on his burned fingers while walking towards the city market.

Ye Yan's wife, Mrs. Hu, gave birth to a daughter. Ye Yan was so happy that his mouth almost reached the sky. He said he would treat everyone to a banquet on the full moon day.

Yun Chen was thinking about buying a gift for her newborn niece.

As a result, not long after she walked out, she saw someone waiting for her on the road she had to take to return home.

You know what, I haven’t seen Yan Shijiu for a long time and I really miss him a little.

Although she knew that Yan Shijiu, as a great merchant under the princess, would come to Kyoto sooner or later, she was still very surprised.

"Yan Nineteen! Long time no see!"

After shouting, she ran towards Yan Shijiu happily.

Looking at the cheerful figure like a little bird running straight towards him, Yan Shijiu almost opened his arms to welcome her, but his raised hand stopped abruptly in the air, and he grabbed her high ponytail and pulled it hard.

When he stretched out his hand, the red headband bracelet on his wrist was revealed, shining in the sunlight.

"My poor little Yun'er, where have you been wandering? I finally moved to Kyoto, but you disappeared. You didn't even come back to look for me. I still have treasures waiting to show you!"

Her hair was pulled and her head tilted back.

She punched him skillfully and said, "In order to upgrade my guarding skills, I went to the jungle to fight a big black bear alone. Do you believe it?"

He leaned forward slightly, got closer to her and looked at her carefully twice, his eyebrows curved, and he smiled:

"I believe it. My lovely little Yunyun finally learned to talk nonsense from me. I love it!"

She snatched the hair from his hand and tied it up again, but he noticed with his sharp eyes that all ten of her fingers were red.

"What happened to your hand?"

She didn't care much: "I was drinking tea, and the cup was too hot."

His smiling eyes immediately flashed with a cold look.

"Where did you go for tea?"

"Princess's Mansion."

"The princess gave me tea?"

"No, it was Lady Isand. She even treated me to a very precious tea called, what, that..." After thinking for a long time, she slapped her head and said, "Oh! It's called 'Rime Condensation Dew'."

He seemed to be smiling, but his expression was already filled with an unconcealable coldness. "Oh, the palace is always using these little tricks to bully people."

"You talk as if you were a eunuch in the palace."

"Hahahaha——" He laughed loudly, pulled out the folding fan from his waist, and tapped her head lightly, "Let's go to my house and see, I have some wonderful treasures to show you——"

It is different from the Huo Mansion’s mansion style which emphasizes tradition and style.

Yan Shijiu's mansion seemed to be decorated by himself, it was a weird and weird mix of things.

Other people's courtyards are full of gardens and pavilions, but his house is an open-air kitchen with a barbecue grill on the side.

When you walk into the front hall, what greets you is not the layout of tables, chairs, calligraphy and paintings for entertaining guests, but a room full of green plants, trees, vines... There are not even bricks on the ground, revealing the most original soil.

Yun Chen greeted a large group of small animals including cats and dogs one by one, hugged the big cat tightly and sniffed it, then let go with satisfaction.

Yan Shijiu was petting a rabbit on the side, pretending to be aggrieved:

"Dad is incompetent and can't snatch your mother away. Poor you motherless children—"

She glanced at him sideways, and before she could speak, he had already covered his mouth and spoke in a nasal, humming voice with an ups and downs:

"I was wrong. I won't talk nonsense anymore. Let's go and see the baby."

Needless to say, she understood every word and followed him to the front hall.

The front hall was large, covered in vegetation. The air was faintly earthy, damp, and a bit chilly.

When I walked to the end of the hall, I saw a huge black cloth covering a large iron cage that was as tall as the house.

He grabbed a corner of the black cloth and looked at her nervously:

"I'm going to open it, don't be afraid—"

Her curiosity was aroused and she stared at the black cloth intently.

He chuckled and then pulled off the black cloth with force.

In an instant, a pair of cold eyes appeared before her eyes, and the narrow pupils met hers.

“Hiss—hiss—”

The snake head looked at her, spit out its tongue, and slowly retreated.

Only then did she realize that the snake's body was as thick as a bucket and several meters long. It was coiled on a large rock, and its tail was resting in the bushes, with no end in sight. It looked very scary.

What is even more surprising is that this giant python is golden white from head to seven inches, but most of its body at the back is pitch black, as if it was dyed black from the tail towards the front.

Seeing her staring at the giant python blankly, he felt a little nervous.

The next moment, she slowly approached the cage and murmured:

"So cool... Yan Shijiu, so cool!"

"I knew you wouldn't be afraid!" he shouted excitedly, his eyes shining strangely.

She asked curiously, "Was it originally a golden python? Why did it turn black?"

He explained: "The herbs I feed it will slowly turn black starting from its tail, but it takes a long time. I have been feeding it for five or six years, and it will take a few more years for its entire body to turn black."

"Amazing! Black snakes generally don't grow up. Most snakes that grow into pythons are colorful. Once you dye it, it will be incredible! There will only be one little black dragon in the world!"

He looked proud: "Of course not!"

She suddenly realized, "So all those cute little animals you raise outside are just to feed it!"

She grasped the cage bars and put her face closer, examining the python curiously. "It has a name, right? What's it?"

His face froze, "Call me A Ling..."

Before he could ask, he found out that he kept so many small animals outside, all to feed the snakes. Would she think he was creepy? Then she said:

"Next time you feed A-Ling, leave two rabbits for me. I'll take them back and roast them for Ye Yan and the others."

In an instant, all the stiffness melted away. He was stunned for a moment, then slowly smiled and responded with a sunny face:

"Okay! I'll definitely leave some for you!"

The little girl, who had just come from a secluded place, had never even seen a fish being killed. Naturally, she was terrified by the giant python and the scene of feeding the snake with live animals.

Once, Aling slipped out of the cage and scared a maid who was on night watch to death.

But for a woman like Yun Chen who has been through seas of blood and mountains of swords and has killed countless people with her sword, a mere python is nothing to worry about.

As for feeding living things to snakes, for her, it is the basic law of the world between people and things. She herself lives in such a world where the strong prey on the weak.

Although she is pure-hearted, loyal and righteous, her years of experience as a guard have transformed her completely, and she has lost all the demeanor of a young girl.

To be honest, you can tell the difference between someone who has killed someone and someone who hasn't just by standing there and looking into their eyes.