Nine-Turn Golden Soup

After exchanging names, Adam suddenly remembered something.

Just moments ago, Zhenwu had killed a Giant Serpent right in front of him.

There were two accounts of the origins of Great Emperor Zhenwu's Tortoise and Snake Generals:

One said they were the Water and Fire Demon Kings who had wreaked havoc among mortals. Their true forms were an azure tortoise and dark serpent formed from the energies of Kan and Li. After being subdued by Great Emperor Zhenwu, they became his guards.

The other said they were Great Emperor Zhenwu's intestines and stomach. While he was fasting during cultivation, they had growled incessantly from hunger, so he had simply dug them out. When Great Emperor Zhenwu ascended to immortality, they were touched by immortal aura and transformed into tortoise and snake forms.

Adam could not help glancing at the dead Giant Serpent beside him. After examining it closely, he confirmed that it was merely a demonic beast, not some Fire Demon King.

"Huiming?"

Following Huiming's gaze, Zhenwu assumed Huiming was curious why he had been pursuing the Giant Serpent, so he explained:

"This beast took advantage of Fen River Earl's absence while he was visiting friends. It slaughtered the shrimp soldiers and crab generals in the Fen River, seized the Earl's river palace, and even impersonated him in dreams, demanding that the people on both banks offer young boys and girls, as well as the three sacrificial animals and six domestic beasts. I happened to come across it."

What followed was obvious. The three sacrificial animals and six domestic beasts would have been one thing, but young boys and girls?

Not even the gods of the Fen River—no, not even the gods of the Four Waterways—accepted human sacrifice... though mainly because they did not think humans were worth it.

Though they