The Peach Blossom Spring

If Medusa had still been in her original form, with a snake's tail in place of her lower body, Ye Xiu would have been able to keep his composure. He didn't have any strange preferences, after all.

But Medusa had already taken human form.

And she had just been burned by the Green Lotus Core Flame. Across the entire Jia Ma Empire, there probably wasn't a single garment that could withstand the heat of a Heavenly Flame.

At the same time, Medusa was fawning over him with extraordinary affection.

That wasn't all. On a spiritual level, the Soul Contract was affecting Ye Xiu as well. He'd simply kept the side effects suppressed until now.

But now, with Medusa teasing him like this, those side effects he'd forcibly suppressed erupted all at once.

And so, that night.

Ye Xiu left the Snake-Person Tribe with Medusa. They didn't fly; they simply walked slowly through the desert.

After a while, a small stream appeared ahead.

The stream wasn't deep, and they could see the stones at the bottom. Low shrubs grew along both banks. Compared with the surrounding yellow sand, this patch of green was especially soothing to the eye.

Ye Xiu glanced at the stream, then at Medusa beside him, and suddenly felt inspired.

He rummaged through his Storage Ring and pulled out a large boat.

He set it down in the stream.

Ye Xiu climbed aboard first, then held out his hand to Medusa.

Medusa looked at the large boat, a little surprised, but she still took his hand and followed him aboard.

Ye Xiu picked up the oars and began rowing.

The boat drifted slowly along the stream. Water burbled around them, green shrubs lined both banks, and the night sky overhead was pitch-black.

Medusa sat at the bow, propping her chin in her hands as she stared at the fish in the water.

After watching for a while, she suddenly began to hum.

The tune was simple, with no lyrics, just a soft, tuneless sort of humming. But she seemed happy as she hummed, her voice gentle and childlike.

Listening to her, Ye Xiu's lips curled into a smile.

This Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python really was pure-hearted.

The boat drifted farther and farther downstream, and the scenery on either side gradually changed. The shrubs grew sparser, while the greenery became more abundant.

Ye Xiu wasn't sure how long they'd been going when he suddenly froze.

A vast peach grove had appeared along both banks of the stream ahead.

Tree after tree stood close together, covered in pink blossoms. Petals drifted down, landing on the water and floating downstream.

Moonlight shone on them, making the petals look pink and white, beautiful as a painting.

Ye Xiu couldn't help exclaiming in admiration.

This was the very scene described as, "No other trees grew among them; the fragrant grass was lush and fresh, and fallen blossoms drifted everywhere."

He brought the boat to a stop and simply gazed at the peach grove.

Medusa was just as captivated. Her lips were slightly parted, and she didn't even blink.

The peach grove was dense, with no trees other than peach trees. A soft pink layer of petals covered the ground. The stream wound through the middle, petals floated on its surface, and a faint fragrance filled the air.

Ye Xiu turned to Medusa. "Want to go in and take a look?"

Medusa nodded slightly.

Ye Xiu smiled and began rowing again, deeper into the peach grove.

The farther they went, the more beautiful the scenery became. The peach trees were all about the same size, and every one was in bloom. When the wind blew, petals fell like rain, landing on the boat and on the two of them.

Medusa reached out to catch a few petals and examined them in her palm. Then she looked up and gave Ye Xiu a gentle smile.

Looking at her exquisite face, Ye Xiu suddenly felt conflicted.

The Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python was wearing Medusa's body. Once Medusa's soul had fully merged with hers, he wondered what expression she would wear.

But there was no point thinking about that now.

He kept rowing, winding his way through the peach grove.

He wasn't sure how long they'd been going when the stream suddenly came to an end.

Its source was a small pool. A mountain rose beside it, and at the foot of the cliff was a cave entrance, not very large—about as tall as a person. A faint light shone from within, giving it a mysterious air.

Ye Xiu brought the boat to shore and jumped out, then reached out to help Medusa down.

The two of them stood at the cave entrance and peered inside.

Ye Xiu said, "There must be something special inside. I want to take a look."

Medusa murmured in agreement and obediently let him take her hand as they walked in.

The entrance was narrow at first, just wide enough for one person to pass through.

But after walking dozens of steps, the passage opened up into a vast space.

Beyond the cave entrance lay a valley, unbelievably large. There were fertile fields and rows of neatly arranged houses. Things had been planted in the fields, their lush green growth thriving. The water in the ponds was so clear they could see fish swimming in them.

Mountains rose in the distance, with trees on their slopes and clouds and mist swirling around them.

Ye Xiu stood there gazing for a long time, then couldn't help saying, "This place is really something."

Medusa was just as astonished, her eyes wide.

Taking her hand, Ye Xiu began exploring the valley.

First, they looked at the fields. The soil was pale and soft, and he didn't recognize what had been planted, but it all looked healthy. Then they went to the ponds, where grass and little flowers grew along the banks.

Medusa gave Ye Xiu a tap, telling him not to walk so fast.

And so the two of them began strolling along, stopping every now and then.

Medusa was curious about everything. One moment she pointed toward a distant mountain and called Ye Xiu over to look; the next she crouched to touch a flower on the ground, then ran after the butterflies flitting about.

Ye Xiu followed behind her, watching her play.

He didn't know how long they'd been wandering, but time seemed to fly.

Nearly two hours passed.

Suddenly, a rumble sounded overhead.

Ye Xiu looked up and saw a vast bank of dark clouds rolling in from afar, blotting out the moon.

Before he could react, the rain came down.

It poured as if the sky had sprung a leak.

Raindrops as big as beans slammed down, pattering loudly against the ground.

Ye Xiu froze for a moment, then remembered: Damn it, they hadn't brought an umbrella.

He turned to look at Medusa.

Rain drenched her, her hair clung to her face, and her clothes were soaked, but she didn't seem to mind. She even reached out to catch the raindrops.

Ye Xiu hurriedly took her hand and ran toward the nearest house.

The house looked rather old, but the door was unlocked. He kicked it open and pulled Medusa inside.

It was quite dark in there, but at least they were out of the rain.

Ye Xiu shut the door and turned to look at Medusa. He couldn't help laughing out loud.

She was soaked from head to toe, her hair hanging in wet strands, water running down her face. Her clothes clung to her, outlining her figure.

But she didn't seem to notice anything unusual. She just stood there, blinking at Ye Xiu.

After laughing for a while, Ye Xiu rummaged in his Storage Ring, pulled out a dry towel, and tossed it to her.

"Dry off."

Medusa took the towel and looked at it, then at Ye Xiu. She then used it to rub her head a few times, haphazardly.

When she was done, she handed the towel back to Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu didn't take it. He pulled out another towel and began drying himself off.

The rain was pouring outside, and it didn't look as if it would stop anytime soon.

Ye Xiu wiped his face and looked around the house.

It was small, with just one room. There was a table, a few chairs, and a bed in the corner, covered with dry straw.

It looked like someone who'd once lived here had left it behind.

Ye Xiu walked to the bed and touched the straw. It was still quite dry, not damp at all.

He sat down and beckoned Medusa over.

"Come sit. We'll leave when the rain stops."

Medusa came over and sat beside him.

The two of them sat there, listening to the rain outside.

After a while, Medusa rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Ye Xiu glanced down at her but didn't move.

The rain was still pouring, and it didn't look as if it would stop anytime soon.

He simply sat there, letting Medusa lean against him as he stared out at the rain, lost in thought.