Talking It Through

"Is this white python hard to deal with?"

Bian Chunchou nodded. "It would have been, but after it was pinned beneath the tower, it became much easier."

He even had reasons to back it up?

Wen Xu sensed there was more to it. "What's the story?"

Bian Chunchou gave them a brief account of how White Lady had flooded Chen Tang Pass—no, wait, Golden Mountain Temple—and how Fahai had heartlessly torn two lovers apart. He made a point of stressing that White Lady was good, not some vicious snake that attacked and killed at random.

Wen Xu: "...Then why did she flood Golden Mountain Temple?"

"She had a reason. Fahai couldn't stand seeing a young couple so happy together."

Fine. At least the story Chunchou had imagined this time wasn't dangerous. Since appearing, the huge white python had remained coiled up. Danger might as well have been written all over it, but it truly showed no aggression—provided Wen Xu kept Chen Zui from drawing his blade.

"Are you sure I can't cut it?" Chen Zui was still itching to try.

"The first door is already this difficult. You'll have plenty of chances to fight later."

Chen Zui was reluctantly appeased, but it was such a shame he couldn't fight a white python demon this enormous. If he told his mother about it afterward, even she would scorn him for having no fighting spirit.

Oh well. Wen Xu had the better head on his shoulders. Chen Zui couldn't hold the three of them back.

"You..."

After settling his two companions, Wen Xu walked straight up to the male cultivator with the highest cultivation. "Do they know your imagination is what's kept all of you trapped here?"

Wu Fang's breath caught. He hadn't expected the man to be so direct, but with