For the past two days, Black Snake had kept watch at the cave entrance.
Xiao Yu rested quietly without eating or drinking. Black Snake had no idea what she normally ate-perhaps insects, perhaps fish, or perhaps wild mice and rabbits from the mountains.
There were no rivers nearby, and Black Snake could not catch insects either.
So Black Snake slithered down the slope to search, found a suitable target, carefully folded back those venomous fangs, and carried back a fat badger that struggled desperately.
Black Snake paused before Xiao Yu. She merely opened her eyes a little to look, then closed them again and continued recuperating.
Apparently, she did not eat badgers.
Black Snake bit down hard. With several crunches, the prey's bones snapped, and the entire badger went down whole.
The badger was fat. One was enough to fill Black Snake's belly.
With a full belly and nothing to do, Black Snake could only coil up beside the cliff and stare idly at the blue sky and white clouds.
Those bones were no longer much of a problem, having essentially returned to their usual condition.
Only the stored lightning had been severely depleted.
Cultivation could not stop. Most of Black Snake's time went into transforming that serpentine body, a task that required unflagging persistence and even greater diligence. Having witnessed the precision and ruthlessness of Xiao Yu's talons in combat, Black Snake could not help feeling envious.
If I had sharp claws too, the fight would have ended cleanly long ago. Why would I have had to grapple and struggle all the way from the mountaintop to the valley floor?
A glance at the pile of plundered spoils nearby brought some comfort. This lot should buy plenty of eggs, right?
*Once we get back, I'll show Xu Jin. If