Black Snake woke several times during the days of snow filling the sky.
Each time, he slithered out of his cave to drink at Spring Well. After lowering his head and drinking his fill, he slowly slithered back, suddenly sensing that something was different. There seemed to be more Demon Spirits on the mountain.
The fox demon who lived on the northern slope explained the situation outside to Black Snake, assuring him that all the Demon Spirits were behaving themselves.
Holy King Hall had been shut down, so naturally, the plan to buy the mountain and carve a statue had fallen through.
Unfortunately, there had been thunder aplenty but little rain. The great ghost lurking in the shadows had escaped and remained a hidden danger. Sure enough, he could not count on others. In the end, he would have to find a solution himself. Black Snake could not be bothered to care. He would deal with it after hibernation. He returned to his mountain cave and continued cultivating, breathing in the medicinal fragrance.
On New Year's Eve, a burst of noise woke Black Snake.
He raised his head groggily and paused. From the sounds, he worked out what day it was, then poked his head out of the cave to look toward Azure Cloud Monastery. Unexpectedly, the monastery was quite lively this year.
After watching for a while, he withdrew his head and moved back into the cavern to cultivate.
The merriment belonged to others.
One afternoon, the frozen waterfall in the ravine collapsed with a rumble. White ice smashed against the rocks, shattering into countless fragments that filled the ravine.
The sound rolled through the mountains for a long, long time.
Black Snake poked his head out of the cave, flicked his tongue, and saw that the apricot blossoms