Black Snake took a deep breath, then another, but still felt close to losing his mind. He paced in circles, his straw sandals crunching over the gravel.
His voice was that of a six- or seven-year-old child, yet it carried an ancient monster's irritation and helplessness.
"Brother! I don't care if other people burn incense, and I don't want to interfere, but you're different! I can't bear it. I really can't!"
The lad stood frozen, at a loss.
"Well..."
Black Snake interrupted him, his tone half pleading, half complaining.
"Listen to me. Cultivation really isn't easy for a demonic beast like me. It took me five hundred years to get this far. I suffered so much, and only with great difficulty accumulated the cultivation I have today."
He irritably scratched his tousled short hair.
The lad tried to explain.
"I came to find you because..."
Black Snake raised a hand and interrupted him again.
"So, brother, could you do me this favor? Stop burning incense. Getting on with your life is what matters. I don't need any of this."
The lad finally seemed to find an opening to speak.
"You... you're going to get married and take a wife."
Black Snake folded his arms and launched into a rapid-fire scolding.
"I already took a risk helping you last time. You should do your work properly and live your life. You shouldn't... hmm?"
It was as though lightning had struck his simple brain.
Get married? Take a wife?
What kind of ferocious nonsense was this? What did any of that have to do with a snake?
Black Snake remained stunned by the words "get married," unable to recover.
Seeing this, the lad braced himself and continued.
"The master in town wants to send you a wife. He says that once you're