Lustrous Serpents.

The dancing figures were immediately flung about, some thrown onto trees, hanging precariously, others sent flying far, lying flat on the ground. The drumming stopped abruptly, and leaves scattered as if a strong wind had just swept through.

Dominic sat down on the ground, panting. Looking at his sword, he scolded: "Grandma’s sword, be more careful next time.”

The sword vibrated gently a few times and then stopped.

Looking around, he saw dozens of chickens, each with vibrantly colored feathers. These chickens had just exhausted him with their dance. He casually grabbed the nearest one, intending to roast it, when the largest and longest-feathered chicken transformed into a human, the old man who had been drumming, now bent over and clasping his hands in a bow:

“Great warrior, please spare my life.”

Dominic glanced at the old man, speaking sternly: "You chickens lure and harm people with your dance, why should I spare you?”

The old man, though disheveled, calmly replied: "There seems to be a misunderstanding, great warrior. We only dance under the moonlight to practice our Phoenix Martial Arts. If someone accidentally joins in, at most they dance with us, and if they get too tired by morning, they just lie down and sleep. We’ve never harmed humans.”

“Hmph, you dared to make me dance for your amusement.”

“Great warrior, it’s just a bit of exercise. A few Dead Buffalo fruits and a good sleep, and you’ll be fine.”

“Excuses. What about those two sets of bleached bones stripped of all flesh before?”

The old man pondered for a moment before responding: "You must be referring to the incident a few years ago. Those bones were the doing of a green-furred, demonic rat. We have nothing to do with it. That time, when we left at dawn, the rat came and devoured the two exhausted humans.”

“Nonsense, how could a rat devour the flesh of two humans at once?”

“Yes, so I heard that the rat died of stomach ache afterward.”

Dominic let out a snort: "Are you telling jokes now? What about that piece of meat roasting on the fire?”

“That’s just wild dog meat, not human.” After saying this, the old man called a brightly dressed girl to bring over some Dead Buffalo fruits and a clear liquid in a large leaf, offering them to Dominic: “Great warrior, have some food and drink to recover your strength.”

“What is this?”

“These are Dead Buffalo fruits, known for strengthening and energizing properties. This place has been producing these miraculous fruits for ages, unavailable elsewhere. They nourish the yang for humans and the yin for spirits, but other evil beings don’t know about them and avoid them. Only our tribe uses them for cultivation, which might lead us to transform into humans after a few years. And this water is the essence of the Gem Flower, capable of curing all diseases. It restores health to the sick and adds years to the life of the healthy.”

Dominic took a sip from the leaf-held water and, finding it delicious, complimented: "This is quite good, but what exactly is a Gem Flower? It’s the first time I’ve heard of this flower.”

The old man smiled and pointed at the colorful girl: “It’s not the name of a flower, but the name of this girl. She is called Gem Flower.”

“Oh, then the essence of Gem Flower is…”

“It’s her saliva mixed with the pure dew of the night.”

“Chicken spit!” Dominic spat out the second sip he was about to drink.

Seeing this, the old man hastily said: "My dear sir, this is very nutritious, don’t waste it.”

“Nutritious my foot! How dare you trick me into drinking your saliva?”

“It’s the truth. Gem Flower is a special breed, born after many years of our tribe practicing Phoenix Martial Arts, absorbing the essence of the moon, and nourished by the Dead Buffalo fruit. Drinking this water will render you immune to the venom of snakes and scorpions, and even those roosters and other malevolent beings would long for a sip of this but can’t have it.”

Dominic widened his eyes: “Am I a rooster?”

“If you don’t like it, then perhaps try an egg instead.”

Pondering and finding the idea of an egg more familiar, Dominic nodded: “Alright, that works.”

Hearing this, the old man turned to Gem Flower: “Offer our honored guest an egg.”

Gem Flower complied and began lifting her skirt.

Dominic, suddenly realizing what was happening, panicked and waved his hands: “Hey, what are you about to do…”

Thinking the colorful girl was about to lay an egg right in front of him, seeing a chicken lay an egg was one thing, but this girl in human form…

Fortunately, Gem Flower just lifted her skirt to kneel on the ground, then vomited an egg from her mouth, placing it on the leaf and offering it forward.

The old man introduced again: “The egg of Gem Flower is a rare medicine in heaven and earth, more precious than ten-year-old velvet antlers, more nourishing than a hundred-year-old ginseng.”

Dominic looked at the egg with hesitation, not wanting to touch it, so he carefully took the leaf and placed it aside, then changed the subject to avoid further discussion about this peculiar cuisine: “Tell me about the blue-furred rats, do they really have blue fur?”

“The story starts with the Lustrous Serpent. Initially, these were just normal mountain snakes, often catching mountain mice to eat, leading to a severe decline in the mouse population. At one point, a mutated breed of mountain mouse with blue fur appeared. Mountain snakes that ate these blue-furred mice started glowing in the dark, helping other mice detect them from afar and easily escape, ensuring their survival. Since then, the glowing mountain snakes became known as Lustrous Serpents, and the mountain mice as blue-furred mice, both maintaining a balance in numbers, a natural result of natural selection.”

Dominic, hearing the story, sensed something off: “How do you know about mutations and natural selection?”

“In the past, when I first transformed into human form, I blended into the city to study. I struggled with physics and chemistry, but I loved the other natural sciences, especially biology.”

“Going to school?” He was astounded, mouth agape.

“Yes, getting to study was a joy for all of us. At that time, I even shared a desk with a snake, a pretty creature, but… it’s been a long time since I last saw her.”

Dominic thought to himself: “If he saw her now, she'd probably be an old snake lady!”

Suddenly, the old man's expression changed, and he spoke urgently: "Noble sir, I smell the approach of the Lustrous King.  It's one of the rare creatures that knows the use of Dead Buffalo fruits and often comes here to feed on them. Tonight, it must have come for the Dead Buffalo fruits. Anyway, it's a natural predator, so we'll take our leave."

"What's the nature of this 'snake king'?" Dominic inquired.

"It uses Dead Buffalo fruits for cultivation, just like us. It's not an evil creature."

"To humans, if you've taken human form, you're all seen as malevolent beings, without distinction." After a moment's thought, Dominic, who had been sitting on the ground, now stood up and nodded: "Since I arrived, I've noticed none of you carry the scent of blood. I believe you don't practice evil cultivation, but be careful in the future. Stay out of sight to avoid trouble."

The old man bowed: "We'll remember your words."

Gem Flower, standing nearby, glanced at the hen's egg. Understanding the look, the old man continued: "The egg of Gem Flower becomes more valuable over time. Kept for over twenty years, it can bring someone back from the dead. I hope you will accept it."

Dominic carefully wrapped the egg in a leaf and tucked it into his shirt: "Thank you, to both you and Gem Flower."

"Hmm..."

Noticing the old man's hesitation, Dominic asked: "Is there something else you wish to say?"

"Well, although the Lustrous King has achieved some level of cultivation, it still harbors a burden from its past life. If you could look into it, you might be able to resolve it and create a bond." After saying this, the old man bowed again, and Gem Flower lowered her head, before they and the rest of the chickens disappeared.

Left alone, Dominic sat pondering. Initially, he had thought the old man playing the drum, with his expressionless face, to be out of his senses. But as they spoke more, the man revealed a depth like a river – clear in some places, cloudy in others: "Oh, but what exactly is this past life's burden? Why not just say it instead of vanishing?"

His train of thought was interrupted by a flickering light in the distance, as the campfire had gone out.

Through the sparse branches, he saw a greenish light flickering. The trees in the forest were irregularly spaced, causing the light to appear here and there. He shook his head left and right, but each time he did, the light flickered on the opposite side, eluding his view.