C8 Which Kind of Snake Was More Suitable for a Girl to Raise?

Are you trying to scare me on purpose?

Today, Ma Tianming's goal in catching snakes was to deter a potential Grade Five martial artist from Mei Jiangshan. Naturally, he needed a formidable snake.

"I'm not worried about that," Ma Tianming said with a nonchalant air. "If you're going to play with snakes, they might as well be the fierce ones."

Snake King Mah nearly choked on his yellow wine and cautioned, "Young Master Ma, if you're keen on playing with snakes, the ones outside should suffice. Please don't even consider heading to Top Touching Mountain to catch snakes for fun."

Snake King Mah was genuinely trying to persuade him, but Ma Tianming couldn't reveal his true intentions of confronting Mei Jiangshan. He deftly changed the subject, asking, "Snake King, do you know of any creatures that aren't afraid of snakes? I mean the sort that wouldn't die even if bitten by a venomous snake."

"Yes, there is such a creature! It's called a Snake Cat, or sometimes Snake Leopard. They are the bane of snakes. While a snake's bite might be lethal to humans, a Snake Cat would be unbothered by it and, in fact, they relish eating snakes."

Ma Tianming's excitement was palpable as he inquired, "Where can I find a Snake Cat?"

"They're in the forests. I've heard of people raising them elsewhere, but I haven't seen any around here. If you're looking for them nearby, Top Touching Mountain might be your best bet."

Ma Tianming resolved, "It seems I must make a trip to Top Touching Mountain."

Despite Snake King Mah's persistent dissuasion, Ma Tianming's interest was piqued. He now found himself more intrigued than ever and chose to disregard Snake King Mah's warnings. Instead, he sought advice on snake-catching techniques and important precautions.

Today, Ma Tianming generously purchased all of Snake King Mah's snakes. The Snake King, in turn, was forthcoming with information, sharing whatever Ma Tianming wished to know, including the secrets of snake-catching.

Pondering another query, Ma Tianming asked, "Snake King, have you ever spoken about the Mandara Flower and the King Bead?"

"Mandara flowers, I've got them right here. And as for the King Bead paste, isn't that just the saliva of the Flat-head Wind?"

Ma Tianming nearly choked on his realgar wine at the mention. "Saliva of the Flat-head Wind?"

"Exactly! The Flat-head Wind is the king of all snakes. Its saliva looks like paste, hence the name King Bead paste. But it's rare to hear it called that; usually only those who catch snakes use the term."

Ma Tianming wasn't concerned with the name, but realizing that a Flat-head Wind was present meant that all the ingredients for the Intoxication Wine were at hand.

He had to give it a try, and right away.

"Big Brother Snake King, do you have any more wine?"

"Sure do!" Snake King Mah thought to himself, "He's already had quite a bit to drink, and yet he's still so eager to ask about more."

"I've got a jar I just bought, planning to make some realgar wine with it."

"Hold off on that. Give me the wine, no, sell it to me."

It dawned on Ma Tianming that if he was going to brew the Intoxication Wine, he couldn't possibly do it here. After all, the wine was intended for snakes, and the tamed snakes were to be used against Mei Jiangshan and Mei Zhengyao. It was best to keep it under wraps.

"I'll pass. I'll buy some elsewhere."

Ma Tianming collected the snakes and the medicinal ingredients, and as he was about to leave, he remembered something and turned to Snake King Mah, "Is there a type of snake that's suitable for a young lady to keep?"

"There's no snake that's particularly suitable for a young lady to keep. If I had to say, maybe the Flower Snake."

"The Flower Snake? That's of no use."

Just then, Snake King Mah's wife, Zhong Ahlan, entered and said, "Who says a lady can only keep Flower Snakes? My friend, the snakes that men keep, women can keep too. I help him take care of all these snakes."

Ma Tianming mused to himself, "If he's the Snake King, then she must be the Snake Queen. Judging by her words, she certainly lives up to the title."

"What do you know!" Snake King Mah said with unusual seriousness, "We have snakes in our house every day. You get used to them and aren't afraid, but if any other lady saw this many snakes, she'd be terrified to tears."

Zhong Ahlan was well aware of the situation, but she couldn't hide her displeasure when Snake King Mah made his comment. She retorted, "Big brother, he's not wrong. Before he started catching snakes, he was terrified of them. It's only through familiarity that he's overcome his fear. You should have seen how he reacted to snakes back then..."

"You woman, what are you blabbering about?" Snake King Mah was clearly annoyed, feeling that his wife was undermining him in front of others.

Ma Tianming had only recently grasped this concept. Earlier that day, upon seeing the snakes in Snake King Mah's cage, he had felt a chill run down his spine. Now, the fear wasn't as intense.

Eager to keep the peace between Snake King Mah and his wife, Ma Tianming quickly inquired, "Is there a snake that's both gentle and lethal?"

"Yes! The silver, gold, and iron snakes fit that description. They're quite venomous but have a gentle nature. They won't bite unless provoked," Zhong Ahlan interjected before Snake King Mah could respond.

"Silver, gold, and iron snakes, huh?" Ma Tianming observed the snakes in the cage, noting that these two types seemed far more docile compared to the Flat-head Wind.

Ma Tianming and Snake King Mah decided to check out the perimeter of Top Touching Mountain the next day before determining whether to venture deeper into the wilderness.

Afterward, Ma Tianming carefully placed a Flat-head Wind, a Silver, a Gold, and an Iron Snake into separate cages, along with the ingredients needed for brewing Intoxicating Wine. He then took a secluded path back to Ma Binn's home.

"Brother! Where have you been?" Marmin Xin exclaimed upon seeing Ma Tianming.

Aunt Eleven, Second Sister Li, and Little Cousin Ma Tianyi also appeared uncomfortable. Marmin Xin had been "overcome with worry" when she hadn't seen Ma Tianming return.

They had made enemies, and the concern that Ma Tianming might fall victim to a scheme by Mei Zhengyao and Mei Jiangshan was very real.

A surge of resentment welled up in Ma Tianming. They had never wronged Mei Jiangshan, and now, despite actively avoiding them, his sister still had to live in constant fear.

Was her sister's fearfulness the issue?

Xin had never been particularly courageous, but she hadn't been this terrified of anyone before. The cause of her fear was Mei Jiangshan's unexpected marriage proposal, demanding she become his concubine. His refusal to take no for an answer escalated to arson.

Anyone willing to commit arson might very well be capable of murder at any moment.

"I went to find a treasure for you!"

"Treasure? What treasure?" Marmin Xin was clearly indifferent to whatever treasure Ma Tianming was referring to. However, Li Ermei and Ma Tianyi, who weren't usually well-off, showed considerable interest.

"Find something to put in your mouth, especially you," Ma Tianming directed at Marmin Xin.

"Why?"

"Just do as I tell you. Each person needs to bite into a bun."

At that moment, the table was laden with various dishes and meat buns, a rare feast for Ma Binn's household, made possible because Ma Tianming had had a good day selling his wine. Ma Binn and Li Ermei couldn't let Ma Tianming's efforts go unrewarded.

Taking Ma Tianming's earnestness to heart, Marmin Xin signaled to Li Ermei and Ma Tianyi to follow his instructions.

"Watch closely," Ma Tianming instructed as he lifted the cage containing the snake and removed the cloth that covered it.

"Mm... Mm..."