Chapter 39

Lin Bei was also seeing a newly hatched snake for the first time. He found the newly hatched snake to be very small, about as thick as a toothpick, only five or six centimeters long, and completely covered in egg yolk. Lin Bei couldn't even tell if its eyes were open, but the snake was definitely alive as it was wriggling.

Leaning in closer, Lin Bei didn't dare to open his mouth, for fear that a single breath might blow the tiny snake away. Because the snake was so small and its color wasn't very distinct, Lin Bei couldn't identify what kind of snake it was. Additionally, Lin Bei noticed that the little snake didn't resist his approach, showing no concern. This confirmed to Lin Bei that the snake had become familiar with his scent.

One must never underestimate the instincts of living beings. Many animals have survived and thrived in this world precisely because of their strong instincts. Snakes have lived on Earth for nearly 150 million years, and while many other animals have gone extinct, they remain lively and active. This is due to their powerful instincts, which even newborn snakes inherit, allowing them to sense whether the animal in front of them is hostile.

Under Lin Bei's watchful gaze, the first-born little snake began to feed on the remaining egg yolk inside the shell. It also swallowed some broken eggshell along with the yolk. Even though the snake was small, its mouth could open quite wide. After finishing the yolk, the little snake, seemingly feeling full, slowly wriggled to a spot it found comfortable and began to sleep.

What pleased Lin Bei was that this spot was closer to him than before, indicating that the little snake instinctively felt close to him. Otherwise, it would have moved away instead of staying near him. It seemed that bringing the snake eggs back to hatch had a clear effect.

However, Lin Bei soon frowned, as he had not yet prepared food for the little snake.

In fact, over the past few days, Lin Bei had been thinking about what the little snake should eat. He had also tried to recall the memories of his snake form. Lin Bei knew what the little snake could eat: eggs, small insects, and small fish or shrimp. The eggs could be from various birds or even other snakes. The small insects included grasshoppers, mosquitoes, flies, and ants. The small fish and shrimp were the tiny creatures that lived in the water. However, knowing was one thing, and doing was another. Lin Bei knew what to feed the snake, but he couldn't manage to get these things.

"I hope this little guy can sleep for a few days, giving me time to find something for the little snake to eat."

Lin Bei was now a bit anxious. One little snake had already hatched, and more would follow. If he didn't prepare, these little snakes would starve to death.

The sun rose, leaping above the horizon, radiating endless light and heat.

Lin Bei hadn't slept all night but was still full of energy. He now needed very little sleep, only two or three hours a day to stay alert, which would have been impossible in the past.

Doudou and Qiqi had already woken up, poking their heads out of their nest and chirping at Lin Bei, calling for their "mother" to feed them. The two little ones were relentless in their demands on Lin Bei.

Lin Bei still prepared lobster meat from the river and placed it in front of them. While eating, they were not well-behaved, chirping and fighting with each other, showing no affection.

After they had eaten their fill, Lin Bei began to use a small wooden stick to encourage them to walk. They were almost ready to fly, and Lin Bei was eager to see this moment.

The morning passed in this way.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, Lin Bei heard human footsteps. Looking up from the wooden roof, he saw Jiulang and Houtu approaching. The other hunters and Cui Ailan were not with them.

Lin Bei was startled at first, thinking the hunters might have encountered danger. But upon closer inspection, their clothes were intact, showing no signs of a struggle.

"Sir," Jiulang and Houtu greeted Lin Bei as they entered.

Lin Bei nodded and looked at them.

Although not as familiar with Lin Bei's thoughts as Cui Ailan, Jiulang still understood what Lin Bei was thinking and explained, "Ailan and the others didn't come because something happened in the village."

Lin Bei continued to look at him.

Jiulang smiled bitterly, "Sir, it's just some personal matters. We've brought the salt and some seasonings you requested."

The last time Lin Bei left, he had asked the hunters to bring some seasonings. While the beggar chicken was delicious, eating it without seasonings for a long time would make it taste bland. Lin Bei had also asked them to bring some wine, but the hunters told him that in recent years, there were very few wineries because of the grain shortage, and the government had restricted wine production.

Lin Bei then learned that in ancient times, only the government could produce wine because it was made from grain, which was a crucial resource for the country. Wine production only occurred during bountiful years, and in times of famine, there was almost no wine, and common people couldn't buy it.

Looking at the seasonings, Lin Bei continued to stare at Jiulang. Jiulang felt that the master's gaze was particularly cold and frightening today, and he forced a smile, "Sir, it's really just some personal matters."

Lin Bei kept looking, and Jiulang sighed, "Alright, Ailan wanted to keep it a secret from you, but since you want to know, I'll tell you. Your gaze is really scary..."

"The trouble started with the game. The last few times, it drew a lot of attention. You might not know, but people here aren't always friendly. The last batch of lingzhi sold for 300 gold pieces, which is more than many wealthy families in Xishan Village have. Even my family, though not poor, would find it difficult to come up with 300 gold pieces. Do you understand what I mean?"

Lin Bei nodded. Unearned wealth often brings envy, and even in modern times, people have killed over a few dollars. Although the people here were more simple, there were still bad people.

"The news spread, and the people of Dongshan Village also found out. Two days ago, Xu Daxiong sent two knights, who spoke arrogantly and demanded that Ailan reveal the source of the wealth. Ailan refused, and the two left in anger. Yesterday, the knights from Dongshan Village came to Xishan Village and even went to Ailan's house to provoke him. Cui Dalang couldn't stand it and got into an argument with one of the knights, who then beat him up. Although they eventually drove the knight away, Ailan became very cautious. If it weren't for our agreement with you today, we wouldn't have come out."

Lin Bei was speechless, never expecting that a few items would cause such trouble for the hunters.

"Ailan told us not to reveal anything about you or where the items came from. Now, even the villagers are starting to criticize us. Sir, Ailan might not come for a while. After this, we will try to reduce our outings, as those knights are truly capable of killing." Jiulang's expression showed fear, as he had never killed anyone.

Then tell them to come to me, Lin Bei gestured, but Jiulang and Houtu were confused and didn't understand. Lin Bei felt frustrated. Gestures weren't working, and he needed to communicate through language, preferably in writing.

PS: I've been busy during the National Day holiday, so there's only one update today. Sorry.

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