Rainy Night, Forest, Demon Beasts...
Fear!
The dense canopy caught every raindrop, not letting a single drop fall directly to the ground, until they could hold no more. The excess raindrop coalesced into fat droplets that fell with loud splats below the trees. Thus, the sound of rain in this forest was a constant pitter-patter of large droplets falling.
The thick layer of rotting leaves on the ground had already absorbed much water, becoming marshy. When the fat droplets splashed into it, strange “plop plop” sounds were made.
“Plop plop plop”, the strange sounds kept occurring, near and far, where the eye could not see. Mixed with the constant birdsong and beasts' cries, it resembled an eerie nocturnal concerto of horror.
Master and disciple sat side by side in a tree hollow, backs against its wooden wall, looking out into the darkness through a transparent watery film over the hollow's entrance.
In truth they could see nothing, but neither knew what else to do.
Suddenly at some point, the faintest footsteps climbed up the tree trunk below them. Based on the sound of padded paws and claws against bark, it was likely a feline or leopard-like beast.
"Master..." Li Shiyin whispered, fear in her voice.
"Shh!" Qin Ran immediately hushed her.
The big cat climbed up the tree and was gone, but soon the sound of snake-like slithering could be heard. Judging by the sounds of its movement along the ground, this was a sizable snake. It slid through the marsh, climbed the tree, passed by the hollow, then...stopped.
For an instant, both Li Shiyin and Qin Ran stopped breathing.
The giant snake hovered outside the hollow, flicking its tongue, striking the watery film over and over with faint "pop pop pop" sounds.
The rhythmic, terrifying sounds continued.
Though protected by formations, Qin Ran quietly prepared a hand seal, compressing energy in his dantian, ready to face the snake should it enter.
"Awooo..."
Suddenly the big cat in the tree let out a cry. The snake's "pop pop" strikes ceased, and frightful silence descended outside the hollow for several seconds before the snake's slithering resumed. The giant serpent moved on, continuing up the tree.
Quiet persisted in the hollow until the horrifying sounds faded completely. Only then came the soft exhale from Li Shiyin, and after a longer pause, the heavy breath from Qin Ran.
"Master, why did the snake listen to the tiger?" Li Shiyin whispered.
"That was no tiger, likely some type of leopard," Qin Ran replied in a hushed voice. "Their relationship is unclear. Not necessarily subordinate..."
The two were squeezed together in the tiny hollow, sitting pressed against one another. After the tense moment, the mood settled and they noticed the warmer temperature inside.
Qin Ran felt himself sweating, something he hadn't done for many years since beginning cultivation. But he was sweating now. He knew why.
In this enclosed space he seemed to smell a gentle, warm, faintly sweet scent...
"Qin Ran, this is beastly instinct, hormones, biochemical reactions." Qin Ran scolded himself internally.
"You are a cultivator, beyond worldly desires. You seek the dao, how can you be disturbed by such base impulses! You are human, you are immortal, not a beast!"
"Master, which is more powerful, the snake or the leopard?" Li Shiyin asked again.
She seemed to have shifted closer. Her warm, sweet breath brushed his skin as she spoke.
"It's an illusion, a delusion, a heart devil!" Qin Ran struggled internally.
"Judging by their energy," he replied evenly, "the snake is stronger." In the dark hollow, none could see the struggle on his face.
"The snake is stronger?" Li Shiyin sounded surprised. "What kind of snake is it? What level?"
"I don't know the species, but based on its energy, it is comparable to Golden Core, quite powerful at that stage," Qin Ran answered.
"Laozi, Queen Mother of the West, Buddha, Confucius, Yan Hui..." In his mind he recalled noble exemplars of virtue. "Chaste Liu Xiahui..."
"Liu Xiahui?" Li Shiyin asked. "Who is that?"
"Ah?!" Qin Ran was startled, accidentally voicing his thoughts aloud.
"Liu Xiahui, um..." Qin Ran's voice finally betrayed panic. "An ancient gentleman of high moral character."
"What does 'chaste' mean then?"
"Ah!!!" Qin Ran lost his composure, to have blurted even this out?
"It means, er..." He stammered, unable to find the words.
Just then a loud "bang" sound came from outside the hollow, pulling their attention outward.
"Roar!!!"
An enormous roar followed, likely from the leopard.
After roaring, a bright beam of light appeared. Peering at it, Qin Ran made out a golden cloud leopard, fully grown, ox-sized. Likely also Golden Core level. Now it stood on the ground, breathing upwards at the tree.
The column of light brightened and dimmed. With a heavy "thud", something slammed down from the tree into the dead branches and rotting leaves below, splashing water high in all directions. Numerous droplets struck the watery film over the hollow's entrance.
Clearly the giant snake had been slammed down. It quickly slithered into a coiled, upright defensive posture, head raised...
So the snake and leopard were not subordinate, nor even friendly, but adversaries!
The snake had stealthily followed the leopard up the tree to ambush it!
But now the snake coiled defensively while the leopard remained aggressive. That was surely because the leopard was injured.
In the flash of light earlier, Qin Ran had clearly seen two dark puncture wounds on its neck - the snake's bite marks. The snake waited now for its venom to take effect.
Unwilling to surrender, the leopard growled warnings, pacing around the coiled serpent, seeking an opportunity to attack.
After prolonged stalemate, the leopard seemed to realize it must act now or lose its chance. It halted its prowling and lunged, leading with its claws, fangs to follow, trying to pin the giant snake before delivering a killing bite.
But the leopard had misjudged - from the moment it realized it might lack the chance to act, it already had no chance left. The snake's venom was already acting. Slowed reflexes meant death. Sensing opportunity, the snake sprang its tensed body forth like a released spring to meet the leopard's exposed neck in a lightning strike.
The leopard failed to evade. Bitten again in the neck, it thrashed futilely with its paws. But the snake gave no quarter, rapidly coiling around the leopard's torso, constricting tightly.
Sounds of struggle outside the hollow grew fainter as the leopard weakened until finally ceasing altogether.
The snake loosened its coils and slithered away, carrying the leopard in its jaws toward the forest depths.
Listening to the fading sounds, Qin Ran frowned. "It's not eating the leopard directly?"
Rather than consuming it immediately, where was it taking the body? Did snakes behave this way? He was unsure.
"Is the snake gone?" Li Shiyin asked.
"Mm," Qin Ran nodded. Though puzzled, he had no intention to investigate...that would be a death wish.
With the snake and leopard quieted, stillness suddenly reigned in the hollow, veering toward awkwardness. The sounds of the night forest resumed around them.
Qin Ran was not one for small talk. He pondered a bit but found nothing to say, so feigned sleep.
After futilely hailing her master several times, Li Shiyin also lay down, pillowing her head on Qin Ran's shoulder with a soft sigh.
At first both pretended to sleep, but true slumber overtook them before long after the day's exhaustion set in.
Until suddenly, in the dead of night, the ground began to shake...
Qin Ran startled awake!
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