Chapter 1 The Snake Transforms and Enters the Mortal World
Thunder boomed through the sky, as if a mortal had angered the heavens and earth. On Emei Mountain, where spiritual energy was abundant, thunder and lightning surged, and ancient trees as thick as a hug were burned by the heavenly fire of lightning.
A snowy giant python moved through the mountains, dodging lightning with agility. The trees as thick as a hug were struck by lightning and burned to ashes. Lightly dodging the lightning, it headed towards a deep pool not far away.
The water rippled and soon returned to calmness.
In mid-air, the clouds cleared and a rainbow arched in the sky. The entire Ling Snake Valley was washed by rain and looked like a fairyland. The water grass by the lake gently trembled, a woman's shoulders emerged from the water, as if she had stepped onto a layer of colorful halo, like a forest elf.
The shadows of trees were mottled, the water rippled, and under the cover of lotus flowers, Bai Suzhen lifted her head from the water, revealing her beautiful face.
Under the sunlight, she stretched out her hand and watched the light shine through her fingers, saying excitedly, "This is what it means to be reborn after a catastrophe? After the thunderstorm, I finally became human!"
Bai Suzhen looked at herself in the pond, pointed to the snake skin she had shed, and it turned into a shimmering jade-colored skirt, wrapping around her slender and beautiful body.
Bai Suzhen was about to go ashore, but her foot was stuck by a boulder at the bottom of the pool, and she couldn't break free no matter how hard she tried.
Suddenly, a burst of golden light flashed, and a golden mouse drilled out.
Bai Suzhen greeted it excitedly. "Jing Song, help me quickly!"
The golden mouse rushed forward and knocked the stone away. As white smoke rose, the golden mouse turned into a handsome man in brocade clothes, holding an apple in his hand, and smiling at her.
Bai Suzhen was grateful. "Thank goodness you're here to help me out of trouble! By the way, Jing Song, do you know who I am?"
Jing Song curled his lips. "We've been neighbors for a thousand years, both snakes and mice. Do you think I wouldn't recognize you just because you've changed your form? Tsk tsk... You're like a human, but as soon as you move, it's unbearable to watch."
After transforming into a human, Bai Suzhen walked unsteadily, making Jing Song burst into laughter.
Bai Suzhen was furious. "Turn your head away and don't look at me. Wait until I get used to how to walk, then you can turn back."
Jing Song threw away the apple core and spoiled her, "Little silly snake, let brother teach you reluctantly so that you won't show your feet and scare people."
The two flew to the lake shore one after the other.
The water vapor on the lake surface was misty, like Penglai fairyland. A wooden bridge lay on the surface of the lake. Bai Suzhen carefully stepped on the bridge, moving her feet cautiously.
On the shore, Jing Song lay on a tree and dozed off. He looked up and saw her cautious appearance, threw a pine cone at her.
Bai Suzhen's steps avoided it by a hair's breadth.
Wow! My legs are still useful!
She felt surprised by her body's reaction and stretched her limbs to reflect on her shadow in the water, feeling proud and curious.
Jing Song teased her, "With your thousand years of cultivation, your appearance is already a masterpiece in the human world. With this skin, it's much easier to improve your cultivation. You should know that by sucking one person's essence and blood..."
Bai Suzhen heard this and quickly waved her hand. "Stop! I have been cultivating for a thousand years and have never taken any shortcuts. During the great drought in Shu, Guanyin Bodhisattva used the nectar of willow branches to baptize the world, which opened my spiritual wisdom. If I harm human life to improve my cultivation, how can I repay Guanyin Bodhisattva's life-saving grace?"
Since she had become human, Bai Suzhen thought of the opportunity in the past and decided to go to Guanyin's temple, following the three treasures.
After explaining to Jing Song, she turned into white light and went away.
The temple was crowded with believers. Bai Suzhen curiously followed the believers to worship, and as a novice, she imitated everyone's movements carefully and earnestly.
On the lotus pedestal, Guanyin suddenly appeared, looking kindly at Bai Suzhen and saying, "Who is kneeling here?"
Bai Suzhen showed a surprised expression, "Disciple Bai Suzhen, a white snake on Emei Mountain. Fortunately, the Bodhisattva used the elixir to enlighten my spiritual wisdom. After practicing for a thousand years, I have finally transformed into a human form and have come to thank the Bodhisattva for the rebirth."
The boss lady angrily exclaimed, "What are you laughing at? Shameless little fairy! Wriggling your butt and seducing men with a disheveled appearance, it's a disgrace!" Bai Suzhen was surprised and asked, "How do you know I'm a fairy? Are you also a fairy?" The boss lady spat, "You are the fairy! Your whole family are fairies!" Bai Suzhen smiled awkwardly and humbly replied, "You flatter me too much. Our family is not as powerful as you say. Only I have cultivated into a fairy." The people around burst into laughter and pointed at her. Bai Suzhen looked at the crowd, feeling confused. She thought that "fairy" was a derogatory term. They said she dressed differently from them, and as a newcomer to the mortal world, it would be better not to stand out too much. When she reached a secluded area, she quietly chanted a spell and her snake skin skirt turned into an elegant long dress adorned with leaves and plum blossoms. She turned around and felt like she was missing something, so she blew a flower next to her and a flower petal fell on her hair. Now she looked no different from the others! As she walked, Bai Suzhen saw a crowd of people ahead and curiously followed along. Someone in the crowd was saying loudly, "Look, look, Doctor Xu is here! I wonder if there will be other doctors challenging him today." "Who's so overconfident? Doctor Xu is the reincarnation of Hua Tuo. He has never lost in diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medicine since he set up his medical service here!" Hearing the discussion, Bai Suzhen looked towards the pavilion. She saw a glass lantern hanging above the pavilion with the words "Little Hua Tuo of Lin'an, one or two silver for each consultation." Hua Tuo? She didn't expect to see a divine doctor who had reincarnated into the mortal world in Lin'an City! After years of cultivation, she had also learned some medical skills. Why not visit him and ask for some guidance? The crowd ahead was packed, and the entire intersection was too crowded to move. Bai Suzhen had an idea and chanted a spell. A gust of wind blew, lifting people's hats and causing them to chase after their hats, which cleared a path for her. Bai Suzhen took the opportunity to walk into the pavilion and found it surrounded by people on all sides. A big bearded doctor stood with a medical book in his hand and looked at the coughing patient with a smug expression. He spoke arrogantly, "This patient has phlegm in the throat, is sensitive to cold, has no sweat, and clearly has cold cough. The medical book says that cold cough needs to dispel cold and ventilate the lungs to stop coughing, which requires tonics. But if you look at the prescription given by Ji Shi Tang, they are all cooling and drying cold medicines. Isn't this killing people?" The opposite person was a handsome young man. He was the challenger this time, Doctor Xu - Xu Xian. After hearing his words, Xu Xian was not angry, nor did he rush to refute. He smiled and looked at the other person. "Oh? I thought it was a high-level person who was speaking so eloquently. It turns out to be a fake." Under the glass lantern, Xu Xian stood tall while holding a folding fan. He was handsome and graceful, causing whispers among the women around him. "It's Doctor Xu!" "Let me see, let me see. Xu Gongzi, Xu Gongzi!" Xu Xian inadvertently looked at Bai Suzhen among the crowd, and Bai Suzhen was also curiously observing him. Their eyes met, and time seemed to stand still. "He's looking at me!" "No, no, no. He's clearly looking at me!" Xu Xian closed his fan and bowed. "Thank you for your love." The doctors in the pavilion had been waiting for a long time and impatiently asked, "Xu Xian, do you dare to say that you didn't use the wrong medicine? The prescription book clearly states the medicine!" Xu Xian sighed helplessly and walked to the challenger. "Believing everything in books is worse than having no books at all." He stopped in front of the coughing patient and pinched him in the rib area. The patient immediately screamed in pain. "Does it hurt?" The patient nodded repeatedly. "Good, your ribs are injured. This is the root of the illness." The patient nodded and said, "Yes, a few days ago, I fell from the roof while working and injured my ribs. That's why I've been coughing." "Your cough is not caused by heat or cold but by the injury. Because your ribs are injured, your lungs are affected, causing you to cough. Talking about heat cough or cold cough is a mistake for a doctor. You are really...misleading people!" "You, you..." The challenger blushed and left amidst the crowd's jeers. When the challenger left, the crowd immediately surrounded Xu Xian. "Doctor, please help me too." "I was here first. My master should go first." Xu Xian said warmly, "Don't worry, line up please. I'll diagnose your pulse, and then I'll give you the prescription to take your medicine in front." Bai Suzhen peeked inside and thought that as a divine doctor, shouldn't he have a humble attitude? Why was he so arrogant? This person didn't seem to be Hua Tuo who had reincarnated...
As Bai Suzhen was walking towards the alley, she stopped and saw the bearded challenger tearing off his beard, revealing a beautiful face. It turns out she was a girl.