Chapter Text
The dark green floor of the forest blended in with the scales of his monstrous body. His coils sliding through the bushes with ease despite the stinging pain of the wound on his lower half. The open wound from the angry townsfolk that threw pitchforks and food from their garbage to throw at him once they spotted him trying to slink out of their eyesight.
He remembered their fearful faces and others looked upon him with disgust and hatred. Zhuzhi-Lang will make sure to repay their treatment once he heals and checks in with his uncle. He went all the way through the town to find the latest volume of the romance series Junshang was interested in.
He stopped at a clearing, placing the book at his side as he looked down at the bleeding wound caused by the angry townsfolk mob.
All he wanted was a book that he paid for. Yet every human he comes across is quick to jump to horrible conclusions about him because of his disgusting form. His hood had fallen and that was all they needed to condemn him.
Creak
Zhuzhi-Lang whipped his head towards the sound, eyes tracking beyond the tree line to check if anyone was following him deeper into the forest. His eyes landed on faded gray robes seemingly walking away from him with no urgency in his steps.
He hissed a warning which made the robed man pause in his step instead of run faster from the noise. Zhuzhi-Lang coiled up further into a ball hiding his injury from the stranger, only hissing again when he caused the wound to bleed more from the movement.
The man in gray robes turned his way, his head tilting to try and find the source of his hissing. He uncoiled away and looked at his wound. Someone must have gotten a lucky hit with a poisoned blade from how slow his healing was right now.
“Hello? Is anyone there? Are you hurt?” A man’s soft voice called out. “I have some medicine on me. But if you’re a robber, I have no money on me, so don’t get your hopes up!”
... Strange man.
The man dressed in gray finally caught sight of him, his body not drawing back once it landed on him. Instead, his gaze grew more curious towards him instead of flinching away from his hideous form. Zhuzhi-Lang’s eyes widened at the sight of the pale man coming closer. His black hair pulled up into a loose bun with a simple hairpin keeping it in place. His dark eyes tracked over his form like he was admiring each scale on his body.
“Ah, you must be the source of the hissing.” The man stepped forward through the bushes, avoiding a prickly vine wrapped around the Long-Flow trees like the ones surrounding them in the clearing. The strange man pursed his lips once his eyes landed on his wound. “Hmm, you must be in pain from that wound, it looks deep.”
Zhuzhi-Lang watched the man sigh as his smile cracked just a bit at the edges, staring at a blank space ahead of him.
“FML, I hope you can understand me.” What is that phrasing he used? He never heard that before, especially whispering so harshly under one’s breath like that. “I have some medicinal supplies I can use to help if you would allow me.”
He watched the man’s body language carefully for any sign of deceit before allowing him to slowly step closer. Zhuzhi-Lang kept his gaze on the man as the stranger knelt down and pulled out jars and bandages from his bag.
He remained still even as he winced from the man treating his wound, pouring water to rinse away and clean the dirt from it. Wincing again when the man poured a more potent solution to thoroughly clean out the wound. Yet even if it was uncomfortable for a few moments, the man continued with whispered words of praise towards him.
“You’re doing so well. I’m almost done with the cleaning and then I’ll heal you up. I’m sure my qi could help...” Zhuzhi-Lang heard him mumble something about being confused about which sect he... his character got kicked out of? Then something about an NPC. Was that a poison?
Is he being helped by a crazy person ?
The man sighed as he dried off the water from his scaled body. “This one apologizes for the uncomfortable part of it. I will try my best to get this done efficiently and quickly.”
He waited and watched the man with his eyes never once leaving him. The inner eyelids keep his eyes moist in his deformed form. Even if the man was crazy, he would be sure to repay this act in the future.
“I’ve never seen someone like you before.”
...Someone?
‘Filthy beast!’
‘It’s come to eat our children’
‘Demon!’
‘Kill it!’
‘God, what a disgusting creature. Put it out of its misery!’
‘Horrifying!’
“Your scales look nice,” the man continued. The stranger grinned as he ran his hands down his smooth scales all while complimenting the color and shine of them. The pattern and the shades of green running down his form.
His jaw felt slack from how his mouth gazed open slightly before feeling a small burst of warmth of qi, helping his healing process even more. The man continued with the process, bandaging the wound to keep it from infection.
Zhuzhi-Lang felt his wound already closing up as the man scooted back to look at him. His dark pupils meet the snake-like skits of his own.
“I go by Shen Yuán.” Shen Yuán introduced himself. Brushing back a piece of hair framing his face behind his ear. Zhuzhi-Lang tracked his fingers and darted to his mouth when he licked his lips. “I hope to meet you again.”
Zhuzhi-Lang didn’t dare speak a word as the Shen Yuán gathered his belongings and left the clearing with no rush in his steps. He watched Shen Yuán leave him behind, sneaking a glance back to wave at him with a smile like he was an old friend and not a demon that could slither up to him at any second and take off his head with one swipe.
His head slowly rested upon the forest floor of vines and leaves, avoiding the frills of the bright flowers begging for attention for new victims to fall to their dangerous pollen.
We will meet again, Shen Yuán. I will make sure of it.
After he located Shen Yuán’s residence, he would return back to his uncle to read from the book as he wished.
He snuck a glance to the book he hid behind him, the yellow cover taunting him with the filthy, sexual encounters inside. Zhuzhi-Lang sighed as a blush creeped up his face from the memories of the previous book his uncle had him read out loud.