Free Web NovelChapter 86: Chapter 86: The Unappetizing Snake Soup
Once he was around the corner, Wei Han let out a long, stressed sigh. He looked at a small, beautiful white-and-gold snake resting on a rock nearby.
He really didn’t have the heart to just slaughter them. These were sacred beasts! If he killed them, it would be a huge waste of spiritual energy.
Then, a brilliant idea popped into his head. If he had to kill them, he might as well make sure their spiritual energy wasn’t wasted.
He grabbed a junior servant by the collar.
"Listen up! The High Priest has ordered a... cleansing. Gather every snake in the Temple gardens immediately. Tell the kitchens to prepare a special banquet. Tonight, all the guests and servants will be eating snake soup and grilled snake skewers!"
The junior servant’s eyes went wide. "A snake feast? But we’re a temple! Aren’t we supposed to be vegetarian-ish?"
"What nonsense are you saying? Our master made rules. If he said we are going to eat this, that means we are eating it." Wei Han snapped. "Go! Move!"
Within minutes, the peaceful Temple was turned into a chaotic hunting ground. Dozens of servants were running around with nets and buckets, diving into bushes and climbing trees.
"I found one! Grab the tail!"
"Watch out, this one’s fast! Don’t let the soup escape!"
"Is this a snake or a very long lizard? Should I catch it anyway?"
The courtyard was a mess of shouting servants and confused snakes. Yue Yue, who was still sitting in the main hall, looked out the window, and her jaw dropped.
She saw a servant sprint past with a bucket full of wiggling reptiles, looking like he had just won the lottery.
"What is happening?" she whispered to herself, horrified.
Lady Yue, today we are going to have the best meal; the high priest has ordered we can eat all of these celestial snakes...
And Yue Yue was stunned. Why, they are so beautiful; don’t eat it. She shuddered. After all, she was also a snake...and they are like her family members...
"Lady Yue! You look pale!" the servant chirped, holding up a particularly plump, iridescent serpent that looked suspiciously like Yue Yue’s second cousin.
"Don’t worry, the chef says the white ones make the sweetest broth!"
"Sweetest... broth?" Yue Yue choked out, her voice hitting a pitch only dogs could hear. "But look at them! They are majestic! They are elegant and beautiful; why eat them?"
"Decorative and delicious!" the servant replied, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"The High Priest says eating them ’recycles’ their spiritual essence. It’s very eco-friendly, really."
"It’s cannibalism...you bas****," she hissed, before quickly catching herself. "I mean... it’s a tragedy! Look at that one’s eyes! He is so sad; why cook him? He has a family to feed."
"Don’t worry, lady, we are not that heartless; we will also cook his family." Yue Yue really wanted to pass out.
The servant looked down at a small gold-flecked snake trying to bite his thumb.
"He looks like he has a lot of protein, my lady. Would you like the kitchen to save the skins for your new boots, or should we just char them over the coal for extra crunch?"
Yue Yue felt her soul leave her body. "If you put a single one of those on a skewer, I will... I will..."
"You’ll want seconds?" the servant guessed helpfully. "Wei Han said the skewers are going to be marinated in honey and five-spice. Truly, the High Priest’s wisdom is as deep as the ocean!"
He scurried off toward the kitchen, shouting over his shoulder, "Catch the wiggly one, brothers! That’s the appetizer!"
*** fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
When Yue Yue was called back to the dining table for the second time that evening, she expected a normal meal.
Instead, she was greeted by a table overflowing with meat dishes. Her eyes lit up at first...finally, real meat!
But then she looked closer. Floating in the middle of a clear, steaming broth was a tiny, familiar-looking head.
She shuddered so hard her spoon clattered to the floor. "Is that... a snake head?"
"This is the soup of Celestial Snakes," Feng Yanshen’s deep voice vibrated near her ear. He had appeared behind her like a ghost. "It is very nourishing for the body. Eat it."
Yue Yue felt his hot breath on her neck and felt a wave of nausea. She was a snake beastman herself! Eating this felt like a weird form of cannibalism.
She looked at the grilled skewers and the fried fillets, all made from the garden snakes she had been "petting" earlier.
"I... I’ll just eat fruits," she mumbled, her voice trembling. "I don’t like snake meat. It’s too... chewy."
Feng Yanshen’s expression turned cold and nonchalant. He sat down and watched her with eyes that seemed to read her soul.
"Are you upset because you no longer have a partner for your estrus period? Are you mourning that mindless little beast?"
Yue Yue opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off.
"Don’t worry," he said, his tone turning dark and possessive. "I have already found a better solution for you."
Yue Yue was stunned. Solution? What solution? Is he going to get me some handsome beastman?
Before she could process his words, Feng Yanshen lost his patience.
Seeing her refuse the "gift" he had made from her supposed lovers made his blood boil. He didn’t care about the soup anymore; he only cared that she was thinking about someone else.
He stood up, gripped her wrist in a tight hold, and took her out of the dining room. He didn’t say a word as he dragged her down the long, white corridors.
Yue Yue had to jog to keep up, her heart pounding against her ribs. He led her straight into her bedroom and slammed the door shut with a bang. freewёbnoνel.com
"I have already told you," he said, his voice domineering and ice-cold. "You do not need those mindless snakes."
"If you are already uncomfortable..."
Before Yue Yue could even say anything, he pulled her into his arms.
One hand went to her waist, and the other gripped her hair, tilting her head back. Then, the high and mighty priest...the man who was supposed to be pure and holy slammed his lips onto hers.
