IMC Chapter 19

Lan Qing didn’t expect that on the first day of arriving at the furry teammate’s base, not only did he vomit at their door, but he also tore down one of their tents. He was instantly filled with regret and sorrow. The snake carefully lowered its big head, trying to put the tent down, but because its head was too big, the tent got stuck on it.

The snake tried to retract its neck and took several steps back, but still couldn’t get the tent off.

Seeing this, the high priest quickly said, “If you like it, you can keep it!” After all, he had saved their entire tribe, so giving him a tent as a hat wasn’t too much.

The giant snake head lying on the ground awkwardly grinned at the high priest, “No, no, I’ll set it up for you right away.”

After saying that, Lan Qing rolled up his tail close to his head, forcibly curling himself into a standard period. To avoid damaging the tent, his tail moved very gently. Finally, the tent was taken off, and Lan Qing gently placed the tent back on the ground with his tail. Seeing that the tent was still intact, he breathed a sigh of relief.

But in the next second, the tent collapsed with a crackling sound because of Lan Qing’s breath.

Lan Qing: “…”

High priest: “…”

There was a moment of silence at the scene, and the high priest quickly said, “It’s okay. There was a problem with the tent when it was set up, and we were planning to take it down and rebuild it anyway.”

Lan Qing, “Really?”

The high priest nodded repeatedly and said firmly, “Yes!”

Only then did Lan Qing stop biting the tip of his tail, “Then I’ll help with the rebuilding!”

“Okay.” The high priest looked at the enormous green snake, very doubtful about how the other party would help. After resolving the tent issue, the high priest asked how to deal with the Black Python’s body.

At this, Lan Qing couldn’t help but sigh again, “You decide.”

This answer made the high priest overjoyed. Such a big snake and it’s the tribe’s deity, so it’s practically a treasure trove. “What about the hunting teams of the Sishe Tribe?”

“You decide.” Lan Qing once again returned to a state of utter despair, laying his big head flat on the ground. After a while, probably finding the sun too glaring, he moved his head to the nearest shade.

The high priest conveyed Lan Qing’s thoughts to the others. The Xia Wang tribe members were naturally overjoyed. Such a big snake would feed them for a long time. They decided to first move the snake to the river to clean it. As for the hunting teams of the Sishe Tribe, they would start as slaves. The deity was right; slaves would come continuously.

Just as the Xia Wang tribe members lined up, ready to move the black snake with much effort, Shu Bao and Mu Bao finally hurried back. From a distance, Shu Bao saw the conspicuous black snake and exclaimed in disbelief, “Such a big snake! How many mice would it eat in one meal?”

Mu Bao was also startled, “Is this the Black Python Deity of the Sishe Tribe? Why is it lying down?”

Although their focus was a bit different, their questions made them quicken their pace. As they approached, the Xia Wang tribe members immediately called out joyfully.

“Deity!”

“Deity, Mu Bao, you’re back!” Amidst the crowd’s cheers, the two of them arrived at the entrance of the tribe. Mu Bao excitedly stepped forward, incredulously reaching out to touch the black snake. He turned to Shu Bao and exclaimed, “Deity, it’s a real snake! Incredible!”

Shu Bao, observing the scene, calmly approached and lightly tapped the snake with his sharp claws. He nodded, saying, “Yes, it’s a real snake.”

The high priest walked over to explain the situation. “While you were away, Deity, the Black Python Deity attacked the tribe. Fortunately, your friend visited and defeated it, saving the tribe.”

Shu Bao raised his small head in confusion. As a newcomer, he wondered who this friend could be. Could it be that unreliable brother? But considering the massive black snake, it seemed unlikely.

“Lord Lan Qing is resting in the tribe.” Perhaps noticing the doubt on the deity’s furry face, the high priest clarified which friend it was.

Shu Bao suddenly realized—it was his fellow teammate! He hadn’t expected them to crash-land on this planet. Still, comparing their teammate’s size to the enormous snake, Shu Bao remained puzzled.

As they followed the high priest into the tribe, passing several tents, their view widened. There, they saw an even larger snake than before. Shu Bao transformed into a fluffy ball of fur and leaped, clinging to the high priest’s animal-skin skirt.

The high priest held onto his skirt to prevent it from falling, looking down with curiosity. “Deity?”

Shu Bao released his claws, slid down slowly, and patted down his ruffled fur. “I was just excited to see a friend.”

The high priest smiled in understanding. “I’m sure Lord Lan Qing will be equally delighted to see you.”

Indeed, the high priest’s words proved correct. When Lan Qing heard a noise, he turned his head and immediately brightened upon seeing a small furry ball on the ground. With lightning speed, he turned and swiftly swam over to where the two were.

Hearing the familiar voice, Shu Bao finally confirmed that the enormous snake before him was indeed Lan Qing. Before the mouse could react, the snake’s massive head lowered, nuzzling the fluffy creature in search of comfort.

And then, Shu Bao was knocked over and tumbled twice.

Lan Qing blinked, seemingly troubled again.

Fortunately, the little furball remained calm. It stood up, dusted itself off, and spoke when it noticed the unease in the giant snake’s eyes. “I’m fine. I just lost my balance.”

Lan Qing’s anxiety dissipated, replaced by a happy grin that revealed his signature tiny fangs.

Shu Bao quickly retracted the little paw it had been about to extend, shifting its gaze. Suddenly, the mouse tilted its head, looking toward what appeared to be the remnants of a tent not far away.

Lan Qing subtly shifted his massive body, casually blocking the mouse’s view. Undeterred, the mouse sidestepped, continuing to scrutinize with its head still tilted. Lan Qing adjusted again.

The high priest interjected, “We took down the tent this afternoon and plan to rebuild it. There were some issues with the previous setup.”

Lan Qing enthusiastically nodded in agreement.

The mouse simply replied, “Oh.” Rebuilding the tent seemed straightforward enough, so it accepted the explanation.

Lan Qing breathed a sigh of relief, but the mouse suddenly felt a strong gust of wind and was blown over unprepared. As the fluffy ball rolled a few times, Lan Qing held his breath and then began nervously biting his own tail.

The high priest quietly departed, leaving space for these old friends to catch up. He had an uneasy feeling, though.

The magnanimous mouse climbed up again, skillfully patting the soil off its body. At that moment, Lan Qing’s enormous form began to shrink, and in the blink of an eye, he reverted to his original state.

Observing the slender snake now no thicker than an adult’s thumb, the forgiving mouse approached with determined steps. Lan Qing instinctively lowered his head, expecting a reprimand.

To his surprise, the mouse merely walked over, stood on tiptoes, and extended its paw to pat the snake’s small head. “Thank you for saving our tribe,” it said.

Lan Qing’s eyes welled up. In his reduced size, he could easily nuzzle the fluffy creature without knocking it over.

As their emotions settled, the two finally had time to reminisce. Beyond their shared crash landing experience, there was Lan Qing’s mysterious lineage. Not all snakes could grow as massive as he did.

Back on the starship, Shu Bao had heard snippets about Lan Qing. He hailed from the enigmatic and powerful Lan Snake Clan—a force that dominated much of the beastly realm. The clan epitomized cold-blooded cunning and strength, yet paradoxically, it birthed Lan Qing, a peace-loving snake who even abstained from consuming meat.

“I belong to an ancient branch of the Lan Snake bloodline,” Lan Qing coiled himself into a circle, resting his small head on his body. “At birth, great expectations were placed upon me. My family hoped I’d become the next King Snake. But long ago, the Lan Snake had another name: the Gu Snake.”

Shu Bao pondered the unfamiliar term. While not well-versed in Gu snakes, the mouse had heard of venomous creatures.

Lan Qing continued, “Every thousand years, the Lan Snake Clan produces a new King Snake. Their birthright lies in slaying other snakes—the more they kill, the purer their bloodline, and the stronger their power. Our ancient Lan Snakes often possess unique abilities, making us both formidable competitors and highly sought-after prey.”

“So I left the clan,” Lan Qing confessed. “But that doesn’t mean I’ve severed ties completely. Powerful Gu snakes will relentlessly hunt me down. I apologize for not sharing this earlier. If you feel endangered, I’ll leave once we finish setting up the tent this afternoon.” Lan Qing tucked his head into the center coil, avoiding eye contact with his fluffy teammate.

And this is also why no one pays attention to Lan Qing on the starship—because no one dares to oppose the Lan Snake family, especially when it comes to the brutal and dangerous internal battle for the king snake succession within the Lan Snake family.

Just as Lan Qing thought there would be no response, suddenly he felt the outermost layer of his body come into contact with something furry. Lan Qing lifted his little head and saw the fluffy ball leaning against him.

“Who would refuse a cool summer teammate like an ice-cold mat?” The fluffy ball’s face showed no fear, only its usual calmness.

---