Chapter Thirty-Three: A Fortuitous Encounter

Old Mo stood behind more than twenty Yao people who were crouched and aiming, his face pale as he watched the horrifying scene before him. Beads of cold sweat, each the size of a yellow bean, covered his brow. After several minutes of relentless struggle, the enormous serpent finally rolled to a halt some twenty meters ahead of the group, its body a mass of wounds and blood, yet it continued to twist and contort in agony. The horn-like bright red tumor on its head had snapped off, and now the exhausted creature slowly raised its head, barely alive. Seeing this, Old Mo shouted, "Advance ten steps... aim for the head. Ready—fire!"

A deafening roar erupted as more than twenty matchlock muskets fired at once, the sound as thunderous as cannon fire, sending violent tremors through the air and making Koning’s ears ring with a persistent buzz. As the smoke cleared, the scene ahead was utter chaos: the giant serpent’s head had been blasted into an unrecognizable mess of flesh and blood, strewn across the ravaged path.

The dying serpent twisted in one final, ghastly spasm, like a black ribbon tossed in a turbulent current. After more than a minute, it finally collapsed and lay still upon the earth. As the dust settled, the devastation became clear—a swath of broken branches, trampled grass, and blood covered the twenty-meter radius where the serpent had fallen. The yellow hunting dog the serpent had bitten was now nothing more than a filthy rag, hanging from a branch jutting out over the cliff.

Old He wiped the sweat from his face with a deep sigh. "Heavens above! Never in my life have I been so terrified. My legs are still like jelly!"

Gradually, the others recovered, exclaiming their relief in a cacophony of voices; many still trembled, their teeth chattering uncontrollably. Old Mo collapsed to the ground, pulled out his pipe, and, hands shaking, packed it with tobacco. Only after striking four matches did he manage to get it lit. He took a few deep drags and handed it to Old He. "You were right after all," he said.

"Who would've thought it?" Old He replied, puffing on the pipe before passing it back. He straightened up and addressed the group, "Anyone bring liquor?"

A middle-aged man hurriedly undid the strap of a military-style canteen and handed it to Old He. He unscrewed the lid, took several hearty gulps, then picked up his waist knife from the ground. Facing the setting sun, he raised the blade and, with a loud shout, spat a mouthful of liquor onto it before advancing toward the giant serpent. The others rose, eyes fixed anxiously on his every move.

Old He approached within a meter of the serpent’s head, gripped his knife with both hands, and brought it down with a furious yell. In an instant, the serpent’s massive head was severed, blood spraying in all directions. But then, a terrifying sight emerged from the curtain of blood: the serpent’s mangled head flew off at an angle, struck a broken tree trunk five meters away with a dull thud, and lodged itself more than three meters above the ground, refusing to fall. Old He, aghast, stepped forward to examine it. The serpent’s mouth had somehow opened, its two venomous fangs buried deep in the wood, while blood from the wound behind its head dripped like beads onto the broad leaves of wild taro below, echoing in the stunned silence.

With a clang, Old He dropped his knife and stumbled backward, collapsing to the ground, his face drained of color. The others rushed to help him to the stream’s edge, where they washed his face with a towel soaked in the icy water. Only then did Old He finally let out a long, shaky breath.

Relieved, Old Mo led the group in skinning the serpent and extracting its gallbladder. With his own hands, he removed a gallbladder as large as a hen’s egg. Then, pulling up a reed from the roadside, he sharpened it with his knife and, using his own liquor flask, carefully funneled the snake’s bile into the bottle. After tightly screwing on the lid and giving it a vigorous shake, he handed it to Old He, who took a grateful swig before passing it along to the next person. In silence, each person took a sip until the flask finally reached Koning.

Koning closed his eyes and took a careful mouthful, bracing himself for a foul taste. Instead, he found it sweet, cool, and lingering, with not a trace of the gamy flavor he feared. He couldn’t help but lick his lips.

Seeing Koning’s expression shift from a furrowed brow to one of wonder, the group broke into hearty laughter. Old Mo, smiling, stepped forward. "Have another drink!"

"No, one sip is enough for me. My father is well-versed in traditional medicine, so I know how rare this snake gall wine is. I’m already deeply grateful to have tasted it at all." Koning screwed the cap on tightly and offered the flask back to Old Mo with both hands, his sincerity plain to see.

Old Mo nodded in approval, then brought his hand from behind his back and held it out to Koning. "Swallow this. It’ll do you a world of good!"

Koning took the serpent’s gallbladder Old Mo handed him. Attached to its blue-green membrane was a small, golden, gelatinous crystal the size of a pinky tip. He examined it with curiosity, but under Old Mo’s encouraging gaze, he finally gulped it down in one go, face contorted with discomfort.

Old Mo laughed heartily and called over two middle-aged men. "You two, go back to the village at once. After the ritual, divide the remaining half-jin of wine among the three sick elders. Give the snake’s skin and bones to the chief. Off you go!"

The two men quickly gathered their things and departed. The others, in animated clusters, excitedly recounted the events, each bursting with pride at having witnessed the legendary serpent and tasted its gall wine in their lifetime. After a brief rest, Old Mo announced that they would camp here for the night, and the group dispersed to their usual tasks.

Old Mo and Old He brought Koning, who wanted to help, to sit on a large stone slab beside the stream. Old Mo spoke softly, "Our Yao people trust Yao medicine. I know a little about herbs myself. Since your father is versed in traditional medicine, I’d like to give you a rare snake medicine unique to the Yao. This remedy is remarkably effective—it’s saved over a hundred lives, and I’m the only one in all the Yao villages who knows it. Each generation, we pass it to only one person. Thanks to your fortune today, we encountered this once-in-a-century serpent, so the Yao people must thank you. But I have one request: if you agree, I’ll take you to retrieve it now."

Koning was astonished by Old Mo’s words. He vaguely recalled his father mentioning that the Yao were famed for their snake doctors and bone-setting skills, but he never expected the credit for killing such a serpent to fall on his own shoulders. During the fight, he’d been so terrified he could barely think, let alone help. To be offered a secret remedy for nothing made the honest Koning deeply uneasy.

He declined politely, "Uncle, there’s no need for such courtesy. As the saying goes, one should not accept reward without merit. I contributed nothing to the serpent’s defeat, yet I’ve already tasted the rare gall wine. That’s more than enough for me."

Old Mo and Old He exchanged a smile, nodding in appreciation. Old Mo looked into Koning’s eyes and said solemnly, "Old He told me how you became friends. Though I’ve only known you a day and a night, your character fits well with our Yao ways. From last night, when you and Dan Niu became sworn brothers, our Muhe Village has regarded you as kin, just like Xiaodong Village. This gift is not just my idea—it was decided by the chief, my own father, and the elders last night. Soon you’ll be leaving, and it is not in our nature to let a brother depart empty-handed. My request is simple: never reveal the origin or secret of this snake medicine to anyone."

Moved by the sincerity in their eyes, Koning stood and bowed deeply to the two Yao elders. Raising his head, he answered with emotion, "I do not know if I will ever be able to repay the deep kindness of the Yao people, but I will remember this favor all my life. I swear never to speak a word of what I have seen or heard today, nor to reveal a single secret of the Yao to anyone."