“Min Min, calm down,” a short-haired girl sitting next to Bai Lixin turned around. “If you irritate our Man Man, watch out for a beating.”
Min Min snorted playfully and hugged Man Man’s arm affectionately, “Shen Qiu, stop stirring up trouble. Man Man and I are best friends. She wouldn’t hit me, would you, Man Man?”
Man Man: “Hmph.”
“Bleurgh!” A girl beside the short-haired one suddenly let out a retching sound.
The short-haired girl frowned and looked at the girl next to her, “Are you okay?”
The girl with long hair beside her was holding a bag, her head almost buried inside as she threw up, shaking her head while vomiting. “Carsick, feeling awful, bleurgh!”
Dong Jing quickly offered motion sickness medicine, “I have motion sickness pills here, Qianqian.”
The short-haired girl frowned and waved away the pills Dong Jing offered. “You’re supposed to take those half an hour before the ride. What’s the point now?”
Dong Jing awkwardly withdrew her hand. “I asked Qianqian before we got on. She said she didn’t get carsick…”
The girl vomiting into the bag glanced at Dong Jing between retches. “I’m not carsick, but I have a phobia of dense things, bleurgh!”
The short-haired girl patted the other’s back, “Useless.”
Girl: “Bleurgh!”
The bus slowly made its way along the bumpy road. Half an hour later, as the scenery changed, Bai Lixin finally saw Snake God Mountain from the picture.
From afar, it really did look like a massive anaconda coiled at the mountain’s peak.
After passing the barren stretch of road, a small town appeared ahead.
Unlike the desolate loess hills they had driven through, this town had a modern vibe.
The roads were smooth asphalt, and the buildings on either side were clean, new, and stylish.
There were many cars on the road, coming and going.
The girl called Man Man spoke, “Finally, a place where people actually live.”
Min Min clung to Man Man’s arm, “Man Man, can we sleep together tonight?”
Man Man flatly refused, “No, you snore. I can’t stand it.”
Min Min called out to the girl in front of her, “Qianqian, can we sleep together tonight?”
The carsick girl shook her head and pointed to the short-haired girl beside her.
The short-haired girl immediately said, “Qianqian and I already planned to room together.”
Min Min reluctantly grabbed Dong Jing’s shoulder and pouted, “Jing Jing, will you sleep with me tonight? I’m scared of the dark.”
Dong Jing hesitated, “But I still need to go home…”
Min Min didn’t let go, “Come on, Jing Jing, you’re the host. You can’t just leave us at the inn by ourselves, right? You can come over after you’re done at home, okay?”
Dong Jing thought for a moment, then nodded, “Alright, I’ll come find you after I finish packing up.”
Min Min’s voice turned sweet, “Jing Jing, you’re the best.”
The bus drove a bit further and finally stopped at the station.
Before opening the door, the attendant said, “Your luggage is still underneath, don’t forget to grab it.”
The small bus could only accommodate about twenty people. As soon as the door opened, no one wanted to stay on it for another second, and everyone hurried to get off.
The refreshing and clean air hit them, and the tiredness on everyone’s faces instantly disappeared.
Someone took a deep breath, “For this fresh air, the terrifying road we just went through was worth it!”
Over twenty people got off the bus and divided into a few obvious groups.
Among them, sixteen or seventeen were wearing the same red hats with the words “Guangming Travel Agency” written on them. They gathered around a man holding a red flagpole. They were middle-aged and elderly people.
The other five were the girls who had been chatting with Bai Lixin earlier.
Apart from them, there was also a couple.
And lastly, there was him.
The travel agency’s guide was a middle-aged man with a bit of a belly and dark skin. He pointed to a place not far from the parking lot, “Comrades, after getting your luggage, we just need to walk another two hundred meters to reach the inn where we’ll be staying. Although this place is blessed by the Snake God, and most people who come here are devout believers, making theft rare, you should still keep an eye on your belongings.”
“Everyone has been on the road all day today, so take a good rest after settling in, and we’ll officially start our journey tomorrow.”
Dong Jing, a local girl, also pointed to the same location, “The inn I booked for you is there too. It’s the best inn in our town. Legend has it that the Snake God was once saved by that family, so it especially protects them. Anyone who has stayed in that inn has always had good luck and seen their wishes come true. The inn is incredibly hard to book.”
“Thank you, Jing Jing,” Min Min smiled, “Then we won’t be polite!”
Dong Jing’s cheeks turned red, “It’s… it’s fine, as long as you don’t mind. It can’t compare to your big cities.”
The couple had the easiest luggage to find. They took it and left directly. From their direction, it looked like they were heading to that inn as well.
Next was the tour group. Though there were around seventeen or eighteen people in the group, each person moved as if they were wind-up soldiers, full of energy. They quickly found all their luggage and, led by their enthusiastic guide, headed to the inn.
Lastly, it was the five girls. They had a lot of luggage, each carrying two suitcases. The girl named Man Man even had three at once.
There was a black suitcase left on the ground that nobody claimed, and Bai Lixin took it upon himself to carry it.
Man Man frowned at the luggage on the ground, “Isn’t there a cart here?”
The road in the parking lot was paved with stones, which was much better than dirt, but it was still quite bumpy.
Dong Jing was a bit embarrassed. She shook her head and said in a small voice, “Sorry, this is a small place.”
Man Man: “Then what should I do with these three suitcases?”
Dong Jing: “I’ll help you take them over first. My luggage should be safe here.”
“If you don’t mind, I can help you with one,” Bai Lixin stepped forward.
Man Man was stunned, looking him up and down, “Then I’ll trouble you.”
“No problem,” Bai Lixin took one of the suitcases and walked toward the inn with the girls.
After leaving the parking lot, crossing the road, turning into an alley, and walking a bit more, they reached their destination.
It was a bed-and-breakfast that was different from what he had imagined.
It was a three-story Western-style building with a large footprint. There were many colorful potted plants placed on the steps outside. Next to the plants was a plump, big yellow dog lying down.
Min Min’s eyes widened as she pointed at the dog, “Is that a dog or a pig? It’s so fat.”
“Hahaha,” A laugh came from inside the courtyard, and a thin, middle-aged man in a short-sleeved shirt walked out, “You’re a funny little girl. Of course, that’s a big yellow dog. Hey, Jing Jing, you’re back?”
Min Min stuck out her tongue and kept quiet.
Dong Jing smiled shyly at the man, “Uncle Li, these four are my classmates. They’ll be staying here for a few days. Please take care of them.”
The man: “Of course, of course. Jing Jing’s friends are friends of your Uncle Li.”
The man looked at Bai Lixin, “And this gentleman is?”
Bai Lixin: “I’m a tourist. Do you have any rooms available?”
The man looked him over, “Did you make a reservation?”
Bai Lixin shook his head, “No.”
The man shook his head regretfully, “I’m sorry. A travel agency group just arrived today, and all the rooms are booked. Maybe you can try looking up ahead, there are more places to stay there.”
Bai Lizin put down Man Man’s suitcase, “Alright, could you help this girl move her luggage? I’ll go check up ahead.”
Just as he was about to leave, Man Man called out, “Hey, wait a minute!”
Bai Lixin looked back in confusion and saw Man Man looking at the boss, “Didn’t Jing Jing reserve three rooms for us?”
The boss replied, “Yes, she did. She specifically mentioned three rooms.”
“Then…” Man Man glanced at Bai Lixin and quickly looked away, “Give him one of the rooms. I’ll share with Min Min.”
Min Min threw herself on Man Man, “Tsk tsk, Man Man, why did you suddenly change your mind? Tell me, were you captivated by this handsome guy?”
Man Man glanced at Min Min and then whispered something in her ear. Min Min’s face instantly turned red and she jumped away, “Man Man, you’re so annoying.”
Bai Lixin: “Maybe I should just—”
Man Man frowned impatiently, “Alright, I said you could have it. Go to the boss and check in quickly. If someone else takes it, you’ll be crying later.”
Bai Lixin: “Thank you. I’ll help you carry the luggage inside first.”
After entering the gate, there was a courtyard inside.
The courtyard was also full of flowers, and a big sign hung on the wall that read “Snake God Inn.”
He thought he’d need his ID to check in, but the girls only needed to give their names, and they were handed the keys. They dii even need a deposit, and the rent would be paid when they checked out.
The same went for him. He registered as “Bai Lixin,” and the boss handed him a key.
The boss: “There’s only one room left on the first floor by the lobby. It’ll be noisy in the morning and at noon. The dining room is on the basement floor; it’s small, so you’ll need to eat in shifts. Breakfast starts at 6:00 AM; take only what you need, no waste allowed. If you’re late and there’s no space, you might have to wait before you go to the dining room.”
“Also, this place is blessed by the Snake God, and there are many taboos you must not break. The rules are posted in your room. Please don’t take them lightly.”
Bai Lixin took the key, thanked the boss, took his luggage, and went to his room.
The doors in the inn were not electronic but had keyholes.
After he used the key to open and close the door, he saw the “Snake God Mountain Precautions” posted behind it.
It was a laminated green sheet, about the size of A4 paper.
Precautions for the Snake God Mountain:
1. Be respectful to the Snake God. Do not commit verbal offenses or insult the Snake God.
2. This is a place where the Snake God cultivates. Visitors should not engage in sexual activities.
3. If you are fortunate enough to encounter the true form of the Snake God on Snake God Mountain, you must kneel and bow your head. Do not look directly into the Snake God’s eyes, as this is a great disrespect.
4. It is forbidden to go to Snake God Mountain after midnight.
