ATFBETIBM Chapter 712

Bai Lixin held his breath.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but it seemed like that “Great Snake God” had glanced in his direction just now.

“Oh, Great Snake God!” The people knelt on the ground, trembling with reverence. The man in the lead looked up at the apparition in the magic array with awe, “You have finally responded to us.”

“It’s the Snake God! The Snake God really exists! Oh Great Snake God, please grant me eternal life!”

One believer crawled forward in excitement, “I am your most devout believer. I have attended every one of your sacrificial rituals for years. Please, grant me your blessing!”

The Snake God sighed from within the magic array, “I cannot grant you eternal life.”

The believer looked up in fear, “I know my request may be excessive. If eternal life is impossible, then please grant me health and wealth!”

The Snake God flicked its tail, producing a strange crackling sound, “Though I cannot grant you eternal life, I can bestow upon you something similar.”

The believer looked up at the towering figure with exhilaration, “Thank you, Snake God!”

The surrounding believers became restless, especially the man in the lead, “You should be at the back of the line!”

The Snake God: “I will bestow upon all of you the same blessing.”

The face of the man in the lead lit up with joy, “Thank you, Snake God!”

“Step forward,” the Snake God beckoned them with a majestic tone.

Bai Lixin took a few steps forward before reacting, then covered his ears and forced himself to snap out of it.

The Snake God’s voice seemed to carry an enchanting power, making those who heard it lose control and obey his commands.

Under the influence of that voice, the believers’ eyes became vacant. Their bodies moved stiffly as they slowly walked into the magic array.

The Snake God lowered its head.

Just as the believers stretched out their arms, yearning to touch their faith, the Snake God suddenly opened its mouth and swallowed one of them whole.

“Ah!!!!”

The remaining believers froze momentarily, then erupted in screams and turned to flee in terror.

“Why are you running?” The Snake God’s throat moved as it swallowed, then opened its mouth again, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth and four pointed fangs.

It slithered out of the magic array, sliding toward the fleeing believers.

By this point, Emil was completely terrified. His eyes rolled back and he fainted.

The believers screamed as they rushed in Bai Lixin’s direction.

More accurately, they were fleeing toward the door.

Just as one believer was about to reach the door, a snake tail shot out from behind, lifting him and tossing him into the air.

The believer screamed, crying out in despair and pleading for mercy.

“Great Snake God, please forgive my selfishness. I don’t want anything anymore!”

The only response was the Snake God’s open, blood-red mouth.

In the face of such an inhuman entity, humans were as insignificant as ants.

Bai Lixin stood frozen, watching as the Snake God devoured the believers one by one.

Wails, screams, and pleas for mercy echoed throughout the dark, enclosed space, like a vision of hell.

Bai Lixin swallowed lightly, and moved his eyes to Emil in the center of the magic array.

While hunting, the Snake God had left him there, and Bai Lixin sensed something unusual about Emil’s positioning.

It was as if he was being deliberately lured there.

But there was no time to dwell on it. Trap or not, he had to save Emil.

Gritting his teeth, Bai Lixin charged into the magic array.

Emil lay motionless in the center, and Bai Lixin tried calling him, “Emil, wake up, Emil!”

At first, he wasn’t sure Emil could hear him, but then he saw Emil’s eyelids flutter, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Emil looked at Bai Lixin, “Bai Lixin, you came to save me? There’s a monster, please get me out of here.”

Just as Bai Lixin was about to respond, an overwhelming pressure descended from above.

A huge shadow cast down, covering them in darkness.

“Heh heh heh, so there really was a thief snooping around.” The Snake God had moved to the outside of the magic array at some point and was looking down at them with its blood-red eyes.

On instinct, Bai Lixin formed a hand seal and aimed it at the Snake God, “Bind!”

Just as the Snake God was about to lunge, its body stopped abruptly, as if it had been paralyzed.

Whether it was the magic array’s effect or not, Bai Lixin noticed that not only could Emil see his soul form, but he could also touch Emil.

Seizing the moment while the Snake God was immobilized, he quickly bent down, freed Emil from his bindings and, supporting the terrified Emil, sprinted toward the door.

After leaving the magic array, Bai Lixin felt a wave of weakness wash over him and urgently shouted to Emil, “Run, keep going forward, don’t look back!”

At Bai Lixin’s words, Emil screamed and dashed forward.

He passed through Bai Lixin, sprinting to the door in a flash.

The Snake God roared and broke free from its bindings.

Its blood-red eyes were fixed on Emil’s back and it charged straight at him.

Bai Lixin used the Soul Binding Incantation again.

Perhaps the Snake God had developed some resistance, it was only immobilized for a few short seconds before it could move again.

But even those few seconds were enough.

Emil had already bolted through the door and raced up the stairs.

Bai Lixin could only watch as he followed behind.

He saw Emil reach the stairwell, saw the Snake God relentlessly pursuing him but stopping at the doorway, and saw Emil frantically open the hidden door and escape.

The Snake God stared at the stairway Emil had fled up for a long time before it turned around and slithered back behind the door.

With a loud “boom”, the door closed in front of Bai Lixin, sealing all the terror and danger behind it.

Bai Lixin had no time to celebrate their narrow escape. He turned and prepared to catch up with Emil, but felt himself being pulled back by an invisible force.

This feeling—it was as if his soul was returning to his body.

What was going on?

His consciousness sank for a moment, then abruptly cleared up.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a familiar bathroom.

He didn’t know why he was lying in the bathtub, which was filled with warm water.

His clothes were somehow tossed to the floor, and he was soaking naked in the water.

Recalling everything that had just happened, Bai Lixin took a few deep breaths.

Just as he was about to get out of the bathtub, he felt a strange sensation in his body.

A look of surprise crossed Bai Lixin’s face, and he glanced down at the water with a hint of embarrassment.

That part of him was standing upright, wrapped in a swirl of water that moved around it, soft and delicate, alternating between fast and slow motions.

A tingling sensation spread from his lower abdomen to his entire body, and his head felt light and numb.

He gripped the edge of the tub and tried to escape.

But the water refused to let him go. It spread over his body and wrapped around his waist to hold him in place.

The water slowly traveled down his spine, and reached the softest part of his flesh.

Realizing what the water intended to do, Bai Lixin gasped, “No.”

The next second, his pupils widened, and disbelief flashed in his eyes.

He looked down at the water in shame.

All he could see was a stream of water, it was distinct from the rest, swirling like a tiny tornado.

The soft, dense, yet resilient stream of water delved deeply, slipping into every hidden fold.

It reached places Bai Lixin had never even imagined.

He clenched his hands and his muscles tensed.

Broken, muffled sounds of restraint filled the air.

The water surface rippled, and his vision slowly became blurred.

An indescribable feeling washed over him. It was as if he were a balloon drifting to the clouds, floating, allowing the wind to carry him away.

Bai Lixin was awakened by his agent.

He struggled to open his eyes, and the sky outside was clear.

The director’s strong voice echoed through the loudspeakers, reaching Bai Lixin through the window.

The agent stretched with a yawn, “I slept so well last night. Bai Lixin, you look great today. Did you sleep well too?”

Bai Lixin: “…”

Sleep well? He had no idea. He’d passed out.

Agent: “I’ll go check ahead, you can take your time getting ready. The castle owner didn’t prepare breakfast this morning. There’s some bread and instant noodles with sausages in the room, just help yourself. I’ll treat you to a proper meal once we get back tomorrow.”

With that, he waved at Bai Lixin and casually left the bedroom.

Bai Lixin slipped into the bathroom wearing his slippers.

The young man in the mirror looked even better than before.

His already outstanding features could now be called as gorgeous, exuding a striking allure and skin that seemed as smooth as water, like a cherry plump with moisture.

‘Plump with moisture?’

‘No.’

‘It was completely saturated!’

Bai Lixin’s gaze swept over to the bathtub in the corner, and a wave of helplessness and absurdity washed over him.

He had actually been… by a ball of water?

It was ridiculous on a whole new level!

His memory remained fixed on the bathtub from the previous night, where the stream of water had seemed tireless.

He, on the other hand, had blacked out and lost consciousness.

When he woke up, he was already in bed.

Having gone through so many supernatural events, Bai Lixin’s tolerance and composure seemed to be growing stronger. He quickly pulled himself together.

He looked at his reflection once more.

He seemed vibrant and full of energy, clearly showing signs of having been thoroughly replenished.

So that stream of water could actually nourish him?

Could it have been the same stream of water he’d seen at the artificial lake at Bihai Bay?

Had it followed him all the way here?

It had saved him once before, so it probably didn’t mean him any harm.

Could it have done that last night to help him?

Bai Lixin picked up his phone and sent a message to Song Yuantian.

The other side didn’t reply for a long time—maybe he wasn’t awake yet.

“Emil, your state doesn’t seem quite right today. Do you want to take a break?”

The director’s voice drifted in from outside the window.

‘Emil?’

‘Right, how was Emil doing?’

Bai Lixin hurried to the window in a few quick steps and spotted the blond young man standing in the crowd below.

His brilliant blond hair blew in the wind, like a prince straight out of a fairy tale.

They were too far apart for Bai Lixin to hear their conversation or see Emil’s face clearly.

After tidying up quickly, he left the room and went to the filming location.

Emil was resting on a lounge chair under an umbrella, looking somewhat pale and very haggard, which was somehow consistent with the forlorn and lost look of the noble who had failed to find an elf.

Bai Lixin walked over to Emil. He was just about to ask what had happened last night, but Emil saw him first and tugged him over by his sleeve.

Emil’s voice was slightly hoarse, and his brows were twisted into a “川” shape. “I dreamed of you last night.”

Bai Lixin was momentarily stunned. “Dreamed of me?”

Emil nodded heavily. “It was a strange dream. I was captured as a sacrifice, but guess what? The summoned monster didn’t eat me, instead, it devoured those people. And then you suddenly showed up to save me.”

Bai Lixin hesitated for a few seconds. “This was your dream?”

Emil gritted his teeth and stared intently at Bai Lixin. “It was a dream, right?”

Bai Lixin: “If it wasn’t a dream…”

“No, it was definitely a dream!” Emil’s hand holding Bai Lixin’s wrist trembled slightly, and beneath his determined gaze was a hint of barely concealed fear.

It seemed as if, should Bai Lixin dare to say “no”, Emil would shatter on the spot.

Bai Lixin forced a reluctant smile. “You’re right—it was just a dream.”

“That was not a dream at all!” Emil’s eyes widened suddenly. “How could you lie to me just to make me feel better?”

Bai Lixin: “…”

‘I want to curse right now.’

Emil rolled up his pant leg and showed it to Bai Lixin. “Look at my leg.”

On his long, fair calf were two rings of snake scale-like patterns spiraling upward.

It looked like a tattoo, starting from his ankle and vanishing up into his pants.

As if a snake were coiled around his leg.

Despair filled Emil’s eyes. “That monster left this on my body. Is it some kind of mark that lets it find me? Am I its target? Will I be devoured like those other people? I’m doomed. I’m doomed. I’m doomed.”

He repeated “I’m doomed” three times, clutching Bai Lixin’s shoulders and shaking him violently. “Bai Lixin, save me! Please, save me!”

Bai Lixin was getting dizzy from all the shaking.

And Emil’s machine-gun-like speaking pace made his ears buzz, as if a little bee were trying to bore its way in.

Emil had clearly been scared silly.

After a moment, the blond young man seemed to realize his lack of composure and quickly released Bai Lixin, apologizing in a panic, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m just so scared. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have taken this advertisement. I saw you freeze that monster, if you can save me once, you must have a way to save me again. Please help me—I’ll give you anything I have.”

Bai Lixin: “It’s not about money.”

Emil: “Oh, you want money? Fine, I’ll give you everything.”

Bai Lixin: “…”

“Calm down first,” Bai Lixin reassured the young man. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you. I only learned the basics from someone. Let me first ask that master to see if there’s a way to help.”

Emil clung to Bai Lixin’s sleeve as if it were his last lifeline. “I’m putting my life in your hands!”

Bai Lixin: ‘Who do I put mine in?’

When Bai Lixin picked up his phone again, he noticed Song Yuantian had replied.

[Is it the same stream of water that saved you at the lake? I’ve never seen it myself, but if you felt it physically, then it must be.]

Bai Lixin stepped aside and called him.

Song Yuantian’s voice was low, as if he’d just woken up. “What happened?”

Bai Lixin explained the events from the night before—the believers, the underground chamber, the magic circle, the Snake God, and the mark on Emil’s leg.

Then he asked, “What’s on Emil’s leg? Could it be the mark left by that snake demon?”

There was a faint murmur from the other end, as if Song Yuantian were talking to someone nearby.

Though the voice was soft, Bai Lixin could make out what he said.

Song Yuantian: “You’ve seen a lot, have you ever heard of a monster like this?”

A woman’s voice replied, “I know a fair number of Eastern snake demons like Xiangliu and Tengshe, but Western ones are out of my expertise.”

Song Yuantian’s tone was warmer than usual. “Oh, so there are still things that Hongyue doesn’t know?”

‘Hongyue?’

‘Wasn’t that the name of that TV star?’

‘Was it just a coincidence, or was the voice on the phone really Hongyue?’

The woman’s voice suddenly became clearer. “Hey, kid, send me a picture of that poor soul’s leg.”

The other party’s voice was very queen-like. With a slight sense of resignation, Bai Lixin pulled Emil aside and took a photo of his leg, then sent it over.

The call remained connected, and once she saw the photo, the woman clicked her tongue twice.

Emil immediately became more nervous. “What’s wrong?”

The woman: “This leg is so white and slender. I’d love to get my hands on it, I bet it feels great.”

Emil glanced at Bai Lixin, silently asking if this expert was reliable.

Bai Lixin: “…”

‘I’m not entirely sure.’

A soft sigh came from the other end.

Emil’s nerves tightened again. “What’s wrong now?”

“I may not know the origin of this Snake God, but I recognize that mark. You were indeed used as a sacrifice, kid. You guessed right; the monster will be able to find you with that mark and consume you in the end.”

The color drained from Emil’s face. “Is there any way to save me?”

Hongyue: “I can’t remove the mark, but I can make something to cover it. As long as you don’t tear it off, the snake won’t be able to find you. Xiao Bai Lixin, bring this person to Bihai Bay to find me after you finish filming the ad.”

Hearing that there was hope for him, Emil immediately brightened up. “I can go now.”

“No!” The woman’s voice on the other end was sharp. “I’m still enjoying our two-person world—don’t disturb us.”

Bai Lixin & Emil: “…”

The woman: “From Bai Lixin’s description, it seems that the snake rushed to the door yesterday and watched you escape. It probably didn’t chase you not because it didn’t want to, but because it couldn’t leave that chamber temporarily. I suspect that room resembling an altar was set up as a seal by people long ago, trapping it inside. The seal was intact until some reckless individuals tampered with it, breaking a corner and allowing the snake to emerge.”

“It will take some time for it to completely break free from the seal, so you all can relax and just focus on filming.”

Hearing the woman’s confident explanation, Emil finally felt a bit of relief from the weight on his heart.

Because he had something on his mind, Emil’s performance today was poor. Originally, the director had planned to discuss with the agent about extending the shoot by one more day to allow Emil to rest and return in a better state tomorrow.

But upon hearing this, Emil’s spirits suddenly lifted, and he swiftly resumed his usual state, completing all his scenes with remarkable speed.

When the director praised him, Emil had only one thing to say: “I’m leaving!”

The next second, he was already in a limousine, and sped out of the castle.

Bai Lixin: “…”

‘Sure enough, when faced with death, people can burst out their potential!’

Tomorrow was the final scene, the climax of the entire advertisement. They had to film scenes both in the water and an encounter between the elf and a noble in the forest.

The location was set in an artificial ecological forest, not only dense with trees but featuring a clear lake. The best part was that this forest wasn’t on the outskirts but close to the city center, it was a private estate.

Apparently, the estate owner was a fan of Emil and agreed to let them use it upon learning he was involved.

The director’s team had already arranged accommodations nearby, a five-star hotel next to the artificial forest.

By the time Bai Lixin arrived at the hotel with the director and the rest of the team, it was already evening. Just as he entered the hotel, he received a message from Emil: [Come to my room!]

Bai Lixin: [What’s your room number?]

Emil: [1502]

It seemed like Emil had been waiting by the door. As soon as Bai Lixin reached it, he didn’t even have a chance to knock before the door was pulled open and he was yanked inside.

Emil locked the door, and before Bai Lixin could say a word, he began to take off his clothes.

Seeing this, Bai Lixin quickly covered his eyes. “I’m not interested in men, don’t do this.”

A vein throbbed on Emil’s forehead and he gritted his teeth. “I’m not interested in men either. I want you to look at what’s on my body.”

Bai Lixin opened his eyes and noticed that the snake pattern had now spread from Emile’s leg up to his waist.

It extended upward from his leg, curling halfway around his waist before stopping on his lower back. The snake’s head rested near Emil’s tailbone with its mouth open, it looked vivid and lifelike, as if it was about to come alive.

Bai Lixin hesitated. “Wasn’t it shorter this morning?”

Emil’s despair deepened. “Yes, isn’t that obvious?”

Bai Lixin: “So… you want me to cheer you up?”

“Cheer me up, my ass! You’re staying in my room tonight,” Emil looked at Bai Lixin with teary eyes, “Please.”

Bai Lixin: “But I heard it’s taboo in your industry to share a room with anyone.”

Emil: “I don’t have that taboo anymore. Facing death makes you realize life isn’t about all those small pretentious things. Staying alive is what matters.”

Bai Lixin: “…”

‘What a profound enlightenment.’