Chapter 828: The Forgetful Spirit

Chapter 828: Chapter 828: The Forgetful Spirit

The small, glowing sprite snake froze mid-air, completely stunned as he listened to Yue Yue’s trembling voice begging him not to eat her.

Hovering in the dark, he curled his translucent tail upward and pointed it right at his own chest. His glowing emerald eyes widened with utter bewilderment.

"Do I look like someone who eats tiny snake cubs for dinner?" he asked, his translucent wings fluttering in disbelief.

Yue Yue blinked her gemstone blue, genuinely stunned by his offended reaction. "You... you don’t?" she asked stupidly.

The winged snake spirit stared at her, utterly speechless, for a second before he burst into an angry, huffy laugh.

"Who on earth is spreading such ridiculous rumors?!" he huffed, waving his tail dramatically.

"I am just a little spirit abandoned inside this cold cave! I am not evil enough to eat a tiny, harmless snake like you!"

Yue Yue tilted her head, her tail uncoiling just a little bit. "But why did those mean, old bald men send so many snake cubs in here? Is it not because you eat snake cubs for dinner?"

This time, the sprite snake was truly enraged.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" his voice chimed loudly through the hollow chamber, his green glow flaring with indignation. "Why on earth would I eat snake cubs?! I am a snake spirit myself!"

Yue Yue’s little eyes widened in surprise. "You’re a snake? But you have wings! Snakes don’t have wings."

The spirit puffed out his glowing chest, raising his tiny horned head with immense pride.

"Of course I am a snake! I am a Teng Snake! An ultimate form of a Teng Snake has wings and a horn! So technically, you could say I am your ancient ancestor!"

Yue Yue’s jaw dropped. "A Teng Snake?!"

Suddenly, her little face broke into a bright, delightful grin, her dark fear instantly vanishing into pure joy. "I am a Teng Snake too!" she squeaked happily.

She knew her father, Xuan Long, was a grand Teng Snake, her brother, Xiao San, was a Teng Snake, and just a few months ago, her family had even visited the famous Teng territory! She was a proud part of the Teng Snake bloodline!

Looking at the glowing, winged sprite floating above her, Yue Yue’s eyes sparkled. If this grand ancestor in front of her was truly a fellow Teng Snake, he definitely wouldn’t harm her, and maybe, just maybe, he would help her escape this scary place and find her way back home!

The little winged snake spirit hovered in the air, looking down at Yue Yue with a completely bewildered expression.

"A Teng Snake?" he repeated, tilting his horned head as his glowing tail twirled.

So it means this little cub is my descendant, right? he thought to himself, feeling a strange, distant warmth in his chest.

Yue Yue’s tiny tail flicked with curiosity. She slithered a few inches closer, looking up at his translucent, glowing body. "Why are you abandoned here? Why can’t you go outside?"

Before the spirit could even open his mouth, Yue Yue’s eyes lit up, and she began chatting endlessly in her sweet cub voice.

"My father is a very powerful Teng Snake! He is also the Clan Leader of the Teng Snakes!"

The little green spirit froze mid-air, completely stunned. "Clan Leader?"

He brought one of his translucent wings up to his glowing head, lightly tapping his temple as if trying to force his mind to work. "Clan Leader... Clan Leader..."

His glowing form flickered as he tried desperately to search his mind. "My memories have become so foggy... It seems... it seems I was also a Clan Leader of the Teng Snakes once!"

He squeezed his eyes shut, hovering in circles as he tried to remember more.

Who were his people? What was his name? What did his home look like? But no matter how hard he tried, the memories remained slippery, floating away like smoke in the wind.

Finally, the spirit let out a long, echoing sigh and dropped his paws. "Oh, I don’t remember at all. Now what do I do?"

He shook his horned head helplessly, a faint, melancholic smile appearing on his face. Never mind, he thought to himself. I’ve been abandoned here for so long, I’ve practically become a senile old man.

Yue Yue tilted her head, her gemstone blue wide with sympathy. "Who abandoned you here?"

The spirit floated lazily around her in a wide circle. "Don’t know. I don’t remember."

He swooped down low, hovering right beside her white scales, inspecting her carefully. "It seems you were also abandoned here."

Yue Yue immediately shook her head, her tiny tongue flicking out. "I wasn’t abandoned! I was kidnapped by some bad old men, and they trapped all the snake cubs in this mountain! Did you see any other beast cubs besides me?"

The snake spirit shook his horned head slowly. "I did not. You are the very first one to arrive here, and you’re the first person I’ve talked to in... well, I don’t even know how long."

He had been trapped in the dark, silent depths of this ancient cavern for so many centuries that time had lost all meaning.

He had been alone for so long that his own past had slowly faded away, leaving him with only faint, glowing fragments of who he used to be.

As the two of them sat together in the gentle emerald light, they continued talking about their families.

Yue Yue happily rattled on about her mother, Su Qinglan, her brothers, her sweet twin sisters, and her devoted Beast Fathers.

As the little spirit listened to her talk about love and family, something deep inside his foggy mind suddenly stirred. A soft, distant warmth bloomed in his chest.

He froze, his wings fluttering softly. "A mate..." he whispered, his chiming voice filled with sudden awe. "It seems... I also had a mate once."

He hovered in place, his glowing eyes filling with a profound, aching sadness. He missed her. He missed her so much that his translucent body throbbed with heartache.

But no matter how desperately he searched his empty mind, he couldn’t remember her face, her name, or the sound of her voice.

The spirit looked down at Yue Yue with hopeful eyes. "Do you know my mate?"

Yue Yue blinked, completely speechless.

How could I possibly know your mate?! She thought to herself, her little jaw dropping.

She was only a few months old, while this floating green ghost looked like he had been living in this dark cave since the day the world was created!

"I don’t know her," Yue Yue answered honestly, her small voice soft. "I’m just a little baby."

The spirit’s glowing light dimmed slightly, filled with disappointment. "Ah... never mind."

He shook off the sadness, floating higher into the air and offering her a gentle, chiming smile.

"Since you are trapped here with me for now, come! Let me show you around my home. I’ve lived here for a very, very long time."

Yue Yue’s tail flicked happily. With the friendly, forgetful spirit guiding the way with his soft emerald glow, the pitch-black, scary cavern didn’t seem quite so terrifying anymore.