Am I the only good person in this cultivation world?

Yao Han followed the faint fluctuation and found a small snake in a pit.

The little snake had a snow-white belly and ice-blue scales. It neither flicked its tongue nor tried to escape, but remained coiled up there motionless, looking rather pitiful.

The spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from its body prove that it is a demon beast, but its magic power is extremely weak. Although it can be called a first-order beast, it should be the weakest of the first-order beasts.

Yao Han was delighted the moment he saw it and decided to adopt it.

It's not because it has anything special about it.

He simply remembered the silver-ringed serpent named "Xiao Tan," which had been his companion for many years.

Xiao Tan was discovered by him in a hidden spiritual pool, which is also the origin of its name.

A century of cultivation, a path strewn with thorns, a fate fraught with hardship. Two-faced people and acts of betrayal are commonplace.

Yao Han had also experienced betrayal by those he trusted. Looking back with sorrow, he realized that only Xiao Tan had accompanied him all the way, from Qi Refining to Core Formation.

As you live longer, you sometimes feel that humans are not as good as spirit beasts.

At least it won't betray you easily.

Thinking of Xiao Tan, Yao Han couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Sigh, I don't think I used to be this sentimental.

Maybe it's because I'm getting old, but I always like to reminisce about the past.

Yao Han put aside his thoughts and stopped lamenting, turning his gaze back to the small, ice-blue snake.

Having raised snakes for many years, Yao Han knew at a glance that this little guy must have been locked up for too long and was starving.

With a wave of his hand and a flash of sword light, he chopped a wild rabbit that was trying to escape into pieces.

Yao Han placed the piece of meat in his palm and handed it to the small snake.

At first, the little snake didn't dare to move, its body trembling slightly, seemingly frightened by the magical fluctuations emanating from Yao Han.

After a while, seeing that the other party didn't seem to have any ill intentions, and unable to resist the aroma of the meat, it hesitantly stretched its head over, its small eyes darting around as if it were peeking.

Wow, it's quite insightful.

White belly, blue scales, jade eyes... let me think... if I'm not mistaken, this should be a Jade Serpent.

Yao Han racked his brains for a long time before finally recalling the name of this spirit snake from his memory.

It's not that he has a bad memory, because the ancient books record that the Jade Serpent prefers cold and damp environments and is extremely rare in the East Ridge where it is summer all year round. Most of them are distributed in the distant North Cold Region, that is, in the snow-capped mountains of the North.

"I don't know how you got here. Could it be that the person who inscribed the magic array left you here?"

Yao Han looked into the pit where it was, but did not see any trace of snake eggs. It seemed that it was the only one there... no, the only snake.

After swallowing a piece of rabbit meat, the little snake looked much more energetic and straightened its body.

So Yao Han handed over another piece.

The man and the snake stayed in the burrow, one feeding and the other eating, creating an unusually harmonious scene.

Having eaten most of the rabbit, the little snake twisted its body, opened its mouth slightly, and let out a burp.

"How about it? Come with me." Yao Han channeled a gentle spiritual energy from his fingertips.

The little snake's eyes darted around, as if it were thinking.

Yao Han waited patiently.

After a while, the little snake finally poked its head out and rubbed against the back of his hand.

Yao Han smiled slightly, the sword light slicing through his fingertip and forcing out a drop of blood.

He used his blood essence to draw a spiritual pattern in the air, attached his divine sense to it, and then pointed it towards the top of the little snake's head.

This is a method used by cultivators to make their spirit pets recognize them as their masters.

The little snake did not resist. As the spiritual pattern entered its soul, a mysterious connection appeared between the two, as if they were connected by blood.

With a thought, the little snake coiled around his arm, darted into his sleeve, and poked its head out from the lapel.

Yao Han's smile widened, and he stretched out a finger to pat its head, which then rubbed against him gently.

"Alright, from now on you will be my destined spirit beast. From today onwards, your name will be..."

"Xiao Yuan".

Xiao Yuan seemed to understand, but didn't quite, and nodded.

Yao Han smiled. This little snake was still too young and of low rank. Although it had some intelligence, it wasn't much.

He led Xiao Yuan out of the cave with satisfaction, but as soon as the sun came out, the little guy shrank back into his clothes.

"These past few days have been the hottest time in Dongling, I'm sorry to have to make you suffer."

"Don't worry, just bear with it for a little longer, and I'll think of a way to get you a suitable spirit beast bracelet. Then you won't have to stay outside anymore."

Looking at the blue sky and white clouds above, Yao Han was in a great mood.

Unexpectedly, this demon-slaying journey yielded a spirit pet, making the trip worthwhile.

Under the clear sunlight and gentle breeze, as Yao Han walked on his way back, a sudden realization dawned on him.

He was by the river that day, and if he hadn't spoken to Jiang Xiaolu, he wouldn't have come to Jiangjia Village.

If you don't come to Jiangjia Village, you won't meet Old Man Jiang, you won't care about the monkey plague, and you won't come to explore this cave.

During this time, if he had ever given up the idea of ​​"meddling" or backed down, he would never have been able to see Oobu again.

Touching the small pool in his sleeve, Yao Han felt as if he had returned to the days when Xiao Tan was with him.

It was clearly a newly acquired spirit pet, yet there was a joy of having lost it and found it again; the happiness in my heart was genuine.

All of these things have their causes and effects.

Good causes may not necessarily lead to good results.

Yao Han landed on the tree, closed his eyes to meditate, and after a long time, he opened his eyes.

"But if I hadn't found this Qiankun bag, or if my cultivation level were lower, I wouldn't have been able to defeat that giant ape at all... Let alone the giant ape, I wouldn't have been able to get past the Cliff Owl."

"Without the ability, even if you want to meddle in these 'other people's business,' you're just asking for trouble and are powerless to do so."

"But if one's strength allows, it's not necessarily a bad thing to meddle in other people's business and make some good connections within one's capabilities."

"Misfortune and fortune have no fixed gate; they are summoned by oneself. I will not act rashly or engage in unprepared battles. Knowing what I can do, knowing when to stop, and acting within my capabilities—this is perhaps the path I should follow."

Without further hesitation, Yao Han set off again. Light as a swallow, she darted through the deep forest.

About fifteen minutes later, the familiar long river and willow-lined banks reappeared before my eyes.

When he arrived at Xiao Lu's house, he saw that the grandfather and granddaughter were busy pouring water containing dead fish onto the roof.

"Hey, Xiaohan, where have you been? I can't find you anywhere! Come quick and help me!"

Jiang Xiaolu poked her head out from under the eaves:

"Everything else is watered, only the roof is left. Grandpa's legs aren't good, he can't get up here. Hurry up and help me, we won't be able to finish!"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Yao Han rolled up his sleeves and climbed up the ladder.

There's really no need to water them anymore. The giant ape has been eliminated, and the monkey troop has been decimated by him, so they can no longer pose a threat.

But he didn't need to remind them, since even if he did, the grandfather and grandson might not believe him anyway.

"We started watering at dawn, and it's already dusk. With the sun so high, they'd be dried out long ago!"

"You don't know anything! Stewing fish requires simmering it in the broth for a while to get the flavor in. I've been watering the fields all day—stop standing there like an idiot, here's a ladle, go water the west side!"

"Okay," Yao Han readily agreed.

And so the two of them worked for another hour, until the sun set and the moon rose, and the jade sand covered the branches, before they finally lay down on the soaked roof and rested in a sprawling position.

"Sigh, these stars are so beautiful, we won't be able to see them tomorrow, we'll just have to stay indoors."

"How long are we going to hide?"

"Three or four days, it's like this every year. Xiaohan, remember this well, you absolutely mustn't go out tomorrow—"

"Do you think it's possible that those monkeys won't come tomorrow, and they won't come back at all?"

"That's impossible. They come every year, running all over the village, squeaking and smashing things everywhere—it's terrifying. I guess only a deity could subdue them, no, even if a deity came, it wouldn't help."

"Why didn't it work?" Yao Han was taken aback.

"We worship gods every day, but we never see them; monkeys are worshipped every year, though no one does. If there really were gods in this world who could save people from suffering, my parents wouldn't..."

Jiang Xiaolu paused in her speech.

Yao Han turned her head and looked over, and found that her eyes were red.

He gently patted her shoulder.

"Hey, I'm fine. You don't need to comfort me." Jiang Xiaolu vigorously wiped her face.

"Xiao Lu, do you... want to go out for a walk?"