He and It Chapter 152: The Serpent of Pharisee (18)

Chapter 152: The Serpent of Pharisee (18)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

 

Xanthippe remained silent for a long time.

“Your heart is as vast as the clear sky over the sea,” she said. “Something I cannot attain.”

Created creatures, in reality, had no moral compass.

The gods bestowed upon Xanthippe the wisdom of adaptability, the courage of intoxication, exceptional artistic talent, and a captivating charm, but they did not grant her a moral compass. Essentially, like Pandora, Xanthippe was created for immoral deeds.

Pandora betrayed the hospitality of the human race and opened the Box of Calamity without hesitation. Similarly, Xanthippe was here to separate a pair of lovers, severing Echidna’s longing for beauty aroused by the perception of happiness and eliminating any possibility of rebellion against the Gods.

So, even though Xie Ning treated her with such kindness and tolerance, Xanthippe would not feel an ounce of shame for her actions and intentions. There was only one unforeseen event, even beyond the comprehension of her creators.

Athena bestowed upon her the intelligence to adapt, originally to increase her chances of surviving in the hands of the snake demon. After all, tempting an ancient demon was a hundred times more difficult than Pandora’s task. But Xie Ning’s words quickly made Xanthippe realize one thing – she still had a choice.

“I have a choice,” Xanthippe said thoughtfully, “but in reality, I have no choice, Dorus. Here, you are my kind master, so why inject fanciful delusions into my heart? My true masters are the Gods in the heavens and sacred Olympus. How can I, with audacity, defy their orders and walk away disregarding everything? If I did so, I would undoubtedly be struck down by the Thunderer and fall into eternal damnation.”

Xie Ning clicked his tongue.

“Happy people heal a lifetime with childhood, while unhappy people spend a lifetime healing childhood. Have you heard this saying? Oh, no? Well, it means… hmm, family of origin, very important!”

Seeing Xanthippe’s confused expression, Xie Ning shamelessly began to twist the truth, “Look, the Gods created you, the Gods are your parents. Any problem with that?”

Xanthippe replied, “You may assert that.”

“A person cannot choose their parents. Any problem with that?”

“Yes, children naturally cannot choose which mother’s embrace they are born into.”

“Then did the Gods consult you before creating you? No, they didn’t. Since they brought you into being without your consent, this is a dysfunctional and unhealthy family of origin. You don’t have to obey what they ask of you. Do you?”

Listening to such outrageous modern speech, Xanthippe’s countenance paled, her eyes widened. “Do not speak such wicked words! Your words are like saying that eagles are born to be pursued by pigeons, and tigers are enslaved by flocks of sheep. If the Gods hear of this, they will surely find a way to destroy you!”

Her heart pounded, unsure if it was out of fear or the shock of hearing such scandalous words. Xanthippe nervously looked around, though she knew Echidna had set up a thick fog here to shield the eyes of the Gods. She couldn’t help but feel panicked about it.

“Let’s talk about something else,” she hastily changed the subject. “What is the relationship between you and Echidna? To me, it seems that you two are clearly lovers. If he didn’t love you, he wouldn’t punish those demons for you.”

…Where did you get all this gossip?

Xie Ning sighed. He didn’t say much, just vaguely stated, “I didn’t promise him anything. I can’t.”

“Oh,” Xanthippe nodded in understanding. “I see. Goddess Athena told me your ties haven’t been severed yet, so you won’t stay here for long.”

Xie Ning felt uncomfortable. Deep down, he despised the decisions of those Gods. Being a human, with “uncontrollable desires,” they started worrying excessively, fearing that Echidna would be incited by him to rebel against Mount Olympus again. They even concocted a Trojan Horse version of the beauty plan, sending a second Pandora to the underworld to sow discord between him and Echidna.

Fortunately, Xie Ning was a modern man with enlightened views and a different approach from this era. Moreover, Echidna was single-mindedly stubborn. Otherwise, Olympus might have succeeded.

He really wanted to say to those Gods, “What’s so great about your damned immortality? If you can turn me directly into a painting genius, maybe I’d be tempted.”

“It’s difficult for me to have a future with him,” Xie Ning said. “So it’s better not to make promises.”

Xie Ning loved cats and dogs very much, but when he saw stray animals on the street, he rarely approached them. He knew affection cost nothing, and the warmth given out on the street was meaningless. He couldn’t bear to see those skinny stray dogs. If he casually touched their heads or fed them a piece of sausage, they would follow him eagerly, wagging their tails, hoping this human could take them home, provide them with shelter from the wind and rain, stable meals, and love.

Xie Ning’s heart was too soft. On a few rare occasions, he would hurry away, then couldn’t help but turn back to look at those dirty stray dogs. When he saw them slowly stop following and finally stand in place, just staring at him with those eyes, he felt heartbroken. At that time, he was young, and he couldn’t walk too far. Xie Ning cried on the street as if he had kicked and injured a sincere heart, so his own heart ached in response.

“But…” Xanthippe began. She’d barely uttered a word, when Xie Ning lifted his head, placed his index finger on his lips, and shushed her.

The rocks above emitted a stealthy rustle, a sound Xie Ning found all too familiar. He remained silent for a moment before speaking up, “Echidna, are you eavesdropping?”

The sound abruptly ceased. After a moment, Echidna huffed and slapped the rock with his tail, before loudly slithering away.

Xie Ning couldn’t help but chuckle. Somehow, he had his own way of sensing Echidna. Whether Echidna hid in the darkness, lurked in secret chambers, or did nothing but eavesdrop with his divine power, Xie Ning could detect it. This effectively deterred the demon’s prying desires – he only saw Xanthippe three times a week, for no more than two hours each time. Yet Echidna still seethed with jealousy.

When he was out of the sight of the snake demon, Echidna would toss and turn on the throne, wreaking havoc and punishing the servants excessively. Minor infractions that he would usually overlook now became unforgivable transgressions.

Echidna stirred up the palace until Xie Ning returned, only then would he resume his satisfied and amiable demeanor.

“Alright, he’s gone,” Xie Ning said with a smile. “Let’s talk about something else. Last time, you were talking about your talent…”

With permission granted, Xanthippe dared to speak up, “Ah, yes, talent. Please tell me, what kind of associations do you have when you paint? Do you struggle when telling a story because you don’t know how to express it?”

“I do,” Xie Ning confessed honestly. “For example, when choosing colors, as a beginner, I used to feel lost. There were too many colors, and I didn’t know which combinations would work. I could only try again and again, like…like flailing in the sea, trying to choose a drop of water.”

“I understand,” Xanthippe said. “Perhaps my words aren’t quite fitting, Dorus, but for me, when sculpting a block of marble, I don’t need to ponder for too long. Inspiration strikes like a lightning bolt, hitting me precisely on the head, causing an unnamed tremor. I know, just like that. I don’t need to hesitate or change anything.”

“Is it?” Xie Ning asked skeptically.

“It is,” Xanthippe nodded.

The joy Echidna brought him was fleeting; now, despondency hung over Xie Ning’s head. He suddenly realized his own absurdity.

Anything innate could be called instinct. Genius couldn’t answer your questions about creation, just as a person couldn’t answer how a fish breathes on land.

Seeing his distracted mood, Xanthippe couldn’t help but hold his hand, surprised at his strange persistence.

“Dorus, you’re truly like a child standing at a crossroads. Children don’t know how to give up or turn back; they just stubbornly keep running until they find themselves lost in the depths of the forest, then they cry in fear,” she frowned. “In my opinion, when the Gods discuss you, your talent has already made Apollo feel a touch of displeasure and envy, yet you’re not satisfied; you greedily reach out for more. If possible, your greed will surely lead you to grab from molten lava, to search in the robes of Death.”

Xie Ning withdrew his hand awkwardly, muttering, “It’s not like that…”

They exchanged a few more words, and two hours passed in an instant. Leaving Xanthippe’s room, Xie Ning hadn’t walked a few steps when he felt lighter.

He was swept up by Echidna’s serpent tail and carried into his arms. Xie Ning had long grown accustomed to being “worn” like a pendant, so he let Echidna hold him and embrace him.

“What did you say to her?” Echidna’s face turned stern, as he attempted to show a hint of authoritative questioning in front of him. But in Xie Ning’s eyes, his expression was like that of a grumpy cat, ridiculously amusing.

“I didn’t say anything, just practiced speaking,” Xie Ning said with a smirk, as he tried to poke Echidna’s chin, but Echidna alertly caught his hand, his forked tongue flicking, hissing softly.

“She touched your hand!” Having sensed something amiss, Echidna suddenly erupted in rage. “She has the audacity to touch your body without permission. I knew she had ill intentions…”

Xie Ning pinched his nose, causing Echidna to gasp and spit out his black tongue, and he had to speak in a muffled voice.

“Hey, what’s wrong with a little touch? It’s not like I’ll lose flesh from a touch!” Xie Ning said unapologetically. “Don’t be so petty.”

Echidna was about to burst like a balloon again.

Because he carefully gathered the undrained venom from his fangs, his saliva could be considered harmless. The snake demon fiercely wrapped its split black tongue around the human’s fingers, palms, and backs of hands, firmly expressing his feelings. When they returned to their sleeping chamber, he would definitely lick Dorus from head to toe until he was soaked and imbued with the aura of the demon.

He wandered around in frustration all the way until mealtime, then Echidna deliberately brought up a relevant topic, “Dorus, how are your studies going? Have you gained any secrets you need from the creation of the Gods?”

Upon hearing his question, Xie Ning paused with a piece of bread in his hand. He lowered his head, but before he could speak, Echidna already sensed his despondency.

“…It’s nothing,” Xie Ning shook his head, self-mockingly smiling. “I had high hopes. I intended to borrow some methods from her creative process, but unfortunately…”

Echidna asked in confusion, “Unfortunately, what?”

“If someone asked you how you learned to use venom, how would you respond?” Xie Ning asked him in return.

“It is my natural divine power, like a lion devouring meat or a vulture spreading its wings. No need to diligently study,” Echidna replied without hesitation, then suddenly realized what Dorus meant.

The snake demon tenderly let the human sit on its tail, and with his own hands, split open a ripe pomegranate for him, as he anxiously asked, “Dorus, how can I make you stop feeling inferior, to stop agonizing over the illusion of ‘talent’? How can I praise you in a way that will make you slow down, not rush so eagerly? If you’re willing, I can make an entire nation prostrate themselves and praise your skills! You’re still so young. At the same age, Jason didn’t even know what the Golden Fleece was, still an unknown student under Chiron; Achilles was being dressed as a girl by his mother, learning weaving and archery from the princesses in the court of Lycomedes. And you? Your name is already on the lips of the Gods. They talk about you with surprise and displeasure, making you a popular topic on Mount Olympus. I feel immense happiness and pride in having you.”

Xie Ning felt embarrassed. Compared to precocious ancient people, he was not young, but his Eastern appearance made people treat him like an underage boy.

“Tell me,” Echidna pouted unhappily. “Tell me, how can I make you forget the things that make you frustrated. Sometimes, I really wish you weren’t an artist. Maybe you would be much happier.”

Xie Ning sighed, leaning against his chest, and said softly, “Then order me to herd cattle.”

Echidna, “Hmm…hmm?”

“Let me herd cattle,” Xie Ning repeated softly. “Let me work day and night, in torn clothes, hungry every day, running tirelessly for a bit of bread and water, too exhausted to think about anything except resting and eating. By then, I won’t have time to think about inferiority or talent.”

Echidna was horrified. He exclaimed sharply, “Dorus, you asking me to cut out my own heart! Do you want me to cruelly drive you, like a victorious king enslaving a lowly captive? How can that be?”

Xie Ning hadn’t spoken much when the demon started to panic. He constantly rubbed the youth’s cheeks, as if he had already seen the miserable scene Xie Ning described in his musing and was trying to force him to take back what he said.

Xie Ning, “…”

Xie Ning, “Uh, I was just joking…”

“You can’t joke around like that!” Echidna said seriously. “Oaths carry such weight. There are too many tragic examples throughout history. Heaven and earth bear witness to the promises of their offspring, and in the dark underworld, there is also the river Styx, always waiting to swallow those who break their promises to gods and men. If you were to fall into their trap, how could I save you?” ¹

After saying that, the demon felt it was even more necessary to make Dorus remember properly.

So, according to his previous intentions, Echidna wrapped Xie Ning up and, despite his struggling protests, actually licked him thoroughly from head to toe, inside and out.

In the end, the snake demon was very satisfied, while Xie Ning turned red all over, as he lay on the bed weakly, his eyes unfocused, and his throat hoarse.

“Remember this next time, Dorus!” Echidna admonished cheerfully, as he flicked his tail happily, even though his tone sounded more like “Forget about it! I’ll come again next time.”

.

As time passed, on the surface of the earth, the long summer and autumn had both passed. The people of Cilicia harvested the bountiful fruits from the mountains, forests, and wheat fields to offer them to the Gods of Mount Olympus. With the return of Persephone’s chariot to the dark underworld, winter descended upon the earth once again. Cold winds swept across the plains, scattering tiny snowflakes all around. ²

On that day, a young traveler holding a wooden staff, sat on a cart, and urged a small donkey forward, as he leisurely crossed the vast plains of Cilicia and headed deeper into the forest.

Regardless of how the seasons changed on land, the environment in the underground palace remained unchanged. Here, Xie Ning spent his first winter, but he hardly noticed. Together with Echidna, they transformed Arima’s nest. Previously, it was a place of eerie winds and chilling terror, but now, the smoothed ground was covered with soft blankets. There was human furniture such as easels, desks, and cabinets placed in convenient spots, and the twinkling starlight shimmered overhead, resembling a true starry sky.

On the more peripheral walls hung one golden frame after another, each containing paintings that Xie Ning had painted for Echidna. From blank paper to parchment and leather, from unfamiliar to proficient, while living with Echidna, his progress over those days was almost visible to the naked eye.

But.

Xie Ning stood in front of a painting. This painting used the technique of oil painting, extravagantly using many gold and silver powders and pearls, complemented by a drop of precious purple and lapis lazuli blue. In the painting, the snake demon held a plump, dripping red pomegranate, with a hint of childish innocence in his expression, yet also exuding the cruelty of his half-human, half-snake appearance.

He still remembered that day when Echidna, after a long absence, adorned himself with golden ornaments, bracelets studded with lapis lazuli and sapphires that shone against the tattoos on his dark skin. From conception to completion, that exotic beauty took him a month.

A bottleneck.

Xie Ning began to bite his dried lips, sucking on his upper lip, slowly tearing it off with his front teeth.

After he finished that painting, to create another one in the same style would be redundant and boring. He tried to draw some new inspiration, but his mind was tired, his thoughts were sluggish, and his head felt like a towel twisted too tightly, unable to squeeze out a drop of rich water.

He hit a bottleneck.

The more he pondered, the more agitated he became, and the bottleneck troubled him for many days. Xie Ning wanted to see something new, to broaden his imagination, but there was no internet, no academic materials, and no peers to exchange ideas with. He paced restlessly, but then he realized that he had been living in the deep underground palace for a long time. Was it still lush summer on the surface? Or was it the fragrant spring, fruitful autumn, or snowy, brisk winter? 

At that moment, when he recalled the night he spent in the forest of Pan, it seemed as distant as an old story from ten years ago. Xie Ning finally empathized with Echidna’s plight – he truly longed to see the vast plains of the sea, the sky with the moon and stars shining brightly, and to feel the breeze that blew over the river and brushed against his face.

The longer he stood in front of his painting, the more uncomfortable he felt all over, as if he was lying on a bed too narrow and having a growth spurt. His bones were stretching with cracks, and he wanted to have all his joints pulled apart.

Since he had thought of this, how could he not miss his hometown and his family even more? These days, Xie Ning frequently dreamt of his parents, of his elderly grandparents, and he found it hard to fall asleep. Echidna was careful to keep his distance, not daring to provoke his anger.

“I want to go home, breathe fresh air, bask in the sun, feel the wind, swim, and run freely on the road…”

Xie Ning’s mind was in a mess. He didn’t know how Echidna endured year after year of loneliness without going completely crazy. He couldn’t indulge in his thoughts any longer. He was afraid he might abruptly scream out loud.

Finally, he resolutely left his painting and turned to find Echidna. In order to forget these dark negative emotions, Xie Ning decided to roll around with him in bed for a day.

He walked silently in the dark underground wearing soft sandals. Passing through the deep corridors, Xie Ning listened for the sound of Echidna’s scales as he slithered across the ground. As he walked around towering pillars, he suddenly saw several giants standing ahead. Their voices weren’t loud, but they were loud enough to be heard by human ears.

“Have you seen the master? After so many days, he can finally break free from the strange charm of the little man and interact with human women,” one giant buzzed. “By the spine of Gaia, I dare say he has never been enchanted like that before!”

“Perhaps that woman is also a gift from the Gods of Olympus,” another giant said. “I would be lying if I said I was not captivated by her beauty. But no matter what, she is much better than the little man. I won’t forget why Polluxaeus died! Our compatriot was clever in life but died in disgrace. Who could have expected that Echidna would kill him for a puny human? I cannot imagine.”

“Without him, the master is as frantic as a headless fly!” The third giant said indignantly. “Gaia pities him. He’s finally waking up now. He is talking to that woman. As long as he can see through the little man’s tricks, the honor and favor he gives to her should not be less than that given to that weak little human!”

Xie Ning rolled his eyes.

The giants in the palace had never liked him. At first, it was because he had uncovered the secret of the bronze bulls. Later, it was because the giant Polluxaeus tried to take credit for his achievements, only to be exposed by Echidna and was quickly bitten to death by venomous snakes. After those two incidents, the giants began to collectively despise him. However, no one dared to show it openly, as anyone who did would be swiftly dealt with by Echidna. So they all kept their resentment hidden, afraid to speak out.

He was already annoyed, and now he couldn’t help but feel even more irritated. Xie Ning couldn’t be bothered to communicate with those fools. He straightened his back and silently passed through them, walking forward without a word.

When the giants saw him, their faces showed expressions of horror. They didn’t know how much of their discussion that person had overheard. Quickly they grabbed their stone clubs and hurriedly moved away.

After having walked a bit longer, Xie Ning heard snippets of conversation, scattered like ice chips falling from the eaves in early spring.

From behind the rocks, he saw Echidna entwined in the darkness where the firelight couldn’t reach. Xie Ning couldn’t make out his expression. Xanthippe looked up at him, as she held a small, exquisite stone statue in her hands.

The statue she carved was of the true form of the snake demon. Even from this distance, the statue still exuded a vivid and enchanting power, as if blood had dripped from the snake demon’s body and grown into a smaller Echidna.

The crafted smile of the deity was peerlessly beautiful. She raised the stone statue and pushed it forward without fear. Her clear and melodious voice intermittently floated in the lingering wind, like a secret whisper that couldn’t be heard by outsiders.

The air grew heavy as Echidna slowly reached out a hand, pinching the statue between two fingers and lifting it from Xanthippe’s palm.

Xie Ning stood quietly in place, watching them without blinking or speaking a word.