Chapter 14: What? Only a few years of lifespan!

Ye Qin was so engrossed in looking at the map that he didn't notice the movement nearby.

"Woof woof woof!"

On the green belt, a brown shadow came flying, with the owner's shout behind it: "Lele, slow down!"

That was a huge Teddy dog; perhaps to humans it's considered small, but to Ye Qin it was really big.

Fortunately he reacted quickly and climbed up the nearby big tree.

When the Teddy's owner ran over, what he saw was his own dog barking nonstop, circling the tree.

"Lele, if you keep this up I'll put a leash on you—why are you suddenly interested in this tree?"

"Huh, how did a map end up here? Who littered? No public morals at all."

As the voices faded, the Teddy dog was reluctantly taken away, and Ye Qin then climbed down from the tree and continued on.

During this time he was also accidentally bumped into by passersby, but none of it was a big problem.

His small size posed no threat; at most passersby would exclaim in surprise, and occasionally someone bold would throw stones at him.

But Ye Qin dodged quickly, slipping into the nearby green belt or any other cover, leaving no trace.

Thus, after a series of close calls, he finally arrived at the library's location.

Wu Du's library is distinctive, built in Chinese architectural style; its antiquated courtyard covers a vast area, with carved corridors and flying eaves, green tiles and vermilion eaves, giving the feeling of traveling through time.

The library's history goes back a long time; having endured who-knows-how-many storms, the red walls outside have faded somewhat.

When Ye Qin arrived, it was near sunset; the sun had just set behind the mountains, a glow of evening light bathed the ancient buildings, gilding them with a faint orange hue, making them look antiquely fragrant.

"Going in now is still a bit early; if I run into someone it wouldn't be good."

"Although the surveillance issue can't be avoided, we can reasonably arrange a 'coincidence'; compared to acquiring knowledge, one adventure is not unacceptable."

Watching the people entering and leaving the library, he decided to stake out outside, waiting until late at night when everyone had left before going in, which would be safest.

As the last light sank behind the western hills, night fell; the people inside the library had mostly left, leaving only the two night‑shift guards.

The administrator confirmed no one was inside, then locked the main door and left.

No one noticed that shortly after he left, a black shadow followed closely behind.

Ye Qin looked around and finally found an oversight—a window not shut tight, leaving a gap; he forced it open and slipped through the widening gap.

In the vast library, at that moment only he, a snake, was present.

The air carried a mysterious scent, a mixture of ink fragrance and paper quality.

Ye Qin wandered back and forth between the bookshelves; the library is huge, its collection likely numbering several million volumes, densely packed as far as the eye can see.

To avoid appearing too deliberate, Ye Qin intentionally created confusion, fabricating a 'coincidence' as if he were wandering aimlessly.

But in fact, after searching for a long time he finally found books about serpents.

There are over 3000 snake species worldwide; Ye Qin kept searching, then compared pictures and discovered he should be a "Green Brocade Snake".

The Green Brocade Snake lives in mountainous areas, is entirely emerald green and non‑venomous, about 1 meter long, with large specimens reaching 1.3 meters; the head is relatively long, slightly broad and flat, with a blunt, rounded snout.

Ye Qin's own features match closely; looking at the book, the little snake all over in emerald green is lifelike and quite adorable.

If not for the scorching black from the lightning strike, I would have looked like that.

Ye Qin kept reading; upon seeing something, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"How could this be!"

A line of small print entered his sight, stirring up a storm in Ye Qin's heart.

"The lifespan of small snakes is about 2 to 5 years; I haven't reached adulthood yet, so my lifespan is at most another 2 or 3 years? If it's short, maybe just one year? Damn it!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Qin was struck by a bolt from the blue, wanting to curse, but as a snake he temporarily cannot speak human words.

He never imagined he would have only a few years of life left.

From the shock, his bright red tongue hung suspended in mid‑air, trembling only after a moment.

A strong sense of crisis welled up.

"No, I must stay calm."

The more this is the case, the less I can afford to be chaotic.

Ye Qin took a deep breath, cast aside those emotions—he had already snatched back his life twice; was he still afraid of death?

"Even if it's only a few years, I surely have a way to resolve it."

Back when he suffered severe injuries with a zero survival chance, he still lived.

Heaven leaves no path without a way for a snake; solutions always arise.

Since cultivation could heal him, it surely also has life‑extending benefits; otherwise why would the ancients be so eager to seek immortals and ask the Dao, to gain eternal life—though the ancients never succeeded, the idea itself is correct.

Thinking this, Ye Qin already had a train of thought: if he continues cultivating and reaches a higher realm, he can definitely defy fate and prolong his life.

After all, the essence of practice is to change the life level, the gene sequence; as long as he persists, a miracle might occur.

With such a great weight on his heart, Ye Qin became even more enthusiastic about cultivation.

"I don't know if the library can have any relevant books; maybe I could gain some inspiration from them."

Ye Qin's gaze fell on the library's depths, which also housed many ancient texts—of course not originals, all having been recopied.

He set off again, but still employed the same old trick, deliberately wandering without pattern, searching around until he finally stopped.

Probably no one is interested in these ancient books, so nobody borrows them; they're left in a corner, and their surfaces are almost covered in dust.

That makes sense; nowadays technology is advanced, e‑books dominate, and many paper books can no longer survive.

These days few people come to the library compared to before, let alone take interest in those mysterious, occult‑sounding books.

In the age of fast‑food information, everyone pursues only "speed"; even if they borrow books, they won't sit quietly to savor their meaning.

These dust‑sealed books, opened again after many years, have a reader who is actually a snake.

Ye Qin read very seriously, after all it concerns his life; he must seek out enough useful information.

But as he kept reading, he ultimately found that cultivators like him left no trace in the records; from ancient times to now only some legends remain, yet those legends cannot be verified, have no factual basis, and are mostly later fabrications.

But speaking of it, it's quite strange—there are no cultivators, yet related ideological masterpieces are many, for example the Yellow Emperor's Yin Fu Inner Classic that Ye Qin first came into contact with.

And also the Muscle/Tendon Change Classic, Upper Purity Classic, Numinous Treasure Classic, Supreme Response Classic, Lotus Sutra, etc., that he is currently seeing.

These books, to a greater or lesser extent, mention cultivation; their content is not entirely empty castles in the air, illusory and ethereal, but is built upon a certain ideological foundation.

If one savors them carefully, one will discover the principles within, which give people considerable insight.

"Why could the ancients leave behind such works, yet I myself cannot enter cultivation?"

(End of chapter)