Following Hua She'er through the temple's many structures, the two arrived in a great hall.
Compared to the main sanctum, this hall was rather simply decorated, a clear indication that its master did not appreciate extravagance.
At the very end of the hall, a high, tiered platform stood.
Upon the platform rested a wide chaise longue, large enough for a full-grown adult to lie down upon.
A woman with an exquisite figure and perfect curves was half-reclined upon it, her eyes gently closed as if she were resting.
Upon seeing this figure, Hua She'er and Yue Mei immediately touched their snake-like abdomens to the ground, prostrating themselves as they spoke in a unified, reverent tone.
"We pay our respects to Your Majesty, the Queen!"
Hearing their voices, the figure's closed eyes slowly opened, her gaze falling upon the two below.
In that instant, an overwhelming and domineering aura radiated from her body.
Feeling this unparalleled aura, Yue Mei and Hua She'er trembled, their reverence deepening.
"Mm, you may rise."
Only after receiving permission did the two of them straighten up and look toward the figure above.
At last, the appearance of the one who reigned supreme came into view.
She was an incredibly stunning and bewitching woman.
She wore a golden crown upon her head, her torso clad in a red, gold-trimmed tube top. Her shoulders, arms, and wrists were all adorned with matching golden armor plates.
Her voluptuous and exquisite body was like a ripe peach, exuding a faint, seductive charm.
Her three thousand strands of jet-black hair were draped casually over her fragrant shoulders, cascading down onto the chaise longue.
From beneath her red skirt, a section of a purple snake tail was revealed. It swayed slightly, emitting a wild, primal allure that could make one's blood boil for no reason at all.
Her nearly perfect, beautiful face possessed an exceedingly cold elegance. Her enchanting yet noble and graceful bearing was simply mesmerizing.
This was an aura that could only be cultivated after a long time spent in a position of supreme authority.
"Yue Mei, speak. What matter was so urgent that it prompted a tribe leader such as yourself to come for an audience with me?"
Medusa's lazy, enchanting, yet unquestionable voice emerged as she toyed with the golden armored nail guard on her right hand.
Hearing this, Yue Mei did not dare to dally for even a moment, respectfully replying, "Your Majesty, this matter began three months ago..."
Yue Mei then recounted everything she knew about Zhou Changqing, providing every piece of information she had.
During her report, she placed special emphasis on Zhou Changqing's cultivation talent and his skill in item refining.
After Yue Mei finished her tale, she lowered her head and awaited the queen's judgment.
The hall fell into a deep silence.
"A sixteen-year-old Dou Ling... and an item refiner..."
A moment later, Medusa's perfect face remained devoid of expression as she spoke softly, "Bring him to me. I wish to see for myself if this person is as remarkable as you claim."
"If it is true, he will be a considerable asset to our race."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
A hint of joy touched Yue Mei's brow as she bowed and accepted the order.
The matter of Zhou Changqing was no small thing for the entire Snake-Person Race.
She wasn't confident she could suppress him forever.
After all, the little brat's talent was monstrous. If he were allowed to continue growing without some special measures being taken, it would likely take him less than a decade to surpass her in strength.
But if she resorted to forceful methods, based on her observations and understanding of Zhou Changqing over the past three months, the boy would most likely choose to fight her to the bitter end.
Doing so would go against the original reason Ling Sha had brought him back.
What they valued was Zhou Changqing's skill in refining.
Killing him would bring the Snake-Person Race no benefits whatsoever.
So, Yue Mei had thought of requesting an audience with the queen.
With Her Majesty's power and charm, could she possibly fail to win over a mere sixteen-year-old boy?
Once that was done, all their worries would disappear, and the Snake-Person Race's strength would soar thanks to the weapons refined by Zhou Changqing!
...
"Achoo!"
Zhou Changqing, who was in the middle of refining, couldn't help but sneeze, causing the refining cauldron before him to wobble slightly.
Fortunately, his control over his Dou Qi had reached an extremely high level, preventing the materials inside the cauldron from being ruined.
He reached up and rubbed his nose, a little puzzled.
"Can a Dou Ling even catch a cold? No, that's not right."
"Could some bastard be plotting against me behind my back?"
Shaking his head, Zhou Changqing didn't dwell on it and continued manipulating his Dou Qi, constantly transforming it into electric arcs to smelt the materials in the cauldron.
Perhaps it was just a coincidence. After all, the idea that a sneeze meant someone was thinking about him or trying to harm him was a bit too superstitious.
Unfortunately, this was a fantasy world, and such superstitions could very well be real.
He had no idea that Yue Mei had already sold him out and that he would soon meet the infamous Queen Medusa, whose name—both for her beauty and her ferocity—was known throughout the surrounding empires.
...
One day, Zhou Changqing was taking a rare break, leisurely enjoying a small hot pot.
Just as he was getting to the best part, a figure lifted the tent flap and walked in.
"Leader Yue Mei? What brings you here? Care to join me?"
Having sensed someone's approach long ago, Zhou Changqing showed no surprise. He looked at Yue Mei's beautiful face and made a polite, if insincere, offer.
Unless absolutely necessary, he really didn't want to see this woman.
After all, she was the main reason he was currently stuck hiding in the Charm Snake Tribe. If not for her, he would have escaped long ago.
And he was certain that this woman, who harbored a considerable disdain for humans, wouldn't want to spend a moment longer with him than she had to, even with his refining skills.
"Certainly. It has been a long time since I've eaten food. I rather miss the sensation."
Yue Mei did not stand on ceremony. She sat down directly across from Zhou Changqing, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and began to eat.
Zhou Changqing choked for a second, feeling rather helpless.
Woman, can't you take a hint?
I was just being polite, but you're actually eating!
Her presence killed his appetite. He took a few token bites and then set down his chopsticks.
In truth, once a cultivator reached the Da Dou Shi realm, they could go ten days to half a month without food to sustain themselves.
At the Dou Ling realm, this period was extended significantly.
And for those at the Dou Wang realm and beyond, they could achieve true abstinence from food, relying solely on absorbing the world's energy to live.
So, most of the time, Zhou Changqing ate purely for the pleasure of it.
After all, a life consisting of nothing but cultivation and refining would be far too dull.
A quarter of an hour later, Yue Mei contentedly put down her bowl and chopsticks.
She hadn't eaten in many years, and trying it again now was a uniquely pleasant experience.
"Leader Yue Mei, may I ask what brings you here?" Zhou Changqing asked directly, seeing that she was finished.
He didn't believe for a second that she would come here for no reason.
Wiping a bit of grease from the corner of her mouth, Yue Mei smiled at the young man and said slowly, "It's nothing major. Our queen wishes to meet you, so she sent me to bring you to the Holy City."
"Your queen? Queen Medusa?!"
Zhou Changqing's expression changed drastically. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind before he fixed his gaze on Yue Mei, staring daggers at her.
"You told Queen Medusa about me?! And she wants to see me?!"
Seeing Zhou Changqing's reaction, Yue Mei raised an elegant eyebrow and nodded with a satisfied, charming smile, completely unconcerned by the rage simmering in his voice.
For a split second, Zhou Changqing wanted to flip the table and fight Yue Mei right then and there.
Dammit!
Wasn't this just setting him up?
Originally, he just needed to wait a little longer before he could attempt to escape the Charm Snake Tribe.
But now...
Queen Medusa knew he existed and wanted to see him.
This clearly meant she considered him important!
Otherwise, there would be no reason for someone of her stature to summon him.
The thought of Queen Medusa's power sent a wave of despair through Zhou Changqing.
With such a terrifying figure looming over him, when would he ever be able to leave the Snake-Person Race?
Damn it