Chapter 10: The Enormous White Serpent
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A man and two bears were making their way home.
“Big Bear, we’ve been walking for ages. How come we still aren’t home? I’m about to drop dead from exhaustion!”
Big Bear kept his back straight and declared, “A bear ought to look like a bear. Hang in there a little longer—we’re almost there.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he once again looked as though he might collapse at any moment.
“Su He, why haven’t you said a word all this time?” Big Bear asked, turning toward him in confusion.
Only then did Su He slowly raise his head. “Damn, I’ve been worn out these past two days like a dog. Look at the state I’m in—do I look like I have the strength to talk?”
With that, he lowered his head again.
“Woo-hoo!”
A voice rang out. It turned out to be Ji Ji, who came racing toward them in a police car, flying along the road before screeching to a halt in front of the three.
“Would the three of you like a ride?”
“Yippee! Wonderful! We can finally get home!”
“Oh, Ji Ji, why is your car so slow?” Big Bear said, wearing sunglasses as he addressed Ji Ji, who had nearly been squeezed flat by Little Bear in the back seat.
“You two stupid bears are simply too heavy! Let me out—I want to lie down with Su He!”
Some time earlier, Su He had found several wooden boards and fashioned them into a sled. He had then tied it to the police car with a length of rope, climbed onto it, and contentedly fallen asleep with his eyes closed.
By the time darkness fell, they had finally reached the forest.
Seeing Ji Ji climb out of the car, nearly flattened into a pancake, Su He secretly congratulated himself on having had the foresight to make his own sled.
“All right, everyone, go home and get some sleep. We still have to come back to the forest tomorrow for the New Year’s gathering.”
Big Bear waved to the others, then led Little Bear home.
“At last, I can get a good night’s sleep.”
As soon as Su He returned home, he sank into a deep, heavy sleep.
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, Big Bear and Little Bear dragged Su He back to the forest to hold their New Year’s gathering. Everyone feasted on delicious food and played merrily. Then Little Bear suddenly remembered the time he had encountered the Great White Bear and began telling the story to everyone. Su He immediately became interested and listened attentively from the side.
But halfway through the tale, Ji Ji interrupted him.
“Come on, Little Bear. We’ve been hearing that ancient story for years. Can’t you come up with something new?”
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“What do you mean, ancient story? It really happened! When I was little, I truly met the Great White Bear!”
Seeing that no one believed him, Little Bear grew frantic and began waving his paws wildly.
“All right, Little Bear. Stop dwelling on that Great White Bear of yours. You’re grown up now. It’s time to let go of the past,” Big Bear urged from nearby.
“Big Bear—even you don’t believe me?”
With that, Little Bear ran away angrily.
“Sigh, that Little Bear… You all keep playing. I’ll go talk some sense into him.”
Su He was feeling somewhat bored as well, so he wandered into the forest for a stroll. In a daze, he spotted a huge tree stump that seemed strangely familiar. After thinking carefully, he murmured,
“Wait… isn’t that the stump where Little Bear met Dumpling when he was young?”
He hurried over and examined the stump closely.
“I remember there being a hole beneath this stump. Little Bear supposedly fell into it and met Dumpling that way.”
He brushed away the snow around the stump.
“But there’s nothing here. Could I have remembered it wrong?”
As he walked along, still pondering the matter, he suddenly felt the ground give way beneath his feet.
“Damn!”
His entire body plunged downward in an instant.
No one knew how much time had passed before Su He regained consciousness on the ground. He carefully surveyed his surroundings and found himself surrounded by endless whiteness.
“Hey! Is anyone there? Hey!”
But the only sound reaching his ears was his own echo. There was no other sign of movement whatsoever. Su He could do nothing but search for an entrance or exit nearby.
This place truly resembled the scene in the film Snowy Ridge: Heroic Wind, where Little Bear encountered Dumpling. Yet Dumpling was nowhere to be found, and the surroundings were growing colder by the moment.
Su He could no longer withstand the chill. His teeth began to chatter, and a thin layer of frost gathered among his jet-black hair. He could only wrap his arms around himself and crouch on the ground, as though that might offer him a little warmth.
In a daze, he caught sight of a massive white shape ahead. Using the last trace of warmth left in his body, Su He slowly moved toward it, wondering whether it might be Dumpling.
The enormous body gradually unfurled.
When Su He saw what it was, he was utterly stunned.
It was a gigantic white snake.
The white snake bared a vicious expression upon seeing Su He. It opened its fangs and swiftly lunged toward him.
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Just as Su He thought he was certain to die, the white snake suddenly stopped. It studied him carefully, then leaned forward and sniffed him.
A moment later, it pressed its enormous head against Su He’s forehead.
A flash of white light burst forth, and Su He once again lost consciousness.
Within his mind, he saw the gigantic white snake speak to him in a voice that was neither distinctly male nor female.
“Human, if you do not wish to die, agree to one request of mine.”
Su He cautiously asked with utmost respect, “May I ask what I can do to help you?”
“Hmph. Compared with those other humans, at least you have some manners.”
The white snake coiled up and continued, telling Su He the story of its origins.
“I was once a spirit serpent born two hundred years ago on White Bear Mountain. When I was still young and ignorant, I encountered some humans. They recognized that I was no ordinary creature and wanted to hunt me down. Fortunately, I encountered the mountain god of White Bear Mountain, and he saved me.”
“For the past two hundred years, I have continually absorbed spiritual energy, striving to grow stronger so that one day I might aid the mountain god. But now, because of humanity’s excessive logging and wanton hunting of animals, the balance of this place has been gravely disrupted. The spiritual energy has gradually dissipated as well.”
“I was born from that spiritual energy. Without its nourishment, I too will eventually disappear.”
The white snake then laid its head flat upon the ground and spoke helplessly.
“I do not care whether I live or die. Before I perish, I merely wish to repay the mountain god for the kindness he showed me all those years ago. That has become the deepest obsession of my life.”
“Ten years ago, I dreamed that a great calamity would befall White Bear Mountain. The mountain god would be enraged, and when that happened, this entire place would become a sea of fire.”
“Humans may be detestable, but their fate is governed by the will of Heaven. They should not be made to suffer for this.”
After hearing all this, Su He guessed what the white snake wanted him to do.
“So you want me to stop all of this from happening?”
“Exactly. I am about to vanish. What I want you to do is not merely prevent the disaster. You must also help the mountain god. If he unleashes his rage, he will die as well.”
The white snake fixed Su He with an utterly solemn gaze.
“Human, I want you to promise me this: prevent the disaster, help the mountain god, and stop this calamity from occurring. I will pass on to you all the power I have accumulated throughout my life. Tell me—can you do it?”
Su He fell silent for a moment. Then he looked resolutely at the white snake.
“All right. I promise. I will stop this from happening and restore peace and harmony to White Bear Mountain.”
The white snake looked at Su He.
“Do you know why I chose you to help me?”
“How would I know?”
Su He scratched his head. He had never been able to understand why the white snake was so determined to make him help it.