"More than just 'some medicinal properties,'" Su Yu said, his eyes shining. "I'm starting to think this is some kind of Divine Elixir. One bite, and my whole body fills with power. I feel a hundred times more energetic."

Su Yu didn't hold back his praise. "I never would have guessed. Not only are you a man of many talents, Brother Tu, but you're also well-versed in the medicinal arts, able to turn a small piece of Snake Skin into a Divine Medicine."

They say every part of a snake is a treasure, and Snake Skin is an especially important ingredient in traditional medicine, capable of treating numerous ailments. It's a common remedy. But the potency of *this* Snake Skin was simply unbelievable.

Su Yu was no ordinary man. For something to astonish him to the point of endless praise was highly unusual. It was clear just how highly he esteemed Tu Xiao'an's Snake Skin.

"You're exaggerating. If you want some, Boss Su, I can just give you a few pieces," Tu Xiao'an said. He didn't really care much about the skin from his first shedding anymore.

The Snake Skin from his second shedding was even more astonishing in its effects.

Besides, as his power grew, he would continue to shed his skin. He'd have more Snake Skin than he'd know what to do with.

"Give it away? Something so valuable... I couldn't possibly accept," Su Yu said, his favorable impression of Tu Xiao'an skyrocketing.

'To offer up such a Divine Medicine so freely... what incredible magnanimity and confidence!'

"Aren't you laying it on a bit thick, Boss Su?" Seeing Su Yu describe a mere piece of Snake Skin as if it were a treasure from the heavens, Li Qingzhao couldn't contain her curiosity and snatched it from his hand.

She then popped it into her mouth and took a bite. As she did, Su Yu's cheek twitched. He was actually pained by the loss.

"Huh..."

The moment Li Qingzhao took a bite, the effects were immediate and obvious. Her skin, now as white as snow, seemed to emit a faint luster.

"I want some of this Snake Skin, too!"

Su Yu hadn't been exaggerating at all.

Suddenly, Li Qingzhao locked her beautiful eyes onto Tu Xiao'an, her expression making it clear that she wouldn't rest until he gave her some.

Tu Xiao'an rolled his eyes at her. 'This girl just has to get in on the action.'

Feigning a search, he pulled twenty pieces of Snake Skin from his pants pocket—ten for Su Yu, and ten for Li Qingzhao.

Li Qingzhao flashed a sweet, charming smile, one of indescribable elegance. She touched her own cheek, murmuring, "It seems this Snake Skin is good for your complexion, too. Hehe."

Her forwardness made Su Yu a little awkward. He, on the other hand, couldn't be so casual. He had subconsciously assumed Li Qingzhao was Tu Xiao'an's girlfriend.

It was perfectly natural for a girlfriend to ask her boyfriend for something; he, however, was just an outsider.

He wanted to politely decline, but with ten glistening pieces of Snake Skin right in front of him, Su Yu found he simply couldn't bring himself to refuse.

He had only chewed a tiny bite and already felt a significant effect. If he consumed all of these pieces, he felt as if he might become immune to all illness.

After a moment's hesitation, Su Yu took a checkbook from inside his suit jacket. He decisively wrote out a check for five million and slid it in front of Tu Xiao'an. "I have yet to properly thank you for saving my Dragon Snake, Brother Tu. How could I accept another gift without having earned it?"

Tu Xiao'an glanced at the seven-figure check, slightly surprised. 'Five million, just like that. What a grand gesture.'

But Tu Xiao'an felt he deserved the five million. His Snake Skin could cure the sick and strengthen the healthy. Barring a few extremely rare, incurable diseases, it could handle most problems.

The true value of these ten pieces of Snake Skin was definitely no less than five million.

It was just that he no longer considered the skin from his first shedding to be a big deal.

"Brother Tu, could it be that I've been stingy? Do you find the amount too low?"

When Su Yu saw Tu Xiao'an merely glance at the check and show no reaction, he grew apprehensive, wondering if he should take it back and write a larger number.

Hearing this, Tu Xiao'an glanced at Su Yu, then reached out and took the check. He smiled. "Well then, I won't stand on ceremony, Boss Su."

'Only a fool refuses money.' Besides, he wasn't taking it for nothing. He had saved Su Yu's Dragon Snake and given him ten pieces of Snake Skin. He could accept this five million with a clear conscience.

Besides, he hadn't brought much money with him when he left Bai Town, and he was too embarrassed to ask his sister for any.

"I'm the one getting the better end of this deal," Su Yu said. "I'm determined to call you my friend."

Li Qingzhao watched from the side, completely dumbfounded. He had just handed over five million for a mere ten pieces of Snake Skin. 'Does that mean... I'm supposed to pay five million for my ten pieces, too?'

For a moment, Li Qingzhao felt like returning the Snake Skin to Tu Xiao'an. It was too expensive. Frighteningly so.

Just as Li Qingzhao was caught in her dilemma, a message popped up on her phone. She opened it, and her eyes went wide. She looked at Tu Xiao'an in alarm. "This is bad! Sophie sent me a text! She says swarms of snakes have appeared on campus again, and there are countless of them this time! The whole university is in chaos!"

Hm?

Tu Xiao'an frowned. It seemed things weren't as simple as he thought.

He still hadn't figured out why the swarm of snakes had appeared earlier, and now they were back again at night. Something must be attracting them.

It was just like back in Snake Valley, when the strange fragrance of the Snakeberry had drawn in vipers from dozens of kilometers away.

'Could it be that Wencheng University also has some kind of treasure driving the Snake Race into a frenzy?'

"Let's go. We'll head back and take a look."

Since this involved snakes, Tu Xiao'an couldn't just stand by. He really wanted to find out what was causing it.

"You're students at Wencheng University?" Su Yu suddenly asked, looking at Tu Xiao'an and Li Qingzhao.

"I'm not. She is."

Su Yu said in surprise, "The Sophie you mentioned, Miss Li, is my older sister. She teaches biology at Wencheng School."

Li Qingzhao was astonished. "No way! Sophie is your sister, Boss Su? What a coincidence!"

It's a small world sometimes.

"Boss Su, we'll have to take a rain check on this meal. We have to go."

Tu Xiao'an, concerned about the swarming snakes on campus, said a quick goodbye to Su Yu and pulled Li Qingzhao out of Wei Xian Pavilion.

Less than twenty minutes later, Tu Xiao'an arrived at the gates of Wencheng University. A panicked, endless stream of people was pouring out, their faces etched with terror as if they had just escaped death.

'Have all the students on campus fled?'

'Has it really gotten that bad?'

After all, when over a thousand snakes appeared that afternoon, it had only caused a panic. It hadn't reached the point where people were fleeing for their lives.

Now, a dozen police cars were parked at the university gates. Most of the officers had gone inside to rescue students trapped by the snakes.

"Brother Xiao'an, Sophie said the entire campus is covered in snakes now. It's practically become a Snake Cave."

For once, Li Qingzhao didn't look excited. With the entire campus overrun by a swarm of snakes and everyone terrified, this had become a major incident.

This was no joke.

If there had been a thousand vipers that afternoon, then right now, there had to be at least tens of thousands, a hundred thousand, or even more on campus.

It was chaos. Complete and utter chaos. Everyone was in danger. Even standing at the university gates, you could see the horrifying, slithering shadows of snakes in the distance.