Closer to Revealing My True Self
Chapter 452 - 312: Copper Coin Bodyguard_1

Chapter 452: Chapter 312: Copper Coin Bodyguard_1

Just finished a trip, and I was tired both physically and spiritually. Feng Shou chatted with the elderly about more relaxing topics, sharing observations and gossip from the journey.

That night, back in my room, I searched around and found a red string, which had been taken off a charm I had bought before. It was a bit old, slightly faded, and not long enough to hang around my neck, but it would do for now.

It was better than a bare Copper Coin. The red string was conspicuous.

It was like a key; if something is strung on it, it’s more visible and not easy to lose. If it falls, it’s also easier to find.

On the first day back home, Feng Shou went to bed early and did not keep worrying about whether the zodiac coin charm came with an ancestral spirit’s blessing. Such questions remained unanswered no matter how much one pondered over them.

The next day, Feng Shou first delivered the souvenirs he bought back to the neighbors and friends around him. When he was not at home, his grandmother might encounter difficulties, and it was the neighbors and friends who helped out. He had to show his gratitude upon returning.

After taking care of these matters, he then headed to the orchard.

The hired workers in the orchard said that during the days he was away, they had not encountered any snakes in the orchard, although other orchards nearby had.

For the sake of safety, Feng Shou made some precautions before entering the orchard. He wasn’t like some fearless people who dared to rush in wearing only flip-flops.

After all, they lived in a tropical region, and it was not a very bustling big city like Yang City; they saw snakes relatively often.

They were indeed afraid of snakes, but they did not possess the intense fear seen in many other people.

Take Feng Shou, for instance. Nonvenomous snakes aside, when it came to highly venomous snakes, he felt more bothered than afraid.

The orchard workers felt the same way. Usually, when they encountered poisonous snakes at work, they took care of them by themselves several times.

There were many people here who were not afraid of snakes. But this was unrelated to whether they would get bitten or not.

Feng Shou simply did not want to be bitten.

With the increasing frequency of venomous snakes being seen, the planting gardens within the orchard were no longer as peaceful and secure as they were in the years immediately following the abnormal climate period.

Someone in one of the neighboring plantations had been bitten by a king cobra. They were rushed to the hospital and their life was saved, but their kidney function reportedly suffered damage.

Nobody wanted such things to happen.

However, Feng Shou also did not want to overuse snake repellent.

First, the orchard was too big for the product to be very effective.

Second, he had an area specifically dedicated to premium fruits, which were marketed as naturally grown and matured, free from pesticides and additives. This was where the profit lay.

Snake repellent was a chemical, so of course, its use had to be cautious.

Therefore, he could only frequently remind the hired workers to take protective measures.

Feng Shou carried the zodiac coin charm with him. The string was tied directly to his wrist; one loop was too loose, and two loops were too tight. So, in the end, he just held the Copper Coin in his palm.

He patrolled the orchard as usual, making his regular notes.

The workers reported that a few plants had not been growing well recently. He remembered where those plants were and intended to check if there was a soil issue.

As he walked around a dirt slope, planning to continue forward, Feng Shou paused.

He saw a snake. A locally common species, not big and not very poisonous, so he just slightly raised his eyebrows and was about to find a stick to push it away.

Just as he was about to pass by, something felt off. Feng Shou shifted his gaze forward and spotted another figure—

Rising up with the front of its body, its neck flared, an expression of wild ferocity and kingly majesty.

On its own, it indeed seemed like a creature both majestic and dignified.

But now, facing it, Feng Shou’s feelings weren’t as favorable.

If it had been any other snake, he might have calmly taken out his phone to snap a photo and share it on social media, but facing a king cobra, he was far more cautious.

Who knew what mood it was in? If it happened to be in a bad mood, things would be even more dangerous.

By estimation, it was over three meters long, which is considered large in the wild.

Feng Shou had lived here for many years and rarely encountered king cobras.

Thinking of the king cobra’s strong ophiophagy, Feng Shou looked at the smaller snake. Possibly, the king cobra had been chasing it here!

Usually, king cobras do not actively pursue humans, but it was hard to say at the moment.

Out of hunger, it came out to hunt, and should it encounter an annoying interference, aggravated and irritable, one could not guess what it would do.

Feng Shou stayed fairly composed. Having lived in the area for so long, encounters with snakes became numerous enough for him to handle them calmly.

If he turned and ran now, he actually didn’t need to worry about anything, he was very familiar with the terrain here and could definitely run faster than them and had more endurance than them.

However, Feng Shou planned to try his "secret weapon" first.

If the secret weapon didn’t work, then he would definitely turn decisively and run, coming back later with equipment to deal with the two snakes. With his current snake-catching skills, he wasn’t up to catching poisonous snakes of this size with his bare hands.

Two snakes and one man, a momentary silence ensued.

Actually, the most frightened among the three was definitely not Feng Shou, but the smaller snake that was trapped in the middle.

In front was a bipedal creature; behind was a king cobra.

If it were smart enough, it would choose the former. After all, the various policies and protection measures implemented after the abnormal weather period meant that, in general, such snakes would be caught and then released back into the wild.

But it probably didn’t have such a brilliant mind.

With its brain capacity, it basically couldn’t compute anything beyond its instincts.

Feng Shou quickly glanced at his clenched hand.

In his palm, he gripped a Copper Coin.

He didn’t know how much of the Copper Coin’s scent had dispersed while it was in his hand, but in any case, neither snake showed immediate aggression or threatening behavior towards him.

Ignoring the smaller snake that posed little threat, Feng Shou placed most of his attention on the king cobra.

He opened his fingers to reveal the Copper Coin in his palm.

A scent undetectable by ordinary people spread around him.

Several steps away, the king cobra, which had been watching, immediately withdrew its threatening stance, made a turn, and ran off to the side, retreating with agility and speed.

The smaller snake, likewise avoiding Feng Shou, took a large C-shaped path and slithered away at a distance.

It was just like what Feng Shou’s grandmother had told him, as if the ancestors had manifested themselves on the spot and set up a protective shield around him!

It was a blast from the past!

It really worked!

Feng Yi hadn’t lied to me!

Tears of emotion almost sprang forth on the spot!

Amidst the emotion, there was also a bit of guilt for the skepticism he had felt before.

Although he didn’t know how long the snake-repelling effect of the Copper Coin would last, at that moment, it was effective!

Feng Shou stood quietly there, watching as both snakes disappeared into the distance, and for a while forgot to take out his smartphone to take a photo.

When he came back to his senses, he first informed the other laborers about the appearance of a king cobra in the orchard, reminding them to be more cautious while working. Then he scrolled through his contacts to find Feng Yi and express his sincere thanks.

Feng Yi might have been busy with other things and did not reply immediately.

After sending the message, Feng Shou continued with his work for the day.

The zodiac coin tied around his wrist would easily get dirty, so Feng Shou carefully put it in his pocket.

He didn’t encounter any more snakes the rest of the way.

Partway through his break in the orchard’s rest hut, Feng Shou took out a small box used for holding pills and placed the zodiac coin inside to make it more noticeable and give it a greater presence. Otherwise, such a small Copper Coin could fall off during work and he wouldn’t even notice.

After finishing today’s tasks and preparing to head back as the sky was growing dark, Feng Shou spotted the figure of the king cobra again at the edge of the orchard.

Probably because the Copper Coin was stored in the pillbox, its scent had been sealed away, and the king cobra didn’t immediately avoid it.

Feng Shou didn’t disturb it right away either. The king cobra was feasting.

The smaller snake he had seen before had not managed to escape from the king cobra’s jaws. By the time Feng Shou saw it, only half of the snake was left, with the front half already swallowed into the king cobra’s stomach.

From a distance, Feng Shou took out his smartphone to record a video and shared it on his Moments and chat groups, letting others know that there was a king cobra in his area, and to be cautious when going out recently.

Suddenly, many people commented, urging him to be careful while patrolling the orchard, as it wasn’t just king cobras appearing recently but also "kidney-deficient snakes"!

Feng Shou replied with confidence: [I’m not afraid!]

I have the Copper Coin to protect me!