The Serpent's Bargain: The Forbidden Offering

In the days of the Yu's Triangle, when the waters rose and threatened to drown the world, there was a kingdom perched on the very edge of the precipice. The king, known as Li Yuan, ruled with an iron fist, yet his rule was shrouded in shadows, for he knew not the true extent of his power nor the fragility of his kingdom's existence.

The land was parched, and the people were weary from endless toil, but the gods were deaf to their cries. The skies above were as grey and heavy as the water below, and the rivers, once the lifeblood of the land, now bubbled and roared with an ancient rage. It was then that Li Yuan, in his desperation, turned to the only being he believed could save them—the serpent god, Xi Wang Mu.

Xi Wang Mu was a creature of both myth and power, a being who could control the very elements that threatened to destroy the world. The king, dressed in his finest robes, journeyed to the edge of the world, where the serpent god's lair was hidden within the deepest caverns of the earth.

As Li Yuan stood before the great serpent, its scales shimmering like emeralds in the dim light, he offered his most precious possession, his only daughter, as a sacrifice to quell the flood. "Great Xi Wang Mu," he intoned, his voice trembling with the weight of his decision, "I beseech you, save my people. For this offering, I give you my daughter, the daughter of my blood, the heir to my kingdom."

The serpent god, with a voice like the rustling of leaves, accepted the offering, its eyes gleaming with an ancient intelligence. "And what shall be the cost of this favor, King Li Yuan?" it hissed, its scales shifting with a liquid grace.

Li Yuan, with a heavy heart, replied, "Only this: that you spare my kingdom and my people from the deluge."

Xi Wang Mu, with a flick of its tail, summoned the great floodwaters, which began to recede. The land was saved, but the cost was dear. The king's daughter, a young maiden named Jing, was bound to the serpent god as a blood sacrifice, her spirit entwined with that of the ancient creature, forever bound to the depths of the earth.

As the waters receded, the land was restored, but the people of Li Yuan's kingdom were changed. They spoke of Jing in hushed tones, her name a whisper of tragedy. The king, though grateful, was haunted by the deal he had struck, for he had traded the future of his kingdom for a momentary respite from destruction.

Years passed, and the kingdom thrived, but the people were forever changed by the presence of the serpent god, their king now a figure of both awe and fear. Jing's spirit, bound to Xi Wang Mu, became the embodiment of the flood's wrath, her spirit whispering through the wind and the water, a silent reminder of the cost of power.

One day, a young prince, named Feng, sought the wisdom of the king, desiring to understand the mysteries of his kingdom's past. As he listened to the tale of Jing and the serpent god, a spark of determination ignited within him.

"Father," he declared, "I seek to break the curse of Jing and her eternal bond to Xi Wang Mu. It is the only way to ensure the true peace and prosperity of our kingdom."

The king, though initially skeptical, saw the resolve in his son's eyes. "Very well, Feng," he said, "but know this: the path you tread is fraught with danger and dark magic. You may not return unchanged."

Feng, with a heart full of courage and a mind determined to break the curse, set out on his quest. He journeyed through the treacherous landscapes, encountering spirits of the past and present, and facing trials that tested his resolve and strength.

At the heart of the serpent god's lair, Feng found Jing, her spirit trapped within a pool of liquid darkness. "Feng," she whispered, her voice like a distant bell, "you must free me from this curse, or we all face an eternity of darkness."

Feng, with a newfound understanding of the world's delicate balance, knew that he had to break the bond between Jing and Xi Wang Mu. He called upon the spirits of the land and the power of his ancestors, and in a final, desperate act, he performed a ritual that would unravel the curse.

The serpent god, sensing the change, stirred within the darkness, its scales shifting and its voice growling with ancient power. "You dare to interfere with the balance of the world?" it roared, its form coiling and uncoiling like a tempest.

Feng, undeterred, stepped forward, his heart pounding with fear but filled with determination. "I do this for the sake of my people and the peace of the world," he declared. "I break the bond, not to harm you, but to restore balance."

In a burst of light and sound, Feng's power clashed with that of the serpent god. The temple trembled, and the very ground seemed to crack under the force of the clash. But in the end, it was Feng's resolve that won the day. The bond between Jing and Xi Wang Mu was shattered, and Jing's spirit was released.

The serpent god, now weakened by the bond's breaking, retreated into the shadows, its power ebbing away. Jing's spirit, free at last, soared through the heavens, her presence a beacon of hope for the kingdom.

As Feng emerged from the depths of the serpent's lair, he was changed, his spirit forever marked by the experience. He returned to his kingdom, his name now a legend, a symbol of hope and resilience.

And so, the kingdom of Li Yuan was saved, not just from the flood, but from the dark power that had been a shadow over it. The people thrived once more, their faith in their king and their land restored. But the tale of Jing and the serpent god would be whispered for generations, a reminder of the great power and the great responsibility that comes with the rule of a kingdom.