The Silver Harbor Serpent Lord Refuses to Hibernate - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The first time I met Ling Changsheng was after the largest storm in November.

That day, the customs pier broke into three sections.

The warehouse roofs were ripped off.

Salt, wine, and silks transported from the Southern Border were all soaked through.

The people from the Harbor Authority argued for ages before finally tossing the blame into the sea.

They said it was the Silver Harbor Snake Lord passing through.

A natural disaster, they claimed. Unaccountable.

While they said it was unaccountable, they certainly kept the ledgers clear. Every loss was shoved into the “Unclaimed Indemnity” column.

And someone always has to chase down an unclaimed indemnity.

I was that unlucky soul.

When I stood at the gates of Blackstone Manor clutching my ledgers, the doorman looked at me as if I were a shrimp jumping into its own cooking pot.

He asked if I had any last words.

I said I did.

Tell the kitchen to record all the old debts I haven’t collected yet.

The moment the door opened, I was momentarily stunned.

The interior was brighter than I had imagined.

The long corridors were lined with brass lamps.

Sea charts and giant fish bones hung on the walls.

The air smelled of rosin, medicinal herbs, and a hint of cold sweetness.

Like mint soaked in snowmelt.

The man-eating serpent of legend kept a house cleaner than the Governor’s Mansion.

When Ling Changsheng descended the stairs, the first thing I saw were his hands.

He wore a silver ring.

Looking up, I saw a face that was excessively quiet.

He didn’t look like a local. He had deep brow bones, long eyes, and a very pale complexion.

Yet his lips were strikingly red.

Not a flamboyant red, but a suppressed, intense crimson.

Like a blade that hadn’t been drawn from its sheath.

He wore a long black coat.

As he walked, a small section of a silver-white snake tail occasionally slid out from beneath his hem.

It pressed against the floor, silent and invisible.

The sight sent a chill down my spine.

“I heard you were looking for me.”

He sat at the end of the long table, his voice slightly raspy. It sounded as if he had just emerged from the sea.

I pushed the bill toward him.

“East Dock Warehouse No. 3, Pier No. 4, two small boats, thirty-two crates of wine, and seventeen rolls of silk.”

“A total of one thousand eight hundred and twenty Gold Pounds.”

“Signed to Ling Changsheng. Please look it over.”

He looked down at it for a moment and suddenly smiled.

“When others come to find me, they either come to hunt me or to marry me.”

“You’re a fresh change of pace. You’re here to invoice me.”

“The people who want to marry you aren’t under my jurisdiction,” I said, looking at him.

“Paying up is.”

He folded the bill and tucked it into his breast pocket.

“I can afford it.”

I had just breathed a sigh of relief and was preparing to take out a receipt when he added another sentence.

“But I want an installment plan.”

“Using you as collateral.”

I nearly threw my ink bottle at him.

“Mr. Ling, I am a professional debt collector.”

“I am also being very professional.”

He leaned back.

The next second, a cold tail coiled around my ankle.

I shivered from the chill.

“I’m about to hibernate.”

“The weather is poor this year, and I can’t sleep alone.”

“Stay at the Manor, do my accounts, and keep me company through the winter.”

“On the first day of spring, I’ll pay you back in full, with interest.”

I looked down at that tail.

The fine scales shimmered with a cold light under the lamps.

Though it wasn’t applying any pressure, it seemed to be saying one thing:

*Just try to leave.*

Outside, the sea wind battered the windows.

Inside, the Snake Lord watched me.

He spoke as if he were discussing a very ordinary business deal.

I should have turned and left.

But I was in debt.

And I owed more than he did.

The Harbor Authority had already made it clear: if this money wasn’t recovered, it would be deducted from my salary.

Deducted every month until next winter.

I took a breath.

“If I stay for the winter, how will the wages be calculated?”

Ling Changsheng glanced at me.

His gaze was indifferent, yet when it landed on me, it felt inexplicably hot.

“You won’t lose out while you’re at the Manor.”

“When spring comes, I’ll pay you back slowly.”