Chapter 13

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Chapter 13 – The Giant Snake

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting its warmth on Zhang Wenyu and Qin Bao Yi as they slept. Always alert, Zhang Wenyu woke up as soon as he felt the sun on his face. He got up and noticed Mu Xiaofeng crouching nearby, sword in hand, keeping watch. Slightly annoyed, Zhang Wenyu scolded him, “Mu Xiaofeng, why didn’t you wake me?”

Mu Xiaofeng turned to him with a calm expression, not showing any signs of fatigue. He smiled and replied, “It’s fine. You can keep watch tomorrow. I wanted you to get some rest.”

Zhang Wenyu frowned but then sighed and shook his head. At that moment, Qin Bao Yi woke up as well, likely stirred by their conversation. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and greeted them with a yawn, “Good morning. You’re both up so early.”

Zhang Wenyu couldn’t help but smile at Qin Bao Yi’s groggy expression, which was rare for him since he was usually so serious.

When Qin Bao Yi noticed Zhang Wenyu smiling, she became self-conscious about her just-woke-up look, thinking it must be ridiculous. Embarrassed, she quickly covered her face and kicked Zhang Wenyu lightly, shouting, “What are you laughing at? No laughing!”

Mu Xiaofeng, watching their playful exchange, felt a wave of relief wash over him. The tension he’d been holding onto all night began to ease. He handed them some water so they could freshen up before they had to head deeper into the forest. The closer they got to the center, the more dangerous it would become.

They had been walking for half a day without any incidents, but Zhang Wenyu couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. When they stopped to rest, he carefully surveyed the area and finally noticed something. He told Mu Xiaofeng and Qin Bao Yi, “We’ve been walking for hours, but something feels different. Have you noticed there are fewer weapons scattered around here? It’s not like before, when they were everywhere.”

Qin Bao Yi looked around and realized he was right—there were no weapons in sight. She shrugged and said, “Well, that makes sense. The closer we get to the center, the fewer good weapons there will be. They’re rare, after all, and the competition for them will only get tougher.”

Mu Xiaofeng, hearing this, stood up and pointed his heavy sword ahead. “Then we’d better hurry before someone else snatches up all the good stuff.”

Just as he finished speaking, a sharp growl echoed from the woods ahead, signaling the presence of some beast. The sound immediately put all three on high alert, especially Zhang Wenyu, who felt an odd connection to the creature.

“Let’s check it out, but stay close and be careful,” Zhang Wenyu instructed. Mu Xiaofeng and Qin Bao Yi nodded in agreement, and they cautiously made their way toward the source of the noise.

As they entered the woods, they were confronted by a massive silver snake, longer than ten grown men and as thick as a giant tree. The snake had a bison clenched in its jaws, and its bloody mouth looked more than capable of swallowing the entire animal whole.

The giant snake noticed their presence and quickly devoured the bison, then turned its deadly gaze on them, hissing and flicking its tongue.

Zhang Wenyu’s eyes widened in shock as he pointed at the snake’s head. “Mu Xiaofeng, Qin Bao Yi, look at its teeth!” When they followed his gaze, they saw that the snake had two unusually white, sharp fangs that, upon closer inspection, were actually two short knives embedded in its mouth.

No wonder Zhang Wenyu had felt drawn to the snake’s call—it was the knives calling out to him.

Mu Xiaofeng, understanding what Zhang Wenyu wanted, clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. “Let’s take down this giant snake and get those knives for you.” Zhang Wenyu was touched by his words but knew that defeating the beast wouldn’t be easy. He warned Mu Xiaofeng to be extremely cautious.

Qin Bao Yi stepped back, and Zhang Wenyu moved to guard her, knowing that she needed protection during the battle. Facing the giant snake head-on wasn’t his strong suit, so he let Mu Xiaofeng take the lead.

Mu Xiaofeng raised his heavy sword and taunted the snake, “Hey, big snake! Over here! I’m going to chop your head off!”

The snake seemed to understand and lunged at Mu Xiaofeng, its mouth wide open. Mu Xiaofeng didn’t back down. He swung his heavy sword at the snake’s head, the impact echoing through the forest as both he and the snake were thrown back.

Zhang Wenyu hadn’t expected the snake’s skin to be so tough. “Mu Xiaofeng, its skin is too hard! Find a way to distract it, and I’ll break through its defense.”

Mu Xiaofeng nodded, thinking how the snake’s iron-like skin had nearly numbed his hand. The noise from their clash was loud enough to attract others, so they needed to finish the fight quickly.

“Qin Bao Yi, I need you to find a way to control this thing!” Mu Xiaofeng shouted. Qin Bao Yi quickly flipped through her spellbook, waved her staff, and began chanting.

To buy her some time, Mu Xiaofeng gathered his Yuan Qi into his sword, which began to glow. “Bastard! Taste my Yuan Qi Slash!” he yelled, swinging his sword and sending a fan-shaped wave of energy at the snake.

The giant snake, too large to dodge, had no choice but to take the hit. The Yuan Qi Slash struck the snake’s body with tremendous force, felling trees on either side as the snake wavered and nearly collapsed.

Seizing the opportunity, Mu Xiaofeng charged at the snake, aiming to deliver a crushing blow. But just as he was about to strike, the snake twisted its body and counterattacked, knocking Mu Xiaofeng off balance. Before he could recover, the snake opened its mouth and swallowed him whole.

Zhang Wenyu and Qin Bao Yi watched in horror as Mu Xiaofeng disappeared into the snake’s maw. But before they could act, the snake began thrashing violently, screaming in pain.

It turned out that while the snake’s exterior was tough, its insides were soft. Mu Xiaofeng, trapped inside, was slashing and hacking with his heavy sword, causing the snake immense agony.

When the snake finally opened its mouth, Mu Xiaofeng leapt out, escaping just in time.

As the snake continued writhing in pain, Qin Bao Yi saw her chance. She raised her staff, which glowed with a bright red light, and summoned a massive fire snake from the sky. Though smaller than the giant snake, it was just as fearsome.

The fire snake coiled around the giant snake, constricting it tightly until it lost its balance and fell to the ground. Zhang Wenyu didn’t waste a moment. He rushed forward, infusing his short sword with Yuan Qi. The sword emitted a dark purple glow, signifying its deadly sharpness. He slashed at the snake’s head, then quickly retreated to Qin Bao Yi’s side.

The giant snake let out a final cry as blood spurted from its head, where Zhang Wenyu had struck. Its hard skin had been breached. “Mu Xiaofeng, now! Strike at the wound!” Zhang Wenyu shouted.

Mu Xiaofeng, exhausted but determined, lifted his heavy sword and ran toward the snake. With a mighty leap, he brought his sword down on the wound, severing the snake’s head in one clean blow.

The giant snake was finally defeated, split in two. Mu Xiaofeng collapsed to the ground, utterly spent from the battle.

But just when they thought it was over, countless small silver snakes began pouring out of the giant snake’s body, swarming toward Mu Xiaofeng like a tidal wave.

Sighing, Mu Xiaofeng forced himself to stand. With a roar, he raised his heavy sword once more and shouted, “You little pests, taste my Whirlwind Slash!” He spun like a tornado, his sword cutting through the mass of small snakes, turning them into mush.

When the last of the silver snakes was destroyed, Zhang Wenyu rushed to Mu Xiaofeng’s side to support him. Mu Xiaofeng was completely drained, having not slept the night before and now battling the giant snake. Without Zhang Wenyu’s help, he wouldn’t have been able to stand.

Meanwhile, Qin Bao Yi hurried to the snake’s head, pulling out the two short knives from its mouth and handing them to Zhang Wenyu. The knives glowed a brilliant purple in his hands. Grateful, Zhang Wenyu said to Mu Xiaofeng, “Brother, thank you so much. You’ve really been through a lot.”

Mu Xiaofeng smiled weakly, unable to speak before he fainted from exhaustion. Just then, three figures suddenly appeared before Zhang Wenyu and Qin Bao Yi. To their surprise, the person leading them was Yun Jie, whom they had encountered the previous day.

“What is Yun Jie doing here? What could her intentions be?” Zhang Wenyu wondered, knowing he had to stay calm and handle whatever was about to happen with caution.