Chapter 41: Nine-Headed Snake (Part 1)

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The celebration that began at evening continued until deep into the night. The entire Yuan Mountain Stronghold was extraordinarily lively, with drunken bandits shouting and calling out everywhere.

Large wooden tables had been set up in the open space. As dice rattled, cursing and cheering voices merged into one continuous sound.

The kitchen’s terrain was higher than the rest of the stronghold. Standing on a tree stump, one could see the position of the stronghold’s main gate. Near midnight, at the torch-lit stronghold entrance, shadows moved as over a dozen bandits welcomed the Third Chief, who had gone out alone, walking back into the stronghold.

The beggar’s chicken buried in the fire pit was already cooked. Seeing Lu Hai return, Xu Yan finally had some appetite. He broke off a chicken leg and sat on the tree stump eating heartily, while dozens of stones with the most comfortable shapes were tucked in his bosom.

Someone would soon be poisoned. Lu Hai had returned too late. Even if he ate some roasted lamb and other food, his poisoning wouldn’t occur until morning at the earliest, and this period would be the most dangerous for Xu Yan.

He still needed to support Mei Sanniang. He could leave and be done with it, but if he left, Mei Sanniang’s situation would become even more dangerous.

A woman would be no match for an innate martial artist like Lu Hai.

No one was a fool. With Lu Hai’s cunning, as long as he discovered that everyone had died from poisoning while only Mei Sanniang remained alive, he would inevitably figure out who had administered the poison.

Gnawing on the chicken leg, Xu Yan began preparing to clash with a true innate martial artist. He hadn’t saved the Zhao family girl, so he was even less willing to leave Mei Sanniang in this place of death.

No matter what, he was determined to try. Otherwise, the thorn in his heart would never be pulled out.

Xu Yan was preparing and contemplating how to deal with Lu Hai, while that Third Chief was likewise thinking about how to kill that detestable little Taoist.

After paying respects to the Head Chief and Second Chief, Lu Hai had drunk a few cups of wine and eaten a couple of bites in the Head Chief’s courtyard. When returning to his own quarters, he distributed the roasted lamb that his subordinates hadn’t dared touch, but he himself didn’t eat a single bite.

It wasn’t that Lu Hai had detected poison in the food. The poison concocted from gelsemium and Xingwu grass was colorless and tasteless. Unless someone was extremely skilled in the way of poisons and might notice clues, even innate martial artists couldn’t detect it.

Actually, Lu Hai simply wasn’t hungry.

Lu Hai had left the stronghold on Mid-Autumn to meet his old lover, returning to Yuan Mountain Stronghold only after eating and drinking his fill.

Sitting in his courtyard for a while, reminiscing about the day’s passionate encounters, Lu Hai curled his lips with some annoyance.

He was already tired of that old lover and was now contemplating other young, beautiful women. Thinking of the wealthy family’s daughter he’d seen in the city today, this Nine-Headed Snake immediately let out a sinister laugh.

He had been quite taken with the Zhao family daughter last time, but unfortunately the Second Chief had gotten there first and captured her. Lu Hai deeply regretted this – he loved the virgin daughters of wealthy families. Before joining Yuan Mountain Stronghold, his reputation as Nine-Headed Snake in the martial world hadn’t been particularly good. No fewer than ten women had died under his violation.

The martial world of Pu Nation was dominated by righteous sects, with evil practitioners treated like rats crossing the street. Though those incompetent soldiers and constables couldn’t catch Lu Hai for his crimes, he couldn’t withstand the righteous masters of Pu Nation. So he had fled far from home and eventually joined Yuan Mountain Stronghold to become a mountain king.

Thinking of his spirited past, Lu Hai felt a fire burning in his heart. In his restlessness, he picked up his long blade and left the courtyard, slowly walking alone toward the kitchen.

Killing could also make this Nine-Headed Snake feel satisfied.

When Xu Yan had let the little black pig escape last time, Lu Hai had decided to slaughter this little Taoist. At that time, Mei Sanniang had intervened, and Lu Hai had given the stronghold chief’s wife face. But in Yuan Mountain Stronghold, a woman’s face wasn’t worth much.

The kitchen cooks were currently gathered together eating and drinking heartily. They had worked until the latest hour and were all hungry as wolves. They had divided up all the remaining roasted lamb, eating with juices flowing, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

“Oh, Third Chief!” Someone sharp-eyed saw Lu Hai approaching from afar and hurriedly went up to ask: “What would the Third Chief like to eat? Just send someone to let us know – why come personally? There’s a saying… oh right, ‘A gentleman stays far from the kitchen,’ far from the kitchen, hehe.”

Chef Wu, his mouth greasy from eating, also hurriedly stood up, smiling obsequiously as he inquired about the Third Chief’s intentions.

“Where’s that little Taoist?”

Lu Hai ignored the group of cooks and asked coldly.

“He’s busy in the back, still has some work to finish.” A cook pointed toward the fire pit area in the back courtyard.

“Eat your food. I’m looking for some entertainment.”

Lu Hai sneered and strode toward the back courtyard fire pit. Seeing Lu Hai carrying his steel blade, none of the cooks dared follow, nor did anyone dare say a word.

That was the Third Chief, the third seat of power in Yuan Mountain Stronghold. Though the little Taoist was indeed hardworking, whether he lived or died didn’t matter to this group of cooks. Aside from feeling sorry about losing a laborer, they were mostly just watching the excitement.

Xu Yan still sat by the fire pit. The fire before him had already died out, with two streams of thick smoke rolling up toward the night sky. Hearing footsteps, Xu Yan turned to look. His bright eyes appeared deep and tranquil under the night sky.

“Xu Yan, have you eaten yet?”

Lu Hai, carrying his steel blade, offered a friendly greeting while suddenly quickening his pace. As the other was about to answer, his blade was already raised overhead, the blade body carrying a dim aura that appeared coldly beautiful under the moonlight.

Whoosh!

As the blade wind rose, Lu Hai roared savagely: “If you’ve eaten, become a well-fed ghost! If you haven’t, become a starved ghost!”

Crack!

With the innate martial artist’s strike, the tree stump Xu Yan was sitting on was split in half. The small figure stumbled and barely avoided the fatal blow.

Seeing the little Taoist’s disheveled appearance, Lu Hai laughed loudly and pressed closer step by step, taunting: “Didn’t you say pig urine could clear heat? I’m feeling hot today – go find me a vat of pig urine to bathe in! If you can’t find it, you won’t live through today!”

“Alright, alright!” Xu Yan retreated in disarray while speaking incoherently: “There are pigs in the pen, lots of pigs – they can, can produce a lot!”

“Pig your grandmother!” Lu Hai cursed savagely: “Go die!”

Taking a quick step forward, Lu Hai swung his blade down. This time he struck a small tree as thick as a thigh, directly severing it with one blow.

The ability of a first-meridian innate martial artist could take on ten or even twenty opponents. All the evil bandits of Yuan Mountain Stronghold were blade-licking desperados, but even ten or twenty of them together wouldn’t be a match for an innate martial artist like Lu Hai. For him to kill an unarmed half-grown child was utterly effortless.

What should have been a simple task – Lu Hai hadn’t expected that after three consecutive strikes, the other had dodged them all. Though the little Taoist was small, his body was quite agile, darting left and right like a slippery loach.

“Somewhat interesting! Hahahaha!”

Missing with three strikes, Lu Hai’s killing intent grew even stronger, his footsteps becoming faster and faster.

Martial artists trained the body, while innate practitioners trained qi. Having successfully opened one of the six meridians, Lu Hai was no ordinary warrior. If he used his full strength, he could unleash more than double the force of an ordinary strong man.

Just as he was about to catch up, Lu Hai discovered that the little Taoist before him had directly climbed over the fence wall and fled toward the mountains. He immediately flew into a rage.

“Well now, kid, you even know to run! Think you can escape?”

Lu Hai slashed open the crude courtyard wall with one strike, bent his waist, and pursued closely.