Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The creature was long and had a dark-red shell that reflected light like metal. Its sharp legs were like blades.
âIs this an ancient creature?â Zhao Yinghao exclaimed in shock.
âNo, there are large centipedes in the subtropical rainforest of southern Yunnan, but this is the first time I have seen such a huge one,â Miao Qingfeng replied. âIt might be because of the special natural environment here.â
âThese people are not that simple,â Zhao Yinghao said.
âYes, so be careful,â Miao Qingfeng said.
Such a large centipede, which was poisonous, could easily kill them. That meant the two remaining people were masters with great skills.
The sound of gunfire was getting closer, but it was becoming less frequent.
âSnake, you go first! Iâll cover from behind!â A voice yelled out.
Rat-a-tat...
The automatic rifle spewed out sparks and flame. Amidst the sounds, a new one was growing stronger.
Buzz! Buzz!
âWhat is that?â
Miao Qingfeng and Zhao Yinghao did not immediately approach the sound. Instead, they hid and observed the situation.
âKiller bees!â
A large group of black bees appeared in the sky. The two people on the ground were holding on with everything they had. They were beaten down, and one of them was covered with blood.
This kind of thing didnât just appear in movies and novels. People like them, who often dealt with poisonous insects, knew about this kind of terrible poisonous insect. Still, it was their first time seeing such a huge one. Were they bees? Why did they look as big as cicadas? The key problem was that there were hundreds of them. It was a miracle that the two men had survived until now.
âJunior, I think we should leave,â Miao Qingfeng whispered.
âWhy?â Zhao Yinghao asked.
âThose centipedes are easy to deal with, but these killer bees are very difficult,â Miao Qingfeng said. âI have a hunch that there must be something more terrible inside. Theyâre definitely not so easy to deal with.â
âIsnât it a pity to go back just like this?â Zhao Yinghao asked.
He thought that since they were already there, they should investigate. They had finally found this place. All the different things they had encountered along the way were amazing. They had never met these creatures before. There had to be something about the place that caused these changes in the creatures.
âItâs not a pity,â Miao Qingfeng said. âIf we donât go soon, our names and bodies might stay here forever. Those two people are obvious examples!â
Suddenly, there was a scream. The gunshots stopped for an instant. It soon rang out again but was not as fierce.
âAnother one has died, and now thereâs only one left,â Miao Qingfeng said. âGo!â
As soon as he turned around, footsteps sounded behind them. A man staggered toward them. His facial features were a bloody mess and could not be clearly seen. His one arm was broken. His other hand was holding a gun. He was just pushing on by will. In fact, he was no longer able to escape at all.
At the sight of this man, Miao Qingfengâs face changed greatly. âGo!â
The two men sped quickly through the dense forest of the valley. Behind them, something seemed to be chasing them. Large trees were falling.
Miao Qingfeng threw out the precious wooden standing pot he was carrying. It landed on the ground with a thud. A large number of poisonous insects flew out of it. It was hard to imagine that such a small pot could release so many insects. The insects flew out and rushed directly into the jungle.
The two men arrived at the shore. The python, which had been floating, had disappeared.
âThis is bad!â Miao Qingfeng threw another Ecstasy pill into the water.
Whoosh! Trees continued falling behind them.
They couldnât wait any longer. Miao Qingfeng felt as if the danger was just behind him. It was as if there was a knife on his back that could pierce his heart from behind at any time. It had to be something terrifying. It was like how he felt when he faced the king of the five poisonous insects in the valley.
The distance was more than 32 away. The two men began to quickly swim. Miao Qingfeng, who was in front, was suddenly dragged into the water by something.
âSenior!â Zhao Yinghao plunged into the water without hesitation.
In an instant, the water turned red as blood mixed with the water. The two men poked their heads out.
âLeave me alone! Leave by yourself!â Miao Qingfeng yelled.
Zhao Yinghao did not listen. He continued swimming, dragging Miao Qingfeng toward the rocks. âHold on to me!â
Whoosh! The thing that had been chasing behind them showed itself. It was a black-scaled python. Its body was 3-feet wide. Its length was unclear. What was revealed was more than 30-feet long.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âHurry up!â Zhao Yinghao used both hands and feet to scramble toward a hole.
The python coiled up. As soon as it shot forward, it crossed the 32-foot distance in an instant. It rushed toward the two people and opened its gaping mouth.
At that critical moment, Miao Qingfeng sprayed out a handful of poison, hoping to hold the python back for a moment. It did not affect it at all.
Boom! A loud noise sounded.
The two men rolled into the hole. They were able to escape the fatal blow.
Crash! The stones in the hole began to fall, piece by piece.
âThis is bad,â Miao Qingfeng said. âThis cave is going to collapse.â
âCome on, Iâll carry you on my back,â Zhao Yinghao said.
âBe careful, there are landmines,â Miao Qingfeng said.
Zhao Yinghao ran as fast as possible with Miao Qingfeng on his back.
Boom! A landmine detonated because of the falling stones. The huge explosion aggravated the speed of the cave collapsing.
âDamn it!â
Boom! Boom!
Successive explosions followed. Flames sprayed out from the entrance of the cave. The two men rushed out of the cave and fell heavily onto the ground from 16 feet up. There were rocks and weeds on the ground. They were both injured, but they were still alive.
âSenior?â Zhao Yinghao asked.
âIâm fine,â Miao Qingfeng said. âI wonât die from this.â
Miao Qingfengâs wound seemed to be serious. The flesh on his legs was a mess. In some places, bone was peeking out. In the pool, he had been bitten by something.
âWhat kind of fish can do something so impressive?â Zhao Yinghao asked as he propped up Miao Qingfengâs body.
He took a small bag with special ointment from his pocket. He endured the pain and applied the ointment to Miao Qingfengâs severely injured legs.
âReport to Guli?â Zhao Yinghao asked.
âDefinitely, I donât want to be disabled,â Miao Qingfeng said with an attempted laugh.
They called Guli and found a place to rest. In their present state, they couldnât get out of the jungle by themselves.
âSenior, how could there be such a big python in that valley?â Zhao Yinghao asked.
âHow would I know? Miao Qingfeng replied. âThere must be something wonderful inside. When weâve recovered and prepared, weâll come back in and have a look.â
âYou want to come back? Donât you cherish your life?â Zhao Yinghao was shocked.
âNext time, it wonât be just the two of us,â Miao Qingfeng said. âMaster will go as well.â
He was certain that his master would come out of the mountain to explore after hearing their story.
âCan he deal with that python?â Zhang Yinghao asked.
âIt would be no problem. Master is almost a land god,â Miao Qingfeng said.
...
In the mountain village, thousands of miles away...
âSince youâre always staying on this mountain, does that mean you want to become an immortal?â Wang Mingbao asked Wang Yao with a smile.
âWhat is an immortal?â Wang Yao poured him a cup of tea.
The question stunned Wang Mingbao. He took a sip from his teacup. âMmm, this tea is good!â He raised his thumb. âWhat tea is it?â
âDa Hong Pao, Wu Yi Mountainâs,â Wang Yao replied.
âIt canât be those few plants, can it?â Wang Mingbao asked.
âTheyâre from those few plants,â Wang Yao said.
Wang Mingbao smacked his lips together and poured himself a cup. âIs there any left?â
âThere isnât much left,â Wang Yao said. âIt was just a small box. It was stolen by Su Xiaoxueâs eldest brother.â
âWhat? Stolen? From Minister Su?â Wang Mingbao was surprised.
âYes,â Wang Yao replied.
Wang Mingbao raised his eyebrows. âTsk. Why? Giving a gift to his future brother-in-law... Isnât it the other way round?â
âHe was injured. I saved his life, as well as his comrades.â Wang Yao took a gentle sip.
âIsnât saving a future wifeâs brother a given?â Wang Mingbao asked.
âWhere do so many of your misconceptions come from?â Wang Yao laughed. âWhat about Teacher Han? Is she still working in that mountain village?â
âSheâs pregnant, so itâs inconvenient it is for her to be there alone,â Wang Mingbao said. âIâve tried persuading her in every possible way. She has finally agreed to come to work in our county.â