She had to think of a way. Even if neither inside nor outside the tree hollow was safe, she couldn’t just sit there waiting for death.
When the giant serpent prepared to attack for the second time, Sha Yi’s hoarse, furious roar echoed from below the tree. The snake’s head paused for a moment, and in that instant, a palm-sized figure shot out from the side of the hollow, landing squarely on the serpent’s head. Sha Yi only caught a flash of silver light before the giant snake inexplicably went limp.
The sudden turn of events left Sha Yi stunned. She sat frozen for a moment before remembering to check the situation below. As she leaned out of the hollow, Xi Yi was hastily climbing up, his face tense with worry. Seeing her unharmed, he let out a sigh of relief.
Sha Yi ignored him, focusing instead on the giant snake writhing weakly below.
Something was wrong. Just moments ago, the serpent had been fine, but now it was convulsing, its massive body coiling and twisting in obvious agony.
Xi Yi noticed her confusion and grabbed her hand, pointing excitedly at the snake’s head while babbling something, his tone urgent. He repeatedly mentioned the sounds “Rong Mo.”
Sha Yi didn’t understand, so she followed his gesture and looked closely. After a while, she spotted the small creature clinging to the serpent’s head—it looked just like the tiny thing he had given her the night before.
Now, it was latched onto the center of the snake’s head, its four tiny claws firmly embedded in the scaly skin. Its disproportionately large tail was fluffed to the extreme, and the silver-white tips of its tail hairs were hooked deep into the serpent’s flesh.
Sha Yi was stunned.
Could Rong Mo be the natural enemy of snakes?
Had Xi Yi pushed it out of the hollow last night to deal with the serpent? If so, then the commotion in the middle of the night must have been their battle—even the bird-like cries had come from it?
But… its size was barely larger than the serpent’s eyeball. Could it really defeat such a massive snake? Moreover, the serpent had been active since midnight and still wasn’t dead. Relying solely on Rong Mo, she couldn’t help but worry.
Beside her, Xi Yi retrieved a bone spear from the hollow and prepared to descend again, clearly intending to finish off the weakened serpent. Sha Yi stopped him.
Xi Yi didn’t understand and reacted vehemently, pointing at the snake and launching into another impassioned speech. It was the first time he had openly opposed her decision.
Frowning, Sha Yi sighed but firmly held him back.
True, such a colossal beast would remain a threat if not dealt with decisively.
But between recklessness and caution, she refused to let him take the risk. After all, the snake had already suffered from Rong Mo’s attack at midnight, yet it had still managed to launch a fierce assault moments ago. There had to be something unusual about it.
Sha Yi suspected two possible reasons: first, the snake’s size far exceeded normal limits; second, Rong Mo might still be immature. Of course, these were just guesses—she couldn’t be sure either was correct. But staying away from the snake was definitely the safer choice.
Below, Rong Mo seemed to be tiring, and the serpent’s movements were regaining strength.
Sha Yi felt anxious but knew she couldn’t let panic cloud her judgment. Yet, after scanning the hollow, she still couldn’t think of a solution—let alone Xi Yi, whom she had forcibly restrained. Seeing her hesitation, he made another move to climb down.
In that moment, Sha Yi’s sharp eyes caught sight of the lighter beneath him. A flash of inspiration struck her, and she pushed him down again.
She had an idea!
Though in this era, the cost might be high.
Glancing once more at the serpent below, Sha Yi reached over and grabbed the lighter from Xi Yi’s side, then snatched up the two animal hides, crumpling them into a ball before decisively setting them alight.
Xi Yi, having been pushed down multiple times, had initially resisted. But now, seeing her use the lighter, his expression shifted to the same disbelief as when he first saw it. It took him a moment to snap out of his daze.
By then, the hides were already burning. His disbelief turned to shock and confusion before he finally composed himself and helped her stoke the flames.
He had chosen to trust her, even though he likely didn’t want to see his hides burned.
Outside the hollow, Rong Mo leaped away as the serpent slowly righted itself. It clearly wanted to devour Rong Mo, but the tiny creature remained a formidable threat—no matter how hungry it was, the snake didn’t dare act recklessly.
But they were different. Sha Yi was certain the serpent would seize this chance to attack them fiercely.
She handed the burning hides to Xi Yi, gesturing as she explained, “When the serpent reaches the hollow again and opens its mouth, throw the burning hides inside!”
Xi Yi, still tending the flames, glanced at her and mimicked the throwing motion, his face questioning.
Sha Yi shook her head and decided to demonstrate again. Patiently, she pointed at the hides in his hands, mimed an open mouth, then gestured toward the hollow and back to the hides before making a throwing motion.
This time, Xi Yi fully understood and nodded vigorously.
Gripping the lighter tightly, Sha Yi exhaled in relief. Everything was ready—now they just needed the right moment.
Just as Xi Yi’s hides were about to fully ignite, the light in the hollow dimmed. Outside, the serpent reared up again, its gaping maw lunging toward them.
Without needing a reminder, Xi Yi, already crouched in position, hurled the burning hides in a precise arc straight into the serpent’s mouth.
Seizing the opportunity, Sha Yi threw the lighter after it.
Luck was on their side. The blazing hides landed perfectly inside the serpent’s maw just as the lighter flew into the flames—the timing was flawless.
The serpent reacted swiftly. The moment the hides entered its mouth, it seemed to sense the heat and the foreign object in its throat. It jerked back, snapping its jaws shut.
But it was too late.
As its mouth clamped shut, a muffled explosion erupted from its thick throat, blasting open a sizable hole. Blood and charred flesh sprayed outward, the stench of burning filling the air.
When the smoke cleared, the serpent lay limp. Though it still twitched, its throat was a mangled ruin, its massive head barely hanging on by a strip of flesh. The injuries were severe.
Sha Yi was satisfied.
Initially, she had worried the lighter’s explosion wouldn’t be enough to harm such a massive creature. But fueled by the burning hides, the blast had been far more effective than expected. And thanks to the strategic placement, even if it wasn’t an instant kill, the outcome was practically the same.
Yet the serpent wasn’t completely dead. It writhed violently, its thrashing limbs splattering the ground with thick, reeking blood.
Sha Yi knew that cold-blooded reptiles like snakes could survive even decapitation for a while. If they didn’t seize this opportunity now, the situation could still turn against them—and the consequences would be unpredictable.
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