Fan Debiao widened his eyes and exclaimed, “Damn it! This evil creature is blocking our way. What do we do?” Ge Shuanwa brandished his cleaver and asked, “Shall we five men gang up on it? If not, I’ll chop its head off first!”
Liu Dashao shook his head. “I’ve heard these creatures can emit toxic fumes after living for centuries. Judging by its appearance, it must be far older than us!”
As the group deliberated, Su Yougui suddenly whispered, “Oh no, it’s spitting…”
Liu Dashao turned around and saw the giant centipede open its jaws, spewing two thin streams of black smoke. Soon after, it spat out a small pearl, rolling it between its fangs as if playing with it under the moonlight.
Liu Dashao broke into a sweat. “This thing is even worse than we feared—it’s actually formed a dantian! It’s become a demon!”
Fan Debiao asked hurriedly, “What do you mean by forming a dantian?”
Liu Dashao frowned. “I heard from my master that some ancient creatures can develop a dantian after prolonged existence. Ordinary cultivators dare not confront them, for doing so would mean certain death!” The group turned pale with fear.
Just as they were caught between a rock and a hard place, they heard rustling in the bushes. Looking up, they saw a shirtless young man staggering toward them from the other side of the valley. Under the moonlight, it was unmistakably Huang Peng, but his body was covered in scars, and his eyes were wide open—yet there were no pupils visible.
Huang Shitou immediately became anxious and opened his mouth to shout. But Fan Debiao had anticipated this and quickly pulled Huang Shitou into his arms, covering his mouth. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Your brother isn’t human anymore, don’t you understand?” Huang Shitou’s tears flowed as they all noticed Huang Peng walking without using his eyes.
Liu Dashao felt certain this wasn’t a mere zombie. The whole place felt eerie, and he couldn’t make any sense of it.
Huang Peng slowly approached the centipede, his face expressionless. The centipede circled him slowly, then suddenly raised its body, probing Huang Peng’s abdomen with its head. It then turned around, lifting its metallic, lustrous tail toward him. Witnessing the centipede’s bizarre behavior, the group felt dry-mouthed and uneasy.
Suddenly, the centipede writhed a few times and then opened its jaws, biting down hard on Huang Peng! Huang Shitou immediately broke free from Fan Debiao’s grip and cried out, “Brother!”
The commotion startled the centipede, which immediately climbed off Huang Peng. Its long antennae swept through the air, and like the wind, it rushed toward the rock where the group was hiding. A rustling sound filled the air as the grass and bushes on both sides flattened. Before the centipede even arrived, two streams of black gas shot toward them.
Liu Dashao shouted, and the group, already terrified, took off running with incredible speed. Fan Debiao, who had been at the back, instantly turned and bolted forward like a tiger or a charging bull, leaving the others ten meters behind. Liu Dashao groaned inwardly, “These guys haven’t practiced lightness kung fu, so why are they so fast?”
Su Yougui ran second, the wind whistling past his ears. Suddenly, he remembered something: there was a maze of confusion in the forest. Should they enter or not? As he hesitated, Fan Debiao had already disappeared ahead.
Just as they were caught in this dilemma, a dark shadow suddenly rushed toward them head-on, scaring Su Yougui nearly out of his wits. He screamed and collided with it. The others rushed over and exclaimed, “Oh no! Isn’t that Fan Debiao?” Fan Debiao held his jaw while Su Yougui rubbed his head, both wincing in pain, their eyes tearing up.
Fan Debiao, his jaw injured and speech impaired, waved frantically and shouted, “Water… water…”
Huang Shitou quickly took out his water flask and handed it over. Fan Debiao, sweating with frustration, shouted, “Not water… retreat… retreat!”
Liu Dashao asked anxiously, “Why?”
Still gasping in pain, Fan Debiao rolled aside and mumbled, “Something even more fearsome is coming from behind!”
The five stood frozen, instinctively looking down the valley. The centipede had already climbed over the big rock and was crawling toward them. Further ahead, the forest suddenly echoed with the sound of crushed grass and a wheezing like a broken bellows. The group exchanged glances, their hearts sinking. They truly couldn’t tell what lay ahead—life or death.
Just as they stood there clueless, the grass in front of them parted, revealing a greenish triangular snake head. The head was as large as an adult’s fist, with a fleshy crest on top about a foot long, colorful like a cockscomb flower. Ge Shuanwa cried out in shock, “God almighty! A cockscomb snake! And this big!”
At this point, there was no need for instructions. All five stumbled and staggered toward Fan Debiao. The snake emerged proudly, about three meters long and as thick as a human arm, completely ignoring the group.
Ge Shuanwa muttered, “I’ve heard these cockscomb snakes grow an inch a year. How many years must this one have lived?”
Liu Dashao felt bitter inside. He had encountered every strange thing imaginable tonight. As a child, he had heard elders speak of a snake with a cockscomb crest on its head that loved to climb high and gaze at the sky. If someone passed below, the snake would feel superior and attack, its venom deadly enough to send someone to their grave within hours. If one ever encountered such a snake and had to pass beneath it, they had to throw their shoes higher than the snake. Then the snake would angrily crawl away.
Whether this story was true or not, Liu Dashao quietly took off one shoe and held it in his hand just in case.
The snake paid no attention to them, wheezing like a broken bellows, and slithered straight into the valley. Fan Debiao, terrified of snakes, whispered in fear while gripping Liu Dashao’s sleeve, “Master Liu, this snake looks so monstrous. Is there any significance to it? Also, it stinks like hell! Worse than my sweaty feet!”
Su Yougui added, “Damn it, just the smell could kill someone. It must be extremely venomous!”
Liu Dashao blushed, and seeing no one watching, quietly put his shoe back on. He turned and said, “Let’s go. This snake isn’t targeting us. Let’s follow it and see what happens!” Seeing hesitation on their faces, Huang Shitou, worried about his brother’s fate, said, “Come on, this snake isn’t scary at all!”
Fan Debiao asked in surprise, “How do you know? Have you seen it before?”
Huang Shitou, gathering his courage, said, “This snake has asthma. Listen to how loudly it wheezes. It definitely can’t run fast…” Everyone burst into laughter.
Suddenly, a trail of flattened grass and bushes signaled the snake had already descended into the valley. Summoning their courage, the group quietly followed behind.
Under the moonlight, the giant centipede was opening its jaws, lying on the big rock. Upon hearing the snake approach, it lowered its head slightly and turned to crawl back. The snake, however, moved straight toward the centipede without deviation, speeding up and flattening the surrounding grass like the wind.
Liu Dashao’s eyes lit up. “This is promising! The cockscomb snake might be going after the centipede! Don’t be afraid. Let’s follow!”
The five felt hopeful, recalling an old saying: when snakes and centipedes fight, we brothers benefit!
Seeing the approaching snake with ill intent, the centipede swung its antennae and raised its upper body, its jaws wide open, spewing out a faint black mist, ready for battle. Somehow, Liu Dashao suddenly thought of a steam locomotive he had seen years ago.
The cockscomb snake approached cautiously, coiling several times, its head nodding repeatedly. The fleshy crest suddenly fanned out like a peacock’s tail. With a loud hiss, the snake raised nearly a meter of its body, sending chills down everyone’s spines. Liu Dashao inwardly thanked his lucky stars he hadn’t acted on his earlier impulse to throw his shoe at the snake’s head—it would have been unimaginably dangerous.
The snake coiled on the ground, swaying its upper body back and forth, hissing loudly. The centipede, not daring to underestimate its opponent, waved its dozens of legs and spat out the pearl again. The pearl floated in the air, spinning between its jaws, emitting an eerie red glow under the moonlight. The snake lowered its raised body and slid sideways, seemingly evading the pearl.
Liu Dashao whispered anxiously, “This snake might lose. The demon centipede has brought out its demon pearl!”
Fan Debiao immediately trembled in fear. “What if it retreats this way? Let’s move aside first… The saying goes, a wise man doesn’t fight snakes…”
The cockscomb snake wheezed rapidly, its neck swelling like it was swallowing eggs one after another. A series of hissing sounds filled the air. Suddenly, the snake opened its mouth and spat out a greenish pearl, glowing under the moonlight.
Liu Dashao immediately crouched down. “Oh my ancestors! This one’s a demon too… How did we end up encountering two demons at once?”
Upon hearing this, Fan Debiao’s eyes widened. “What… What… Is there any hope left for us?”
Huang Shitou suddenly burst into tears. “Brother Biao, Brother Ge, Brother Gui, Master Liu, maybe we should go back?” The others turned to look at him as Huang Shitou softly wept, “I’m afraid my brother is beyond saving… Even if we save him, he might become a monster… It’s not worth risking your lives for a dead man… I… I feel so guilty…”
Under the moonlight, each of them felt five parts fear and five parts sorrow. Liu Dashao gritted his teeth for a moment, then suddenly said, “I have an idea!”
Everyone perked up their ears. Liu Dashao whispered, “No matter who wins between these two demons, neither will be easy to deal with. How about we take advantage of their battle to set up a formation and confuse them, making them forget about us first. Then we’ll wait until morning to retrieve Huang Peng. What do you think?”
Fan Debiao clenched his teeth. “Whatever you say, Master Liu, we’ll do!”
While watching the fierce battle between the snake and the centipede, Liu Dashao turned to Huang Shitou and said, “Come, Xiao Shitou, help me draw some talismans…” Huang Shitou thought to himself, “At this rate, I’ll die from blood loss before the demon kills me!” But since everyone had come here for his sake, how could he possibly refuse?
Liu Dashao drew several talismans, then crouched low and darted out from behind the rock. Fan Debiao and the others watched the intense battle nervously. The cockscomb snake had spat out its dantian, gaining momentum. It raised its triangular head high, looking down on the centipede, its tail lashing the ground with loud slaps. The centipede showed no fear, opening its jaws to release toxic fumes. Its legs moved like flying, attacking the snake’s coiled body on the ground.
The snake had raised its body too high earlier, showing off its strength. Now caught off guard at its lower half, it struggled to respond. It twisted its body sideways, nearly dropping the pearl in its mouth. This unexpected disadvantage enraged the snake further, its hissing shaking the heavens. Lowering its body, it darted forward like an arrow, biting at the centipede with lightning speed. The bite was so fast the centipede couldn’t dodge. The snake’s fangs struck the centipede’s head plate, producing a bone-chilling scraping sound that made everyone’s teeth ache. The bite didn’t penetrate the centipede’s shell, but the shock caused it to quickly dart sideways, its dozens of legs trampling the grass into chaos.
Liu Dashao held his breath, slowly approaching the battlefield’s edge. He listened carefully while placing a talisman under a small stone. He thought smugly, “With my ‘Resting Talisman’ placed around here, no matter how powerful you are, you’ll be lost in this maze!” This ‘Resting Talisman,’ also known as the ‘Ghost-leading Talisman,’ was used to guide spirits. According to legend, ghosts and high-level demons didn’t rely on sight when traveling. To lead a ghost, one had to alter the flow of yin and yang in the area, directing the ghost to walk the desired path. Liu Dashao had placed these guiding talismans in a disoriented manner, deliberately making it hard for the demons to navigate. He believed the ghosts and demons would become lost due to the sudden change in the area’s energy flow, and he could keep the demon trapped for the whole night without a problem.
As Liu Dashao continued placing talismans, he missed one spot too close to the cockscomb snake. He dared not risk it and carefully observed the battle. At this point, the cockscomb snake was clearly gaining the upper hand. Its head attacked repeatedly, aiming directly at the centipede’s vital points. The centipede, overwhelmed, saw its pearl dimming and could only retreat continuously.
The cockscomb snake was moving further and further away from that spot.
Liu Dashao was delighted and quickly crouched low, running slowly. But he didn’t notice something underfoot, tripped, and fell into the grass, hitting his forehead on a small rock and groaning in pain. He dared not make a loud noise and listened carefully. The battle between the snake and the centipede was still intense, and they hadn’t noticed him. He sighed in relief and looked down to see what had tripped him.
He was so startled his hair stood on end—it was Huang Peng! His body was blackened, which explained why he hadn’t noticed him while running. Earlier, Huang Peng had been hit by the centipede, but how had his flesh and skin become like this? Liu Dashao kicked him slightly and found his muscles stiff, completely unlike the lively feeling from their previous fight. He was definitely dead.
“Oh my,” Liu Dashao exhaled in relief. He almost felt grateful to the old demon centipede for solving this troublesome matter. Truthfully, dealing with such a half-dead, half-alive creature would have been a real headache for Liu Dashao.
As Liu Dashao turned to place the talismans, he suddenly felt a commotion behind him. Before he could turn around, a tremendous force yanked him backward from his belt. Unprepared, Liu Dashao was thrown onto his back. In panic, he twisted his head around and saw Huang Peng’s face right beside his. Huang Peng’s blackened eyes stared at him with white, unblinking pupils. Before Liu Dashao could react, Huang Peng opened his mouth and bit directly at Liu Dashao’s throat!
Liu Dashao screamed like a slaughtered pig, summoning tremendous strength to push Huang Peng away. His body sprang up like a bow, and with a “snap,” he felt his waistband loosen. Looking back, he saw half of his belt broken off in Huang Peng’s black claw. He pulled up his pants, tore off several talismans stuck to his body, and without thinking whether they would work, slapped them all onto Huang Peng.
Huang Peng let out a mournful cry, stood up, and ran straight to a large rock behind the stone wall on the opposite side, then suddenly disappeared. Witnessing this eerie scene, Liu Dashao dared not chase him, holding up his pants and thinking to himself, “Oh no! I completely forgot about those two ancestors in the battle!”
Meanwhile, the cockscomb snake, having gained the upper hand repeatedly, was feeling proud when it suddenly heard a loud noise from behind, causing it to freeze in confusion. The centipede, having long awaited this opportunity, seized the moment. It raised its head and bit the snake on its vital spot—the seventh inch from its head. A stream of foul-smelling snake blood gushed out, splattering onto the pearl on the centipede’s antennae, restoring its brightness. The snake, wounded in a critical area, writhed in pain. It twisted its body and tightly coiled around the centipede. The centipede didn’t loosen its grip. With each mouthful of blood it swallowed, the snake gradually weakened, and the coils around it loosened.
Fan Debiao and Ge Shuanwa, showing great loyalty, had already rushed from behind the rock to support Liu Dashao.
At this moment, the centipede slowly crawled to the snake’s head, swallowed the dim green pearl in one bite, and shook its head joyfully. Its long antennae waved happily. This snake had been its archenemy, occasionally challenging it for fights, with victories and defeats alternating. Tonight, it had finally defeated it and swallowed its dantian! The centipede was overjoyed. Suddenly recalling the earlier commotion, it shook its antennae and raised its body again, searching for the source of the disturbance. Looking up, it suddenly felt the surrounding energy had become chaotic, and the once-familiar valley had transformed completely.
Liu Dashao shouted, “My ‘Resting Talisman’ fell off. Quick, help me find it!” At this point, Huang Shitou and Su Yougui noticed the centipede continuously circling in the battlefield, realizing the talisman had taken effect. They quickly ran to Liu Dashao’s side. Fan Debiao turned on his miner’s lamp and searched through the grass, but where could it be found? Huang Shitou asked, “Isn’t the centipede already lost and unable to find its way out? Why do we still need the talisman?”
Liu Dashao replied, “There’s still one missing. This old demon won’t be trapped for long!”
Huang Shitou asked timidly, “Master Liu, was that really my brother just now?”
Liu Dashao jumped three feet high, “Oh no!” Startled, Hu Beikang and Su Yougui turned to run, thinking another ghost or demon had appeared. Fan Debiao sweated profusely. “Master Liu, why do you keep scaring us like this? We haven’t been scared by monsters yet, but we might die of fright from you!”
Liu Dashao slapped his forehead. “I just realized—the talisman I slapped onto Huang Peng might have fallen off!”
Upon hearing this, Huang Shitou’s eyes turned red. “Why did my brother turn black again…”
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