Chapter 138: Falling into the Snake Pit

The mounds of earth on the ground paused for a moment before continuing their movement.

Yun Mutian asked in surprise, "These Ice Bone Needles kill upon contact and leave no soul behind. Why aren't they working?"

Old Man Ma scoffed, "You little brat, do you really think these evil arts are omnipotent? These snakes are evil entities themselves. Your own malevolence doesn't even measure up to theirs, yet you want to kill them? Ha! You're just giving them a boost!"

"My apprentice needs no instruction from others!" Guo Sangong snapped.

With a wave of his hands, he shot something out. The moving mounds suddenly burst open, revealing two-headed snakes that were withered and already dead.

"Run!" Guo Sangong commanded.

The group snapped into action, scrambling toward the exit.

Suddenly, the ground gave way, feeling as fragile and precarious as a thin cracker. I was struck with alarm, but before I could process it, the ground collapsed with a roar, and I plummeted downward!

My heart leaped into my throat, and I was utterly stunned. Damn it! This hole was way too big! What the hell was going on?

After a sharp, rapid descent, my body was caught by a pair of arms. Before I could regain my senses, dull thuds erupted from all around, followed by a chorus of groans.

It was pitch black, and I couldn't see my own hand in front of my face, but I could tell it was Tu'e who had caught me. I hadn't expected him to be so righteous, but being carried horizontally like this felt incredibly awkward.

I patted Tu'e on the shoulder and said, "Thanks, put me down."

"You're too heavy. I don't want to carry you either, but there are things here. You'd better not get down." His honesty was almost infuriating.

Spotted red starlight began to flicker in the darkness, growing denser and more numerous until it seemed we were standing in the middle of a bizarre red starry sky. What were these lights? Were there fireflies or something down here?

A shrill, heart-wrenching scream pierced the air, filled with agony—just like the man who had been bitten earlier!

A mobile phone light flickered on, and the screaming stopped abruptly. One of the lackeys lay dead on the ground, his body swollen and blackened. An arm-thick, two-headed snake slithered beside the corpse, its red eyes glowing.

The others gasped, and I couldn't help but draw a cold breath. The "red starlight" was the glow from the snakes' eyes. If there were so many "stars," didn't that mean...

The two-headed snake opened its maw and lunged, and dozens of other pairs of red eyes surged forward from the darkness! I could almost hear the sound of them cutting through the air!

In the darkness, Old Man Ma and Guo Sangong’s master-disciple duo responded rapidly, shielding the group and beating back the attacking snakes.

More two-headed snakes crawled toward me, a dense, writhing mass of heads rising from the ground. Tu'e carried me, dodging left and right while muttering incantations under his breath.

If it had been me alone, with my injured leg, I would have been bitten to death for sure!

"Use the black talisman medicine!" Guo Sangong’s voice rang out.

"Don't be reckless! Your evil concoctions won't work on these things, and they'll only hurt our own people!" Old Man Ma immediately barked, then added, "Luo-zi! The black dog blood! Be careful not to get bitten!"

I was the safest one now. I quickly pulled out the black dog blood I had brought, twisted off the cap, and splashed it toward the group. A heavy, metallic stench of blood quickly filled the air, and the red eyes rapidly retreated.

The black dog blood really worked!

I splashed some on myself and Tu'e and told him to put me down immediately; I didn't want to be carried like this—I wasn't a woman, damn it!

The stick I had been using as a crutch had been lost somewhere, so I had to lean on Tu'e, standing on one leg.

A few more phones were turned on, their flashlights illuminating the surroundings. The spacious cavern was swarming with a dense mass of two-headed snakes! They were intertwined and coiled everywhere—on the ceiling, on the floor, and in every direction. There were countless numbers of them, all large, each as thick as a human arm, their hideous heads watching us, flicking their tongues!

My scalp tingled; I was shocked beyond words. The sheer number was terrifying! If the forest was the kingdom of the two-headed snakes, this was their world. They had hollowed out the ground to build this massive snake den, using the thin layer of soil above to deceive everyone! My god, even burning the mountain wouldn't work; the fire wouldn't reach this deep underground!

"This is a damn snake nest! We're finished! We're dead for sure!" one of the lackeys screamed in terror.

"Shut up! Do you think I won't shoot you, you bastard?" Yang Guangyu snarled. Gone was his refined demeanor, replaced by a cold, ruthless edge.

The man didn't dare to wail again.

Another lackey trembled, his voice shaking. "Brother Yu, what... what should we do now?"

Yang Guangyu looked at Old Man Ma, then at Guo Sangong. "What do we do?"

"Don't provoke them, and find a way to climb out," Guo Sangong said. His face was dark; he clearly hadn't expected such a massive display.

"Forget it! The black dog blood might hold them off for a moment, but with this many of them, there's no guarantee they won't pounce if we try to climb out!" Old Man Ma replied.

Although the two-headed snakes hadn't attacked again, they hadn't gone far, lingering as if ready to strike at any moment.

"Old... Old Man Ma! Tell us what to do! Are we all going to die here?" the village chief asked, panic-stricken.

Beside him, Yang Baoshu was terrified, his entire body trembling, his legs shaking so hard he was nearly wetting himself.

"I have an idea!" Yun Mutian suddenly said, a crafty smile appearing on his face. I wondered what kind of sinister trick he was cooking up now.

"W-what idea?" Yang Baoshu asked, fearful and restless.

"These snakes keep staring at us, so naturally, they'll come for us all at once. We should find a way to divert their attention. As long as they aren't focused on us, they won't attack," the kid said with a devious glint in his eyes.

Divert their attention? That was easy to say. He didn't have the skills of A-San, nor did he have a flute. With so many snakes here, how was he going to draw them away? What kind of crooked scheme was this guy plotting?

"How do we divert their attention?" Yang Guangyu asked.

"It's simple," Yun Mutian said with a smile, suddenly pointing at me. "Use him!"

That bastard really didn't have a shred of kindness! He’d tried to kill me with the Ice Bone Needles earlier, and now he was plotting against me again! He wanted to use me as bait for the snakes? What a joke!

"Yun, I haven't settled the score with you for those Ice Bone Needles yet! Don't be so ungrateful!"

He gave a sinister laugh, unfazed, and continued, "I noticed earlier that these snakes are particularly 'fond' of him. If we use him to draw their attention, we can leave safely!"

Old Man Ma roared, "Everything has its limits! Don't go too far! Do you really think I don't have the guts to deal with you?"

Yun Mutian fell silent, but Yang Guangyu and his group were staring straight at me, clearly already having taken his words to heart.