A Mere Venomous Scorpion, What Is There to Fear?

The table was laden with a dazzling array of steaming dishes, everything one could possibly want.

Beside it, quite a few beautiful maids danced gracefully. Their long, snow-white legs were veiled in thin gauze, their fragrance permeating the air and making it hard to look away.

"Little brother, you truly stunned me earlier. Honestly, I, Zhang Long, have never seen a seven-year-old who could kill someone—and an Innate Master at that. You really amazed me!"

During the feast, Zhang Long clasped his hands and spoke, filled with admiration.

He added, "I, Zhang Long, am someone who repays kindness. You're still young, brother, so you can't visit a brothel, but you can at least enjoy the sight of these beautiful women dancing. I hope you won't take offense, little brother."

Chen Xiaofan shook his head.

Seven years old?

My actual age is about the same as yours, all right?

He had transmigrated when he was eighteen; only his body was seven years old.

Still, the other man was right. A seven-year-old had not even grown up yet—how could he visit a brothel?

After a hearty meal of fish and meat, Zhang Long gave Chen Xiaofan another three hundred taels of silver for travel expenses on the journey to Mount Wudang. He even escorted him for ten li before reluctantly parting with him.

Three hundred taels of silver were enough for an ordinary family to buy a house and marry a beautiful wife!

Chen Xiaofan did not refuse and accepted it.

Before them now stood a towering mountain, majestic and imposing like a pillar holding up the heavens.

Having escorted him this far, Zhang Long drew a sharp breath and said with lingering fear, "Though I could see you off for a thousand li, we must eventually part. I won't go any farther, but brother, I must warn you. This mountain is called the Withering Blood Mountain Range, and Man-eating Scorpions run rampant within it. Those scorpions are enormous, reaching three meters long. They have harmed the people here, and no fewer than a thousand have died by their claws so far. Even my Senior Disciple Brother lost his life here. Do you think you should take a detour?"

To be honest, the Man-eating Scorpion was far too terrifying, which was why he advised Chen Xiaofan to go around it.

"Man-eating Scorpion?" Chen Xiaofan smiled and said lightly, "A mere scorpion—what is there to fear?"

If I have to take a detour every time I run into something, wouldn't that be humiliating?

It would make it seem like I'm afraid of this scorpion.

"Uh... Since you aren't willing, little brother, I'll go with you. That way, even if we do encounter that scorpion, we'll have a better chance of winning!" Zhang Long said sincerely, drawing the sword at his waist as he prepared for battle at any moment.

He had more or less expected this. The mountain covered far too much ground, and taking a detour would add at least two days to the journey, so it was only natural that the little brother was unwilling.

But how could he let his little brother face such a terrifying Man-eating Scorpion alone?

"Good. I've decided you're a brother worth having." Chen Xiaofan could not help feeling moved. Zhang Long was a good man. On Blue Star, where everyone schemed against one another, people like him were truly hard to find.

He had already seen it earlier—the mountain was vast and boundless. Even with Sword Riding Flight, one would run out of stamina midway and need to find a place to rest. It would be difficult to fly across in one go.

More importantly, he wanted to kill that scorpion outright.

Not only am I not afraid of you, I'm going to kill you!

The two began climbing the mountain.

The path was easy enough at first, with narrow trails trodden out by hunters. But the farther they went, the sparser the trails became. It seemed the hunters only dared to hunt in the outer regions and did not dare venture deeper.

Along the way, Zhang Long explained that hunters had once dared to go deep into the mountain, but after seven or eight died in succession, no one had the courage anymore. Even groups of hunters did not dare enter.

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, they had traveled for two days.

Over those two days, they walked and rested. Whenever they were hungry, Zhang Long took out dry rations to share with Chen Xiaofan, and the two enjoyed themselves along the way.

At dusk on the third day, when they reached a mountain stream, Zhang Long discovered what appeared to be traces of a scorpion.

"Brother, look! There's a pool of blood over there!"

"Even though we've been so careful, we still ran into the scorpion!"

Zhang Long's scalp went numb. Pointing toward a large ravine not far ahead, he spoke with his entire body trembling.

Chen Xiaofan glanced over and said lightly, "No need to be afraid. Since we've encountered it, we'll just cut it down with one strike of the sword."

"Cut it down with one strike?" Zhang Long was shocked. So the little brother could actually kill this scorpion?

He had heard that this scorpion possessed the cultivation of a late-stage Great Grandmaster. The little brother... Gasp!

Zhang Long seemed to realize something and hurriedly covered his mouth.

A seven-year-old Great Grandmaster—my heavens!

Chen Xiaofan clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward the ravine. Before long, he reached the pool of blood.

"The blood is still wet. It seems likely that it's nearby."

After considering it for a moment, he drew his sword and continued forward.

Sure enough, after crossing the ravine, they suddenly spotted a gleaming black venomous stinger in a thicket ahead.

"It's the venomous stinger on that scorpion's tail!"

Zhang Long recognized it at once, and terror filled his heart.

Back then, his sect's Senior Disciple Brother had come here and been pierced straight through the heart by that scorpion's venomous stinger!

The incident had already left a deep shadow in his heart!

Now, at the sight of that stinger, he could not stop himself from trembling all over. His limbs went weak, and he nearly collapsed onto the ground.

Chen Xiaofan steadied him and said, "Don't be afraid. Follow me."

Only then did Zhang Long come back to his senses. He took a deep breath and followed him forward.

As they drew closer, they saw that there seemed to be something beneath the scorpion, dripping with blood.

Zhang Long looked carefully, and his expression changed drastically!

The scorpion was chewing on a human leg. Crisp smacking sounds carried through the air—the sound of bones being bitten apart.

Looking to the side, they saw a Man in Black lying on his back beneath the scorpion. His clothes had long since been shredded, his eyes rolled white, and there was a hole in his head made by a venomous stinger. He appeared to have been dead for quite some time.

Chen Xiaofan said lightly, "Don't be afraid. Watch me kill it with one strike of my sword."