Hunting Fire Cicada Snakes

Gu Xuan's face was cold and stern.

He wasn't joking with them. Even with a leader-level expert assigned to protect them at all times, every year young warriors venturing outside the city for the first time lost their lives through carelessness. The cunning and terror of demons and Mutant Beasts were beyond the imagination of anyone who hadn't faced them firsthand.

Only after Zhu Ping'an and Leng Tianjiao both nodded did Gu Xuan smile.

"Don't worry. As long as you stay close to me, I guarantee you'll leave the city in one piece and return in one piece."

At Gu Xuan's signal, the enormous city gate creaked open.

Zhu Ping'an had expected a hellscape of mountains of corpses and seas of blood beyond the gate. But the moment it opened, a fresh fragrance of osmanthus blossoms wafted toward him.

Birdsong and flowers filled the land outside the city, and the sun shone brightly. There was no sign of danger at all.

If not for the dried, dark-red bloodstains covering the city wall behind him, Zhu Ping'an might have suspected the dangers outside the city were nothing but a rumor that had grown in the telling.

"Don't let your guard down. Any Mutant Beasts or demons that approach the city walls are shot down by the City Guard. That's why it's so quiet here."

Gu Xuan spoke calmly, then asked Zhu Ping'an what mission he'd taken. When he learned that Zhu Ping'an was hunting Fire Cicada Snakes, he let out a surprised "Huh."

"Miss Leng, if I remember right, your mission is to hunt Fire Cicada Snakes too, isn't it?"

Leng Tianjiao nodded expressionlessly.

"Haha, that saves us some trouble." Gu Xuan laughed. "Fire Cicada Snakes aren't too difficult for First-Rank Warriors to handle. The two of you working together will be twice as effective. You can take care of the mission yourselves. I'll only step in if your lives are in danger."

Gu Xuan led the two of them toward a mountain valley. The moment they entered it, the temperature began to rise steadily. Even beads of sweat appeared on Leng Tianjiao's fair forehead.

"That's a Fire Cicada Snake." Gu Xuan pointed toward a fissure in the cliff ahead.

A three-meter-long Fire Cicada Snake, bright red all over and sporting four short legs, was sprawled there, dozing.

Despite its name, the Fire Cicada Snake looked far more like a lizard.

"Shall we attack together?" Zhu Ping'an asked Leng Tianjiao out of courtesy.

"No. I don't make a habit of working with men." Leng Tianjiao didn't even look at him. "Stay right here. Once I've killed eight Fire Cicada Snakes, I'll give you four gallbladders."

As soon as she finished speaking, Leng Tianjiao charged at the Fire Cicada Snake alone.

"So proud, huh?" Zhu Ping'an chuckled.

"Don't take it to heart." Gu Xuan patted Zhu Ping'an on the shoulder. "She's the Leng Family's young lady, Old Master Leng's only daughter. It's only natural she's a little proud."

"The Leng Family?" Zhu Ping'an's gaze sharpened.

The Leng Family was indisputably Green City's most powerful lineage. Its head could even stand as an equal to the Lord of Qingcheng.

There was a saying in Green City: "The Leng Family stands firm as iron; city lords flow by like water."

In Green City, offending the mayor didn't necessarily mean you'd die. But offend the Leng Family, and you'd never see the sun rise the next day.

There was no denying Leng Tianjiao had reason to be proud. With each move, countless dazzling Ice Lotuses slowly bloomed, keeping the Fire Cicada Snake completely on the defensive. It was only a matter of time before she finished it off.

If I hadn't spent half a month practicing sword techniques with the Yin and Yang Elders, I'd have no chance against Leng Tianjiao.

"Look over there! There's another Fire Cicada Snake!" Gu Xuan pointed in a direction where another Fire Cicada Snake was eyeing them warily.

Zhu Ping'an said nothing. He simply raised his sword and advanced.

Man and snake watched each other. The Fire Cicada Snake's fangs carried fire poison. If it bit someone who couldn't get prompt treatment, even a Second-Rank Warrior could be in mortal danger.

So Zhu Ping'an didn't underestimate it. His eyes narrowed as he stepped forward and thrust his longsword straight at the snake's eyes.

The Fire Cicada Snake seemed to sense danger. It let out a hoarse hiss and dodged to the side, then lashed its enormous tail at Zhu Ping'an.

That tail was like an iron whip. A single blow would leave at least a cracked bone.

Zhu Ping'an reacted swiftly, pulling his sword back before immediately unleashing the Nine Mountain Divine Sword.

"Nine Mountain Divine Sword, first form: Sword Out, Mountain Split!"

A flash of swordlight vanished. With a wet thwack, the huge, fiery-red tail fell to the ground, still writhing.

The Fire Cicada Snake's severed stump was smooth as a mirror, gushing blood. It writhed in agony, then went berserk, opening its jaws and lunging at Zhu Ping'an.

There was no denying the Fire Cicada Snake was clever. It had picked its moment perfectly. Zhu Ping'an had just finished using the Nine Mountain Divine Sword, and his old strength had run out before new strength could take its place. He had no time to defend himself.

Gu Xuan was already preparing to leap in and save him when, unexpectedly, a sudden twist of events unfolded!

A short sword had somehow pierced in beneath the Fire Cicada Snake's jaw and stabbed straight into its head. Blood sprayed everywhere.

Gu Xuan stared in shock. Even he hadn't seen when the short sword had appeared.

"You can dodge Chuyi, but you can't dodge Fifteenth Day."

Zhu Ping'an calmly pulled Fifteenth Day from the Fire Cicada Snake's body, then cut open its belly and took out a gallbladder, stowing it in his backpack.

He felt no fear at all at the bloody sight before him. Instead, he sensed a surge of excitement.

A First-Level Fire Cicada Snake, taken down without a scratch.

Becoming a disciple of the Yin and Yang Elders had indeed been the right choice. If he'd just buried himself in solitary cultivation, he certainly wouldn't have improved so quickly.

Even Leng Tianjiao couldn't help glancing at Zhu Ping'an. He had started fighting later than she had, yet had killed his Fire Cicada Snake at the same time. Didn't that mean she was inferior to him?

Leng Tianjiao's elegant brows knitted slightly.

After that, Leng Tianjiao seemed to be secretly competing with Zhu Ping'an. Whenever he found another Fire Cicada Snake, she would wait before going all out against her own prey.

When she saw that Zhu Ping'an took longer than she did to kill his next Fire Cicada Snake, her frown finally relaxed.

Zhu Ping'an naturally noticed her little game. He chuckled and shook his head, with no intention of competing against Leng Tianjiao. Instead, he began training his combat skills.

When he faced the second Fire Cicada Snake, he used only Longsword First Day. This time, it took him twice as long to kill it as before.

When he faced the third Fire Cicada Snake, he deliberately left Longsword First Day aside and used only Shortsword Fifteenth Day. This time, killing it took even longer.

When he faced the fourth Fire Cicada Snake, Zhu Ping'an even went barehanded, wrestling and fighting it like a wild man.

He was soon injured, but the pressure of life-or-death danger rapidly improved his combat skills. This kind of training, like tying both hands behind his back, made Gu Xuan watch with his heart in his throat, constantly debating whether to intervene.

Only Zhu Ping'an knew that if he didn't seize the chance to push himself and improve while the plot protected him from death, sooner or later he really would die in the jaws of a Mutant Beast.