Snake Eggs

Watching Zhu Ping'an charge without hesitation toward the Fire Cicada Snake King, Leng Tianjiao's expression grew complicated.

Actually, she had wanted to tell Zhu Ping'an that a powerful expert was secretly protecting her.

As the only daughter of the Leng Family's head, how could the Leng Family really let her leave the city alone to gain experience? Even if Zhu Ping'an hadn't stepped in just now, the Leng Family's expert would have acted.

But this young man standing before her—was he really not afraid to die?

Relying on Chuyi's sharpness, Zhu Ping'an successfully slashed open the female Fire Cicada Snake King's face, disfiguring it.

However, the only thing that wound accomplished was to enrage the Fire Cicada Snake King completely. It lashed its tail, sending Zhu Ping'an flying.

"Pfft!"

Zhu Ping'an spat out a huge mouthful of blood and dropped to one knee. He barely managed to keep from collapsing by bracing himself against the ground with his sword.

When he saw Leng Tianjiao standing frozen nearby, anger surged through him, and he roared at her.

"Run! What are you still standing there for?"

Leng Tianjiao's heart jolted. He was hurt this badly, and he was still worried about my safety?

Leng Tianjiao lifted her beautiful eyes. They were now filled with killing intent as she looked at the Fire Cicada Snake King.

"Uncle Wen, sorry for the trouble."

"Of course, Miss."

An aged voice came from somewhere. A flash of sword light swept down like a streak of cold light.

The female Fire Cicada Snake King hadn't even had time to react when a white line appeared across its body.

The next second, the Fire Cicada Snake King split in half. Its reeking entrails spilled across the ground along with its blood.

Elsewhere, Gu Xuan was consumed by rage. His fists fell like sledgehammers, and he took a hit just to pound the male Fire Cicada Snake King into a heap of pulpy flesh.

"Thank you for your help, senior." Gu Xuan cupped his hands toward the empty space.

Seeing this, Zhu Ping'an put on a suitably startled expression, then gave a bitter smile.

"Sorry, Leng. I didn't know you had someone protecting you. I was sticking my nose where it didn't belong."

Zhu Ping'an struggled to his feet and staggered toward Gu Xuan. But his injuries seemed severe; after only two steps, he toppled over like a golden mountain collapsing or a jade pillar falling.

Leng Tianjiao hurried forward and caught him. Her expression was complicated.

"Zhu Ping'an, why were you willing to risk your life to save me?"

Zhu Ping'an's face remained calm as he pushed away Leng Tianjiao's supporting hand.

"Leng, you've misunderstood. I, Zhu Ping'an, have no habit of hiding behind women. Even if someone else had been here, I, Zhu Ping'an, would have stepped in."

Watching Zhu Ping'an's stubborn back, Leng Tianjiao felt something stir within her—something she couldn't quite name.

"Don't you know you're no match for the Fire Cicada Snake King?"

Zhu Ping'an paused slightly.

"So what?"

Zhu Ping'an recalled what he had read in his textbook.

"Fifty thousand years ago, humans used spears and traps to hunt large beasts, and rose to the top of the food chain. But after Mutant Beasts and demons that feared no modern weapons appeared, humans were once again reduced to prey at the bottom... Yet humanity never gave up fighting back. Only after Mutant Beasts had devoured nearly two billion people did the first Warrior emerge among us."

"Leng Tianjiao, let me ask you: if we stopped fighting just because we couldn't win, what would humanity's fate be now?"

Leng Tianjiao's delicate body shuddered. She couldn't help falling into deep thought. Zhu Ping'an had raised the question from an angle she had never considered.

"Some things have to be done by someone."

Zhu Ping'an's voice was calm, yet it carried an indescribable resolve.

Even Gu Xuan couldn't help taking another look at Zhu Ping'an.

Leng Tianjiao's beautiful eyes turned dreamy. She realized she couldn't see through this young man, who was about her age. He seemed... different from every man she had ever met.

With his back to Leng Tianjiao, Zhu Ping'an's lips curled in a faint, almost imperceptible smile. Did she really think he'd watched all those Tong Jincheng teaching videos for nothing?

"Old Gu, are you still alive?" A hearty voice called from not far away.

"Damn it, I'd die before you do!" Gu Xuan cursed. Another towering figure walked in through the valley entrance.

Unlike Gu Xuan's full beard, this man had a head of curly hair, as if his beard had sprouted right on top of his head.

He was Pan Dahai, another commander of the Green City Garrison. He had also brought students out of the city for College Entrance Examination training. After receiving Gu Xuan's distress signal just now, he had hurried over.

"Is everything taken care of? I saw you'd withdrawn your distress signal."

Pan Dahai handed Gu Xuan a cigarette, then stuck one in his own mouth. After blowing out a puff of smoke, he glanced around.

"Whoa! Fire Cicada Snake Kings, a male and a female! You survived that? What luck! You could go get your feet washed and still miss the anti-prostitution raid!"

"Shut up. I hate listening to you!" Gu Xuan grumbled and punched Pan Dahai on the shoulder.

Deep down, he couldn't help feeling a wave of fear. Thank goodness someone from the Leng Family had stepped in. If they'd run into this situation otherwise, forget the two students—he might not have made it out alive.

"Quit looking so glum. Surviving a great disaster means good fortune is coming." Pan Dahai nudged Gu Xuan with his elbow, waggling his eyebrows. "Don't forget, now that these two Fire Cicada Snake Kings are dead, their eggs belong to nobody."

Mutant Beasts could be tamed, but only while they were still inside their eggs. You had to make sure they saw you as soon as they hatched.

Once they were born, Mutant Beasts were basically impossible to tame.

Thinking of this, Gu Xuan's expression brightened considerably. Those were eggs of a Third-Tier Mutant Beast, the Fire Cicada Snake King! Each one was worth a fortune, even more precious than many fourth-tier Mutant Beasts.

After all, if you raised one from the time it hatched until it reached adulthood, you'd have the equivalent of a Third-Rank Warrior as your bodyguard—one who was utterly loyal and would never betray you.

"Then I hope the beast laid a few more eggs."

Gu Xuan nodded, then searched several nearby caves. After a while, he emerged grinning, carrying four eggs the size of human heads. The corners of his mouth were harder to suppress than an AK's recoil.

"Heh, that beast sure could lay eggs. Four of them!"

A hint of envy entered Pan Dahai's eyes. Those were Fire Cicada Snake King eggs! Back in Green City, each one could fetch over ten million at auction.

"Miss Leng, your family elder killed the female snake. How about we split the eggs two each?" Gu Xuan asked.

Leng Tianjiao shook her head and pointed at Zhu Ping'an. "One is enough for me. Give him the other one."

A glint flashed in Gu Xuan's eyes.

Although Zhu Ping'an had been truly fearless and valiant just now, Gu Xuan hadn't planned on giving a priceless Fire Cicada Snake King egg to a First-Rank Warrior.

But since Leng Tianjiao had spoken up, Gu Xuan was happy to do her a favor. It cost him nothing, and he could only think that Zhu Ping'an was incredibly lucky.

"Congratulations, Zhu Ping'an!" Gu Xuan handed him a Fire Cicada Snake King egg.

The egg felt smooth and warm to the touch, with a hint of heat, like an oversized hand warmer.

Zhu Ping'an's lips lifted slightly. This was an egg of a Third-Tier Mutant Beast. All that effort he'd put into staging that scene had paid off.

"By the way, where are the students you brought?" Gu Xuan asked Pan Dahai.

"I was worried you might be in danger, so I didn't let them get too close."

Pan Dahai called toward a cave in the distance. A boy and a girl walked over.

Zhu Ping'an took one look at them, and his expression instantly turned strange.

Maybe this really was the narrow road where enemies met. The two students Pan Dahai had brought were Ye Qingxian and Yan Shubing!

When Yan Shubing saw the Fire Cicada Snake King egg in Zhu Ping'an's hands, her eyes lit up.

"Ping'an Ge~"