Snake Demon (Part 1)

Qu Wuxing watched the old man walk away and said, "Mad and senseless, talking nonsense." Yan Chihuo replied, "I think he's no ordinary person, but as long as he has nothing to do with us, there's no need to mind him." Having traveled the martial world for many years, he had encountered many strange people and odd events, so he paid it no heed.

By evening, they stopped to rest at a small inn. Yun Zaitian and Tong Huaibing had their acupoints sealed and were placed in the middle room, while Yan Chihuo and Qu Wuxing slept in the rooms on either side to prevent the two from escaping.

Yan Chihuo was injured and, after a day of travel, felt somewhat weary, so he retired early. In a daze, a wisp of black smoke suddenly rose from the door of his room. Startled, Yan Chihuo tried to get up but found his entire body immobile, unable even to circulate his true qi. He opened his mouth to shout but no sound came out. He had faced countless life-and-death crises before, but never anything so bizarre, and a deep fear gripped him.

The black smoke in the room grew thicker, soon filling the entire space. Within the smoke, a monster appeared, half-human, half-ape. It grinned at Yan Chihuo, but the smile was utterly sinister and terrifying. With a single leap, it pounced at him, then dissolved back into a wisp of black smoke that drilled into his seven orifices, causing him indescribable agony.

Yan Chihuo screamed inwardly, "I'm going to die! How did this monster get inside my body?" Suddenly, he sat bolt upright, only to find the room empty. It had all been just a nightmare, yet the dream had been so vivid that he couldn't tell reality from illusion.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and realized his entire body was drenched. He moved his limbs, found nothing amiss, and then circulated the Spirit Jade Vajra Art. He paused slightly, sensing that the art had advanced. The Spirit Jade Vajra Art was the highest-level martial inner technique of Tiger Roar Manor, yet very few could cultivate it. Over the centuries, only Second Master Ping's uncle, Ping Qi, had succeeded. It was said he later entered the Dao through martial arts and became a cultivator, but he hadn't returned to Tiger Roar Manor in decades.

Later, Second Master Ping Fei, seeking to expand his influence in the martial world, brought out this technique, but only Yan Chihuo could cultivate it. Strangely enough, after practicing the Spirit Jade Vajra Art, Yan Chihuo gained immense strength and progressed at an astonishing rate, leaving everyone else far behind. The reason he could claim the top spot among the Thirteen Guardians at just sixteen years old was largely due to this art.

One peculiar thing about the Spirit Jade Vajra Art was that no divine weapon or sharp blade served Yan Chihuo as well as stone weapons. Even for hidden weapons, he chose Flying Locust Stones. When he threw a Flying Locust Stone, it was nearly twice as fast and twice as powerful as other projectiles, which was why he used a jade sword as his weapon. However, if he unleashed the Spirit Jade Vajra Art with full force, he would be drained of strength and wracked with unbearable pain, requiring three full hours to recover.

The Spirit Jade Vajra Art had three levels. After ten years of arduous training, he had only just reached the second level, but now he was nearing its peak—a speed of cultivation he had never experienced before.

Yan Chihuo pulled another jade sword from his bosom. He always carried three; the first had already snapped, and this was the second. He gently pushed open the window, leaped out, and crept to the window of the middle room. Listening carefully, he heard two people snoring inside, confirming Yun Zaitian and Tong Huaibing were still there. He glanced up at the bright moon in the sky, then returned to his own room and slowly fell asleep.

The next morning, Yan Chihuo woke to find his injuries mostly healed. He felt the dream from the previous night was exceedingly strange. Gao Kun's sword strike had been a flesh wound, but a serious one. After that ordeal, he hadn't rested well, yet he felt no fatigue at all.

Normally, he would have waited until his injuries fully healed before setting off back to Tiger Roar Manor, but this time Ping Fei had instructed him before leaving: once he obtained the treasure Gao Bing had found, he was to return immediately without delay. That was why he had set out at once. Thinking of this, he took out Gao Bing's treasure again.

The treasure was stored in a jade box fitted with a small lock. Strange patterns were carved on the box's surface. Seeing these patterns, he also drew out Gao Kun's longsword.

The sword was made of some unknown material—though it was a type of wood, it was incredibly hard. It too bore strange patterns, somewhat similar to those on the jade box, yet distinctly different.

He had no idea what was inside the jade box. Back then, Ping Fei hadn't told him what it was, only describing a jade box with strange patterns. Since Ping Fei hadn't revealed what the treasure was, Yan Chihuo didn't open it. If Ping Fei was unwilling to tell him, he naturally had to exercise some discretion.

Qu Wuxing was pleased to see Yan Chihuo's complexion improving. The group ate a quick breakfast and continued their journey. By evening, they arrived at a small town called White Cloud Town.

Qu Wuxing noticed the streets were nearly deserted and said, "Strange. Two months ago, when the three of us passed through here with the boss, it wasn't this desolate. Do these people go to bed this early?"

Yan Chihuo said, "Let's find an inn to stay at."

Qu Wuxing pointed and said, "There's a Fortune Abode Inn."

Yan Chihuo saw the inn had a new signboard and clean, scrubbed doors, so he said, "Let's check it out."

The group rode over, and Qu Wuxing called out, "Innkeeper!" After a while, a waiter came out. Seeing Yan Chihuo and the others, he said, "Honored guests, would you like to stay the night?"

Qu Wuxing said, "Prepare three adjoining rooms for us, along with a table of wine and food, and feed the horses."

The waiter acknowledged and went to prepare. In a short while, he first set out a table of wine and food, then said to Yan Chihuo, "Honored guest, where are you headed? Heading east, perhaps?"

Yan Chihuo said, "That's right."

The waiter said, "Honored guest, you can't go east anymore."

Yan Chihuo asked in surprise, "Why is that? Two months ago, we just came from the east."

The waiter said, "Honored guest, you may not know. Last month, a giant serpent emerged from the mountains to the east. It devoured every traveler who passed by. Sometimes it even comes into town to snatch people to eat, causing us no end of trouble."

Qu Wuxing said upon hearing this, "No matter. If we encounter it when we pass through tomorrow, we'll rid you of this pest."

The waiter said, "That giant serpent is over thirty meters long, covered in black scales that arrows can't pierce. It moves like lightning, has immense strength, and can spew poisonous mist that kills on contact. Honored guest, you must be careful."

Qu Wuxing said, "You have a good heart. Don't worry." With that, he raised his wine bowl and drained it in one gulp.

Seeing that Yan Chihuo and his group were completely unconcerned, the waiter could only shake his head and leave.

Qu Wuxing said, "Country folk have narrow views. What's there to fear from a mere snake?"