But just then, Luo Sanpao, who had been keeping watch outside, let out a series of urgent cries: "Luo, Luo! Luo, Luo! Luo, Luo..."
Yu Xiaogang, who had already gone into the tent, hurried back out.
Tang San tossed aside all those chaotic thoughts and immediately stood up, warily scanning his surroundings.
A faint rustling sound reached Tang San's ears. The air seemed to have taken on a hint of a fishy odor—not strong, and even carrying a faint sweetness and the scent of tea.
Tang San's nose twitched, and he blurted out instinctively, "Something poisonous."
That smell was far too familiar. In his previous life, he'd often encountered it at the Bashu Tang Sect.
"Looks like that earlier calm was just the lull before the storm." Yu Xiaogang frowned and put both of his Soul Rings on Luo Sanpao.
At Tang San's raised hand, a fire starter flew out, lighting up the surroundings.
The Mandala Snake made its dazzling entrance!
Seeing this,
Yu Xiaogang's expression changed drastically. "A Mandala Snake! How could such a vicious beast be on the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest? I hope it's only ten years old!"
Zhang Tianyu frowned too. This wasn't right, was it?
Wasn't the Mandala Snake supposed to appear in the first half of the night, before they went to sleep? Why had it only appeared now, after Tang San had already slept and woken up?
"Looks like the plot and timeline have changed again," Zhang Tianyu muttered to himself. "My arrival was bound to cause changes to the plot. I'll have to be even more careful from here on out. System, have you finished preparing?"
"Notice: preparations are not yet complete. Please wait a little longer, Host. But rest assured, this system will finish before you leave behind even the slightest trace."
Here in the Soul Hunting Forest,
the battle between man and beast had begun!
After Yu Xiaogang had Luo Sanpao fart at the Mandala Snake three times, he grabbed Tang San and ran for his life.
The Mandala Snake hadn't intended to pursue them to the bitter end, but those three farts had enraged it completely.
What?
Did being a snake make it inferior?
Did a snake have no dignity?
If a pig blasted it with farts, was it supposed to just swallow its anger?
No!
The Mandala Snake was going to get justice for itself after being blasted with those farts! It was going to set things right!
So it chased Yu Xiaogang relentlessly.
In fact, its only target was Yu Xiaogang. It hadn't wanted to chase Tang San at all, but Yu Xiaogang was dragging him along as they fled, so the Mandala Snake had no choice but to chase them both.
Seeing the Mandala Snake draw closer and closer, Yu Xiaogang decisively ordered Luo Sanpao to charge in and get itself bitten.
Just as expected, Luo Sanpao was bitten in one gulp.
The wound was transmitted to Yu Xiaogang at the same time.
This showed just what a sage Yu Xiaogang was.
At a time like this, he shouldn't have sent Luo Sanpao charging in to block the Mandala Snake. He should have sent it running off in another direction to draw the snake's attention. Maybe it could have led the Mandala Snake away.
After all, it was Luo Sanpao who'd farted, so most of the snake's hatred was directed at him. And since he was a Martial Soul capable of existing independently, perhaps the Mandala Snake would chase after him if he ran off elsewhere.
After all, plenty of people couldn't understand Martial Souls that could exist separately from their Soul Masters—let alone a four-hundred-year-old Soul Beast.
Besides, even if Luo Sanpao couldn't lead the snake away, Yu Xiaogang could summon him back at any time and send him out again to draw its attention. If all else failed, he could always send him charging in to get bitten later.
Instead, he'd sent Luo Sanpao charging in to get bitten right away, choosing the most dangerous method. All that could be said was that he was not only useless, but stupid, too.
Of course, that wasn't the point.
Zhang Tianyu certainly hadn't just stood there watching. He'd already used an item on the two of them as soon as the Mandala Snake appeared—
[Empathy Talisman]—
It affected two people at the same time, connecting their sensations. If one of them was injured, the same part of the other person's body would suffer the same injury.
Note: This item cannot cause death. If its effect leaves the target near death or dead, the item will become invalid, and the target will instantly recover to full health.
This item comes with the [Memory Erasure] effect. After the wounds heal, the target will lose this portion of their memory.
Price: 99 points
Of course, Zhang Tianyu didn't have that many points right now, so he was using it for free.
A master and disciple had to suffer together, neat and tidy!
If Yu Xiaogang got hurt, Tang San had to get hurt too!
If Yu Xiaogang got poisoned, Tang San had to get poisoned too!
As a dutiful child, this was how he had to behave: share his master's joys and sorrows, and feel what his master felt!
The reason Zhang Tianyu had used this item was the [Memory Erasure] effect attached to it.
The system had only cooked up this effect after his Rebirth. Its purpose was to help Zhang Tianyu hide himself better and avoid being discovered.
In his previous life, there had been no such effect, so all those bizarre experiences Yu Xiaogang and Tang San had endured had been etched deep into their minds.
Because of those memories, they'd ended up suspecting Zhang Tianyu more than once.
Those were all traces he'd left behind.
Those gods were all clever as could be, and they were also onlookers. It would be easy for them to track Zhang Tianyu down by following such traces.
Therefore,
the [Memory Erasure] effect had come into being.
As for whether it would help Zhang Tianyu stay better hidden, that remained to be seen. In the system's words, it ought to work. Otherwise, all that effort would have been for nothing.
Deep in the Soul Hunting Forest.
Yu Xiaogang's face was deathly pale.
Tang San's face was just as pale.
The inexplicable pain in his arm, along with the numbing sensation of being poisoned, left him completely baffled!
He couldn't make heads or tails of it!
How the hell had he gotten hurt?
How the hell had he gotten poisoned?
Could somebody please explain this to him?
Tang San was utterly dumbfounded!
Realizing he'd been poisoned, Tang San knew he couldn't afford to delay any longer.
The longer he waited, the deeper the poison would spread and the weaker he'd become. He had to take advantage of the moment and kill the Mandala Snake!
Thinking this, he wrenched his arm from Yu Xiaogang's grasp.
The motion immediately made him grimace in pain!
Yu Xiaogang had grabbed him with his uninjured arm, while Tang San had grabbed Yu Xiaogang with the injured one!
Damn it!
How the hell had he gotten hurt?!
There was no time to worry about that. Tang San immediately launched his Sleeve Arrow, but the Mandala Snake dodged it.
Tang San drew the short sword Yu Xiaogang had given him and began using all his abilities to the fullest: Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Purple Demon Eye, Mysterious Jade Hand, and Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon.
However, killing the snake this time wasn't nearly as easy as it had been in the original story.
Because his arm was injured!
As he used Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon to pull the snake's head toward him, a sudden pain shot through his arm, and his short sword nearly flew out of his hand.
But he still summoned all his strength and stabbed the short sword into the Mandala Snake's mouth.
The Mandala Snake thrashed violently and swept its tail toward him. He was just about to use Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track when the pain in his arm left him drenched in sweat.
In the brief moment he faltered, the Mandala Snake's tail had already swept into his left leg.
"Ah!"
Tang San let out a scream.
It hurt like hell!
I'm going to die, I'm going to die!
Before you continue