Venomous snakes, another encounter

"Second Son, you seem a little different!"

Early the next morning, Zhang Xuan'e spoke in surprise after seeing her son.

"He does, a little..."

At Zhang Xuan'e's words, Zhao Dazhu also looked Zhao Er over. He noticed a difference too, but could not tell exactly what had changed.

"Second Brother's skin is lighter!"

Only when little Zhao Shan spoke did the two of them realize what it was.

It was not actually that Zhao Er's skin had grown lighter. After he switched cultivation arts, all the toxins on the surface of his body had been drawn into his blood, making his formerly darkened skin appear fairer.

Zhao Dazhu and Zhang Xuan'e did not understand the change, but seeing Zhao Er's rosy complexion and how much healthier he looked than before, they were happy for him.

Seeing his parents happy, Zhao Er decided not to explain. He smiled, hung the clay jar at his waist, and took a woven bamboo basket as well. It had originally been used to hold fish, but it would serve quite nicely for snakes now.

Now that Zhao Er had switched cultivation arts, his need for toxins had increased. The Heavenly Dragon Toxin he had used before could no longer meet his cultivation needs.

Although the Heavenly Dragon Toxin was far more potent than the venom of ordinary centipedes, the toxins it contained were not actually lethal in small quantities.

So this time, besides checking his traps, Zhao Er also needed to find a new venomous creature that could replace the Heavenly Dragon Toxin.

For that reason, Zhao Er did not take his usual route up the mountain.

Venomous creatures rarely shared their habitats, so catching other kinds near the centipede traps he had set earlier would be extremely difficult.

But that was no problem. The outskirts of the Clear Radiance Mountain Range might not have much else, but they certainly boasted a rich variety of venomous creatures. This time, Zhao Er's targets were the venomous snakes in the Mountain Range. They were even more common than centipedes; he simply had not encountered any before because he had taken a different route.

Today, Zhao Er took another narrow path. A little stream flowed out of the Mountain Range there, and he planned to follow it upstream and explore.

Venomous snakes favored environments similar to those centipedes liked: damp, dark places. But snakes preferred places with water, especially somewhere like the stream Zhao Er was heading toward. Thick vegetation grew along both banks, offering not only hiding places but an abundance of food.

Listening to the gentle murmur of flowing water, Zhao Er followed the stream uphill, walking over the stones along its bank while watching his surroundings warily.

Zhao Er only knew that a stream flowed out of the outskirts of the Mountain Range here. He had never actually visited it, much less ventured farther into the outskirts along it.

As he followed the stream upward, he found that its course kept the area from being completely overgrown. Though the surrounding trees were tall, gaps remained between them, allowing sunlight through. Thanks to that sunlight, there was no miasma nearby.

But there really were plenty of snakes. After barely a hundred meters, Zhao Er had already encountered four. Three of them slipped into the woods before he could approach.

Only one Flat-Head Wind did not flee, instead arching its body in an aggressive stance.

Flat-Head Wind was a local name, given because the snake's head looked flat when it reared up. In his previous life, however, this kind of snake had a name everyone knew: cobra.

Zhao Er did not chase the snakes that had fled. Who knew what else lurked in the woods?

As for this Flat-Head Wind, Zhao Er merely waved his stick in front of it, and its body instantly sprang forward, its head striking to bite the stick.

Whoosh!

The instant the snake's head struck at the stick, Zhao Er's hand shot out as well. With Spirit Snake Flicking Tongue, he seized the Flat-Head Wind's head with absolute precision.

The moment he caught its head, its slick, icy body coiled around him.

Feeling the snake's cold touch on his arm, Zhao Er frowned. Although he had prepared himself mentally... once he actually touched it, he still felt a deep aversion.

But necessity left him no choice. No matter how disgusting he found it, Zhao Er forced himself to endure it and put the snake into the bamboo basket.

One snake certainly was not enough. Zhao Er continued upstream.

Before long, Zhao Er caught another three snakes. One was a Flat-Head Wind that had readied itself to attack after hearing him, while the other two were Bamboo Pit Vipers hidden on branches.

"There's a bend ahead. I'll turn back once I reach it. I can't go any deeper."

The bamboo basket at his waist was rather small, and both Flat-Head Winds were hefty. Besides, his main purpose today was to scout the route. Zhao Er was quite satisfied with having caught those two, and he still needed to check the centipede traps later. He planned to go a little farther, then turn back.

"Quick!!! It's running this way! Spread the nets! Don't let it escape!"

But just as Zhao Er continued forward, a shout rang out.

The moment he heard it, Zhao Er's gaze sharpened. He instantly lowered himself, letting the surrounding bushes conceal his body, and pricked up his ears to listen intently to the commotion ahead.

His caution was understandable. Zhao Er knew very well that in the Clear Radiance Mountains, whether in the outskirts or deep within, the greatest danger was often not venomous insects or miasma, but the human heart.

What was more, the moment Zhao Er heard that voice, he recognized the speaker ahead as the Wang Family steward he had met a few days earlier.

"Ah!!! I've been bitten! I've been bitten!!! Give me a Detoxification Pill, quick!!!"

"What are you scared of a little poison for? Don't you practice the Five Poisons Art? I heard people who practice it don't fear poison!"

"I've got it under the net! Ah!!! I've been bitten too! I'm poisoned!" "Fuck, you don't fucking think practicing the Five Poisons Art makes you immune to every poison, do you?!"

"Close the nets first! Don't let that marten escape!"

As he listened, Zhao Er slowly let down his guard. There was quite a commotion ahead, and things seemed to have reached a critical moment. He guessed they would not be able to notice him.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Er hunched over and began creeping forward under cover of the bushes beside the stream.

Once he reached the bend, Zhao Er lay flat on the ground and very carefully parted the grass along the bank to look through.

In the woods a short distance from the stream, three people stood in a circle. Each held a large net, trapping a white figure between them.

The white figure moved swiftly and seemed quite strong. Even covered by three nets, it would not settle down, repeatedly pushing them upward from within and making it impossible to see exactly what it looked like.

One of the three was that steward.

And he was the only one of them unharmed. Of the other two, one clutched his arm and the other his neck. Both stared anxiously at the Wang Family steward.

Their anxiety was understandable. The entire arm of the man clutching it had already turned black and blue, while the other martial artist's whole head above his neck had taken on a black tinge, and white foam was spilling from the corners of his mouth.