The serpent swarm closed in. The group spun, their imposing sword qi striking out, scattering a large portion of the snakes.
Dinglei’s blade swept across, slicing a snake in half. Blood splattered, and the serpentine stench in the air grew increasingly potent.
Yet, under such an offensive, the serpent swarm showed no signs of diminishing. For every one that died, more became frantic.
Soon, some individuals were bitten, groaning in pain. In moments, they curled up, convulsing in agony.
Standing beside Liu Liu, the eccentric Feng Gu Wu Lang Jun’s heart stirred with surprise at the types of snakes present. Various kinds were mixed in.
Among them were numerous venomous snakes. Anyone bitten by them was doomed. He had a treasure once, but he had given it to Xiao Mu Xing. That item could resist serpent swarms. Feng Gu Wu Lang Jun spoke rapidly.
“Everyone be careful, these snakes are poisonous.”
“Poisonous,” everyone exclaimed in unison. They dared not be careless any longer, their focus entirely on their surroundings.
As soon as the snakes attacked, they would simultaneously strike them away, securing the ground around their feet.
Just as everyone was struggling to fend off the venomous snakes, a small head poked out from the garden’s secluded path. Its bright, large eyes blinked, curiously observing everything. A clear voice rang out in the night.
“Wow, so many snakes, this is fun!”
Upon hearing the voice, Liu Liu realized it was Mu Xing and her heart plummeted.
Although she knew Mu Xing wasn’t afraid of snakes, she worried what would happen if he were accidentally bitten by so many venomous ones.
Liu Liu’s heart trembled. She, who had never been afraid, now felt panic. She yelled at Cui’er, who was behind Mu Xing.
“Hurry and take him out!”
Cui’er, seeing her mistress angry, quickly grabbed Mu Xing’s hand, coaxing and persuading, “Mu Xing, let’s go quickly, brother is angry.”
“No, I want to play,” Mu Xing refused to yield to Cui’er. He had never seen so many snakes before and was naturally curious. Moreover, he had already heard Xiao Jin’s excited hissing from his pouch, and he spoke joyfully.
“Xiao Jin, are you excited to see so many friends? Then I’ll let you out for some fresh air.”
He loosened his chubby little hand, and a small golden snake shot out, landing on the ground. Though it was a small snake, it raised its pointed triangular head, hovering in mid-air.
The appearance of the little golden snake caused a flicker of panic in the eyes of the woman in red and the group of women behind her. Who was this child, calling out to Brother Qi Ye, was he Qi Ye’s brother?
He was cute, but he possessed such an extremely sinister creature.
Xiao Jin was originally a Serpent King, a creature with extreme aggression. Once it attacked, even its own kind would perish under its venom.
It was unexpected that such a venomous snake would be as obedient as a toy by Mu Xing’s side. But now, its fierce, bloodthirsty eyes stared at the surrounding snakes, letting out hissing sounds.
The swarm of snakes quickly retreated. Even with the slave-snake technique, the snakes no longer attacked. They writhed on the ground, completely ignoring their master’s command.
A portion of the snakes had already perished in their struggle, unwilling to advance even in death.
Seeing that this child had ruined her plan, the woman in red was furious. She flashed forward, striking at Mu Xing’s head with her short flute. Liu Liu would never allow her to do that.
She had been guarding against her all along. Her body moved with lightning speed to Mu Xing’s side. With a flick of her pure white sleeve, a powerful palm strike shot towards the woman in red, who was a step too late. The woman in red flipped her crimson sleeve, stumbled, and retreated to a stable position.
Her gaze was sinister as she stared at Qi Ye, the master of Seven Stars Tower, floating in the air, and the suddenly appearing dead child.
Mu Xing, completely unaware of the danger, wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck, giggling, “Brother is so amazing.”
“You,” Liu Liu said, both amused and exasperated, landing beside him. She reached out, giving her son a doting yet scolding glare, “You scared me to death! But I didn’t expect Xiao Jin to have some skills. Looking at its small size, it’s actually the King of a Hundred Snakes.”
Mu Xing was uninterested in being the King of a Hundred Snakes. But seeing his mother happy made him happy. His eyes crinkled into a smile, as if he had received the greatest reward. He called out to Xiao Jin, “Xiao Jin, come here.”
The golden snake vanished with a whoosh. The speed stunned onlookers. It was no wonder all snakes feared it; it truly had the qualifications.
The woman in red opposite them, seeing her snake-taming art fail, glared at Liu Liu and Mu Xing through gritted teeth. She raised her hand and blew her short flute again. The notes that emerged were cold and carried killing intent.
Soon, another type of creature began to crawl in. They were large, dark scorpions, entirely black with streaks of red, appearing in rows.
Everyone felt a sense of disgust. These evil, unorthodox things were truly repulsive. After the venomous snakes, it was black scorpions.
Such large scorpions were extremely venomous. Immediately, everyone’s faces turned grim. They glared at the women playing the short flutes, wishing they could cut them into a thousand pieces.
Only Feng Xie appeared as if none of this concerned him. When Mu Xing’s small body stood beside him, watching his sweet smile and his upward gaze of admiration towards Qi Ye, his heart gave a jolt. Unbidden, he thought of Liu Er and the deceased child.
If that child were still alive, would he be as beautiful as this little one? Delicate and lovely, exuding intelligence from his small frame?
This little fellow, of such a young age, was clearly a formidable individual, very suited for great deeds.
Clearly the same age, compared to him, Yu Lou was so timid and cowardly. And he disliked him; he always felt the child’s appearance was too effeminate, lacking even the courage to speak to him directly.
And every time he saw him, it reminded him of the deceased child, causing his heart to ache to the point of suffocation. That was why he stopped looking at Yu Lou. But tonight, seeing this adorable little fellow, a thousand tangled emotions surged within him. He couldn’t help but bend down slightly, hoping the child would glance at him.
But the child only stared at his brother, with an expression of seeking favor.
If he hadn’t drugged him, that child would surely have been just as bold, because his mother’s personality was inherently daring and reckless. Like mother, like son; he would surely have been as dazzling as the child before him. Feng Xie’s handsome face flickered, and endless sorrow filled his dark eyes. He stopped looking at the child.
It would only bring him pain. A killing intent flashed on Feng Xie’s lips. He stared grimly at the women in red, turned, and coldly commanded Ri Ying and Yue Ying behind him.
“Go, take down these bastards.”
As his words fell, Ri Ying and Yue Ying moved past him and flew into the air. The scorpions were on the ground, with no obstacles in the air, so they could use this advantage to fight these women.
But no one expected that these black scorpions, controlled by the women in red, would suddenly turn. A small cluster of scorpions shot out rapidly, landing on the two men.
Ri Ying and Yue Ying felt a sudden chill. Their bodies spun, and they landed, quickly moving to shake off the venomous scorpions. However, their plan to kill the women in mid-air was dashed.
Mu Xing, seeing his mother struggling with the scorpions, became angry. He placed his little hands on his waist, and his pleasant voice rang out, “Who are you, daring to bully my brother? This is too much! Today, you’ll see my young master’s treasure!”