As I shone my flashlight towards the dark figure, I realized it was Oubao.
He looked disheveled, his backpack gone, holding a black cat in his left hand and a curved saber in his right.
I noticed bloodstains on his face and clothes.
His brows were furrowed, his expression as terrifying as it could be.
I instinctively reached for the dagger at my waist...
"Just the three of you? Where are the other three?" Oubao asked.
Hearing this, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He sheathed his saber and, carrying the black cat, walked over and sat on the ground. It was then that I noticed a wound on his shoulder.
So, the blood on him was his own.
I took out the bandages from my backpack, went over to help him treat the wound, and asked him where he had been.
Oubao replied in broken Mandarin, "I was walking ahead... Don't know where I went wrong, got lost..."
"What happened to your shoulder?" I asked.
He sighed, hesitating to speak, "I told you before, this cave shouldn't be entered, but you didn't believe me... We've caused trouble this time, this cave has been cursed."
"The cave was cursed?" I was somewhat confused.
If you said a person was cursed, I might understand, but how could a cave be cursed?
Oubao explained a lot to us, and only later did I understand that when he said the cave was cursed, he meant that the cave was being used to raise蛊 (gu worms).
He said it was very likely the work of people from "Geyi Village."
"Geyi Village?"
Oubao explained that behind this Sparrow Mountain was a Miao village called Geyi Village, where the people were raw Miao who raised 蛊 (gu worms) year-round.
Their village had virtually no contact with that village; everyone lived their own lives.
"I didn't expect them to use this mountain cave to raise 蛊 (gu worms)..." Oubao pursed his lips, "When we get back, I must tell the village chief..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the black cat in his arms suddenly meowed, then darted out, its fur bristling.
This was the first time I had seen a cat puff up its fur like this; in an instant, the black cat seemed to inflate to more than twice its size like a balloon.
The black cat faced the passage, its tail erect, as if facing a formidable enemy!
Wang Yang's brows also furrowed, and I felt something approaching us.
I kicked the Fatty beside me, and that guy surprisingly said, "Master Xiang, stop fooling around..."
Immediately after, the fat guy fell asleep again!
I couldn't be bothered with him, drew the dagger from my waist, and raised the flashlight towards the passage entrance.
Soon, a rustling sound grew louder and louder, like rain.
"Meow!!"
The black cat tilted its head and let out a hiss, its sharp cry making my scalp tingle.
The Fatty finally woke up this time, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, and hadn't figured out what was happening.
At that moment, countless snakes poured out of the passage, dense and moving incredibly fast!
I felt all the hairs on my body stand on end, and before I could react, the snakes had already surrounded us frantically.
"Oh my god! Why are there so many snakes!" Fatty exclaimed.
These snakes were all sorts of colors; it was impossible to tell what species they were!
The snakes surrounded us but didn't attack; instead, they hovered less than a meter away from us, with several snakes rearing up and staring at us.
I felt my hand holding the flashlight start to go soft, my heart pounding in my throat.
After about a minute, a python, completely red and as thick as my arm, emerged from the snake swarm.
This snake had a crest on its head, its front half reared up, while the back half writhed on the ground, slowly approaching us.
The other snakes made way for it, which was very strange.
When it reached us, it kept flicking its tongue, examining us as if it were human.
"This... this snake has become a spirit!" Fatty said, trembling.
The crested red snake seemed to understand Fatty's words, turning its head to look at him, as if glaring at him.
"Oh no!" Fatty cried out, his face full of despair.
It seemed this snake had indeed become a spirit; its series of actions looked exactly like those of a "person."
I felt uneasy, and a thought suddenly occurred to me: what would happen if I rushed forward and struck it with my knife right now?
As soon as this thought arose, the crested red snake hissed menacingly at me!
I was stunned. Did it know what I was thinking?
The moment this thought entered my mind, I was greatly shocked!
I glanced at Oubao; he was sitting on the ground with the black cat in his arms, his eyes closed.
It was over. It seemed he had given up resisting.
With so many snakes, escaping was almost impossible. It seemed we were going to perish here today...
I looked at Wang Yang; he was unhurried and seemed to be studying the crested red snake with great interest.
"Snake King... spare our lives..." Fatty suddenly knelt on the ground, beginning to kowtow to the crested red snake.
I was both amused and annoyed; this guy was truly something else.
After examining the few of us, the crested red snake slowly retreated, and the other snakes also withdrew.
Just as I was trying to figure out what was happening, I saw the crested red snake open its mouth and spew out a puff of smoke...
This scene stunned all of us!
Soon, I smelled a very strange odor, and gradually, I felt like I had no strength left.
Not good!
I inwardly cursed, thinking they had drugged us!
My mind started to feel heavy, and my vision began to blur.
It's over...
After an unknown amount of time, I slowly opened my eyes and heard a familiar voice: "Awake?"
Then a large face appeared before me. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I looked at the Fatty in front of me, feeling somewhat dazed.
Mainly, this guy was now wearing Miao clothing, with a red flower tucked behind his ear, looking both peculiar and amusing.
"You..."
"Master Xiang, we're not dead!" Fatty grinned.
I sat up and realized my clothes had also been changed into Miao attire. Looking around, I saw that I was in a bamboo building.
Not far away, Wang Yang was sitting by a stove, holding a teapot.
"What's going on?" I asked, confused. "Where did that snake spirit go?"
Fatty said, "What snake spirit? That was a Teng God."
"What Teng God?"
"I don't know, but it's their worshipped divine beast..."
"Them? Who? Where are we now?"
Fatty replied, "Geyi Village..."
"Geyi Village?"
I was completely bewildered. Fatty didn't know how we got here either. I asked about Fu Honglang and the others.
Wang Yang put down the teapot and stood up, saying, "We should see them soon."