Feng Shui Chapter 126: Venomous Viper

In his previous life, Chen Xiao had traveled far and wide, so of course he had eaten all sorts of things. Although he couldn’t say he fell in love with it after just one bite, the crispy texture had left a lasting impression. Now, seeing these winter cicadas that looked just like the ones he had tried before brought back memories of that unique taste, and he couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

Tang Ru, having found a kindred spirit, immediately started sharing her impressions of the delicacy with Chen Xiao. Surprisingly, the two of them grew closer over their mutual appreciation of this exotic snack.

At first, Tong Nuonuo firmly refused to try any. But after the dish was cooked, Chen Xiao dug in with such obvious enjoyment, unlike Tang Ru, whose eating habits could not be trusted, that even she started to waver. In the end, when the two were about to finish off the small bowl of fried cicadas, she quickly snatched one.

Popping the last one into her mouth, Tong Nuonuo licked her lips. It wasn't nearly as disgusting or terrifying as she'd imagined.

That night, the three of them took turns keeping watch, with Chen Xiao taking the first shift. When his turn ended, he curled up in a thick blanket. Beneath him was a dense layer of fur padding that shielded him from the biting cold. Thanks to the insulating snow cave, the night wasn’t hard to endure, and he managed to get a decent sleep.

The next morning, after drinking hot water and eating some rations, they set out again. It wasn’t until they were truly on the move that Chen Xiao fully understood what Tong Nuonuo meant by “there won’t be any time to rest afterward.” That one night had merely been to recover some strength, they didn’t make proper camp again. Apart from brief breaks during meals, they were constantly on the road, even through the night. Compared to a standard training march, this was a hundred times more grueling.

Whenever they stopped, the other two would meditate to recover their strength. Since meditation didn’t work for Chen Xiao, he wrapped himself in his blanket and caught short naps on the fur pad. All his naps added up to about four hours a day. Maintaining that pace, he slowly adjusted to the rhythm. After all, he was still young and in good health.

They followed the trail of signs left by Xi Yunqing day and night for half a month, eventually reaching a mountain range.

“Where are we?” Tong Nuonuo asked Chen Xiao. Tang Ru was in charge of spotting the signs, and Chen Xiao determined the direction. Tong Nuonuo simply followed behind them, focusing on not getting separated. With her poor sense of direction and the persistent gloomy weather, snowy or overcast with few sunny days, she’d long since lost track of where they were.

Chen Xiao replied, “We’re currently in the northwestern area of the feral beast territory, about four thousand li from the path we took before.” He had an excellent sense of direction, and with the help of his compass, he could constantly adjust their course. As they walked, he mentally mapped out their route. So when Tong Nuonuo asked, he could answer without hesitation.

She immediately looked at him with eyes full of admiration, as if ready to drop to her knees in worship.

Chen Xiao coughed awkwardly and turned to Tang Ru. “Seen any new signs? It’s been two days since we found the last one.”

Tang Ru replied, “There might’ve been an unexpected situation. Fellow Daoist Xi probably didn’t have time to leave more signs. Don’t worry, so long as we’re heading in the right direction, we won’t lose track of him.”

Another half day passed. Just as dusk fell, they finally spotted a fresh marker left by Xi Yunqing. To the untrained eye, it would look like claw marks left by some large beast or feral creature on rocks and trees. But Xi Yunqing had imbued the marks with a faint trace of golden fire-elemental true essence, making them easy for his companions to recognize. The essence wouldn’t last long, only about seven or eight days, before dissipating.

Now that they had confirmation they were on the right track, the three finally relaxed enough to eat and rest. Chen Xiao had just laid down for a nap after eating when a strange feeling startled him awake. Moments later, Xi Yunqing appeared amid the swirling wind and snow.

“Big Brother!” Chen Xiao scrambled to his feet, shivering from the cold.

Only then did the other two notice Xi Yunqing. He had appeared so silently that they had no idea how Chen Xiao had sensed him.

Upon seeing Chen Xiao, Xi Yunqing’s expression, which had been colder than the wind and snow, softened. He quickly strode over to him. “Xiao, don’t worry.”

Now that he’d adjusted to the chill, Chen Xiao packed away his blanket and asked, “Big Brother, does this mean you’ve found it?”

Xi Yunqing’s expression hardened once more. “Yes. It’s just up ahead, in a cave. Those demon cultivators have set up an altar and used the children to forge a cursed site. Aside from the five we originally pursued, they have other accomplices, less than twenty in total.”

Tong Nuonuo frowned slightly. “What level are they?”

Xi Yunqing said, “Only one of them, a man going by the name Zhao Jiao, is at the Nascent Soul stage. There are four at the Golden Core stage, seven Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the rest are ordinary practitioners.”

Tang Ru’s face darkened. “With that many, we’re no match for them. We’ll have to wait for reinforcements.”

But Tong Nuonuo had a different opinion. “As long as we can split them up, Fellow Daoist Xi can take on the Nascent Soul cultivator, or at least hold him off. The four Golden Core ones can be dealt with individually, and if we trap the rest, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Tang Ru was stunned. She couldn’t understand where Tong Nuonuo, a mere mechanical specialist, got that kind of confidence. On their side, they had only one Golden Core cultivator, two at Foundation Establishment, and one at Body Refinement. Just that Nascent Soul cultivator alone could wipe them out.

But Xi Yunqing slowly nodded. “The children are under tight guard. If we create a diversion and divide their forces, surrounding part of their group shouldn’t be an issue. These demon cultivators aren’t the real problem. The real threat is a vicious beast lurking within the cursed site, something known as a Venomous Viper.”

Tang Ru gasped sharply, and Tong Nuonuo cried out in alarm, “What? A Venomous Viper?!”

Only Chen Xiao remained relatively calm. He knew what a viper was, a serpent-like creature said to transform into a jiao, a type of lesser dragon, after five hundred years. But adding “venomous” to the name... could it still be the same creature from legend?

Xi Yunqing patiently explained to him, “The Venomous Viper is a particularly dangerous kind of fierce beast. It prefers dark and damp places. It resembles a serpent or insect in shape, is enormous in size, has tough flesh, and is highly venomous.”

Chen Xiao’s scalp tingled just listening to the description. The creature matched what he knew, perhaps it really was a relative of the legendary viper.

Xi Yunqing went on, “Evil cultivators feed the Venomous Viper with the corpses of children as part of their sacrificial practices. Although there’s no true harmony between them, the beast and the cultivators coexist in uneasy peace. If we’re not careful when we move, we could startle the Venomous Viper. If that happens, we’ll be under attack from both sides, certain death.”

Tong Nuonuo frowned deeply. Just dealing with a group of evil cultivators was already difficult enough, but throwing a Venomous Viper into the mix made things even worse. What was most troubling was that they needed to find a solution quickly, otherwise, those children wouldn't survive.

After resting for the night, Chen Xiao suggested they should go and scout the situation in person. Sitting around and speculating wouldn't help. Tong Nuonuo agreed. As a mechanical trap master, he needed to tailor his designs to the environment. Once he understood the terrain, he might be able to collapse the entire cave with a single well-placed detonation. Of course, that was the last resort. Even if they set aside the children’s lives, burying the place wouldn’t work against fierce beasts or cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage and above.

With Xi Yunqing leading the way, the four of them quietly infiltrated the cave. The tunnels sprawled in all directions with multiple exits. Xi Yunqing had taken an entire day to find an alternate entrance. The path was tight and winding; they had to stoop to get through, and at the narrowest points, they had to crawl.

It was a rocky underground cavern, jagged stones creating natural cover. Thanks to the terrain, the group managed to climb to a vantage point without much effort.

Looking down from above, they saw the stronghold of the evil cultivators.

The cultivators clearly lacked skill. Unable to construct proper buildings, they used poles and fabric to pitch tents, arranged some furniture, and created makeshift areas.

Zhao Jiao occupied the largest section. A bit farther off were the four Golden Core cultivators, and scattered around the edges were those in the Foundation Establishment stage. The lower-level cultivators were the most pitiful, they lived in the dirtiest, most foul-smelling part of the area. The children were treated worse than livestock, penned in like animals. Their sleeping area consisted of filthy rags and piles of straw.

“I can’t take this anymore!” Tong Nuonuo’s eyes turned red as soon as he saw the children. He wanted nothing more than to charge in and fight the evil cultivators right then and there.

“Don’t be rash, Nuonuo!” Chen Xiao whispered tightly. “If we act now, we won’t be able to save anyone!”

Tong Nuonuo took deep, ragged breaths, but eventually calmed himself. He asked, “So what do we do? How can we take care of these bastards as quickly as possible?”

Chen Xiao looked around and said in a low voice, “Though I’ve never seen one with my own eyes, records suggest that this kind of terrain is likely a naturally-formed death ground. It’s a type of earth vein where birds and beasts avoid it, and nothing grows. A death ground is shrouded in baleful energy and often harbors an ominous dragon. If we can find the dragon’s nest, I might be able to get the children out safely.”

Tong Nuonuo lit up. “Really? Then hurry and find it!”

“I’ll start now." Chen Xiao said solemnly. “You and Tang Ru keep watch here.” Then he turned to Xi Yunqing. “Brother, I’ll need your help.”

Xi Yunqing, being most familiar with the area, descended with Chen Xiao from another path. Once inside, he asked, “How confident are you?”

Chen Xiao replied, “I felt the baleful energy as soon as I entered the cavern. It’s strong. The place where the Venomous Viper resides is likely where the dragon’s nest is. I just need to confirm it with my own eyes.”

Chen Xiao had located the lairs of fierce beasts before by reading the flow of energy underground. Xi Yunqing had even more faith in him than Chen Xiao had in himself. Even though Chen Xiao said he needed to see it firsthand, Xi Yunqing was already planning how to use this to their advantage.

After a brief pause, to Chen Xiao’s confusion, Xi Yunqing suddenly pulled him into a tight embrace. Before Chen Xiao could react, Xi Yunqing said, “The Venomous Viper’s strength is at the Nascent Soul level and above. I need to use an artifact to conceal us. Stay close, don’t move an inch.”

Feeling the heat radiating from Xi Yunqing’s body, Chen Xiao’s face flushed involuntarily. He nodded stiffly, “Okay. I won’t move.”

With Xi Yunqing holding him tightly, Chen Xiao was practically gliding along the ground, his feet barely touching it. Xi Yunqing moved swiftly, leaving Chen Xiao no time to dwell on his thoughts. They passed through a pitch-black tunnel and entered a larger chamber.

As soon as they crossed the threshold, a chilling wave of baleful energy surged toward them. Brother Chen Xiao don't need to see anything, he could already tell this was definitely the location of the dragon’s nest.

Still holding Chen Xiao, Xi Yunqing leapt to a high point and concealed them behind a jagged, menacing rock formation. He didn’t speak but gently nudged Chen Xiao to peek out.

The cavern wasn’t entirely dark. Luminous moss clinging to the damp walls emitted a faint glow. In that dim light, Chen Xiao finally saw the Venomous Viper.

It had an eerie, unnatural head, flat and round, with eyes the size of wagon wheels on either side. There was no neck; the head connected directly to the body. It looked like a monstrous python that had cultivated for centuries, now curled up and sound asleep.