Chapter 53: The Cuckoo Occupies The Magpie’s Nest
The next day, upon waking, Su Yan immediately entered Yunling Mountain.
First-order pills were merely compounded medicines and such; although some required refining in a medicine furnace, it was nothing like Xu Zhongdao’s grand setup for refining second-order pills.
Logically speaking, refining them at home would have been fine.
However, Su Yan was cautious and did not want to be disturbed, nor did he want others to notice anything amiss for the time being.
Whether it was the medicinal fragrance or the Yin Water Centipede guard, he did not want to expose them all just yet.
Having talent for practicing martial arts made him a noble son from a poor family, a martial arts genius from a destitute household who could walk out into the world.
But if beast taming and medicine refining were added to that, then he would be a monster.
It was inevitable that someone might mistakenly think he had obtained some inheritance opportunity and come knocking.
Therefore, Su Yan went into the forest to compound the medicine, found a secluded spot to prepare everything, and used it as his second small hideout.
Su Yan had long had an idea for a place in the forest to refine pills: the cave from before where he had fought the wolf pack, concealed by vines and located in a mountain stream, was truly hidden and perfect for his use.
Thus, he entered the forest and hurried there quickly, with forest trees and weeds flashing past behind him.
Before long, he had crossed several mountain peaks and arrived in the inner mountain.
Following his memory, Su Yan found the mountain path from that day and groped his way over.
The trees in the mountains were lush, and being in the inner mountain, the mountain spirit energy was denser than in the outer mountain, but after just half a month, everything had changed greatly.
The mountains were high and the forest deep; shrubs and weeds had grown much taller, vines crisscrossed, completely covering the path.
After searching several times, Su Yan finally reached the vicinity of the mountain stream.
“This place is truly hard to find. If not for hearing the Bronze Fox Ape’s movements that day, I probably wouldn’t have come this way.”
The Yin Water Centipede cleared the path ahead, and Su Yan arrived beside the mountain stream.
“Not right.”
However, just as he arrived here, Su Yan’s expression suddenly changed slightly.
Someone had been to this place.
Although the vines had grown, they certainly wouldn’t completely cover the cave entrance like this. Not just the entrance, but the surrounding shrubs and weeds had also been covered later, completely different from his previous arrangement.
“Hiss hiss hiss.”
The Yin Water Centipede immediately made a slight hissing sound; it too had detected a different scent.
Su Yan stopped in his tracks, slightly concealed his figure, and hid behind a tree trunk.
‘This is already the inner mountain area. Even ordinary mountain hunters wouldn’t come to this place. And there’s nothing here, so why cover traces like this, unless…’
Su Yan’s expression immediately turned serious. This wolf den was an excellent hiding spot. Unless someone wanted to hide or conceal something, no one would do such a thing.
‘Pang Tianfeng?!’
His eyes flickered with shock and doubt. Hadn’t Pang Tianfeng been driven to the Little Mountain Association medicine field area?
One in the east, one in the west, separated by more than a dozen mountain peaks, nearly dozens of li of mountain path—how could they reach here?
‘Better scout first.’
His eyes flickered. Right now, the possibilities were either Pang Tianfeng or those martial world guests searching the mountains.
But no matter who it was, they had definitely hidden something.
Su Yan was certainly not a timid person. Now that he had encountered this, he needed to get to the bottom of it.
He concealed his figure even deeper, covering himself directly with weeds, making it nearly impossible to see a person lying there.
Then the Yin Water Centipede burrowed into the vines and quietly crawled toward the cave entrance.
There were many insect beasts in the mountains, and though the Yin Water Centipede was somewhat large, it was just an exotic insect.
Approaching so stealthily, even if someone was inside, they might not find it strange.
Su Yan held his breath and stared intently, his eyes fixed on the cave entrance.
The cave entrance wasn’t very deep and couldn’t hide people; as long as it went in to scout, he could know the situation inside.
The Yin Water Centipede entered the cave, and suddenly a hissing sound came from within.
In the darkness, a pair of eerie cold eyes lit up, and a black shadow lunged straight at the Yin Water Centipede.
The Yin Water Centipede dodged immediately but was still knocked out.
Su Yan’s expression changed slightly, only to see the vines at the cave entrance shaking as a Green-striped Viper with red pupils burst out of the cave, flicking its scarlet tongue and staring fixedly at the Yin Water Centipede.
He immediately showed a shocked expression—not a person, but a feral beast?
‘Not right, it’s a feral beast left here by someone.’
Feral beasts wouldn’t cover their traces like this on their own, especially snake-like feral beasts—how could they move vines and shrubs to conceal themselves?
He immediately showed a hint of intent; there was no more movement from the cave, only the feral beast here—this was definitely an opportunity.
The Green-striped Viper emerged from the cave entrance and immediately fought with the Yin Water Centipede, opening its large mouth and lunging forward.
Its body was three or four meters long, as thick as an arm, with snake skin like iron, nearly first-order mid-stage strength, not inferior to the Muscle and Bone Realm at all.
This lunge was extremely fast, biting toward the Yin Water Centipede’s head.
The Yin Water Centipede was also at the mature stage with decent strength, turning its head to dodge.
Then, using its body advantage, it quickly closed in, its mouthparts like knives, biting into the Green-striped Viper’s body.
A gash suddenly appeared; even this tough snake skin couldn’t fully defend against the Yin Water Centipede’s attack.
The Green-striped Viper lashed out violently, sending it flying, its venomous fangs like hooks biting down, piercing the Yin Water Centipede’s hard carapace.
The Yin Water Centipede felt pain, and the Green-striped Viper went berserk; the two entwined into a ball, scales scattering and appendages breaking.
Su Yan’s heart tightened. Although the Yin Water Centipede was at the mature stage, its size and strength were inferior and it was being suppressed by the Green-striped Viper.
If it waited for the toxin to take effect, the Yin Water Centipede would likely be severely injured.
He immediately ordered the Velvet Fire Scorpion Insect to burst out from the shrubs and pounce directly onto the Green-striped Viper.
Sharp barbs stabbed into the Green-striped Viper’s head, nearly piercing the skull.
A large amount of scalding poison was injected, causing the Green-striped Viper’s body to twist and roll uncontrollably.
If it were just one toxin, as a poisonous creature it could resist somewhat, but with the toxins from the Yin Water Centipede and Velvet Fire Scorpion Insect invading simultaneously.
It immediately had a severe reaction, and the strength of its bites on the Yin Water Centipede weakened greatly.
The Yin Water Centipede broke free, ignoring its own injuries, and bit down on the Green-striped Viper’s vital spot.
The Velvet Fire Scorpion Insect also launched further attacks, continuously tearing at the Green-striped Viper’s head.
Under this pincer attack, it was finally killed.
At this time, the Yin Water Centipede and Velvet Fire Scorpion Insect were both injured, with cracked carapaces and many broken appendages.
Even if they entered the Insect Realm Space to recuperate, it would take several days to recover.
Although Su Yan felt distressed, he did not rush to move.
The two insect tamers entered the cave again; there was no other movement inside, and no one was hiding there.
Only then did Su Yan hurry down, first coming to the Green-striped Viper’s side. The massive snake body lay flat on the ground, filthy blood flowing out, not a single intact piece of flesh on it.
“A first-order mid-stage feral beast—if the Bronze Fox Ape faced it, it would probably be poisoned to death.”
Su Yan was shocked and suspicious in his heart. For such a feral beast to hide in this cave was too unlikely; it had only been a few days?
First the gray wolf pack, then the Bronze Fox Ape, and now this Green-striped Viper.
There was no treasure in the cave, so how could it come to this?
He collected the Green-striped Viper’s corpse, strode into the cave, lit a torch, and the firelight illuminated the entire cavern.
“This… this is the robbed medicinal herbs?”
Su Yan was shocked in his heart. Before him were wooden boxes and packages of various sizes piled in the cave, with some medicinal herbs exposed at the edges.
At this sight, Su Yan’s first reaction was the robbed medicinal herbs.
