Chapter 197: Snake Formation
Amidst a sharp whistling sound, the long arrow crossed forty to fifty paces in an instant, its arrowhead tearing through the air with a piercing shriek.
With a “thud,” a desperate Changfeng escort fell to the ground, motionless. The long arrow had pierced through his entire head.
Yin Kexi’s peripheral vision caught sight of an escort falling beside him. He agilely rolled, and pain instantly struck from beneath his ribs. The sharp arrowhead had opened a two-inch bloodstain on his left flank.
He swung his soft whip, creating an impenetrable defense. After rolling several times, he suddenly leaped up and swept towards the forest ahead like a bolt of lightning.
The sharp whistling sound suddenly intensified. Helian Chuncheng slammed his great spear down, and the sound of clashing metal rose as a long arrow was deflected. Another arrow had already appeared in his pupils, its coldness surging like a spring towards the crown of his head.
Helian Chuncheng instantly leaned back, making his body parallel to the ground like an “iron bridge.” A long arrow, also parallel to the ground, grazed his forehead and flew past. A spray of blood exploded within his sight. The arrowhead had carved a bloody groove on his forehead, utterly destroying the charm and balance of Helian Chuncheng’s handsome face.
“What a cunning and vicious scoundrel.” Helian Chuncheng sprang up, his gaze fixed on the mountain forest to the side. In that brief moment, he was stung by jade bees several more times. The burning pain from the previous stings had now turned into an intense itch, as if it were itching deep within his viscera.
He desperately endured the urge to tear out his viscera to relieve the itch, daring not to run in a straight line. He ran diagonally, and in the distant sight of the Young Master of the Changfeng Escort Agency, Zhou Yan was also moving parallel. The sound of the bowstring would “bang” at intervals, followed by escorts and Jianghu rogues, too preoccupied with their own survival to look left or right, being pierced by long arrows and toppled to the ground.
Ouyang Feng and the others retreated into the mountain forest. Zhou Yan let out a slight breath. Ten people had been shot; the enemy had lost a third. The rest depended on the potency of the jade bee venom and how Western Venom would dissolve it, and how long they could delay.
Zhou Yan leaped out from the forest, his figure charging through the sea of grass as if cleaving waves, converging towards Li Mochou and her disciple.
The maid of Lin Chaoying secretly let out a long breath.
The enemy had been temporarily repelled by the jade bees, but the martial arts mastery displayed by Ouyang Feng gave her a feeling of a “Blocking Dragon Stone” pressing down on her heart. In her memory, he was not inferior to her young lady’s skills.
Moreover, judging by the leaps and bounds of these people as they fled desperately earlier, there were at least five or six experts whose cultivation was not inferior to hers.
Fortunately, the Head Escort had rushed over to remind her, otherwise the Ancient Tomb would truly have been lost in her hands.
As she thought this, her gaze towards Zhou Yan could not help but soften considerably.
“Ouyang Feng and the others have retreated. The Head Escort’s archery is extraordinary.”
“Elder, you flatter me.” Zhou Yan replied politely, then added, “Now, we just have to see if we can withstand Ouyang Feng’s counterattack.”
The maid of Lin Chaoying nodded with a rather solemn expression.
She had witnessed Ouyang Feng’s attacks and truly couldn’t imagine how they could turn danger into safety.
Perhaps the Two Swords Combine could catch the opponent off guard and temporarily repel them, but with Ouyang Feng’s martial arts mastery, he would soon devise a countermeasure. What then?
The maid of Lin Chaoying was lost in thought.
…
“It itches.”
Hou Tonghai had been stung by at least ten or more bees on his head. The initial pain was bearable, as they were all people who had experienced the heart-piercing pain of Huang Yaoshi’s Bone-Attaching Needle. However, the subsequent itching was unbearable, as if his internal organs were all itching.
Hou Tonghai continuously scratched himself, even breaking the flesh tumors on his head. Holding his steel fork, he looked like a ferocious yaksha.
Apart from Ouyang Feng, everyone else had been poisoned by the jade bees to varying degrees.
Ouyang Ke’s condition was the mildest, still bearable. Several escorts, with the lowest cultivation, were the most deeply poisoned. They endured it forcefully, their teeth grinding.
“Uncle, how do we detoxify this?” Ouyang Ke couldn’t help but reach out to scratch his face, but then he thought that doing so would disfigure him and he forcefully restrained himself.
Ouyang Feng said in a deep voice, “These bees are countless, and their venom is not rare or potent. Crush the detoxification pills and apply them externally, then circulate your energy to expel the poison. You will surely be relieved.”
“Elder, I can barely stand it for a moment.” Hou Tonghai spoke without thinking and couldn’t help but curse again, “When I catch that old woman, I’ll stab her to death with this steel fork.”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but start scratching his scalp. Sha Tongtian, Ni Mo Xing, and the others had already followed Ouyang Feng’s instructions, taking out various detoxification pills, crushing them, and applying them to their wounds, circulating their energy to expel the poison.
Ouyang Ke applied the pills and felt a slight relief from the itching. “These bees are endless. Even if we detoxify, if they attack again, and that old woman lures the bees over, won’t we suffer the itching pain of ten thousand ants gnawing at our hearts again?”
Ouyang Feng smiled sinisterly.
He had harbored murderous intent since the morning. The jade bees couldn’t harm him, but the scene of him rescuing Ke’er earlier was so pathetic. If he didn’t kill that old woman, he couldn’t quell the hatred in his heart.
“Ke’er, don’t worry. That was just a moment of carelessness that led to you being tricked. Uncle has his ways.”
Ouyang Ke was overjoyed. “Thank you, Uncle.”
…
Stars shifted and the sun and moon chased each other.
Three days passed in a flash.
Zhou Yan did not stray far from the Ancient Tomb, fearing that if he was not careful, Ouyang Feng would attack, separating him and Li Mochou, making their Two Swords Combine impossible. Therefore, he set up a thatched hut on the barren hills beside the Ancient Tomb, just large enough to shelter him.
At noon, the sun was scorching hot.
Li Mochou walked over, carrying two earthenware jars, one large and one small.
“Head Escort.”
Zhou Yan stopped circulating his Yijin Forging Bone technique and smiled, “You’re here.”
“Yes, I’ve made some porridge and brought a jar of honey.”
Li Mochou squatted down, placed the two earthenware jars on the ground, took a porcelain bowl, and scooped porridge with a wooden spoon.
Zhou Yan thanked her and added a little honey to the porridge before eating.
“Ouyang Feng and the others have been quiet for the past two days.”
“I’ve been pondering that question too. Can the bee venom dissipate on its own?”
“If it’s detoxified with honey, one can recover completely in half a day. If other methods are used, it’s hard to guess. It depends on the severity of the injuries and Western Venom’s methods.”
“That’s true.”
“However, according to the agreed time, Elder Hong should be arriving at Zhongnan Mountain soon.”
“Yes.”
“Will we be able to wait for Elder Hong?”
Zhou Yan smiled, “Naturally.”
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a rustling sound.
“Huh!” Li Mochou looked in the direction of the sound, her expression suddenly changing. With a “clang,” a sword light flashed and then extinguished, and the head of a viper was severed.
Zhou Yan smiled, “This snake can be made into snake soup.”
“There are more over there.” Li Mochou pointed her longsword diagonally.
Zhou Yan stood up and saw, within his line of sight, several colorful snakes and insects rapidly disappearing into the grass.
“Strange, I haven’t seen a single poisonous snake these past two days, why are there snakes appearing now?” Zhou Yan said, his expression suddenly changing.
“We’re in trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
“No wonder it’s been so quiet these past two days. Ouyang Feng and his nephew must have been catching snakes, intending to use them to attack the Ancient Tomb.”
Li Mochou’s face turned pale with shock. “Really?”
Before Zhou Yan could answer, a hissing sound came from the direction of the forest where Ouyang Feng and the others were, approaching from afar. Zhou Yan looked and saw a large number of snakes and insects of various colors and sizes wriggling forward, swarming towards the Ancient Tomb.
Behind the snake formation, Ouyang Feng, clad in white, flickered a few times and emerged from the forest. Following Western Venom was Ouyang Ke, holding a bamboo pole.
Li Mochou had never seen such a dense mass of hundreds of snakes and insects. Her legs felt weak, and her mouth was dry.
As the snake swarm approached, Ouyang Feng took out a bamboo flute from himself and whistled twice. The snakes and insects all coiled on the ground, raising their heads.
“Uncle, the one wearing the conical hat is that scoundrel.”
Ouyang Feng’s gaze lingered on Zhou Yan for a moment, then he said to Li Mochou, “Child, call your elder over. I have something to say.”
Li Mochou looked at Zhou Yan.
He nodded slightly.
Li Mochou said nothing, leaped down the barren hill, and entered the Ancient Tomb.
Zhou Yan, holding his Qingfeng Sword, walked slowly. After a few steps, he stood at the entrance of the Ancient Tomb.
Ouyang Feng suddenly said, “Kid, you look very familiar.”
Zhou Yan was not surprised that Ouyang Feng recognized him.
A year ago, Ouyang Feng had a single exchange with him, masked, on a large boat on Taihu Lake. When he encountered him at Huayan Temple in Datong Prefecture, he had already been suspicious. It was normal for him to recognize him now.
“Indeed!”
Ouyang Feng smiled sinisterly, revealing his white teeth. “You truly have a great fortune and a long life.”
“A little bit.”
