A green bamboo viper coiled on a branch. A gust of wind stirred the branch, and reflected in its vertically slit pupils was a white figure.
A whoosh of air was followed by a flash of silver, and with a soft "pat," two severed pieces of green flesh fell to the ground, splashing a few drops of blood.
The bamboo viper was no longer on the branch; sections of its body and bloodstains now marked the ground beneath the tree.
Nan Shiying held the hilt of her dagger in reverse, letting the blade fall into the nearby bushes, where she wiped the snake blood from its edge.
A small, azure snake slithered to the side of the deceased bamboo viper, opened its mouth, and consumed the unfortunate creature entirely. After finishing, it turned and hissed twice at Nan Shiying.
Nan Shiying squatted down and extended her hand. The small snake crawled onto her hand and wrapped itself around her wrist.
Beneath the tree where the bamboo viper had lived, in a dark and damp corner, several mushrooms sprouted from the soil. Their caps were a riot of colors, while their roots were laced with numerous dark threads. Nan Shiying walked to the base of the tree and used her dagger to loosen the soil, unearthing the mushrooms.
"Jian Hou Gu."
Eat one and soar through the heavens, eat two and journey directly to the underworld, eat three... and you can send your entire family to ascend.
She placed the Jian Hou Gu into her herb basket and stood up, continuing her journey.
The mountains of Medicine King Valley held everything.
If you were lucky, you might find century-old ginseng or reishi mushrooms; even if you were unlucky, you could still find little treasures like Jian Hou Gu.
The rear of the second peak yielded the most wild medicinal herbs. The old man was rarely present, and there were few disciples on the peak, with people from other peaks seldom coming to gather herbs there.
The second peak was connected to the first, but by taking a绕后 (rào hòu - bypass the rear), it was closer to the rear of the third peak.
Standing at the junction of the second and third peaks, Nan Shiying took out a small clay pot from her怀 (huái - bosom/pocket). She opened the lid, slanted the pot on the ground with its opening touching the earth, and a blue-black scorpion crawled out unsteadily.
The small snake lifted its head and hissed twice at the ground.
The scorpion crawled forward, and Nan Shiying followed it at a leisurely pace. The small snake nudged Nan Shiying's hand with its head. Nan Shiying pinched its head and gently rubbed the prominent lines between its brows.
The Azure Snake King. An adult Azure Snake King was about as thick as an adult's arm. They were a vipers and their scales shimmered under the sunlight. The juvenile Azure Snake King in Nan Shiying's hand had hatched not long ago. After Xiao Man started feeding centipedes, the estate acquired more venomous creatures. Jin Mo had somehow obtained Azure Snake King eggs. Out of a clutch of eggs, only two survived; one was given to Xiao Man, and the other remained with Nan Shiying.
After consuming their shells, these two hatched snakes also devoured their siblings who failed to break free from their shells. To control an Azure Snake, one needed to feed it blood from the day it hatched, for one hundred consecutive days, to establish a connection and make it recognize a master.
The Azure Snake in Nan Shiying's hand had been restless since the scorpion appeared.
They grew by consuming poisonous creatures; the scorpion was not only food for it but also nourishment.
However, Nan Shiying still needed the scorpion to lead the way and could not let it be eaten.
The scorpion moved, stopping intermittently, finally pausing by a stream.
The stream flowed from east to west. The air carried a damp scent, and the sound of flowing water could be heard from afar.
Nan Shiying dipped her hand into the stream. The Azure Snake suddenly writhed, its forked tongue flicking excitedly, its hisses incessant.
It had caught the scent of residual blood in the water.