Book 12 Chapter 4

In the midst of a snake formation,

- Snakes and terrifying snake tamers

"They intend to tie our feet first!"

Even in the midst of this chaos, Bing Jian's voice remained calm and composed,

showing no sign of faltering.

It was clear the enemies wanted to slow them down for some unknown reason. And incidentally, they would also want to weaken their own forces.

And as per their intentions, their footsteps were completely halted in this mountain.

"They already knew we were coming this way!"

"They knew?"

Yan Dao exclaimed in surprise.

"That's right. Otherwise, such a grand welcome would have been impossible."

"Who on earth?"

"That's not important now. It will become important when this battle is over. This is our mistake for being careless. We shouldn't blame others. Despite the terrain being so suitable for an ambush, we neglected our reconnaissance, so we deserve this, don't we?"

Bing Jian's cold remark was aimed at Yan Dao, who had interfered with his reconnaissance orders. Every word Bing Jian spoke felt like a dagger piercing Yan Dao's heart. The red-haired man could only shiver, speechless like a mute.

'Ah, who would be lurking in such a rough place? Aren't I just worrying unnecessarily? It's okay, it's okay. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility for it all. I'll take responsibility! So, let's just go!'

Why did I do that? Yan Dao chastised himself, hitting his head mercilessly in his mind. Though frustrated, he had no retort to Bing Jian's words. Anger and shame mingled, turning his face red and then pale.

"I hope you'll take responsibility for your words!"

It was a remark that could easily be forgotten, but Bing Jian's face overflowed with a resolve to never forget, even if it meant death.

"……"

Again, Yan Dao could not offer any rebuttal. He could only scream mentally.

'Damn it, this is bad!'

To have his weakness exposed by Bing Jian! It was an irreversible, fatal mistake.

Noh Hak, like beggars of the Kaiyang sect, greatly favored snakes. Whether they were venomous or not, water snakes or flower snakes, or even lizards, he possessed a magnanimity (disguised as a hearty appetite) to love them all without discrimination.

Snake barbecue, along with dog meat soup (commonly known as 'meongmeongtang') after a dog's bath, was one of Kaiyang's two favorite foods, so there was no reason for him to dislike it. However, he felt a strong sense of crisis that his second favorite food might become his first.

The strong, fishy smell that pricked his nose, and the venomous white fangs closing in from all sides. These creatures seemed to be boasting about their teeth whitening, but honestly, they weren't cute at all. This was just not right.

It wasn't just Noh Hak who felt this way. For Tang Cheol-yeong, a direct descendant of the Sichuan Tang sect, who was better known as Tang San than his real name these days, venomous snakes were like familiar pets alongside venomous scorpions, centipedes, and spiders.

They had always been precious donors of potent venom for himself and his family. Whether this was voluntary or forced, let's not discuss it here.

Since childhood, he had handled all sorts of snakes, whose names were too numerous to pronounce, as if stepping on pebbles by the roadside, along with a woman who boldly claimed to be his older sister despite being his younger sister, and other young masters of the Tang family. Of course, all those snakes were venomous. In the Tang sect, snakes without venom were considered useless, 'why were you born?' creatures.

Among the Tang sect's many poison collection grounds, there was a specialized venomous snake farm, which was a mandatory training process for the Tang family's direct descendants.

The story of a child of the Sichuan Tang sect, known as the master of poisons, trembling in fear of venomous snakes would likely elicit no more than a snort from a passing mongrel in the martial world.

However, Tang San felt that these scaly darlings were terrifying for the first time today. If they became impossibly, incalculably numerous, one might feel that way. He felt as if he had learned a new lesson today.

He turned his head to look at Tang Mun-hye, who was still arguing with her brother. This spirited girl, known for her iron guts, seemed to agree with his opinion, her complexion turning pale.

At that moment, he recalled a fact learned during his family education: that there was once someone who possessed the ability to freely manipulate such a terrifyingly massive snake formation. Suddenly, he was struck by lightning and jolted awake.

'What a fool! Why didn't I think of that person? That infamous old monster!'

Tang San suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

"Damn it! I just remembered. There was someone like this in the past. A damned old man who used such a shitty formation!"

Unrestrained curses erupted from Yan Dao's mouth. Anyone would feel the same way when subjected to such a predicament.

"Hmm!"

Bing Jian nodded his head.

They should have suspected it from the moment the snakes arrogantly fell from the sky. There was only one person in the entire martial world who could operate such a large-scale snake formation.

Mo Saling, the Flying Snake Demon Lord!

The two exclaimed in unison.

"I thought that old monster was already dead. Is he still alive?" Bing Jian countered. He was someone who had been missing for a hundred years with no news.

"Why are you asking me?" Yan Dao replied curtly.

"He's someone from over a hundred years ago. The famous story of him making 300 soldiers of the righteous and demonic alliance snake food in a single night was during the Heavenly Bloodshed era. I never heard any stories of him surviving after the great battle of the Sea of Fresh Blood?"

It was still an unbelievable fact.

"If it's not him himself, it must be his successor. But their skill is too good for that. However, if it really is him…"

If that were true, he would be a very troublesome opponent. However, that didn't mean these two were weaklings who would tremble at the mere mention of his name.

"What should we do?"

"What do you mean, what should we do! We have to drag that slippery-headed bastard out of the snake's den. There's no point in dealing with these endless streams of snakes one by one, is there?"

Bing Jian asked, slightly furrowing his brows.

"How?"

"Leave it to me!"

When Yan Dao confidently replied, patting his chest, Bing Jian became restless, like a bird on a hot seat.

"Hey! You cowardly snake tamer, old Mr. Mo! Don't hide like a mouse, come out quickly! I'll roast you golden brown today!"

Yan Dao shouted at the top of his lungs, making the gorge echo. His voice, infused with internal energy, reached every nook and cranny of the gorge.

"Isn't it the Flying Snake Demon Lord Mo Saling?" Bing Jian kindly corrected the name. It seemed he had called himself the Flying Snake Divine Lord a hundred years ago, but to the righteous path, he was just the Flying Snake Demon Lord.

"Flying Snake Demon Lord, what? Just a snake tamer! An old man raising snakes on a snake farm, why would he come out into the martial world? I thought he was quietly hiding in the mountains tending to his snakes, but he was secretly doing something else! Does such an old monster deserve such a grand title as Demon Lord? Perhaps Demon Soldier would fit him. Flying Snake Demon Soldier? Oh, this is surprisingly good."

Impressed by his own wit, Yan Dao nodded. Flying Snake Demon Soldier! No matter how many times he repeated it, he loved it.

"Hey~, Flying Snake Demon Soldier! Where are you hiding? Let me see your face! Hey~, snake tamer, Flying Snake Demon Sol~dier!"

As if enjoying himself, Yan Dao continued to shout without stopping. Of course, this sound was clearly heard by Mo Saling, the Flying Snake Demon Lord, who was commanding the snakes from above the gorge, not missing a single word.

"This… this bastard who deserves to be torn to pieces!"

Mo Saling ground his teeth. To be considered a soldier by him! This was the first time in a hundred years he had encountered such an impudent fellow.

'Has my century of seclusion been too long? All sorts of strange people are making a fuss. Ah, the hierarchy of the martial world has completely fallen.'

In the past hundred years, no one had dared to be so arrogant and rude in front of him.

"Stop it now! Playing around is enough for once. Why are you provoking the enemy?"

As Yan Dao's shouting continued, Bing Jian intervened.

"Hmph! Are you scared? You might be scared, but I'm not scared at all. If he appears before me in response to my provocation, he'll realize today is his funeral. Such a fellow is just a simple snake tamer, a Flying Snake Demon Soldier. Why the grandiose title of Demon Lord? Just herding snakes. Hey, snake tamer, where are you? Are you scared to come out? If you're not scared of my dao, come out quickly, Fly-ing-Snake-De-mon-Sol-dier!"

Each word spat out with internal energy felt as if it was meant for him to hear. Bing Jian decided to give up, not wanting to waste useless energy in further argument.

'Do as you please!'

Yan Dao, who was over forty, was still no different from a snot-nosed child.

'Where has all the age he's accumulated gone…'

However, contrary to Bing Jian's inner thoughts, Yan Dao's provocation was excessively effective. A hundred years of cultivation was of no use against such reckless provocation.

"Grrr! That… that guy! Alright, you desperately want to die today. If you want to die, I'll kill you."

Mo Saling, who was about to explode, swung his staff with all his might. Then, the reserve snake army remaining above the gorge all flew down into the gorge.

"Not a single one will survive! Hahaha!"

The snakes that remained around him were not for preserving their strength, but rather to carry out the order not to kill them. However, in the enraged Mo Saling's grey brain, the superior's orders were no longer in consideration.

"Kiiiaak! Kyaak! Kyaak! Go away! Go away! Won't you go away?"

Without tiring, Ma Haryeong's sharp screams continued to erupt. It was almost at the level of murderous auditory destruction.

"Oh, dear!"

Yong Cheon-myeong cursed his delicate ears and shook his head. How could they be so different? The mysterious secrets encompassing the world were truly astonishing. Yong Cheon-myeong, captivated by the world's mysteries, sensed a sudden change in the situation.

Why did the number of snakes, which had been decreasing, suddenly increase so drastically? Yong Cheon-myeong couldn't understand why. Even though he had given up counting, there seemed to be no end… It felt like facing the endless waves of the sea.

"What are you thinking…, Kyaak! … Kyaaaaak!"

Ma Haryeong asked, looking at Yong Cheon-myeong, who was mechanically swinging his sword with a bewildered gaze. However, the snake offensive did not stop at that moment. They were not kind enough to allocate separate time for Ma Haryeong's questions and answers.

For a moment, Yong Cheon-myeong looked back and forth between Ma Haryeong and the empty air. It was as if he was trying to find traces of a voice that had passed through there in the past. After looking back and forth several times, Yong Cheon-myeong shook his head.

"They are the same screams, yet how can they be so different… God is not fair. It's too sad!"

Ma Haryeong did not miss Yong Cheon-myeong's murmuring with a sigh. Something was bothering her like a thorn.

"What did you just say, Kyaak! … Kyaak!?"

A primitive sense of unease and displeasure (she felt it but couldn't explain why it was unpleasant) made Ma Haryeong ask irritably. The sword she wielded was still ferociously violent.

"I… I didn't say anything! You must have misheard."

For a moment, Yong Cheon-myeong's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly pretended to be unfazed and spoke casually. At times like this, he truly realized how excellent and useful the Vajra Immovable Heart Technique, one of the 72 unique skills of Shaolin, was.

'No matter the situation, I can regain my composure in an instant!'

While swinging his sword, Yong Cheon-myeong silently offered his deep gratitude for the Buddha's grace and the teachings of the sect. Looking at Yong Cheon-myeong, who was clasping his hands in prayer in his mind, Ma Haryeong still maintained her piercing, sharp, and suspicious gaze, honed by a woman's intuition.

Yong Cheon-myeong's wit in dealing with this crisis was admirable. Instead of a futile excuse, he escaped this dangerous situation with the simplest of movements.

"Miss Ma? Are you alright? Be careful!"

He casually pointed his left index finger behind Ma Haryeong's foot. That was more than enough. Following the seemingly serious fingertip, Ma Haryeong's gaze slowly shifted. And when her gaze reached the spot indicated by the finger, her eyes widened in horror.

While she was distracted, a venomous snake had crept up to her heel without her noticing. As if ready to bite, the venomous snake flicked its red tongue playfully, its sharp fangs gleaming menacingly.

"Kyaaaaaak!"

Once again, a sharp, nervous, and shrill scream that seemed to shake the Lightning Strike Gorge echoed endlessly, as if rushing through the narrow valley.

"Die! Die! Die!"

Swish! Swish!

As Ma Haryeong's saber whirled like a whirlwind, a light mist of blood arose around her. The dismembered bodies of venomous snakes rained down. Her revenge against the creatures that disgusted her was incredibly brutal.

"It's certain! It's truly different!" Yong Cheon-myeong nodded again.

"Die!"

With a rough shout, a hot heat billowed up!

Fwoosh!

A scorching heat rushed towards Yong Cheon-myeong's face as he cut down the venomous snakes that were desperately attacking. Yan Dao was busy on the other side, swinging his crimson flame wildly, turning the snakes into a mass barbecue. With each powerful swing of his hand, waves of flaming dao energy rippled and swept through the surroundings. It felt as if only black, burnt ashes would remain if caught in that heat.

"But you know…"

"What?"

Bing Jian, who was quietly watching Yan Dao's barbecue skills, replied casually.

"Where is your master?"

Yan Dao asked, cremating dozens of snakes collectively. Bing Jian then furrowed his brow slightly and said,

"There's a flaw in your words!"

"What flaw?"

"You speak as if he is solely my 'master', but not yours!"

Bing Jian's rebuttal, sounding quite displeased, caused Yan Dao's cheek to twitch along with his rough red beard. He was filled with rage.

"Don't be so pedantic, fellow disciple! It's not a good habit, especially towards 'elders'!"

Yan Dao emphasized the word 'fellow disciple' particularly. This time, Bing Jian's pale blue eyebrows twitched. An icy, cold gaze directly struck Yan Dao.

"He's probably leisurely enjoying himself somewhere, as always. You, who served him for a 'much longer' time and 'much more often' than I did, know far better, don't you?"

Bing Jian replied in a voice as cold as ice. Intense sparks flew between the two. At this point, Bi Ryun-yeon's whereabouts didn't matter. It was no longer in their thoughts.

Bi Ryun-yeon wasn't just idling as his two elder disciples thought. He was also quite busy compared to other times. For starters, he had to face off against a man who was determined to tear him to shreds.

"Die!"

Hiss! Hiss!

Thick, black chains whipped through the air with the force of the wind. Hyulswae, the 10th captain of the Twelve Blood Demon Squad, swung two iron chains consecutively with a crazed fervor, his eyes bloodshot. However, Bi Ryun-yeon, like an ethereal mirage made of mist, did not even allow a graze.

His trained martial art, employing eight iron chains simultaneously, had never felt so powerless. The more his swung chains missed, the more the fear lurking in his heart grew like sediment. His teeth chattered incessantly, and his thighs trembled. But there was no longer any room to retreat.

'I must absolutely stop him!'

If he let this man continue, the Iron Chain Sealing Formation was in danger of collapsing entirely. He steeled himself, unleashing his killing intent to its peak, and raised the thick, hard black iron chain that seemed impossible to break with any sharpness. True to his moniker, Hyulswae, his weapon was also a black iron chain.

The collapse of the formation, that was something he had to prevent at all costs.

"Hah!"

As he roared with an angry voice and swung both hands like a windmill, the two chains writhed like enraged dragons and flew towards Bi Ryun-yeon. It was the ultimate move, "Raging Dragon Shatter," from his unique martial art, Blood Calamity Chain Technique.

The black iron chains, whistling fiercely through the wind, seemed intent on turning Bi Ryun-yeon into a bloody mess in an instant. However, as Bi Ryun-yeon's body flickered, the two raging dragons merely tore through his afterimage futilely.

"Huff!"

Hyulswae's eyes widened.

'Wh-where is he? Where is he!'

Bi Ryun-yeon was floating in the air. In his hand was a Bicharyun, which he had slyly taken. Unlike the black wheel, its white teeth gleamed sharply in the sunlight.

Thwack!

Then, Bi Ryun-yeon's right foot kicked the Bicharyun forcefully in mid-air.

Shriiiiiiiik!

The Bicharyun, with a terrifying speed incomparable to fired arrows, tore through the air.

Pwahk!

Thud!

A blood-reddened iron chain fell to the ground.

Pababababst!

Twelve radiant rings shot out from Bi Ryun-yeon's body. He had applied the supreme technique of the Thunderous Sword to the Flying Rings, which he hadn't used in a long time. Their effect and power were immense. Even if Jin Jo-un of the Ferret Ring, who had come back to life, threw them, it would be hard to achieve such power.

They moved agilely and swiftly, like intelligent snakes with their own wisdom. Tracing the trajectory of the flashes as they passed through the thicket, screams, accompanied by red blood, continued to follow.

This blow was the starting point that led to the collapse of the Twelve Blood Demon Squad's encirclement and ambush.