Chapter 198 The Snake Disaster is Initially Over

"Twang."

The bowstring vibrated with a loud sound, and a streak of black light shot out. It was no ordinary arrow; the arrowhead was triangular, with faint runes shimmering across it—it was an Armor-Piercing Evil-Slaying Arrow issued by the Demon Suppression Division.

The arrow was incredibly precise, piercing into that gap between the scales and burying itself deep into the head snake's neck, right up to the fletching.

"Roar!"

The head snake immediately let out a heaven-shaking roar of pain. Its massive body thrashed wildly, sending toxic mist, blood, and debris flying everywhere, turning half the street upside down.

Although this arrow wasn't fatal, it severely wounded the creature, and its movements became noticeably sluggish and stiff.

Bai Junyi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and roared hoarsely:

"Work together! Attack the old wound on its seven-inch mark!"

The group's spirits were lifted, and they immediately swarmed in.

Lu Dachuan let out an angry roar, his thick-backed Dao descending with the force of a mountain-splitter, hacking fiercely at the head snake's belly. Shen Suning's soft whip coiled around the snake's head, obstructing its vision. Ji Xiang's movements were ghostly, her dagger specifically targeting the wounds on the snake's body. Ling Xiaoning and the others also mustered their remaining courage, each using their own methods.

Chen Mu did not rush in recklessly but instead circled the edge of the battle, his eyes cold as he observed the head snake's final frenzy. Finally, the moment the head snake reared its head and hissed in agony, exposing its vital neck, he made his move.

He pushed his Divine Void Step to the limit. His body followed his blade, the light of which flashed like lightning, slashing upwards from an angle and cutting fiercely into the edge of the wound created by Feng Qing's Armor-Piercing Arrow.

The Hunyuan Calamity Astral Qi erupted the instant it sliced into the snake's body, carrying the unique aura of the Soul-Loss Art and frantically destroying the head snake's vitality.

The head snake's struggle abruptly ceased. The light in its vertical pupils faded rapidly, and its massive body crashed to the ground, never to move again.

[Killed the Black-Scaled Demon Snake leader. Plundered Martial Dao Lifespan: 476 years.]

With the head snake dead, the remaining two smaller black snakes let out terrified hisses. Instead of attacking, they turned to bolt into the nearby alleyway.

"Don't let them get away!"

Bai Junyi gasped for breath as he gave the order.

Feng Qing drew his bow again, shooting one of them down with a single arrow. Chen Mu flashed forward, chased down the other, and emerged from the alley a few breaths later, carrying a massive snake head.

With that, all seven Black-Scaled Demon Snakes that had plagued the streets of Shi Town were slain.

The street was filled with the stench of blood. The members of Team C sat or stood, most of them wounded and in a sorry state, gasping for air.

Zhao Si was severely injured; Shen Suning urgently treated his wounds and fed him a Medicinal Pill. Ling Xiaoning sat down on the ground, looking at the snake corpses covering the ground and his own short sword, feeling somewhat in disbelief.

Lu Dachuan leaned on his Dao and laughed twice, but the movement tugged at his wounds, making him wince in pain.

"Damn it, Team C almost bit the dust. Brother Chen, you've got great skills—ruthless and accurate."

Shen Suning finished treating the injuries and also walked up to Chen Mu to thank him solemnly.

"Chen Mu, I will never forget your life-saving grace."

Chen Mu wiped his Dao on the snake's body, sheathed it, and said calmly:

"It was my duty."

He glanced at the System; this kill had yielded nearly eight hundred years of plundered Lifespan—a decent start, indeed.

The quality of demons in the Prefecture was indeed far beyond what could be found in Yunmeng.

Bai Junyi leaned against the wall, clutching his chest, his face pale. He looked around at everyone, his gaze lingering on Chen Mu for a long time.

After resting for about a quarter of an hour, Bai Junyi forced himself to stand up.

"We shouldn't stay here too long; the smell of blood is too strong and might attract other things. Ji Xiang, scout the town again. Confirm if there are any fish that slipped through the net or surviving civilians who need urgent evacuation."

"Everyone else, collect the valuable parts from the demon snakes, especially the head snake's venom sac, gallbladder, and a few key scales as proof of the mission."

"Move quickly. We must leave Shi Town immediately and return to the nearest reporting post."

Everyone acknowledged the order and immediately sprang into action.

After experiencing a life-or-death battle, the atmosphere within the team changed quietly.

The rift caused by the arrival of a newcomer and their previous failures seemed to be diluted significantly after fighting side-by-side, especially having witnessed Chen Mu's calm and efficient killing methods together.

...

By dusk, the group arrived at a post station thirty miles away from Shi Town.

This was one of the reporting posts set up by the Demon Suppression Division in the southwest, specifically for passing teams to rest and relay messages. The post station was not large, with two courtyards; the front courtyard housed the stables and the main hall, while the back courtyard contained the guest rooms.

"Whoa—"

Bai Junyi pulled on the reins. As he dismounted, the movement tugged at his wounds, but he forced himself not to groan.

Everyone dismounted one after another, all covered in blood and grime, utterly exhausted.

Zhao Si was the most severely injured and was supported by Shi Yong and another veteran soldier; his face was deathly pale and his lips were blue. Ling Xiaoning's legs were trembling, and he almost fell when he landed, but fortunately, Feng Qing reached out to steady him.

"Everyone get inside first, wash up, bandage your wounds, and catch your breath."

Bai Junyi waved his hand and was the first to push open the wooden door of the post station.

Footsteps sounded from within the courtyard, and a slender figure stepped quickly out from the hall. It was a young girl of about seventeen or eighteen, wearing a coarse cloth dress that had been washed white, with an apron tied around her waist and her long hair simply held up by a wooden hairpin.

She was pretty, with clean features and skin that was pale from a lack of sunlight. Her eye color was slightly lighter than the average person's, and she looked at them with a timid curiosity.

The girl looked up at the group at the door, a flicker of timidity in her eyes, but she quickly forced herself to calm down and curtsied slightly.

"My lords, are you coming from the direction of Shi Town?"

Bai Junyi nodded.

"Exactly. We are Team C of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, ordered to clear out the demon infestation in Shi Town. We are passing through and need to rest for the night, and also use the post station's channels to report on the battle situation."

Upon hearing this, a look of relief appeared on the girl's face, and her eyes even turned slightly red.

"Shi Town... have the demons in Shi Town really been killed by you, my lords?"

"They have all been slain."

Bai Junyi said in a deep voice.

"Are you the post station attendant, miss?"

The girl hurried to curtsy again.

"I am Lin Xiuer, the daughter of the postmaster of this Black Rock Post. My father went into the mountains to collect herbs half a month ago and has yet to return. Now, I am the only one left to manage the post station. If there is any negligence, please forgive me, my lords."

Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, and she lowered her head to twist the corner of her apron; anyone who saw her would inevitably feel pity.

Lu Dachuan sighed.

"Don't be afraid, miss; the demons have been eliminated. Do you have any food and hot water here? My brothers are all wounded and need to tend to them."

Lin Xiuer nodded hurriedly.

"Yes, we do. There is still some brown rice and pickled vegetables in the kitchen, and the well water is clean. I will go boil water and heat up the food right away. Please sit down, my lords, and have some hot soup to warm yourselves."

As she spoke, she nimbly distributed bowls of clear soup to the tables and then hurried back to the kitchen, where the sounds of starting a fire, washing rice, and chopping vegetables soon followed.

Everyone took their seats. The soup was a simple wild vegetable soup, lacking any oil, but it was steaming hot, and drinking it truly dispelled some of the chill.

Ling Xiaoning finished it in a few gulps and smacked his lips.

"This girl is really pitiful; her father is missing, and she's guarding this post station in the middle of nowhere all by herself."

Shen Suning was using her dagger to cut open her sleeve, which was soaked through with snake blood. Upon hearing this, she said indifferently:

"In chaotic times, who isn't pitiful? It is already no small feat that she has been able to keep this post station running."