Chapter 7

In the valley, wildflowers were in full bloom, and the vegetation was lush. Various trees were intertwined, and the hanging vines stretched from the sky to the ground, forming a picturesque scene.

Accompanied by the intermittent chirping of insects, he moved through the mist, as if entering another world.

Xiao Yi held a small crossbow in his hand, his face beaming with unhidden joy. He looked around, and before he knew it, he had arrived at an open space.

To the right of the open space was a narrow path hidden in the wild grass, leading to the depths of the valley, where the Taiping Mountain Range stretched for a thousand miles.

To the left was the towering North Cliff of Immortal Peak. Xiao Yi looked up, and through the gaps in the tree shade, he could see a huge palm-shaped tree canopy extending out at a height of about seven or eight zhang, nestled against the shade of the trees at the bottom of the cliff, as if trying to cover this space. He had looked down from the top of Immortal Peak countless times, but the bottom of the cliff was always hazy. Now, being there in person, he felt a different kind of sensation.

Perhaps it was the joy of having the precious small crossbow in his hand, or perhaps it was the first time he had come to the bottom of the cliff. He couldn't help but half-open his mouth and widen his eyes, marveling at the different landscapes between the top and bottom of the cliff, and the wonders of nature!

Holding the small crossbow, Xiao Yi was about to move forward, looking forward to more exciting things ahead. Before he could lower his head, he let out a "hmm" and quickly looked up again. He saw a palm-shaped tree canopy extending from the cliff, with a hint of green and red moving between the branches.

Curiosity piqued, Xiao Yi took two steps back and looked closely. He could now see clearly.

A purple-red squirrel was leaping up and down among the palm-shaped branches, closely followed by a thick green snake. The squirrel was small and agile, leaping lightly to a branch extending from the top of a tree at the bottom of the cliff, still looking back at the palm-shaped canopy. The green snake was coiled around the tree trunk, its head swaying up and down, its tongue flicking, as if guarding its nest and intimidating the squirrel.

The chase between the snake and the squirrel lasted only a brief moment. If Xiao Yi hadn't happened to look up, he wouldn't have noticed the brief and thrilling scene happening about seven or eight zhang above his head.

This snake is so despicable! You're so big and fierce! How can you be so cruel to a small, cute squirrel? Isn't this bullying the weak?

With these thoughts, Xiao Yi slowly raised the small crossbow in his hand. He pouted and muttered, "I'll show you who's the boss!" In a moment of anger, he tightened his grip and pulled the trigger.

The arrow shot out with a "thud," and he faintly heard a "thud" as the snake struggled violently. A few leaves fluttered down from the high branches, followed by a splash of blood. After a short while, everything returned to calm.

Xiao Yi looked around, and everything was the same as when he arrived.

There was no movement in the tree canopy. Had the green snake been shot dead? He wasn't very skilled with the crossbow, so he shouldn't have such accuracy! Could this be the "divine touch" his master spoke of? No, this is my "divine arrow"!

He paced around a few more steps and looked up again, confirming that the snake was indeed dead, and the squirrel had long since fled.

Xiao Yi was a bit worried. He could give the snake to Uncle Lu; the snake skin and gallbladder could be sold for money. But the snake was pinned to the tree by the arrow, and it was too high to reach! It made him sad to think that one of the ten steel-tipped arrows was lost, and he couldn't retrieve it. How frustrating!

No, Xiao Yi wasn't willing to leave without doing something. He had to think of a way.

Scratching his head and frowning, Xiao Yi searched around.

"I've got it!"

His eyes lit up, and he ran to the thick and thin vines.

Xiao Yi found a few thick vines and used the arrow's blade to cut them, which took some effort. He then tied the vines together, attached a small stone to one end, and looked up at the high tree canopy with anticipation.

The tree canopy was about seven or eight zhang high. He could usually throw a fist-sized stone about twenty zhang with ease.

He looked up and down, gripped the stone at the end of the vine, and with a strong wrist movement, threw it upward. The stone and vine only reached halfway up the tree canopy before falling. He quickly threw the remaining vine and jumped aside, almost getting hit by the vine and stone.

He tried a few more times, but the result was the same. The thick, wet vine and the stone were much heavier than a fist-sized stone, and Xiao Yi's strength was still not enough.

After several failures, he calmed down and decided to cut some thinner vines. He stood under the tree canopy where the snake was hanging, spat on the ground, rolled up his sleeves, and picked up the vine, which was now about ten zhang long. These vines were much thinner and lighter than the old ones. He wrapped the end with the stone around his right hand, aimed, and with a "hey," threw it. The fist-sized stone and vine flew up, passed over the high tree canopy, and when the force was spent, the stone fell and wrapped around the tree canopy several times before stopping.

"Ha ha, it worked!"

Xiao Yi's face lit up with joy. He pulled the vine to test its strength, and it seemed solid.

He put the crossbow and deer skin bag aside, tidied himself up, and spit on his hands. He grabbed the vine, stepped on the cliff wall, and slowly climbed up.

Xiao Yi was light and agile, and his arm strength was not much less than an adult's. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he was close to the tree canopy. He looked closely and saw the snake's body still coiled around the tree trunk, its large head hanging motionless, pinned to the trunk by the steel arrow.

The snake was truly unlucky. Xiao Yi's random shot had somehow hit the snake's vital point.

He reached out to grab the arrow, but the hand holding the vine suddenly loosened. "Oh no, the vine can't hold, it's going to break!"

Xiao Yi was anxious, but his hand didn't hesitate. He kicked the cliff wall, tightened his body, and leaped upward, grabbing the tree trunk with both hands just as the vine broke and fell. Without thinking, he wrapped his legs around the trunk, used his waist and arms, and flipped himself onto the trunk.

After a moment of catching his breath, Xiao Yi finally took a deep breath, his heart pounding, his back drenched in sweat, and his forehead covered in sweat.

Looking down, he couldn't help but stick out his tongue, feeling a lingering fear. Falling from such a height, he would surely be scolded to death by his master. No, he might not even hear the scolding!

However, he quickly forgot about it.

Xiao Yi noticed that the snake's body, which was cold and slippery, was under him, making him feel a bit uneasy.

He couldn't help but look at the green snake with curiosity. Hmm? He had seen the snake's head and body, but where was the tail?

Following the snake's body, Xiao Yi looked behind him.

When he turned around, he couldn't help but widen his eyes...