Chapter 18

The auspicious snow foretold a bountiful year, and a light snowfall had transformed the world of February into a silver-clad landscape. After the snow, the sky cleared slightly. The mountains were vast and desolate, with most of the snow already melted, leaving only some dirty snow piles. A gentle cold wind blew.

Between the mountains, on a narrow path, three figures walked slowly. In front was a tall, dark-faced young man, dressed in coarse linen clothes, holding a bamboo pole as tall as himself, and carrying a bundle on his back. He walked with great joy. Behind him was a nine-foot-tall, muscular man with disheveled hair, wearing a short jacket, carrying an iron rod, and a box on his back. He walked briskly. In the middle was a young man about 1.7 meters tall, wearing a faded and worn long robe, with rosy lips and white teeth, a handsome face, and a white cloth cap. He carried a book box on his back. Despite his seemingly frail body, he walked no slower than the two in front and behind him.

After walking for a while, with the sun beginning to set, the dark-faced young man in front stopped and looked back at the young man who looked like a scholar, smiling and said, "Cousin, we probably won't reach Zhangjia Town today. My father and I have been here before; there's an old mountain shrine on the mountain ahead, perfect for a rest."

Ning Wuxue raised his head, looked at the sun that had already shifted west, nodded, and smiled, "That's fine. We still have time. Let's stay for the night and continue our journey tomorrow morning."

The three were Ning Wuxue, Ning Wushuang, and Ning Bo Wu, who had left Ning Family Village to take the county exams.

When they reached the mountain, an old temple appeared before them. Although it was the transition between winter and spring, the sun set quickly. After they had dinner, it was already quite dark. They spread dry grass and laid a piece of hemp cloth, and the three of them slept in their clothes.

When Ning Wushuang and Ning Bo Wu were sound asleep, Ning Wuxue quietly got up and left the temple. A crescent moon slowly rose in the sky. Ning Wuxue found an open area and sat cross-legged on a stone, about to start his cultivation, when he suddenly heard a commotion coming up the mountain, moving very quickly.

"Hmm? What's happening in this desolate mountain?"

Ning Wuxue was puzzled and quickly hid in the grass, concealing his presence, and looked in the direction of the sound. The grass rustled, and a series of startled sounds came. A moment later, a large, mottled python suddenly darted out from the grass on the other side of the open area.

What a large python! It had a head as big as a bell, with a mottled white and black body as thick as a barrel. Only half of its body was out of the grass, but it had already coiled into a mound over ten meters wide, emitting a pungent smell.

Suddenly, such a large python appeared, and even though Ning Wuxue was brave, he was still startled. Although he had accepted his identity and the fact that this was a world of immortals and Buddhas, this was his first close encounter with a monster.

He lowered his body even more and observed the mottled python. The python coiled itself into a small hill, its large head looking down the mountain. Its eyes, which should have been cold, flickered with a hint of human-like intelligence.

What is it waiting for?

Ning Wuxue had a sudden realization. Suddenly, a bloody smell came, and he saw that the python's belly seemed to have been cut by a sharp weapon, with blood seeping out. Clearly, the weapon was not from a monster.

If not a monster, then it must be a human.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a figure suddenly darted out from the moonlight, and a brilliant light shot toward the python's head.

"Hisss... Human, don't go too far. Just because I ate two people, you must make me your enemy?" The python hissed, spitting out a mouthful of black mist. The mist, under the moonlight, seemed to have a life of its own, wrapping around the brilliant light.

"Monsters and demons, causing chaos in the human world, must be eliminated."

Seemingly recognizing the power of the mist, the figure spun in mid-air, the brilliant light forming a circle in the air, avoiding the mist, and landed on the ground, revealing himself.

It was a young Taoist, dressed in Taoist robes, with a handsome and stern face, his eyes filled with righteousness. The brilliant light was a bright, four-foot-long sword. Behind him, he carried a long box, looking quite peculiar.

The moment the Taoist landed, a pungent wind rushed toward him. The python, being clever, had only spat out the mist to distract the Taoist. Its body sprang up like a spring, and its massive head lunged forward, its dagger-like fangs gleaming in the moonlight.

"Bold indeed, a monster is still a monster. Watch me subdue you today." The Taoist, undaunted, stepped forward and thrust his four-foot-long sword at the python's head.

Clang...

The sword was sharp, capable of cutting hair, and a burst of white light erupted. The sword's brilliance shot toward the python's mouth.

"Hisss..."

"Thud..."

The python's neck was pierced by the sword, creating a large hole, and blood gushed out. In pain, it let out a hiss, its ferocity flaring up. Its tail whipped out like a whip, wrapping around the Taoist and slamming him into a pile of rocks.

Thud, thud, thud... The python's tail pummeled the Taoist, and even with his deep cultivation, the Taoist was left dazed. After a series of fierce attacks, the python calmed down, its neck's severe pain making it weak. Realizing it couldn't stay, it flicked its tail, throwing the Taoist dozens of meters away, and its massive body darted into the forest, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Ning Wuxue, watching from the side, was terrified. Seeing the python retreat, he had a sudden thought and darted out of the grass, following the trail of blood left by the python.

The Taoist, battered and bruised, his Taoist robes torn, his hair disheveled, picked up his sword and was about to chase after the python.

Buzz...

Suddenly, a large iron rod came flying out of the darkness, startling the Taoist, who took a step back. The iron rod hit the ground, sending stones flying, and the Taoist's face changed. He looked up to see a tall, disheveled figure wielding a black iron rod, and with a failed attack, he swung it horizontally, aiming for the Taoist's waist.

"Who are you? I am..." The Taoist quickly shouted, leaping back. He had sensed a terrifying power in the man's body and knew that a direct confrontation would injure him, so he kept retreating.

By retreating, the Taoist lost the chance to chase the python. He was secretly angry, not knowing where this reckless person had come from, attacking without reason. The Taoist was ruthless against monsters but much more cautious with humans.

The man with the iron rod, having the upper hand, roared with excitement and launched several more attacks. The Taoist, not daring to reveal his true abilities, could only fight with his sword.

In an instant, the open area was filled with the wild dance of the iron rod and the sweeping sword, clashing with a loud din, creating quite a spectacle.