Zhongshan Shenzhu Chi

The red serpent flicked its tongue, looking at the group of people gathered around the campfire.

Originally, it was going to follow the Luo River directly into the Majian River and head upstream to Qiushi City, but suddenly a feeling arose in its heart.

They then left the water and walked onto land.

As they walked, the red snake caught a scent similar to that of the old man in the red robe.

Following the scent, they didn't see anyone from the Crimson Immortal Sect, but instead encountered a group of merchants trapped in the mist.

Under the thick fog, wisps of mist seeped into the pores of these people and then came out again, each inhalation and exhalation carrying away a great deal of their life essence.

"Mist Demon?" Red Serpent asked in confusion.

Within the Zhongshan area, it has not yet encountered any strange or eerie sights.

These formless and intangible monsters, whenever they appear in Zhongshan, are all sucked into the stomach by the Golden Ape King... or even just by a single Golden Ape, without even needing to reach its level.

At most, you might have a bit of an upset stomach, pass some gas or empty your bowels, and then it's like nothing happened.

"This mist demon... could it be related to the Crimson Immortal Sect?"

"Then we can't let it succeed."

The red serpent slithered past, circling the crowd. The firelight reflected its color, and the gray mist, as if encountering its natural enemy, instantly dissipated.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) surnamed Chen knelt on the ground, vomiting and drooling. After finally catching his breath, he looked up and counted, his face full of terror.

"Master Si, save me! Master Si, save me!" He quickly turned around, knelt down before the red snake, and begged repeatedly.

"I even offered incense to you in Cheshire! Help! Help!"

The red snake flicked its tongue, staring at the man before it.

Offering incense makes one a believer—this is merely wishful thinking on the part of humans. The only humans it has seen and remembers are the fat merchant Wen Shuyan and the village chief at the foot of Zhongshan Mountain.

Strictly speaking, the two of them were their own followers.

Moreover, it does not require believers.

But since we've seen it and they haven't done anything wrong, let them live if they want to.

He got close and exhaled a breath of yang energy into the flames.

The campfire was not yet blazing, but its light and heat suddenly became intense, directly dispelling the mist within a ten-meter radius.

People whose vision and mind had been captivated by the gray fog gradually came to their senses and saw a reassuring campfire.

Hearing Chen's words, they wanted to express their gratitude to Red Serpent.

But they found the place was completely empty.

"Which of you carries that red serpent statue from Xia City?"

"No, Qiucheng strictly forbids the worship of evil gods; if discovered, you'll die... How could I dare bring such a thing?"

"Stay by the fire and don't go out for now."

Chen Shuping's heart sank. He looked at the suddenly surging fog and muttered to himself.

"I hope I can get home alive..."

The red snake meandered in the mist, like a gently flowing stream.

As it moved, the mist seemed to come alive, actively retreating from its direction of advance.

It suddenly stopped.

The fog receded ten meters away, leaving behind a muddy patch of land.

Once it leaves the Zhongshan area, it is no longer the strange, all-powerful mechanism that makes its words law.

Now, besides numbers, it only has numbers.

Killing the Mist Demon is easy, but capturing it intact and extracting information from it is quite difficult.

Shift your perspective, and you'll see that the core that embodies the essence of humanity is hiding far away from you.

"He even knows how to seek advantage and avoid harm..." the red serpent murmured.

If all else fails, just swallow it whole; you'll at least get some memory fragments from it.

It was about to open its mouth and devour it.

The stagnant mist suddenly rippled, as if a boulder had been thrown into it, creating waves.

The mist spread to the red serpent, only to be instantly burned away by the yang energy emanating from its body.

The red serpent paused, looking at the mist core as if it were being chased by something and was fleeing.

As it drew closer, I could vaguely see flashes of fire and hear bursts of clear, bell-like laughter.

Until it's right in front of me.

A short, old man emerged from the mist; he looked like a large rat.

It lay prostrate on the ground, saying the exact same words as the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) surnamed Chen: "Master Si, save me! Master Si, save me!"

"I even offered incense to you in Cheshire! Help! Help!"

"Oh?" The laughter in the mist suddenly stopped, replaced by a clear exclamation.

Immediately afterwards, a tall woman wearing a bright red short skirt, revealing her bare legs, emerged from the mist.

She watched the mist demon crawl towards the red serpent, and with a "snap," her folding fan unfolded, obscuring her thin, ever-present smile on her lips.

"How could a red snake be seen here? Did it come from Zhongshan?"

The red snake remained silent, its tongue flicking in and out.

The woman exuded the same scent as the old man in red, the same scent I had smelled earlier.

Now that we're closer, I can feel the fire within this woman, which is purer and more intense than the old man's.

It is the kind of flame that can destroy life, yet also nurture it, completely different from the great sun fire spewed out by the Golden Crow.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter whether it's from Zhongshan or not. I'm going to kill this troublesome fog demon now. Are you going to protect it?"

After the woman finished speaking, seeing that the red snake did not respond for a long time, her crimson eyes narrowed.

Just as they were about to make a move, the giant snake suddenly bit the fog demon and swallowed it whole with a "slurp".

A vital energy was exhaled from it, and wisps of it flew back to the people sitting around the campfire.

The people regained their strength, and the dead skin beneath the dead skin suddenly improved. The hands that used to leave a dent when pressed and take a long time to bounce back suddenly had strength.

Before they could even cheer, an extreme drowsiness enveloped their minds.

Chen Shuping fought off sleep, crawled toward Lin Fulin, the man who carried the convoy, shielded him with his body, and then fell into a deep sleep.

"The Crimson Immortal Sect?" the Crimson Serpent uttered in human language.

"This humble woman is Tu Die from the Crimson Immortal Sect." The tall woman closed her folding fan, cupped her hands in a respectful bow, and said, "I never expected to meet the God of Zhongshan here. My apologies."

"Aren't you going to run?"

"I have never participated in the plans of the Crimson Immortal Sect, nor have I ever had any dealings with the Four Dharma Sects." Tu Die stood up, her crimson eyes meeting those golden and silver sun and moon eyes, her pupils unfocused, letting them shine directly into her heart.

The red serpent showed no mercy, staring into the woman's eyes, its divine light illuminating her sea of ​​consciousness.

The absence of any shadows indicates that the woman was not lying.

But she is ultimately a member of the Crimson Immortal Sect... her very existence is a calamity.

Just as he was about to boil her consciousness dry, a sudden cry resounded in the red snake's mind.

"So that the God of Zhongshan may know that although I am not as good as the sect leader, I am still much better than that old man."

Her crimson eyes focused again, and Tu Die unfolded her folding fan to cover her mouth. Though her red lips didn't move, her silvery, laughing voice could be heard.

"If you insist on killing me here, then you'll have a hard time completely destroying the three dikes that Qiushi City has built on the Majian River."

"You are not human," the Red Serpent said in a deep voice.

"How am I not human? I am a native of Yongning Prefecture, and my place of origin can be verified."