Zhongshan Shenzhu Chi

Chapter 96 Farewell

They left along the Luo River.

The large snake came up, dripping wet.

Passing through forests and over muddy soil, it carries the life force of the mountains inch by inch.

We arrived at the Valley of the Serpent God.

This place has been occupied by the Golden Ape Clan, as well as black bears and other Zhongshan monsters.

They lay helplessly on the ground, their skin a deep red, as if they had been steamed.

"Hmm? Why are you here?" The frog was releasing wisps of water vapor to treat them.

Upon seeing the giant snake, he asked in surprise.

"Has something happened?"

"No, I've come to say goodbye," the giant snake whispered.

As it meandered through the gaps formed by the bodies of the monstrous beasts lying helplessly on the ground.

Its enormous body gradually shrank.

Until your line of sight is level with the frog's.

"Saying goodbye?" the frog wondered.

He turned to look at the valley.

Then look at the giant snake.

It seemed that something was clear to me.

It moved aside.

"With so many demonic beasts from Zhongshan helping, that sun is no longer as powerful as it used to be."

"Um."

The red snake nodded and swam into the valley.

The scorching heat was replaced by the vibrant life force of the mountains.

The cool mountain breeze made the monsters that had collapsed in front of the valley cheer.

They walked into the valley.

The giant snake stopped and turned to look at the rock wall.

It's completely rock now, and you can't sense any life at all.

A crack appeared in the rock wall.

A weary voice echoed in the giant snake's mind.

"A-Nian?"

"Mother," the giant serpent whispered in its mind.

Shifting perspective, one discovers that the source of the sound has merged with Zhongshan.

"Mother, you can rest now."

"Were you the one who provoked such fury the other day?"

"That's great. You're not even fifty years old yet, and you already have the chance to reach the fifth realm."

"

The giant serpent stood silently and solemnly beneath the rock face, its head bowed.

"There will be no more opportunities for you to break through your cultivation level in Zhongshan."

"Have you found a living being to replace you?"

"Yes, it is a blue tiger that cultivates the martial spirit."

The giant snake replied.

"Judging from his appearance, he might not be any worse off than me in the future."

"That's good—that's good."

"Remember to go to Yunmengze? There are things there left behind from my collaboration with Shuowangmen—?"

"What else was there?"

"Hmm... I can't remember..."

"Mother--

—

"Hmm, I remember now. You need to have many children so they can play on my body."

"Mother—" the giant snake whispered.

His words were devoid of emotion, carrying only a heavy weight, like dark clouds about to bring rain.

After waiting for a long time, no sound came from its mind again.

A mountain breeze blew by, bringing with it a touch of heat.

Something underground is slowly rising.

The valley grew increasingly hot.

The rocks melted, and space was distorted by the vaporization.

The giant snake regained its original size and coiled itself on the ground of the valley.

The scorching heat about to erupt from underground seemed to have encountered an insurmountable chasm.

The timing process envelops the heat, and the heat, in turn, tempers the timing process.

day after day.

Yongningzhou is a place where Yin and Yang are out of balance.

The Heavenly Tribulation will not be canceled just because the sun does not rise as scheduled.

The continuous rain that should have fallen in autumn did not fall at all this year.

Until spring.

The Awakening of Insects should have brought torrential rain, but instead, only a lone sun, radiating scorching heat, hung in the sky.

The radiance of the sun illuminates every inch of Yongningzhou, drawing away all the moisture.

Cities in all regions have activated their contingency plans to deal with the drought.

All the fields were planted with drought-resistant grain seeds.

One hundred people make up a pavilion, and ten pavilions make up a village. They rely on underground wells built in previous years to make a living.

On Zhongshan Mountain, the earthworm demon, following the law left by the giant serpent, opens the water-drawing point three times a day for all living beings to draw water.

They have no intelligence, only the instinct to obey the will of the great serpent.

Without rainfall, the vegetation that once covered Zhongshan Mountain slowly disappeared.

The cracked and withered earth was exposed.

"Chieftain—!"

In the new village, Zhong Song quickly helped Wenshuyan, who had almost fallen, up.

Six months after the drought struck, this once chubby chieftain, who resembled a white-faced bear, has become as thin as a normal person.

His skin was loose and sagging, like a burden, layer upon layer covering his body.

"The deadline is almost here, why haven't they come back yet?"

Wen Shuyan grabbed Zhong Song's arm, stood up, and gazed into the distance once more.

He has been standing at the village entrance since before dawn, waiting for people to come up the mountain to fetch water and bring it down.

To fill our stomachs, we only had two pieces of dry food.

For someone like him, born and raised in the city, it was nothing short of torture.

Wen Shuyan's lips were cracked, just like the earth itself.

The once vibrant lake water in my eyes has dried up, just like the great river in front of the village.

Only one thing remained, a responsibility as heavy as the earth itself, weighing on his shoulders.

"Chieftain!"

A call came from behind, unlike usual, which was followed by a chorus of loud calls.

In a drought, not sparing water is tantamount to death.

"Madam—"

"I'll wait here, clan leader, you should go back first," Zhong Song said softly.

"Um."

Wen Shuyan had already prepared himself mentally, but at this moment, an emotion welled up from the bottom of his heart, causing his face to darken.

He ran quickly to the village.

As he approached the door, Wen Shuyan almost tripped over the threshold.

A large crowd had gathered in front of the ward, mostly people who had moved there from the Wen family.

Upon seeing Wen Shuyan arrive, they made way for him.

Enter the door.

His sister, Wencui, sat by the bed with a young child in her hair.

Hearing the noise, she quickly wiped away her tears.

"elder brother----"

"Mother." Wen Shuyan nodded in response, quickly stepped forward, knelt beside the sickbed, and held his mother's withered, insect-like hands.

"You're not drinking—"

"No need."

When Wen's mother opened her eyes, they were neither black nor white, but rather a dark, murky gray.

"Save a bite."

His dry, pale lips moved slightly: "Son—you did a good job—don't blame yourself."

Wen Shuyan held his mother's hand with one hand and slapped his own face with the other.

The hand that was holding his suddenly tightened its grip, as if to stop him.

But that little bit of strength vanished in an instant.

Wen Cui released the child's hands, covered her mouth with both hands, and squatted down.

The child was only five years old. He watched his mother squat down and sob softly and intensely.

He stood beside Wencui, looking both puzzled and concerned.

"daughter."

"Don't cry, Father said we shouldn't waste water."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Shuyan wiped his face with the back of his rough hand.

"Xiang'er is right."

He stood up, patted his sister on the shoulder, and helped her up.

As you step out the door, you are greeted by the Wen family, who have moved from Xia'an City to Zhongshan.

"Chieftain, shall we go and beg the mountain for help?"

"Shut up!"

Wen Shuyan stared intently at the person who had spoken.

"The mountain god has already bestowed the grace of a water source; what else do we need to ask for?"

"We have nothing to ask for, nothing worth asking for. If we don't survive the drought, that's our fate!"

Anyone who utters such words again will be expelled from the Zhong family!

"I'd like to see if you can survive a single day outside of this little village, under the clutches of those bloodthirsty beasts in the mountains!"