Chapter 149 — Deadly Poison

Yun Yifeng said: "If so, then let us send a few disciples of high cultivation to follow quietly and learn what they can."

Daoyan nodded: "Good. So it is decided."

At this Yun Yifeng seemed to recall something, and suddenly said to Daoyan: "By the way, there is one more matter on which I must beg a favor of the Zhenren."

Daoyan started: "Valley Master Yun is too courteous. What matter is it? Speak freely."

Yun Yifeng smiled: "I hear that your sect's disciple of Xiaozhu Peak, Lu Xueling, has lately been punished to meditate in seclusion in the Moon-Gazing Terrace of Xiaozhu Peak. Hearing this, I was truly uneasy, and moreover..." He smiled: "That worthless disciple of mine has come to me every other day these past few days, begging me, saying he would not have Miss Lu punished on account of our request. Besides, with the beast-demons now ravaging the world, this is a time when talent is needed, and Miss Lu is an outstanding disciple of Qingyun. So I ask the Zhenren, for my sake, to grant Miss Lu a temporary remission of her punishment."

Daoyan sighed: "It is all my failure to discipline my sect that has made me a laughingstock before Valley Master Yun."

Yun Yifeng smiled: "What are you saying, Zhenren? It is only my worthless disciple's foolish fancies. And as for the affairs of these young ones, we may as well leave them alone from now on, and spare ourselves the worry." With that he laughed heartily.

Daoyan Zhenren was silent for a moment, then said, "Since Valley Master Yun has pleaded for her in person, I cannot possibly refuse him such a face. Let it be so: I will send Xueqi back this very day, and choose several disciples to accompany her to the southwest on an investigation. That may count as atoning for her crime through service."

A faint smile touched the corner of Yun Yifeng's mouth. "Ah! What a coincidence—I was just about to say that my unworthy disciple Li Xun should also go to the southwest for some tempering!"

Daoyan Zhenren glanced at him and said mildly, "Then let them go together."

Yun Yifeng laughed heartily and cupped his hands. "Then I thank you on my unworthy disciple's behalf."

Daoyan Zhenren withdrew his gaze, picked up the teacup from the table before him, and took a slow sip. Something shifted in his eyes as he said slowly, "The Valley Master is too courteous."

Venomous Snake Valley, in the southwest.

This vast valley was surrounded on all sides by dense, ancient forest. For most of the year, at dawn and dusk, a poisonous mist like miasma rose from the woods—in truth, it was the accumulated venom of the countless poisonous snakes that dwelt in the valley.

No one could say why so many venomous snakes made their home in this valley; their numbers had grown so great that they were everywhere, in the trees and on the ground alike. Only the cluster of buildings belonging to the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect escaped them, for the sect's secret arts kept the venomous creatures from coming near.

And these snakes, filling the hills and fields, had become both the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect's natural barrier and an inexhaustible treasury of poison.

It was now the early morning hour of the day. From the dense forest of Venomous Snake Valley, a faintly colored mist could be seen rising—it looked like the first morning fog, but should the ignorant draw near, within moments the deadly poison would leave them bleeding from every orifice, and at last they would die between the snakes' fangs.

Ordinarily, apart from these serpents guarding the valley, the Ten Thousand Venoms Sect always had disciples on patrol against outside enemies. But in recent days, for some unknown reason, none of these watchful disciples had come out at all. It seemed the factional strife within the sect had reached a fever pitch.

"Pat." With a soft sound, a small pebble rolled across, bounced twice on the only road outside Venomous Snake Valley—a road already broken and overgrown with weeds—then rolled into the grass beside it and vanished.

Then, with light footfalls, three tall and strange beasts appeared on the road. All had the heads of savage wolves, yet their bodies were those of the tigers and leopards one commonly saw; they looked utterly bizarre.

The three monsters seemed wary, their noses twitching constantly as they sniffed at the air, slowly approaching Venomous Snake Valley. All was quiet within the valley, as though it were entirely unguarded against the arrival of these three uninvited guests.

Suddenly the wolf head of the middle beast gave a start, as if it had discovered something, and it let out a low growl. The other two immediately halted and looked at the strongest, tallest monster standing in the center.

Fierce light flickered in the wolf-headed monster's eyes; its nose kept sniffing, yet it did not head into Venomous Snake Valley. Instead it slowly made its way toward a dense clump of grass beside the old road just outside the valley, from which a faint smell of blood was drifting out.

The monster gave a low roar and stepped into the grass. From outside, its body could be seen moving ceaselessly, as though it were rummaging for something within.

After a moment the grass shook again, and the sturdy monster leaped out and back onto the old road, something strange clamped in its jaws.

It looked like a long whip, or perhaps the tail of some monster. The fur on it had begun to rot, its color dim and lusterless, and it gave off a constant trace of blood-stink.

The other two monsters roared in unison, plainly startled and furious, savage light flickering in their eyes.

The monster that had retrieved the tail set the thing down on the old road, then suddenly raised its head and gave a long howl—a sound like a wolf's cry, shrill and piercing, rising straight to the clouds.

A moment later the monster picked up the tail again and, ignoring the other two, flew off on all four legs, racing swiftly back the way it had come, away from Venomous Snake Valley.

The other two, after a few roars, suddenly gathered their strength and charged into Venomous Snake Valley. Once inside, they found the old road even more winding and narrow, snaking forward between hillsides thick with thorns and brambles, through which drifted a faint, barely perceptible mist tinged with color.

The monsters rushed straight on, and to judge by their gnashing teeth, should anyone appear before them at that moment, they would likely be torn to pieces on the spot.

The colored mist drifted gently, slowly gathering in the forest. The two monsters roared without cease and charged straight in without a glance. At first nothing seemed amiss, but for some reason their roars gradually weakened and their pace slowed, and after a moment their whole bodies began to tremble.

As if sensing something wrong, the two monsters halted and with difficulty turned their heads, trying to leave the woods. But before they had gone more than a few steps they collapsed, and in an instant blood streamed from every orifice of their faces. They were plainly done for.

Throughout the forest, near and far, a horrifying "hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss" rose at once as countless snakes came surging toward the spot. Within moments, numberless snake heads appeared among the grass and treetops, hissing, as venomous snakes great and small all came crawling over.

And just as these snakes were joyfully squabbling over their food, many of them suddenly froze, raised their heads warily, and then all turned toward the entrance of Venomous Snake Valley.

Far off down that desolate old road, there seemed to come the low, muffled boom of war drums. The whole earth began slowly to quiver, and strange sounds, like the advance of a thousand troops and ten thousand horses, came from the endless distance.

In the morning valley, all at once there fell a deathly stillness.

"Hah!"