Free Web NovelChapter 18: Chapter 18: Wulin
"Either we get out of these woods before it gets dark."
"Then we come back at dawn and kill that son of a bitch!"
The bald-headed strongman viciously racked the bolt of his rifle and said,
"Or, we go into the village right now. And fight that Snake Demon to the death!"
Everyone looked at Fu Guoping, waiting for him to make a decision.
The woods had grown extremely quiet. The only sound was the terrified, restless sobbing of the old man and the youth lying on the ground, a noise that grated on everyone’s nerves.
"Let’s retreat for now."
Fu Guoping considered for a moment before finally making his decision.
The men from the Civil Affairs Bureau had no objections and followed Fu Guoping’s orders. Only the hot-tempered bald man seemed reluctant to leave, muttering curses under his breath as he held his rifle.
Just as everyone was packing up to leave, Fu Juemin, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly looked down at the campfire they hadn’t yet extinguished. Staring at the orange flames still flickering within, he slowly said, "Second Uncle, what if...
...we just burn the whole village down?"
In an instant, everyone in the woods froze. All eyes snapped to Fu Juemin.
A moment later, Fu Guoping’s laughter echoed through the woods.
"Good Lingjun! My dear nephew, you’re just as clever as your father."
"Why didn’t your Second Uncle think of that?..."
....
「Night fell, a crescent moon hanging high in the sky like a scythe.」
Fu Juemin stood on a small earthen slope with a slight elevation, watching the small mountain village in the distance as it was gradually surrounded and devoured by raging flames rising from all four sides.
The Civil Affairs Bureau had brought a large amount of lamp oil and saltpeter, packed into two bulging bundles.
The dozens of able-bodied men from the Civil Affairs Bureau were all experts at arson. Without much effort, they started a ring of fire outside Taohuang Village which, fanned by the night wind, quickly spread toward the village interior.
"When that thing comes running out, Young Master Fu, remember to stay as far back as you can."
Qian Fei, holding a rifle beside him, spoke in a low voice. "Second Master told us to protect you, but once things get chaotic, we might not be able to cover all the bases..."
"Mm."
Fu Juemin nodded. He then saw a group of men from the Civil Affairs Bureau begin to toss handfuls of yellow powder toward the village. The wind and flames caught it, kicking up clouds of yellow smoke.
"What’s that?"
Fu Juemin asked.
Qian Fei answered, "Realgar."
’Using realgar powder against a Snake Demon... The Civil Affairs Bureau really came prepared.’
Fu Juemin watched for a while longer before a sudden commotion broke out nearby.
He saw several burly men from the Civil Affairs Bureau run off to one side, rifles in hand. Fu Juemin subconsciously raised his revolver, and Qian Fei and Ma Dakui flanked him, shielding him securely.
But it wasn’t long before the men returned, forcing several people out from the side of the burning village.
"Let’s go see."
Without waiting for Qian Fei and the other man to react, Fu Juemin took the lead and ran toward the source of the commotion.
When Fu Juemin arrived, he saw that the people who had been captured by the Civil Affairs Bureau men were already tied up securely with ropes.
"Are you Huang Youde?"
Fu Guoping stood before a man and spoke coldly.
"Y-yes."
The man wore a patched, front-fastening short jacket. His skin was dark, and he had the look of a timid, honest-to-goodness farmer.
Tied up with him were a woman and a child of about seven or eight. The child seemed to have some intellectual disabilities, constantly drooling and giggling foolishly at everyone.
They must be the man’s wife and child.
"Where is the Snake Demon?"
Fu Guoping asked.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir..."
The man kept his head down, his gaze evasive.
Fu Juemin noticed several cloth bundles scattered on the ground nearby. One had spilled open, revealing it was filled with old jewelry and copper coins.
"Forget it."
Fu Guoping couldn’t be bothered to interrogate him further. He ordered his men to watch Huang Youde’s family while he went back to directing the others to spread the fire and realgar.
Even while tied up, Huang Youde and his wife weren’t behaving. The moment Fu Guoping turned his back, they glared at the grandparent and grandchild who had "tipped off" the Civil Affairs Bureau, their expressions so fierce they looked like completely different people.
The fire burned for over twenty minutes, growing ever stronger. The glow lit up half the sky over the mountain pass. Thick smoke from the burning wood, mixed with realgar, filled the air above the village, choking people and making their eyes water even from a distance.
"Young Master Fu, come have something to eat."
Because of the rush, most of the men in the group hadn’t eaten dinner. Qian Fei had specially brought Fu Juemin some dry rations and water.
Fu Juemin was indeed a little hungry. He nodded and was just about to reach for it.
Just then, everything suddenly went quiet.
It was a subtle, indescribable feeling.
Like the tightness in your chest and fluttering heart that comes before a heavy downpour, or the strange premonition before a major event...
Fu Juemin was clearly not the only one who felt it. Many of the men unconsciously stopped what they were doing.
In the distance, under the black sky, flocks of night birds burst into the air in alarm. Fu Juemin heard a strange rustling sound drawing closer, and a pungent stench that overpowered the smell of the fire.
Not long after.
BOOM!
A burning earthen wall nearby abruptly collapsed, and immediately after, a behemoth shot out, wrapped in a foul wind. freeweɓnovel.cøm
THUMP—
Fu Juemin’s heart pounded violently. Without a single thought, his body had already begun to retreat instinctively.
"Fire!"
Fu Guoping’s roar shattered the stunned silence, and gunfire immediately erupted.
Fu Juemin was pulled back by Qian Fei and the other man, retreating almost to the edge of the peach grove before he could stop and get a clear look at the creature.
It was a Black-Scaled Python, a full twenty-some meters long and as thick as a water vat. Its eyes were the color of filthy blood, radiating an indescribable, terrifying, and immense horror.
Even though Fu Juemin had been fully mentally prepared, he couldn’t help but feel shocked and horrified upon truly seeing the so-called "Snake Demon" in the flesh.
All the men from the Civil Affairs Bureau were now firing their rifles at the Black-Scaled Python that had suddenly appeared, the gunshots crackling nonstop like firecrackers.
The great snake hissed and rustled as it darted about the clearing. Most of the bullets hit empty air, and the few that found their mark only produced a small spark on its body.
The massive snake raised the front half of its body high, the scales on the sides of its head flaring outwards, vaguely revealing the dark red membrane underneath.
Fu Juemin had watched nature documentaries and knew this was a sign of a snake’s anger. It was obvious the giant serpent before him was now in a furious rage.
The Black-Scaled Python was incredibly fast, and its strength was astonishing.
Two men who were too close got caught by a sweep of its tail while reloading and were sent flying.
Even from a great distance, Fu Juemin heard the crisp sound of breaking bones and personally saw one of the men fold in two at the waist, like a piece of dry firewood split down the middle.
Just then, Fu Guoping shouted, "The net!"
