Eaten Ch.126.2

Chapter 126.2: Snake Attack

Wu Heng didn’t come down from the tree. He hated insects too much. From above, vines twisted densely around the tree, clearing the black snakes from its trunk. Their roots plunged into the earth. In less than a minute, a third of the snake swarm had their heads explosively crushed. From the severed bodies, the poppy peeked out, swaying its green form.

“A’Heng… again, again! Blow up those female ones too!” Lin Mengzhi panted. No sooner had he spoken than a snake coiled around his neck.

With one hand, Wu Heng snapped the snake in two. Its spiny flesh pricked into his palm. He unleashed a burst of fire. The snakes on the ground wavered under the flames, still opening their mouths and moving their fangs.

“No,” Wu Heng said, his eyes narrowing as he watched the female snake suddenly start moving. “This isn’t just a regular mutated snake.”

The female snake slithered forward, spitting two fireballs large enough to crush two humans, aimed at the tiny figures below.

Lin Mengzhi threw up a fire shield. The sparks from the collision ignited the surrounding forest, brightening the sky.

“I’ll handle it. You take care of the other big snakes,” Wu Heng said as he leapt down from the tree.

Before the tail of his words faded, a sharp sound ripped through the air overhead. Birds’ hard feathers rattled in resonance. A massive gray shadow loomed over the canopy.

The female snake lifted her head high, spewing a jet of fire at the diving parrot. X plummeted straight down, but just before hitting the ground, it sprang up, claws digging directly into the exposed belly of the snake.

The female snake lowered her head and hissed.

Its jaws opened wide, black upper and lower mandibles radiating a chilling, bloody stench.

X struggled with all its strength, muscles and wings straining to pull free.

“Help! Help!”

Wu Heng had anticipated this. He grabbed X back with a vine. Both of X’s claws had been completely shredded, blood dripping steadily.

It shrank back to normal size and perched on Wu Heng’s shoulder, head alert, peering around.

Soon, Wu Heng’s shoulder was stained red with its blood.

Kicking away two small snakes, he swung his blade and cleaved a black-bellied python-like snake in half. Looking at the approaching mutated female snake, he took a step forward.

“If I can’t get out of Yunling… you go to Jingzhou. Find the class monitor and tell him—”

“I… like you. I like you.” X understood.

“Tell him… he’s a widower now.”

With that, Wu Heng charged toward the female snake. Around him, the mountain forest trembled, and plants beneath the soil shot up frantically.

The female snake’s scales were as hard as iron. The plants couldn’t pierce them, and their growth couldn’t keep up with the snake’s violent destruction.

It was enormous. One lash of its tail swept away everything tens of meters behind it.

The female snake arched her upper body, gaping wide, snapping down at the flea-sized humans below.

Flames continuously erupted from her mouth. Male snakes, slightly smaller than her, swarmed toward Wu Heng, ignoring everyone else.

Fortunately, the plants handled the less troublesome snakes with minimal intelligence, so Wu Heng only needed to focus on killing the female snake. She was the most dangerous: a giant tower with no weak spots, looming high, eyes glowing red.

“So much trouble,” Wu Heng thought. This snake was easily ten times larger than the one in Hanzhou, and dozens of times stronger. Mutated creatures in the jungle were an entirely different concept from those in the city.

Troublesome as it was, he had to face it. Wu Heng flashed behind the female snake. In his hand, the light blade replaced the vines, slashing diagonally into her armor. Before it could pierce through, his waist tightened—another snake attacked from behind.

Pressing his palm against the black snake at his waist, he let a white light form a blood-red hole. When he lifted his gaze, a flash of fire enlarged in his pupil.

Wu Heng raised his blade. The white radiance fanned out, twisting the flames into a sky full of sparkling embers.

Before the female snake could react, the fanned light recoiled into a blade. Gripping his sword with both hands, he slashed diagonally. Twisting the back of his hand, scales flew off the female snake’s body.

He didn’t sheath the blade. Seizing the momentum, he stepped back and drove the tip in harder.

At that moment, a massive black maw suddenly appeared behind him, clamping down on his waist—it was a male snake that had been lying low on the ground.

The male snake bit Wu Heng, dragging him off the ground. It coiled along the female snake’s body in an S-shape, stopping just slightly below her head. Like a tribute offering, it opened its mouth gently, fangs retracted.

As if he were already a motionless human boy, Wu Heng pressed his palm to the soft lower jaw of the male snake as the female snake leaned close to sniff. Vines instantly shot into the snake’s mouth, burrowing into its bloodstream. The male snake barely struggled before being transformed into a serpentine vine. Buds and leaves sprouted and blossomed, drawing life from its blood and flesh.

Wu Heng fell to the ground, caught by a parasol-shaped mushroom. Before he could react, flames filled the sky. Vines wrapped around him, swinging him almost half a circle. They solidified into a long blade, landing in Wu Heng’s palm. Lying on the ground, the blade rested across his body as the female snake violently shoved him several meters with her massive jaws.

Staring into the female snake’s red eyes, so close they seemed within reach, Wu Heng’s heart stirred. Tentatively, he blinked.

Pff.

In Wu Heng’s eyes, two vine-strips stabbed like blades into the female snake’s eyes.

At the same time, a searing fireball rolled from her mouth, engulfing Wu Heng completely.

The snake’s roar was hair-raising, sending many birds fleeing from the forest.

Blinded, the female snake grew even more frenzied and violent than before. Her tail struck X, knocking him down, and smashed through the tree cage. Shen Ping’an, caught off guard, was pinned beneath it.

Lin Mengzhi was far from Wu Heng, only able to make out a human-shaped figure amidst the firelight, his eyes wide with horror.

“A’Heng!!!” he shouted, running toward Wu Heng.

Nearby, Ruan Silian, also a young female, was suddenly swept up by the female snake’s tail. Wang Meixia, who was pulling her hard, fell heavily to the ground.

Shen Ping’an watched the female snake thrash her tail. He widened his eyes, trying to call for Shukui and X—but when he opened his mouth, a mouthful of blood choked him, leaving him unable to speak a single word.

Lin Mengzhi was entangled in black snakes, diving headfirst into the raging fireball. Behind him, Ruan Silian’s screams pierced the air like never before.

“Brother!”

—

The female snake lay on the ground, unable to get up, a huge black poppy perched atop its head. The vines on the ground writhed violently as if feeding, and on the surface, it looked like an unparalleled field of flowers.

A few people gathered the three injured and unconscious humans along with the bird together.

Between the large and the small, stood Luo Lei, battered and scarred, and the couple Wang Meixia and Liu Dongfan. The three of them had no idea where this white-haired girl had come from, nor why she had stepped in to help—perhaps because she was human as well. But why did she look so unhappy? And why was the atmosphere so awkward?

“You’re completely useless!” Wu Zhi suddenly snapped, breaking down. “My brother is hurt, and you still let him take the lead! Fine, let him be the main fighter—but why couldn’t you even look out for the others? If it weren’t for this dog and X, most of these three would probably be dead too!”

Lin Mengzhi had no idea Wu Zhi had been right behind them the whole time. What was even more shocking was that she had once tried to kill him—and yet now spoke to him with such self-righteousness.

He moved his lips. “Wow—you’re impressive. But wasn’t it A’Heng who first dealt with the female snake and those big ones? You’re just taking credit and showing off. If you’re so amazing, why didn’t you come out to help earlier?”

“You’re driving, I’m walking. How could I have come out earlier?”

“Who told you to run?”

“That’s not running!” Wu Zhi’s face was streaked with tears.

Lin Mengzhi didn’t look at her, speaking in a neutral tone. “Wu Zhi, you owe me an apology.”

“You’re alive and well, aren’t you? Why should I apologize to you?” Wu Zhi pushed past the three people in the middle and stood in front of Lin Mengzhi. “Weren’t you the one being shameless first? Say it again—say it and I’ll kill you one more time!”

Her eyes red, she closed in on Lin Mengzhi. “You’ve always been like this. You actually hate me, don’t you? You really resent me. That’s why you put bugs in my boxed meals. That’s why you tricked me into playing hide-and-seek, when in fact you dragged my brother home first. That’s why you rode your bike and made me chase after you from behind. That’s why when I got chickenpox, you stayed beside me, praying to heaven and earth that I’d get a fever bad enough to burn me to death. That’s why you deliberately poked holes in my umbrella so half of it worked and half of it was ruined… In your eyes there’s only my brother. Even when you’re nice to me, it’s just for his sake. Do you really think you’re so upright and righteous?”

Lin Mengzhi’s face darkened—a rare sight. He shoved Wu Zhi hard on the shoulder, forcing her to stumble backward step by step.

“Are you f*cking stupid? What do I have to do with you that I should be nice to you? Wu Heng doesn’t owe you anything—do you think I do? Stop being so f*cking shameless. Someone like you shouldn’t have been born in the first place. You should’ve died in your mother’s womb—that was your fate.”

“Wu Heng is soft-hearted and treats you like a little sister. I was only polite to you because of him—so what? Wu Zhi, do you seriously have no self-awareness at all? You wouldn’t not know who it was that made Wu Heng live like a pig or a dog from childhood to now. Don’t f*cking drag those dog-bastards into it—why don’t you just jump off a building? Wouldn’t that settle everything once and for all?”

On this matter, Wu Zhi was always in the wrong. She clenched her teeth and spat out, “This has nothing to do with you,” then continued to argue, “I love my brother. No one loves him more than I do. Not you. No one.”

Lin Mengzhi let out a cold laugh. “You’re really talking big—”

He didn’t finish the sentence. Wu Zhi, her eyes already swollen and red, suddenly lunged forward and hugged him tightly.

“But, Mengzhi… I love you too. And you’re okay—really okay—that’s just too good.”

“…I’m sorry.”

After a long few seconds, Lin Mengzhi raised his hands, stammering. “Eh—”

“Eh eh—”

“Eh eh eh—”

They hadn’t really made up. They ended up arguing again over why Wu Heng was lying on the ground. In the end, Wang Meixia, who still didn’t know the reason, stepped in to separate them. “Stop fighting!”

“First, dig out the energy cores from those big snakes.” Lin Mengzhi took out his knife and moved laboriously among the mutated snake carcasses.

The other energy cores were manageable—not more than grade A—but when he pried open the female snake’s skull, the deep crimson core inside seemed almost hot to the touch.

S+.

“We need to get moving. Who knows what might come out in the forest tonight?” Liu Dongfan saw that they couldn’t waste any more time and urged them on. After urging, he bent down and hoisted Shen Ping’an onto his shoulders.

“I’ll carry brother.”

“Get lost.” Lin Mengzhi pushed her aside, grabbed Wu Heng’s wrist, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and turned to Wu Zhi. “Ruan Silian is a girl, you’re a girl. You take care of Ruan Silian.”

Wu Zhi crouched down and tried to straighten Ruan Silian’s disheveled sweater, but when her fingers touched the hem, she froze. She tilted her body, her face suddenly pale.

“Let’s go!” Lin Mengzhi shouted at her.

“No…” Wu Zhi looked up. “Why… why does Sister Ruan have… blood down there…”

Lin Mengzhi froze at once. He shouted loudly for Aunt Wang.

“Must be that time of the month.” He was too embarrassed to look and stepped aside a few paces.

Wang Meixia came running back. She crouched next to Wu Zhi, gesturing for the others to give them space, then lifted Ruan Silian’s shirt. There was quite a bit of blood on her pants.

“Is it… her period?” Wu Zhi leaned closer. “Does a period have this much blood?”

“I think…” Wang Meixia gave an awkward smile. This snake, bigger than a house, was already something she hadn’t come to terms with, and she wasn’t a doctor. She could only judge from her own experience. “It can’t be her period—periods don’t produce that much blood in such a short time. She must be injured. That snake just hoisted her up.”

“I see,” Wu Zhi rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a pair of pants. “Then let’s help sister change into these.”

The boys had already gone far ahead. Wang Meixia, a mix of fear and disgust on her face, pushed aside the dead snakes on the ground and lifted Ruan Silian, letting her lean against herself.

Ruan Silian’s face rested on the middle-aged woman’s shoulder. Her whole body ached; the pain from being twisted and entangled seemed inescapable. Something slippery and cold ran along her legs—

“Sister Ruan, don’t move. Your pants are covered in blood. I’ll help you change.”

Wu Zhi had come?

Why was there blood on her pants?

But Ruan Silian had no strength or mental energy to think. Before her consciousness completely faded, the snake’s fangs flashed suddenly before her eyes.

—

They walked, though their pace wasn’t slow, and the road was relatively calm. Except for the sudden encounter with a foraging giant panda—they froze in place, too scared to move, while the panda passed right in front of them as if they weren’t even there.

“Truly a national treasure—always acting like one!”

Marching day and night, Yunling was finally left behind. Using the map from Wu Heng’s pocket, they stepped into Shenjiandi—the legendary primeval forest said to be home to wild people.

But they only entered the outer area of Shenjiandi, not venturing deep inside. They stopped at the forest’s edge.

They were exhausted and needed rest, as well as to replenish their energy. Shukui, who had been carrying X the whole time, collapsed and slept as soon as it hit the ground.

Without Wu Heng, they had no food, and even the water had to be filtered through their abilities before they dared to drink.

Wu Zhi carried the water bottle, giving everyone sips. When it came to X, she simply pried its mouth open and poured the water straight down its throat.

“Will they be okay?” Wang Meixia was extremely worried—one had been crushed by a snake, another had been entangled and bled, and yet another had been completely scorched by fire. Luckily, the burned one looked unharmed, and the wounds were already healing without leaving scars.

“If only Dr. Chen were here.” Lin Mengzhi tossed a bundle of damp twigs onto the ground and tried to light them. It took a long while; the twigs only caught fire after the steam from the water evaporated.

“Dr. Chen? You have a doctor?” Wang Meixia said, surprised and delighted.

No one answered.

After a while, Wu Zhi threw her bag down at Lin Mengzhi’s feet. “I’ll go find some food. You watch them.”

Then she suddenly turned, her gaze icy as she looked at Wang Meixia and the others. “If any of you even think of messing around, I’ll kill you on the spot.”

Wang Meixia didn’t understand why this little girl was so fierce, but Liu Dongfan grabbed her and nodded repeatedly to reassure her.

The little girl’s unusual demeanor made Luo Lei uneasy. Only after her figure disappeared from sight did he ask Lin Mengzhi, “What’s her relation to you? She feels… a little…”

“My sister.” Lin Mengzhi gave Luo Lei a sharp glance. “What are you trying to say?”

“…Nothing.”

Lin Mengzhi started the fire, stripped the wet clothes off the three unconscious people, leaving only their base layers. He dried their outer clothes over the flames, then stripped the base layers as well. When it came to Ruan Silian, he asked Wang Meixia to help.

During this break, Lin Mengzhi picked X up from the ground, laid it across his lap, and checked its already scabbed-over paw. He scratched its damp chest fur, then placed it directly over the fire.

X suddenly felt scorching—so hot it was unbearable. Forced to open its eyes, it saw directly ahead a wall of flames. Without a second thought, it flapped its wings frantically. As the fire was swept aside, it wriggled free from Lin Mengzhi’s hands and, in one motion, slammed onto Wu Heng’s chest.

Wu Heng was awakened by the impact.

It felt as if a ton of boulders had struck his chest. He didn’t even have time to open his eyes before a mouthful of blood spurted out.

Lin Mengzhi panicked at the sight. “A’Heng! You’re awake? Holy—finally!”

Several days had passed. Lin Mengzhi hadn’t really felt worried—on the journey, he’d even joked and laughed with Wang Meixia and the others, braiding Wu Heng’s hair—but the moment Wu Heng opened his eyes, Lin Mengzhi’s nose went sour, and his eyes grew misty.

He helped Wu Heng up, moving a large stone behind him so he could lean against it for support.

“We’ve reached Shenjiandi,” Lin Mengzhi said.

Wu Heng weakly acknowledged, stretching his hands toward the fire. Warmth flowed steadily from his palms into his body. After a long while, he felt a little better.

The female snake hadn’t actually done much damage. The real strain had come from the three types of energy taxing his body—it was too much for him to handle dual-system powers. Perhaps he would never be able to manage such a burden again.

He rested his chin on his knees, drifting drowsily.

His gaze passed over the back of his hand. Seeing the ring on his ring finger, his eyes cleared briefly, but a trace of daze soon returned.

He feared fire. Even though light and wood could produce flames, he didn’t yet have the ability to freely switch between all five elemental powers. Yet the female snake’s flames hadn’t harmed him in the slightest. At that moment, it was as if his body had been wrapped by something icy and hard—a black shell, sickle-like limbs, white-feathered antennae swaying in the firelight, and several pairs of irregularly arranged red eyes.

It was because of the ring. The ring itself was a bug—it could be one, or many.

But tracing it back further, it was Xie Chongyi who had protected him.

<< _ >>

**TN

Did that snake just… to Ruan Silian? Huh? Whuuu?