Scorpion tail!
However,
After this stinging,
Xie Lian also pinched its tail, accurately catching the entire scorpion tail snake. Exerting strength in his hand, he pinched it until it fainted. He was stung, but his expression didn't change in the slightest.
He only threw the fainted snake to the ground.
He said, "Everybody, be careful.
There might be snakes nearby … … "
Before he finished speaking, his wrist tightened.
He raised his head to look.
It was San Lang who had caught him. Xie Lian was slightly startled. "San Lang?"
The reason he asked this was because of the expression on this youth's face.
It really wasn't right. He didn't know how to describe it with words.
Something wasn't right. He didn't know how to describe it with words.
He stared closely at the tiny wound on the back of Xie Lian's hand.
He stared intently at the tiny wound on the back of Xie Lian's hand. This wound really did look like it had been pricked by a needle.
However, the poison was swift and violent. The back of his hand immediately swelled up into a huge purplish-red lump.
That small wound had also expanded to the size of a knife's edge.
San Lang's expression was calm.
Without a word, he grabbed Ruoxie and used it to tie a tight knot on Xie Lian's wrist, locking the poisonous blood from flowing back. Although Ruoxie acted like a spoiled child towards Xie Lian, he wasn't that well-behaved.
However, it was so obedient in his hands that it was as if it was dead.
Since the two of them met, Xie Lian had never seen this expression on his face. Just as he was about to speak, he pulled out a dagger from the waist of a merchant. Seeing this, Nan Feng immediately understood what he was going to do. His right hand brought out a palm flame. San Lang didn't even look at him. He only placed the tip of the knife on the fire and warmed it. Turning his head, he quickly and lightly drew a cross on the wound on the back of Xie Lian's hand. Just as he was about to bend down, Xie Lian hurriedly said, "No need. The scorpion tail snake's poison is powerful. It's useless even if you suck it. Be careful not to get poisoned yourself … … "
That youth didn't allow him to explain. He grabbed his hand tightly and covered his lips. For some reason, Xie Lian felt his arm that was being held by him tremble slightly.
On the other side, Fu Yao said, "You can even get stung like this. It really is poisonous. He might not even get bitten. What are you trying to grab? You're just adding to the chaos. "
This was the truth. In reality, now that Xie Lian thought about San Lang's carefree manner in tying knots for the snake, he also felt that San Lang most likely wouldn't be bitten. Perhaps even if he was bitten, he wouldn't care at all. However, it was better to be safe than sorry. If this young man really didn't notice the snake and got bitten, wouldn't it be useless to regret it?
He waved his good hand and said, "Anyway, I won't die even if it doesn't hurt, so don't worry about it."
Fu Yao asked, "Are you really not in pain?"
Xie Lian honestly replied, "Really. I can't feel it anymore. "
These words were true. Xie Lian was an extremely unlucky person. Eight out of ten times when he walked deep into the mountains, he would step on a poisonous snake or wake up a poisonous insect. He had long been bitten by all kinds of poisonous creatures thousands of times, but he still stubbornly refused to die. At most, he would have a fever for three days and three nights, and when he woke up, he would still be fine. Moreover, he was not very sensitive to pain. He would get used to any kind of pain after a while.
After he said this, San Lang finally raised his head. The redness on the back of Xie Lian's hand had already disappeared, and there was a trace of blood at the corner of his lips. His gaze was extremely cold as he shifted his gaze to the side, moving towards the scorpion snake on the ground. With a shrill "bang", the purplish-red snake exploded into a puddle of purplish-red flesh.
When everyone saw that the snake had actually exploded, they all jumped in fright. However, they didn't know who had done it. Although the blood hadn't splashed onto them, they were still very frightened. Tian Sheng still remembered that Xie Lian had also been stung, so he anxiously said, "This older brother, you were also stung? What are you going to do? "
Xie Lian tightened the bandage on his wrist and smiled. "Good child, I'm fine. Let's do it as usual. Next, we're going to enter the city to find the good moon grass. "
A merchant hurriedly said, "You guys are going? Then what about us? Should we also send someone to go? "
Xie Lian said, "You guys don't need to. I'm afraid that the old land of the Half Moon Country is full of danger. One more person means one more mishap. After we find the good moon grass, we will bring it out to you within twenty-four hours. "
Several merchants said one after another, "This … … Is this true?! Then we're really grateful … … "" How can we accept this … … "
However, when Xie Lian's next words left his mouth, their expressions changed. He said, "In order to find the Half Moon Ancient Country as soon as possible, I would like to trouble you guys to temporarily lend this little brother to us to lead the way."
The one he wanted to lend was naturally Ah Zhao. If one were to say that the merchants' faces were filled with gratitude and rejoicing before, then right now, most of them were filled with hesitation. Xie Lian was also clear that they were worried that he would run away after finding the good moon grass. Even if Ah Zhao still had a conscience and didn't run away with him and was still willing to come back, then the time would be greatly delayed. However, they really didn't want to go to that ghastly place where 'every time they passed a border, more than half of them would disappear'. Thus, they were very conflicted.
It was understandable. Xie Lian quickly followed up with another sentence. "However, I'm also afraid that there will be other things that will attack you guys. Therefore, Fu Yao, you stay here and take care of them."
After leaving one person here, all the merchants finally nodded and said, "Alright. As long as Ah Zhao is willing to go with you guys. "
Thus, Xie Lian turned to Ah Zhao and said, "Little brother, are you willing to help me? It's fine if you're not willing. "
Ah Zhao nodded and said, "Sure. However, the Half Moon Ancient Country is actually easy to find. Just follow this direction and you'll find it. "
After saying goodbye to the merchants, he walked in front to lead the way. Xie Lian, San Lang, and Nan Feng followed closely behind. After walking for a while, Xie Lian opened his mouth and asked, "Ah Zhao, do scorpion snakes often appear in this area?"
Ah Zhao replied, "Scorpion snakes don't appear often. This is also the first time I've seen one. "
Xie Lian nodded and no longer asked. In reality, he had lived near the Half Moon Kingdom for a period of time, and this was also the first time he saw a scorpion snake. Thus, there was nothing wrong with this answer.
Nan Feng sensed something and whispered, "You suspect this Ah Zhao?"
Xie Lian also whispered, "In any case, we've brought him out and just need to keep an eye on him."
If it was in the past, the first person to talk to him would definitely be San Lang. However, he wasn't sure if it was because of what just happened, but at this moment, the young man's expression was still not too good and he didn't say a word. Xie Lian also didn't know why, but he couldn't talk to him and could only walk.
The four of them walked for almost an hour in the vast Gobi Desert. The storm had already gone far away, and there was no sandstorm blocking their way. Their pace was very fast. Gradually, they could see some weeds growing in the cracks between the sand and the rocks. When the sun was about to set, Xie Lian finally saw an ancient city on the horizon.
This ancient city was very difficult to see because it was an earthy yellow color and blended into the boundless yellow sand. The city walls had collapsed and there were even a few sections buried in the yellow sand. When they got closer, they discovered that the city walls were extremely tall. The highest point was about a dozen feet high, so it wasn't hard to imagine how grand it used to be.
After passing through the barbican, the four of them officially entered the territory of the Half Moon Kingdom.
After passing through the gate was a wide and empty street. On both sides were broken walls, dilapidated houses, broken stones, and broken wood. Perhaps it was because he was used to warning them, Ah Zhao said, "Everyone, be careful. Don't wander around." These three people naturally didn't need his warning.
It was probably because this ancient city was very different from the Half Moon Kingdom in his mind. Nan Feng doubtfully asked, "This is the Half Moon Kingdom? Why is it so small? It's even smaller than a city. "
Xie Lian replied, "It's a small country in the desert. The size of the oasis corresponds to the size of the country. At its peak, the Half Moon Kingdom only had around ten thousand people. It's really only this big. When there are a lot of people, it's still okay. It's quite lively. "
Nan Feng observed for a while and said, "Attacking this country will probably take a few days."
Xie Lian shook his head and said, "That's not necessarily true. Nan Feng, don't underestimate the people of Half Moon. Although they only have around ten thousand citizens, their army is always maintained at over four thousand. They have more men than women. Excluding the old, weak, sick, and disabled, as well as the farmers, the remaining men are almost all in the army. Moreover, the soldiers of Half Moon Kingdom want to be nine feet tall. Their personalities are brave and aggressive. When they carry a mace, they dare to rush forward with a knife stuck in their chest. It's extremely difficult to defeat them. "
Ah Zhao seemed slightly surprised. He glanced at Xie Lian and said, "This gongzi seems to know a lot."
Xie Lian maintained his smile and was about to casually say something when Nan Feng asked, "What's that wall?"
He was pointing at a huge yellow yellow building in the distance.
Calling it a building didn't seem right, because strictly speaking, it could only be called a thing surrounded by four tall mud walls. It had no door, nor did it have a roof. There were only four mud walls, and each wall was over ten feet tall. A pole was stuck at the top of the wall. It was so tattered that it was unknown if it was a flag or something else fluttering in the wind. For some reason, it made people feel a slight chill in their hearts.
Xie Lian turned his head and glanced at it. "That's a sinner pit."
As soon as he heard the name, he knew it definitely wasn't anything good. Nan Feng frowned. "A sinner pit?"
After muttering to himself for a moment, Xie Lian said, "You can think of it as a prison. It's a place specially used to imprison guilty people. "
Nan Feng said, "It doesn't even have a door, so how do we imprison them? Don't tell me we just throw them down from above? "
Xie Lian was just thinking about whether or not to say it when San Lang suddenly said, "Throw them down. Moreover, there are poisonous scorpions and hungry ferocious beasts down there. "
Hearing him finally speak, Xie Lian relaxed and glanced at him. However, San Lang only looked at him for a moment before shifting his gaze away. Nan Feng cursed, "How the f * ck is this a prison! This is basically torture! So vicious! If the Half-moon people aren't sick in the head, then they're cruel by nature. "
Xie Lian rubbed the space between his eyebrows. "Not all of them. There are also some Half-moon people who are quite cute. "At this moment, he suddenly stopped talking and frowned." Wait. "
As expected, the other three people stopped. Xie Lian raised his hand and said, "Look at that pole above the pit. Isn't there a person hanging there?"
The sun was setting in the west and night had fallen. The distance was quite far, so it was very difficult to see what was hanging on the pole. However, when they walked a little closer, they could see the outline of the thing that was hanging. It was clearly a thin and small man dressed in black. His clothes were tattered, and he was hung above the sinner pit. He looked like a broken doll, swaying back and forth in the wind.
San Lang said, "Yes."
When Ah Zhao saw the person hanging there, his face slightly paled. This scene was extremely mournful and strange. Even someone as calm as him couldn't bear it. At this moment, San Lang slightly tilted his head and said in a low voice, "There's someone."
He wasn't the only one who sensed it. Xie Lian also heard the extremely light sound of footsteps. On both sides of the street were dilapidated houses. The four people immediately spread out and hid inside. Xie Lian and San Lang hid in the same dilapidated house, while Nan Feng and Ah Zhao hid in the house opposite. Not long after, a woman dressed in white appeared at the end of the dilapidated street.
The woman wore a fluttering snow-white Daoist robe. She held a horsetail whisk on her arm as she walked on the street. Her eyes were extremely bright as she looked left and right. Her demeanor made it seem as if this wasn't an ancient city that had been abandoned for many years, but rather a small back garden that she could turn over as she pleased. Not far away, a woman dressed in black slowly walked behind her with her hands clasped behind her back.
This woman dressed in black had a beautiful yet cold expression. Her gaze was like an unsheathed dagger, and her long hair was loose. Her entire person seemed to emit traces of cold air. Although she was walking behind this woman dressed in white, no one would think of her as someone's subordinate.
They were the two people they had seen outside the abandoned building at noon.
At that time, the two people's figures flashed by. That person dressed in black was tall, so Xie Lian couldn't clearly see if they were male or female. Now, he knew that both of them were women. The one dressed in white could only be the Half Moon Imperial Tutor. As for the one dressed in black, who could she be?
That Half Moon Imperial Tutor leisurely swung her horsetail whisk and said, "Where did those people hide? They disappeared in a moment of carelessness. Don't tell me I have to find them one by one and kill them? "
Xie Lian thought to himself, sure enough, as soon as they entered the city, they were immediately targeted.
That woman dressed in black walked over and expressionlessly passed him. She said, "You can call your friends to help you kill them."
This' friends' could only refer to that group of extremely lethal soldiers of the Half Moon Imperial Tutor. The Half Moon Imperial Tutor laughed. "Ha! I don't like calling other people, I just like calling you. Are you happy? "
That woman dressed in black didn't give him any face at all. She coldly said, "What's there to be happy about being called over by you to do this kind of thing? Hurry up and leave. "
The Half Moon Imperial Tutor raised an eyebrow. Sure enough, they were about to leave. Listening to their conversation, it seemed like they were old acquaintances who had a pretty good relationship.
These two definitely weren't ordinary people, so this person dressed in black definitely wouldn't be a nameless person. Who was the woman familiar with the Half Moon Imperial Tutor? A mysterious fellow disciple? Or perhaps there was actually a Queen or a female general in the Half Moon Empire?
Xie Lian rapidly pondered as he held his breath. He definitely didn't want to be discovered at this time. From what he could see, this Half Moon Imperial Tutor's temperament was very jumpy. If by any chance he saw them and got excited, he might call over that group of legendary nine feet tall soldiers who wielded wolf teeth clubs. Then, they would have to fight for a period of time. Twenty four hours. Every hour less would mean one more minute of danger. Who would have known that the more he didn't want something to happen, the more it would happen? When that woman dressed in black walked past the front of this room, she suddenly stopped and swept her sharp gaze over.
That Half Moon Imperial Tutor had already walked a few steps forward. Seeing her stop, his body fell back and he said, "Hey, are you going or not?"
That woman dressed in black said, "You, step back."
The Half Moon Imperial Tutor said, "Oh." Sure enough, he stepped back. That woman dressed in black seemed to be about to raise her hand when suddenly, a loud sound came from the opposite side of the street!
On the opposite side, the room that Nan Feng and the others were hiding in had actually collapsed. This room collapsed along with the rows to the left and right. In a split second, the street was filled with sand and dust. A black shadow suddenly leaped out from the flying sand and stones, striking out a majestic flame that attacked the Half Moon Imperial Tutor. That woman dressed in black turned around and blocked in front of the Half Moon Imperial Tutor. Her left hand was still behind her back, but her right hand casually grabbed the flame in her palm and directly sent it back to him. That black shadow was also incomparably fast, dodging in a flash. With a few leaps, it left with a cloud of sand and dust. The Half Moon Imperial Tutor chased after it. That woman dressed in black glanced over and then also chased after it.
This unforeseen event happened in an instant. Xie Lian thought to himself, "Good Nan Feng!" He knew that Nan Feng, who was hiding on the opposite side of the street, saw that they were about to be discovered and created a diversion to help them lure the enemy away. Since he was the only one who leaped out, Ah Zhao was definitely still in the room. After confirming that the three people were far away, Xie Lian pulled San Lang out and said, "Ah Zhao, you're still alive right? Are you hurt?"
In a flash, a muffled voice came from under the collapsed room, "… … I'm fine."
Xie Lian relaxed and said, "It's good that you're fine."
Although he believed that when Nan Feng destroyed the room, he would definitely have meticulously controlled it to leave room for another living person, in the end, he still had to confirm it before he could be at ease. He single-handedly lifted up a rotting beam. After a while, Ah Zhao crawled out from under the room with difficulty. His head and face were covered in dust, and he casually patted them twice before regaining his indifferent expression.
Xie Lian said, "Right now, we only have three people left. Nan Feng is being chased, so we need to speed up. Ah Zhao, do you know where in the city the Good Moon Grass grows? "
Ah Zhao shook his head and said, "I'm sorry. I only know the location of the ancient city. I've never been here before, so I don't know where the Good Moon Grass grows. "
On the side, San Lang said, "It's said that the Good Moon Grass likes the shade. It grows short and its roots are extremely thin, but its leaves are relatively large. Its shape is similar to a pointy peach. It would be better for you to search near that tall building. "
Xie Lian pondered for a moment before saying, "Tall building?"
Speaking of tall buildings, in a country, what building could be taller and grander than the Imperial Palace? Moreover, in that legend, after the banquet, the Queen plucked a piece of the Good Moon Grass. This could also mean that the Good Moon Grass could grow in the Imperial Palace.
The three of them surveyed the area and sure enough, they saw a palace built from bricks and wood in the center of the city.
From afar, that palace looked quite imposing. But up close, the degree of ruin was only slightly better than the other houses on the street. After passing through the palace's main gate, they arrived at a very large garden. Perhaps in the past, this place wasn't a garden, but rather a plaza or something. However, after many years of desolation, all that was left was a piece of land filled with all kinds of green plants.
That's right, what they were stepping on wasn't sand, but rather soil. This was probably the only remaining traces of an oasis. It was possible that the Good Moon Grass was hidden among these many plants. Xie Lian said, "Let's hurry up and search. We only have twenty-four hours. However, we must still be extremely careful of the Scorpion Snakes. "
Ah Zhao agreed, and San Lang also made an "en" sound. The three of them lowered their heads and searched. However, Xie Lian suddenly remembered that the State Preceptor of the Half Moon Empire could control the Scorpion Snakes. In that case, once they reached her territory, there should be even more Scorpion Snakes appearing. However, after the group of people entered the Half Moon Ancient City, they didn't see a single Scorpion Snake.
He straightened his waist and was about to speak when his hand suddenly felt a cylindrical object.