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Translator: Tamon
Xu Hei’s expansive Divine Sense told him of the youth’s cultivation, that he had none, just your average human.
This triggered Xu Hei to spring into action.
The gatherer couldn’t even scream, already in the belly of the beast.
Xu Hei was furious as he looked at the dug-up tree. Three years wasted!
Replanting it was pointless since the two humans would notice the difference.
Xu Hei’s knowledge extended to the Snake Fruit, not the tree itself. He had no idea if replanting would work.
“Even I know to not overhunt, but you, humans, go for the roots as well. Despicable!” Xu Hei was outraged, yet helpless to do anything.
The distant battle quieted, with the large snake giving one last hiss, signifying its end.
Thoughts flashed through Xu Hei’s mind, finding a solution.
He opened his mouth and swallowed the tree from one end.
The Snake Fruit Tree was around three meters tall with a slim trunk. Calling it a bush was a more apt description.
With the tree inside him, Xu Hei looked straight as a pole. He thought he’d digest it post haste but found he couldn’t budge an inch.
He’d eaten his fair share of plants, melons, wild fruits, wood, and even rocks, but they all got digested on the spot.
Even that gatherer got digested faster.
Only the tree still hung on. Though the leaves at the edge were shrinking slowly, so there’s that.
“Whatever, let’s bolt!”
Xu Hei made himself scarce, awkward as it was with a three-meter tree stuck in his throat.
It got easier as he hit the water, stretching and extending like a worm to speed up.
His sharp tail sliced the water, providing a much-needed boost.
“One of those two must’ve put the gatherer up to this, to dig out the tree.” Xu Hei figured out the situation on the spot.
He didn’t bother trying to make sense of it all, more interested in going into hiding.
But then Xu Hei froze.
A surge of energy rushed from within, flooding his meridians with incredible power, so much that it hurt.
“What on earth?” Xu Hei cried.
Xu Hei picked the closest snake hole he found and went right in.
It was barely enough to fit him, stuck the moment he got in. So he used his tail to dig faster than when he dug his hibernating lair.
“Ugh, it hurts too much!”
Xu Hei looked inside to find the tree lost all its leaves and a part of its bark to his appetite.
The endless power the little bark he consumed had was enough to make his whole body hurt.
Xu Hei couldn’t take it and coughed up blood.
It wasn’t poison, since the Snake Fruit Tree wasn’t poisonous, but the excessive energy grew beyond what he could handle.
The Snake Fruit Tree was a top spiritual item, only used from mid Qi Refining Stage. And even then, after further refining to remove the impurities.
Eating it raw, well, would lead to bloating the user’s meridians with the wild and endless energy until they popped like an overripe tomato.
Xu Hei was prompt in his decision to puke it out.
The pain didn’t subside though, as the already immense energy raged havoc on his meridians.
It was then the Demon God Cauldron intervened, sucking up all that overbearing energy and saving Xu Hei.
“That was horrifying! The Snake Fruit Tree is poisonous!”
Gasping in relief, his heart couldn’t calm down from the close call he just had.
[That’s why the Snake Fruit Tree lived for so long with no demon even trying to nibble at its bark. It’s too deadly.]
He had that feeling as well, but in a moment of desperation, he had to give the risky action a shot.
It was obvious now that the mastermind was after the tree, with its fruits being a bonus.
Xu Hei came to a shocking realization, the Demon God Cauldron was now ten percent fuller.
Even his tail sported the seventh transformed scale.
Xu Hei gasped. [When did that happen? Now?]
Above ground, two red lights shot to the barren hill and found no Snake Fruit Tree.
Zhao Wenzhuo and Song Shiyu had no trouble killing the Old Snake King, even holding back, though it did take a while.
But now they found the Snake Fruit Tree gone, racing over and forgetting all about the body.
Standing on the slope, the two stared at the hole and the signs of digging with a dark look.
They were played for fools! Someone dug the Snake Fruit Tree while they did all the hard work dealing with the Old Snake King.
Song Shiyu’s mouth twitched. “Bastard! Who the hell did this?”
Zhao Wenzhuo glanced over, his tone even. “Senior Sister, if you wanted it, you chould’ve just asked instead of stealing it behind my back.”
Song Shiyu jerked and snapped an angry glare at him. “Excuse me? Are you blaming me? That’s supposed to be my line!
“Junior Brother Zhao, maybe you’re behind it and accuse me to cover up your actions!”
Xu Hei heard their argument from his cave.
He might not know who did it, but from how treacherous Zhao Wenzhuo acted, he’d figured he was the best bet.
Zhao Wenzhuo gave her a long look before inspecting the footprints.
“Senior Sister, let’s not talk about that here. Just call your friend over. You can have the tree. I only want a Snake Fruit. Everything else we can negotiate after we leave,” he spoke respectfully.
Song Shiyu snapped. “Ha! There is no ‘friend.’ If you didn’t do it either, maybe someone else overheard the commotion as we fought the Old Snake King.”
“Someone else?” Zhao Wenzhuo squinted, his voice cold. “Senior Sister, do I look stupid to you that I’d buy such a crappy excuse?”
Song Shiyu stared daggers at him, but Zhao Wenzhuo met her gaze with defiance.
“What’s taking you so long? Just fight already!”
Xu Hei was anxious for the two to skip the barking and go straight to biting.
The two reacted simultaneously, reaching for their storage bags and yet stopping at that.
“Hurry it up already!” Xu Hei cheered from the sidelines.
He loved a good old dogfight, especially between humans.
Zhao Wenzhuo sighed and eased up. “Let’s hear what Master has to say.”
He threw out a jade talisman, and it took flight at top speed.
Song Shiyu stared at him, ready to use her copper bell on him. Alas, she stepped back as well.
Bang!
The talisman flew for a couple of moments when a huge hand snatched it.
A figure appeared in the distance, skipping on water and arriving in moments.
He was a middle-aged man, wearing blue python robes. His scholarly image was complete with the hard look and split mustache.
“Head Senior Brother?”
“Greetings, Head Senior Brother!”
The two flinched and immediately paid respects.
Mu Yun had the highest cultivation among his peers, which demanded respect from all other disciples.
Ever since eight years ago, when Mu Yun reached mid Qi Refining Stage, rumors went around that he was now in the 6th layer, a whole three layers above them.
[What is he doing here?] The two thought.
Mu Yun could see their suspicion. “Master is aware of your actions and sent me to look after you. I know everything.”
The two bowed at once.
Xu Hei’s heart raced with fright at his appearance.
Recalling his earlier experience, he felt a shiver go down his spine.
“Such shrewdness! They had a hidden protector! Thank heavens I didn’t attack them!”
Xu Hei counted his blessings. [It’s one thing to have demons for enemies, and another with humans. With humans, you’ll never know when they’d backstab you.]
Zhao Wenzhuo hesitated. “Head Senior Brother, then the tree…”
“It wasn’t me, but someone else!” Mu Yun said.
“What?” Zhao Wenzhuo widened.
“The person was sneaky, sending a mortal to dig it out, making it impossible to track him through his aura. Since it was a mortal, I can only track him through footprints.”
Mu Yun shook his head. “But even those are gone.”
They all saw that the footprints ended ten meters from the hole.
Mu Yun closed his eyes and focused on his Divine Sense.
Xu Hei retracted his own, not moving a muscle.
The other’s Divine Sense couldn’t reach him, so as long as he sat still without using his, he’d be safe.
It just so happened that the tree’s three Snake Fruits decided to turn a deeper black as their aroma grew intoxicating.
[They’re ripe!]
Snake Fruit’s aroma was incredibly rich, seeping through the ground.
“F*ck…” Xu Hei blurted.
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