Chapter 22: Small Black Snake in the Merman Cave
In the end, it was Feng Shi who carried the delicate Immortal Crane into the city.
As soon as he entered the city, Feng Shi noticed something was wrong.
White and yellow paper money was scattered everywhere. Vague crying sounds came from the depths of the streets and alleys. The streets that should have been bustling were empty with few people; only some business owners and peddlers were still open.
Feng Shi was still wearing the Chongshan Sect disciple uniform. A mountain peak with a long sword inserted obliquely was embroidered on the white lapel, and the Chongshan Sect token hung at his waist.
The handsome and otherworldly young man holding a white crane instantly became the focus of the crowd.
Feng Shi rubbed his nose, ignored those gazes, and walked into the city.
Along the way, he actually encountered a few cultivators from other sects. Everyone nodded politely and distantly upon meeting, then went their separate ways.
Feng Shi found an inn located in the city to stay and casually inquired about some news from the waiter.
“You might not know, but this strange thing in the city has been going on for some days. Many immortals came, but none could find the cause. You see, at first, nothing happened, but in the past half month, people started dying one after another! All young girls in the city. First missing, then when found dead in the cave in the back mountain, they were bitten by wild beasts beyond recognition!”
As the waiter spoke, he waved his hand regretfully.
Feng Shi threw him a few pieces of broken silver, looking sideways out the window thoughtfully.
According to this waiter, people suddenly went missing in the middle of the night. Before disappearing, their families had heard strange noises, like someone singing.
Feng Shi thought of the legend about the Merman Cave in the city and planned to go there to have a look before dark.
After eating some simple dishes, Feng Shi walked out of the city holding the free-range chicken.
On the way out, he actually encountered those few cultivators again.
Their clothes were damp, and thick mud and sand stuck to their soles. When they passed by Feng Shi, a strong smell of blood wafted from them.
Feng Shi frowned. Seeing the group seemed immersed in joy, they didn’t pay attention to him.
Outside the city, Feng Shi went straight to the location of the Merman Cave.
Deep in the forest, strange mountains and chaotic rocks piled up, embracing a deep green water pool. The blackish water made people sense its depth just by standing on the shore and looking down.
According to the people in the city, an ancient merman cave dwelling was hidden beneath this water pool.
Feng Shi was originally afraid of this kind of water pool, but ever since cultivating immortality, he felt there was nothing to fear. So he readily took off his outer robe, preparing to jump down.
After thinking about it, he cast a water-avoidance spell on the free-range chicken and carried it toward the depths of the water pool.
Thanks to the keen five senses of a cultivator, Feng Shi could open his eyes and see things underwater.
There was nothing special about the bottom of this water. Everywhere was dim and dark without any light. The rocks at the bottom were covered with thick flocculent material. Occasionally, two thin fish swam past him.
The deeper he went, the lower Feng Shi felt the surrounding water temperature dropping, even to a near-biting degree. A little faint light came from a distance.
Feng Shi paused for a moment, then slowed down and continued forward.
After another moment, Feng Shi saw a pile of rubble ahead. The water was turbid as if stirred by someone.
These stone fragments had fresh cuts, looking like they were smashed not long ago, not yet covered in dust.
Further ahead, on the calm waterbed, a large area of messy drag marks suddenly appeared. Some fragmented meat and fish skin floated in the water, surrounded by a group of small fish fighting for food.
Feng Shi’s breath tightened, roughly understanding what had happened here earlier.
Sure enough, when he bypassed this debris of rubble, he saw that legendary Merman Cave.
One of the pair of luminous pearls in front of the cave dwelling was shattered, leaving only one emitting weak light. A giant hole three times the height of a person, like the mouth of an abyss, pitch-black where you couldn’t see your fingers, opened gloomily toward Feng Shi. From inside, faint whimpering water sounds could be heard.
Holy sht…*
Feng Shi silently tightened his grip on the free-range chicken’s feathers in his arms and stood still in front of the cave entrance.
A severed black tail was left on the ground in front of the cave entrance, but it wasn’t a fish tail.
It seemed that something lived here not long ago. Just didn’t know what happened; the owner inside was injured, or simply dead.
The cultivators Feng Shi saw in Linyu City instantly flashed through his mind.
Cultivators killing monsters and seizing treasures to improve themselves—this was too possible.
Just didn’t know which monster brother was so unlucky; hiding here but still discovered.
Looking at that pitch-black cave entrance, Feng Shi decided to go in and have a look.
He took the luminous pearl from the cave entrance for lighting. Entering the cave, more residual limbs and fragments were scattered floating in the water. The wounds at the cross-sections had been soaked white by the water.
The cave wasn’t too deep. Feng Shi walked for half a quarter of an hour and could see the end at a glance.
In the empty cave, there were only two huge open shells. Their appearance was old, seemingly having many years behind them. Inside scattered a few fine pearls, flashing with lustrous light.
It seemed even the corpse was taken away.
Feng Shi didn’t find any useful clues and turned to leave.
However, just then, the whimpering sound that had disappeared since he entered the cave came again.
Feng Shi’s scalp tightened. When he turned around, a black shadow suddenly rushed out from behind one of the shells, pouncing toward his face.
Feng Shi hurriedly retreated, bubbles gurgling from his mouth as they rose. He waved his sleeve trying to shake off that black shadow. Unexpectedly, although the opponent was small, it was very agile, climbing up Feng Shi’s sleeve to the back of his hand.
Feng Shi only felt a heart-piercing sting on his wrist bone. With a forceful shake, he drew his sword.
The sword qi shook the water in the entire stone cave. That black shadow seemed afraid, rolling in the water and trying to hide behind the shell, but was caught by the tail by the quick-eyed and quick-handed Feng Shi.
Slippery and icy texture, like a snake covered in slime.
Feng Shi frowned, scrutinizing the opponent by the light of the luminous pearl.
Then he discovered it seemed to really be a small black snake, whimpering while pinched in his hand.
“So that wasn’t water sounds just now, it was you crying?”
“Little brat bites really hard.”
Feng Shi looked down at the flesh turned outward on his wrist. Blood filaments floated into the water like gauze ribbons, finally fully dissolving.
That small black snake only now knew to be cowardly, struggling pitifully in Feng Shi’s hand.
Looking at the black scales on its body, Feng Shi thought this might be a direct relative of the owner of that tail outside the cave.
“Did you survive a great disaster?”
Feng Shi couldn’t bear to just crush it to death. Leaving the cave, he put the luminous pearl back, lighting up the surrounding waters again.
The small black snake in his hand suddenly struggled violently.
Feng Shi let go. The small black snake immediately swam toward that severed black tail at the entrance, its thin body wrapping around that tail, almost merging with it.
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