Tomb raiding: Trying to become a little painter

rustling sounds...

rustling...

The sound of leaves rubbing against bark came from afar, and Qin Henian, with his amazing hearing, was extremely excited.

Not far away, a giant yellow and white python was moving its body through the treetops of a large forest. A smaller python with blue and black spots followed nearby; the two snakes appeared to be a mother snake leading her young out to hunt. The two pythons were not far apart, sometimes coiling around one tree canopy, sometimes hooking onto another branch, moving at a considerable speed. The sound of their movement against the trees was very faint, the kind of friction sound that was almost inaudible unless you listened very carefully.

"Little Qilin, wake Wu Xie up quickly! It's been so long, don't let him stay unconscious, it'll make it harder for everyone to travel."

Qin Henian stood under a tree, directly opposite the one where Zhang Qilin was standing in a daze, looking at him as if he wanted someone to wake the other person up.

That way he won't have to shout.

It has to be said that Qin Henian can be really lazy at times.

But he was very excited. He wanted to know how powerful the snake that Ayao had raised for so many years was, and whether it was enough for him to mess with. After all, food is most satisfying when it's fresh.

It would be even better if the final rations could arrive sooner.

While Qin Henian was still excited and urging, Zhang Qilin's gaze also sharpened the moment Qin Henian spoke to him. He looked up and gazed in one direction for a few seconds before looking away. In that instant, he met the eyes of Hei Xiazi, who was standing under a different tree from Qin Henian. Both of them understood what was going on.

It's wobbly!

He shook him violently, but Wu Xie, who had fainted, was still unconscious, perhaps because he had been struck too hard. Even when Zhang Qilin increased the force of his blows, he did not react.

Helpless, Zhang Qilin looked down at Wu Xie's face, paused for a moment, then placed his hand under Wu Xie's nose and pinched it hard with his thumb. In an instant, Wu Xie's two big eyes opened.

At first, Wu Xie was a little dazed and his mind hadn't quite caught up, but the pain under his nose quickly brought him back to his senses. In an instant, his dog-like eyes glared accusingly at the person who had attacked him.

"Brother...you...uhhhh..."

Wu Xie had just uttered three words when a large hand covered his mouth, instantly silencing the words he was about to say.

"Shh! Don't talk!"

A soft voice sounded in his ear. Just as Wu Xie was about to speak, Zhang Qilin leaned closer and covered his mouth. At this moment, the two were quite close, and the cool, indifferent voice sounded in his ear. Instantly, Wu Xie shut his mouth and nodded his head vigorously to indicate that he understood.

Zhang Qilin only let go of Wu Xie's hand after seeing him nod, then immediately turned around and walked lightly toward Wang Pangzi.

It has to be said that among these people, apart from Fatty Wang and Wu Xie, everyone else was awake. After all, who knows how many dangers await them in the forest? It seems that apart from these two carefree individuals, the others were not asleep.

When they reached where Fatty Wang was sleeping, a sleeping bag was laid out on the ground, and fallen leaves, perhaps just from the trees, were scattered all around him. Zhang Qilin wasn't as gentle with Fatty Wang as he was with Wu Xie; with a long kick, he gave the other's large belly a good shove, and Fatty Wang instantly opened his eyes.

He wasn't Wu Xie; he was an old hand. He was used to being woken up while sleeping outside, but as soon as he grinned, about to blurt out a few words about traditional Chinese culture, his mouth was covered.

The same operation was performed by different people, and soon everyone in the group was clear-headed. They thought they were about to set off, but after a while, seeing that no one was moving forward, everyone began to have some doubts.

But these doubts were soon replaced by a sudden and huge "surprise" that made them lose control of their facial expressions.

Not far from them, a pair of bright black eyes were staring intently at them from the treetop. The group immediately became alert, and just as they were about to make a move, they heard the tree branches behind them shaking and making a rubbing sound.

Hiss, hiss...

Hiss, hiss...

Hissing sounds came from both sides simultaneously. The group was now caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to move in either direction. For a moment, they gripped their weapons tightly in their hands.

While everyone's attention was focused on the two large snakes in front of them, Qin Henian quietly held a translucent feather, one meter long and forty-eight centimeters wide, in his hand. The feather was crystal clear, shimmering with a grayish-white velvet sheen. As it fluttered in the wind, the downy feathers inside began to dance. From a distance, it looked very soft, but if you looked closely, you could see that the downy feathers were not only soft but also very special. In Qin Henian's hand, the feather seemed to come alive, able to be both soft and hard.

hiss...

The hissing was very low. After spotting a group of living people under the tree, the two large pythons narrowed their vertical pupils and coiled up, slowly moving towards the group from the treetops.

"Is a snake this big even a snake? Wasn't it supposed to be forbidden to become spirits after the founding of the People's Republic of China? Did these two not receive the notice?"

Unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere any longer, Fatty Wang started muttering to himself. No wonder, anyone who had just woken up and whose mind hadn't fully recovered would feel incredibly frustrated and upset to see two such large objects.

"You fatso! What's the time for you to shut up!"

Wu Xie didn't even need to listen carefully; he could tell from Wang Pangzi's lip movements that the other party wasn't up to anything good.

Perhaps it was the reaction of the two giant pythons, but Zhang Qilin gripped his Black Gold Ancient Blade and stood in front of everyone, his eyes fixed on the larger python on the treetop. He met the python's icy gaze, and an invisible pressure formed between them.

Meanwhile, Black Bear wasn't to be outdone. He pulled out a short dagger from somewhere and stared intently at another, smaller giant python.

Pan Zi and Xie Yuchen were not to be underestimated either. The former protected Wu Xie, while the latter stood to the side with Hei Xiazi, staring intently at the smaller giant python, confronting it.

"Look at you all! You're all so serious!"

Looking at the group quickly assigning positions, Qin Henian wondered for the first time if he had performed poorly in some way, wondering why no one was including him...

No sooner had Qin Henian finished speaking than the giant python on Zhang Qilin's side launched its attack. The python lunged fiercely from the treetops, its massive mouth revealing fangs and a repulsive, foul stench as it charged down. Zhang Qilin didn't hesitate; he ducked and leaped, simultaneously slashing his blade at the python's head. In a flash, the black-gold ancient blade clashed against the yellowish-white scales with a piercing sound and sparks, instantly leaving a wound on the python's body.

Perhaps the python's scales were too hard, as its attacks couldn't be broken down immediately. Qin Henian happened to witness this...

Slurp...

Although the wound was small, it still left a bright red mark on the snake's body. The smell of snake meat directly stimulated Qin Henian's taste buds, and Qin Henian instantly withdrew his gaze from the fight. Qin Henian raised his hand to wipe the corner of his mouth, trying his best to prevent his saliva from dripping down.

Damn! This is just pure tantalizing! Everyone knows snake gallbladders are incredibly nutritious, especially after being stored for so long...

This would definitely be good for the kids! *slurp*

In an instant, with a whooshing sound, Qin Henian leaped forward and swiftly and accurately cut the feather in his hand onto the giant python's skin. The giant python roared and coiled its head and body to look back. Instantly, it saw a large gash on its body, with blood flowing down its body.

"Barbecued meat must taste amazing!"

Qin Henian's soft murmur was heard by almost everyone present except those who weren't fighting.