I had visited the gates of hell, but thankfully didn't die. I struggled to sit up from the ground, my head was pounding, my whole body was in pain, and I felt weak, like a pile of mud lying on the ground. This should be the aftereffects of the snake venom, like a hangover, even when I closed my eyes, I still felt drowsy.
"Xiaoshan, hey, don't sleep. Drink some water, you damn near scared me to death."
The fat guy brought a bowl of water over, which I reluctantly drank a few sips of, then started to check my body. There didn't seem to be any external injuries, except that my skin was exceptionally pale, as if lacking color. I tried to speak, but my throat hurt as soon as I made a sound.
"How did you find me?"
I asked after a few coughs.
"After saving Qin Qianqiu, I found this cave to settle down, then went out to find food, and also wanted to see if I could find you. I didn't expect to hear weird noises as soon as I ran into the woods, so I hurriedly hid behind a tree and found that you were fighting a big black snake. By the time I rushed up with a dagger, the big black snake was already dead, and you had passed out. I carried you back, by the way, I also brought back that big black snake, peeled its skin, and made it into jerky to eat!"
Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but smile bitterly. If the fat guy had arrived a few minutes earlier, I wouldn't have been in such a dire state, but I already felt fortunate to have survived.
"By the way, how did I survive?"
I suddenly wondered, with such a severe snake venom in my body, injected with so much poison by that big black snake, the fat guy definitely wouldn't know any antidote, could it be that I was really so lucky, not even afraid of snake venom?
"I saved you,"
At that moment, a voice came from outside the cave. Then I saw Qin Qianqiu, dressed in black clothes, with bandages wrapped around his head, walking in, it was him who spoke.
It looked like he was seriously injured from the battle with the mysterious giant. He made a simple bandage with his vest and his head injury seemed quite serious. It seemed that one of his hands was broken and he had it fixed to his chest with a stone slab. However, he remained calm and composed, showing no joy or sorrow, with a calm expression.
He sat down by the campfire and said quietly, "I have some medical knowledge from my training, I understand snake venom, and I was able to cure your poison."
I nodded and thanked him.
"You don't need to thank me, we're even now. You saved me once, I saved you once, no debts between us. Although I cured the poison, your body is still very weak, and my injuries haven't healed, it's best to stay in the cave for a while."
He took some dried meat from the side of the bonfire and chewed it in his mouth.
I leaned against the wall, with a feeling of happiness after narrowly escaping death, only when someone dies do they realize the importance of living.
"By the way, how did you provoke this big black snake? Gosh, this big black snake that I dragged back seems to be nearly three meters long, and there's a horn sticking out of its head, looks quite unusual."
The chubby guy asked me, I gave a wry smile, told about what happened in the temple, and before the chubby guy could speak, Qin Qianqiu, who was standing next to him, his face changed and asked, “Is what you just said not a lie?”
"Why would I lie to you?"
Qin Qianqiu, who had always been calm, seemed more and more flustered, which I had never seen before, as if facing a great enemy, full of anxiety.
"What's wrong?"
Chubby guy asked in surprise.
"I once learned about the situation here before coming to the Black Mountain. In this area of the Black Mountain, including several main peaks in the Nuruerhu Mountain in front, each one has a forbidden area. Ordinary people cannot enter these forbidden areas. The forbidden area inside the Black Mountain is particularly terrifying. A friend of mine once said that there is a temple in the Black Mountain with a history of nearly three hundred years. The temple does not have any believers or incense, it stands in the midst of the surrounding forest. Its purpose is to oversee a monster in the depths of the Black Mountain. This mysterious monster, like a corpse, exudes a gloomy aura and resentment. In the past, I always thought this was just a legend, but now, after hearing your description, I'm afraid this legend is true."
Qin Qianqiu's words sounded ridiculous, the chubby guy scoffed, but I frowned tightly. The shadowy monster I had seen before did indeed resemble a corpse, but I had never encountered a real zombie, so it was hard to judge. From the words of the old monk in the temple, it seemed that he knew about this strange person's existence and even said things like "You were ultimately not able to suppress it." Is it possible that this temple really exists to guard the strange person?
I was full of doubts, but I had no answers. Would it be sensible to run into the temple to seek a dead end again?
"Got any cigarettes?"
Feeling annoyed, I reached out and asked the chubby guy for a cigarette, he shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I dropped them in the woods, I also want to smoke."
"By the way, how did you guys catch up with me?"
After a moment of silence, Qin Qianqiu suddenly asked.
"Hmph, my brother has a way with you, no matter where you go, we can find you."
The chubby guy blurted out, but Qin Qianqiu didn't flinch, instead, he looked at me. After taking a sip of water, I said, "A senior master, Yu Lao, once taught me the Wudang Five Elements Technique, and I used it to trace your whereabouts."
Qin Qianqiu was suddenly stunned, then he smiled slightly, sighed and said, "How long have you practiced?"
"About a month."
I answered honestly, but then saw his smile grow even stronger, and he said, "Truly amazing, when I practiced the Three Yang Technique on Wutai Mountain all those years ago, I thought I had mastered it before leaving the mountain, feeling invincible. But my master said there are countless experts in the world, don't be too proud. To be able to trace my whereabouts after only a month of practice is quite remarkable."
After hearing this, the chubby guy was even more jubilant than me, laughing heartily, "Of course, my brother has always been superior, when he was a kid, he never got caught after lifting up girls' skirts, haha..."
"However, by saving me, you've blocked Ling Qian's money-making opportunity. It's easy to deal with Yin Ren and Kun Yu factions, they're not a big threat. But her brother is the renowned leader of the San Shan faction, it's a big trouble for you guys."
This was exactly what I was worried about, so I asked, "Is the leader of the San Shan faction very powerful?"
As soon as I asked this, I saw Qin Qianqiu on the other side stunned for a moment, staring at me for a long time before saying, "You don't know?"
Suddenly feeling a little embarrassed, feeling like Pelé who doesn’t know about football, I could only explain that I had only recently entered the profession.
The Lord of San Mountain's real name is Ling Xuan, he is a native of Yuyang. The nickname "Lord of San Mountain" was given to him by his friends in the Daoist community. This is because he bought three mountains near Yuyang many years ago, and thus gained his title. It is rumored that he was a closed-door disciple of a senior member of the Quanzhen sect, originally intending to become a Daoist monk. However, due to certain special circumstances, he only learned some skills, but did not formally enter the Daoist sect. He is estimated to be in his thirties this year, around 1975, and his reputation began to spread in the circle. It is said that he cleaned up an ancient demon that had been causing trouble in Dongmang Mountain several years ago. Since then, he has been unstoppable, with major actions almost every year. In the first half of last year, he encountered and dealt with five or six walking corpses near Jiangyin all by himself. He has now established a significant influence within the San Mountain area, outwardly posing as a construction development company, but in reality resembling a sect in the shadows. Both the black and white paths give him face, and he can be considered a big shot in our circle.
I had originally expected that Ling Qian's background would be deep, but I didn't expect it to be so formidable; the Lord of San Mountain is indeed extraordinary.
"Qin, if you were to compare yourself to the Lord of San Mountain, who would be more powerful?"
The chubby guy seemed a little nervous as he asked.
"Although I have long intended to compete with the Lord of San Mountain, I really don't know how our capabilities would compare. But in terms of influence alone, I can't match up to him in my meager territory in Xiangyang."
Qin Qianqiu also honestly admitted his inferiority. Simply put, while he might not necessarily lose in a fight, his connections were definitely not as good as the other's.
It seems rescuing this person has really brought us trouble. I can see that Ling Qian's vengeful personality will eventually come looking for us.
"After you've recovered from your injuries, I think it's best for you and us to go back to Xiangyang and hide for a while. When the situation calms down, we can come out again. In the martial world, there's always a way to avoid trouble. You saved me, and I will repay this favor."
At this time, Qin Qianqiu extended an olive branch to us as he saw the worried expressions on our faces.