Two-Headed Red Snake 4

Xie Mowen had never been afraid of anything in his life, but when he was immersed in the deadly poison of the Nether Bats, he was afraid to look into Xiao Congzhi's eyes.

"The Netherworld Bat... it kills instantly upon contact with blood... upon encountering the Netherworld... circulating internal energy... can cure all poisons..."

Xie Mowen found the sound too noisy, so he forced his eyes open. Then he heard Yun Shaocheng's voice, low and tinged with loneliness.

"It is a deadly poison that kills instantly upon contact with blood. Therefore, this giant bat is called the Netherworld Bat. Young Master Mo managed to control the poison outside his heart meridian by circulating his internal energy at the moment of poisoning, which allowed him to hold on until Young Master Xiao fed him the Immortal Powder that can cure all poisons."

"Immortal Powder? It's actually Immortal Powder! How did Young Master Mo come to have such a thing!"

"Such a potent poison, yet Young Master Mo can control it by circulating his internal energy!"

"Gentlemen..." This was Xiao Congzhi's voice, revealing undisguised impatience, "Now that you know the whole story, please leave."

"this…"

Yun Shaocheng: "What you say is absolutely right."

Then came the sound of the crowd dispersing.

"You're awake?"

"What?! He's awake!" Yun Shaocheng rushed to the bedside, looking at Xie Mowen and blurting out, "Master, your subordinate... your subordinate..."

Xie Mowen frowned wearily and said, "Shut up."

Xiao Congzhi walked over, patted Yun Shaocheng on the shoulder, and asked in a softer tone, "Why don't you go out first?"

Yun Shaocheng had no choice but to leave. He stared in Xie Mowen's direction, turning back every few steps.

After the person disappeared from sight, Xiao Congzhi sat down by Xie Mowen's bedside. He didn't say anything, but gently stroked Xie Mowen's eyebrows and eyes with his fingers. He was still afraid and reluctant to let go.

Xie Mowen smiled faintly; he really didn't have much strength left.

"Shortly after we entered the Guanyin Temple, Heroine Jingnuan, as instructed, revealed to the entire Emei Sect and the Martial Arts Alliance that we had found the location of the two-headed red snake. Liao Hetong, as expected, could not hold back and went to the Guanyin Temple alone, where he was intercepted on the spot by Heroine Jingnuan and Shao Cheng with their men."

Afterwards, Shao Cheng and Lady Jing Nuan waited for us in front of the Guanyin Temple. Shao Cheng was so panicked when he saw you, but fortunately, the people at the Guanyin Temple were mainly from Emei, and Lady Liao Fei was able to help smooth things over.

Xie Mowen hummed in agreement. Liao Fei must have realized his identity long ago underground, so she was unwilling to reveal her suspicions about Liao Hetong. But having gone through a life-or-death situation, as long as Liao Fei didn't mention his identity, she had already taken a stand.

"After overexerting her inner strength, Heroine Liao Fei was taken away by Heroine Jing Nuan. She rested for half a day and then woke up. After waking up, she explained the whole story to the Martial Alliance and various sects. Then she immediately went to deal with Liao Hetong's matter."

Shao Cheng instinctively wanted to find a reason to help cure Yue Manqian's poison, but since he had been guarding the place for the past two days, he left the two-headed red snake to Miss Xuan for research.

Xie Mowen coughed twice: "So today is the Mid-Autumn Festival?"

"Yes, two hours ago, the Martial Alliance was still discussing where the Demonic Church would hold the banquet and how to notify them. Shao Cheng told me that everything that needed to be arranged has been arranged according to the original plan."

"Okay. Have him come over."

Xiao Congzhi stood up: "He was far too nervous this time; that poison was truly dangerous."

"He gave me the Immortal Powder two years ago when I became the leader of the sect to save my life. He knew better than anyone that my life was not in danger. He was just feeling guilty and scared."

Xiao Congzhi looked puzzled.

"He has a two-headed red snake."

Xiao Congzhi widened his eyes slightly.

“Yun Shaocheng must possess all the Gu that can be refined, but he is reluctant to part with them unless absolutely necessary.”

"You've always known?"

"I'm sorry," Xie Mowen said sincerely, closing his eyes briefly.

Xiao Congzhi sat back down, leaned down and kissed Xie Mowen's hair, saying gently, "It's alright."

“I don’t intend to blame him. Everyone has selfish desires, so he and Haojun can’t be the leaders. I only want to fulfill my late master’s wishes.”

Xiao Congzhi was taken aback, and gently embraced Xie Mowen, but... you ultimately had selfish motives, a bitter feeling welled up in Xiao Congzhi's heart. In that critical moment, Xie Mowen was brought to him by Liao Fei's long whip, without hesitation or looking back.

Yun Shaocheng hadn't gone far; he stood quietly at the corner of the corridor. He didn't regret it, but when he saw Xiao Congzhi carrying his sect leader out in front of the Guanyin Temple, he suddenly realized that Xie Mowen was no longer without any ties.

"Young Master Yun."

Yun Shaocheng was taken aback and turned around. He wasn't exactly surprised, but he certainly hadn't expected the person to arrive.

Ji Zhou stood a few steps away from Yun Shaocheng, with his usual humble and polite smile on his face. When Yun Shaocheng turned around, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Young Master Yun," Ji Zhou asked, "what is your relationship with Young Master Mo?"

Yun Shaocheng narrowed his eyes slightly. Although he had been flustered these past few days and had been frequently visiting Xie Mowen, the reason he gave when he invited Xiao Cong to stay at the Martial Alliance was impeccable.

Young Master Mo is a man of great righteousness who saved Emei from dire straits; he deserves to be honored as a distinguished guest.

If Ji Zhou asked this question solely because of this, then he is alarmingly clever.

Seeing that Yun Shaocheng did not answer, Ji Zhou did not press the matter: "That's enough, you don't need to say anything more. I will take credit for Young Hero Mo's kindness in the matter of Dongjing." After saying that, he bowed again and turned to leave.

Yun Shaocheng chuckled as he watched Ji Zhou's retreating figure. When he saw Ji Zhou among the group of oddballs in Kunlun, he knew that this person was intelligent, and such a kind and righteous person was an unexpected delight.

"Shao Cheng." This time it was Xiao Congzhi who returned.

Although Xiao Congzhi learned from Xie Mowen what role Yun Shaocheng played in this disaster, he did not delve into it, considering that he had escaped death and turned misfortune into good fortune.

Yun Shaocheng felt even more guilty. He knew what his sect leader would say to Xiao Shaoxia, so he lowered his head and followed Xiao Congzhi back into the house.

Xie Mowen was lying on the bed, his breathing unsteady. When he saw Yun Shaocheng enter the room, he got straight to the point: "Is there any way I can attend the banquet tonight?"

Yun Shaocheng glanced at Xiao Congzhi's expression before turning to Xie Mowen and replying, "There is no way to avoid any backlash."

Xie Mowen chuckled silently, saying nonchalantly, "Just pick one."

Xiao Congzhi blinked lightly, not to contradict, but to say calmly, "Xu Tan of the Martial Alliance is all bluster and no substance. Xue Shan, Qing Cheng, Kong Tong, and Emei have all expressed their opinions. I just saw Ji Zhou. Kunlun should also be fine. No one from Diancang has come, and Huashan has no opinion. Only Shaolin and Wudang are left. Is it really necessary?"

Xie Mowen moved his fingers, hooked Xiao Congzhi's palm, and led him to squat down beside him. He said in a slow tone, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate. If I am unharmed, there will still be turmoil, which is fate. If I have a backup plan, then it is man-made disaster."

Xiao Congzhi stared at Xie Mowen for a while. He understood everything, and the only reason he said anything more was because he felt sorry for him.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Xiao Congzhi, Yun Shaocheng decided not to waste his breath and made a plan. Just as he was about to leave, he was called back.

If Xie Mowen really wanted to say something important, whether he was weak or not, or whether his breathing was steady or not, it wouldn't affect his imposing presence from top to bottom: "Send out the invitations as usual, have Hao Jun prepare the gift list, and go to Miss Xuan's place. Don't let the two-headed red snake take them for nothing."

Yun Shaocheng stopped, turned around, bowed respectfully to Xie Mowen, and left to receive his orders.

Not long after Yun Shaocheng left, the Martial Alliance became abuzz with activity. People from the nine major sects flocked to visit Alliance Leader Xu, almost wearing down the threshold.

The reason was simple: they had received an invitation from a cult.

"At the hour of You (5-7 PM), in the court and government offices."

Not a single unnecessary word was said.

Xu Tan stood among the crowd, his face full of worry as he faced a barrage of questions.

"Alliance Leader Xu, should we take this opportunity to wipe out the Demonic Sect? Give me a plan!" This was Abbot Tan Jue of Shaolin.

"Alliance Leader Xu, shall we keep our appointment?" This was the head of the Huashan Sect.

"Alliance Leader Xu, how many people do you think should go this time?" This was Yang Yanshu from Kongtong.

"Alliance Leader Xu, this invitation appeared out of nowhere. Do you have any insights into this?" This was Jiang Xu from Qingcheng.

"Alliance Leader Xu, what do you think the Demonic Sect will do?" This was Xue Shan Ji Buyu.

Liao Fei led her disciples to the edge of the crowd, avoiding the noisy chatter. Half an hour earlier, Yun Shaocheng had personally delivered the invitation and the antidote for Yue Man Qian Dao to her, without saying a word, but his words spoke volumes.

After the ordeal of being slain by a thousand cuts under the full moon, the entire Emei sect was united and all looked to her as their leader. However, her reason for taking the Emei sect to the banquet was not to repay the life-saving grace, but to express her gratitude to Mowen.

After making the scene even more chaotic, Ji Buyu quietly retreated to the side, accidentally glancing at Liao Fei and awkwardly touching his nose.

At this moment, Yang Yanshu also came over and asked quietly, "Do you think Brother Mo will be there tonight?"

Ji Buyu's gaze remained fixed on Xu Tan as he said calmly, "He has plenty of ways to get here."

Yang Yanshu also looked at Xu Tan, his brows furrowed. He was deep in thought, unable to be as calm as Ji Buyu, nor as optimistic as Jiang Xu. His mind was constantly preoccupied with what Xie Mowen would do, what they would do, whether everything would go smoothly, and whether their choices were correct…

Jiang Xu, who was very cheerful, strolled over, bumped into Yang Yanshu's shoulder, and said, "Let's go. Alliance Leader Xu just gave the order: we'll deal with whatever comes our way. Let's go take a look."

Ji Buyu flicked away the duster and said, "Then let's go."

Anlingting Mansion is a long-abandoned mansion in the south of the city. It is said to have been built by a wealthy merchant from the previous dynasty. It covers a vast area and has a grand style.

Anling City is far from the city center and is often shrouded in mist due to its mountainous terrain, making it unsuitable for habitation. As a result, it is sparsely populated. The fact that Xu Tan has brought such a large group of people is a rare sight, a scene that has not been seen for several years.

Xu Tan walked at the front, with Abbot Tan Jue of Shaolin Temple beside him. Abbot Tan Jue was so eager and imposing that Xu Tan felt uneasy, but dared not show it.

Xu Tan was not truly all bark and no bite. If the Demonic Sect were to truly harm the martial world, he would naturally raise his banner to punish them. However, since everything was currently a mystery, he did not need to waste his time and money.

According to his plan, he would find a promising young swordsman to arrange his daughter's marriage in the next few years, and then train his son-in-law to succeed him as the leader of the martial arts alliance. He would then retire to the second line to enjoy his old age. If the Demonic Sect caused trouble at that time, his son-in-law would take over.

He already had a candidate for his son-in-law: Yun Shaocheng, who was gentle, refined, and intelligent. He liked him very much no matter how he looked at him.

"Alliance Leader Xu, shall we go straight in?"

Xu Tan's thoughts were pulled back by reality. He looked up abruptly and stared blankly at the tightly closed door.

Abbot Tan Jue continued, "I see that the two stone lions at the entrance are covered in dust, clearly indicating that they have not been maintained for many years. Could this place be a trap?"

Just as Xu Tan was about to agree and then persuade Abbot Tan Jue to turn back, Ji Buyu stepped forward and said in a light tone, "Even if it's a trap, you won't know until you're inside."

Having run out of things to say, Xu Tan could only call Yun Shaocheng to open the door.

The gate of the mansion is made of stone, weighing a thousand pounds, and is engraved with intricate patterns. It will last for centuries, and just by looking at this gate, one can glimpse its former glory.

Yun Shaocheng channeled his inner strength into his palm and seemingly effortlessly pushed open the stone door.

The music of silk and bamboo instruments suddenly arose, coming from afar and gradually approaching, yet always shrouded in a hazy, dreamlike quality, as if it came from another world.

Everyone composed themselves, slowed their pace, and carefully entered the courtyard.

The entrance hall of the mansion is truly magnificent. Entering through the gate that is wide enough for ten people, one enters an open-air foyer that stretches for tens of meters. What artificial hills and flowers existed here a hundred years ago is now unknown, as everything in sight is filled with tables and chairs, with fruit platters and teacups on them, steaming and clearly indicating that a banquet has been prepared.

But there was no one here. You are all top martial arts masters. If there was no one here, then there was no one in the entire mansion.

It's really eerie.

"Alliance Leader Xu! There are names engraved on the table here."

Xu Tan quickly stepped forward, and the others also looked at the nearby tables.

These tables are made of high-quality rock slabs, engraved with words such as "Martial Arts Alliance," "Shaolin," and "Emei." For a typical banquet, there's no need to investigate further; this is simply the seating arrangement arranged by the host.

Are we supposed to sit like this?

Ji Buyu studied it for a while with great interest: "It seems that this leader of the demonic sect has not assigned himself a position."

“That’s true.” Jiang Xu stroked his chin and agreed, “Left and Right Protectors, Ten Elders, but not the Sect Leader.”

"What do you care if there's a Demonic Sect leader or not!" the Huashan Sect Leader shouted. "Since Alliance Leader Xu is placed at the lower level in this seating arrangement, we certainly cannot sit like that."

At a time like this, Huashan is still currying favor with the powerful. Ji Buyu almost rolled his eyes.

The Huashan Sect Leader's words were too loud, leaving Xu Tan in a dilemma. He could only awkwardly say, "Let's sit according to these seats."

Abbot Tan Jue disagreed, slamming his hand on the stone table: "Are we really going to sit down and attend this banquet?!"

Xu Tan waved his hand with a headache and explained, "It's almost dusk, and there's still no one here. What if they don't come if we don't sit down?"

"What Alliance Leader Xu said is absolutely right. Let's sit down quickly." After saying that, Ji Buyu found the Snow Mountain Sect's location and invited the disciples to sit down quickly.

The moment his butt touched the chair, someone suddenly appeared next to him.

"!!! Brother Xiao!" Ji Buyu's eyes widened. "Where did you come from?"

Xiao Congzhi just smiled and remained silent.

Ji Buyu leaned close to Xiao Congzhi's ear and asked with great curiosity, "Didn't Sect Leader Xie save a seat for you?"

"He's hosting a banquet for the nine major sects, so what's the point of reserving a seat for me?" Xiao Congzhi laughed and pushed Ji Buyu's head back.

Ji Buyu rested his chin on his hand and asked meaningfully, "So how exactly will this play be performed today?"

"I thought Brother Ji was really indifferent," Xiao Congzhi teased.

Ji Buyu didn't respond to the teasing, but instead asked softly, "Is he alright?"

“Of course not.” Xiao Congzhi shrugged and said helplessly, “If it doesn’t work out tonight, we’ll have to ask Sect Leader Ji to take us in tomorrow.”

Ji Buyu: ...

As they spoke, the sky gradually darkened, and the sound of string and wind instruments rose again, this time accompanied by a thin layer of smoke rising from below.

Everyone sat up straight and stared at the door.