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“The Old Snake King has eaten people! Zhang Mazi and Zhou the Blacksmith have been swallowed!”

“Right by that river ditch, everyone hurry to report to the officials!”

The villagers, terrified, hurried away, while Wang Da Niu hurriedly dragged his two children into the courtyard and locked the gate.

“From today on, you are not allowed to step out of the door!”

Wang Da Niu said sternly, his face still showing signs of panic.

After more than half a year, the Old Snake King had appeared again, which was undoubtedly a major event.

“Old Snake King, eating people?” Wang Xiao Niu asked, puzzled.

The Old Snake King had just been under his nose, finishing a bucket of fish. How could he suddenly start eating people?

“That’s right! Just a moment ago, I saw with my own eyes that a dark shadow emerged from the river and dragged Zhou the Blacksmith and Zhang Mazi down. In an instant, both of them disappeared!” Wang Da Niu said in fear.

“Not possible! Just a moment ago, the Old Snake King even nodded at us. How could he have time to eat people?” Wang Xiao Niu’s younger sister, Wang Ya, interjected.

Wang Da Niu immediately glared at her: “What are you talking about?”

Wang Xiao Niu quickly pulled his sister’s hand: “Don’t speak nonsense, sister!”

…………

At this moment, Xu Hei in the mountains also heard the villagers’ cries and looked confused.

“I ate people? How come I don’t know about it?”

He hadn’t even been to the river; how could he have had a chance to drag people under the water and eat them?

He was being wronged.

Seeing the villagers heading towards the government office, Xu Hei knew it was dangerous to stay here and decided to flee.

Ordinary wild beasts eating people wouldn’t attract the attention of the officials or lead to a hunt, but Xu Hei was different. As the King of Serpents in this area, there was a bounty posted by a Taoist Priest from the Celestial Monitoring Bureau for his capture. This was why he was taken seriously.

The Celestial Monitoring Bureau (司天监), an official organization, had great power, and local officials dared not ignore it. The snake catchers (捕蛇人) were a civilian organization specifically targeting serpent demons, possessing many techniques and some formidable experts with magical tools.

These were Xu Hei’s two greatest threats: one official, one civilian.

Having already been exposed, Xu Hei wouldn’t stay in this area; he needed to hide for at least half a year, until next spring.

However, he was curious about what creature could have eaten people so quickly.

“Could it be a water demon beast that could drag two men underwater instantly?”

Xu Hei’s eyes flickered with speculation.

Throughout the summer, aside from the initial pig demon, he hadn’t encountered any other demon beasts.

His cultivation had made no progress, remaining at the Second Level of Spiritual Beast. However, his Demon Core had been gradually filling with spiritual mist over time.

“Forget it, escaping is more important.”

Xu Hei dismissed the thought, prioritizing his survival over anything else. Even if he could defeat a demon beast, the officials and snake catchers were not to be underestimated.

Heavy rain poured down, and strong winds howled.

Xu Hei reached the swollen riverbank, dove in, and swam downstream with powerful strokes of his tail. Swimming was the fastest way to escape, and the river water would cover his scent, making it difficult for the snake catchers to track him.

Of course, Xu Hei didn’t swim too far—at most fifty miles. This distance was sufficient to evade pursuit. The mountains were filled with wild beasts, and venturing too deep would be suicidal.

“I’ll hide out for now and come back next year.”

Xu Hei had done this before.

…………

Time passed, and as night fell.

Xu Hei climbed out of the river and reached the shore.

Here, he was already fifty miles away from the village he had left, so he was unlikely to be followed.

Upon arriving in an unfamiliar environment, Xu Hei spread out his Divine Sense and remained vigilant. As the King of Serpents in his home area, this didn’t mean he was the king everywhere.

Every beast had territorial instincts.

He would keep his activity range as small as possible and avoid provoking others.

…………

Outside the village, at the scene of the incident.

This was a river ditch that had formed after heavy rain. Many people had gathered here.

A middle-aged man in Daoist robes walked to the river’s edge. This man looked ordinary, but his demeanor carried an extraordinary aura. The officials immediately showed respect and made way for him.

This man was Chen Ping, the Taoist Priest from the Celestial Monitoring Bureau.

” Daoist Chen, have you found any clues?” asked the county magistrate.

Chen Ping, holding a whisk, gazed intently at the water’s surface: “There is indeed a trace of demonic energy!”

Upon hearing this, the villagers erupted in noise.

“Indeed, it’s the Old Snake King. After disappearing for half a year, he’s come out to harm people again!”

“He’s truly a scourge; every year he eats several people before he’s satisfied. When will this end?”

The villagers wept and lamented, crying out in anger.

Chen Ping, however, frowned. This unfamiliar demonic energy did not seem to match the Old Snake King’s.

He calculated with his fingers, and his expression grew somber.

“I am currently at the Third Level of Qi Refinement, and this demonic energy is quite comparable to mine. But I am unsure what kind of demon beast it is.”

If it were a mouse demon, cat demon, or small demon beast, he would have no fear, but if it were a snake demon or tiger demon, he would leave without hesitation.

An ordinary person can easily crush a mouse but cannot compete with a tiger or lion.

Cultivators are the same. They can easily kill a mouse demon at the Third Level of Spirit Beast, but they have little chance against large demon beasts.

Chen Ping stared at the surface of the water. After a moment, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he shouted, “Everyone, retreat!”

“Whoosh!!!”

The surface of the water suddenly exploded, and a dark shadow shot up into the sky, creating a hundred-foot splash of water that fell like rain. The dark shadow lunged at a soldier.

Without hesitation, Chen Ping immediately swung his whisk and emitted a beam of golden light. The dark shadow suddenly accelerated, grabbed a soldier, and dragged him back into the water in a flash.

“Beast!”

Chen Pingz was furious. This creature not only devoured people but continued to stay and eat more, how audacious!

The villagers screamed in terror and fled in all directions.

The county magistrate asked cautiously, “Master Chen, what should we do next?”

Chen Ping said, “Withdraw! Seal off this area. When the tide recedes, the demon beast in the water will leave.”

“Are we not going to exterminate the demon?” The county magistrate was surprised.

Chen Ping did not speak, only casting him a glance. The magistrate immediately fell silent.

Chen Ping knew that the demon in the water was not the old snake king. With his strength, he could have dealt with it, but it would have been too troublesome and would require using some of his trump cards.

Those trump cards were meant for the old snake king!

“My senior brother disappeared around here. He was probably swallowed by the old snake king. Along with him was the elixir refined for ten years; its medicinal power should still be inside the old snake king.”

“I must capture it. This is the key to my breakthrough to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.”

Chen Ping’s eyes flashed with determination, but he did not reveal his thoughts to anyone.

The leap from Third Level to Fourth Level of Qi Refinement is a major transition from the early to mid-stage. This step has kept him stagnant for ten years.

Soon, the soldiers sealed off the area.

Just as Chen Ping was about to leave, his gaze fell upon a young boy at the village entrance – it was Wang Xiao Niu.