Scorpion Tail!
However, after being stung, Xie Lian quickly grabbed the tail of the Scorpion-Tailed Snake, capturing it precisely. With a firm squeeze, he knocked the snake unconscious.
Despite being stung, his expression remained unchanged. He tossed the unconscious snake to the ground and said, "Everyone, be careful. There might be more snakes around..."
Before he finished speaking, he felt a tight grip on his wrist. Looking up, he saw San Lang holding onto him. Xie Lian was slightly taken aback and said, "San Lang?"
He asked because the expression on the young man's face was quite unusual, almost indescribable, and somewhat chilling.
San Lang was staring intently at the small wound on the back of Xie Lian's hand. Initially, the wound was no more than a pinprick, but the poison spread quickly, and his hand swelled into a large, hard, purplish-red lump.
The small wound expanded to the size of a knife cut.
With a serious expression, San Lang didn't say a word. He took the ruoye ribbon and tied a tight knot around Xie Lian's wrist to stop the poison from spreading.
Although the ruoye ribbon usually acted playfully with Xie Lian, in San Lang's hands, it behaved as if it were lifeless.
Since they met, Xie Lian had never seen him like this. Just as he was about to speak, San Lang pulled a dagger from a merchant's waist.
Seeing this, Nan Feng immediately understood what he was about to do and conjured a flame in his palm. San Lang didn't even glance at him, instead, he heated the dagger's tip over the flame.
Once it was hot, he quickly and lightly made a cross cut on the wound on Xie Lian's hand and was about to lean down when Xie Lian quickly said, "There's no need. The poison of the Scorpion-Tailed Snake is strong, sucking it out won't help. Be careful not to poison yourself..."
But the young man ignored him, held his hand tightly, and pressed his lips to the wound. For some reason, Xie Lian felt the arm San Lang was holding tremble slightly.
Nearby, Fu Yao commented, "You got stung by that too? Seriously? He might not have been bitten at all, why did you grab it? You're just causing trouble."
That was true. In fact, thinking back to San Lang's confident manner when tying up the snake, Xie Lian realized he probably wouldn't have been bitten.
Even if he had been, he likely wouldn't have cared. But you never know; what if the young man really didn't notice the snake and got bitten? It would be too late for regrets then.
He waved his uninjured hand and said, "It doesn't hurt, and I won't die. Don't worry about it."
Fu Yao asked, "You really don't feel any pain?"
Xie Lian honestly replied, "Really. I don't feel anything anymore."
This was true. Xie Lian was quite unlucky; when walking in the mountains, eight out of ten times he would step on a venomous snake or disturb some poisonous insect.
He had been bitten countless times by various poisonous creatures, but he always survived, at most getting a fever for three days and nights, and then recovering as if nothing had happened.
Moreover, his pain sensitivity was low; pain was something he got used to.
After he said this, San Lang finally lifted his head. The swelling on Xie Lian's hand had subsided, and there was a trace of blood on San Lang's lips.
His gaze was icy as he glanced at the Scorpion-Tailed Snake on the ground. With a "bang," the purple-red snake exploded into a mess of flesh.
Everyone was startled by the snake's sudden explosion, though they didn't know who did it. Even though the blood didn't splatter on them, they were still quite frightened.
Tian Sheng, remembering that Xie Lian had also been stung, anxiously asked, "Brother, you got stung too, right? What are you going to do?"
Xie Lian tightened the bandage on his wrist and smiled, "Don't worry, kid. I'm fine. We'll stick to the plan and head into the city to find the benevolent moon grass."
A merchant quickly asked, "You're going? What about us? Shouldn't we send someone too?"
Xie Lian replied, "You don't need to. The old site of the Half Moon Kingdom is likely full of dangers. One more person means one more risk. Once we find the benevolent moon grass, we'll bring it back to you within twelve hours."
Several merchants exclaimed, "Really?! That would be so kind of you..."
"How can we thank you enough..."
However, Xie Lian's next words changed their expressions. He said, "To find the ancient Half Moon Kingdom quickly, we'd like to borrow this young brother to guide us."
He was referring to A-Zhao. If the merchants' faces had shown gratitude and relief before, now they were mostly hesitant.
Xie Lian understood they were worried he might run off with their guide after finding the benevolent moon grass.
Even if A-Zhao had a good conscience and didn't run off with him, the time lost would be significant. But they also didn't want to go to that place where "half go missing every time they pass through," so they were quite conflicted.
It's human nature, understandable. Xie Lian added, "But we're also worried about other things attacking you, so Fu Yao will stay here to look after you."
Leaving someone behind, the merchants finally nodded and said, "Alright. As long as A-Zhao is willing to go with you."
Xie Lian then turned to A-Zhao and asked, "Brother, would you be willing to help us? It's okay if you don't want to."
A-Zhao nodded and said, "Sure. But actually, the ancient Half Moon City is easy to find. Just follow this direction, and you'll get there."
After saying goodbye to the merchants, A-Zhao led the way, with Xie Lian, San Lang, and Nan Feng following closely behind. After walking for a while, Xie Lian asked, "A-Zhao, are Scorpion-Tailed Snakes common around here?"
A-Zhao replied, "Scorpion-Tailed Snakes don't appear often. This is the first time I've seen one."
Xie Lian nodded and didn't ask further. He had lived near the Half Moon Kingdom for a while, and this was also his first time seeing a Scorpion-Tailed Snake, so A-Zhao's answer seemed reasonable.
Nan Feng sensed something and whispered, "Do you suspect A-Zhao?"
Xie Lian whispered back, "Since we've brought him along, let's just keep an eye on him."
Normally, San Lang would be the first to speak to him, but perhaps because of what happened earlier, the young man's face was still not quite right, and he remained silent.
Xie Lian didn't know what was going on and couldn't talk to him, so he just kept walking.
The four of them traveled through the vast Gobi Desert for nearly half an hour. The storm had passed, and without the sandstorm blocking their way, they moved quickly.
Gradually, they began to see some sparse, struggling vegetation growing in the cracks between sand and rock. As the sun began to set, Xie Lian finally saw an ancient city on the horizon.
The ancient city was hard to spot because it was the same earthy yellow as the surrounding desert, blending in with the endless sands.
The city walls had collapsed, with some sections buried in the sand. As they got closer, they realized the walls were very high, the tallest parts reaching over ten feet, hinting at its former grandeur.
Passing through the gate, the four officially entered the territory of the ancient Half Moon Kingdom.
Beyond the gate was a wide, empty street lined with ruins, broken houses, stones, and wood.
Perhaps out of habit, A-Zhao advised, "Everyone, be careful and don't wander off." Of course, the three didn't need his reminders.
The ancient city was far from what Nan Feng had imagined the Half Moon Kingdom to be, so he asked, "Is this the Half Moon Kingdom? It's so small, not even as big as a city."
Xie Lian explained, "It's a desert kingdom. The size of the oasis determines the size of the country.
At its peak, the Half Moon Kingdom had no more than ten thousand people. It really was just this big. When it was bustling, it was quite lively."
Nan Feng observed and said, "Conquering this country would probably take just a few days."
Xie Lian shook his head and said, "Not necessarily. Nan Feng, don't underestimate the Half Moon people.
Although their population was only about ten thousand, their army was consistently over four thousand.
They had more men than women, and after excluding the elderly, sick, and farmers, almost all the remaining men joined the army. The Half Moon soldiers were fierce and aggressive, armed with spiked clubs, and would charge forward even with knives in their chests. They were very difficult to fight."
A-Zhao seemed a bit surprised and glanced at Xie Lian, saying, "This gentleman seems to know a lot."
Xie Lian maintained a smile and was about to make a casual remark when Nan Feng asked, "What's that wall over there?"
He was pointing at a large mud structure in the distance.
Calling it a structure might not be quite right, as it was essentially just four high mud walls with no door or roof. There was only a pole on top of each wall, with something tattered and unrecognizable fluttering in the wind. For some reason, looking at it gave people a slight chill.
Xie Lian turned to look and said, "That's the Pit of the Guilty."
The name alone suggested it wasn't anything good. Nan Feng frowned and asked, "Pit of the Guilty?"
After a moment of thought, Xie Lian said, "You can think of it as a prison. It's a place for imprisoning criminals."
Nan Feng asked, "Without a door, how do they imprison people? Do they just throw them in from above?"
Xie Lian was considering whether to explain when San Lang suddenly said, "They throw them in. And the bottom is full of poisonous snakes, scorpions, and hungry beasts."
Hearing him finally speak, Xie Lian felt relieved and glanced at him. However, San Lang, after meeting his gaze briefly, looked away. Nan Feng cursed, "That's not a prison! That's torture, it's so cruel! The Half Moon people must be either insane or inherently vicious."
Xie Lian rubbed his temples and said, "Not all of them. There are some quite endearing ones among the Half Moon people." Just then, he paused and said, "Wait."
The other three stopped as expected. Xie Lian raised his hand and said, "Look at that pole above the pit. Is there a person hanging there?"
With the sun setting and the distance being far, it was hard to see clearly what was hanging from the pole. But as they got a bit closer, the silhouette of the hanging object was clearly that of a small, thin person in black clothes, tattered and swaying in the wind like a ragged doll.
San Lang confirmed, "Yes."
Seeing a person hanging there, A-Zhao's face turned slightly pale. The scene was so eerie and grim that even someone as composed as him found it unsettling.
Just then, San Lang tilted his head slightly and said in a low voice, "Someone's coming."
Not only did he notice, but Xie Lian also heard the faint sound of footsteps. The street was lined with broken houses, and the four of them quickly scattered to hide.
Xie Lian and San Lang hid in the same house, while Nan Feng and A-Zhao hid in the one across the street. Before long, a woman in white robes appeared at the end of the street.
The woman wore a flowing white Taoist robe, with a whisk in her arm, walking down the street, looking around with bright eyes.
Her demeanor suggested that this wasn't an abandoned ancient city but rather a small garden she could freely explore. Not far behind her, a woman in black followed with her hands behind her back.
The woman in black had a beautiful yet cold expression, her gaze sharp like a drawn blade, with long hair cascading down.
She seemed to emit a chilling aura. Although she walked behind the woman in white, no one would mistake her for a subordinate.
These were the two they had seen outside the abandoned building earlier in the day.
At that time, the two figures had flashed by, and the tall figure in black had made it unclear whether they were male or female. Now it was clear that both were women.
The woman in white could only be the national teacher of the Half Moon Kingdom, but who was the woman in black?
The Half Moon national teacher casually swung her whisk and said, "Where did those people hide? They disappear the moment I look away. Do I have to find them one by one to kill them?"
Xie Lian thought, as expected, they were being watched the moment they entered the city.
The woman in black walked up, expressionless, and passed her, saying, "You can call your friends to help you kill."
These "friends" could only refer to the highly lethal Half Moon soldiers. The Half Moon national teacher laughed, "Ha! I don't like calling others; I like calling you. Happy?"
The woman in black, however, didn't give her any face, coldly saying, "There's nothing to be happy about being called to do this. Let's go."
The Half Moon national teacher raised an eyebrow and indeed moved quickly. From their conversation, it seemed like they were old acquaintances with a good relationship.
These two were definitely not ordinary people, and the woman in black was surely not an unknown figure. Who could be a woman familiar with the Half Moon national teacher? A mysterious fellow disciple? Or perhaps the Half Moon Kingdom actually had a queen or a female general?
As Xie Lian quickly pondered, he held his breath. He didn't want to be discovered at this moment. Judging by the Half Moon national teacher's lively personality, if she saw them, she might excitedly call for the legendary nine-foot-tall Half Moon soldiers wielding spiked clubs, leading to another prolonged battle. With only twelve hours, losing even one hour was dangerous. But as fate would have it, the more he didn't want something to happen, the more likely it was to occur. As the woman in black passed by their hiding place, she suddenly stopped, her sharp gaze sweeping over them.
The Half Moon national teacher had already walked a few steps ahead. Seeing her stop, she leaned back and said, "Hey, are we going or not?"
The woman in black said, "You, step back."
The Half Moon national teacher said, "Oh." She stepped back, and the woman in black seemed about to raise her hand when suddenly, there was a loud noise from across the street!
The house where Nan Feng and the others were hiding suddenly collapsed.
As it fell, it brought down the entire row of houses, filling the street with sand and dust.
A dark figure leaped out from the swirling debris, launching a fierce flame towards the Half Moon national teacher.
The woman in black turned, blocking the attack with her left hand still behind her back, and caught the flame in her right hand, sending it back. The dark figure was incredibly swift, dodging the attack and disappearing into the distance with a whirlwind of sand. The Half Moon national teacher chased after, and the woman in black, after glancing in their direction, followed suit.
This sudden change happened in an instant.
Xie Lian thought to himself, "Good job, Nan Feng!" He knew it must have been Nan Feng, hiding on the opposite side of the street, who saw they were about to be discovered and created a diversion to draw the enemies away.
Since only one person had leaped out, A-Zhao must still be in the building. Once he was sure the three had left, Xie Lian pulled San Lang out and said, "A-Zhao, are you still alive? Are you hurt?"
After a moment, a muffled voice came from beneath the collapsed building, "I'm okay."
Xie Lian felt relieved and said, "Good, as long as you're okay."
Although he trusted that Nan Feng would have carefully controlled the collapse to leave space for another person, he still needed to confirm to be sure. He lifted a rotten beam with one hand, and after a while, A-Zhao crawled out from under the rubble, covered in dust. He brushed himself off and regained his calm demeanor.
Xie Lian said, "Now there are only three of us left. With Nan Feng being chased, we need to move faster. A-Zhao, do you know where in the city the benevolent moon grass grows?"
A-Zhao shook his head and said, "Sorry. I only know the location of the ancient city. I've never been here before, so I'm not sure where the benevolent moon grass grows."
San Lang added, "It's said that the benevolent moon grass likes shade, grows low, has thin roots, and large leaves shaped like a pointed peach. You might want to look near the tall buildings."
Xie Lian considered this and said, "Tall buildings?"
In a country, what building would be taller and more magnificent than the palace? Moreover, in the legends, the queen picked a piece of benevolent moon grass after a banquet, which indirectly suggests that the palace could be a place where the benevolent moon grass grows.
The three of them looked around and indeed spotted a palace made of bricks and wood in the center of the city.
From a distance, the palace seemed grand, but up close, it was only slightly less dilapidated than the other buildings on the street.
Passing through the palace gates, they entered a large garden. Perhaps it wasn't originally a garden, but a plaza or something similar.
However, after years of neglect, it had become a piece of land overgrown with various green plants.
Indeed, the ground was not sandy but muddy, likely the last remnants of the oasis. The benevolent moon grass might be hidden among the many plants.
Xie Lian said, "Let's find it quickly. We only have twelve hours. But be very careful of the Scorpion-Tailed Snakes."
A-Zhao agreed, and San Lang also responded with a "hmm," and the three of them began searching.
But Xie Lian suddenly remembered that the Half Moon national teacher could control Scorpion-Tailed Snakes, so after entering her territory, there should have been more Scorpion-Tailed Snakes. Yet, after entering the ancient Half Moon City, they hadn't encountered any more Scorpion-Tailed Snakes.
He straightened up, about to speak, when his hand suddenly touched something cylindrical.
Looking down, he realized it was a human leg.