mtl008 Chapter 116, 9th Lifetime: A Madman's Treasure Hunt in the Snake Cave, A Perilous Struggle to B
Chapter 116, 9th Lifetime: A Madman's Treasure Hunt in the Snake Cave, A Perilous Struggle to B
Chapter 116 The Mad Doctor and Poison Master Steals Treasure from the Snake Cave, Peril Lurks Everywhere, and He Breaks Through the Heavens' Impasse
With a deafening roar that shook the earth, the long-sealed stone gate slowly opened. A dense aura of treasure, like a burst dam, surged forth, nearly knocking everyone off their feet. Before they could even cheer, their eyes were captivated by the scene within the stone gate, their jaws nearly dropping to their toes. A colossal python, as thick as a barrel, like a small black hill, stood imposingly coiled atop the mountain of treasure. Its scales gleamed with a cold, icy light, its angular head held high, its forked tongue flashing rapidly, emitting a deep, menacing roar, as if declaring to the world: "This treasure is mine! Get the hell out of here! Take a step closer, and I'll tear you to shreds!"
The man in the golden mask had barely come to his senses when he started howling like a banshee: "Grandma, we're doomed! We should run away as fast as we can. This python doesn't look like a good guy, we can't afford to mess with it!" As he spoke, his legs trembled uncontrollably, and he almost knelt down before Luo Qingci. Luo Qingci rolled her eyes at him, crossed her arms, and wore a mocking sneer that seemed to freeze the air: "Run? Can your short legs outrun this python? Look at you, with me here, what are you afraid of!" But in reality, she was also secretly groaning. This python was indeed extremely troublesome. "However, the treasures in this cave are beckoning to me. I, Luo Qingci, am a master of both medicine and poison. How can I be scared by a mere snake? Even if the King of Heaven himself came today, I would still take this treasure!" She gritted her teeth, a resolute glint in her eyes.
In a flash, Luo Qingci's eyes darted around, and a plan instantly formed in her mind. She silently pulled a pill emitting a strange fragrance from her medicine pouch. This was her painstakingly crafted "Drunken Snake Pill," specially designed to deal with these ferocious, demonic beasts. Just one sniff, and they'd instantly fall into a deep sleep like dead pigs. She gave the others a meaningful look, her eyes issuing an unquestionable military order: "Keep your mouths shut! Don't ruin my plans!" Then, crouching low, she moved like a nimble, highly skilled master thief, stealthily approaching the python. With each step, she was extremely cautious, her eyes wide like saucers, intently watching the python's every move, barely daring to breathe, silently chanting, "Please don't find me, please don't find me, just a little longer..."
Just as she was about to approach the python, it seemed to sense the deadly danger. Its head snapped back towards her as if spring-loaded, its fierce gaze like two sharp blades piercing her. The roar it emitted suddenly intensified, shaking the entire cave and threatening to collapse it. Luo Qingci's face turned deathly pale instantly, her heart pounding wildly. She almost screamed, but she forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, while inwardly she roared, "That damn python! How can it be so alert? I've been so careful, and it still managed to spot me! It's infuriating! Once I've dealt with it, I'll make it into snake soup, sprinkle some scallions on top, and show it what I'm capable of!"
At this critical moment, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration. She forcefully tossed the "Drunken Snake Pill" into the air, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Take this! Taste the power of your grandma!" The sound echoed through the cave, making everyone's ears ring. Attracted by this sudden action, the python's head seemed frozen in place, its eyes fixed on the pill in the air as if it were its prey. In the blink of an eye, the pill exploded in the air with a "bang," releasing a rich, intoxicating aroma that seemed to shake one's very soul. After inhaling the aroma, the python's originally ferocious, man-eating eyes gradually became hazy and unfocused, and its head began to sway uncontrollably from side to side like a rattle. A moment later, it collapsed onto the pile of treasure with a "thud," falling into a deep sleep, snoring loudly—a sound that seemed to announce its defeat to everyone.
Upon seeing this, everyone's eyes widened like copper bells, their faces filled with shock. Then, they swarmed around like a tide, casting admiring glances at Luoqing porcelain, their eyes filled with worship and awe. The skinny man in black was so excited his face turned red. He jumped up high, like he'd been injected with adrenaline, gave a thumbs-up, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Grandma, you're amazing! You handled this python so easily! I'm completely in awe! From now on, you're my dear grandma! My life is yours! If you tell me to go east, I'll never go west; if you tell me to beat a dog, I'll never scold a chicken!" Luo Qingci smiled smugly, her smile full of confidence and pride, as if the whole world was under her control. She dusted herself off and said casually, "No problem. That's called 'all's fair in war.' Follow me, and you'll see plenty more like this! Don't just stand there, hurry up and find the treasure! Don't waste time! If anyone slacks off, don't blame me for being ruthless. Let them try my newly developed itching powder, it'll make them question their existence!"
Just as everyone was eager to search for the treasure, a strange gurgling sound suddenly came from the cave. It sounded like someone drumming inside a stomach, or perhaps the low growl of an ancient beast. The group looked at each other, completely bewildered, their faces filled with confusion and fear. Luo Qingci frowned, looking around like a seasoned detective. Suddenly, her eyes lit up; she realized the sound was coming from inside a python. Curious, she approached the python, pressed her ear to its belly, and listened carefully. Then, she couldn't help but burst out laughing: "This python must be starving! Its stomach is rumbling so loudly. It's guarding a treasure, yet it's so hungry—it's hilarious! This python is a real oddity, begging for food while guarding a mountain of gold!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter. The man in the golden mask laughed so hard he was doubled over, clutching his stomach, tears welling up in his eyes, almost choking with laughter: "This python is too funny! Guarding so much treasure, it can still go hungry! I should have brought some food to feed it; maybe we could have become friends! It could even help me guard my house and catch thieves for me, haha!"
After the laughter subsided, everyone began frantically searching through the pile of treasure. Suddenly, the thin, black-clad figure jumped up excitedly, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Grandma, I found a treasure!" Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up, like a pack of hungry wolves spotting prey, and they instantly swarmed around, moving with the speed of a whirlwind. The thin, black-clad figure held a glittering box, its surface covered in strange runes. These runes seemed to tell ancient and mysterious stories, or perhaps conceal endless secrets.
Luo Qingci took the box, her eyes sparkling with excitement, like two bright stars. She examined it carefully, a sly smile playing on her lips, like that of a cunning little fox, unfathomable. "There's definitely something good hidden in this box," she said, "but be careful when you open it. Don't accidentally trigger any traps. If you do, we're all doomed. I don't want to lose my life here." With that, she took a thin silver needle from her medicine pouch. The needle gleamed coldly in the dim light, like the scythe of death. She carefully inserted the needle into the crack of the box, her eyes fixed on it, her hand steady and without trembling, as if time itself had stood still for her. With a "click," the box slowly opened, and a dazzling light shone out, so bright it was blinding, like the radiance of the sun.
Everyone stared intently, and inside the box was a bead radiating multicolored light. A mysterious aura surrounded the bead, as if it contained boundless power—a power capable of shattering the entire world and causing the heavens and earth to tremble. Luo Qingci's eyes widened, her voice trembling with excitement, as if the whole world was bowing down to her: "This is the legendary 'Five-Colored Spirit Bead'! Whoever possesses it gains power beyond measure. It seems this adventure has yielded unimaginable rewards! From now on, I will be the ruler of this world! Anyone who dares to disobey will taste my poison and beg for death!"
Just as everyone was immersed in the joy of finding the treasure, their excitement bordering on euphoria, a violent tremor suddenly erupted from the cave, like an earthquake. The ground began to shake wildly, and stones from the cave ceiling rained down like a storm, as if the end of the world had arrived. Luo Qingci's face turned deathly pale instantly. She shouted, "Oh no! The cave is collapsing! Everyone run! Hurry, or we'll all be buried here! If anyone is slow, don't blame me for abandoning them. I won't risk everyone's lives to save just one person!" With that, she carefully placed the "Five-Colored Spirit Pearl" into her medicine pouch, then pulled everyone along like chicks, running towards the cave exit at breakneck speed.
The group ran desperately through the cave, rocks falling and dust billowing behind them, choking them and making it feel like they were in hell. The man in the golden mask, panting heavily, cried out, "Grandma, what are we going to do? Are we really going to be buried here?! I haven't enjoyed this wonderful life enough! I haven't gotten married yet! I haven't eaten all the delicious food in the world!" Luo Qingci glared at him and said irritably, "Shut up! If you keep talking nonsense, you'll really be buried here! Run! Don't hold everyone back! If you keep nagging, I'll throw you here to be eaten by the rocks, so you can keep this cave company!"
Just as the cave was about to collapse, the group finally managed to escape. The moment they emerged, a deafening roar echoed behind them; the cave had completely collapsed, the billowing dust blotting out the sky as if to bury the entire world. The group collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, staring in horror at the ruins before them. The ruins seemed like a testament to the nightmare they had just experienced, and fear and exhaustion were etched on every face.
Luo Qingci stood up, dusted herself off, looked at the medicine pouch in her hand, and a satisfied smile appeared on her lips. The smile was full of joy at surviving a disaster and pride at her abundant harvest, as if the whole world was at her feet!
"This adventure, though terrifying, was incredibly rewarding. This 'Five-Colored Spirit Pearl' will definitely come in very handy in the future, and might even make me the strongest person in the world!" Everyone nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with admiration and fear as they looked at Luo Qingci, as if she were their lifeline and their master.
After this adventure, the members of the mysterious group were even more devoted to Luo Qingci. They knew that following this clever, cunning, and exceptionally skilled in both medicine and poison, their future adventures would undoubtedly bring even more surprises and challenges. They also firmly believed that as long as Luo Qingci was there, no difficulty was insurmountable; even if the sky were to fall, their aunt would hold it up for them! Even if the path ahead was fraught with danger, they would follow their aunt without hesitation!