Level Up in Martial World

36  Gorgon snake

"Let's take shelter somewhere," Lu Zhen said as he felt small water droplets staining his clothes. The cold moon hung high in the night sky, surrounded by sparkling stars.

"Yes, young master," Yu Bai said as he immediately went in search of shelter.

In the meantime, Lu Zhen brushed off a severed tree trunk, which served as a makeshift seat. Settling down, he made a contemplative sound, his gaze directed toward the twins who stood there, their nervousness palpable as they obediently followed his lead, resembling children dutifully following their guardian.

"Come here, Lu Qing," Lu Zhen beckoned gently. Despite her evident fear, Lu Qing complied, cautiously moving closer to Lu Zhen.

With a thoughtful expression, Lu Zhen retrieved a scroll from his bag, extending it toward Lu Qing. The moment her eyes fell upon the scroll, excitement lit up her face like a beacon.

"It's my end of the condition," Lu Zhen spoke in a warm tone.

"Thank you young master." Lu Qing excitedly bowed as she took the scroll with her two hands and hurriedly read it. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The scroll was green in color and the first page of the scroll had written "ANATOMY" in bold letters.

Lu Zhi, observing this exchange and the joyful expression on Lu Qing's face, he knew what the scroll was.

"Thank you, young master," Lu Zhi's voice echoed in the forest, also bowing.

"Do not worry about it. When we return, I will provide you with the necessary ingredients to craft your wine," Lu Zhen assured, his words accompanied by a kind smile.

Hearing this, lu Zhi became even more happy.

"As long as you fulfil the tasks I assign, I will not impose excessive restrictions on your freedom," Lu Zhen stated with closed eyes, settling into a moment of rest.

"Thank you, young master," Lu Zhi conveyed his gratitude once again, bowing deeply before rejoining his sister to help her learn.

"Using a few scrolls and resources to secure the loyalty of two talents isn't a bad approach," Lu Zhen mused to himself.

"Seems like the carrot and stick trick works quite effectively," Lu Zhen thought, as he sneered. Although he knew how its principles worked he didn't know if it worked or not in real life but seeing the scene now he was quite confident it worked.

The reason Lu Zhen possessed the scroll was due to his mother's insistence that his previous host read it for potential benefits. However, the previous host had disregarded his mother's advice, consumed by worldly pursuits. Lu Zhen had retained the scroll in his collection for quite some time. Reflecting on the memories of the past host, Lu Zhen felt a tinge of bitterness as the previous host was really incompetent through and through.

Pitter-patter!

Lu Zhen's thoughts were interrupted by the increasing intensity of the rain. The light rain turned into heavy rain, and he soon saw Yu Bai approaching in the distance.

"Young master, I've found a suitable place for us to stay," Yu Bai informed as he arrived.

With that, the group of four quickly headed in the direction Yu Bai indicated. Due to the rain, the ground had turned muddy, so as they hurriedly ran, their clothes became quite dirty. They maintained the same pace as they travelled through the muddy path.

Rustle! Rustle!

Lu Zhen's ears twitched as a sudden rustling sound reached them. Suddenly, a massive snake, approximately 100 feet in length, emerged from the bushes, advancing toward them with hunger in its eyes.

The snake exuded a dangerous vibe, its body covered in the usual light brown color. However, it was the way its muscles were structured that made it stand out. It seemed like it was made entirely of muscle. With a hiss that pierced the air, its sharp fangs were exposed, looking threatening.

What really stood out were the tiny wings on its back. However, these wings seemed too small for its big body, almost like they were added as an afterthought. They looked more like decorations, as if the snake was pretending to attempt flying. It was like an anaconda that had been hitting the gym hard, with muscles bulging, and then someone jokingly attached small wings for a funny effect.

When Lu Zhen saw this he was shocked however excitement came to his mind as he gazed upon the snake with greed..

[Gorgon snake]

[Power level: third stage martial artist]

Before the snake could attack Lu Qing, the weakest member of the group, Lu Zhen reacted almost instantly with a little greed in his eyes. He moved towards the snake and attacked it barehanded with a slashing motion.

A tearing sound echoed as Lu Zhen slashed downward with his hands.

"Verdant Saber Whirlwind," Lu Zhen invoked mentally, channeling his energy. However, his limited qi reserves were swiftly depleted.

A small whirlwind formed, delaying the snake momentarily. However, it quickly overcame the gust of wind and opened its mouth wide, aiming to consume Lu Qing before making a hasty escape.

Seeing this, Lu Zhen thought bitterly, "I really need to increase my qi."

Lu Zhen however didn't back away in the advance of the snake, but instead of retreating, he faced the approaching snake head-on, catching its jaws with his bare hands.

The snake widened its eyes, astonished that a mere hairless monkey dared to catch its jaws with bare hands. It intended to teach Lu Zhen a lesson by clamping its jaws shut. However, to its horror, the snake found that it couldn't move its jaws anymore, and it was unable to close them, instead Lu Zhen's grip tightened even more. However, the snake's eyes were still calm and composed as it stared at the hairless monkey like an idiot.

In retaliation, the serpent expelled a blackish liquid from its fangs, which came into contact with Lu Zhen's hands. A triumphant hiss escaped the serpent, believing it had found a means of escape. However, much to its dismay, Lu Zhen's grip slackened momentarily before intensifying further.

[You have adapted to the poison of the Gorgon snake.]

[You have gained Poison Resistance.]

The snake was now filled with pure horror, realizing it was trapped. Despite its struggles, the grip didn't yield.

To the snake's astonishment, Lu Zhen unexpectedly moved toward its open mouth, passing through its fangs and was directly swallowed by the snake. The snake's eyes widened as it wiggled its tail in delight.

"Finally the strong hairless monkey is dead."