Chapter 9: The Snake Catcher Enters the Mountain to Capture Snakes
Xu Hei stared for a long time, repeatedly observing, before confirming that the token was indeed that of a snake catcher.
This token bore the mark of a cultivator, and its special material made it extremely durable.
How did it end up inside that octopus’s body?
Even Xu Hei, who was usually slow to react, sensed something was wrong.
He immediately extended his divine sense into the octopus’s body and was shocked to discover a fist-sized demon core inside the creature’s head.
It was quite large, twice the size of the previous pig demon’s core!
“Is this really a demon beast?”
Xu Hei’s pupils contracted, and he instinctively took a step back, but then realized the creature was already dead.
After hesitating for a moment, Xu Hei cautiously approached the octopus’s corpse.
Even after death, the muscles of the corpse remained active, with the tentacles twitching. Xu Hei observed for a long time until the tentacles finally ceased movement before advancing.
He swung his tail, cutting off the remaining tentacles and then dividing the corpse into several parts.
Only then did he feel confident enough to examine it closely.
Inside the octopus’s stomach, there were remnants of other corpses, including fish and two human skeletons. The flesh and blood had been digested, but the clothing remained. One of the garments was recognizable as belonging to a snake catcher.
Clearly, this demon beast had devoured a snake catcher.
This powerful water demon had been unintentionally slain by Xu Hei, as if it were an ordinary wild creature!
Xu Hei felt a sense of disbelief. When did he become so powerful? Had the scales on his tail become this formidable?
“Dear demon brother, I didn’t intend to kill you. I was just hunting a wild beast. Had I known it was you, even a hundred of me wouldn’t dare approach,” Xu Hei thought to himself. “I hope you are reborn as a human in your next life!”
Xu Hei silently prayed for the creature, acknowledging its contribution to removing a snake catcher.
Next, Xu Hei cut up the corpse, spending another half hour transporting it from the riverbed back to his lair.
During the process, he discovered that the demon beast had been injured before he found it and took advantage of the situation.
Xu Hei’s lair was located not far from the riverbank, in what seemed to be an old animal burrow. He had expanded it and camouflaged the entrance with grass and foliage, making it indistinguishable from the outside.
He consumed the octopus’s head in one go and buried the remaining tentacles in the snake hole, covering them with sand, planning to eat them gradually.
Although the octopus appeared soft, its flesh was actually very tough, like leather, and contained a substantial amount of energy.
Just from eating the head, Xu Hei felt a surge of vital energy flooding into him, rapidly being absorbed into the Demon God Cauldron.
The spiritual mist inside the cauldron visibly increased in volume, reaching ten percent, twenty percent, thirty percent…
Even the third scale on his tail rapidly evolved.
His long-stagnant cultivation finally showed signs of progress.
“This is much better than the pig demon. Demon brother, I will remember your merit,” Xu Hei said as he focused and practiced his technique.
It had been a long time since he had such a smooth cultivation experience!
With so much demon beast meat, Xu Hei no longer needed to hunt and could focus solely on meditation. He might even make it through to winter.
…………
A month later.
After consuming the entire octopus, Xu Hei’s cultivation level had risen again, reaching the late stage of the Second-Level Spiritual Beast realm.
The spiritual mist in the Demon God Cauldron now covered more than half of its surface.
Previously it was only ten percent, but now it was eighty percent.
Xu Hei sensed that when the mist covered a full hundred percent, he would break through to the Third-Level Spiritual Beast realm.
Although he had not yet broken through, Xu Hei’s strength had significantly increased, with his power and speed enhanced by around fifty percent, and a third black-gold scale appeared on his tail.
This filled Xu Hei with joy and hope, lifting his spirits.
Time passed, autumn turned to winter.
In early winter, temperatures plummeted, and food sources became scarcer. Snakes would gradually reduce their bodily functions, conserve energy, and eventually hibernate in a burrow.
Even a serpent demon like Xu Hei was subject to this natural law.
He abandoned the riverbank lair as it was unsuitable for hibernation and sought a deeper burrow, preferably in an uninhabited area.
Wild beasts were manageable, but humans were the main concern. Winter was the peak season for snake catching, and Xu Hei did not want to be discovered.
He returned to the deep mountains and forests he was familiar with.
This area had wolf packs and bear droppings, with few visitors. After confirming no dangers with his divine sense, Xu Hei dug a deep underground tunnel and settled twenty meters underground.
This depth was beyond the reach of any wild beast and even humans would struggle to dig that deep.
Xu Hei covered the entrance with some bear droppings to mask the scent and then returned to the tunnel, coiling up and entering a state of hibernation.
Even in hibernation, Xu Hei continued to absorb the spiritual energy of the world.
As a cautious serpent, he kept a sliver of consciousness, ready to awaken immediately if any anomalies occurred.
…………
In the vicinity of Chen Family Town, there were two well-known villages: Snake Village and Python Village.
From the names, it was clear that the mountains in this area were abundant with snakes, and snake catchers were active here.
Winter was the prime season for hunting snakes.
Many fierce wild beasts choose to hibernate in winter. With the withering of plants and the loss of cover, the safety of entering the mountains greatly increases.
This year, the snake catcher posted an announcement at the village entrance:
“Recruiting young and strong men for hunting in the mountains. One person per trip, a reward of one guan.”
This announcement stirred quite a commotion in the village. In previous years, the snake catchers only cooperated with hunters. This year, however, there were no restrictions; everyone was eligible to join, and every trip to the mountains earned a guan!
However, ordinary people going into the mountains also faced greater dangers, and might risk their lives without a chance to spend the money.
“Xiao Niu, stay at home and take good care of your sister. I’m going into the mountains,” Wang Da Niu instructed.
“But father, you’ve never been into the mountains!” Wang Xiao Niu expressed concern.
“Don’t worry. Uncle Sun will be with me. He’s an experienced hunter who has been working with the snake catcher for over a decade without any mishaps!” Wang Da Niu patted Xiao Niu’s head and smiled, “Once I earn the money, I’ll send you to the private school in Chen Family Town to study with Mr. Chu. You’ll definitely pass the exams.”
Wang Xiao Niu looked at his father, holding back tears, and nodded.
Wang Da Niu wrapped the guan in cloth and hid it under the bed. Before leaving, he glanced at the yellowing books on the bed, put on his coat, grabbed his belongings, and walked out the door.
In his hibernation place twenty meters underground, Xu Hei could only sense up to the surface, which was his limit. This distance allowed him to see the ground above.
Above ground, occasionally, roe deer, snow hares, and other game passed by. There were also tigers and brown bears. Sometimes, reptiles would crawl into the cave, but they were blocked by the entrance and could not enter.
Xu Hei made no movements except for his breathing, with his heartbeat slowed to the minimum and his body temperature cold and stiff. This was his most vulnerable state.
As a cold-blooded creature, Xu Hei could only regain his vitality and movement in spring when the temperature rose.
Days went by.
The external temperature dropped to its lowest. Xu Hei’s consciousness was in a state of dullness, only recovering some function when spiritual energy entered his body, giving him a faint sense of the outside world.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from above.
Two hunting dogs approached the cave entrance and sniffed around.
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