novel bin Chapter 152 Snake Swarm
Chapter 152 Snake Swarm
For the next few days, the two armies remained locked in a stalemate.
As more and more Jin troops arrived, their camps became increasingly fortified, with trenches, palisades, and arrow towers layered upon each other.
The atmosphere in Xiangyang grew heavier day by day, and the joy on the soldiers' faces gradually faded, replaced by unease.
After all, the Jin army was powerful and pressing in, and after decades of accumulated prestige, ordinary soldiers inevitably felt fear.
Fortunately, Wang Chongyang used this time to conduct day and night drills, rectify military discipline, and practice formations. Although he could not say that he had completely transformed the army, it was much more organized than before.
Coupled with the confidence gained from the great victory in the first battle, the morale of the troops remained relatively stable.
That night, the moon was high in the sky.
Two Song soldiers on night duty on the city wall, holding their spears, leaned against the cold crenellations and chatted idly.
The night breeze was cool, making people drowsy.
"Tell me, when exactly are the Golden Dogs going to attack the city? This uncertainty is making me uneasy."
"Who knows? We won such a big battle recently and even built a mound of skulls. Maybe the Jin dogs are scared and won't dare to come."
"What's there to be afraid of! I heard from the veterans that the Jin dogs are the most ruthless. Once they're ready, who knows how they'll fight..."
Before he finished speaking, a faint, melodious flute tune drifted from outside the city.
The tune was eerie, high-pitched and thin, drifting into the ears on the night wind, sending chills down one's spine.
Immediately afterwards, a rustling sound came from all around.
What was that sound?
The two Song soldiers were stunned for a moment, rubbed their eyes, and peered down from the city wall.
The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the wall.
The dark walls were covered with countless colorful venomous snakes.
Its triangular head, with its scarlet tongue flicking rapidly, meanders upwards along the brick seams, layer upon layer, stretching as far as the eye can see.
The rustling sounds grew louder and closer, sending chills down one's spine and making the hairs on one's body stand on end.
"Snake! There's a snake!"
The two Song soldiers were so frightened that they fell to the ground and scrambled backward, their voices hoarse from shouting.
On a hillside not far from the city, Ouyang Ke stood in the shadows of the trees, his flute playing.
Looking at the panicked figures on the city wall, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.
This was the first gift he sent upon meeting his uncle; the revenge for killing his uncle must be taken.
Behind him, Master Lingzhi and others looked up.
Looking at the swarm of snakes wriggling on the city wall, Peng Lianhu couldn't help but rub his arms, getting goosebumps all over.
Master Lingzhi clasped his hands together, murmured a Buddhist chant, and looked at Ouyang Ke's back with a hint of apprehension in his eyes.
The snake-repelling techniques of White Camel Mountain are indeed well-deserved of their reputation.
Just as chaos erupted on the city wall, a clear female voice suddenly rang out, exceptionally distinct in the night.
"Wow, so many cuties! I can't even find this many varieties in Miao territory on a regular basis."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Lan Fenghuang walking lightly on the narrow battlements, as if walking on flat ground.
His eyes sparkled as he looked around.
Upon seeing a brightly colored venomous snake, she would reach out and gently grab it, her fingertips deftly twirling, and the snake would obediently coil around her wrist. With another flick of her wrist, it would vanish, disappearing without a trace.
Zhao Yu watched from afar, and was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Alright, stop playing around. I didn't call you here to buy supplies. Lure the snakes away first."
Lan Fenghuang turned around and stuck her tongue out at him: "I haven't seen so many cuties in a long time, I couldn't resist."
As she spoke, snakes continued to crawl upwards from below the city walls, their rustling sounds filling the air.
Hong Qi, who was standing next to him, had already turned his head away, pretending to be instructing his gang members on defenses, without daring to glance at the city wall out of the corner of his eye.
Although the Beggars' Sect disciples often dealt with snakes and insects, the sight of so many snakes densely packed together still made his scalp tingle.
"Alright, alright, I'll get on with it right away." Lan Fenghuang clapped her hands with a smile, her joking expression fading.
She took a jade bottle from her waist, poured out some pale yellow powder into her palm, and then, with a light touch of her toes, used her lightness skill to float slowly down the city wall.
The powder from my palm drifted on the night breeze, carrying a faint, exotic fragrance.
Strangely enough, the snakes that were frantically climbing into the city suddenly stopped, then turned around and surged towards the Blue Phoenix.
"Good children, come with your sister." Lan Fenghuang said softly, her tone like she was coaxing a child, "Sister will take you to eat something good."
As she spoke, she drifted toward the wasteland to the east of the city.
The swarm of snakes followed her in a long, winding black ribbon, all leaving the city wall.
No matter how much Ouyang Ke urged the flute to play from afar, the snakes seemed to have lost their hearing, turning their heads without turning back and completely out of control.
On the city wall, Zhao Yu breathed a sigh of relief and ordered his men in a deep voice, "Pass down the order to scatter realgar powder all over the city wall, making sure no corner is missed. Also, send men to patrol the surrounding area overnight to prevent any more snakes or insects from crawling up."
"As you command."
On the earthen slope outside the city, Ouyang Ke, his face ashen, abruptly put down his flute.
"What happened?" Peng Lianhu asked gruffly. "Why have all the snakes run away? They're not behaving like this anymore?"
Ouyang Ke's eyes were sinister as he stared in the direction the snakes had gone: "There are still experts among the Song army. My snakes have been lured away."
"Then what do we do? Just go back like this?" Hou Tonghai asked in a gruff voice. "We ran out in the middle of the night and didn't get anything done. If the commander asks about it when we get back, how embarrassing will that be?"
Ouyang Ke pondered for a moment: "We don't know the enemy's strength, so it's not advisable to stay any longer. Let's return to camp first. In any case, the snake swarm gave the Song army a fright and kept them awake at night, which can be considered a blow to their morale."
Master Lingzhi quickly agreed: "Young Master Ouyang is absolutely right. It's not too late to find out the other party's background first before making further plans."
"Hmph, going back so slinking away over such a trivial matter? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?" Peng Lianhu said with a face full of disdain. "She's just a woman who manipulates snakes and insects. What's there to be afraid of? I'll be right back. I'll cut off her head and give it to the commander as a greeting gift."
Ouyang Ke feigned dissuasion: "Chief Peng, you must not be reckless. That woman was able to easily control my snake swarm, so she must have some real skills. It would be too dangerous for you to go alone."
"Danger? What danger?" Peng Lianhu patted his chest, his face full of arrogance. "Under my judge's pen, who cares if she's a master of poison? Just kill her. As for her snakes and insects, I don't even care about them."
Ouyang Ke's eyes flickered as he took out a black wax pill from his pocket and handed it over: "Since Chief Peng is eager to make a contribution, I can't hold him back. Wear this poison-avoiding pill to ward off snakes and insects, so you won't be ambushed by that woman."
"You're a thoughtful kid." Peng Lianhu grabbed the wax pellet and stuffed it into his pocket.
"You wait here, I'll be right back."
After saying that, he leaped into the air and chased after the direction where Lan Fenghuang had gone.
Master Lingzhi watched Peng Lianhu's retreating figure: "Young Master Ouyang, are we just going to let him go like this? What if..."
"Chief Peng is a man of great courage and resourcefulness; he will surely succeed. Let's go back and report the good news to the commander."
Ouyang Ke knew that Peng Lianhu was brave but lacked strategy, and that he would likely not come out on good terms, and might even suffer a major setback.
It's a good opportunity to use him to probe the other party's situation; it wouldn't be a pity if he really died.
Having lived most of his life, Master Lingzhi naturally understood the intricacies of the matter. The two exchanged a glance, said nothing more, and set off back to the Jin army camp.