Chapter 112: Slaying the Python
The massive python lunged at Chen Xue Wen, slamming him onto the ground.
The snake weighed at least one hundred and seventy or eighty jin, about the same as an average adult. But its true power far exceeded that of any human.
Pinned beneath the beast, Chen Xue Wen found himself utterly powerless. He instinctively curled his arms and legs inward, pulling his neck back to avoid being bitten.
But surprisingly, the python didn’t immediately open its jaws to strike. Instead, it coiled around him, beginning its deadly constriction.
Just as Chen Xue Wen had heard from that old snake hunter—pythons don’t kill with their fangs. They strangle their prey alive.
The strength of the python was terrifying. The moment it tightened around him, Chen Xue Wen felt his ribs nearly crack, his breath stolen from him.
But just as quickly as it tightened, it suddenly loosened its grip.
The reason? The barbed hooks attached to Chen Xue Wen’s iron armor and gauntlets had dug deep into the python’s flesh as it coiled around him.
With every twist, the barbs tore open more of its scales, leaving over a dozen deep gashes. The immense pain made the python hiss sharply.
But pythons weren’t known for their intelligence. Overcome by agony, it only grew more frenzied, lunging again in an attempt to crush him to death.
Yet the result remained the same. This time, the barbed hooks sank even deeper, one particularly long hook nearly disemboweling the beast.
The more the python struggled, the more it wounded itself. It attempted to coil around a different part of Chen Xue Wen’s body, but his entire frame was covered in the same barbed armor. No matter how it attacked, it could gain no advantage.
Finally, in a blind rage, the python opened its massive maw and struck at Chen Xue Wen’s head.
But he had a helmet on.
The snake’s fangs clamped down, but it couldn’t pierce through. Frustrated, it began to twist violently, attempting to snap his neck.
Yet Chen Xue Wen had anticipated this. The helmet he purchased had been deliberately modified—its neck guard was significantly larger, and the size was oversized for his head.
So instead of twisting Chen Xue Wen’s neck, the python only managed to spin the helmet around his head several times.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
Seizing the opening, Chen Xue Wen thrust both his hands forward, each gripping a bone-cutting knife. With both blades, he drove them deep into the python’s belly and ripped them outward.
With a sickening slash, the beast’s abdomen was split open.
The python convulsed violently, its body whipping in a desperate last struggle. The sheer force sent Chen Xue Wen flying, slamming him hard against a nearby wall. The impact shook his organs, and blood spurted from his mouth.
But he had no time to dwell on the pain. Staggering to his feet, he saw the python thrashing madly, its entire body slick with blood, its intestines spilling from its torn belly.
Chen Xue Wen exhaled sharply.
He knew—the python was done for.
Just then, a door to the inner chamber creaked open.
From within, Snake peered out.
He had heard the commotion outside earlier but hadn’t thought much of it. He assumed it was just Chen Xue Wen’s men encountering his beloved pet.
Snake had full confidence in his python. He was certain that Chen Xue Wen and his people wouldn’t stand a chance against it.
He had even been enjoying a drink, planning to check the aftermath later.
But as the noise outside grew more intense, and as he recognized the sharp hissing of his python, an uneasy feeling settled in his gut.
Curious and concerned, he finally stepped out to see what was going on.
The sight before him left him utterly dumbfounded.
His most prized weapon, his terrifying, monstrous python—
Was now nothing more than a bloodied, eviscerated corpse.
Eyes wide with disbelief, Snake stammered, “H-How… how could this happen!?”
Snake’s voice trembled with a mix of shock and fury.
He scrambled to turn on the light, his eyes immediately locking onto Chen Xue Wen, who stood by the far wall.
The moment Snake caught sight of the barbed metal plates and iron rings covering Chen Xue Wen’s body, he finally understood what had happened. His rage erupted into a guttural, frenzied roar.
“Chen Xue Wen, you son of a bitch!”
That python—his prized pet, the beast he had painstakingly raised—was his greatest weapon, his ultimate source of fearmongering. Most people dared not cross him solely because of that monstrous snake.
And now, Chen Xue Wen had crippled it beyond recognition.
Snake’s fury knew no bounds. He grabbed two long blades, bellowing like a madman as he charged straight at Chen Xue Wen.
Chen Xue Wen took a few steps back, pressing against the wall, and then shouted toward the outside.
“Now! Do it!”
Outside, Li Er Yong, Lai Hou, and the others had been waiting for the signal. The moment they heard his command, they wasted no time and stormed in.
The moment they saw the scene inside, everyone was momentarily stunned.
There on the floor, the massive python lay writhing in its own blood, its body torn open, its insides spilling out as it twisted and convulsed.
Lai Hou was the first to snap out of it, his face filled with wild excitement. “Brother Wen, you—you really took down that monster?!”
The others were equally exhilarated. The python had been their biggest threat. Without it, they had nothing to fear anymore!
Chen Xue Wen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and muttered, “Focus on Snake first.”
Only then did everyone remember—Snake was still standing there, gripping his twin blades, a murderous glare fixed on them.
Without hesitation, they pulled out their own weapons, forming a battle stance as they prepared to take him down.
Yet Snake wasn’t the least bit intimidated by the five of them. Instead, his face twisted into a cruel, mocking sneer.
“Chen Xue Wen, you think five of you can take me down?”
“In prison, I used to take on seven or eight guys by myself, like it was nothing!”
“You bastards, if I don’t kill every last one of you tonight, I’ll change my damn surname to yours!”
With a deafening roar, he swung his twin blades and lunged forward.
Lai Hou and Wang Zhen Dong were the first to intercept, raising their own weapons to meet him head-on.
Snake didn’t hesitate. His dual blades lashed out at once, clashing against theirs.
The impact was brutal. The sheer force of his strike sent their weapons flying out of their hands, a numbing shockwave spreading through their arms, leaving their hands trembling and useless.
“Shit!” Lai Hou cursed, instinctively rolling to the ground.
Snake wasted no time, following up with a vicious downward slash.
Lai Hou managed to roll out of the way just in time, barely escaping the deadly blow.
Wang Zhen Dong, however, was a split second too slow. One of Snake’s blades cut deep into his flesh, blood gushing instantly.
Seeing this, Chen Xue Wen realized the danger and immediately lunged forward, tackling Wang Zhen Dong to the ground just in time to keep him from getting cut down completely.
Snake, unwilling to let up, pressed forward, hacking away at them with relentless fury.
Chen Xue Wen had no choice but to keep rolling along the ground, narrowly avoiding each strike, looking utterly battered and desperate.
Li Er Yong and Lai Hou rushed in to support, but Snake’s bladework was too fierce. He swung his weapons with such deadly precision that both of them were forced back. Lai Hou even took a cut to the arm, blood dripping down his sleeve.
Chen Xue Wen found himself cornered against the wall, Snake raising one of his long blades high, ready to strike down the final blow.
Just then, a steel pipe swung in from the side, intercepting the descending blade with a loud clang.
The impact sent shockwaves through the room. Snake’s blade was knocked back, and his hand trembled from the force of the collision.
He snapped his gaze to the side and saw a towering figure, nearly two meters tall, standing beside Chen Xue Wen.
It was none other than Li Tie Zhu.
Seeing that Li Tie Zhu had arrived, Li Er Yong and Lai Hou erupted in cheers.
“Damn good timing, Tie Zhu!”
Chen Xue Wen wasted no time scrambling back to his feet, gripping his blade tightly as he positioned himself beside Li Tie Zhu.
“Be careful, Tie Zhu,” he warned in a low voice.
Li Er Yong, Lai Hou, and Wang Zhen Dong also picked up their weapons, slowly closing in on Snake from all sides.
The real battle was just about to begin.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation