Side Story 5: The Disruptor of the Martial Arts Tournament

Side Story 5: The Disruptor of the Martial Arts Tournament

After leaving the "Congliang Inn", the siblings headed south.

Whether it was due to their terrible sense of direction (although Pei An insisted that his sister had read the map backwards), the two originally intended to take the main road, but after many twists and turns, they ended up in a deep, misty mountain.

At the summit of Mount Hua, lies Luoyan Peak.

Today, this is the venue for the once-a-decade "Martial Arts Conference".

On the platform at the summit, banners fluttered and a murderous aura filled the air.

On the left are the leaders of various prestigious and righteous sects, dressed in flowing white robes, with righteous expressions.

On the right are all sorts of evil and wicked figures, dressed in strange clothes and with faces full of scars.

The two sides are engaged in a final battle for the throne of "Martial Arts Alliance Leader".

"You demonic cultists! Today is your death day!"

"Pah! Hypocrite! Watch me chop you in half with one stroke!"

Tensions were high, and a conflict could erupt at any moment.

Just as the two masters had gathered their inner strength and were preparing to fight to the death.

"Crack, crack."

An untimely, crisp chewing sound suddenly came from the grove of trees at the edge of the platform.

Everyone paused, turning their heads to look in unison.

The bushes were parted, and two exquisitely beautiful dolls, exuding an air of nobility, emerged.

The girl was dressed in red and was chewing a piece of beef jerky with great effort.

The boy, dressed in black, held a wooden sword and expressionlessly carried the water jug ​​for his sister.

It was Pei Niannian and Pei An who had gotten lost.

"Well……"

Pei Niannian froze as she looked at the hundreds of heroes in front of her, armed with swords, spears, and halberds, who were eyeing her like prey.

She swallowed the jerky and waved her hand awkwardly.

"Um...excuse me, esteemed heroes."

"Excuse me... how do we get down the mountain? We think we're... lost."

The righteous leader (an old man with a white beard) frowned and rebuked:

"Where did this little brat come from? This is a forbidden area for martial arts practitioners! Leave immediately! Lest you be caught in a dangerous situation and lose your life!"

The leader of the demonic sect (a seductive woman) narrowed her eyes and sneered:

"Oh, this young lady is quite pretty. Since you're here, don't leave. Stay and be my foot-washing maid!"

Pei Niannian: "..."

A foot-washing maid?

Why does everyone want her to do manual labor these days?

Just as I was about to retort, something moved inside her sleeve.

[Hiss... It's so hot... So stuffy...]

A faint but anxious voice entered Pei Niannian's mind.

That was her pet that she always carried with her—

The bamboo viper "Xiao Qing".

Because of the long journey and the lack of ventilation in his sleeves, this somewhat socially awkward but short-tempered little venomous snake became unhappy.

I want to get some fresh air! I want to soak up some sun!

Pei Niannian sighed helplessly.

She reached out and patted her sleeve, as if coaxing a child:

"Okay, okay, come out now, don't bite my clothes, this material is very expensive."

To those in the martial arts world, this scene became—

The girl in red sneered at the threat, reaching into her sleeve as if to pull out some peerless hidden weapon!

"Watch out! She's about to attack!"

"Everyone, be on alert!"

The experts were on high alert, and they all gathered their energy and circulated their power. Some even leaped up and stood on treetops or plum blossom stakes, assuming a defensive stance.

However, Pei Niannian did not take out any hidden weapons; she simply shook her sleeve slightly.

"hiss--"

A small, emerald-green snake with a triangular head and cold eyes slowly peeked out from her sleeve, crawled up her arm to her shoulder, and flicked its tongue at the sun.

"A snake? Just one snake?"

The experts breathed a sigh of relief and revealed disdainful expressions.

But the next second, their smiles froze on their faces.

Because with the appearance of "Little Green," it emitted a pleasant infrasonic wave that summoned its kind:

[Hiss! These rocks are so warm! Guys, come out and soak up the sun!]

This is a deep mountain forest, a natural habitat for snakes, insects, rats, and ants.

With this call.

"Shhh—"

Suddenly, a dense, rustling sound came from the surrounding grass, rock crevices, and tree canopies.

Countless snakes of different colors and sizes, as if they had received an invitation from the king, surged wildly into the arena!

Bamboo pit vipers, cobras, pythons... hundreds and thousands of snakes gathered into a writhing sea of ​​snakes, instantly covering the ground!

"Aaaaaah! Snakes! So many snakes!"

"My feet! Stop bothering me!"

The heroes who were posing for photos instantly broke down.

Especially those masters who rely on their lightness skills to stand on treetops or high places.

They were horrified to discover that even the tree branches were covered with snakes!

"Oh my god!"

The famous "Grasshopper" was so frightened that he slipped and fell straight down from the top of the tree, landing face-first in the dirt.

"Iron Palm Water Floater" fared even worse; a large python coiled around his leg, causing him to scream in terror, lose his breath, and foam at the mouth.

In an instant, the martial arts tournament turned into a carnival party where "humans and snakes danced together".

The experts no longer distinguished between good and evil; they huddled together, trembling, or frantically tap-danced to avoid the swarm of snakes.

And in the center of this chaos.

Pei Niannian stood still, with Xiaoqing coiled on her shoulder, and a clean clearing at her feet (the snakes automatically moved away).

She looked innocently at the chaotic scene around her and said to Pei An beside her:

"An'an, why are they... dancing? Are they welcoming us?"

Pei An: "..."

He held his sword and calmly watched a demonic sect leader who tried to rush over but was tripped by a snake.

"It's not a welcome," Pei An said calmly, "it's terrified."

The righteous alliance leader, his face bruised and swollen from the fall, pointed tremblingly at Pei Niannian, his eyes filled with terror and despair, and shouted out the name that shocked the entire audience:

"Red robes...controlling snakes...with a few snakes emerging from their dens while chatting and laughing..."

"She is the leader of the Five Poisons Sect!"

"The legendary Five Poison Child Granny, who killed without blinking an eye and ate people without spitting out bones, who had been missing for fifty years, has been rejuvenated!"

This assumption is far-fetched, but it is extremely convincing at this moment.

"Greetings...Greetings, Master!"

"Master, spare us! We don't want to die!"

"We also want to join the Five Poisons Sect!"

Splash!

The two factions, who had just been shouting and fighting, instantly knelt down and kowtowed frantically to the bewildered girl in red.

Pei Niannian was still holding half a piece of beef jerky in her hand, staring blankly at the group of people.

"The Five Poisons...the Child Granny?"

She touched her face, then turned to Pei An and asked:

"Am I old? I'm only thirteen!"

Pei An glanced at the group of martial arts heroes who were so scared they were about to wet their pants, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

"Never grow old."

He took his sister's hand and, stepping through the path left by the snakes, began to walk down the mountain.

"Let's go, Master."

"These people are too noisy, they'll affect your growth."