Chapter 202

Chapter 202

Taking his cue, Thirteen, without hesitation, picked up a necklace from the golden wire rack, dipped an empty crystal bottle into the fountain, and filled it up. After sealing it tightly, he wore it around his neck. His actions were swift and smooth, showing no sign of hesitation or pause due to fear of death.

Zheng Shu, with arms folded, murmured, "Thirteen is indeed very useful when he's alive."

Mu Yujin, having heard his muttering, gave him a slightly exasperated glance and whispered, "You should talk less. I genuinely fear one day you'll die because of your sharp tongue."

"I'm just being honest," Zheng Shu, always offbeat and candid, responded. However, after receiving a reprimand from his sister, he made a zipping motion across his lips, signaling that he would keep quiet.

Thirteen reported to Bian Yuchen, "Master, it's safe."

Bian Yuchen smiled and nodded, "Thank you for your effort."

Not only was the necklace filled with spring water safe around Thirteen's neck, but after waiting for a while, nothing untoward happened in the temple's inner sanctum of the Lost Land. It didn't match the narrative in many adventure movies, where taking treasure often triggers deadly traps.

Such unusual calmness made everyone uneasy; it felt as if the story was heading in an unexpected direction.

Zhan Meng, a strong and burly man, felt chills running down his spine. He rubbed his short hair and asked, "Since it's safe, do we let only Thirteen wear it or should we all wear a bottle?"

"Yino told us not to return empty-handed," Yun Qian added while filling her own crystal bottle with water. "Based on my experience, it's safest if we all wear a bottle of the spring water."

Mu Jinhai sighed, "Then let's each take a bottle of spring water with us."

Yi Yao playfully swung the gold chain holding the crystal bottle in his hand and commented, "This gold chain is pretty heavy. We could probably sell it for a good thousand bucks, right?"

You Lan slapped him playfully on the head, laughing, "Is money all you think about now?"

"I can't help it; I still haven't paid off my Huabei (a credit service). I haven't stopped thinking about the treasure beneath the marble pathway," Yi Yao lamented. "Since I entered Suo Changsheng, I've been unable to work properly. I quit my job and have been surviving on credit cards and Huabei. I wonder if I'll ever pay off my debt before I die."

Hearing this, both You Lan and Mu Jinhai fell silent. In the real world, they were regular office workers earning modest incomes. After entering Suo Changsheng, their priorities shifted to survival, and they could no longer earn their usual salaries. While You Lan and Mu Jinhai had some savings, Yi Yao had spent all his on student loans. Quitting his job only added to his woes. How could he sustain himself without relying on credit?

Noticing the dampened spirits of his friends, Yi Yao quickly tried to lift the mood, reassuring them with a playful grin, "After we get out, I'll work on a construction site or even deliver food. After all, if I'm going to die, it'll be in Suo Changsheng. I won't have to worry about dying from overworking. I'm sure I'll be able to pay off Huabei."

Mu Jinhai and You Lan broke into smiles again, fastening their necklaces. "Yes, we'll get out of here."

Just as the atmosphere among them was warming up, Liu Buhua exclaimed with surprise, pointing to the serpent's mouth at the fountain's exit, "I think I just saw that snake blink at me."

Whenever Liu Buhua spoke, he had a knack for startling everyone.

"Really?" Ying Yiling, who was in the process of filling her vial, retracted her hand in alarm upon hearing this. She stared intently at the gold-sculpted serpent for a long moment, then voiced her doubts, "Snakes don't have eyelids. How can it blink? I've been watching it and haven't seen it blink."

Bu Jiuzhao, ever the man of action, promptly raised his right hand and delivered a swift punch to the serpent's head.

The serpent's head, however, remained still and silent after taking the hit, its golden eyes unblinking. It appeared unchanged from before.

"There's no reaction. Liu Buhua, are you sure you didn't see things?"

Ying Yiling sighed in relief and continued to fill her vial with the spring water.

Yet, Bu Jiuzhao kept his gaze firmly on the gold serpent, his deep blue eyes filled with intense concentration, and didn't look away for a long time.

Xie Yinxue tilted her head slightly, observing him. "Bu Jiuzhao, have you fallen for it?"

Bu Jiuzhao: "?"

His gaze shifted from the serpent to Xie Yinxue. His pupils, elongated vertically, relaxed and widened slightly, hinting at amusement. "Are you getting jealous just because I gave it a few extra glances?"

"Not really," Xie Yinxue responded with a sly smile, reaching out and caressing the serpent's jaw, much like one would a cat's chin, "But I recall you having a fondness for shiny things."

"Don't touch it," Bu Jiuzhao quickly interjected, revealing his own jealousy as he grabbed Xie Yinxue's hand, "It might look warm, but it feels cold. Not nearly as comforting as your heated blanket, or even you for that matter."

Xie Yinxue: "?"

How did he even manage to drag him into this?

Recalling the rare times Xie Yinxue felt warm, Bu Jiuzhao's gaze darkened, his voice turning husky, "I wish you were warm like that every day."

“……”

So, having tasted luxury once, he now finds plainness unbearable?

Xie Yinxue detached Bu Jiuzhao's hand, his demeanor icy. But Bu Jiuzhao, with a smile, caught his hand again. Right before Xie Yinxue could pull away, Bu Jiuzhao adopted a serious tone to change the subject: "There's something off about this snake."

By now, everyone present had filled and donned their water necklaces. Mu Yujin, the last to do so, straightened up and asked, "What's off about it?"

Bu Jiu Zhao said, "I struck it, yet its head neither shattered nor even dented."

Zheng Shu was initially watching Bu Jiu Zhao and Xie Yin Xue holding hands, his face distorted with envy. He was about to retort with "What are you trying to prove?", but after only uttering the word "you", he too suddenly realized the truth in Bu Jiu Zhao's words.

Gold is a very soft metal, so soft that one can scratch pure gold with a fingernail. Hence, artisans often add a small amount of copper and silver to enhance its durability when crafting gold ornaments and tools. Otherwise, they can easily get scratched or damaged.

Bu Jiu Zhao had previously demonstrated his extraordinary strength when he effortlessly carried Xie Yin Xue from a cliff to the entrance of the Lost Land temple without breaking a sweat. With such strength, a punch from him left the golden snake unscathed, which was most concerning.

"Perhaps... this snake isn't made entirely of gold?"

Song Qu You said this, yet his feet couldn't help but discreetly retreat several steps away from the golden snake fountain.

"I knew it blinked at me! I wasn't mistaken; this golden snake might be alive."

After Jan Mong was disciplined, Liu Bu Hua inherited his legacy, becoming the new harbinger of doom... or rather, a prophet would be a more apt title.

After all, despite Jan Mong's many ominous pronouncements, they rarely came true. But once Liu Bu Hua spoke, his words instantly manifested: the golden snake closed its mouth tight, its eyelids shut and then reopened to reveal dark red eyes, as if drained of blood. It hissed menacingly at the crowd, its pitch-black tongue flickering, a clear sign of venom.

"Damn, guns, guns, guns!" Jan Mong shouted, pulling everyone back. To the mercenaries like Mu Jin Hai and Yi Yao, he yelled, "Fire!"

But the bullets, ineffective against the golden snake even when Bu Jiu Zhao had tried, bounced off as if striking a bulletproof shield, leaving no mark.

"Guns are useless!" Yi Lan quickly halted the fruitless firing and shouted to Thirteen, "Thirteen, use your spear!"

No sooner had the word "spear" left Yi Lan's lips than Thirteen's golden spear flew past his face, piercing the center of the snake's head. Everyone was grateful it was Thirteen wielding the spear; had it been Zheng Shu or Jan Mong, they weren't confident of such precise aim.

Seeing the snake motionless after being impaled, Yun Qian, still in shock, murmured, "Is magic needed to defeat magic?"

Xie Yin Xue approached to inspect and frowned, "No, its wound is healing."

Everyone squinted, and true to his word, golden tendrils were emerging from the snake's wound, slowly pushing out the spear and sealing the injury.

"What the hell?!" Ying Yi Ling exclaimed, "Can't this snake be killed?"

Song Qu You tugged at Ying Yi Ling's cardigan, pointing to the fountain water encircled by the snake, "Look, the fountain water is decreasing."

"We got it right; this is the Undying Spring Water," Xie Yin Xue glanced and then, with a grave tone, declared, "Pull out the spear and leave the temple."

While it was clear they had to escape, wouldn't removing the spear accelerate the snake's healing? Yi Lan wondered aloud.

Bian Yu Chen explained on behalf of Xie Yin Xue, "If we don't and it catches up, you won't even have a chance to fight back."

Yu Lan shuddered at the realization: indeed, the golden snake could only be wounded by the golden spear, and it would need time to heal once injured. This brief window was their only chance to escape.

"The exit is over here, hurry up, everyone!"

Mu Yuji and Yun Qian led the way, guiding everyone forward.

Following their direction, the group came across a stone door hidden behind a shadow wall. The door had a multi-rayed star-shaped indentation with a key of a similar shape embedded in it. Xie Yin Xue approached and removed the key, and the door opened in response.

"The treasure map mentioned that beyond this door lies the end of our treasure hunt, and it would lead us back to Na Luo Ta City," said Zhan Meng, clutching the treasure map. Although his heart raced, he remained composed. "Stay calm, everyone. It's just a snake. After all we've been through, this is nothing."

However, when the door opened, everyone was stunned to see a winding, floating stone path resembling a log bridge, stretching endlessly ahead. Even Zhan Meng, who had just encouraged calmness, stood frozen in place.

Yu Lan struggled to speak, "Guys, have any of you played that game...?"

"I know which game you're referring to. I haven't played it myself, but I've seen others play," Zheng Shu inhaled deeply, grinding his teeth, "Temple Run."