Chapter 353: There’s Another Snake Den?

After becoming the boss of Sanjiang Studio, Wangchuan felt busy for the first time.

During the day, he had been killing people and setting fires at the Five Poisons Sect branch helm. By dusk, he was back at the studio, meeting the boss of Black River Studio and fighting him to the death.

On one side were the spoils plundered from the Five Poisons Sect branch helm.

On the other side were the prisoners from the Five Poisons Sect branch helm that still had to be dealt with.

And at night, he still had to wait for the result of Li Na’s negotiations with Black River Studio, then personally interview the new employee applying to join the studio and the gang once everything had been settled—Ye Baiyi.

He truly did not have a single moment to spare.

Ye Baiyi was about twenty-five or twenty-six. When he smiled, two tiger teeth showed, making him look several years younger, almost like a child. A face like that created an especially strong contrast when thrown into the Five Poisons Sect.

“Boss.”

After Wang Yuehui brought Ye Baiyi into the courtyard, Ye Baiyi still showed a degree of awe toward the young man before him.

He knew that the person in front of him was Hall Master Wangchuan, the man who had destroyed the branch helm and slaughtered countless people, and also the one who had killed his former boss, Xiao He, head-on.

Ye Baiyi pressed his lips together, hiding his two tiger teeth as he did his best to appear serious, respectful, and earnest.

Wangchuan sat on a stone stool and said, “In the game, call me Hall Master.”

“Yes, Hall Master!”

Ye Baiyi nodded.

Wangchuan questioned him directly.

“Your name is Ye Baiyi. What realm has your 《Snake Control Art》 reached? Explain it in detail.”

“...”

Ye Baiyi was the only captive from the Five Poisons Sect who had chosen to stay, which meant he was quick-witted. He immediately understood from the new boss’s words that this was the main reason he had been valued.

“Reporting to Hall Master, this subordinate’s 《Snake Control Art》 has already reached the realm of Practice Makes Perfect. By using special sounds to imitate the noises made by snakes, I can summon snakes within a radius of fifty meters.”

Ye Baiyi answered honestly, then added, “This subordinate’s 《Basic Saber Technique》 and 《Broken Saber Art》 were also trained through 《Snake Control Art》...”

“To train your saber arts to Perfect Mastery, you must have killed quite a few snakes. Would the people of your Five Poisons Sect really allow you to slaughter the snakes in the mountains without restraint?”

Wangchuan raised his eyes and stared at Ye Baiyi.

The latter grinned a little sheepishly, exposing his two tiger teeth as he said, “After the Snake Elder died, the Snake Den became ownerless territory. I joined the branch helm around that time, and I took advantage of that gap to cultivate 《Snake Control Art》 and kill snakes to train my saber... Although the Snake Den had already been cleared out once, quite a few were still left. And besides that, there are actually several more Snake Dens near our branch helm.”

“...”

Wangchuan’s brows lifted.

Ye Baiyi continued, “After the former branch helm leader died, this subordinate also went there to cultivate for a while and took the opportunity to raise both saber arts to Perfect Mastery. It was only after our boss took over the branch helm that I no longer dared continue.”

Wangchuan finally understood, then went straight to the heart of the matter.

“How many venomous snakes and poisonous insects are still left in the Snake Dens near the Five Poisons Sect branch helm?”

“There are still plenty!”

Ye Baiyi nodded vigorously.

“Although our former boss also killed quite a few venomous snakes that way, he did not dare weaken the defensive strength of the branch helm. Most of the venomous snakes and poisonous insects were preserved.”

Wangchuan silently counted himself fortunate.

It was a good thing that bastard Xiao He had not used up all the poisonous insects and venomous snakes around the branch helm to cultivate his techniques and raise his martial realm. Otherwise, in today’s life-and-death battle, the outcome would have been hard to predict.

Then he smiled and said to Ye Baiyi, “Good!”

“Since you understand 《Snake Control Art》, do you dare go into the mountains with me again?”

“...”

Ye Baiyi already understood what the Hall Master meant and quickly nodded.

“Of course! It’s just that if we go there, we’ll need to prepare a batch of antidotes first, just in case.”

“Naturally.”

Wangchuan smiled.

He had destroyed the Five Poisons Sect branch helm and rescued the people of Medicine King Valley. Now he had even dealt with the branch helm leader of the Five Poisons Sect. Medicine King Valley owed him a great favor. Asking them for some antidotes would certainly not be a problem.

He immediately arranged for Zhao Heiniu to make a trip back to the medical hall in Sanhe Commandery.

Zhao Heiniu quickly returned carrying a stack of Gold Notes, three Lesser Rejuvenation Pills, and two bottles of Hundred Poisons Detoxification Pills.

“Hall Master.”

“These are the things you asked for.”

“Divine Physician Shen has already met with Xiumei. Once he learned that you had destroyed the Five Poisons Sect branch helm, he very readily gave us two bottles of Hundred Poisons Detoxification Pills.”

Zhao Heiniu had not even needed to mention that the Five Poisons Sect branch helm leader was dead to achieve his goal, so he simply left that part unsaid—even though he himself did not know where that news had come from.

Wangchuan nodded, put the items away, and said to Wang Yuehui, “Yuehui.”

“Come with me on this trip?”

“With Ye Baiyi’s 《Snake Control Art》, several of your martial arts could break through their bottlenecks earlier, helping you reach third rank sooner.”

Wangchuan had intended to bring Wang Yuehui along.

Wang Yuehui was now helping him keep watch over the Sanjiang Branch Helm. The stronger Wang Yuehui became, the more secure the Sanjiang Branch Helm would be.

Besides Wang Yuehui, he also intended to bring Zhao Heiniu.

“Many thanks, Hall Master!”

“I’d better not go. If anything happens, this subordinate does not want to burden the Hall Master.”

Wang Yuehui rubbed his nose and politely declined the offer.

Wangchuan shook his head helplessly.

Wang Yuehui was intelligent and capable in every way, but he was overly cautious and unwilling to take risks.

Still...

With the martial arts resources from the Armory Manual Vault supporting him, there was no doubt that Wang Yuehui would eventually break through to third rank.

It was just that...

If he could push several martial arts to Entry-Level Mastery or even higher, he could advance to third rank much faster...

“Forget it.”

Wangchuan suddenly realized something.

Wang Yuehui did not want to break through to third rank too quickly.

Because once he did, he might be forcibly recruited by the 《spirit realm》 Online Guidance Center.

“In that case, Yuehui, stay behind and continue holding down the Sanjiang Branch Helm.”

“Captain Zhao, Baiyi, come with me.”

“Yes!”

Zhao Heiniu and Ye Baiyi accepted the order.

The group set out under cover of night, taking a large ship toward Huishui County.

Wangchuan brought more than fifty elites with him.

A few carried sabers, swords, spears, and axes, while nearly all the rest were carrying arrows and Armor-Piercing Arrows.

Ye Baiyi noticed that several people were also carrying jars of tung oil and cans of sulfur, prepared to deal with all kinds of situations.

The entire group moved swiftly through the terrain. Once they entered the mountains, they headed straight for the area of the Five Poisons Sect branch helm.

The fire in the mountain forest cave had long since burned out, leaving behind only the scorched, smoky stench of what remained.

The poisonous insects and venomous snakes nearby had already fled without a trace.

But corpses still lay scattered all over the ground in a miserable mess, untouched and uncollected.

The news that the Five Poisons Sect branch helm had been destroyed had not yet spread.

Under Ye Baiyi’s guidance, the group arrived near a cave that was clearly even more cold and damp than the surrounding area.

“Hall Master, there is a Snake Den here.”

Ye Baiyi pointed out the direction.

Wangchuan nodded.

He had already sensed it.

The cave was spacious inside, and within the crisscrossing snake tunnels, many venomous snakes were coiled together in knots. The sound of their tongues flicking and bodies slithering made the scalp go numb.

Wangchuan’s heart burned with excitement.

After scanning the area, he ordered, “Everyone, clear out the brush nearby, light the torches, and open up the field of view!”

“Then fall back and wait behind us!”

Everyone accepted the order and carried it out. The surrounding area quickly became more open and brightly lit.

“Ye Baiyi... prepare to summon the snakes.”

“Yes!”

As ordered, Ye Baiyi took out some powder from his robes and scattered it all around. Then a small ordinary Bamboo-Leaf Viper crawled out from his sleeve...

From his mouth came faint hissing sounds, so soft they were almost impossible to hear.