Guanshan Muyu

chapter 23

Qi Yan quickly discovered it too.

He stared at the pit viper closely, not panicking, and slowly stood up from the floor. He moved very lightly, trying not to make any sound.

The pit viper showed its tongue, its black eyes following Qi Yan’s every move.

Xia Xun knew this kind of snake; the people of Douzhou called it a flower fan handle. It was extremely venomous. Bitten by it, one would die quickly.

Qi Yan stepped back a few steps, putting some distance between himself and the pit viper, picked up the sword from the table and slowly started drawing it out.

The blade of the sword was not unsheathed even by an inch when his hand was held down by Xia Xun.

Xia Xun whispered:

“No, this snake is fierce. If attacked, it will spurt poisonous liquid from beneath its tongue; this liquid is so poisonous that even the slightest touch of it will cause heart failure and death.”

Qi Yan lowered his voice:

“I know that this snake is called a flower fan handle and is a snake unique to Lingnan. Although it is highly poisonous, it doesn’t like to actively attack people. I just want to pick it up and throw it out the window.”

Xia Xun was a little surprised.

The flower fan handle only appeared in Lingnan, and Qi Yan lived in the capital all year round. How could he know it so well?

He didn’t ask, just shook his head and said:

“If you let it go, even if it can’t bite us, it may hurt others. I don’t know how it appeared in Binzhou, but we must not leave it alive.”

He stretched out his hand to grab Qi Yan’s sword. Qi Yan held on tightly: “What are you going to do?!”

Xia Xun said calmly: “Of course I’ll kill it.”

Qi Yan raised his eyebrows. “Are you crazy? Are you going to die?! When a normal person encounters a poisonous snake, he would have no choice but to hide! How dare you go up against it—?!”

The voices of the two alarmed the flower fan handle. It observed them for a moment and thought that Xia Xun’s figure was thinner and more suitable for being a prey.

It aimed at Xia Xun and suddenly rushed forward.

“Watch out!” Qi Yan stood in front of him.

Xia Xun took advantage of his distraction, grabbed his sword, unsheathed it, walked around him, and faced the snake.

He poked the pit viper with the sword sheath.

It fell for it, wrapped around the sheath and bit it fiercely, its two rows of fangs piercing the wood of the sword sheath, leaving deep holes in it.

Xia Xun moved his hand forward.

The snake raised its head, opened its mouth wide and aimed at his hand.

“Xia Xun—!!”

Qi Yan rushed over, trying to use his arm to take the bite in Xia Xun’s place.

Xia Xun was calm, raising the sword in his other hand.

Qi Yan’s sword was forged by a famous master, its blade extremely sharp. Swinging it, Xia Xun could hear the sound of it cutting the air.

The sharp sword slashed the scaly skin of the flower fan handle easily and severed its spine. The triangular-shaped head of the viper fell to the ground, separated from its body.