Chapter 569: Chapter 330: The Marvelous Stone Pill—Grand Encounter of the Elders, City Lord, Madam, and Li Xian!!

Leaping up, he floated towards the mountain wall, his hand shooting out like lightning to snatch among the pile of snakes. He pinched three venomous snakes between his fingers, precisely gripping them at the crucial three-inch point. The venomous snakes writhed and struggled, yet their resistance was in vain. With a slight shake of his internal energy, he made the snake beasts faint and tossed them into a brocade bag.

[You reach out to grab a snake, skill level +3]

[You reach out to grab a snake, skill level +4]

...

...

Li Xian grabbed at a pile of snakes, pulling hard. The snake swarm guardedly bit, and each time Li Xian reached out, dozens of venomous mouths and nearly a hundred poisonous fangs would attack him. His technique was skillful and grew increasingly smooth, emptying one pile of snakes before moving to another spot.

After half an incense stick of time, the brocade bag was fully packed and heavy. Li Xian sealed the bag, his Ghost Python Spear emerging from his sleeve, the end of which hung the snake bag, as he carried it away. His footsteps were swift, and before long he saw the tracks of the group of women.

As the women saw his silhouette, they quickly gathered around. Mu Hongchou asked, "Big Brother Li, what do you have in that bag?" Li Xian laughed heartily, saying, "It’s something very nourishing."

Li Xian asked, "Have you found anything?" Li Xian arranged things methodically. Mu Hongchou, Yi Qianqian, Luo Feiyan, and Lin Aoshan were in relatively good condition and strong, so he ordered the four of them to advance a few steps and scout the surrounding area, returning to report if there was anything unusual.

Mu Hongchou, Yi Qianqian, and Luo Feiyan found nothing. Lin Aoshan discovered a grove of fruit trees with unknown fruits of uncertain toxicity. She asked Elders Zhao Chunxia and Tang Mengluo to examine them and learned they were non-toxic but tasted astringent, barely adequate to fill the stomach and warm the belly. She then led a dozen women to pick them.

By this time, the sky was growing dark, and the women were hesitating. They worried about Li Xian not returning and were anxious, about to send someone to find him. Just at that moment, Li Xian returned, and the women calmed down.

The few of them shared their findings briefly. Li Xian said, "We might have some meat to eat today!" The women were delighted to hear this. Lin Aoshan curiously asked, "That bag is so big; did you catch a wild boar?"

Li Xian laughed, "Better than a wild boar." Yi Qianqian said, "Could it be a mountain deer? It doesn’t look like one to me." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Li Xian mysteriously replied, "You’ll find out soon. Ladies, I have a favor to ask. Please go around and find out who among the sects is skilled and clever and ask her to come and help."

The women were pleased by his intimate address as "sister," yet somewhat disappointed he addressed everyone that way.

Soon, dozens came to assist. Li Xian opened the bag, revealing a mass of snake beasts, scales glistening and teeth sharp. The women shrank back in fright but had been honed through captures, imprisonments, and escapes... increasing their resilience, so they quickly calmed themselves. Li Xian explained, "I found a cave inhabited by venomous snakes, and though I was frightened, I knew snake meat was delicious, so I caught them to cook snake soup and dishes. Please, ladies, do not be overly afraid. We are in a perilous land; our lives hang by a thread. These mere snake beasts are nothing to fear. Please help me collect the venom in bottles, then skin the snakes, take their innards, set up pots, and start fires... We’ll have snake soup today and eat heartily."

Although the women’s voices were gentle, they were willing to help despite their aversion to the snake beasts. They worked quickly and efficiently, collecting venom, peeling snake skins, and extracting innards.

Tang Mengluo, Zhao Chunxia, Peng Sanluo, He Lijun... the elders were also lending their support. The women from various sects had differing personalities that made unity difficult. Inevitably, cliques formed, and exclusion occurred. Yet Li Xian, as a commander of the women, managed to circumvent these potential pitfalls. Not being from the Five Sects, yet possessing considerable prestige, he led flexibly but decisively and fairly, punishing mistakes and rewarding achievements.

With support from various elders, morale gathered. The elders took advantage of this opportunity to teach disciples Martial Arts, integrating swordsmanship into the tasks of toxin extraction, skinning, and gutting the snakes.

The women brainstormed energetically, creating a new sword technique: "Snake Skinning Swordsmanship." Though only in its infancy, it was fierce and cunning, with quick and powerful momentum. Elder Tang Mengluo demonstrated it with a wooden stick. Her posture was graceful and enchanting, the sword and waist moving as one, a striking sight like a femme fatale.

This swordsmanship secretly combined elements from the Five Great Sword Sects, although still basic. Though incomplete and full of flaws, Li Xian observed silently, noting it to himself, thinking, "Martial Arts in this world are no more than this. I shall remember it well. Should I have time in the future, this ’Snake Skinning Swordsmanship’ is quite worth practicing and studying."

Yang Piaoxue said, "Today we peel snake skins and extract poison; tomorrow, we kill enemy bandits and traitors."

Once the snake beasts were entirely skinned, Li Xian personally cooked the snake soup, using wild fruits, vegetables... making the most of everything and demonstrating his cooking prowess. The fruit clashed with the snake’s flavor, the snake meat with the wild vegetables... but with the right seasonings, heat, and techniques, the resulting dish was delicious.

That day, the snake soup warmed them, the snake broth refreshed them, and the snake meat filled them. In the dark, cold canyon, the firelight spread, creating an unexpected scenery.

After eating and drinking their fill, the women sang songs, shared amusing stories... bonding emotionally, then went to sleep in an orderly fashion. In his private tent, Li Xian lit a lamp, deep in thought, sketching maps of the canyon’s terrain. Zhao Chunxia brought the collected snake venom, storing them in jade bottles, asking, "What use do you have for this snake venom?"

Li Xian said, "This place is full of unpredictable danger. Even if we leave the canyon, we may encounter the soldiers of Flying Dragon City. They are experienced with arrays, their skills refined. By applying snake venom to arrows, it adds to our advantage. When facing strong enemies, we can use the poisoned arrows against them."

Zhao Chunxia, with her beautiful eyes focused, occasionally observed Li Xian, seeing his careful arrangements and thorough planning, his decisive strategies. She felt increasingly peculiar, gradually admiring him, and said with a smile, "You plan so comprehensively. You have no ties with my Sword Sect, yet you’ve gone to such lengths to rescue us. You’ve labored tirelessly along the way; indeed... indeed, I don’t know how to thank you enough."