However, the little Silver White Snake seemed to sense the attack. A vicious glint flashed in its Snake Pupils. Unclear whether it failed to dodge or intentionally stood its ground, the crowd watched as the Snake Hook slammed onto its silver-white Snake Skin.
CLANG...
A strange sound rang out. Master Chen's eyes went wide as he staggered back a large, uncontrolled step. He swallowed hard a couple of times, as if his throat had gone dry. "This Snake is… it's freakish."
Suddenly, the air seemed to boil over as the watching crowd grew agitated, their eyes filled with utter shock.
What kind of venomous snake was this? A Snake Hook had struck it dead on, yet its Snake Skin had actually deflected the blow, even knocking the Snake Catcher back a full step.
This scene was simply unheard of, utterly astonishing. Everyone stared, their eyes wide with disbelief, at the Silver White Snake holding its head high.
'Enough. Stop provoking me.'
In truth, the blow had stung Tu Xiao'an. He had intentionally taken the hit with his enhanced body—partly to test its limits, and partly to intimidate Master Chen.p>
He needed to show the man he was not to be trifled with.
'If they push me too far, I'll really bite someone.'
Tu Xiao'an's Venom had already reached the potency of a rare poisonous snake. He didn't bite because he feared that a single strike from his fangs would kill Master Chen.
He didn't want to hurt anyone, much less kill them.
To be fair, Master Chen wasn't in the wrong. When a Snake Catcher sees a venomous snake, it's only natural to try and catch it. The target just happened to be him.
"Haha! This Snake is no ordinary creature. I think it might be a rare Snake Species!"
After being knocked back and recovering from his surprise, Master Chen actually burst out laughing.
"What? A rare Snake Species?"
At these words, the crowd of onlookers was dumbfounded. A rare Snake Species was a one-in-ten-thousand find. A single one could fetch a market price of over one million RMB, and that was a conservative estimate.
Instantly, the eyes of many in the crowd lit up with greed. This Snake was practically walking RMB. They couldn't let it get away.
"Since it's a rare Snake Species, we can't just let you have it all to yourself, Master Chen."
In an instant, three more men stepped out from the crowd, each equipped with a Snake Basket at their waist and wearing leg bindings. They were all Snake Catchers from Bai Town.
A wealthy, imposing man who had been staring at the Silver White Snake for some time finally spoke up after hearing Master Chen's speculation. "Whichever one of you Masters catches this Snake, I'll buy it for a million!"
"Haha, fellow Masters! In that case, may the best man win!"
One million. The sum was like a shot of adrenaline, making everyone uncontrollably excited.
Four Snake Catching Masters. WHOOSH... Four Snake Hooks lashed out simultaneously, targeting the Silver White Snake from four different directions.
'Stop forcing my hand!'
Tu Xiao'an whipped his agile body back and forth, dodging nonstop. Rage began to build within him, and his Snake Pupils turned bloodthirsty.
Just like that, under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd, the four Snake Catchers attacked. Everyone watched as the extraordinary Silver White Snake dodged left and right with incredible agility. Each time it seemed finished, it would make a heart-stopping escape.
"This Snake is so clever, so amazing! Four Snake Catching Masters attacked at once, and they still haven't been able to take it down!"
The onlookers were already dumbstruck by the sight. A true battle between man and snake could be no more incredible than this.
'Fuck it, I'm done holding back!'
Now covered in wounds, Tu Xiao'an's killing intent was fully unleashed. His human side retreated, and the cold-blooded, bloodthirsty nature of the Snake Race took over. In that instant, his Killing Intent erupted like a violent storm.
HISS...
"Master Zhao, look out!"
Someone cried out in alarm, but it was too late. The Snake Catcher attacking the Silver White Snake was still reeling in shock. Before he could even react, his eyes went wide with disbelief. A sharp pain shot through his calf—the venomous snake had already bitten him.
The venomous snake had struck as fast as lightning, abruptly biting the Snake Catcher, Master Zhao.
"You beast! How dare you harm someone!"
Seeing Master Zhao get bitten, Master Chen flew into a rage. He raised his Snake Hook and swung, preparing to send the Silver White Snake flying.
Although they were rivals, a venomous snakebite was another matter entirely. If left untreated, it could be fatal.
Besides, for four Snake Catching Masters to attack in broad daylight, not only failing to catch the Snake but also letting one of their own get bitten, was a complete loss of face.
HISS...
Another strange cry rang out. Master Chen felt a blinding flash before his eyes—the Silver White Snake had now targeted him. Its Snake Pupils were flickering with a piercing light.
In the next instant, Master Chen also cried out in pain. He didn't even see when the Silver White Snake had bitten his leg. A wave of terror washed over him. His hair stood on end, and his mind, suddenly at a complete loss, went blank.
'You forced my hand. Don't blame me for this.'
Tu Xiao'an's Snake Pupils were bloodthirsty. Biting a person for the first time unexpectedly sent a sliver of pleasure through him.
"Oh no! Hurry, get the two injured Masters out of here! That's a rare Snake Species, its Venom must be incredibly potent! If they don't get treatment immediately, they'll die!"
The watching crowd was dumbfounded. How had two veteran Snake Catchers been bitten in the blink of an eye? They hadn't even been able to see it happen clearly.
Master Zhao and Master Chen were immediately carried away, leaving the other two Masters behind. Though a lingering fear remained in their hearts, the old saying held true: money makes the world go 'round. They did not decide to back down.
To Tu Xiao'an's even greater despair, five more Snake Catching Masters emerged from the crowd, their eyes glinting with greed.
"A rare Snake Species goes to the one capable of catching it."
To a Snake Catcher, the more venomous and ferocious a snake, the more valuable it was.
It was obvious now. This venomous snake was worth well over a million. Its sheer ferocity had shown everyone just how extraordinary it was, and the wealthy bosses on the scene would surely be scrambling to buy it.
The crowd of onlookers kept backing away. This venomous snake was terrifying; it had taken down two Snake Catchers in an instant. They were fine with watching the show, but they had no desire to become collateral damage.
Although this Snake was a walking pile of cash, they weren't Snake Catchers. Even if their hearts were filled with greed, they didn't dare join the fray.
'Damn it, is there no end to this?'
As Tu Xiao'an watched the number of Snake Catchers grow, a nameless fury ignited within him. He had actually been holding back. Although he'd bitten two of the Snake Catching Masters, he had controlled the flow of Venom from his fangs, careful not to inject a lethal dose.
Otherwise, those two Snake Catching Masters would already be dead.
'Do I really have to go on a killing spree? These are all my fellow townsfolk.' Tu Xiao'an didn't want to be so ruthless.
Just then, a beautiful young woman with enchanting eyes stood in the crowd, watching the ferocious little Silver White Snake in disbelief. From the very first glance, she was captivated by it. With its body of silver-white stripes and its brilliantly shimmering Snake Skin, it was utterly beautiful.
In her heart, Meilin found herself agreeing with Master Chen. 'This Snake is almost certainly a rare Snake Species. Besides, how could any ordinary snake last this long against a group of Snake Catchers?'
Furthermore, while many people may not have seen clearly how the Snake had injured the men, she had. This Snake was incredibly intelligent. It struck decisively, disabling its opponents in a single move.
In just a few moments, two veteran Snake Catching Masters had both been injured and forced to retreat.