Scorpion tail!

However, after the sting, Xie Lian also pinched its tail, caught the whole scorpion snake, and squeezed it hard until it fainted. He was stung, but his expression did not change at all. He just threw the fainted snake on the ground and said, "Everyone, be careful, there may be more snakes nearby..."

Before he finished speaking, his wrist tightened. He looked up and saw that it was San Lang who grabbed him. Xie Lian was slightly startled and asked, "San Lang?"

The reason why he asked this was because the expression on the boy's face at this moment was really not right. He had no idea how to describe it in words, and it was almost chilling.

He stared closely at the tiny wound on the back of Xie Lian's hand. The wound was actually almost as painful as a needle prick, but the poison took effect quickly, and a huge purple-red lump immediately swelled up on the back of his hand, and the tiny wound was stretched to the size of a knife cut.

Sanlang had a sullen expression and said nothing. He grabbed Ruo Xie and used it to tie a tight knot on Xie Lian's wrist, blocking the venomous blood from flowing back. Xie Lian had never seen him with this expression since they met. Just as he was about to speak, he pulled out a dagger from a merchant's waist. Nan Feng immediately understood what he was going to do when he saw this. He raised a palm flame with his right hand. Sanlang didn't even look at him. He just put the tip of the knife on the fire and burned it. After roasting it, he turned around and used the dagger to draw a cross lightly and quickly on the wound on the back of Xie Lian's hand. He was about to bend down, but Xie Lian hurriedly said, "No need. The scorpion tail snake's venom is very strong. It's useless to inhale it. Be careful not to get poisoned..."

The young man didn't give him any explanation, but held his hand tightly and pressed his lips against his. Somehow, Xie Lian felt his arm, which he was holding, tremble slightly.

Over there, Fuyao said, "You can get stung, it must be poisonous. He might not get bitten at all, why are you trying to catch him? It's just causing trouble."

This is the truth. In fact, now that Xie Lian thinks about the way San Lang tied the snake's knot, he also feels that he may not be bitten. Maybe he doesn't take this scorpion-tailed snake seriously at all. But it's better to be safe than sorry. What if this young man really didn't notice the snake and got bitten? Wouldn't it be useless to regret it?

He waved his other intact hand and said, "It won't hurt and you won't die anyway, so don't worry about it."

Fuyao asked: "Are you really not in pain?"

Xie Lian said honestly, “Really. I don’t feel anything anymore.”

This is true. Xie Lian was very unlucky. When he walked in the mountains, eight out of ten times he would step on a poisonous snake or wake up a poisonous insect. He had been bitten by all kinds of poisonous creatures thousands of times. But maybe because he had been a priest, he was very stubborn and would not die. At most, he would have a fever for three days and three nights, and he would be fine after waking up. Moreover, he was very insensitive to pain. He would get used to any pain after a while. After he said this, Sanlang finally raised his head. The redness and swelling on the back of Xie Lian's hand had disappeared, but there was a trace of blood on his lips. His eyes were extremely cold, and he moved his sight to the side, to the scorpion-tailed snake on the ground. With a sharp "bang", the purple-red snake exploded into a pool of purple-red meat paste.

Everyone was shocked to see the snake explode, but they didn't know who did it. Although the blood didn't splash on them, they were still very scared. Only Tiansheng remembered that Xie Lian was also stung, and asked anxiously: "Brother, you were also stung? What are you going to do?"

Xie Lian tightened the bandage on his wrist and smiled, "Good boy, I'm fine. Let's do as usual. Next we have to go into the city to find the Good Moon Grass."

A businessman hurriedly asked, "You guys go? What about us? Should we send someone too?"

Xie Lian said, “You don’t need to. The Half Moon Country’s old place is probably full of dangers. One more person means more chances of mishap. After we find the Good Moon Grass, we will bring it out to you within twelve hours.”

Several businessmen said, "Is this... is this true?! Thank you so much..." "How can I be so embarrassed..."

However, as soon as Xie Lian opened his mouth, their expressions changed. Xie Lian said, “In order to find the Banyue Ancient Country as quickly as possible, I would like to trouble you to temporarily lend this little brother to us to lead the way.”

The one he wanted to borrow was, of course, Ah Zhao. If the merchants’ faces just now were full of gratitude and relief, now most of them were hesitant. Xie Lian also knew that they must be worried that he would take the guide and find the Shanyue Grass and run away. Even if Ah Zhao still had a conscience and didn’t run away with him, and was willing to come back, it would greatly delay their trip. However, they really didn’t want to go to that ghost place where “more than half of the people disappeared every time they passed the checkpoint”, so they were very conflicted. It was human nature and completely understandable, so Xie Lian added, “But I’m also afraid that something else will attack you, so, Fuyao, you stay here and look after them.”

Leaving one person here is a guarantee that they will come back. The merchants finally nodded and said, "Okay. As long as A Zhao is willing to go with you."

So, Xie Lian turned to Ah Zhao and said, "Little brother, are you willing to help me? It's okay if you don't want to."

Ah Zhao nodded and said, "Sure. But actually, Banyue Ancient City is also easy to find. Just walk in this direction and you will arrive."

After saying goodbye to the merchants, he walked in front and led the way, with Xie Lian, San Lang and Nan Feng following closely behind. After walking for a while, Xie Lian asked, "A Zhao, are there often scorpion-tailed snakes in this area?"

Ah Zhao said, "Scorpion-tailed snakes don't appear often. This is the first time I've seen one."

Xie Lian nodded and stopped asking questions. In fact, he had lived near the Half Moon Country for a while, and this was the first time he had seen a scorpion-tailed snake, so there was nothing wrong with this answer. Nan Feng sensed his intention and whispered, "Are you suspicious of this Ah Zhao?"

Xie Lian also whispered, “We’ve brought him out anyway, so we just need to keep an eye on him.”

If it were in the past, San Lang would have spoken to him first. However, maybe because of what happened just now, the young man still looked unhappy and said nothing. Xie Lian didn’t know what was going on, so he couldn’t talk to him and had to walk.

The four of them walked in the vast desert for half an hour. The storm had gone away, and there was no sandstorm blocking the way. They walked very fast. Gradually, they could see some weeds that had a very hard time surviving on the road, growing between the sand and the rocks. When the sun was about to set, Xie Lian finally saw an ancient city on the horizon.

The ancient city was hard to see because it was earthy yellow and blended in with the vast yellow sand. The city wall had collapsed, and several sections were buried in the sand. When they got closer, they found that the city wall was extremely high, with the highest point being about ten feet high. It was not difficult to imagine how magnificent it looked in the past.

After passing through the city wall, the four of them officially entered the territory of Half Moon's homeland.

After passing through the gate, there was a street, still wide and empty, with broken walls, dilapidated houses, broken stones, and broken wood on both sides. Perhaps because he was used to being reminded, Ah Zhao said, "Everyone, be careful and don't walk around." These three people naturally didn't need him to remind them. Perhaps because this ancient city was very different from the Half Moon Kingdom in his mind, Nan Feng asked suspiciously, "Is this the Half Moon Kingdom? How come it's so small, even smaller than a city."

Xie Lian said, “It’s a small desert country. The size of the country is determined by the size of the oasis. The population of the Half Moon Country was only about 10,000 people during its heyday. It was really only this big. When there were a lot of people, it was still pretty good and quite lively.”

Nan Feng observed for a while and said, "It will probably only take a few days to defeat this country."

Xie Lian shook his head and said, “That’s not necessarily true. Nanfeng, don’t underestimate the Ban Yue people. Although they only have about 10,000 people, their army is always over 4,000. They have more men than women, and apart from the old, weak, sick, and disabled, and the farmers, almost all the remaining men have joined the army. Moreover, the Ban Yue soldiers are almost nine feet tall, and they are brave and aggressive. They hold maces, and he dares to rush forward with a knife stuck in his chest. It’s very difficult to fight.”

Ah Zhao seemed a little surprised. He glanced at Xie Lian and said, "This young master seems to know a lot."

Xie Lian kept smiling and was about to say something casually when Nan Feng asked again, “What is that wall?”

What he was pointing at was a huge loess building in the distance.

It's not quite right to call it a building, because strictly speaking, it can only be called something surrounded by four tall earthen walls, with no doors or roofs. There are only four earthen walls, each of which is more than ten feet high, and a pole is stuck on the top of the wall. It's tattered and I don't know if it's a flag or something else that flutters in the wind. Somehow, it makes people feel a little cold when they see it.

Xie Lian turned around, took a look, and said, “That’s the sinner’s pit.”

As soon as he heard the name, he knew it must be something bad. Nan Feng frowned: "Sinner's Pit?"

After a moment's silence, Xie Lian said, "You can think of it as a prison. It's a place where guilty people are held."

Nan Feng said, "There's not even a door, how can we imprison him? Do we just throw him down from above?"

Just as Xie Lian was thinking whether to say it or not, San Lang suddenly said, “Throw it down. Besides, there are poisonous snakes, scorpions and hungry beasts down there.”

Hearing him finally speak, Xie Lian felt relieved and glanced at him. However, Sanlang looked at him for a moment and then looked away. Nanfeng cursed, "This is not a prison at all! This is torture, so vicious. The Banyue people are either mentally ill or cruel."

Xie Lian rubbed his brows and said, “Not all of them. There are some cute people among the Ban Yue people…” At this moment, he suddenly got stuck and frowned, “Wait a minute.”

As expected, the other three stopped. Xie Lian raised his hand and said, “Look at the pole above the pit. Is there a person hanging on it?”

The sun was setting, night was falling, and the distance was so far that it was difficult to see clearly what was hanging on the pole. However, when you get a little closer and see the outline of the object, you can clearly see that it is a thin man in black, with tattered clothes, hanging above the pit of sinners, swaying in the wind like a broken doll.

Sanlang said: "Yes. And she is a woman."

When Ah Zhao saw a person hanging there, his face turned pale. This scene was extremely horrific and strange, and even a calm person like him couldn't stand it. At this moment, Sanlang tilted his head slightly and said in a deep voice, "There is someone."

Not only did he notice it, Xie Lian also heard the very slight footsteps. There were dilapidated houses on both sides of the street, and the four of them immediately dispersed and hid inside. Xie Lian and San Lang hid in the same dilapidated house, while Nan Feng and A Zhao hid in the one opposite. Not long after, a woman in white came out from the end of the dilapidated street.

The woman was wearing a light white Taoist robe, holding a whisk in her arms, walking on the street, looking left and right, her eyes were very bright, and her expression was as if this was not an ancient city that had been abandoned for many years, but a small back garden that she could turn around at will. Not far away, a woman in black walked slowly behind her with her hands behind her back.

The black-clad lady had beautiful but cold eyes, her gaze was like a dagger drawn from its sheath, her long hair was loose, and she seemed to exude a hint of coldness. Although she walked behind the white-clad lady, no one would regard her as someone's subordinate.

They were the two people they saw outside the abandoned building at noon.

At that time, the two figures flashed by. The one in black was tall, so Xie Lian didn’t see clearly whether it was a man or a woman. Now he knew that both of them were women. The one in white could only be Ban Yue Guoshi, and who could the one in black be?

The Ban Yue Imperial Master swung his whisk leisurely and said, "Where did those people hide again? They disappeared without a trace. Do you want me to find them one by one and kill them?"

Xie Lian thought, as expected, as soon as they entered the city, they were immediately targeted.

The woman in black came up and walked past her expressionlessly, saying, "You can ask your friends to help you kill."

These "friends" can only refer to the group of extremely lethal Half Moon soldiers. Master Ban Yue smiled and said, "I don't like to call others, I just like to call you. Are you happy?"

The lady in black didn't give him any face at all and said coldly, "I'm not happy about being asked by you to do this kind of thing. Go away."

Ban Yue State Master raised an eyebrow, and indeed he was leaving. Listening to their conversation, it seemed like they were old acquaintances with a good relationship. These two must not be ordinary people, and the man in black must not be unknown. Who is the woman who is familiar with Ban Yue State Master? A mysterious fellow disciple? Or does Ban Yue State actually have a queen or a female general?

Xie Lian thought quickly while holding his breath. He didn't want to be discovered at this time. At present, it seems that this Ban Yue State Master has a very erratic temper. If he sees them, he will get excited and call all the legendary Ban Yue soldiers who are nine feet tall and holding wolf-tooth clubs. Then it will take a while to fight. Twelve hours, one hour less will be more dangerous. Who knows, his physique is that the more he doesn't want something to happen, the more it will happen. When the girl in black walked past this room, she suddenly stopped and glanced over sharply.

The Ban Yue Imperial Preceptor had already walked forward a few steps. When he saw her stop, he leaned back and said, "Hey, are you going to leave or not?"

The woman in black said, "You, back off."

Master Ban Yue said, "Oh." As expected, he stepped back. The girl in black seemed to be about to raise her hand, when suddenly, there was a loud noise across the street!

Across the street, the house where Nanfeng and his companions were hiding suddenly collapsed. This house collapsed, and the houses on the left and right collapsed as well. Instantly, dust billowed in the street, and a black shadow suddenly jumped out from the flying sand and rocks, shooting out a mighty flame, attacking Ban Yue State Master. The black-clothed lady turned around and blocked Ban Yue State Master. With her left hand still behind her back, she grabbed the flame in her palm with her right hand and sent it directly back to him. The black shadow was also extremely swift, dodging it, and in a few quick moves, it went away with a gust of dust. Ban Yue State Master chased after it, and the black-clothed lady took a look at this side, and then chased after it.

This incident happened in a split second. Xie Lian secretly said, "Good Nanfeng!" He knew that Nanfeng, who was hiding across the street, saw that this side was about to be discovered, so he made a feint to the east and attacked in the west, helping them to divert the enemy. He jumped out alone, so Ah Zhao must still be in the house. After making sure that the three people were far away, Xie Lian pulled Sanlang out and said, "Ah Zhao, are you still alive? Are you injured?"

After a moment, a muffled voice came from under the collapsed house: "...It's okay."

Xie Lian felt relieved and said, “It’s good that you’re alright.”

Although he believed that when the south wind collapsed the house, it would be carefully controlled to leave space for another living person, but he still had to confirm it before he could rest assured. He lifted a rotten beam with one hand, and after a while, Ah Zhao crawled out from under the house with difficulty, his head and face covered with dust. He patted it twice and regained his calm expression.

Xie Lian said, “There are only three of us left. Nan Feng is being chased, so we have to speed up. Ah Zhao, do you know where the Good Moon Grass grows in the city?”

Ah Zhao shook his head and said, "I'm sorry. I only know the location of the ancient city. I've never been here before, so I don't know where the Shanyue grass grows."

On the side, Sanlang said, "It is said that the good moon grass likes shade, grows short, has very thin roots, but large leaves, and is shaped like a pointed peach. You might as well look for it near the tall building."

Xie Lian pondered for a moment and said, “Tall buildings?”

Speaking of tall buildings, what building in a country could be taller and more magnificent than the royal palace? Moreover, in the myth, after the banquet, the queen plucked a piece of Shanyue grass, which can also indirectly indicate that Shanyue grass can grow in the royal palace.

The three of them looked around and saw a palace made of bricks, stones and wood in the center of the city.

The palace looked quite imposing from a distance, but up close, it was only slightly less dilapidated than the other houses on the street. Passing through the palace gate, there was a large garden. Perhaps in the past, this was not a garden, but a square or something, but now it has been deserted for many years, with only a piece of land full of various green plants.

Yes, what he stepped on was not sand, but soil. It was probably the only remnant of the oasis. The Good Moon Grass might be hidden among these many plants. Xie Lian said, “Hurry up and look for it. We only have twelve hours. But be careful of the scorpion-tailed snake.”

Ah Zhao agreed, San Lang also said "hmm", and the three of them lowered their heads to look for it. But Xie Lian suddenly remembered that Ban Yue Imperial Master could control scorpion-tailed snakes, so after arriving at her territory, there should be more scorpion-tailed snakes. But after the group entered Ban Yue Ancient City, they did not see a single scorpion-tailed snake.

He straightened up and was about to speak when he suddenly felt a cylindrical object in his hand.

When I looked down, I saw it was a human leg.